OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST

How many times do we need to learn a lesson?  The cause in Afghanistan is not winnable.  So listen to the John Fogerty song once again and see if you can learn anything.

 

And, if you can’t, then I really feel sorry for you.

A DRUGGED OUT NATION

While Mark Souder whines and vents about the “War on Drugs” and focuses on restricting marijuana, perhaps he should take a look around at the unbelievable number and kinds of prescription drugs that have us – as a nation – drugged to the hilt.

I receive the AARP magazine – a group I originally swore I would never join.  Really – the Association for the Advancement of RETIRED People?  I have to wonder how many members are actually retired.  I know I have no plans to retire – retirement is something that leads to decline.  Anyways, I received my latest issue of “AARP Bulletin”, and one of the articles was titled “The 50 Most Prescribed Drugs.”

So, much as I hate numbered lists, here goes.  I am listing the drugs, followed by the number of yearly prescriptions written, and finally, the ungodly amount of money generated by the sale of the drug.

1. Hydrocodone (pain) – 121.3 million prescriptions – $1.78 billion
2. Lisinopril (hypertension) – 69.8 million prescriptions – $686 million
3. Simvastatin (high cholesterol) -  60.2 million prescriptions – $1.45 billion
4. Levothyroxine (hypothyroidism) – 58.6 million prescriptions – $546 million
5. Amoxicillan (bacterial infection) – 52.1 million prescriptions – $439 million
6. Azithromycin (bacterial infection) – 49.3 million prescriptions – $1.28 billion
7. Lipitor (high cholesterol) – 49.0 million prescriptions – $5.88 billion
8. Hydrochlorothiazide (edema/hypertension) – 47.1 million prescriptions – $288 million
9. Alprazolam (anxiety/depression) – 43.6 million prescriptions – $468 million
10. Atenolol (hypertension) – 40.9 million prescriptions – $274 million
11. Metformin (type 2 diabetes) – 40.1 milliion prescriptions – $536 million
12. Metoprolol Succinate (hypertension) – 38.9 million prescriptions – $1.11 billion
13. Furosemide oral (edema/hypertension) – 37. million prescriptions – $209 million
14. Metoprolol tartrate (hypertension) – 29.7 million prescriptions – $206 million
15. Setraline (depression) – 29.5 million prescriptions – $648 million
16. Omeprazole (ulcers/reflux) – 29.2 million prescriptions – $1.15 billion
17. Zolpidem tartrate (insomnia) – 28.3 million prescriptions – $742 million
18. Nexium (ulcers/reflux) – 26.9 million prescriptions – $4.79 billion
19. Lexapro (depression) – 26.3 million prescriptions – $2.41 billion
20. Oxycodone (pain) – 26.2 million prescriptions – $683 million
21. Singulair (asthma) – 25.8 million prescriptions – $2.90 billion
22. Ibuprofen (pain/inflamation) – 25.5 million prescriptions – $177 million
23. Plavix (blood clotting) – 25.1 million prescriptions – $3.80 billion
24. Prednisone oral (allergies/inflamation) – 24.8 million prescriptions – $211 million
25. Fluoxetine (deression) – 23.3 million prescriptions – $349 million
26. Synthroid (hypothyroidism) – 23.1 million prescriptions – $515 million
27. Warfarin (blood clotting) – 22.8 million prescriptions – $317 million
28. Cephalexin (bacterial infection) – 22.1 million prescriptions – $256 million
29. Lorazepam (anxiety) – 22.0 million prescriptions – $340 million
30. Clonazepam (epilepsy/anxiety) – 21.8 milion prescriptions – $287 million
31. Citalopram HBR (depression) – 21.6 million prescriptions – $260 million
32. Tramadol (pain) – 21.3 million prescriptions – $302 million
33. Gabapentin (epilepsy/pain) – 20.7 million prescriptions – $809 million
34. Ciprofloxacin HCL (bacterial infection) – 20.5 million prescriptions – $194 million
35. Propoxyphene-N (pain) – 20.4 million prescriptions – $225 million
36. Lisinopril (hypertension) – 20.4 million prescriptions – $687 million
37. Triamterene (edema/hypertension) – 20.4 million prescriptions – $153 million
38. Amoxicillin (bacterial infection) – 20.1 million prescriptions – $807 million
39. Cyclobenzaprine (muscle injury/spasm) – 20.0 million prescriptions – $209 million
40. Prevacid (ulcers/reflux) – 18.6 million prescriptions – $3.30 billion
41. Advair (asthma) – 17.8 million prescriptions -$3.57 billion
42. Effexor XR (depression) – 16.9 million prescriptions – $2.66 billion
43. Trazodone HCL (depression) – 16.7 million prescriptions – $140 million
44. Fexofenadine (allergy) – 16.5 million prescriptions – $772 million
45. Fluticasone nasal (allergy) – 16.2 million prescriptions – $543 million
46. Diovan (hypertension) – 15.7 million prescriptions – $1.28 billion
47. Paroxetine (depression/anxiety) – 15.6 million prescriptions – $359 million
48. Lovastatin (high cholesterol) – 15.3 million prescriptions – $378 million
49. Crestor (high cholesterol) – 15.1 million prescriptions – $1.68 billion
50. Trimethoprim (bacterial infection) – 14.6 million prescriptions – $131 million

