The Griffin Perspective

The Death of An Iconic Monster...

2011-05-01T23:35:00.001-04:00

Sunday, May 1, 2011. 11:20 p.m. In a few minutes, President Obama will be announcing that Osama bin Laden is dead. President Barack Obama seems to be a President that gets things done. Amid all the mindless blather, political posturing, Machiavellian maneuvering, and manufactured hysteria that is delivered to his door in a relentlessly voracious stream, he simply gets things done. He doesn't talk a lot of trash. He just does what needs to be done.

The (partial) list is impressive:

Reform the American Health Care system. Check.

Rescue the American banking system. Check.

Rescue the American automobile industry. Check.

Successfully appoint a Latina onto the Supreme Court. Check.

Maybe a Nobel Prize might be nice. Check.

Get Osama bin Laden. Check.

He's not finished yet. Not by a long shot.

So how will the Right try to spin this as a bad thing?

The Trouble with PEOPLE

2010-11-10T21:59:00.000-05:00

So a few weeks ago, I was chatting with my friend about politics. While bemoaning the impending doom that was surely facing the Democrats on election day, Silas, ever the optimist, opined that, "People are pretty smart, and on election day, they'll do the right thing."

I snorted derisively, and exclaimed, "No, they're not! People are sheep! People are dumb, stupid, easily manipulated, and will do what they're told to do. They'll believe what they're told to believe, and they will vote the way they're told to vote! Just you watch!"

Silas, being a great deal nicer than me, seemed hurt by my callous summation of the American condition. So I felt the need to clarify.

A person is smart enough to look at the facts, and come to a logical decision. I mean, honestly... anyone who can make it through high school, college, carry on an adult relationship, successfully hold a job, care for a family, and do all the myriad other things millions of people do every day, can surely follow the nuances of something as important as national elections. If you get two people together, even two people who disagree entirely, then you will likely see an engaging and intellectually stimulating conversation. An individual is fine. Two individuals is still a pair of individuals.

But once that number grows to three...

Three becomes "PEOPLE". And PEOPLE are terrified. PEOPLE want leadership. PEOPLE don't know what to do, and want someone, anyone, to tell them. It is in the nature of PEOPLE to think the worst. Everyone is out to get them. Things will NOT be okay. If you're not with them, you're against them. Anybody different can't be trusted. PEOPLE are absolutely certain that the very worst is about to happen, and only by surrendering to the very worst in all of us can certain and total disaster be averted. PEOPLE are driven by fear, and that fear makes them lose the ability to think for themselves. And because of all that, they are easily duped into doing things that are absolutely not in their own best interests.

The proof of all that is the fact that, after driving the country off a cliff using unfunded tax cuts for the wealthy over and over, PEOPLE have handed control of the United States House of Representatives back to the very folks that made the mess! And despite all the things the Obama Administration has accomplished in under two years, PEOPLE think that this presidency has been largely ineffectual. Why? Because that's what they're being told by the Republicans and the Tea Partiers.

Why else would anyone who doesn't have health insurance complain about Health Care Reform? Why would anyone who is unemployed applaud a governor trying to refuse millions of dollars in aid that would directly help the unemployed?! Why would someone with no wealthy relatives, who will never inherit a dime, scream about ending the inheritance tax??!!

I'll tell you why... because that's what they've been told. If you ask any one of these PEOPLE about these issues, you'd hear a person speaking common sense:

Continuing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy will add $700 billion to the deficit, and that strategy has already been declared a proven failure. And tax cuts of any kind generate only about 35 cents of economic stimulus for every dollar it costs. However, "entitlement benefits" like Unemployment Insurance generate about $1.25 for every dollar they cost. So of course the tax cuts should be allowed to expire. Of course the states should accept money from the Stimulus.
A civilized society has an obligation to care for the sick, no matter what their economic situation. It's not right to let people die just because they're poor. So health care reform is the right thing to do.
The inheritance tax affects less than 1/2 of 1% of all Americans. Very few of the PEOPLE screaming for its head are in any position to benefit from its repeal. But they would admit to enjoying the benefits of more revenue to an already cash-strapped government. You know, cops, teachers, firefighters, nice roads, safe food, and other stuff like that that this ideology will prevent. Besides, when he died, all my daddy left me was alone.

But put any one of these people together with any two others, and you get PEOPLE. And, apparently, at that point, they lose their damned minds.

A person can think for himself. A person understands the difference between acting in his own best interests and facilitating his own demise. But PEOPLE... PEOPLE let mob mentality take over. They get caught up in the sublime pleasure of subjugating their own decision-making to someone else, someone who is certainly smarter, and knows what's best. They DO know best, don't they?

The Republicans understand this phenomenon all too well. They wield it like a weapon, swinging it madly over the heads of the PEOPLE, bending and shaping the will of uninformed many to service the needs of the privileged few. Their method is brilliantly simple. Just say whatever they want, as loudly as possible, over and over, until it becomes accepted as fact. By the PEOPLE.

About a Beach

2010-06-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

So I live here in sunny Florida. Just this past weekend, we went to the beach. The beautiful, white-sandy, pristine, Pass-A-Grille Beach in St. Pete Beach, Florida. To look out at the gentle surf, smell that fresh sea air, and feel the warm sand on my skin, makes me wonder, how can anyone in his right mind be willing to risk that for the sake of offshore drilling? It's easy for Louisiana to say they want the drilling. They don't have beaches. Not like this:

Or this:

OK, to be fair, Louisiana does have some sandy beaches. Here's one:

That's Grand Isle. While it is beautiful, it's important to remember... Louisiana is not known for that. Louisiana is known for wildlife, hunting, fishing, Mardi Gras, insanely good food, the Superdome, friendly people, bayous, the Bayou Classic, agriculture, and so much more. It is not well known for its beaches. I had to search quite a bit to find a picture like that of a Louisiana beach. Most searches of "Louisiana Beaches" turned up pictures like this:

That's not oil. That's just how the water looks. Here is that same beach after the spill:

Well, Florida is known for its beaches. World-class beaches. That, plus sunshine, good times, bathing suits, and theme parks. We manufacture memories. Our only export is magic. We have lots of retirees, and their grandkids can't wait to visit. We love being a tourist state. Nobody saves all year for that big family vacation to Louisiana. When I moved from Louisiana to Florida, my friends were all jealous. No one envies someone who moves from Florida to Louisiana. Then, the only question is, "Why?"

