President Obama's Approval Holding Steady

According to the 'Poll of Polls' - average of all polls taken over the last couple of weeks - President Obama's approval rating is holding steady at around 53%. It has pretty much held at this spot since late August after falling fairly consistently during the three months prior. According to RealClear politics the President's approval was recorded as being 61% at the end of May, 59% at the end June, and falling further to 54% by the end of July.

Polls taken over the last couple of weeks include;


approval disapproval

Gallup 56 36
Rasmussen Reports 49 51
CBS News 56 34
Ipsos/McClatchy 56 40
Associated Press/GfK 56 39
Quinnipiac 50 41
Pew Research 52 36
FOX News 50 42
National Journal/FD 52 40

Obama's approval was at its highest point according to RealClear Politics in mid February of this year when he recorded a average of 65.5% based on polls taken at that time.

Fall Wildflowers

The recent rains and the cooler temperatures has given my wildflower bed a new burst of color.

This Can Is Far To Important To Just Kick Down The Road

The issue of Health Care Reform will take center stage again this evening when President Obama addresses a joint session of Congress and the American people on this all important but very complicated issue.

Over the last month or so we have seen all of the angry townhalls and we have heard all of the misinformation and in some cases the down right lies that has filled the airwaves from those factions that are pretty much against any kind of reform. The waters have been so muddied that a large number of people (especially seniors) are now simply confused on the subject and don't know who and what to believe.

Its very hard to imagine that in just a 35 or 40 minute speech tonight that Obama will be able fully relate to the american people let alone Congress as to why Health Care Reform is so important to this country and why it must happen now. He must start out however by reminding people that today's system in its current form is not sustainable in terms that the general public can understand and appreciate that merely doing nothing is not an option. The President must also and with specificity tell congress and the 40 million plus viewers as to what he wants included in the final bill and to even draw a few lines in the sand in regard to the fact that it must be paid for (unlike the prescription drug plan from 2003) and it must reduce the cost curve associated with health care going forward. He must remind the Democrats that while he is personally for the Public option it is only a portion of the entire bill and that it should not be seen as a deal breaker. Obama should place emphasis on a possible 'Trigger' instead - A couple of moderate Republican Senators have already expressed that they might support such an option. He must remind Republicans that just saying 'No' to everything will not work and that it is important to be on the correct side of history on this issue. It's very clear that while a large number of Americans are confused about the issue of health care reform, the overwhelming majority wants some kind of reform to happen especially if it can be achieved in a bipartisan fashion.

This is by no means an easy task for the President but make no mistake about it...in future years it will not get any easier - We need real leadership on this issue not only from President Obama but from our leaders in Congress as well. Let us all put our partisan politics aside for once and work together to get a bill written that in the end we all can be proud of and support. Kicking this can down the road for the next generation to handle is simply not an option...

Let's Get This Done

'Silly Season'

Oh My! The President is going to 'Indoctrinate' my kids.



While I do not like to call my political foes 'Stupid'...What really scares me in all of this manufactured drama is the effects it could have on our children. I just saw an interview with a conservative tea party organizer (what tea parties has to do with this issue, I don't know) announce on TV that he and his neighbors/followers were telling their children to get up and walk out of the class in defiance once Obama begins to speak. WTF? What does this tell our kids? That petty partisan politics trumps a child's natural respect and admiration for a President...any President? Sounds almost like parents teaching their kids to hate to me. What do we tell the African American kids sitting in class next Tuesday who are filled with pride over the first black President as they quietly sit and watch as some of their classmates get up and 'Opt Out' of listening to the President of the United States?

Sadly next Tuesday, I imagine that thousands of youngsters will be kept home and many more parents will ask that their kids be excused from listening to the President's message - leaving a lot of young children across America scratching their heads in pure bewilderment.


God help us

'The Anatomy Of Hate'

Documentary can be seen this weekend at the Carter Center.

Health Care Reform - Get The Facts

Obama A Racist?

So let me get this straight...Barack Obama hates both his mother and his Grandmother because they were white and I guess he must also hate half of himself - you know, the part of him that is white. This is the idiotic nonsense that Glenn Beck would want you to believe with his comments the other day on Fox News that he felt that President Obama was a racist.



I was not very surprised by Beck's comments after all we have pretty much been hearing the same thing out of Rush Limbaugh's mouth ever since the President selected Judge Sotomayor as the next Supreme Court Justice. No doubt, this kind of hate speech plays very well on conservative talk radio and for that matter on Fox News but how will mainstream America react to this charge? For me, its just saddens me that Cable News has stooped so low.

'Cash For Clunkers'

While the 'Cash For Clunkers' program will not be the best option for many, quite a few people can benefit from the program. For instance, lets say you currently have a vehicle that gets only 15 or 16 miles per gallon and its current value is only around a couple thousand dollars. Under the program if you choose a new vehicle that gets at least 10 miles per gallon more than your 'Clunker' - You would receive an instant credit of $4,500 for that vehicle. Let's face it, many cars/small suv's now days have combined gas ratings of over 26 miles per gallon thus your selections of cars should be quite good. Keep in mind also that if your new car/truck selection only gets 4 to 9 miles per gallon more than your old vehicle you will still qualify for $3,500.

Chrysler announced last week they would double the amount from the program and offer consumers as much as $9,000 for their old clunker. No time in the history of auto sales have we seen these kind of incentives and deals. When you count in other dealer and manufacturer programs, it will be common over the next few weeks to see vehicles with a MSRP or sticker of $25,000 being bought for around $15,000. This is truly a 'Buyers' market.

This video from CBS explains more,

Let's Get Health Care Reform Done

'Birthers' - These People Scare Me

I was glad the other night when Larry King of CNN gave Liz Cheney an opportunity to help knock this nonsense down, but unfortunately for her and the Republican Party, she refused to do so...

Mr. Capehart On 'Birthers' - Reminds Me Of People Screaming "String Him Up, Kill Him


I only hope that Homeland Security and the Secret Service are watching these idiots very closely.

Ford Tops In Quality Survey

Ford tops in quality survey | detnews.com | The Detroit News

President Obama - NAACP Speech

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Opening Tonight @ Midnight - Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

Rainy Night In Georgia

A couple inches of rain fell overnight...the garden loved it!!

 

 

 

 

Most significant rain in about 2 months. So glad to get it.

Minorities Kicked Out Of Pool Club Because They Might 'Change The Complexion'

Read about this on Huffington, thought I would post it here as well...

A disturbing story out of the Philly area. As many as 60 minority kids were asked to leave a private swimming club because of their race.

"When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool," Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. "The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."


Just imagine being a black kid and as you get into the pool, all the white kids get out...

so sad and in so many ways.