Brand names (bolded and underlined) make up only 22% of the list, yet they make up 62% of the total of $53.2 billion cost.  The total number of prescriptions is 1,140.3 billion – that’s 1 billion 140 million + prescriptions.  The population of the United States is approximately 305 million.  That means that every man, woman, and child could be taking at least three prescriptions.

The number of people with at least one prescription increased from 67 percent in 2000 to 74 percent in 2006, and the number of prescriptions per person rose to 14.3 from 10.8 in 2000 – a 32 perent jump.  Unbelieveable.   Is it any wonder that big pharma continues to lobby and push its products to physicians and the consuming public through TV commercials – advertising for every conceiveable ailment?

The audience sees the commercials and runs to doctors to request the drug.  Doctors oblige their patients.  And, don’t forget those free samples that the pharma reps provide to the doctors.  But TV commercials aren’t the only culprit in this drug-dependent nation – our lifestyles have turned us into a reactive nation instead of a proactive nation.

The dichotomy in this scenerio is that while companies and health professionals urge exercise, healthy eating, and routine physical exams to enhance our lifestyles, citizens are becoming increasingly dependent on prescription drugs – a 32% increase in the number of prescriptions per person.

We have a drug crisis in this country all right, but it isn’t Mark Souder’s version.  The list above shows just what this country has turned into – a drugged-out nation.

LETTERMAN NEEDS TO EXIT – STAGE RIGHT

This past week, in a blatant show of protecting his butt, David Letterman made a mockery of his show, his marriage, his fans, and the women with whom he works.  Letterman’s performance was pure CYA.  As he alternately apologized and joked about his now-infamous indiscretions with his subordinates on the show, his audience reacted with confusion – some laughter, some silence, but a heavy dose of “okay, you’ve apologized, so forget about it.”   Is it any wonder that sexual harassment is still rampant in this country and so hard to combat?

Letterman’s actions should be considered sexual harassment, and, instead of feigning concern for his subordinate female employees, he should have been slithering off the set for good.  He acknowledged his actions were “creepy.”  Creepy?  creepy?  The man is a cave man throwback to the days when males in superior positions rode roughshod over their female employees.  Rather than face retribution or loss of jobs, women caved in and were subjected to various means of humiliation in the workplace.

Letterman managed to turn what in many cases are illegal actions into fodder for his evening joke lines.  And, the sad thing?  CBS is cautiously standing behind him and the audiences seem ready to put it all in the past.   On-the-street interviews with average citizens found most of them with the blase attitude of “he did it, he apologized, move on.”

Although the females involved have gallantly stepped up to the plate and stated there was no sexual harassment and everything was just hunky-dory consensual, what seems to be missed in this whole, sorry episode is the concept that when a superior propositions a lower-ranking employee, there is always a measure of coercion.

The coercion may be slight, but it nevertheless exists.  After all, how do  you say no to a boss who controls your destiny without  a fear of consequences?