We live in heaven. I don't want want to keep inviting that hell into my backyard. It's time to end the threat. Let's get off fossil fuels now!

Why Are We So Angry?

2010-06-10T08:10:00.001-04:00

We, the United States of America, are pretty angry. Not upset... angry. What's the difference? 'Upset' is a temporary condition. Angry is chronic. It's like the difference between 'weather' and 'climate'. Florida can get a cold snap. Alaska can see a heat wave. Both are temporary. Things will get back to normal.

But that's not happening here. So many people are so angry, and won't accept reality. Instead, they're shouting about it. Raising their fists to the heavens, and vowing to wrest back control. Promising to deliver some unnamed doom to the protagonists who illegally stole the power from those to whom it rightfully belongs: them.

I saw a story about a morbidly obese man who died on a flight to the WSOP (World Series of Poker) in Las Vegas. The comments, left by readers, were overwhelmingly along the lines of, "Fat bastard... he deserved it!" When did we get so mean? A man died. Can't we contain the vitriol for a moment to even consider that?

I made a thoughtless comment about young black men to a friend of mine. I'm black, and my son is a young black man. The comment was about hip-hop ring tones, and how, when looking for a job, it sounds unprofessional. My point was driven by the fact that the massive unemployment we are seeing has hit blacks disproportionately, and one needs to avoid every possible disadvantage to get a job. But I never got to make that point. Another friend of mine, who is also black, overheard, and took issue with my views. Now, if he'd gotten upset, I'd feel that that was probably warranted. But he got incredibly angry, and even threatened me with physical violence. And he's still angry. I am not saying that he, or anyone else, doesn't have a right to be angry. I'm just trying to understand, where is all this coming from?

I look back through some of my posts, and I guess I seem angry as well. But I know I'm not angry about everything... I do feel passionately about some of the items on the national agenda. However, out of the context of these items, life is pretty good, and I'm overall very happy. Perhaps that's the case for what I'm seeing. Maybe people are angry about a specific thing, but okay with everything else. Or maybe, we've simply lost the art of debate. We've forgotten how to talk about things with each other.

I was morbidly obese a year ago. I had Lap Band surgery and so far, I've lost about 95 pounds. I still have a way to go. And, I know that there is additional risk of dying, so I try to control my blood pressure. I also know that internalized anger is poison. So I've learned to let things go. I get upset. But then I ask myself... is this worth me actually dying for? The lives of my friends and family have never been at risk, so the answer is always, "Hell no!" So I Let Sh*t Go. LSG. Many folks in America should try that. They'll live longer, better lives.

Just a thought.

We Need To Get Off Oil

2010-05-25T00:00:00.001-04:00

It is just that simple. We need to get off oil. It's a 19th century solution to 21st century energy problems. Look, it's dirty. It's unsafe. It's inefficient. When things go wrong, innocent coastlines get hurt. Right, Alaska, Louisiana, Texas, and, soon, Florida? I live in Florida, and in Florida, we sell sunshine and good times. If that oil washes up on our beaches, our economy will COLLAPSE. Period. Anyone who supports drilling off our coast is a bloody idiot. And that list now includes you, President Obama. We are the Sunshine state. Let's develop solar, as well as wind, and nuclear. Yes, nuclear. Much better track record than petroleum, lately. So, as I said, we need to get off oil!

Listen, Senator dumb-ass, and President clueless... grow a sac and force the United States, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century. We are still on petroleum only because YOUR corrupt asses are clearly in the pockets of big oil. If I burnt down a building, my black ass would be in jail faster than I can say Johnny Cochran. These rich, white bastards are turning the entire Gulf of Mexico into a pool of sludge, while you're sitting here with your thumb up your ass, waiting for them to "try" and clean it up?! Are you KIDDING ME, Obama??!!

And you goddamn tea-bagging redneck republican ass-wipes, with your "Drill Baby, Drill", where are you now? Why aren't you out there helping? And how in hell did you get Obama to support lifting the drilling moratorium? What... you have pictures of him skull-f%^$#ing a golden retriever? And, after all this, Obama, you won't back off that idiotic decision?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME??!!

Get off oil. We could do it. All we lack is the political will. And a set of balls.

ARE. YOU. F#@%*ING. KIDDING. ME?!

2010-04-13T00:40:00.001-04:00

The Tea Bag Party. Every one of them that I've ever seen is white. They universally hate President Obama. Not just his policies. No, they hate everything about him. They even hate his wife. HIS WIFE?! What the f?! George W. Bush was a certifiably awful President, but nobody said anything about his wife. What did Michelle do??!! But they're not racists.

They are armed, and their 'leaders' delight in pushing the envelope, egging these people on to violence, and then blame the opposition for passing laws that they don't like. Therefore, any violence that erupts is the fault of the Democrats, who are surely coming to take their guns and throw them all into concentration camps while they hook their grannies up to life support machines for the sole purpose of pulling the damned plug! But they're not crazy.

I've been politically correct for too long. No more. The Tea Party Movement is the the party for angry white people. When they say they want their country back, they mean they want a white guy in charge. When they say that Obama is taking their freedom, what they really mean is that they want the freedom to live in a country where there is a white guy in charge. When they say Obama is a Socialist, what they really mean is, they want a white guy in charge. When they say that they've been Taxed Enough Already, they mean that they want a white guy in charge. When they are reminded that their personal taxes went down, and they dismiss that fact as utter nonsense, it's nonsense because they want a white guy to lower their taxes. They believe that everything that's wrong with this country will be fixed as soon as we get a white guy back in charge. But they are not racist... they just want someone else in charge. Anyone. As long as he's white.

