THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

The stock market dropped 800 points yesterday, the biggest one day drop ever in terms of points. It did recover to finish down 370 points, but it is down 30% from its high. Ordinary Americans are concerned. Liberals are popping champagne corks in celebration.

I have said on many occasions that for liberals, success requires failures. Bad news for ordinary Americans is splendid news for liberals.

Republicans control the White House, and if it will help get Barack Obama elected over John McCain, liberals would cheer the stock market dropping to 0.

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=308185654524278

For the sake of full disclosure, I am not worried. I am well diversified, and thankfully young enough at 36 to be able to wait 20 to 30 years. Not everybody has that time horizon, but for those with 15 years or more of earning power, calm down. This is not 1929. No, it is not the Great Depression despite what the Jayson Blair Times says.

Before getting to the politics of this situation, let’s start with some hard core finance. Wake up, I can try and explain this without being boring. This problem was caused because people tried to remove risk from the markets, which always fails, and increases the damage in the long run.

The recently approved bailout package was a terrible piece of legislative garbage, and deserved to go down in flames as the previous package did four days earlier. The entire rationale for the package was that without it, financial markets would collapse. This argument is…(grabbing a megaphone)…

GARBAGE!

Doing nothing was the right thing to do. It is what George Washington and the Founding Fathers wanted. Governments cannot affect supply and demand. They cannot strong-arm financial markets. Markets do what they want, regardless of whether governments need to get reelected. Perhaps Barack Obama can call the situation “unacceptable,” and simply tell the markets to be more polite, as he wants to do with Armageddonijad in Iran. Even John McCain fell victim to the notion that “doing something” meant doing something helpful.

Yet Presidential candidates can be allowed the occasional pander bear moment. Congress aggressively pushed the bailout package, and every member who voted yes should be pushed out of an airplane without a bailout package of their own.

So how did we get in this mess? Was it conservatism and deregulation? Absolutely, if one has no grasp whatsoever of facts.

For those that think that because they “read stuff,” and therefore, “know things,” I do this for a living, and have been in the industry for 15 years. My opinion matters. Yours…well…enough said.

This problem was caused by excessive regulation. Companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should not even exist in America. They are like every other liberal parasite in America, from PBS to NPR. Nevertheless, leftists despise the private sector, and wanted government in the home lending business.

Businesses have criteria, and they exist to make money. They are not laboratories for social experiments. Yet Fannie and Freddie were ordered to make loans to more minorities, particularly black Americans. For some reason, even though Jews are a true minority in terms of world population percentage, Jews never get “minority” benefits. Perhaps we have not suffered enough, but that is for another time.

Anyway, leftists concluded that not enough black Americans owned homes, and therefore America was a racist nation as long as republicans were running the government. Therefore, to avoid having Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton marching in the streets (this was before Jesse threatened to castrate a black man who wanted to succeed without preaching racism and victimhood), bad loans were made.

President Bush allowed this to happen, and the irony is that he never got the credit when black home ownership was at an all time high. Yet of course he got the blame when the housing bubble burst, even though every bubble bursts by sheer definition alone.

Irresponsible buyers were allowed to buy due to political correctness. While some would argue that helping blacks own more homes would be positive, I ask them to look at what is going on. Once again, the left has helped blacks reach levels of financial misery not seen since before conservatives passed welfare reform in 1996.

1996 was also the year that Phil Gramm, a politically incorrect former Senator and economics professor…one of the few people that actually does know what he is talking about…led the repeal of Glass Steagal. Repealing this law is not why we are hurting. It is what is preventing total financial armageddon. Bank Of America could not have bought Merrill Lynch if this law still existed.

So liberal do gooders figured out that even if black Americans suffered, a bad economy hurts everybody, so at least we are now closer to equality.

Yet there is a more sinister reason why liberals love this shared misery. George W. Bush is President, and the entire Democratic Party platform is hatred of George W. Bush.

This is a man who has freed millions of people and given two nations in the Middle East a chance at humanity and dignity. This is a man who healed the nation after the worst terrorist attack on American soil.

This is a man that is gracious to people who want to destroy him and grind him into dust. His own supporters are frustrated by his refusal to verbally bash their skulls in.

The left hates him. They would rather destroy this economy than risk giving up the chance to destroy this President.

They would rather lose a winnable war than allow George W. Bush to win anything.

They would rather lose an American economy and a war than lose an election.

Am I saying that many on the left do not care about what is best for America?

I do not have to say this. They say it themselves.

Ask conservatives what they want for America. They want to win the War on Terror. The left wants to end it, and the right wants to win it.

Conservatives also want to lower taxes for everybody, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Whether one is gay, black, or Jewish, tax cuts help them all, especially if they are small business owners.

So what do liberals care about? Mainly abortion.

Without taking sides in the culture wars, ask most feminists in this country if they truly care about anything besides abortion. They will try to think of something else, but that is what they care about. Occasionally they care about animals and trees, provided that those animals and trees do not bring new animals or trees into the world.

So for those who care about more than just trees, bunny rabbits, and zygotes, hear is the plain truth.

If the economy collapses, that hurts everybody. That means fewer abortion doctors. If terrorists attack, and kill everybody in a multi-hundred mile radius, they may end up blowing up abortion clinics, animal shelters, and yes, innocent trees (Although I maintain the trees and animals may not be innocent, and had it coming).

Liberals live in a black and white world where everybody on the left is virtuous and everybody on the right is evil.

Kwame Kilpatrick extends the misery of Detroit for decades, and the left blames George W. Bush, when not blaming Ronald Reagan.

Ray Nagin and Kathleen Blanco fall apart in New Orleans, and the left blames the President.

Black home ownership rises, and President Bush gets no credit. The bubble bursts and he gets all the blame.

Perhaps the left might want to blame Franklin Raines, the former CEO of Fannie Mae and advisor to Barack Obama. Yes, he is an advisor, despite protests to the contrary.

Now we have Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid ramming the mother of all disasters down American throats. House republicans tried to stop it, but did not have the votes.

What did the market do? It dropped anyway. Why? Because it wants to drop. Markets care about functioning properly, even if it affect elections.

The left needs to win this election. Optimism is not allowed anywhere. Once Barack Obama is elected, if this does happen, everything will be fine. The markets will recover and he will get the credit, even though he will have contributed nothing. This is the 1992 Bill Clinton economic plan. Be in the right place at the right time, get lucky, and take all the credit.

If Obama were to win, there would also be no homelessness in America. It might exist, but the media would not write about it. According to a chart I read, homeless people disappeared in 1993 and reappeared in January of 2001.

http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/4b5f9fcb-1adc-42bb-9af0-eb28a08dfa69

If the stock market rises with John McCain as President, it will be because of the bailout package that democrats will claim is theirs and theirs alone. If Obama is elected and the market rises, it will be solely because of him. If the market collapses with John McCain, it is because he is George W. Bush’s twin brother. If the market collapses under Obama, it will be because he inherited a mess. The market hit an all time high under George W. Bush, but that will be discounted.

The left controls the cultural institutions in America, including the schools. They will teach that George W. Bush destroyed America. They will cite Oliver Stone, Michael Moore, and the Jayson Blair Times as evidence. The children will not learn that those that use government to control markets are repeatedly wrong, and those that let free markets reign benefit.

Yet truth is not what motivates the left. They want to win elections. That is the end, not even the means. Even if what they create fails, such as the Great Society, they will just claim success anyway. Even if Ronald Reagan creates an 18 year bull market thanks to lowering tax rates, the left will say he is wrong anyway.

The left will blame Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Sarah Palin, and John Ashcroft, who has nothing to do with economic policy.

So as the market drops, liberals can take comfort in knowing that they now have more reasons to convince people about the evils of George W. Bush. After all, who cares about making society better when the left can invest their money in voodoo dolls of republicans?

The left will now hold hearings to determine how to blame President Bush for a crisis that the left perpetuated. The left will rial in front of the cameras about greedy CEOs an crooked lenders, when the truth is that Christopher Dodd should be sitting in jail, and Barney Frank should be investigated thoroughly as well.

I just worry that John McCain may win this election. The rage that has engulfed the left will spread like colon cancer, or as we call it in failed neighborhoods, community organizers. The left will need to prove that McCain is a failed President before he is even sworn in. They will have to destroy Sarah Palin the way they did Dan Quayle.

The left will have to destroy this economy and cripple us militarily because American success cannot be allowed if conservative republican success comes with it.

Conservatives benefit when we all benefit.

Liberals benefit when people remain trapped in a downward spiral of dependency on government.

This is why liberals cannot govern, win a war, or help an economy.

They cannot fix things, because they only know how to destroy. Their existence depends on it.

I would rather crush liberalism than crush America itself.

eric

At the 2008 Republican Convention in Minnesota, I had the pleasure of interviewing former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

http://newt.org/

http://www.winningthefuture.net/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/30/politics/politico/thecrypt/main4490142.shtml

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,426221,00.html

While most of the debate was on the record, a question I asked him off the cuff, while eliciting a hilarious response, was off the record. Ironically, this occurred while Speaker Gingrich was doing an interview with Greta Van Susteren, who hosts “On the record.” It as during a commercial break, and before my formal interview with him. Later on, when I asked him about it, he made his request, and I let him know that I had no interest in knifing him. While Speaker Gingrich is controversial to this day, there is no doubt that many reporters wanted to destroy him simply because he was a conservative that successfully implemented a conservative agenda. Therefore, the off the record question will be partially redacted. The answer will not get the Speaker into any hot water as long as the question itself is partially redacted. I prefer this method since his answer was too funny to ignore.

With that, below is the on the record portion of my interview with Speaker Newt Gingrich.

1) Who are your 3 political heroes?

NG: “George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan.”

2) What are the defining issues of the 2008 Presidential campaign?

NG: “Reform, peace, prosperity, and the fight for freedom. We have to improve the way we govern and reform the governing process if we are going to tackle the big issues such as terrorism.”

3) How would you like to be remembered 100 years from now? What would you like people to say about Newt Gingrich the person?

NG: “As a citizen who loved his family and loved his country.”

4) Can you please explain to (names redacted) the importance of Israel?

NG: “No. I have tried for years. Now I only focus on solving what is reasonable and achievable.”

5) The democrats have Barack Obama and John Edwards. Republicans have John McCain, Fred Thompson, and Rudy Giuliani. Are the democrats bigoted against the follically challenged, and can we finally break the glass ceiling and elect a bald President?

NG: “That’s clever. Yes we can, but remember our history. We had Dwight Eisenhower, and he was bald.”

6) Do you have any thoughts to offer regarding Sarah Palin?

“There is zero doubt in my mind…absolutely no doubt…that Sarah Palin is more qualified to be President than Barack Obama. John McCain made a great pick in Sarah Palin.”

I would like to thank Speaker Gingrich for his time and geniality. I also should have known better than to try and get the follically challenged question past a historian. Before entering politics, Newt Gingrich was a history professor. He has a deep love of animals, and has often expressed his desire in the past to be a zoo keeper. Actually, given the state of Congress, that was what he did as House Speaker from 1994 through 1998.

I would also like to thank Speaker Gingrich for being what his former press secretary Tony Blankley described him to me as…”the second tranche of the Reagan Revolution.”

