Saturday, May 24, 2008

40 down - 8 to go

now even Bush's party is deserting him over pork barrel items & should over ride his veto on farm bill & probably on the war funding. His one remaining victory is continued funding for the war. Will predict that he will veto the funding and then $10B of pork will be removed and then he'll sign "win-win" as they say.

Iraq - deaths have averaged 36.67 over the past 3 months (February 23-May 22). Will that be low enough for McCain to make a compelling argument to stay the course argument in the run-up to election?

Deficit - $200 billion budget deficits as far as the eye can see

Trade - doesn't look good for the future as none of the 3 remaining candidates is a strong proponent of free trade.


Recently Hit & Run had a overrated underrated presidents posting (inspired by 3 or 4 other bloggers) so decided to make my list:

Over rated -

Ike Why he gets placed in the "near great" category is beyond me.

Positives: negotiated a truce in Korea (fighting had been a stalemate for over a year before he took office). didn't send combat troops into Vietnam. appointed Earl Warren. Paid off the war debt & coined the "Military-Industrial Complex" term (not that he fought against it as president). Did send troops against Orval Faubus and integrated the DC schools. Fine handling of the Suez Crises.
Negatives: paid for 80% of french effort in Vietnam & "recognized" the south after the geneva conference. Supported the over throw of Mossadeq (his most costly presidential blunder) and Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán and Lumumba (how much better the Congo would have turned out with Patrice instead of Mobutu). Tepid support for civil rights movement - though he did comply with Supreme Court's ruling.

Overall rating would be a C+/B-.


Jackson - reading "What God Hath Wrought" now, which clearly spells out what a bastard Jackson was. Ethnic cleansing of the Cherokees. Defiance of the Supreme Court. Corruption of the civil service (destructive effects of his "Spoils system" lasted over ½ century). Illegal withdrawal of funds from the Second Bank of the United States. Strong supporter of slavery including allowing the postal system to not send abolitionist material. Only positives were trade treaties with Great Britain. How he gets rated as "near great" is also beyond me. Overall rating of C-/D+.

Wilson has been classified "Over rated" by so many recently (as hit&Run pointed out), but i still wonder "what if Wilson had kept us out of WWI". European powers would have kept bleeding themselves to the point of ending colonialism sooner and whatever peace treaty they eventually reached would have avoided WWII. Once again - how he was ever rated "near great" is mind boggling.

Friday Night Wine blogging - seitan edition


shiraz & sun dried tomato (mine was on sandwich)

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Saturday Night Wine Blogging - new wine opener edi


The Pinot Grigio was nothing special (we poured out the las), but the birthday gift wine opener from Germany rocked!

Friday, May 16, 2008

Friday Night Wine Blogging - (vegetarian) meat & potatoes edition


a pleasant rose

complemented by pelligrino & yogurt

with (seitan) meat & potatoes O'brien!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Friday Night Wine Blogging - multiple delayed edition

guess the moral is wine blogging should be blogged that evening - waiting days diminishes the impact.


5/9

Monday, May 05, 2008

Belated wine & beer blogging




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