Now, I'm not saying that anyone who disagrees with Barack Obama is a racist. Not at all. But for most people, disagreement with the President is based on the words he says, and the ideas that he espouses. Hell, that's even true of the Republicans in Congress who are attempting to thwart him at every turn. It's purely political. But for the 'Tea Partiers', the disagreement stems from the fact that the ideas that he espouses and the words that he says, are coming from someone other than a white guy. His ideas wouldn't be so radical if they maybe came from a different President. You know, maybe a white one.

So, here and now, I'm sick to death of the lot of 'em. They're racist, bigoted, small-minded, easily duped, utterly stupid, and so ready to believe that the country is doomed because we elected a black guy. Never mind the fact that, by all accounts, the brotha' is doing a fantastic job. So what that the unemployment free-fall has been stemmed, and job growth is beginning. The hell with the fact that the financial sector has been brought back from the brink of a collapse that would have crippled the entire world. Who cares that GM and Chrysler were rescued from oblivion. The DOW closed at 11,000. Iraq is winding down. Educational benefits for college students have been increased. We signed a nuclear treaty with Russia to reduce the world's nukes by a third. He passed a health care reform bill that eluded every President for two generations! None of that matters. We are all doomed!! It must be true... Glen Beck told them so.

So, Mr. & Mrs. Tea Party Conservative, I have only one question:

ARE. YOU. F#@%ING. KIDDING. ME?!

Cartoon Villains

2010-04-09T10:57:00.002-04:00

The Griffin Perspective is about politics. Here's some politics for you. I make about a third of what I made only a year ago. A good friend of mine makes a little more than half of what he used to. And we're lucky because we could find work. I'm a renter, but the house I live in is in foreclosure, so I'm about to move. In my job, I talk to people every day who've been out of work for over a year. I think that the current statistic for applicants per job opening is about 6:1. In some places, it's better, but in many places, it's much worse. It is no secret that the current economic environment is quite challenging.

Meanwhile, politicians on the right are standing in the way of any real progress. They fought Health Care Reform, bitterly, and while they were not able to stop it, their influence caused the bill to end up being less effective than it otherwise would have been. But the left finally showed some spine and passed it. The right is fighting Financial Reform. They are fighting efforts to help protect the environment. They want to protect only the richest, largest, and most powerful among us. And if that means that everyday folks get trampled, their attitude seems to be, "Yeah... So?" These people are "cartoon villains."

In most cartoons, there is some really evil bad guy who wants to rule the world. He wants to rule by fear, intimidation, and absolute power, with him and his few faithful followers resting at the seat of that power. So what if the rest of the world is a dark, joyless place filled with fear and terror? What if ordinary people lack even the basic necessities of everyday life? As long as he and his minions are in charge of that awful place, then, well, that'd be just fine.

Coal is cheaper than clean energy. ("But it's destroying the planet." "There's no proof of that!" "Here's the proof here!" "Leave me alone...I'm rich!")

Everyone deserves access to health care. ("That's socialism!" "Every other industrialized country on earth has figured that out." "They're all socialists! Leave me alone... I'm rich!")

We have to better regulate Wall Street and the financial sector ("Let the free market work... it'll take care of itself." "That's what got us in this mess!" "There's no proof of that!" "Here's the proof here!" "Leave me alone...I'm rich!")

"Your Highness, the people don't have bread to eat" "Then let them eat cake!"

We are in a battle for the soul of this country. The left is trying to bring the country back to greatness, for everyone. The right is trying to bring this country back to 1953. And the minute I begin the think that, as a people, we're too smart to take a bus ride back to the social dark ages, some cartoon villain shouts "Sarah Palin in 2012... MWAHAAHAAHAAHAA!"

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T00:56:00.001-05:00

It's just a little past midnight on 1/1/10. 2010! Who the hell would'a thunk it?! When I was a little boy, I thought that by the year 2010, we'd be vacationing on Mars, and everybody would have flying cars.

Well, Earth is still the only place humans live, and flying cars are still not readily available. But it's still a pretty cool world. And at this special time of year, when the whole world stops its breakneck pace for just the slightest part of a moment to catch its collective breath, we can take a moment to wonder, "What's next?" Back in 1993, AT&T made a few guesses, and they seemed to have either a very high-quality crystal ball, or a spy in the U.S. Patent office. Either way, from their vantage point in 1993, they gave an eerily accurate description of the high-tech, interconnected world we live in today. Take a look, and have a great New Year's Day. Oh, and my resolution? You're reading it! Thanks!

Move Your Money

2009-12-29T20:22:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'll admit it... I don't have a lot of money. Alright... I don't have any money. But I work hard, and I pay taxes, and I genuinely care about what's right. Sometimes, "what's right" is a matter of opinion. Like whether or not you should go to church. I'm agnostic. Jesus and Santa are, as far as I'm concerned, cut from the same imaginary cloth. One of my very best friends, Vinny, is deeply religious, and believes there is a Jesus, and that he loves me anyway. Who's right?

But, often, what's right is simply and undeniably... RIGHT. Even if those in power spend unlimited funds to convince everyone otherwise, what's right is still simply right. And in that same way, what's wrong is simply wrong.

It's wrong for Wall Street financiers to earn millions of dollars for taking wild risks with our money, and then when it all blows up in the world's face, get bailed out by the government, only to resume the process. Look, I know that Presidents Bush and Obama had to shore up those institutions. To allow the wholesale collapse of the world banking system would have plunged the entire world into a depression... maybe even a modern-day Dark Ages. Nobody wanted that. But, now that the financial world has been pulled back from the brink, I think retribution is in order. It's only right.

Washington is clearly not up to the job. Here's a better idea...

I'm moving all my money this week. Both dollars!

Good Times Ahead

2009-12-27T22:47:00.001-05:00

As the author of a politically-themed blog, I take great pleasure in dissecting the events of the moment. I delight in adding my two cents' worth to the ideas of the day, and letting anyone who wanders across my page know that I think. For example:

Former Governor Palin is clueless.