Speaker Gingrich is a conservative in the truest sense of the word. Like me, he was not happy with the bailout package. He wants republicans to get back to the principles of Edmund Burke, Barry Goldwater, and Ronald Reagan.

I would second that notion, and say that for those who do not know their history that far back, or are too young to remember President Reagan, we should at least go back to 1994. The republican party needs another Contract With America, and needs to implement every plank.

The Congress needs to go back to the conservative principles of Newt Gingrich.

eric

I just want my readers to know that my dedication to watching football and blogging about it remains sky high. I watched and blogged from 4 locations today, most of them disclosed. I watched the 1st half of the early games in the living room of my parents in sunny South Florida. The 2nd half of the early games were watched at the Palm Beach airport. The internet connection even worked on the plane until we took off. My connecting flight from Atlanta to LA was a blessing because they had DirecTV. The late games had already ended, but the night game was in full view for me. I did not have internet access, but could access Microsoft Word. This explains the 2 different fonts. It beats having to come home exhausted. The final it of blogging was done from my home in Los Angeles. So yes, I am watched and blogged across America today. If I am not your hero, reevaluate your priorities.

For the 5th straight week, the Tygrrrr Express is in a different city watching football. For the 4th straight week, it will not be at my home in Los Angeles. After a 24 hour stop from New York to Atlanta, the Tygrrrr Express is now in South Florida. Later tonight I get to sleep in my own bed for 5 whole days before heading back to New York. Nevertheless, nothing cures exhaustion, or any other problem for that matter, than a healthy dose of the National Football League.

Unfortunately, my flight is during the games, rendering my recaps as substandard as ever.

The Oakland Raiders have their bye week, so this is the week where I relax and decompress before the stress of the last few years resumes next week.

With that, below is the recap of Week 5.

Tennessee Titans @ Baltimore Ravens–Several years ago this was a rivalry between the top defenses in the league. It may be again. Ray Lewis is still the emotional leader for Baltimore, while Jeff Fisher continues to get superior play from a team without many known superstars. A blocked field goal for a touchdown propelled the Ravens to their championship over a stunned Tennessee. A couple years later a successful field goal allowed the Titans to win going away in Baltimore. As expected, this game was a bare fisted slobberknocker on defense.

After a 3-3 first half, Joe Flacco led the Ravens 71 yards over 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. McClain cracked the end zone from a yard out to put the Ravens up 10-3. With 13 minutes remaining, Kerry Collins moved Tennessee to the Baltimore 8, but the Titans had to settle for a 26 yard Rob Bironas field goal. With 6 minutes remaining in the game, Collins led the Titans from their own 20 all the way down the field. An 11 yard pass to Algae Crumpler just inside the 2 minute warning had the Titans up 13-10. Flacco got the Ravens several yards shy of midfield, but he never got the chance to throw the hail mary. He spiked the ball with 2 seconds left, but a false start on the spike ended the game. The Titans are 5-0, and winning ugly. Then again, for those who like watching a typical Titans game against the Ravens, this was sheer beauty. 13-10 Titans

Kansas City Chiefs @ Carolina Panthers–Carolina held the ball for 39 minutes and outgained the Chiefs 441-127. After the 1st quarter, Jake Delhomme had 104 yards passing. Damon Huard had 6. The Panthers began their second drive at the Kansas City 46, and the short field led to a 10 yard touchdown run by Williams to put Carolina up 7-0. In the 2nd quarter, Delhomme found Williams for a 25 yard touchdown pass. Later in the quarter, a 6 minute drive ended when Williams broke off a 32 yard touchdown run to have Carolina up safely 21-0. The game was a blowout, and the mercy rule prevents me from elaborating on the relatively uneventful 2nd half. 34-0 Panthers

Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions–The Bears may not be that good, but the Lions are as bad as ever. Kyle Orton had a 9 yard touchdown pass to Matt Forte and a 12 yarder to Devon Hester to take a 17-0 halftime lead. In the second half, Orton found Marty Booker for 30 yards, setting up a 1 yard run by Forte took put the Bears safely up 24-0. Orlovsky came in for Jon Kitna, as if the last half a century was Kitna’s fault. Orlovsky threw a 26 yard touchdown pass to Charles Tillman. Unfortunately for the Lions, Tillman plays for the Bears, and the interception had Chicago up 31-0. This did not take away from the pain of the Cubs, but this blog is about football. 34-7 Bears

Atlanta Falcons @ Green Bay Packers–This used to be Michael Vick vs Brett Favre. Now we have the eras of Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers. The Falcons took the opening kickoff and marched 68 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 1, Turner was stuffed. On 4th and goal from the 1, Ryan threw a touchdown pass to Peelle. After a punt, Turner ripped off a 22 yard run to set up a 42 yard Jason Elam field goal to put Atlanta up 10-0 after the 1st quarter. The Packers then moved 87 yards, as Rodgers hit Donald Driver with a 44 yard touchdown pass to pull Green Bay to within 10-7. The Falcons went up 17-7 on a 22 yard touchdown pass from Ryan to White. The Packers had a field goal nullified by a penalty before the half ended.

The Packers closed to 17-10 after a 12 play, 6 1/2 minute drive, and then tied the game ona 25 yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Greg Jennings. The Falcons went back up 20-17. The key play in the game occurred with 4 1/2 minutes remaining. Rodgers was intercepted by Boley at the Green Bay 35, and Boley returned it to the 19, setting up the touchdown with 3 1/2 minutes remaining to put the Falcons back up by 10.

Rodgerrs found Jennings for 36 yards on the next drive, setting up a 4 yard touchdown pass to Lee with 2 minutes remaining. It was not enough, as the onsides kick failed. 27-24 Falcons

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans–This game was ridiculous. Both quarterbacks started red hot. Peyton Manning was 9 for 11 for 93 yards, and Sage Rosenfels, filling in for Matt Schaub, was 6 for 6 for 64 yards. The 1st quarter belonged to the Colts, with an Adam Vinatieri field goal and a Joseph Addai run from a yard out putting the Colts up 10-0. After several Rosenfels passes, Slaton burst through from a yard out in the 2nd quarter to pull the Texans to within 10-7. Kris Brown tied the game up 10-10. When Rosenfels found Andre Johnson with 27 seconds left in the half, The Texans had surged to a 17-10 lead.

After a Colts punt, the Texans began a drive with 9 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter. The Texans then went from their own 9 in 15 plays, eating up 8:47 off of the clock. With seconds left in the period, a field goal had them up 20-10. On the next drive, Slaton ran 41 yards to set up a 1 yard run by…yes…Slaton. The Texans led 27-10. 27 unanswered points, in what was to be the shocker of the day.

Yet Peyton Manning is simply insane. Yes, there was plenty of luck, but this game will be talked about long after Manning retires a sure first ballot hall of famer. With 8 minutes left, from his own 19, he led an 11 play drive that ended in a 7 yard pass to Santi with 4:14 remaining. The Colts trailed 27-17, and the onsides kick failed, which should have ended the game.

On 3rd and 8 form the Indy 40, Rosenfeld came up a yard short of the 1st down. Wore than that, he fumbled the ball, and Gary Brackett ran it back 68 yards for a touchdown to pull the Colts within 27-24. After a touchback, Rosenfels fumbled again, and the Colts began at the Houston 20. Addai ran 15 yards, and then Manning found Reggie Wayne for the 5 yard touchdown pass. 2 1/2 minutes still remained, but psychologically the Texans were just done. Yes, the Colts deserved to lose. No, winning this game should not paper over serious problems with the Indy offense. Yet champions  make the most of dumb luck, which Houston provided an abundance of.  21 points in 2 minutes, all with less than 5 minutes remaining, did in Houston. Rosenfels was intercepted to seal the come from behind shocker.  31-27  Colts

San Diego Chargers @ Miami Dolphins–It took Bill Parcells 2 years to turn around the Giants and Patriots. He turned around the Cowboys in 1 year. With the Jets, he did it in one game. We now know the Dolphins have been turned around in 3 games. As for Norv Turner, he turns teams around in the opposite direction. The 14-2 Chargers of Marty Schottenheimer are gone.

Chad Pennington, started 9 for 10 for 98 yards. A 17 yarder touchdown pass to Camarillo put the Dolphins up 10-3 in the 2nd quarter. The Dolphins continued to run their “Wildcat” formation with direct snaps to the running back, and threw in some no huddle offense for good measure. It confounded New England last week, and a direct snap to Ronnie Brown went for a 5 yard touchdown and a 17-3 Miami lead at the break.

The second half was about defense. Philip Rivers found former Miami wide receiver Chris Chambers for a 17 yard touchdown pass to cut the gap to 17-10. On the next San Diegon drive, they reached the Miami one yard line. On 4th and goal from the 1, Ladnian Tomlinson was stoned up the middle. 10 minutes remained, and the goal line stand energized the Dolphins. Yet despite moving from their own 1 to the San Diego 38, the Dolphins decided to punt. It did not matter, as the Miami defense matched San Diego in heart. The Dolphins ran out the clock to preserve the win. They are 2-2, and the Norvelous Chargers are again 1-3. 17-10 Dolphins

Seattle Seahawks @ New York Giants–the defending champs jumped all over Seattle from the start. beginning on their own 9, the remaining 91 yard came easily. Brandon Jacobs ripped off a 44 yard run, setting up a 32 yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Dominic Hixon. After a Seattle field goal, Manning ripped off passes of 22 and 29 yards to Amani Toomer, setting up Brandon Jacobs from 3 yards out. Big blue led 14-3 at the end of the 1st quarter, and added a field goal seconds into the 2nd quarter. This game was over by halftime as an 11 play, 6 1/2 minute drive led to a 1 yard Jacobs plunge. The Giants led 27-6 at the break, and continued to pour it on in the second half.

The Giants took the kickoff, and 3 minutes later, Manning found Moss for 23 yards and a 34-6 drubbing. The Giants added a field goal, and Manning then found Moss again for 5 yards to make the demolition 44-6 with almost the entire 4th quarter to play. The score stood. 44-6 Giants

Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles–Philly began with a 80 yard, 12 play, 6 1/2 minute drive that ended in a 9 yard run from Bryan Westbrook. the Redskins had a less successful drive, with 3 incomplete Jason Campbell passes that took off 22 seconds from the clock. The ensuing punt was returned 68 yards for a touchdown to put the Eagles up 14-0 after the 1st quarter. Yet Washington slowly fought back. 3 field goals in the 2nd quarter, the last 2 in the final 2 minutes of the half, had Washington down only 14-9 at the half.

In the 3rd quarter, Jason Campbell handed of to Antwon Randle-El, who threw an 18 yard halfback option pass to put the Redskins up 16-14. After a short punt, the Redskins took over at the Philly 43. Clinton Portis did the rest, as his 4 runs put the Redskins up 23-14 seconds into the 4th quarter.