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment can be one of two kinds.  The first is what is called “quid pro quo” or a “this for that” situation.  The superior says if the woman will do something for him, he will do something nice and good for the woman.  The key is that in order to establish a case, the woman must show that she was actually harmed in some way if she does say no.  If she says no but cannot show some type of negative retribution, then the legal cause disappears.  This form of sexual harassment is based on pure power – the power of the superior to coerce the underling.

The second kind of sexual harassment is called “hostile work environment.”  This situation usually occurs when women compose a very small percentage of a work force, for example, women in a typically male-dominated environment.  The male counterparts make the environment sexually uncomfortable, often with sexual innuendo, off-color jokes, nude pinups, etc.  You get the idea.

Letterman’s actions should be pursued as sexual harassment, and he should not be able to walk away from this joking all the way to the bank.  Let’s face it, wrong as the blackmailer is, Letterman would not have come forward had the plot not existed.  And, while the public outcry over politicians who carry on affairs reaches a fever pitch, Letterman’s dalliances created a surge – 22% to be exact – in his show’s ratings.

The picture below says it all.  Letterman even joked about Martin Short’s sitting on Steve Martin’s lap by stating that sitting too long could lead to a blackmail scheme.

Wow, and we wonder what has happened in this country.

David Letterman

ARMY CORPS TO BEGIN “TAMIAMI TRAIL” REVERSE ENGINEERING FEAT

Normally, I have little use for the Army Corps of Engineers.  After all, they are the ones who have worked hand-in-hand with the City to build the ugly concrete walls in Fort Wayne that were erected to stop flooding in a number of areas.  Unfortunately, stopping flooding in some areas just increases the flow and direction somewhere else.  And that somewhere else has become my corner of Nelson, Thieme, and West Berry.  And I blame the Corp and the City for their ill-planned barriers.

So, when I see a Corps project that looks to be doing some good, I will certainly give credit.  The Tamiami Trail project slated for southern Florida will open up a segment of highway so that water can return freely to the Everglades.  To accomplish this feat, the Corps recently signed an $81 million contract that will raise a one-mile segment of Highway 41 – named the Tamiami Trail – in Miami-Dade County, Florida.  The raising of the highway will remove a “plug” of the road which has stopped water on the north side of Highway 41 from returning in a natural flow to the south side of the road and back into the Everglades.

The Tamiami Trail running through Southern Florida - the Poor Man's Alligator Alley

The Trail and the road became an unintentional barrier preventing water from flowing into the Everglades

The Trail – also known as the “Poor Man’s Alligator Alley” – requires no toll and drops down south of Interstate 75, the stretch that requires a toll.  Both cut across the southern part of Florida and through the Everglades. On the north side of the Trail, the public is paying billions of dollars to store and clean water before it gets to the Everglades. On the south side of the Trail is Everglades National Park, which needs the water.

The project – authorized over 20 years ago – would create a roughly 5-foot clearance so that water could flow under U.S. 41 to where it is needed in the Everglades.  In addition to raising the 1 mile, the Corps will raise the elevation of another 9.7 miles, to create enough gradient that water from the “River of Grass” can flow under the bridge.

Everglades ecoregion - includes the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee, the Big Cypress Swamp, the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, the estuarine mangroves of the Ten Thousand Islands, and Florida Bay. (Photo credit Wikipedia)

My own adventure into the The Everglades occurred in May 2001, and it was not planned.  My one son was set to be married in Nassau, Bahamas, so I drove down to Fort Lauderdale where I hopped onto a small plane and flew out to Nassau.  My route took me along the western edge of Florida so I could see my oldest son who was living in Valrico at the time.  My plan was to head south and drive across Alligator Alley – Interstate 75 – and then on to Fort Lauderdale.

I am usually pretty prepared when I am on the road.  I planned on stopping along 75 – silly me – and fill up with gas since my tank was pretty low.  What I didn’t realize was that once you hop onto 75, the gas stations disappear.  One lonely gas station exists between the Naples and Weston tollbooths – something I didn’t learn until it was too late.

As I was tooling along 75, I kept watching my gas needle as it slowly sank lower on the dial.  I anxiously watched the horizon for signs of a gas station – those small signs that say “gas, exit ….”  None appeared, and the miles kept slipping by.  I started to panic somewhat as I knew I did not have enough gas to get me to the other side of Florida.  My mind began to fill with pictures of being stranded on a highway aptly named Alligator Alley for a reason – alligators.

