Some thoughts on the Wisconsin recall

We saw two big themes coming out of Wisconsin.

Theme # 1 is that Pres BO dumped the union members.  I think that the left must be furious with Pres BO.  I agree with Paul Begala that you have to stand by your friends, i.e. the unions that registered and got so many to vote for candidate BO in '08.

Theme # 2 is that the people of Wisconsin said 'enough is enough".    I agree with former PA Gov Rendell that that the recall was a bad idea.  It was an overreach and that usually backfires.

I think that we saw the anger with the recall in Gov Walker's victory yesterday.  You can't get 53% of the popular vote in Wisconsin without adding some Dems to your ranks. 

For 18 months, we've been watching people flooding the Capitol building and stopping traffic.  My guess is that they don't represent the members of the unions but that was the image broadcast to the world.  The union leadership lost control of its extremes and let them become the face of the protests.

Add to that legislators "escaping" the state.  

Add the arrogance of public sector unions who feel entitled to our wallets.  What part about "unsustainable" don't thee people get?  We just don't have the money to continue making promises that we can't keep.  Can you say Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France etc?

"Enough is enough" and that's what I interpret out of these elections in Wisconsin.  In other words, the unions would have been better off holding their fire and going after Gov Walker in the next election.

What does this mean for Pres BO and everybody else?  

First, the unions can not be happy with Pres BO flying over the state and "tweeting" his support the night before.   What will happen when Pres BO calls on the Wisconsin unions to get the vote out in November?

Second, we saw another manipulation of "exit polls".  Back in 2004, the exit polls had Sen Kerry beating Pres Bush.  It did not happen.  Yesterday, we heard that exit polls had it as a 50-50 race but it ended up 53-46%.

Third, Gov Walker's victory will energize other governors to fight the public sector unions.   This is perhaps the best consequence of yesterday's vote.

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Remembering Herb Reed and the amazing Platters

We learned yesterday that Herb Reed passed away.  He was the last surviving member of The Platters, one of the greatest American vocal groups of the 20th century:

"Reed sang bass on the group's four No. 1 hits, including "The Great Pretender," ''My Prayer," ''Twilight Time" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes."

The Platters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. Their recordings are in the Grammy Hall of Fame."

The Platters were a bit before my time but great music is great music.  They recorded some fantastic songs.  They had a wonderful and unique style.   The Platters were classy and elegant, a couple of qualities missing from a lot of today's pop music.

Click here for "To each his own" & "My prayer":

"A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
And my own is you

What good is a song if the words just don't belong?
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone, to each his own
For me there's you

If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me

Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you

If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me.....

 "When the twilight is gone and no songbirds are singing
When the twilight is gone you come into my heart
And here in my heart you will stay while I pray
My prayer is to linger with you
At the end of the day in a dream that's divine
My prayer is a rapture in bloom
With the world far away and your lips close to mine
Tonight while our hearts are aglow
Oh tell me the words that I'm longing to know
My prayer and the answer you give
May they still be the same for as long as we live
That you'll always be there at the end of my prayer..."

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Why isn't Pres Calderon of Mexico screaming about "Fast & Furious"?

This is weird, very weird.  How do you explain the silence in Mexico about Fast & Furious?  

To recall, Fast & Furious put 2,000 guns in the hands of Mexican cartels.  

We hear from the Mexican government that these guns have killed over 300 people.  

We also hear that the Mexican government was not consulted about this program.  (See what the Mexican ambassador to the US said: Mexico left in the dark on Fast and Furious)

So why in the world isn't Pres Calderon on the phone or publicly calling on Pres BO to explain what happened?

Can anyone identify a bigger breach of Mexican sovereignty than to have the US government "hand" 2,000 high powered weapons to criminal elements terrorizing the country?

Today, we learned this:

"A House investigative committee said Tuesday it has obtained new information from wiretaps related to the Obama administration’s Operation Fast and Furious that suggests high-ranking officials know more than they are telling Congress about the flawed weapons sting." (FOX)

Frankly, I am very surprised with the Mexican reaction and the patience with the Obama administration.  

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Twilight Zone: Mariela "SI" but Walesa "NO"

We've all had our share of Mariela Castro's visit and commentaries in the US.  

First, she is now an expert on "gay rights".    Wonder how all of those "gays" mistreated by the Castros feel about that?

Second, the "citizen of the world" endorsed Pres BO.

Bizarre and very bizarre.  Do you recall the last time that a family member of a hostile country came here and made such declarations?

It gets more bizarre when you compare Mariela's treatment with Lech Walesa, the former president of Poland.

Of course, we remember Mr Walesa as the leader of Solidarity, the labor union that stood up to the communists in Poland.  He was elected president a few years later and remains one of the great voices of freedom.

We learned that the Obama administration declined to have LechWalesa stand in for the late Jan Karski, who posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

I am sorry but that is bizarre.  

Of course, Pres BO & Poland have not had a good relationship.   Back in 2009, Pres BO canceled plans for a joint missile defense system between the United States and Poland, one of our most dependable post-Cold War NATO allies.

More recently, Pres BO insulted the Poles with remarks about "Polish death camps."

Am I missing something or is this how Pres BO treats our allies?  

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