The Eagles then mounted a 12 play, 7 1/2 minute drive that had them facing 2nd and 1 at the Washington 2 yard line. Westbrook was stuffed, and on 3rd and 1, Westbrook lost 3 yards. The Eagles did kick a field goal, but never got the ball back. The Redskins took over at their own 20 with 7:18 remaining, and Clinton Portis converted on 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 38 with 2:48 left to put the final nail in the coffin. The Redskins under Jim Zorn have very quietly won 4 straight games after an opening day loss on the road to the defending champion Giants. 23-17 Redskins.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Denver Broncos–This was a 6-6 bonelock until 6 minutes remained in the 3rd quarter. A short swing pass from Jay Cutler to Brandon Stokely put the Broncos up 13-6. The Broncos led 16-6 after a 14 play, 6 minute drive ended with 12 1/2 minutes remaining. The Bucs did manage a touchdown to pull it to within 3 points, but took 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes to do it. Only 2:02 remained, and the Buccaneers never got the ball back.

After a pair of shootouts followed by an embarrassing loss, the Broncos won a tight defensive game. Buc Ball exists, but this time the Buccaneers were on the losing end of it. 16-13 Broncos.

Buffalo Bills @ Arizona Cardinals–The Bills entered the game 4-0, with Trent Edwards playing solid and the defense helping in 3 come from behind wins. The Cardinals have a potent offense with Kurt Warner and his various weapons, but defense has been lacking. Nevertheless, today was all Arizona. Edwards was knocked out of the game with a concussion on the first series of the game. Backup J P Losman, who resembles Adam Sandler, could not recreate the magic of Bobby Boucher in “The Waterboy, although he did show shades of excitement early on.†The Cardinals harassed him all game, and the offense was unstoppable.

A 2 yard Warner toss to Fitzgerald and a 17 yard Hightower run had the Cardinals up 14-0. Losman then threw an 87 yard bomb to Lee Evans to pull within 14-7. A 1 2play, 6 minute drive ended with Edgerrin James plunged from one yard out to put Arizona up 21-7. Losman ran for 2 yards to pull the Bills to within 21-14, but Neil Rackers added a field goal from 47 yards out before end of the half.

The Cardinals only led 24-17 in the 3rd quarter, but Warner then found Larry Fitzgerald again for 2 yards to put the game out of reach. Hightower scored again form 2 yards out after another field goal to make the game a route. At 3-2, the Cardinals lead the NFC Worst, and still may have the Greatest Show in the Desert. 41-17 Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals @ Dallas Cowboys–On the first play of the game, Carson Palmer was intercepted, setting up a field goal. A 33 yard touchdown run by Felix Jones followed by a 4 yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Jason Witten had the Cowboys up 17-0. They would not be cruising for long. A pair of field goals had it 17-6 at the half, and an 82 yard drive that took 11 plays and over 5 minutes ended in an 18 yard pass from Palmer to T J Houshmanzadeh to cut the gap to 17-13. A 3rd field goal had Dallas clinging to a 17-16 lead in the 3rd quarter.

With all the momentum, the Bengals tried an onsides kick that totally fooled Dallas. However, the Bengals fumbled the ball away on the drive. The Cowboys capitalized, as Romo threw a 57 yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens to give the Cowboys some breathing room. Carson Palmer brought the Bengals right back, and a 10 yard touchdown pass to Houshmanzadeh had the Bengals within 24-22. The 2 point conversion failed. Yet Dallas and Romo kept firing, and the last touchdown pass, a 15 yarder to Crayton, put the game out of reach. Before the game T. O. and Ocho Cinco shared a photo with Jerry Jones. After the game they hugged warmly. The Bengals fell to 0-5, and the Cowboys improved to 4-1 with the win. 31-22 Cowboys.

New England Patriots @ San Francisco 49ers–Matt Cassell and J T O’Sullivan put on an aerial show. After both quarterbacks were intercepted, they settled down and began throwing touchdowns. O’Sullivan put the 49ers up 7-0 with a 16 yarder to Frank Gore. Cassel just did what his predecessor used to do. He went deep to Randy Moss for a 686yard touchdown pass to tie the game. O’Sullivan had the 49ers back on top 14-7 with a 6 yarder to Isaac Bruce, and a field goal by Grotkowski made it a 14-10 game. Then with seconds left in the half, the Patriots scored to take the 17-14 lead into the locker room on a 2 yard run by Kevin Faulk.

Both quarterbacks kept firing in the seconds half, but the Patriots had too much firepower. Another field goal and another touchdown extended the lead to 27-14. O’Sullivan did hit Bruce again for a 5 yard touchdown to close the gap to 27-21, but it was not enough. Gostkowski drilled a 49 yard field goal with several minutes remaining to ice it. 30-21 Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Jacksonville Jaguars is the Sunday night game. These teams have played some head knockers over the year. A blocked field goal for a touchdown on the final play of a Monday Night Football game gave the upstart Jaguars a shocker over Pittsburgh. During Ben Roethlisberger’s rookie season, he led the team to a gutty 17-16 win in Jacksonville. A 60 yard field goal attempt was barely no good, as Pittsburgh survived. Last year Jacksonville went into Pittsburgh twice and knocked them around. Mike Tomlin and Jack Del Rio are mirror images, emphasizing hard running and defense.

Ben Roethlisberger threw a 72 yard touchdown pass only 2 minutes into the game to Rashean Mathis. Unfortunately for Big Ben, Mathis plays for the Jaguars. Yet Roethlisberger came right back, and, led a 70 yard drive that took 12 plays and ate up 7 ½ minute of clock. A 1 yard touchdown pass tied the game 7-7. 10 minutes into the 1st quarter, David Garrard finally took the field. He went right to work. A 74 yard drive was aided by a defensive pass interference call at the 2 yard line, setting up Maurice Jones Drew for the go ahead touchdown.

Pittsburgh did manage to reach the Jacksonville 20 on their next possession, but a 3rd and 3 pass fell incomplete. The field goal made it a 14-10 game. After a Jacksonville punt, Roethlisberger found a wide open Nate Washington. The defensive breakdown resulted in a 48 yard touchdown pass with 9:20 remaining in the half to give the Steelers their first lead at 17-14. Jeff Reed nailed his 2nd field goal with 45 seconds left in the half to put the Steelers up 20-14.

Statistically Pittsburgh was dominating. They led in time of possession 21 minutes to 9. They had 300 yards of offense, with about 250 coming from Roethlisberger. The Jaguars had only about 50. Pittsburgh ran 46 plays to only 16 for Jacksonville. Although the score was close, the key in the 2nd half would be if the Jacksonville defense would be able to avoid exhaustion from being on the field so long.

Both of these normally well disciplined teams had personal foul penalties. In the first half, Pittburgh failed to convert a 3rd and 16, but were bailed out by a taunting penalty after the play. Seconds into the 4th quarter, a hit on a defenseless Jacksonville receiver after an incomplete pass kept a drive alive for the Jaguars. A 40 yard pass from Garrard to Walker set up a Garrard touchdown pass over the middle as the receiver split the seams. One minute into the 4th quarter had the Jaguars back on top 21-20.

With 6 ½ minutes left, Pittsburgh took over at their own 20. A 27 yard run by Mewelde Moore, filling in for the injured Willie Parker, had the Steelers on the move. Just before being sandwiched by 2 defenders, Roethlisberger hit Hines Ward for a gain to the red zone. 2:07 remained, but Big Ben was in pain. Nevertheless, on 3rd and goal from the 5, Roethlisberger hit Ward again for the touchdown with 1:53 remaining. A costly delay of game penalty forced Pittsburgh to try the 2 point conversion form the 7 yard line. It failed, but the Steelers led by 5 points. Jacksonville took over at their own 26 with 1:48 left. With 1:15 left, Jacksonville faced 4th and 9. The pass was caught before the marker, but pure courage resulted in stretching 2 defenders just past the marker. Garrard was sacked and fumbled. Jackonville recovered it, and the Jaguars were forced to take their final timeout with 36 seconds remaining. On 4th and 14 from his own 33, Garrard’s pass was batted down t the line of scrimmage. In a game with a pair of good defenses, defense won the day. The NFL will benefit if these teams meet again in the postseason. The Steelers snapped Jacksonville’s 4 game winning streak in the series. 26-21 Steelers

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints was the Monday night game. Pierre Thomas returned the opening kickoff 56 yards to the Minnesota 47. With the short field, Drew Brees went right to work, and several plays later tossed a 15 yard touchdown pass to Devry Henderson to put the Saints up 7-0. After a punt and a touchback, Brees threw a 50 yard bomb to Henderson. The Saints were in total control of the game, but on 3rd and 1 in the red zone, a holding penalty negated the conversion. A field goal would have put the Saints up 10-0, but in the blink of an eye momentum had swung.

Kevin Williams blocked the kick of Martin Grammatica, and Antoine Winfield plucked it out of the air and raced for a touchdown to tie the game 7-7. Give credit to the Saints and Brees. They acted like nothing happened. Thomas again had a long kickoff return, this time to near midfield. Brees fired away at will, and had the Saints on the move again. The Saints again stalled in the red zone, and Grammatica this time nailed the 35 yard field goal to put the Saints up 10-7.

The Saints tried a surprise onsides kick, but it failed. The Vikings took over at the New Orleans 40. The Vikings did not pick up a first down, but a 53 yard field goal tied the game 10-10 with a minute left in the opening quarter. Despite having little to no offense, the Vikings had the advantage at the start of the second quarter. Antoine Winfield belted Brees, and ripped the ball out of his hands. The fumble set the Vikings up with 1st and goal at the 5. A pair of runs lost a couple of yards, but on 3rd and goal at the 9, the Saints jumped offsides. Given a second chance, Frerotte handed off to Chester Taylor. Taylor threw the halfback option pass to Fashenko. The Vikings had only 30 yards of offense, but led 17-10.

Yet Minnesota had no answer for Pierre Thomas, who for the 3rd time in 4 returns advanced to near midfield. With the Saints on the move, Reggie Bush fumbled. Although replays clearly showed Bush being grabbed by the facemask, there was no penalty call. The Vikings recovered the fumble. Gus Frerotte, still in for the benched Tarvaris Jackson, led the Vikings from the Minnesota 14. He took the Vikings down the field, and a 33 yard field goal had Minnesota up 20-10 at the half. The Saints dominated statistically, but were done in with 3 turnovers.

The 3rd quarter was fairly uneventful for 13 minutes, and the Vikings were in total control at this point. However, as earlier, football is a game of momentum. The Vikings had their big play when they were on the ropes, and the Saints returned the favor with 2 minutes remaining in the period. Reggie Bush, who had been bottled up all game, returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown, and the Saints were within 20-17. On the last play of 3rd quarter, the Vikings punted again, and Bush returned it again. He slipped and fell at midfield, the only thing keeping him from another touchdown return. That set up a 53 yard field goal by Grammatica, who drilled it. With 13-20 remaining, the game was tied 20-20.

The Vikings had to punt, and we all knew that there was no way the Vikings would punt the ball to Bush again. They would kick it out of bounds. There is absolutely no way they would kick it to him again. Several seconds later, unconfirmed rumors were that Minnesota Coach Brad Childress, who is bald, was told to either fire the special teams coach or be fired himself. During this “what the hell were they thinking?” moment, Bush ran a second punt back, this time for a 64 yard touchdown. Had he not slipped on the previous one, he would have taken 3 of them back. The Saints led 27-20 with 11:36 remaining. 2 punt returns for touchdowns in less than 2 minutes had swung the game.