Then I saw the exit for Highway 29 which promised it would take me south to Everglades City.  I could only hope at that point that Everglades City was big enough to have at least one gas station.   I drove along 29 – somewhat dazed at my lack of preparedness and absolutely scared to death I would run out of gas on a forelorn road where alligators would creep up and snap at me.   I didn’t notice any fences or barriers along the two-lane road – oh my God – what if I blew a tire, what if I accidentally got too close to the side of the road, what if – what if.

My lord, there was a lot of water on each side.  I was truly losing it.  I really began to feel sick – I didn’t see any mileage signs to tell me how far Everglades City was, and I kept glancing at that expanse of water and grass stretching for miles on each side of the road.  Finally, I saw signs of what was a small town.  I could see a gas station sign and several other small businesses popped into view.  I had made it to Everglades City.  I filled up with gas, and I can’t tell you how relieved I was to head back up to 75 again to complete my journey.

Everglades City

The Everglades is a marvelous and beautiful place, and, had I not been so preoccupied with my fears of being gasless and encountering alligators, I know I would have appreciated it much more.

The Corps’ project is critical to saving what remains of the Everglades.  So, much as I often complain about the Corps, this Tamiami Trail feat is a much-needed solution to saving the Everglades.  And, I hope that one of these days I will be able to see in person the success of that project.

SOUDER SCROUNGES FOR DONATIONS

Throwing out his old, worn standard – the Liberals are coming, the Liberals are coming – Souder has already saddled up his trusty steed of conservatism and started to send out letters soliciting donations.   Whining that he is a “good” conservative, he is now portraying himself as a poor, beleaguered Indiana conservative fleeing from the “nasty, old Liberals” who are after his seat.

Souder has the ability to talk much and say little.  I have found in the few conversations I have had with him that it is hard to get a word in edgewise, and that tactic becomes useful when you have little to say in an unrehearsed situation.

But, Lord, give him a rehearsed forum, and he can ramble for hours without taking a position a la his performance in 2008 at a meeting he held to try to explain what was happening with the VA inpatient issue in Fort Wayne.  By the time the meeting was over, few understood what he had just said and even fewer understood his position.

But, Souder’s hypocrisy has never been more visible than his recent assault against President Obama, calling the President a “liar.”  Apparently Souder has forgotten the following pledge that he took in 1994 as he signed the now-infamous Contract with America (bet he had his fingers crossed behind his back):

CONTRACT WITH AMERICA

As Republican Members of the House of Representatives and as citizens seeking to join that body, we propose not just to change its policies, but to restore the bounds of trust between the people and their elected representatives. That is why, in this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer instead a detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.

Within the first hundred days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given a full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote, and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny:
1. The Fiscal Responsibility Act: Balanced budget amendment & line item veto
2. The Taking Back Our Streets Act: More prisons, more enforcement, more death penalty
3. The Personal Responsibility Act: Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending
4. The Families Reinforcement Act: Use tax code to foster families
5. The American Dream Restoration Act: Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes
6. The National Security Restoration Act: No US troops under UN command; more defense spending
7. The Senior Citizens Fairness Act: Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings
8. The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act: Incentives to small businesses
9. The Common Sense Legal Reforms Act: Limit punitive damages
10. The Citizen Legislature Act: Term limits on Congress

Further, we will work to enact additional budget savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included in the legislation above, to ensure that the federal budget will be less than it would have been without the enactment of these bills. Respecting the judgment of our fellow citizens as we seek their mandate for reform, we hereby pledge our names to this Contract with America.

Hmm – didn’t Souder say he would only run for six terms?  Gosh, I guess he lied.

REPUBLICAN ANGST OVER ACORN LEADS TO UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

The angst over ACORN has led to introduced legislation that – whoops – well sweeps in such entities as military contractors and could conceivably lead to defunding of some of the military-industrial giants.   Representative John Boehner, the ever-omnipotent partisan pol from Ohio, has introduced H.R. 3571 – Defund ACORN Act.