It's not appropriate to shout "You lie!" at the President during a joint session of the Congress.

The Public Option is a good thing and must be included in any meaningful health reform bill.

Congressional Democrats, particularly Senate Democrats, are pretty much spineless.

Most Republicans aren't racist, but most racists are Republicans.

Sometimes, President Obama seems too cerebral for his own good... he needs to be a bit more of a bad-ass.

Stuff like that.

And as I sit here, watching another year wind down, basking in the calm afterglow of another warm, drama-free Christmas spent with friends and family, my thoughts turn toward months and years yet to come. And as I think about the future, I have a feeling that it's good to be alive at this point in time. I believe, for no other reason than belief itself, that humanity is on the verge of something great. And many people who are alive today will be alive to witness it. I have no idea what it is. Some technological breakthrough? A medical miracle? Contact with extraterrestrial life? Discovery of cheap, clean, limitless energy? Who the heck knows?! It just feels like we are coming out of some dark times, and I think there is a bright future just ahead. And it will be something that will benefit the whole world. If I'm right, you heard it here first. If I'm wrong, what the hell do I know?

'Tis the Season...

2009-11-27T11:27:00.001-05:00

Hi, and welcome back! Technological problems have prevented my regular posting, and those issues persist to this day. Nevertheless, today is Black Friday. It's a glorious morning here in Tampa Bay. It's maybe 50 or 55 degrees, brilliant sunshine, and only high, wispy clouds. In mid-July, when it's 96 degrees outside, with 98% humidity, in the middle of our daily torrential thunderstorm, I know that months of weather like today's are the reason I live in Florida.

In politics, there is a lull... sort of like the quiet that falls over the main street of an old-West town just before a climactic gunfight. The House grew a collective set of balls and passed a decent healthcare bill that included a Public Option. Then, the Senate prepared an even better bill, that covers more people, trims more from the defecit, and contains Public Option. But, in trying to get it to the floor, The Senate was almost stymied in its attempt by Sen. Joe Lieberman, (I-Aetna), who vowed that he would kill any bill with a Public Option. Still, the Senate was able to pass the procedural vote to allow the bill to be debated on the floor. (Sort of like an argument on whether or not to have an argument. But hey, that's how our government works!) Luckily, that vote passed 60 - 39 (one Republican was absent). Currently, the Senate (and President Obama) have conceded that this will not be a bipartisan bill, and that, not matter what they strip out of the bill, and how watered down it gets, there will be NO REPUBLICANS VOTING FOR THIS BILL. If you'll remember, I said that right here months ago. So all it's done right? Democrats have the 60 votes, and healthcare reform should be a foregone conclusion, right?

Of course not! The threat to reform now comes to us from within the very party trying to get it passed: the Democrats! Conservative Dem's are complaining about the depth and breadth of the Public Option. Senator Liberman (I-Blue Cross, also special envoy from Blue Shield) insists that no bill at all is preferable to one with a Public Option. And, thanks to a last minute flinch from the House Democrats, abortion is now an issue. Abortion... really?!

Introduced by Representative Bart Stupak (D-Michigan), a provision bans any Government insurance plan from covering abortions, except in cases or rape, incest, or where the life of the mother is in danger. But it doesn't stop there. People receiving subsidies to buy insurance are not allowed to use that subsidy to buy a plan that does cover abortion. And they are still prohibited, even if they pay for that plan with their own money. And finally, insurance plans that participate in any government exchange would be banned from covering abortions. As would be expected, conservative Democrats in the Senate have picked up this same rallying cry, and are threatening to make this part of their discussion as well. It's funny how the more conservative a person leans, the louder his complaints about government intervention in his or her health care. Except about abortions... then, it's the government's God-given right to control any woman's choices in that painful and deeply personal decision.

Anyway, deliberations begin in the Senate next week. Will a bill for comprehensive healthcare reform finally get to a President's desk? If so, what will it look like? Let me hazard a guess:

Yes, the President will get a bill to sign. It will have a robust public option. Abortion coverage will remain status-quo. And, to this author's surprise, it will get no less than 1 but no more than 3 Republican votes. Senator Lieberman will blink. And passage of real heath care reform, even a weaker one now to set up for a stronger one in the years to come, will insure Democratic control of Congress for the next decade. Just you watch!

OK, I'm Back!

2009-10-01T20:36:00.003-04:00

It's been a few days since I last posted. I'm sorry that you missed me. But I do have a good reason for my absence. Actually, I have three good reasons. One is a really good reason, one is sorta dumb, but still a valid reason, and one is pretty damned disturbing.

The Good Reason. I haven't had the time, because I recently left the ranks of the unemployed! Yaay! A couple of weeks ago, something went well and they said those four magic words: "When can you start?" So by the time I get home in the evening, cook dinner for my hottie wife, clean up the kitchen (that's right, ladies!!!), and get up to speed with what happened in the news during the day, it's time for bed... I have to get up early. For work! Yaay!

The 'Dumb' Reason: The reason I cook dinner for my hottie wife every evening is that she works at home and uses the good computer. The laptop I'm using right this minute is almost 7 years old, and is so slow that it's all I can do to keep from chucking it out the window. Honestly, the way I use this thing is click on Firefox, play two games of FreeCell. Click on the word 'Bookmarks', play two games of FreeCell. Click on "The Griffin Perspective", play 2 games of FreeCell. You get the idea. By the time the thing is fully up & ready to work with, it's after midnight. I gotta get up in the morning. You know, work. I'm planning on getting a new computer soon, but you know, unemployed. Til now. (Yaay!)

The Disturbing Reason: I've been getting really, really angry. Just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean that I haven't been paying attention. I know that President Obama called Kanye West a 'Jackass' (He is a jackass), and the right went crazy. President Carter said that the poison spewing from the right was racially motivated (I agree, to a point), and the right went crazy. Senator Baucus, falsely identified as a Democrat, gave the insurance industry an early Christams present with the abomination he called a Health Care Reform Bill, and the right went crazy! Weak-willed, candy-ass Democrats sided with Republicans and voted down the public option. During Black History Month, students sang a song about the first black President, AND THE RIGHT WENT CRAZY!
The reason I haven't posted is not because I didn't want to. It's more disturbing than that. I really wanted to. But every time I'd start writing, I'd get so mad that the words would come out all dark and poisonous. I'd re-read what I'd written, and I could just see myself being questioned by DHS.
"So, Mr. Griffin... where did you dig that shallow grave you mentioned repeatedly in your blog that you authored? Are you working alone?"