Yet the pendulum swung back. Frerotte completed a 36 yard bomb just before getting belted. From the New Orleans 27, Tarvaris Jackson came in for one play as Frerotte put his eyeballs back in his face on the sidelines. After a penalty forced 3rd and 17, All Frerotte did was throw up a prayer before getting belted again. Bernard Berrian caught the 33 yarder for a touchdown to tie the game. Frerotte was 4 for 4 for 85 yards on the drive. With 7 minutes left, the game was deadlocked at 27-27. For those who like 3 yards and a cloud of dust, this game was boring. For those that like big plays over and over again, this was a thriller.

Drew Brees could have led a time consuming drive, but that is just not how this pinball machine of a game was being played. Brees hit Billy Miller for a 41 yard pass to the Minnesota 39. Minnesota got leveled at the end of the play, but the Saints were on the move with 5 minutes remaining. On 3rd and 1 from the 30, a wobbly Billy Miller returned, along with fan favorite Deuce McAllister. McAllister converted, and the clock kept moving. This was a game where the teams had under 100 yards rushing combined with 2:04 remaining. The Saints led in rushing 56-41, which was meaningless.

Grammatica was brought in for his 4th field goal attempt. From 46 yards out, the kick was wide left. Minnesota took over at their own 37 with 1:59 remaining and 2 timeouts. On 3rd and 3, Frerotte threw up a bomb into double coverage. The Vikings were given the defensive pass interference call that never gets called in that situation. The Vikings were at the New Orleans 14 with 1:11 left. The Saints had 2 timouts left, but on 3rd down the Vikings were able to grind down the clock. A 30 yard field goal attempt by Ryan Longwell with 16 seconds left was all that was needed. The kick was good.

With 13 seconds left, the Vikings decided to kick it deep to Reggie Bush just for the fun of it. No, not really. The squib kick was ready, and the Stanford Marching Band began to play. The Saints have had a kickoff return on several laterals before (although they missed the extra point and lost anyway). Nevertheless, Aron Stecker, who is not Reggie Bush, smartly took a knee to give Drew Brees 11 seconds to work with from 75 yards away. The hail mary was intercepted, and the Vikings survived what might so far have been the game of the year. 30-27 Vikings

eric

The pressure of politics is in the Friday rear view mirror. It will poke its head out again on Monday, but not until football plays its proper role on Sunday.

Today is a Saturday of recognizing some heroes and acknowledging some friends. Two days ago I was in New York, and yesterday was Atlanta. Today begins a peaceful weekend in South Florida. Recharging the batteries does not prevent me from spreading some love across the blogosphere.

I shall begin by giving props to our military heroes. As vital as they are, I also support those that do more for them than I ever have.

The people at Soldiers Angels are angels themselves.

www.soldiersangels.com

For those wondering how to communicate with soldiers it is easy.

www.emailourmilitary.com

The most respected military blog in the country is Blackfive. i had the pleasure of meeting Matthew Burden, who runs it.

www.blackfive.net

For those who want to send care packages to the troops, there is Operation Gratitude.

www.operationgratitude.com

For those who truly care about our veterans, Vets For Freedom has some fabulous soldiers leading the way. Pete Hegseth, Jeremy Christiansen, Nathan Martin, and Jason Meszaros are some fine soldiers. It is an honor to have interacted with them.

www.vetsforfreedom.org

Tim Maxwell, an injured soldier, writes about injured soldiers. they have pride, dignity, and belief.

www.sempermax.com

A Leiutenant in the United States Navy informed me of his wonderful website, “Appeal for Courage.”

http://www.appealforcourage.org/

In addition to military heroes, the blogosphere consists of many people that have products that i may be adding to my blog in terms of style. I will not add every one of them, but they are all worth looking at.

www.precisenews.us

www.hotrantsmedia.com

www.outbrain.com

www.intensedebate.com

www.regator.com

www.goosegrade.com

One site that tries to take the fight against anti-Semitism to college campuses is Stand With Us.

www.standwithus.com

The quality improvements to my blog are solely the credit of a team led by a guy named Eliot. He is the fella behind Hotweazel.

www.hotweazel.com

Another fellow that has been enormously helpful, and is a good guy to boot, is Chad of the Grizzly Groundswell.

www.grizzlygroundswell.com

Evan Sayet has another comedy show coming up.

www.evansayet.com

His new site is Regular Folks United.

www.regularfolksunited.com

My friend Dr. Bill Smith is the place to go for information about Arkansas Politics.

www.arkansasgopwing.blogspot.com

My friend Michael runs a great website called Urban Conservative.

www.urbanconservative.com

My friend Laura has a new album out. She is a talented jazz singer.

www.laurawolfe.net

Lastly, I will be debating at USC Chabad on October 16th and UCLA on October 24th.

No, I did not forget that O.J. Simpson was found guilty at 11pm PST last night. Now Greta Van Susteren will never leave my television screen ever again. I will let Ms. Van Substanceless cover this story. I have better things to do. besides, today was a tough day for former running backs in general. Lawrence Phillips also was sentenced to a decade in prison.

I only get to see my parents a few days a year, so the rest of the day will be about them.

Happy Saturday everybody.

eric

To quote the cast of the former MTV claymation program Celebrity Deathmatch, “At this point it’s all over but the shouting…and the kicking…and the punching…and the biting…”

Below is a hilarious mock headline.

http://www.ncobrief.com/index.php/archives/palin-the-death-monger/

Joe Biden brought his gaffe a minute machine to face off against Sarah Palin, the newest conservative that the deranged left loves to hate. Gwen Ifill of PBS, who applies “Eau D’Obama Anus” perfume to her private areas before each shower, was the “moderator.” Apparently Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann were unavailable. Actually, they were in rehab being treated for rabies.

Nevertheless, the show went on.

The debate started with the disaster known as the bailout package. When asked if it was the best or worst of Washington, Biden said it was neither, before bashing President Bush. This is what he does when he cannot answer a question. He listed Obama’s four point plan, which is not an actual plan. It is four platitudes.

Palin did not answer the question either, because neither of them wanted to condemn the bailout. She did point out that McCain wanted Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac oversight in 2006.

Both candidates were asked about reaching across the aisle. Biden claimed that he “had almost as many friends on the republican side of the aisle as the democratic side of the aisle.” No, he does not. He then showed his mean streak by saying that McCain was “out of touch,” a cheap shot about his age.

Palin pointed out tht 96% of Obama’s votes were the party line, and that only McCain reaches across the aisle. She said that she respected Biden’s years in the Senate, but that America needs something “new and fresh.”

Ifill correctly pointed out that neither candidate answered the question. She then asked who was responsible for the subprime lending situation. She blamed greedy lenders because to be truthful and admit that average Americans got greedy and irresponsible. That is like gay marriage for Biden. It is a land mine. Palin did call for personal responsibility.

Biden simply blamed deregulation. Perhaps he prefers a central command economy. He said it was wrong to blame the irresponsible buyers because gas prices were high. Yes people are hurting, but that does not leave them blameless. The working class are not always innocent, and the wealthy are not always guilty.

Palin pointed out that helping the working class meant lowering taxes, and helping the private sector grow. Obama and Biden have voted for the largest tax increases in history.

Biden disputed the charge, and then devolved into Senate speak about procedural votes. He then pointed out that Palin failed to answer the question about deregulation.

Palin pointed out that it was Biden that was ducking the tax issue. She then offered a fabulous line that she “might not always answer the questions the way the moderator or her opponent want her to. She will talk straight to the American people.”

This is why I like her. She knew Ifill was hostile, and stayed pleasant while speaking what was important. Ifill then responded by cutting her off. Apparently the king of all windbags, Joe Biden, does not need to be cut off. Ifill was clever about it, but her PBS bias was on display. I was hoping Palin would promise to defund PBS, but sadly enough Ifill will continue to exist.

Ifill then shifted the debate to taxes. She asked Biden about class warfare, and Palin about hurting 5 million people by throwing them off of health care rolls.

Biden then offered fantasy about Obama’s plan. He keeps saying that 95% of Americans will get a tax cut. Only 62% of Americans even pay taxes. Biden and Obama call this “fairness.” That word was used several times.

What Biden calls fairness, Palin pointed out was “redistribution of wealth.” She pointed out that “small businesses will pay higher taxes, resulting in fewer jobs.” She pointed out that Biden stated that “paying higher taxes is patriotic.” Palin pointed out that “paying higher taxes is not patriotic. Government should get out of the way. Obama is producing a trillion dollars of new spending. That is the backwards way to deal with the economy.”

Palin then discussed McCain’s plan for health care, and pointed out that a “$5,000 health care credit would be budget neutral.” Where the candidates differ is on “mandates,” which Obama supports.

Biden insisted on fairness, while bashing Exxon Mobil. Maybe he thinks they are on the ballot.

Ifill pointed out that Biden and Obama disagreed on the bankruptcy bill, which Biden voted for. Biden babbled about how the issue “was complicated.” At least he did not say it was above his pay grade.

On energy, Palin repeated how Americans keep chanting “Drill, baby drill.” She pointed out that Biden spoke of “raping the outer continental shelf.” She pointed out that Biden and Obama say “no” to everything. She mentioned that she did not like “East Coast politicians dictating energy policy to places like Alaska.” She also mentioned that the terrorists win when we do not allow ourselves to use the supply of domestic energy we have.

Biden spoke about global warming, but said that McCain is “for everything if the private sector takes care of it.” That sounds great to me.

On same sex benefits, Biden enthusiastically support them. he then mentioned same sex marriage, which was not the question. Palin stated that she would not be in favor of same sex marriage, but that she was “tolerant” of how adults live their lives. She made clear that nobody in a McCain-Palin administration would deny benefits and hospital visits.”

This had Biden on the defensive, insisting that neither he nor Obama favored gay marriage. It must kill him to say that. Regardless of how one feels, at least Palin truly believes what she says on the issue.

The debate turned to foreign policy.

Palin pointed out that the surge worked, and that Biden initially criticized Obama for voting against funding the troops. Obama promised otherwise, but buckled under pressure when running for President. The truth hurts, and Biden did not like this. Palin said it “would be a travesty if we quit now in Iraq.”

Biden insisted that Obama had a plan, and that John McCain did not. He insisted that McCain voted against funding the troops. Biden then said the key line. He and Obama agree that “you have got to have a timeline.” Biden is as dead wrong on this as he was about his Iraq partition plan. He then said, “We will end this war.”

It would be nice if he said, “we will win this war.”

Palin rapidly pointed out that the Obama-Biden plan was “a white flag of surrender.”

Biden protested that McCain voted against funding the troops, but that charge will not stick. Biden can complain about timelines, but any timeline is wrong.

Those who complain about what is good for the troops should listen to them.

When asked to compare and contrast the dangers of Pakistan and Iran, Biden seemed to think that Iran is not close to acquiring nuclear weapons. I wonder if he gets his information from Armageddonijad. I would not take that hope at face value. He insists that the next attack will come from Afghanistan, and not Iraq. He has no way of knowing this, although removing Saddam Hussein certainly helps reduce Iraq as a threat.

On Israel, both candidates spoke positively about Israel. The difference is that Palin actually means it. Biden talks like a man that understands facts and statistics, but there is no warmth. Sarah Palin passionately explained that “there cannot be a second Holocaust.” She repeated the horror of Armageddonijad’s comments. Biden spoke aloofly about how President George W. Bush is to blame for Hamas getting elected. I was not aware the President campaigned for them. Biden got a bit pompous when he said that “nobody has done more for Israel,” than him. Actually, his record on Israel is less than stellar.