Ah, that good ole’ law of unintended consequences.  Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) picked up on the legislative overreach and asked the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) to sift through its database to find which contractors might be caught in the ACORN net.  A preliminary search turned up such giants as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Gumman, with 20 fraud cases between them, and the longer list is a Who’s Who of weapons manufacturers and defense contractors.

Whoops!  Or perhaps, whoopee.  And, among the sponsors of the legislation, why Indiana’s own Republican klan of Mark Souder, Mike Pence,  Steve Buyer, and Dan Burton.  The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – riding astride those mighty steeds of indignation against ACORN.

Now, I don’t know whether or not ACORN has committed acts of fraud – that is for others to determine through the proper channels.  But what I do suspest is that legislation that targets ACORN will no doubt be declared unconstitutional.  The Constitution prohibits Bills of Attainder – that device that says laws cannot be drafted that punish specific groups.

Hmm – wouldn’t the “Defund ACORN Act” also sweep in Halliburton – the Cheney-led company that skipped out on the U.S. and established its headquarters in Dubai so it would be less accessible to prosecution in the United States for numerous alleged fraudulent activities resulting in ripoffs of billions of dollars of taxpayer money involving the Iraqi conflict?

Halliburton - Cheney - Credit to Mike Keefe of the Denver Post

Well, let’s see where this goes.  I would almost guarantee that the indignent and outraged Republicans will – of necessity – back off this legislation.  Defunding ACORN may well be what they intended with their legislation, but certainly what they didn’t intend to do was sweep in their buddies in the military complex.  Ouch!

COMPETITON IN HEALTH INSURANCE BUSINESS A MYTH

Competition in the health insurance business is a myth.  Those who oppose President Obama’s public option are crying foul that a public option would tilt the insurance coverage playing field unfairly.  Bull – the health insurance field is already tilted in favor of just a few insurance companies and is dominated in almost all markets by one or two companies which have swallowed up smaller companies and continue to grow, thus creating even less competition.

The American Medical Association’s 2007-2009 report on competition in the health insurance field finds that in the majority of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), a single health insurer dominates the market. Competition is undermined in hundreds of markets across the country.

Over the five years since the AMA’s first study, the country’s largest health insurers have continued to pursue aggressive acquisition strategies. The largest insurer, WellPoint Inc. (formed from the merger of Anthem Inc. and WellPoint Health Networks), has acquired 11 health insurers since 2000. The second-largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group (United) has also acquired 11 health insurers since 2000.

In 2000, the two largest health Aetna and United, had a total membership of 32 million lives. As a result of mergers and acquisitions since 2000, the top two insurers today, WellPoint and United, each have memberships, respectively, of 34 million and 33 million, totaling more than 67 million covered lives.

While large health insurers have posted very healthy profits since 2000, premiums for consumers have increased without a corresponding increase in benefits. In fact, during the same time period, consumers have faced increased deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance. This has effectively reduced the scope of their health benefits coverage.

In our own Fort Wayne MSA, the two largest provides, WellPoint and Lutheran Preferred, control 52% and 23% of the market, respectively – those two companies alone control 75% of the Fort Wayne MSA.  Not much competition there.  The AMA’s report gives a picture of competition in all 50 states.

In Gary, Indiana, an area known for its poverty, two companies, HCSC (BCBS) and WellPoint control 68% and 24%, respectively.  Two companies – 92% of the market.  Hmm – where is the competition?

The American public is being sold a lie when the opponents of the public option cry that it will cut competition.  Little competition currently exists, and, as the major insurance companies continue to aggressively swallow up smaller companies, even less competition will exist.

What the mega insurance companies really want is to control even more of the market and, God forbid, that a public option would get in the way.

Chart with examples of lack of competition in the health insurance industry

BOOT THE BLUES – DOGS THAT IS

What do Joe Donnelly, Brad Ellsworth, and Baron Hill have in common?  They have decided to enter into the ranks – 52 in all – of the Blue Dogs, or more accurately, as newer members of Congress are called the “Blue Pups.”  Just what is a Blue Dog?  The Blue Dogs are a group formed in 1995 in response to the Democratic losses of 1994 – although they haven’t barked too much until recently.