Delete.

So I took a little break. And tomorrow night, I'll talk about something other than Health Care Reform.

If I can.

Yaay!

Of Jackasses and Handguns

2009-09-16T20:06:00.000-04:00

Listen, people... you simply cannot have it both ways! Many of you said that when President Obama comes to town, his presence does not nullify your Second Amendment rights. He's just a citizen like you. The fact that he's the frickin' President Of The United Frickin' States doesn't matter. And, as much as I hate to admit it, you're technically right. Stupid as all hell, but technically correct.

So why is it that the President commented that "Kanye is a jackass", some folks are all up in arms saying that "Jackass isn't presidential" or "That should be beneath him?" He's not special enough for you to leave your gun at home, but his lips are too special to form the words "Jackass", or "Stupid" (from Beer-Summit-Gate)?

CHOOSE!

Either the Presidency is a special thing and he can't call stupid "Stupid" or jackasses "Jackass". If that's true, then he's certainly special enough that when you go to see him speak, then you should be, by law, unarmed. And if he's speaking to Congress, you should be respectful.

But if that's too much to swallow, then when someone does something stupid like shout out "You Lie!" in a joint session of Congress, then the President, like any other normal person, should be allowed to retort, "Shut the hell up, dumbass! I'm talking here!"

I'm just sayin'...

Bill Clinton, Conservative / George Bush, Liberal... WTF?!

2009-09-15T15:49:00.002-04:00

If you click on over to Google, and look up "Conservative", it'll mention things like "Resistant to change" and "Cautious: avoiding excess". In even simpler terms, a Conservative will find things a certain way, and leave them pretty much the same way. Not rock the boat, or try for ambitious changes. President Clinton tried to fix health care, (certainly a Liberal endeavor) and that effort failed. However, for the rest of his presidency, he saw that things were working pretty well, and let things run smoothly. The good news was the unprecedented peace and prosperity of the 90's. Good times, indeed. The bad news, for him, was that when things ran smoothly, and he had a little extra time on his hands, well, his idle hands got him into trouble. But that's not the point today. The point is his presidency was not one that tried to rock the boat. Things that worked well were allowed to work, and things that didn't work well were vastly overshadowed by the things that worked well. That sounds like a Conservative to me. The result of his stodgy, conservative, hands-off approach? Years of high income, low unemployment, and a budget surplus. Yay, Conservatives!

If you click back over to Google and look up "Liberal", it'll mention, among other things, "Having political views favoring change and progress". Hmm... "change and progress." President George W. Bush came in, saw that things were running well, indeed, was handed a budget surplus of $127 billion. Rather than be a Conservative, and keep things going smoothly, tweaking where necessary, President Bush instead pushed through monstrous tax cuts totaling nearly $2 trillion! And he increased government spending by over 20% during his first four years in office. And let's not forget those military exercises we've been conducting in the Middle East for 7 years and counting. More spending... fiscal irresponsibility... sounds like a liberal to me. The result of his liberal, change-for-change's-sake policies? His term ended as the nation slid into the worst economic downturn in a generation. Unemployment, savings wiped out, record foreclosures, over $480 billion deficit handed to the next guy to clean up. In a word: Disaster. Boo, Liberals!

What about the current President? I hope that at his heart, he is a Liberal. Because we certainly need someone who is "tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition". We need new answers to problems that we as a people have never faced before. Problems like an aging population, a truly interconnected economic world, and the rise of not one, but several super-powers at the same time. You can't use 1950's arithmetic to solve 2010 global socioeconomic problems. But I also hope that at his heart, he's a Conservative. Because we will certainly need someone who's "cautious: avoiding excess". The stakes are too high to simply shoot from the hip. To allow oneself to be swayed by impassioned cry or loud, emphatic, enraged, yet totally baseless claims to relevance. To quote the fictional President Andy Shepherd from the 1995 movie "The American President", "We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them." For us thinking, reasonable folks on both sides, let's try to keep this in mind as the din wears on.

We're Number 37!! Yaay!! Go America!!

2009-09-12T14:06:00.001-04:00

I happened upon this absolute gem while perusing The Huffington Post. I think it says what I've been trying to say better than any words I could try and write. Mad Props to Paul Hipp! Visit his site here. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Bipartisanship Goes Against Democracy

2009-09-11T10:38:00.003-04:00

In an interview with Rachel Maddow earlier this week, Congressman Barney Frank (D - Massachusetts) said something that smacked me across the face with its utter, well, bald-faced rightness. I know... inelegant grammar, but that's what fit.

Anyway, Rep. Frank said, "... this insistence on bipartisanship really goes against the notion of democracy. We HAD an election in 2008... the Democrats won the Presidency, and significant majorities in the House and the Senate." He went on to say, "The notion that those of us who won the election with a solid majority should compromise 50-50 with those who lost, well then, why have an election?"

Wow!

In a lot of ways, and for a lot of reasons, politics is complex stuff. The notions of freedoms and obligations, rights versus privileges, laws and legality, these are not for the faint of heart or the simple of mind. And much of it is not a simple matter of black or white, good or bad. Usually, it's much more complex than that. However, some things are that simple. Sometimes, it is black and white. This is one of those times.

Barack Obama ran on a promise to fix health care, a system that everyone knows is badly broken. This was a central theme in his campaign. America responded by electing him decisively. No last minute recounts, or challenges, or dimpled hanging chads. Nope... he won fair and square. Then, to make sure Washington got the message, we also gave him a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate. Apparently, America wanted there to be no doubt that Republican/Conservative ideology was soundly rejected. And, let's not forget, the Republicans had 6 years at the wheel, and they started with a budget surplus! And so far, in this administration, they've offered nothing but "NO!"