Biden speaks like an academic. He keeps saying that Armageddonijad does not control Iran, because the mullahs do. Armageddonijad is the public face, and he is a terrorist.

Palin also pointed out that “for guys that keep talking about change and the future, you spend a lot of time looking backwards to the past.”

Biden said that the McCain policy on Israel, Pakistan, and Afghanistan was “the same as that of President Bush.” That sounds fabulous to me. Perhaps Biden is endorsing McCain and preparing for 2012 against another McCain supporter, Hillary Clinton.

Ifill then quoted various republicans who favored diplomacy, including Colin Powell. Ifill could have asked Biden about democrats that favor force. This was her first biased moment.

On interventionism and the use of nuclear weapons, Palin explained that our weapons are an effective deterrent. In Afghanistn, Palin pointed out that we were building schools, not “air raiding villages,” as Barack Obama claimed. Palin pointed out what an irresponsible comment that was.

Biden also criticized the notion that a surge in Afghanistan would work because it is different from Iraq.

Palin pointed out that the strategy would not be exactly the same, but the overall goal would have some similarities. General David Petraeus is at Centcom, and he and Ray Odierno have stated that their will be similarities. “The principles of a surge would work in Afghanistan, and the counterinsurgency strategy can work in Afghanistan. Our military leaders have not said anything but that.”

Biden pointed out that we hear less about Afghanistan in the news because “it succeeded.” He should have said that about Iraq.

Biden repeated the outright lie that Obama reached across the aisle to work with Richard Lugar on securing loose nukes. Lugar himself disputed that assertion. Biden also complained that we spent more in the last 3 weeks in Iraq than the last 7 years in Afghanistan. That, even if true, is irrelevant.

Biden took credit for saving Bosnia. He also said that he voted to authorize the President to have the power to go to war, but that did not mean he was voting for going to war. Yes, democrats truly believe what they say. The vote was not for sanctions that were failing. It was a vote for war. Biden was willing to send troops into Darfur, to stop “genocide.” Saddam Hussein committed genocide in Iraq. That does not count because President Bush favored that war, which supersedes anything else for the left.

Palin correctly pointed out that it was a war resolution, and compared Biden to John Kerry “voting for it before he voted against it.” She pointed out that Biden was “for the war until he ran for President. He was against the Obama position until he was selected as Vice President.

Biden continued trying to link McCain to President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Biden compained that he “never supported John McCain’s position on the war.” I suppose that was a confession that he was in favor of losing. He also lied, claiming that McCain and Cheney said it would be easy.

Palin did not back down. She pointed out that “tomorrow the pundits will look at your statements, find the tapes, and see what was said.” She relished letting Biden know that he was making stuff up. She said that, “John McCain knows how to win a war.”

When asked how a Biden administration would differ from an Obama one, Biden chafed at the question, saying that it would be a tragedy. I would love to see that quote manipulated for strategic purposes, but it was a fair answer. However, Biden went into gasbag mode when he said that this was “the most important election since 1932.”

Palin pointed out that “with a team of mavericks, there will be disagreements. They disagree on ANWR.”

“Government, get out of my way, if you’re gonna harm me and mandate more things.” Palin was right when she said that.

Biden said that the people in his neighborhood “get it.” Apparently that means something.

Every time Biden criticized President Bush, Palin referred to him as “say it aint so Joe,” and “play it backward, Joe.” The democrats were criticizing the past, while Palin was pointing towards the future.

Moderator Gwen Ifill was asking intelligent questions, but her question on both candidates mocking the role of the Vice President in the past was a waste.

I had to laugh when Palin said that McCain “tapped” her for something. I forgot what, but she is so pretty, and I could listen to that phrase over and over.

Ok, enough fantasizing about her naughty librarian hair. The debate returned to seriousness.

Ifill then asked a gotcha question about Dick Cheney asserting that he was a member of the legislature and not an executive. It allowed Biden to say that Cheney was “the most dangerous Vice President in history.” If this was not liberal bias I do not know what is. Ifill had no need to ask it.

Ifill then asked about their weaknesses, Palin being inexperienced and Biden being undisciplined.

Palin spoke about her son fighting in Iraq, as well as her special needs daughter. She spoke of understanding the concerns of ordinary Americans, and that she had executive experience. She spoke of democracy, tolerance and freedom.

Biden spoke of his 35 years in public office, and how he was not going to change now. This is fabulous for a campaign about change. He then repeated the lie about 100,000 new cops in 1994 that never happened. He spoke about losing his first wife and child, and that he “knows what it is like to raise two kids alone.” He choked up.

Palin spoke about the diverse supporters of McCain from Lieberman to Lingle to Romney. She said about McCain that “He is the man we need to lead us at this time.”

Biden said that he “Loved John,” but that McCain was not a maverick on anything that mattered.

The last question was an issue where they changed positions. Biden spoke about how when he got to the Senate, he believed that the only thing that mattered in a judge were their qualifications. He now realizes that ideology matters. This is him admitting that he could care less about the Constitution.

Palin wishes she had vetoed more bills. She said that she wanted to cut taxes even more, but did not always have the support. She said that on the big things, she stuck to her principles.

The candidates were asked how they change the tone in Washington.

Biden hesitatingly admitted that McCain has reached across the aisle. He promised that he does question the judgment of people, but not their motives.

Palin spoke of appointing people regardless of party affiliation. “You walk the walk, not just talk the talk.” Nevertheless, she mentioned how important it was to lower taxes, not raise them and kill job growth like her opponents.

Palin used her closing statement to offer a slap at the media that is hostile towards her. She mentioned that she and John McCain have “always been proud to be Americans.” She also said McCain would “fight for you.”

Biden attacked President Bush. That is what he gets paid to do. He attacked the wealthy and praised those paying for their mortgages. Biden spoke about his neighborhood. Apparently he does not understand that Sarah Palin’s neighborhood is just as noble.

I doubt many minds were changed this night. Analysis I heard from others was that even if Biden won on points, this was a victory for the republican party because Palin did fine.
Neither made any gaffes, but Biden simply made statements that were not true over and over again. He also spent more time running against President Bush than John McCain.

Joe Biden is a skilled debater, but all the words will not change the fact that John McCain has an actual record, and Barack Obama has a pleasant smile.

The debate was probably a draw. Those who want pure debating points like Joe Biden. Those that like honest straight talk like Sarah Palin.

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/10/02/sarah-rocks/

eric

I am declaring today “Nothing Thursday.”

There is nothing of importance going on right now, and therefore I refuse to report about it.

The Tygrrrr Express is leaving New York today, and will be Atlanta bound this evening. 24 hours after that, I leave for South Florida, followed by going back to LA, back to NY again, and back to LA again hopefully for awhile.

The action tonight is in St. Louis Missouri. Joe Biden will be debating Sarah Palin. I will be in the air, but will catch the rerun later tonight. I could blog about strategy, but that is such a colossal bore. The column will be obsolete once the debate ends. Whatever will happen will happen, and nothing I write will change that.

I believe in Sarah Palin, and think she will do fine. I doubt Joe Biden will suffer any damage no matter how many cheap shots he takes at Sarah Palin. This is not like Hillary Clinton and Rick Lazio. Sarah Palin is the republican, and therefore not to be treated as human by the elites.

I could write about how Gwen Ifill is a liberal shill designed to ensure a Biden win, but that does no good. For some bizarre reason John McCain agreed to have this wretchedly biased woman do the debate. Republicans have only themselves to blame by thanking people who kick them in the teeth. President Bush Senior thanked Carole Simpson in 1992 after she mockingly went after his educational and environmental credentials. Gwen Ifill is biased. She works for PBS. She will not be fair. We will never learn. That is all that needs to be said on the subject.

I do hope conservatives stop wringing their hands about Palin. Katie Couric despises conservatives, and for anyone to think that Katie Couric matters is a mistake. She is irrelevant. One strong debate performance can make up for any interviews conducted by partisan hacks.

The real issues that matter are taxes and terror. Barack Obama will raise the former and be weak on the latter. That is all there is.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10022008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/democrats__taxes_and_phony_facts_131758.htm

I could discuss the bailout package, but reporting on things that may happen is useless. A package has not been signed into law. Never underestimate Congress in their ability to fail to actually do something. More importantly, I still think this is one time that they should do nothing. Let the stock market drop until bargain hunters start buying again.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/10/kill_the_bailout.html

http://unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Another+bucket%3a+The+bailout%2c+round+2&articleId=b3c960d3-38b2-4ae6-b64a-e21821aad581

The Founding Fathers created a system that moves slowly if at all, and the system works. So as much as I could cover every speech by every gasbag on C-Span, I will do what everybody else does, and watch what happens while pretending to have been right all along.

I could ramble about how much I detest Manhattan, and how I want to leave. I love Brooklyn, and find Manhattan the most overrated city on Earth. Yet in a few hours I get my wish, and the people of Manhattan will be glad to get rid of me. None of you care to hear how I visited 4 of the 5 boroughs yesterday because my GPS tracker broke and I got lost. At least I skipped the Bronx. Except for excellent pizza and hot dogs, and the red clam chowder, which is much better than the white New England version, I see no reason to ever live here.

So in essence, there really is only one news story today, and that is that the Oakland Raiders finally fired Lame Kiffin. It was done over Rosh Hashanah. Even though owner Al Davis is Jewish, his working on the holiday is not my business.

http://cdn.sfgate.com/chronicle/acrobat/2008/10/01/raiders_firing.pdf

The firing was the right thing to do. The team was headed in the wrong direction. As for new coach Tom Cable, I know very little about him. What I have read is positive, but I really hope he is only an interim coach. I still believe that a veteran such as Dennis Green, Jim Fassell, or Mike Martz is needed. They can tutor JaMarcus Russell, and let Rob Ryan run the defense.

http://cbs5.com/sports/lane.kiffin.fired.2.829208.html

Do not be confused about the back to back fourth quarter collapses. The defense was exhausted from an offense that malfunctioned repeatedly. In some cases, the offense gave up points. Russell throws a gorgeous long ball, and the running game is strong. The problems are occurring in the red zone, where the offense keeps breaking down. Too many field goals are being kicked. As for Sebastian Janikowski being allowed to attempt 76 yard field goals, I am in favor of it. As long as it is at the end of the half, why not? If he makes history, it can inspire the team.

Other than that, my main concern is remembering to set the d@mn Tivo when I leave town. I forgot to tape the season premier of “Desperate Housewives,” although missing “Law and Order” is less critical. I am sure Sam Waterston made a bombastic, self righteous speech, and conservatives rolled their eyeballs. No wait, that was Joe Biden. It really does tie in together.

I could do my impersonation of Joe Biden and continue to babble about nothing, but it is better to stay silent and be seen as a fool than speak up and remove all doubt.

There are plenty of things that may be lead to something that is actually worthy of being considered hard news.

Until then, I am sure Greta Van Substanceless can blather about Natalee Holloway or somebody named Peterson just so I can include their names for no reason and get more hits on my blog from imbeciles that read nonsense. Perhaps MSNBC will discover that they were responsible for 9/11. After all, most of their staff hates President George W. Bush as much as Al Queda.