Blue Dogs call themselves moderate to conservative members of the Democratic Party who, according to Pete Geren  have been “choked blue” by “extreme” Democrats from the left.  Hmm, wonder where the “Red Rovers” are – you know, those Republicans who have been strangled by the right-wing of the Republican party?

Part of the Blue Dogs’ motivation in opposing President Obama’s health care proposals may be attributed to the vast contributions they have attracted from medical interests, who are spending an additional $1.3 million a day on lobbying. The Washington Post reported:

The Blue Dog group has set a record pace for fund raising this year through its political action committee, surpassing other congressional leadership PACs in collecting more than $1.1 million through June … More than half the money came from the health care, insurance and financial services industries.

Of course, Donnelly, Hill, and Ellsworth aren’t the only offending members of Congress.  Evan Bayh of Indiana has decided that his bread is better buttered by the medical insurance and pharmaceutical companies and has opposed many of the components of President Obama’s health care reform plan under the guise of working for the “citizens of Indiana.”  The ads, of course, have been paid for by big Pharma.

Senator Bayh’s wife Susan, a former Lily pharmaceutical executive, received $2.1 million over the last several years for serving on the boards of health-related firms like WellPoint, the nation’s largest insurer, based in Indianapolis.  Kind a hard to bite the hand that feeds you.

WellPoint alone accounted for the biggest single source of Susan Bayh’s board income, paying her $976,000 in cash, stock options and stock awards from 2006 to 2008, according to Equilar, a California-based executive-compensation research company.

Blue, purple, or green – it really doesn’t matter.  It is pretty apparent from where their dog food comes, and, as long as their dog bowl is full, well, again, why bite the hand that feeds you.

Joe Donnelly

Brad Ellsworth

Baron Hill

CODIE ROSS FOR STATE HOUSE

In a classic match up involving stagnation and the status quo – represented by Dick Dodge – confronted with energy, youth, and new ideas – represented by Codie Ross – the evolving 51st Indiana House race has captured state attention albeit luke-warm.  But we can change that.  Howey Politics Indiana, a blog discussing Indiana politics has listed House District 51 as a “horse race” and among the “Hot 25″ in Indiana’s upcoming elections.

Codie Ross for 51st District

Here are Brian Howey’s comments:

HD51: This hasn’t been a truly competitive district for a generation, but Democrats are talking up the challenger candidacy of Codie Ross, an Auburn attorney who is taking aim at Republican State Rep. Dick Dodge. “He’s a real go-getter,” said Indiana Democratic Chairman Dan Parker. Dodge defeated Lon Keyes 14,734 to 10,186 in 2008. In 2006, Dodge defeated Democrat Joseph Rauen 9,013 to 7,217 in a race nobody talked about at the campaign committee level. The district isn’t an absolute GOP juggernaut, but we’re a bit skeptical whether Ross can close the gap. Horse Race Status: Likely Dodge

For a generation?   It really is time for a change.  Dick Dodge may be a likeable, older gentleman, but his age belies his hidden agenda of supporting anti-consumer issues.  He has accepted $2,300 from the utility and coal industries.  Those contributions were from American Electric Power, Duke Energy, Indianapolis Power and Light, NiSource, Peabody Coal, and the Coal Industry’s Political Action Committee.

According to the Citizens Action Coalition, Dodge has a 2008 pro-consumer voting record of 0% – I have to repeat that – 0%.  What that says is that Dodge doesn’t take much interest in protecting his constituents.  Codie Ross is practicing good, old-fashioned politics.  He is walking his district to talk to the constituents, and he is intent on making sure that he takes the interests of his future constituents to heart.

It is time for a change – and Codie Ross is the person to do it.

Codie Ross speaks to the Third District Democratic Breakfast Club

So, let’s make the the change happen.  I don’t live in the 51st District, but I have met Codie, and he has spoken at our Third District Breakfast Club.  Dodge wants to hang on as he has done for a generation, and, why not?  He has had little competition, and he doesn’t answer to his constituents but rather to big industry.

On the other hand, Codie has solid ideas, common sense, and the desire to serve those of the 51st District – not simply hang on with no action as Representative Dodge has done now for far too long.  Visit Mr. Ross’s website and learn more about his vision for the 51st District.