They offered no meaningful input to the Stimulus Plan, insisting simply on more tax cuts. They have so far, offered nothing of value in the health care debate, relying instead on the tried and true Republican tactics of fear (he's gonna kill granny!), confusion (Medicare is great but government run health care is the devil!) and outright lies (illegal aliens will get free health care provided by death panels!)

So now, after nearly driving the country off a cliff and continuing to try and wrest back control of the wheel, how dare the Republicans insist on equal say in crafting any significant legislation? At the very most, Democrats should tell the Republicans in Congress that they'll take their "suggestions" under advisement. And then, do the grown-up work. But worse, how dare the Democrats, beginning with President Obama, continually capitulate to the infantile demands of a minority so out of touch with the American people?

In Wednesday's speech, the President implied that enough was enough. He warned that he would not waste time with those who only sought to kill the bill for political purposes. For all our sakes, I hope he means it this time.

If You Support The President's Plan, Tell Your Representatives

School Children Safe!

2009-09-08T12:59:00.000-04:00

President Obama spoke to school children this morning.

The world still turns.

Hmm...

...So Liberals Aren't Americans?

2009-09-05T18:30:00.002-04:00

According to a story on CNN.com, the White House is indicating that it may draft its own health care reform bill. Check it out... it's worth reading. But the part that has me so furious as to break away from dinner guests on a beautiful Saturday evening to vent is this quote:

"The bottom line, said the source, is that the president would have to 'move to the center' on the issue eventually, 'and it's not a bad thing to have liberals screaming at him.' That development will help sell the deal to Americans and 'convince them it's a good, moderate deal, if liberals are mad.' "

Dear Mr. Source, you are wrong. Exactly how do arrive at, "If liberals are mad, then it's a good deal for Americans"? So if I think that it's a bad idea to protect big insurance companies at the expense of the individual, you're saying that my outrage means that that's a good idea for Americans? I think interracial marriages are just peachy, so that makes it a bad idea for Americans?

I'm an American! I've got a birth certificate and everything!

It is OK to be a liberal. I made that very argument just last week. The United States is made up of all kinds of people with all kinds of ideas. Conservative ideas are not inherently the right ones, and liberal ideas are not necessarily fraught with peril. It's that numb-skull thinking that has allowed the right to hijack what should be a serious discussion that affects all of us, and turn it into a joke. And that inferiority complex that so pervades the left is why I have yet to see the Democrats ever stand up to the Big Red Menace. If we can't get something done now, WHEN?

A Health Care Story Without All The Drama

2009-09-05T11:50:00.002-04:00

As this debate over health care reform rages on, I find myself wishing that there was a way to explain one's position in a cool, dispassionate way. I mean, really, we've sort of let passion and emotion run away with the discussion. It has become about fear, loathing, lies and ignorance. We haven't talked about it as much as screamed about it. And I'm as guilty as the next guy. Isn't there a better way?

Then, BOOM! It came to me! Just like that (sound of finger snapping). Follow me, now... there is a point, I promise you!

I have this steam cleaner I bought a couple of months ago. It worked great, then it just quit working. So I called the warranty department who explained that I had to send it to them at my expense. Then they'd repair it or replace it. No, I can't take it back to the store. No there's no place locally I can take it. You know the drill.

So I packed it all up neatly and addressed it, and it was ready to go. Then I went online to UPS's website, and got a quote for shipping it. Their quote: $16.35, for standard ground shipping. Then I went to FedEx.com and got another rate. Their price: $22.28. Finally, I went to the US Postal Service website for a final quote. Their rate: $18.69. Here's where the health care debate comes in. FedEx and UPS are both private businesses. The USPS is government run. I guess you could call it "The Public Option". And in the face of stiff, non-profit competition from a shady government entity, UPS had the lowest price.

Lesson one: Private Industry can survive in the face of government competition.

But the saga continues...

So, after lunch with my buddy Silas, I went to the UPS Store next door to mail my steam cleaner. I explained that I'd gotten a quote from their own website. The very nice lady at the counter explained that that didn't matter. The website often calculated the weight wrong. I said that I'd guessed that the weight was 20 pounds. She weighed it, and it was actually 17 pounds. Great! It should cost less, right? She said no. The UPS site is wrong, and it would cost just over $25 to send the box. "What about my quote?" I asked. "Sorry."

"Sorry?!"

"Sorry." And a sympathetic smile.

So I said, "I guess I'll go try the public option." She wished me luck.

Lesson two: Competition is good. Choice is good.

So I took my box to the nearest post office, where I encountered a loooong line. Dang! Oh, wait, there's one of those automated mail centers. I went there, and put my package on the scale, and it weighed in at 16.9 pounds. Cost to mail: $14.65. Add insurance and delivery confirmation, and I got it done for under $17.00.

Lesson three: The 'Public Option' gives us choice, and often saves us money.

This was not an emergency. The cleaner could have been sent any time before the warranty expired. Heck, I might just go buy a new one if I get tired of waiting. This is not about a steam cleaner or shipping rates. This is about health care reform.

Under the current system, when an insurer changes its mind, or decides not to cover an illness or procedure, most people are left with little recourse. They whine, complain, maybe write a letter or two, then go on and try to pay out-of-pocket as best they can. Sometimes financial disaster follows. Sometimes worse.

What the President has promised, and the Congress has a chance to pass, and what Americans have asked for is simply the chance to do what I did: tell UPS that they cost too much, and I'm going to the post office.

"Put Down The Public Option, And Step Away From The Presidency"

2009-09-04T09:46:00.008-04:00

Yesterday, the White House signaled that President Obama was willing to accept a Health Care bill that had no 'Public Option'. The House Progressive caucus, joined by Speaker Pelosi, has said that the House will not pass a bill without that component. Would the President really risk losing 86 votes in the House just to get (a promised) one in the Senate? Rumored grumblings seem to indicate that Progressives would view this as base treachery on the part of the President, and they might go shopping for a different candidate in 2012. Republicans would certainly view it as a victory for 'Tantrum Politics'. Watch the discussion by Keith Olbermann and Eugene Robinson on The Huffington Post.