Remember Al Queda? Those are people that want to kill us. While the world goes to sleep, they are still plotting. I could write about that every day. I hope and pray I never have to write about any of their successes ever again.

So Happy It’s Thursday.

eric

I have had the pleasure recently of interviewing financier David Blumberg.

Interviews, like the beautiful holiday of Rosh Hashanah, eventually do come to a conclusion.

The first part of this three part interview was his personal story. As a republican in San Francisco that is also gay and Jewish, with a partner that is gay, Jewish, and French, David’s story of how he became a republican is compelling.

David has expressed that while democrats play identity politics, republicans focus on the republican message. In other words, outside of being a republican in San Francisco, he does not see his story as astonishing.

Nevertheless, questions about his sexual orientation comprised the second part of the interview, if only to lessen their relevance.

While it is perfectly acceptable to ask him about his lifestyle, it is not the only thing he discusses. He will happily and proudly discuss it if asked, but his passions are the same political issues that many republicans focus on.

Therefore, rather than treat my interview with him as interviewing a gay, Jewish republican, I preferred to approach it as the shocking story of a republican couple living in San Francisco, who, oh by the way, happen to be gay and Jewish.

The third and final part of this interview delves into David’s insights on the fundamental economic and political issues facing the United States today.

8.) Without giving an endorsement unless you choose to do so, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the five main republican candidates?

I supported Rudy Giuliani because I thought he had the right policies and demonstrated experience both on national security issues as well as complex economic and operational topics.  I thought his turn-around of NYC was nothing short of remarkable and would be a great model for what needs to happen to the Federal Government and in many State Houses and Chambers of Commerce.

Now I support John McCain wholeheartedly.  I think he will make a great president.  He has the maverick streak like Teddy Roosevelt and the experience of war and military operations and many years as a leading Senator.   He is a man of principle who also takes good counsel.   I like his policy positions on most major issues – national security and economics.

9) With regards to foreign policy, what have we done right, and what have we gotten wrong, in the last 8 years, and what steps need to be taken to improve the situations that require improvement?

Too long a response – for another time.  Generally, I think the US and the world are better of because of what the Bush Administration has done.  There are challenges to be sure and mistakes were made, but the first term was marked with some game-changing wins and great statements of principle backed up with appropriate action.  The second term of the administration has been less successful, except for the Iraq War – which has gone on to become a great victory – due to the change in tactics of counter-insurgency lead by General David Petraeus – a hero if there ever was one.

10) What were the main challenges you faced in your life? What were your greatest successes, and what do you need more time to accomplish?

Too long a response required.  More later…

11) Where were you when 9/11 happened? How did it affect you, how did your life change if at all?

I was in Singapore.  It was surreal watching the TV as the planes hit.  At first I thought it was a TV horror movie.  The Singaporeans were very hospitable, sympathetic and supportive.  I immediately thought the attacks should and would finally awaken the Western governments to the threat of radical Islamic terrorism.    I was confident we would react and take action to go after the rogue states that supported terrorism globally.

12) You are a finance person. The American dollar seems to be in free fall. Should government get involved, and is this even a problem at all? If so, what needs to be done?

No, I think the government should generally preserve a stable dollar and minimize its monetary interventions.  I tend to favor Milton Friedman’s recipe which said keep monetary policy steady and let cycles work themselves out.

10) Who are your three favorite American political leaders of all time?

Washington, Madison and Lincoln

11) Who are your three favorite world political leaders of all time?

Our biblical patriarch Joseph, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher

12) What would be the main qualities and criteria you would look for with regards to potential Supreme Court justices? Could they disagree with you on major issues, and still be qualified? How do you feel they should rule on the two second amendment cases in front of them?

I favor a rather strict constructionist approach to judicial interpretation.  I resent judges legislating from the bench.  I think that legislators should write and pass laws and judges should decide whether they are consistent with the Constitution.   Judges who want to legislate can be either right wing or left wing, but neither are justifiable in my view.

13) Many Jews see Judaism as being in lockstep with liberalism, even though the highest form of Tzedakah involves helping someone achieve self-reliance, a very conservative philosophy. How do you explain the synthesis between Judaism and political conservatism, or at least republicanism, to others?

Your point about the paradox of Jewish attitudes on “liberalism†is apt.  We should teach tough love, love of liberty, independence and what many used to think of classic American self-reliance. The other point that is not well understood by most Jews and other Liberals is that liberalism is a slippery slope to ever greater state control of the economy and the lives of individuals.  Hence, liberalism is closer to fascism than most adherents can fathom.  Jonah Goldberg’s book on Liberal Fascism is a great exploration of that topic.

14) Former Attorney General John Ashcroft once said that if the law conflicted with his religious beliefs, he would resign. Alabama Justice Roy Moore refused to obey a law requiring that he remove the Ten Commandments from his courtroom, based on his beliefs. Has American law ever conflicted with your religious beliefs or other deeply held beliefs, and how did you or would you handle this conflict?

I am a supporter of more religion in the public square, not less.  I am convinced the Founding Fathers wanted to prohibit the establishment of one official American Church, such as the Church of England, but I doubt they intended the extreme concept of separation we now have in place.   I used to object to Christmas as a National Holiday, but I am now comfortable with the concept that we live in a country with Christian origins and Judeo-Christian ethical heritage.

15) Do you support the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive action? Do you feel that it may be necessary to take pre-emptive action against Iran?

Yes and Yes.  In fact it was Al Gore’s renunciation of the pre-emptive doctrine – here in San Francisco, when he spoke to the Commonwealth Club in 2002 that finally convinced me to leave the Democratic Party.  As he spoke I thought, if the US President lacks the capability to preempt an attack on the US, who will defend my family, our country?  Must we wait until they attack again  so we can then  sue them in the International Court of Justice?

16) What Americans call 9/11, Israel refers to as every day life. Israel is then asked to show restraint. What is your view on Israel taking pre-emptive action, including a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities if necessary? What about with regards to the disputed territories such as Gaza? What about against Damascus, who funds Hezbollah?

Israel is to Western Civilization (Europe and North America) what the canary is in the coal mine – a clear, but fragile warning sign of potential danger.   Israel has through necessity developed the culture of self defense and self reliance.  It is a basically healthy culture and one that minimizes self indulgence and drama.  Israel needs to act preemptively and so does the rest of the world when facing the rising menace of radical Islam.  This is even more true in the age when weapons of mass destruction (Chem, Bio and Nuke) are so widely produced and to often transportable to rogue regimes and/or to terrorist organizations whether through commission or omission.

17) San Francisco is often a whipping boy for political conservatives. Given that you live there, what are the biggest positives and negatives of San Francsico, and what needs to be improved?

The gorgeous geography and temperate climate are the best parts of Northern California.  I also enjoy the ethnic, cultural, religious mixture, although I would prefer more political and intellectual diversity.  I would like the City in particular to be a more family-friendly and child-friendly place.  I would like to cut taxes and wasteful spending on feather-bedding and entrenched interests of businesses, unions and Non-governemental organizations that all depend on government for their sustenance. I would like to reduce the ridiculous level of government red-tape and intervention in every nook and cranny of the economy – housing for example.  The market would solve many of the politician-made problems that afflict all the residents of the beautiful Bay Area.

18) Attempts to partially privatize social security and fix the ticking time bomb of medicare have been met with hysteria about throwing old people on the street and leaving them to die.Again, given your expertise in finance, do you favor any privatization of social security? If not, why not?

Yes, I favor the plan broadly known as the Ownership Society that President Bush has proposed.  For example in the realm of retirement savings the proposal would provide a voluntary path enabling personal retirement accounts that could earn market returns, tax free and compounded for decades – like 401Ks on steroids.  It is simple, functional and necessary.  The demographic forecasts show that we must reform the broken Social Security system soon, or the problems will scale out of control and become exceedingly expensive or even intractable.  Medicare and health care in general are similarly broken and need to be reformed, mostly by ridding us of the distortions of government “fixes†from the past that have resulted in third party payer systems that distort incentives, create a waste layer of insurance and create more bureaucracy and paperwork.  A better system would be much simpler with middle class and richer folks mainly buying only catastrophic health care insurance and paying out of pocket for normal needs.  Of course our advanced and wealthy society could also offer a safety net for the truly poor and in need.  They could obtain very low cost or even free health are if they are at the lowest levels of income.

We are a far wealthier society now than in the 1930s when many of the New Deal programs such as Social Security and Medicare were conceived and implemented.  As the times have changed and our society has evolved, the programs need to be revamped as well.  The best thing politicians could do is stop ruling from the grave.  They should sunset most laws they pass.  Then future generations could decide to enact new laws to meet the evolving needs of tomorrow.

19) How do you think the USA can win the War on Terror? What do you do in your daily life, if anything, with regards to this issue, whether it be portfolio divestments, certain voting patterns, plane flights, or anything else?

I think knowledge of and recognition of the problem is a key first step.  Then the world view of tough love and an understanding that in a world of bullies the best defense is not diplomacy.  Diplomacy works within the context of mutual respect and commonly accepted rules of engagement, justice,  and morality.  The world view that we must adopt and embrace is that consensual government is the G-d given right of every human being and that we must strive to help everyone obtain it.  We don’t need to declare war on every dictator all at once, but we should make it very clear and repeat it constantly that we are on the side of freedom and liberty and limited government.  We should support opposition groups who press for human rights and other freedoms while suffering under dictactorship.

I try to speak up for freedom and against the intrusion of government into every corner of our lives.  I speak out against terror and the soft complicity of appeasement and pacifism.  I work in the political process as a volunteer and a donor.  I contribute to philanthropic and educational endeavors that promote the freedom agenda on a global basis. We need to elect politicians who understand the fundamental issues and will work to protect our freedoms and support those of others.

20) Without delving into your personal life, what would you want Americans to know about you as a person? 100 years from now, what would you want people to remember about you, and what would you hope the history books say about you?

I would want Americans to know that I was raised by parents and grandparents and immigrant ancestors who were deeply grateful to this country for the liberty and opportunity it afforded us.  In addition to the values I learned from my family and community, I would want others to know that institutions such as the Boy Scouts, Temple Beth Israel Sunday Religious School, Reform Jewish Youth Group, and various Public Elementary and High School experiences helped instill in me the same love of country and respect for freedom of prior generations.

I would want them to know that this country has given me and my family much, and we have given in return by serving in the armed forces, paying taxes, voting, holding public office, contributing to non-profit institutions and building a great free society.

There is yet much to accomplish for as the Talmud says, Life is short, the task is great and the Master is demanding.  Further, we should plant trees for those who will follow us in generations yet to come.  And as Rabbi Hillel said some 2,000 years ago, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?  If I am only for myself, what am I?  If not now, when?â€

It was an absolute pleasure interviewing David Blumberg. We can all learn a lot from him about tolerance and acceptance. More importantly, we can learn much from him on politics and economics.

I suspect that the world we live in will only become more open minded in many areas. His being gay will most likely elicit a shrug of the shoulders, if it does not already. Being gay and Jewish is fairly ordinary, since many Jews tend to be liberal, and therefore less worried about religious pressure.