REPUBLICANS SHOOT THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT – HOBBLE OFF INTO THE SUNSET

What was supposed to be a unified Republican uprising against the “socialist” agenda hidden in President Obama’s speech to schoolchildren has turned into a full rout of Republican antagonists.  Tucking their tiny little tails between their crooked little legs, Republicans have found little comfort in the non-issue that was to be their battle cry of indoctrination of our “poor, impressionable youngsters.”

In Allen County, nine – count ‘em – nine students were kept out of school by paranoid and close-minded parents intent on protecting little psyches against the big, bad presidential wolf.   Others – 85 to be exact – opted out of having their little tykes’ ears bombarded by Obama’s urging to stay in school, graduate, and contribute to the betterment of this country.  Those parents, rather than depriving their children of their day in school, wrote notes to teachers to have their kids sit out the speech.

What Republicans – and in particular, conservative Republicans – hoped would be an overwhelming protest against Obama’s speech to students to stay in school and get their education turned into one of the year’s biggest boondoggles for the ever-hopeful Republican obstructionists.

Now Republicans are trying to label the speech “conservative” in nature.   This strategy is laughable, and, to be quite honest, leaves me almost speechless.  I said almost because I am not totally speechless – just trying not to roll over laughing at what the Republicans are now trying in an effort to dig themselves out of a situation that makes them look totally assinine.

I guess the Repubs completely forgot about what a political speech to school children looks like.  But never fear, here is Ronnie Reagan’s entire speech to the school children of this country.  Perhaps Republicans should educate themselves in their party’s propensity to indoctrinate before they cry wolf – or would that be sheep.  Baa!

Remarks and a Question-and-Answer Session With Students of John A. Holmes High School of Edenton, North Carolina May 13, 1986

As you know, my remarks are being broadcast live over radio and television to high school students throughout the country. While I was in Tokyo at the economic summit, I found myself thinking about all of you, and I decided that when I got back it’d be good to report to you — share some thoughts that I’ve been having about the future.

In general, conditions in our country are about as bright as this very bright afternoon. I was worrying when I put that line in there that it might start to rain, and I’d have to say something else. [Laughter] We’ve been working to take an economy that was in bad shape and get it moving and growing again; take our national defense and make it first-rate again after a long period of decline; and to restore reason, respect, and reality to our foreign policy. And I think it’s fair to say that we’ve made a good deal of progress.

Only 5 years ago our economy suffered from high inflation, high interest rates, mushrooming government spending, and steadily increasing unemployment. A lot of people couldn’t find jobs, and people on fixed incomes were finding it harder to buy the basics, such as food and shelter. Well, we got inflation down, interest rates down, and our economy created over 1\1/2\ million new jobs just last year alone. The poor are now increasingly able to dig themselves out of poverty, and that’s been good economic news.

The good news in defense is that our Armed Forces, which were suffering from neglect and low funding, have now made a comeback. Morale is up in the services, and the quality of our men and women in uniform has never been better — and I mean never. As a matter of fact, we have the highest percentage of high school graduates in uniform today than we’ve ever had in the history of our nation, even back when we had the compulsory draft. In addition, our nation has encouraged a more realistic sense of defense needs.

In foreign affairs we’ve kept our friends close and the lines of communication with our adversaries open. We’ve tried to give the world the sense that the United States has a coherent and logical foreign policy that reflects our respect for freedom and our opposition to tyranny.

The point is that all we’ve done has had, and will continue to have, a direct impact on your lives. And the fact is, it’s your future, not ours. And all that we’ve done, we’ve done with an eye toward how it would impact you. We want to make your future better, because tomorrow belongs to you. And since you’re the leaders of tomorrow, I wanted to talk to all of you as a friend about the things you’ll have to do to ensure a prosperous nation and a peaceful world. And I’m sure that peace and prosperity must be at the top of your agenda for the future.