Well, it hasn't happened, yet. So I won't condemn him. During the election, there were many times that I really disagreed with then-Senator Obama, and he repeatedly proved that he's a brilliant politician. But the bigger problem is that a politician, first and foremost, wants to remain a politician. That should mean pleasing the greatest number of people. But the reality in American politics is that it means pleasing the right people, and lately, that's meant pleasing the Right. I could have sworn he promised something different. I guess we'll see when he addresses Congress next week.

The Presidential Address... Not Suitable for Children?

2009-09-03T15:32:00.006-04:00

OK, you and me, we're still 'dating'. You know what I mean... I'm a new blogger, most of my readers are still friends and family (thanks, guys!), and I'm trying to find a voice here. So, like any good relationship, it should start out with honesty. So I'll come clean about a dirty little secret:

I never get my news from Fox News. It's not in my Favorites, it's not bookmarked, and I have no idea what channel it's on.

There. I've said it.

But, if I'm gonna provide political commentary, I have to get info from all sides. Even the Dark Side. And that brings me to today's comment. I was having lunch with Sugar (Mrs. Griffin), wondering what news would jump up and beg to be commented upon. The TV set in the restaurant was on Fox News, and the BIG STORY was that parents are apparently in an uproar over the fact that President Obama will be addressing school-kids next Tuesday. I knew about the school-day address, but outrage? What?!

I get online every day at about 9:00 a.m. Any earlier than that, and nothing's happened yet, and any later, I feel guilty. My homepage is MSNBC. I also check CNN, Newsweek, Slate, and the Huffington Post. So I got back online to see if I'd missed this pivotal story. Of all those sources, only the Huffington Post made mention of this, uhm, phenomenon. So, I went straight to the source, Fox.com.

First, you need to understand why I rarely go to Fox. Whenever I read it, I feel, well, dirty. Like I've been reading something, well, dirty. Today was no exception. 3 minutes into reading the story and the comments, and I was furtively looking over my shoulder, hoping Sugar didn't come in and catch me reading such filth. Sure enough, smack in the middle of the page was...

Parents Outraged At Obama "Lesson"

Here's the gist: Many parents are angered that this guy has the gall to want to talk to their precious children during school time, without first telling the parents what it is he'll be telling them, so they can decide if it's acceptable. Like he can just break in on the internet and talk to every child in America at the same time! And he's got this cockamamie scheme about 'Do well' and 'study hard' and 'write a letter to yourself about how you can help the country'. Who the hell does he think he is... the President?! Oh, wait...

What exactly do these parents think a sitting President will say to their kids? The man is the Leader Of Our Country, for crying out loud! I mean, if a President can't get a little airtime between recess and lunch, who can? Some of the folks commented that, just like having to sign a permission slip for their kid to be allowed to watch a PG13 movie in school, they want to be able to opt out. Most of the folks on the comment board swear that they'll keep their kids at home rather than allow them to subjected to such an atrocity. And that is their right.

So, if you really feel that way, tell me this... Does your child have an Xbox? A PS3? Do you know what games he or she plays, and what's on every level? What TV shows does he watch, and what are the lyrics to her favorite song, and what do those lyrics mean? What websites are in his favorites? Who are all their My Space Friends? What goes on in each and every class every day? What does he talk about with his friends on the school bus every day? Who's that boy whose name is on all her book covers?

Don't get me wrong, I know that no parent can possibly know all that, even if they foolishly believe that they do. I'm just saying that, of all the dangers that are out there, seen and unseen, threatening out precious children, do you really think that a Presidential Address, live, on the internet, streamed to every school in America, and received in the classroom, is really a threat to your kids? I mean, aren't there other things to worry about? Look, I don't agree with everything that the President does or says, but surely a Presidential Address, to the children of America, at school... honestly, is this where you start caring what little Johnny sees?

What's Being Taken Away?

2009-09-02T16:13:00.003-04:00

Even before the discussion on health care reform, many conservatives have been bemoaning that this country is being taken away, and that President Obama is dead-set on stripping us all of our freedoms, and, by gum, he's succeeding. Really?!
My question for those of you on the right who are so all up in arms about the freedoms you're losing is this: Exactly what freedoms are you losing?
Please tell me one 'Right' that you had last year that is no longer a 'Right' today.

The right to bear arms? That one's obviously still intact, what with fools bringing assault rifles to presidential events. I wonder what would have happened if anyone had shown up to an event where President Bush was speaking with a loaded rifle?

The right for a man and woman to get married? Still intact. Although, in a few states, gay couples have gained the right to marry.

The right of free speech, and to openly criticize the government? Tea-parties and town halls have shown forcefully that this right is still very much intact.

The right to work at whatever you want and make as much money as you can? The fact that the financial industry is beginning to again pay out huge bonuses, despite public outrage over the bailout money they received shows that while the government can help the private sector, it can't dictate to it. Hmm...

The right to worship as you please? The religious have been more vocal, not less. And they are being more hysterical without any intervention from any government entity. Hell, an abortion doctor was gunned down in church (!!), and I wonder, where's the outrage from the left over right-wing terrorism?

The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? How has any one of these inalienable rights been threatened? Obama’s imaginary ‘Death Panel”? The federal government’s secret task force that’s been set up to make Happiness run faster, thus making it harder to pursue?

Tell me one thing that's been taken away. Tell me one thing that's changed about the country.

We still worship money (His name is on all our currency).

We still distrust our fellow man.

Most of us still do nothing without first wondering what's in it for us.

We still love fast food (Even at the worst part of the recession, McDonald's showed a healthy profit).

We still practice religious hypocrisy (People who claim to believe in God openly ridicule anyone who claims to have actually spoken to Him).

