Speaker Nancy Pelosi went into the House vote today by shoring up, or so she thought, the finger pointing of Republicans and the Bush administration. It turned out to be a preamble to failure. Perhaps she knew that she didn’t have enough Democrats to vote for the bailout either because the bill could have passed without a single Republican vote. Remembering Enron, you can bet the ranch that if any Republican could be held responsible that there would already have been investigations launched. I’m not certain, but maybe someone is holding Henry Waxman hostage somewhere?

All her finger pointing is meant to be a distraction from who is really to blame for the economic meltdown. Her Party. Everyone agrees that it was the result of bad mortgages. But no one seems willing to find out how we got there. For Chris Dodd and Barney Frank, there is good reason that Democrats don’t want to look too deep into the problem. They’re hoping to skate from responsibility by blaming it all on Bush and, as Pelosi called it today, runaway and unregulated economic policies. And they hope to get Obama elected before the American people find out the extent of his participation in it. To look at Obama today, he is acting as if he was an innocent bystander while the problem just snuck up on us.

Fact is, Sen. Barack Obama played no small part in contributing to the problem. And his fellow Democrats not only contributed to the problem, they started it, they made it worse, and they fought Republicans against any attempt at regulation reforms that could have prevented the situation that we find ourselves in today.

related links: What Caused The Economic Crisis? | ACORN And Sen. Barack Obama’s Economic Crisis

Thanks to Red State Update for bringing us a lighter side of politics.

It is a good thing that Boeing dropped out of the controversial air tanker project. Hopefully, they had national security in mind when they found their union was behaving badly. The union leaders were more concerned with respect than a three-year contract offer that includes bonuses totaling at least $5,000 and averaging $6,400, raises averaging 11 percent, pension increases and a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment – $34,000 in average pay and benefit gains per employee.

Tom Wroblewski, president of Machinists District Lodge 751, declared in a statement Friday that Boeing had “disrespected the finest aerospace workers anywhere on the planet” by failing to meet machinists’ expectations.

‘Failing to meet machinists’ expectations?’ Ignorant of anything but gimme gimme gimme, it would be helpful for unions to learn of the consequences of what the union is asking for. Ask any employee in the auto industry what biting your nose to spite your face will get you. Unemployed.

“We’re not greedy, we just want a piece of the pie,” said Scott Daniels as he helped make picket signs late Friday. “They offer us bonuses. We don’t want bonuses.” Machinists want an improved 401k and improved vacation, he said.

It has been three or four decades since raises of 11 percent were remotely considered reasonable. 11% then is like 5% today. Unions need to do something different. Instead of trying to trade roles with management, they should start a new company to their liking. Maybe call it Paradise Inc.. The all-pay and no-work company, where they can get everything they want, whenever they want. Oh, and dues will be 100% of their pay. And as part of their orientation, they get a free CD of Aretha Franklin’s single, R E S P E C T.

link: Contract talks fail; machinists strike Boeing Co.

The very last thing that the United States should be involved with is giving aid to the hemisphere’s idiot, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Especially in the form of tapping 250 thousand barrels of oil from OUR Strategic Petroleum Reserve to feed its Citgo Lake Charles, La. refinery. This because supplies to its refinery were cut off when the Calcasieu Ship Channel is temporarily closed.

Citgo will be allowed to pull 250,000 barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve because of its inability to secure crude in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. The U.S. Energy Department granted the request late Tuesday, so far the only request for fuel from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

You may be wondering why tapping our emergency reserves for Citgo would be to our national interest. Well, apparently it doesn’t have to have anything to do with our national interest. Then again, with Chavez nationalizing U.S. oil companies in Venezuela, (Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips) and threating to use his oil as a weapon against us, why does Citgo fuel have to be on our Navy bases?

related links: U.S. grants Citgo 250K barrels of oil from reserve | Hugo Chavez | Citgo

Heads are rolling in Mexico, literally.

Eleven decapitated bodies have been found outside the city of Merida on the Yucatan peninsula, heightening fears that Mexico’s recent descent into violence has reached even heavily protected tourist areas.

That Coca Cola salesman, Vicente Fox, left quite a legacy for his country.

No surprise there. The good buddy of Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte, and Cindy Sheehan is fine with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Russia and their attempt at annexing two provinces of the sovereign state of Georgia. Having no support anywhere else in the world from the East or the West for his actions, the monkey-in-the-middle has support from the hemisphere’s idiot, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez backed Russia’s recognition of two breakaway regions of Georgia on Friday, making Venezuela only the second nation to support Moscow’s stance.

related links:

• Chavez backs Russian recognition of Georgia regions
• Russia Chooses War Over Diplomacy
• Georgia’s President Saakashvili On Russia’s Invasion
• Rape, Kremlin Resists Pulling Out
• Putin’s Russia Is Raping And Molesting Georgia
• Russia Is OK With Missile Defense System, For Syria
• Russia’s Actions In Georgia Rebuffed In The East
• Putin Accuses U.S. Of Starting Georgian Conflict

ALEXANDRIA, La. – A man and a woman found a new use for a barbecue pit , one that landed them in jail. An argument over whether a third guest should stay in the house got so heated that the woman picked up the barbecue pit and hit the man over the head with it, police said.

link: Two arrested after using barbecue pit as a weapon

Sign over a Gynecologist’s Office:
‘Dr. Jones, at your cervix.’
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In a Podiatrist’s office:
‘Time wounds all heels.’
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On a Septic Tank Truck:
Yesterday’s Meals on Wheels
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At a Proctologist’s door:
‘To expedite your visit, please back
in.’
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On a Plumber’s truck:
‘We repair what your husband fixed.’
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On another Plumber’s truck:
‘Don’t sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.’
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On a Church’s Bill board:
‘7 days without God makes one weak.’
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At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee?:
‘Invite us to your next blowout.’
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At a Towing company:
‘We don’t charge an arm and a leg. We want tows.’
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On an Electrician’s truck:
‘Let us remove your shorts.’
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In a Nonsmoking Area:
‘If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action.’
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On a Maternity Room door:
‘Push. Push. Push.’
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At an Optometrist’s Office:
‘If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.’
**************************
On a Taxidermist’s window:
‘We really know our stuff.’
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On a Fence:
‘Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!’
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At a Car Dealership:
‘The best way to get back on your feet – miss a car payment.’
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Outside a Muffler Shop:
‘No appointment necessary. We hear you coming.’
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In a Veterinarian’s waiting
room:
‘Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!’
**************************
At the Electric Company
‘We would be delighted if you send in your payment.
However, if you don’t, you will be.’
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In a Restaurant window:
‘Don’t stand there and be hungry; come on in and get fed up.’
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In the front yard of a Funeral Home:
‘Drive carefully. We’ll wait.’
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At a Propane Filling
Station:
‘Thank heaven for little grills.’
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And don’t forget the sign at a
CHICAGO
RADIATOR SHOP:
‘Best place in town to take a leak.’
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Sign on the back of another Septic Tank Truck:
‘Caution – This Truck is full of Political Promises’??

Rome: A new guidebook in Sicily aims to answer everything tourists always wanted to know about the Mafia, but were afraid to ask.
Link: A tourist’s guide to the Mafia