Yet no matter how open a society we become, the one type of diversity that remains lacking is ideological diversity. I believe that years from now, people will look at David, and ask one question.

How in the heck does a nice guy from San Francisco end up a republican?

Luckily, David already answered that question for us.

I wish David and his partner Michal much success in life. The republican party is grateful for their support, and the Tygrrrr Express is thankful for their insights.

I am most happy to have David’s friendship. Now if only he could use his political connections to get Tammy Bruce’s phone number for me. I keep hearing she is a lesbian, but then again, if she rejects me for being heterosexual, wouldn’t that be discrimination?

Even a fine mind like David Blumberg is not going near that conundrum.

eric

I had the pleasure recently of interviewing financier David Blumberg.

David and his partner Michal happen to be gay. They also happen to be Jewish. Michal happens to be French. They happen to live in San Francisco.

What is extraordinary is that based on everything else, they do not fit neatly into a stereotypical box. They are proud republicans.

They are also proud Jews, and I hope that they and all the Jews of the world are enjoying a sobering and peaceful Rosh Hashanah. Today is also the culmination of Ramadan, as Muslims celebrate with Iftar dinners fit for kings. So Happy Holidays to those celebrating, as I take a two day vacation from politics.

Below is the second part of my three part interview with David Blumberg.

2) Are you “religious?” Is San Francisco as secular a city as it is made out to be? Do you feel some San Franciscans unfairly consider all religion to be equated with zealotry and intolerance?

My partner and I live a reasonably traditional, but not orthodox Jewish lifestyle. We belong to Congregation Emanu-el in San Francisco. We celebrate the Jewish holidays including Shabbat and are actively involved in the community through educational, civic and philanthropic endeavors. We are strongly identified with Israel and travel there regularly. We will raise our children with a strong Jewish identity and an organic connection to Israel.

When growing up in Fresno, California, I was impressed by the vibrant and diverse religious life of the community. Most of my friends in Fresno were active in their churches and most my Jewish friends were active in our Synagogue. We shared their holidays and they shared ours. In contrast, San Francisco is a very secular city. A seeming majority profess they are non-religious and are somewhat hostile to organized religion (except Buddhism) in general and to Evangelical Christianity in particular. In contrast, I respect and appreciate the Evangelical community. They are stalwart, patriotic Americans, friends of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. I know many Evangelicals, and while we may disagree on some issues, they are unfailingly respectful, polite and reasonable. I greatly appreciate their true love of the Jewish People and Israel. Sadly their views are poorly understood by most Jews and most of the secular community.

I have many deeply religious Jewish and Christian friends and none of them abandoned me when I came out as gay. They were respectful and have remained true friends despite theological condemnation of my orientation by their denomination. On the other hand since becoming a Republican, I have lost a number of long-time friends and had many unpleasant conversations and arguments with “Progressives†and so called “tolerant Liberalsâ€. It is been far more difficult, painful and even dangerous to come out as a Republican among SF Liberals than to identify as a gay man to my Evangelical Christian and Orthodox Jewish Republican friends.

Sadly, the equation of Christian religion with zealotry is widespread. Like Dennis Prager, I think America is a better country when it is more religious and it is specifically better for Jews and other minority religions. I think the greater and growing danger is pervasive, dogmatic secularism of the sort pitched by Jeff Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris in their recent books attacking faith and religion. That type of radical, intolerant secularism is pushed by the ACLU and its various allies on the political Left. I try to make a point of thanking Christians for their support of the Jewish People and Israel at Jewish Community events. Sometimes I am looked at strangely, but more often than not, I also have fellow Jews come over and say, “Thanks for making that important point.” So I am hopeful for the future. I know that as the Jewish Community becomes more observant and the proportion of Orthodox grows, the relations with Evangelicals will improve. It is the secular Jews who have the most difficulty accepting and getting along with Religious Christians. I wish it weren’t so, but demographic changes are already making inroads.

3) You and your partner are Jewish, gay, republican men in San Francisco, and one of you is French. Do you face intolerance or bigotry, and is this from those on the right objecting to your being gay, or those on the left objecting to your being republican?

We have rarely faced bigotry from being gay anywhere in the US. We were called fags once in liberal, beautiful, buccolic Bolinas, CA were threatened in the Russian River, CA and faced real discrimination in Sharm-el Shaikh, Egypt, but we haven’t experienced much other in the way of anti-gay comments or problems. On the other hand, we regularly hear anti-Republican, anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, anti-business sentiments in SF and most wealthy urban centers.

4) How big a role does the gay marriage issue loom for you? What do you think of the marriages performed by Gavin Newsom? Some claim that it created a backlash, because the marriages were illegal. Is this valid, or cover for bigotry?

We think support for families with children is a good and worthy goal of society and government. We think that supporting equal financial, housing and medical rights for all couples is also important. We are not dogmatic about the term “Marriage†per se. I think overall it is a good goal, but I would like it to be approached by persuasion and through the legislative process, not to be imposed by judicial fiat. I am a follower of Edmund Burke, the UK politician and philosopher of the late 18th and early 19th century. He argued that social change needs to come first and then political change would follow naturally and organically without popular resentment. In contrast, when social change is imposed from the top as it was in gay marriage in Massachusetts, Row vs. Wade and similar cases, it inspires protest and backlash.

5) How do you want to be seen? As a Jewish person, or a person who happens to be Jewish? A gay person, or a person who happens to be gay? A republican, or a person who happens to be republican? Should these categories define you or be peripheral?

I think those categories are and should be peripheral.

6) In 1996 Bob Dole’s campaign returned a check from the Log Cabin Republicans, stating that the group did not adhere to republican beliefs. The group incredulously and correctly stated that their beliefs included lower taxes and less government. What political issues are most important to you?

I think Dole made a great mistake then and I think the lesson has been learned. I believe national security and a strong economy trump the social issues in a Presidential election. The President has real authority over the former and very little to clout regarding the later.

7) Has your partner faced any Anti-French hostility, and has that lessened since the election of Nicolas Sarkozy?

Yes (minor) and yes.

Tomorrow I will bring the conclusion to my three part interview with financier David Blumberg.

eric

To the Jewish people of the world, Monday night begins the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah.

To the Muslim people of the world, Tuesday marks th end of the holy month of Ramadan.

To the Christian, Buddhist, and others of the world, may you be partners with your brethren for world peace.

To the Atheists and Agnostics of the world, to quote Anthony Clark, “I hope you win the lottery dude.”

I will not be blogging on Rosh Hashanah, but thankfully I have some pre-written columns.  

I had the pleasure recently of interviewing Financier David Blumberg of Blumberg Capital.

Like me, David is a member of the Republican Jewish Coalition Leadership.

My desire to interview David stems from the fact that he is an amalgamation of many different groups. He and his partner live in the Haight Ashbury area of San Francisco, famous for being the hotbed of liberal activism. David is gay and Jewish. His partner is gay, Jewish, and French. Yet the strange aspect of their life is that they are both staunch republicans.

David’s background allows him to offer insights on various topics as few people can. While he is very political, as a finance guy he can more than hold his own on economic issues.

I had the pleasure of meeting him and his partner when they hosted a Hanukkah event featuring notable Jewish republicans such as Mona Charen, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, and John Podhoretz.

David is aware that I still cannot figure out why lesbian conservative radio host Tammy Bruce will not go out with me. He also knows that as a single man, I am pro gay rights because it reduces my competition for women.

We disagree on my hard line stance against lesbianism, although he understands that I only condemn it when the women are attractive.

Most importantly, I am glad to have David as a friend. He is a genuinely nice person, and his orientation is secondary to his political instincts, which are very keen.

With that, I present part one of my three part interview with David Blumberg.

1) How does a nice Jewish person from a good family end up, horror of horrors, politically republican? As for your partner, how does a French Jewish person end up supporting American republicans? Given that you happen to be gay, how does this fit into your being republican?

 

I was a moderate Democrat for my entire adult life until 2002 when at age 43 I changed my registration to Republican. I was a Democrat chiefly because my parents and grandparents and most of the folks I knew growing up in Fresno, California were Democrats. The vast majority of Democrats I knew in Fresno were moderate to conservative. We knew a few families who were noticeably leftist, but we considered them slightly wacky, too radical and didn’t take them very seriously. Most of the moderate Democrats I knew were comfortable with the traditional Democratic positions on the Cold-War and a strong defense perspective that produced Congressmen Henry “Scoop” Jackson and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Presidents Truman, Kennedy and Johnson. Most adult men I knew were my father’s age or older, so they had served in the US military in Korea or WWII and were quietly proud of their service and their country.

 

Most of the families I knew weren’t passionate one way or the other about the Vietnam War, but they thought the protesters at UC Berkeley and other campuses were too radical and were insufficiently respectful of fundamental American values. For example, I recall my parents went to see the rock musical Hair in San Francisco in the early 1970s. The show was designed to offend traditional morés of middle class Americans, but my parents put up with the foul language, gratuitous nudity, raunchy sexuality and political mockery until an actor burned the US flag on stage. At that point, my Korean War veteran dad gently took my mom’s hand and they walked out of the theatre in shock and disgusted by the in- your-face anti-Americanism on stage.

 

I have always been an idealist believing in individual rights and a realist because I believe it is our individual and societal responsibility to advance towards the good. I think that free markets and the resultant culture of innovation, consensual politics and religious pluralisim are the greatest promoters of a better life for the greatest number of people in the shortest possible timeframe. Hence I think that limited government, technological innovation and consumer choice are fundamental principles for positive change. On most domestic issues, I tend to agree with the maxim, “The government that governs least, governs best”.

 

In the realm of international affairs, however, there are still too many dictatorships and other rogue states which would be characterized by what the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes termed the “State of Natureâ€, which he described as - short, nasty and brutish. It is a stark fact that nearly all our current adversaries are tyrannical dictatorships, unsavory and criminally corrupt regimes and terrorist groups who oppress and harm their own people and use terrorism as a tool of warfare to threaten our national interests as well. Hence as the world’s only remaining superpower, it is vital for the US to maintain a capable military posture to prevent rising threats when possible and to respond quickly when needed to protect our interests and support our allies.

 

From a very young age I had developed a keen interest in politics and international affairs. I was active in student government in high school and participated in statewide and national political events ever since. At Harvard, I majored in Government and focused on International Relations with a good dose of Economics and History. I was very active in the Harvard JFK School of Government Institute of Politics and other organizations and in many election field campaigns – almost all for Democrats until my great awakening after 9/11. Like too many Democrats, I had naively and ignorantly come to believe that most Republicans were smart and rich, but they were selfish and heartless. The Democratic talking point mantra was that Republicans were old, rich, straight, white, Christian men who wanted to oppress or ignore all the rest of America. During most college summers, I worked in Washington, DC, first for the Export-Import Bank of the US, then AIPAC and Congressman Tony Coelho (Democratic Whip). Each role provided some insight into the workings of Washington including the excitement and dynamism, as well as the dysfunction and unsavory nature of the political world.

