Online headline/story: "Nancy Pelosi Slammed Over Tax Cut Proposal * The Washington Post editorial board on Wednesday night slammed House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for pushing to permanently extend "middle class" tax cuts for people earning up to $1 million, warning that it makes Democrats look "almost as irresponsible" as Republicans defending tax cuts for the rich." -- To paraphrase Rhett Butler, "and she should be slammed, and slammed often", and don't you love it when liberal media start turning on their leaders? --- Here's HOPing, that most of Congress bought into the Facebook IPO, and suffered for their availability to get insider access to such shares. Maybe there will be CHANGE in the laws and rules governing such stock transactions in the future. --- The $1.2 million for the Natatorium is for operational overrun... not just the costs of operations; not just the overrun of construction budget. It's an annual projection and considered "static' as opposed for what we know will be annual growth of expenses. There is something totally amiss in the planning of this facility. Additionally, if you parse Worsley's figures about if you cut operational hours to 60 from 90 hours per week, he can cut those overrun operational costs to about $600K. 30 hours x's 52 =1560 hours removed from budgeting at an average of $384.00+ per hour. This is not a healthy situation, nor is what he says it will take to run the Natatorium. --- This L-E story was in Wednesday's addition, but I wanted to mull it over before commenting: "State Rep. Calvin Smyre, the committee’s other cochairman, told council that the rail study reminds him of Columbus missing out on the Interstate highway system in the 1960s, and that he would hate to see it miss out on the possibility of passenger rail service in the 21st century. * Local attorney Edward Hudson, co-chairman of Mayor Teresa Tomlinson’s passenger rail commission, told councilors that rail service to Atlanta would connect Columbus to 57 percent of the state’s population, 60 percent of its jobs, and 70 percent of its gross domestic product. * “A passenger rail line is really about connecting economic resources,” Hudson said. The economic numbers are impressive.” -- If this was the 20th Century and we were about to enter the 19th Century, I could really get behind this venture, but that is not the situation. This is one of those "BIG" ideas that politicians salivate over as the preliminary money can be spent on their friends, and they will be long gone before any reality will come to fruition, so they won't be around to have to explain what they were thinking (Red McDaniel excepted; he's been around forever). If passenger rail systems were booming (don't dare bring up AMTRAK or MARTA as good examples), then looking for an upgrade would be reasonable, but consumers rejected the continued need for for passenger rail service 40+ years ago. --- President Barack Obama holds a narrow lead over presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney in three pivotal battleground states -- Florida, Ohio and Virginia -- according to an NBC-Marist poll released on Thursday. -- This musta really activated Chris Matthews leg tingling. --- NAACP Silent as Federal Contracts to Minority-Owned Small Businesses Drop - Say it ain't so, Joe and B.O. --- Bill Clinton Poses With Porn Stars At Star-Studded Gala In Monaco

Wonder if he's also acting under his stage name, "Slick Willy"? --- Latest from barackobama.com: "Dear Hal, I've been in President Obama's shoes before -- Bill Clinton" -- We knew he had a cigar fetish, and now he tells us he's into shoes...., and I bet they were 'loafers'. --- Liberal's L-E "soundoff": "There are as many Christian Democrats as there are Christian Republicans. Democrats just tend to act more Christ-like. " -- Well, not exactly 'act', though many 'feel' they ARE Christ, and 'feel' they have the right to determine when life begins, and to spend other people's money on government enslavement programs. --- A near miss L-E "soundoff": "Reading about the natatorium, I’m reminded of that old adage: Anything government can do, private enterprise can do better and cheaper." -- What private enterprise can do better is to know when there a venture has profitability in its future. Take railroads for example; many a fortune was made in the past on passenger service, but the railroads shut those down and concentrated on freight. Railroads acquiesced that the future of passenger movement belonged to the automobile and the airlines. Automobiles give flexibility, and people will put up with being crammed in like cattle for the convenience of getting cross country in 4 hours versus 3 or 4 days and nights. --- Another liberal's L-E "soundoff": "Our military has close to the same expenses as the militaries of all the rest of the world combined, but the Pentagon wants more? No wonder our roads and bridges are falling apart." -- If you don't like your military to be the superior one in the world, move elsewhere. On the other hand, perhaps our roads and bridges would be better (and better maintained if the military was in charge of them. --- Was hoping to see the way Columbus could save $351,000.00 as claimed by Elise Jenkins in her first forum. If she documents that now, the City could start saving more money than if she only reveals if she wins election. Besides, if the City can save more than the $250K Mayor Obamalinson claims we'll save if she can cut garbage pickup to once a week, maybe she'll drop that notion and move on to some other issue we might support her on. --- L-E headline: "Nuke talks with Iran to resume next month " -- Hmmm, meantime, bach in Tehran, nuke work is resumed. NATO, fish or cut bait! --- Seeing the Astrodome being considered for new life is special to me . Saw Mississippi State 'skunk' (36-0) Houston there in September of 1965, and in September of 1978, I heard a sports brief concerning that the Astrodome would actually fit inside of the new Superdome, so I bought a pre-announcement ticket package for the 1979 Sugar Bowl. After all the seasonal dust settled, it was #1 Alabama vs #2 Penn State . Whatta game and experience! --- L-E headline/story: "Civil rights groups call on Deal to diversify bench * They say Georgia’s black judges are being replaced by white appointees * ATLANTA — A coalition of civil rights and attorney groups says African-American judges are being replaced by white appointees in one of Georgia’s most heavily populated black counties and called Thursday for Georgia’s governor to fill vacancies with judges who reflect their communities’ diversity. * The coalition, led by the Rev. Joseph Lowery, said black representation on the bench has decreased from 44 percent in 2002 to 30 percent. * “We need fairness,” said Lowery, head of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, as he stood on the steps of the courthouse. “Do the right thing. We’re not here to ask them for favors. We’re asking them for justice.” * “Governor Deal, working closely with members of the Judicial Nominating Commission, seeks to appoint to the bench the most highly qualified candidates for the bench, whether it’s in Fulton County or elsewhere in the state,” (Brian) Robinson said" -- Dr King must be turning over in his grave! Does Reverend Lowery contend that the color of a man's skin determines his fairness or ability? Shame on him! ---