You have some special responsibilities ahead of you — very important responsibilities. America is back, yes, but we still face major challenges in the world. And it’s your generation that will have to accept the primary responsibility for tackling these challenges. It’s important that you’re fit for the future and that you be all that you can be. So, go for it! In the area of education you have a responsibility to try to learn and care about scientific and intellectual inquiry. The world is an increasingly competitive place. And if we’re to compete, we’ll have to do it with brainpower — your brainpower. So, keep learning and hit those books.

We have to remain economically competitive, and that means being aware of two things: first, what makes economies tick, and second, what works in other societies. We’ve been trying very hard in Washington to make America even more economically fit by really overhauling our entire tax structure. When we came into office, the top personal tax rate that the Federal Government could put on your income was 70 percent. Now, you can understand, I think, that if you were getting up in those brackets — there were 14 different tax brackets, depending on the amount of money in each bracket you earned. And when you could look and say, “If I earn another dollar, I only get to keep 30 cents out of it,” you can imagine the lack of incentive there. Well, we lowered it to 50 percent, and the economy really took off. Now we’re trying to lower it yet again so that families can keep more of their money and so the national economy will be lean and trim and fit for the future.

And it’s your generation that will defend freedom from its adversaries. The biggest contribution you can make to that quest is to become a good citizen. Good citizenship is vitally important if democracies are to continue. Good citizenship means trying to understand the issues and great questions of your day. It also means voting. To vote is to take part in this grand experiment called democracy in America. It’s your right and your responsibility to take part. Good citizenship also might mean considering going into teaching as a profession. There’s a teacher shortage, as you may know. You could help ease the situation and give to others the advantages you’ve been given if you become a teacher yourself. And it’s also important that you stay in school. That diploma counts. And I just want to personally congratulate those who have overcome some disadvantage and who stuck it out and will graduate this year.

And part of being a good citizen, part of being fit for the future so that you can meet America’s agenda for the future, is seeing to it that you live your life with a clear mind and a steady intellect. And that means saying no to drugs. Nancy has traveled across the country talking to young people like you. And many of them have talked to her about the allure of drugs, about the drug culture, and the kind of peer pressure that you come under to experiment and try out drugs. But when you come right down to it, drugs are just a dead-end street. They have nothing to offer you. I think you also ought to remember we only get one set of machinery. If you wear this set out, you can’t take it and trade it in someplace for a used one or a new one. So, what you do now and early in your life decides how able you’re going to be to enjoy yourself when you get to be my age.

And I want to tell you, I’m enjoying myself. I’ve talked to young people from China to Europe to the islands in the Caribbean. And let me tell you, they’re incredibly bright and talented, and they’re going to create quite a future for themselves. And you can’t keep up or catch up if you allow your mind to be clouded by drugs.

Well, that’s more or less what I wanted to say to you today. I’ll be talking to many young people over the next few months, and I’ll be expanding on certain points and amplifying certain themes. But for today, before your questions, I just want to let you know that I have been thinking about you very much. You are a special generation, and you’re facing special challenges. And the biggest is to be ready for a future that will prove to be demanding and exciting. Soon, we’ll enter the 21st century, a time that’ll have more than its share of great wonders. The next 10 or 15 years may well be the most exciting and challenging in the history of man. There’s the continuing revolution in technology, the possibility of curing diseases that have stalked us from the caveman era. There’s the marvelous conquest of space, a rich frontier whose riches we’ve barely glimpsed. And there’s the struggle between the democracies and those countries which are not democratic.

All of these possibilities bring with them questions. And it’s your generation that will have to answer them. That makes you all very important, indeed. You have much before you. And all I can say is that you’ve begun brilliantly. Continue to pursue excellence. Be proud of your country and its heritage, and be proud of yourselves, as we are proud of all of you.

The President. Thank you all, and welcome to the White House, and thank you for coming. I want to congratulate all of you from John A. Holmes High School in Edenton, North Carolina, on your great achievements this year and on your upcoming graduation. And a special greeting to Rob Boyce, the principal of this fine school.

If you would like to read the question and answer session, here is the link.  Talk about indoctrination of our students – but, of course, since it was a Republican that presented this speech, the naysayers find it acceptable.  What hypocrisy.  But that seems to be the only thing the Republicans are good for these days.

President Obama delivering his speech of hope and encouragement to students at Wakefield High School, Arlington, VA (AP Photo)