Great First Responders

... And I don't mean emergency workers.

When some of your smart buddies respond to a blog post with substance and smarts, it's a joyful experience. Joyful experiences being not all that common these days, I pass these along so that you might share mine:


Outdone I am
(By a successful entrepreneur acquaintance who called my "Obama Speech" and raised it with an Obama ad)

I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message because the stakes are too high.

· For 6 of the last 7 years, Republicans have controlled the House of Representatives.

· They've controlled the Senate.

· They've controlled the Whitehouse

Republicans have had complete control over our Government.

And look what Republicans have done.

We've gone from record budget surpluses, to the largest deficits in our country's 332 year history.

Real wages for a majority of our people are down, and people on main-street are scared.

Unemployment is rising and everyday almost 10,000 American families are losing their homes to foreclosure.

And while we continue without end in sight waging a war that costs us the lives and injured bodies of our sons and daughters and $10 billion per month, Iraq has amassed over $70- billion in budget surpluses.

Something is terribly wrong, and we need dramatic change in Washington.

If I am elected President, not only will I set a brand new course for America, but I'll appoint new leaders to each branch of government who will implement the change we need.

John McCain, who has proudly proclaimed that he voted with President Bush and the Republicans 90% of the time, will fill government posts with the same old tired Republican bureaucrats that are there now -- so while they talk change, just look at the lobbyists that already run John McCain's campaign – people paid to prevent change.

We need a fundamental change that affects government at every level.

I will deliver that change – the change that we need.

Thank you.

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Harumph

(By another successful entrepreneur/ philanthropist pal)

Dear 'Dr. Leftie':

You've always had a way with words. Just like 'The Messiah' you aspire to lofty goals to which few could disagree. But just like 'The Messiah' the 'how to's' are missing. Let me help you. Maybe the simple answer is -- let's just nationalize everything and get cozy with socialism. After all, we're 'entitled' aren't we? Let's hand over our pocket books and let Obama & Co. spend on our behalf. I wonder if those steps would get the 80% who now think we're headed in the wrong direction to increase to 95%? For me, less government, please -- not more! If Democrats want to vote for a democrat, McCain is their man. Obama is the socialist candidate. We Republicans don't have a conservative candidate in the race (that's our fault).

Your Pal

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Brains Amok
(By a successful attorney/entrepreneur/intellectual pal)

I don't ever actually hear an Obama speech but your version sounds good to me.

You are 100% correct about socializing the credit issue. It is hilarious. People who drink socialized water don't understand it.

Two ideas that we learned the hard way 60 and more years ago: Keynes was right about deficit spending during economic downturns, and, capitalism and free markets are the only way to bring prosperity. I hope and actually believe we will have to now learn that a libertarian type totally, literally "free" market is nothing more than domination by piracy and that there is no pragmatic reason and certainly no ideological reason that there is something "socialistic" or "communistic" about requiring honest reporting and adequate capitalization by means of appropriate regulation.

Ideology is the most serious brain problem that ever existed! [My favorite comment of the lot.]

Bush and his backers wanted to starve the beast by creating huge deficits so that future Ds couldn't create big, evil welfare programs (and why not accomplish that by using a practical joke, tax cuts for the wealthy). They sure achieved that goal, but now are finding it is a slippery slope. The domino theory prevails again!

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In response to the "High Fructose" post,

Caveat Emptor
(By a successful executive pal)

I once worked for the Minute Maid division of Coca-Cola. It was always a challenge to get anyone to buy pure juice. When I was there I learned that folks do not read labels. Once asked groups of moms to estimate the juice content of Sunny Delight. Estimates ranged from 30% to 100%. The true value was 2%. All claimed to have read the label before giving to their kids. When faced with the gap they made statements like: “Well this isn’t the Sunny D I buy at the store.” “I never read that part of the label.”

If consumers demand unadulterated juice they will get what they ask for. But many prefer to live in the fantasy that someone is looking out for them. Others say they are “trying to eat healthy” but consistently do the opposite.

What will it take for people to get food and Washington right? NO ONE is looking out for you. This is a do it yourself democracy. Let’s hope that the people wake up to their responsibilities.