Today's The Day

Well, today is the day. DH and I did the early voting thing last Friday and I'm glad that is done. If you have read my blog very much you will already know that I am a fiscal Republican with a few social leftist leanings ... if that makes any sense.

It's true that this is a historic election for the United States. I just hope that people will cast their ballots for what they believe is the best thing for the country and not for the color of someone's skin or the gender of the person running.

But then... I'm not holding my breath. And I do understand. Women on the ticket...any ticket...would have been unthinkable in my younger years... as would any person of color. Like I said...it's historic.

But then, so are the several crises facing this country. And if you want to know the truth...I'm not sure there is enough experience among all of them to really do the job.

Harry Truman

This popped up as a forward in my email today. I like Harry Truman. He became President the year I was born, so I didn't get to hear or read any of this first hand.. just wish I had.



HARRY TRUMAN HONOR IN POLITICS

The Buck Stops Here

'It doesn't matter how big a ranch ya' own, or how many cows ya' brand, the size of your funeral is still gonna depend on the weather.' Harry Truman.

When President Truman retired from office in 1952, his income was substantially a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating,

'You don't want me. You want the office of the president, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale.'

Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing,

'I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise.'

We now see that other past presidents, have found a new level of success in cashing in on the presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale.

Was good old Harry Truman correct when he observed,

'My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference. I, for one, believe the piano player job to be much more honorable than current politicians.'

"Everything I Hate About Myself I See In Hillary" by Judy Bachrach

I found a website this morning that is actually a blog with many authors...Whoopi Goldberg, Leslie Stahl, Liz Smith, Marlo Thomas...and more. It's called WOW-O-WOW. I will be returning there...:0) The article by Judy Bachrach made me laugh... I think all women find themselves in this position at least once... Have a look..

I have to say that I lean a bit more to the right than the left..grin My son states unequivocally that I am the most conservative person on the planet....oh well... it only goes to show that a little more discussion might be in order...lol Anyway...on the other hand, he may be right!

Now...having said that. I personally would love to see a woman in the White House. But not Hillary. Some would say that I am not supportive of "Women's Rights" and the "Women's Liberation" movement... All I can say is that the afore mentioned movements are all about a woman being and working in equality with men... doing as good or better at anything they try to do and being equally paid for it... Having a mind of their own and being able to not only use it themselves, but to work toward changing the circumstances of the day so other women can do the same.

This is not the same thing as voting for a woman just because she's a woman...

What happened to the "You put me down simply because I am a woman"?... It seems to me it has just been changed to "Vote for me simply because I am a woman"... sigh (This is not to say that Hillary is not talented. This is saying the reason many women voters are giving for their Hillary vote is they feel this will be the only chance in our lifetime women will be given this opportunity.)

This is the most powerful position on earth right now... that could change...but for now it is reality. In my humble opinion, that position should be filled by someone who is voted into office because of their merits... not their gender...

Just my 2 cents...

Can You See This Happening Today?

"All the social functions were discontinued at the White House [during World War I], and Mrs. Wilson inaugurated meatless days, heatless days, Sunday gasless days meaning no Sunday pleasure drives and she spent many hours before her sewing machine making pajamas for the soldiers in the hospital wards, to be distributed by the Red Cross.

Conservation was the by word around the White House; eight sheep were soon gracing the lawns . . . many thousands of dollars were raised for the Red Cross through the auctioning of wool. Two pounds of wool were sold for each state when the sheep were fleeced of almost a hundred pounds of raw wool. "

White House Maid and Seamstress Lillian Rogers Parks
My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House, Fleet, 1961

I was pointed to this through a post on one of my Yahoo Groups..and I thought...

It seems that Al Gore's Global Warming and the War in Iraq have not caused many changes at the White House.. Al has not given up his jet flights to get from place to place... California wants control of all the people's home thermostats but no one has seen the leadership of the states or the federal government make changes. The many people knitting and sewing for our soldiers are led by individuals like you and me... If there are any of the "leadership" of this country doing so, I would love to hear about it...

Hmmm... times have changed....

Garnish Wages?

Politics is not something I discuss very often, even within my family. It can become a very divisive factor if pursued hard enough... So it is seldom brought up... But I have to blog this...
It is an Associated Press article carried in Yahoo news and the complete article can be found here. This is an excerpt of the article...


By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writer 58 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday she might be willing to garnish the wages of workers who refuse to buy health insurance to achieve coverage for all Americans...
The New York senator has criticized presidential rival Barack Obama for pushing a health plan that would not require universal coverage. Clinton has not always specified the enforcement measures she would embrace, but when pressed on ABC's "This Week," she said: "I think there are a number of mechanisms" that are possible, including "going after people's wages, automatic enrollment."...

Since when has it become the government's right to do anything at all with the paycheck we have worked to receive for our family... When did they suddenly have the right to decide whether we must do anything... much less garnish our wages for something that will give big insurance a guaranteed windfall of money...

Yes, the very idea of the blatant socialism this entails makes me nauseous... Sorry about the rant....