 

I also developed a strong Jewish identity rather early. One day at age 11, I returned from Temple Beth Israel’s Sunday school and announced that I wanted us to celebrate Chanukah and no longer have a Christmas tree. I also developed a very strong connection with Israel and became a lifelong Zionist. My interest in Israel and Zionism led me to study and recognize the dangers of the fundamentalist Muslim and secular dictatorships of the Middle East, often allied with the communist dictatorship of the Soviet Union and kleptocratic dictators in the developing countries. I learned that those countries represented a witches brew of oppression and demagogically fomented hatred which posed a real threat to their own peoples, neighboring countries, and Israel. Moreover, as the technology and “successful†use of terror increased, the threat to the US and Western Civilization grew more obvious – or so I thought. In the 1990s many of us were temporarily lulled into a false sense of security as the Soviet Union crumbled under its own “internal contractions†and with a good push from President Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II and Prime Minister Maggie Thatcher.

 

Nevertheless, since the fall of the Shah of Iran in 1979, the growth of Islamic radicalism and other forces aligned against Western Civilization has been much on my mind. I think the best antidote to radical Islam is political reform along the lines recommended by Minister Natan Sharansky who wrote The Case For Democracy and Ambassador Mark Palmer who wrote Breaking The Real Axis of Evil, How to Oust The World’s Remaining Dictators by 2025. The perspective elucidated by both authors is a principal reason we must support a secure, strong, independent, secular Iraq, governed as a consensual republic with rule of law, free markets and constitutional protections for human rights.

 

My partner, Michel Armand, worked for the French Foreign Ministry for seven years, but he has generally supported the US foreign policy initiatives of President Bush. Michel supported the wars to help liberate Afghanistan and Iraq. He was a vocal critic of Chirac and a strong supporter of Sarkozy so we are fairly well aligned. He supports a strong defense against radical Islam and concurs in the view that political reform of dictatorships is an important goal for global, human well-being and long-term stability.

 

With regard to issues affecting the gay community, I believe in an evolutionary approach, not a radical, confrontational dogma. I think that science creates the fundamentals of new technology which lead to businesses commercialization then behavioral change by consumers, which then leads to changed attitudes which in turn leads to political changes. This is because most politicians are followers, not leaders – especially on deeply held issues of religious or emotional commitment to view on abortion, gay issues, prayer in school, etc. Politicians very rarely vote contrary to the polling data on such matters in their districts. This makes politics a rather ineffective medium for change. Nevertheless, I prefer legislative change to judicial interference in such matters. I think that legislated changes are much more easily accepted by the population and engender less backlash and social strife. I prefer an incremental approach that makes a series of small improvements rather than pressing for major and radical jump-shifts in policy. I am less interested in symbolism of equality than in equal opportunity and treatment under law. In recent times I have come to see issues of National Security and Economic vitality as much more important than most other domestic issues. Without success in the former two characteristics, the other issues pale in importance.

Tomorrow I present the second part of my three part interview with David Blumberg.

eric

The Tygrrrr Express arrived in the Holy Land, aka Brooklyn, New York, this morning. After a redeye from Los Angeles that arrived at 6am, followed by several hours of sleep, I thank the lord almighty that football on the East Coast does not start until 1pm.

On a sad note, we all mourn the passing of legendary actor Paul Newman. My favorite movie of all time was “The Color of Money.” In 1986 he finally won the Oscar that he should have been given for the prequel, “The Hustler,” back in 1961. The Soundtrack featured the Eric Clapton song, “It’s in the way that you use it.” Paul Newman made the most of life, and used it well.

In his honor, I will try to have one of his salad dressings with my meal, since a portion of the proceeds go to charity.

Lurching back to football, from Coney Island, home of the original Nathan’s Hot Dogs, within walking distance to the Boardwalk, I present you the recap of the fourth week of the NFL season.

These recaps are pathetic because I was traveling throughout the day. They will be updated in the next 24 hours. Until then, go to www.nfl.com

Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers–Carolina took their first possession down the field for a 7-0 lead, but a pair of Jason Elam field goals had the game at 7-6 in the second quarter. Carolina is a good team because they have a great defense and solid coaching, but they can be an elite team now that Steve Smith is back from suspension. Jake Delhomme found SMith for a 56 yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers up 14-6, and they led 14-9 at the half.

In the second half the Carolina defense clamped down. Matt Ryan threw 41 passes, but was harassed all game. After a field goal had Carolina up 17-9, Delhomme went deep again, this time to Muhsin Muhammad for 36 yards and the game’s final score. 24-9 Panthers

Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals–For 3 quarters, this was a war of attrition, with the Bengals leading 6-3. In the 4th quarter, the Browns finally got going. A 13 play, 6 1/2 minute drive culminated ina  17 yard toss from Derek Anderson to Braylon Edwards for a 10-6 Browns lead with 13 minutes remaining. After a touchback, Chris Perry fumbled on the first play from scrimmage, and the Browns recovered at the Cincinnati 24. Anderson found Kellen Winslow for a 20 yard gain down to the 4, setting up a short touchdown to make it 17-6, effectively putting the game out of reach. Cincinnati did reach the end zone, but Cleveland ate up large amounts of clock to send the Bengals to another tough loss. 20-12 Browns

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars–This game was deadlocked at the half, after 3, and at the end of regulation. It was a well played offensive game, with neither team turning the ball over, and only a pair of penalties by each team. Matt Schaub threw 3 touchdown passes for the Texans.

Four minutes into the game Jacksonville faced a 4th and 4 at the Houston 41. A fake punt direct snap to Owens went all the way for the 41 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Jaguars lead. Houston had a pair of 12 play drives. The first one lasted 5 1/2 minutes and set upa  field goal. The second one ate up over 7 minutes, and culminated in a 30 yard touchdown pass from Schaub to Slaton to put the Texans up 10-7. The teams were tied 10-10 at the half.

The Jaguars took the second half kickoff, and 4 minutes later, David Garrard found Jones for an 18 yard touchdown and a 17-10 Jacksonville lead. Houston had another long drive, 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes, with Schaub throwing a 5 yard touchdown pass to tie the game 17-17.

Jacksonville responded with a 13 play 6 1/2 minute drive resulting in a field goal early in the 4th quarter. Houston mounted another 11 play, 6 1/2 minute drive that ended in Schaub finding Walters for 8 yards and a 24-20 Houston lead with 7 minutes remaining. The Jaguars came right back, and 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes later, David Garrard scored on a 5 yard quarterback draw from the shotgun. Jacksonville led 27-24 with 1:48 remaining.

Schaub went right to work from his own 18, and quickly moved the Texans in position for a 47 yard field goal attempt. Kris Brown nailed it just before the gun, to send the game into overtime tied 27-27.

The Jaguars took the kickoff in overtime and quickly ended things. On 3rd and 5 from their own 35, Garrard found Jones for 18 yards. A 22 yard toss to Jones set up a 37 yard Josh Scobee field goal. He drilled it 3 1/2 minutes into overtime, and the Jaguars had another heartstopping win. The Texans had another heartbreaking loss. 30-27 Jaguars, OT

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs–To quote uber-announcer Chris Berman, “THAT’S why they play the games. Denver may not have been as good as their 3-0 record, but Kansas City was every bit as bad as their 0-3 record. The first 3 quarters were quiet. Jay Cutler had a short touchdown pass to put Denver up 7-6. Kansas City returned a fumble 37 yards to the Denver 2, setting up a Larry Johnson plunge to go back up 13-7. Denver matched Kansas City with a couple of field goals before the Chiefs added their 3rd one to lead 16-13 after 3 quarters.

The Chiefs broke the game open n the 4th quarter. Damon Huard found Tony Gonzalez for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 23-13 with 12:40 remaining. With 8 minutes left Denver reached the Kansas City 3 yard line but had to settle for a field goal to make it 23-16. With just over 4 minutes left the Chiefs added their 4th field goal, but the Broncos added their 4th field goal with 2:06 left.

Kansas City recovered the onsides kick at the Denver 43. Johnson broke free for a 34 yard gain, and after a holding penalty, added a 16 yard tochdown run with 30 seconds remaining to ice the game. Denver lost their first, the Chiefs won their first, and the NFL proved again that on any given Sunday, anything can happen. 33-19 Chiefs

San Francisco 49ers @ New Orleans Saints–Drew Brees continued his aerial assault. He went 23 of 35 for 363 yards and 3 touchdown passes, as the Saints rolled. Although the 49ers led 3-0 after the 1st quarter, Brees had all of his touchdown passes in the 2nd quarter. He went 5 yards and 33 yards to Moore, and 47 yards to Meachem, as the Saints led 21-6 at the half.

After the 49ers cut the gap to 21-9, the Saints began at their own 9. Brees found Meachem for a 52 yard gain, and 91 yards and 6 minutes of clock later, the Saints had reached the end zone again and put the game out of reach. 31-17 Saints

Arizona Cardinals @ New York Jets–This game was ridiculous. Every quarter was a different game. The first quarter was scoreless. The second quarter turned into the Brett Favre show. 10 seconds into the quarter he found Laverneus Coles for 12 yards and a 7-0 Jets lead. Kurt Warner also threw his first touchdown pass to the Jets, as Revis returned the interception 32 yards for a 14-0 Jets advantage. Favre then found Coles again, this time for 34 yards to put New York up 21-0. The Jets were just getting started. Warner was intercepted again, allowing the Jets to start at the Arizona 19. This led to a field goal and a 24-0 lead with 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the half. Warner then fumbled, and the Jets recovered at the Arizona 40. With 10 seconds left in the half, Favre found Coles again, this time for 2 yards. At 31-0, all the Cardinals had to do was kneel on the ball. Instead, Warner went back to pass, was sacked for a 12 yard loss, and fumbled again. The Jets recovered and added a field goal. In the second quarter Favre had 3 touchdown passes, Warner had 4 turnovers, and the Jets scored 34 points.

The game should have ended, but the 3rd quarter was all Arizona. Warner turned back into the greatest show in the desert. A pair of Edgerrin James runs followed by a run by Hightower had the Cardinals shockingly within 34-21after three quarters. A blowout was now a game. The insanity was just getting started as the teams combined for 36 points in the final quarter.

A 12 play 6 minute drive led to Favre finding Jerricho Cotchery for 17 yards and some breathing room for the Jets at 41-21. Warner responded by finding Anquon Boldin for 8 yards, making it 41-28. Favre and Warner kept airing it out. Favre found Cotcherry again, this time for 40 yards. The Jets were up 48-28. Warner found Urban for 14 yards, and the Cardinals were within 48-35. The Cardinals caught a break when Jay Feeley missed a field goal, but Arizona then turned it over again.

Favre then found Keller for a 24 yard touchdown pass. It was Favre’s 6th…yes, 6th…touchdown pass on the day. As for Warner, he passed for a mind boggling 472 yards, but on the final play, from the New York 9, he was intercepted at the goal line.

9 years ago, It was Warner igniting the Rams to a Superbowl, beating the Packers in a playoff game where Favre had 6 interceptions. This game had Favre with the 6 touchdown passes and Warner with most of the team’s 7 turnovers.  They might still be throwing the ball, but officials insist that the game did finally end. 56-35 Jets

Green Bay Packers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers–With Brett Favre in New York and Warren Sapp retired, this game still had some sparks. Both Aaron Rodgers and Brian Griese were intercepted 3 times. Green Bay began at their own 42, and Rodgers found Greg Jennings for a 25 yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 Packers lead. The second quarter was all Tampa Bay as Derrick Brooks intercepte