The highways still take you anywhere you want to go, whenever you want to go there. (The government builds and maintains the roads, you know.) Additionally, you are still free to buy whatever car you can afford, regardless of its fuel economy rating. Hummer and Land Rover are both still open for business.

The United States Post Office will still take a letter from Key West, Florida to Seattle, Washington for 42¢! And for a couple of bucks more, they’ll personally hand-deliver it to the recipient, have him sign for it, and send proof that the guy got it, all within a week! For less than $5.00! (Some of you may not know that the USPS is also run by the government)

We still like TV (even Reality TV, even though we all know that it's crap!) We are still allowed to obsess over Jon and Kate. Fox news is still allowed to be Fox News. MSNBC is still allowed to be MSNBC. Keith and Bill are still allowed to be Keith and Bill. CNN is still free not to fire Lou Dobbs for sheer stupidity. Fox is still free not to fire Glenn Beck after calling the POTUS a “…racist who hates white people!” (You know, the president’s mother was white, as were the grandparents who raised him. Just thought you should know that.) Millions of Americans are still free to agree with the man and the sentiment, and millions of people are also still free to think he’s a vitriolic fool.

WHAT THE HELL HAS CHANGED?

The fact is the entire world has changed. And the United States of America had better keep up. This is no longer a world where every leader of every country is arbitrarily a white male. This is no longer a world where the smartest guy in the room is necessarily white. Or even a male. This is no longer a world where selfishness and ruthlessness are summarily rewarded. Looking out for the little guy, and taking care of the members of society with the least amount of power isn't socialism... actually, it's sort of what that 'Jesus' guy was talking about. You know, ‘Turn the other cheek, give to the poor, blessed be the meek, yada yada yada…’ I thought you knew that that’s what he was saying.

This is a world that will be driven by the best and the brightest, regardless of their melanin level. I know it's scary. But if you don't keep up, this new world will not wait for you. You will be left behind, stuck in the early-to-mid 1900's when real men were white, and women and coloreds knew their place. And when everybody but you thinks that this brave new world is great, and you’ve been left behind, don’t say you weren’t warned.

On Being a Liberal...

2009-08-31T21:53:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned, I'm a liberal. And it really chaps my bunions that we on the left have allowed them on the right to set the frame of the discussion. We have allowed the right to make 'Liberal' a dirty word. A quick search of the word 'Liberal' on Google comes back with "Broad-minded; favoring progress and reform", among other things. So, because I'm willing to look at issues from more than just my perspective, that's a bad thing? Because I believe that you should be free to do what you want as long as I can do what I want, that makes me a freak? WTF?!

Being a liberal is a good thing. But I know it's not the only thing. There is a place for Conservatism. I don't believe that this is an all-or-nothing world. Sometimes, the Right is right, and sometimes, the Left is right. But what makes me wanna holler is when Senator A says,"Yada yada yada, ", and Senator B says, "Senator A is a Liberal!", and Senator A sputters, "N-No, I'm not!!" That just makes my head explode. If Senator A really is a liberal, and there's nothing wrong with that, why not just grow a pair and say, "SO?!"

We on the left are hampered by a self-defeating need to be all things to all people. We want to please everyone, and God help us if someone gets mad at us. Please. The Republicans, for all their faults, and I feel that there some to discuss, have one very enviable trait: BACKBONE. The Dem's really need to invest in some of that. Stop trying to pander to the smallest part of the other party! Remember that you were elected to do a job. Do it.

Steve, is this about Health Care reform? You bet your sweet Aunt Kathy's false teeth, it is! The Dems have a two-house majority, and the White House. That this discussion has gone on as long as it has is sickening. The Republicans have said that they will not vote to pass health care reform. So why are the Dem's compromising and weakening the bill just to get 'Bipartisan support' that will never happen?

It's sorta like this: Say you're having a Christmas party, see, and you invite all you friends, and your ex-wife, who left you because she caught you with her sister. She hates you. Anyway, you've got this great party all lined up, and all your friends are looking forward to it. The ex says she ain't coming, because she hates you, and your rap music. You agree to change to country-western music, which you have always hated. She still hates you, and the meat you're serving, since she hates you and she's now a vegetarian. You change from corn-fed steaks and lobster to a locally-grown only salad bar. She still hates you and she really hates dancing girls. You cancel the dancing girls. She hates you, and she hates football. This party, to be held on Christmas Eve, the night of a hotly-contested playoff game, will now have the TV's locked onto her favorite Country-music channel.

Dude.

She.

Is.

Not.

Coming.

Neither are your former friends, who all think you're acting like a putz. Man up, and do what you gotta do, and the hell with her. She, like the Republican Party, is not the least bit interested in helping you or your stupid party. And when it tanks, and it will, she, like the Republican Party, will be the first to shout, "I Told You So!!" This is what it is. Deal with it, Dem's! Go and pass real, comprehensive health care reform. Leave a LEGACY. It's a once in a lifetime chance. Please don't blow it!

Welcome to The Griffin Perspective

2009-08-31T21:17:00.000-04:00

Hello, and welcome to my opinion. My name is Steve Griffin. I am a forty-something sales professional who has the 3 things required to be a blogger: a computer, internet access, and something to say. I live in beautiful west Florida, in the Tampa Bay area. I'm blissfully married to a wonderful woman, who, after 20 years, is still a hottie. I'm also one of the millions of folks affected by the current economic downturn, so I actually have a little time on my hands. Because of that, I thought that now was a good time to start this project. And finally, shout out to Silas! Let's get started!

I want everyone who gets here to know where they are and what I'm doing. This is commentary. It is not news. I'll basically take a story or two from the most recent news, and publish my take on it, or my perspective. You are then free to disagree. This will be basically about National politics and world affairs. No updates about Jon or Kate, I don't care who Jennifer just broke up with, and the only way we'll be discussing Beyonce is if she's the 3:00 am call we were warned about. If you don't get that joke, you're probably at the wrong site.

I'm a liberal, first and foremost. I've voted Democrat, Republican, and Independent. But I am a liberal, and as I get older, the farther to the left I lean. So you should know that going in. You've been warned...