Well, it sure looks like the Obama Cash for Clunkers program is another of those pie in the sky ideas with little if any benefit.  And now, with the "fine tuning" of the EPA numbers, those who attempted to cash in the program are getting demands for the $4500 back - or the return of their new car.

Will Barack Obama be able to escape his already existing legacy as a politician - that of all talk and no action - or will he truly inspire the American people into action, to fix what is wrong with our country?  Mr. Obama is, without any question, a skilled orator - but can he lead?

I hope he moves past the mode of always on the campaign trail, and can pull us from the brink of national disaster and international laughingstock.

Banks across the country came hat in hand, accepting wads of hot sweaty cash from the Federal Reserve, with still over $300 billion to go.  And what are they doing with it?  Why - sitting on it, of course.  And paying out massive bonuses to the very execs who helped drive the economy to the brink of disaster.  And HUD's voluntary program languishes.

Poisoned milk from China continues to make its way into the United States, according to press releases (1, 2) this past fortnight from the US Food and Drug Administration.  Products
containing melamine have been found to still be arriving in America,
months after the Chinese government allegedly shut down the dairy
operators who had been adding the industrial chemical to their
products, presumably so it would test a false positive for high protein

Well, here we go with the results of the first of what could be many mega-corporation bailout packages being abused by those receiving them - AIG American General spending part of that $85 billion package on a half a million dollar junket to a posh California resort (see the bill here http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/1007083aig1.html?link=rs...). 

A quick look at AIG Board of Directors shows a stream of finance industry corporate fatcats - and not ONE there representing the "investment" that the American people have made in this company.

Jesse Jackson was caught with his mouth flapping last weekend, only this time, he didn't know he was being recorded, and he said he wanted to "cut his nuts off" when discussing Barack Obama's speech to a Black church - in which Obama discussed the problems with fatherless children and promoted fatherhood, and said that staying in school was more important than trying to get into professional athletics. And this is talking down... how?

Senator John McCain took a step away from the philosophy of President Bush and Veep Dick Cheney yesterday in a speech to Big Oil representatives, according to Reuters saying: "In the face of climate change and other serious challenges, energy conservation is no longer just a moral luxury or a personal virtue. Conservation serves a critical national goal."

As the two remaining Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, continue duking it out with ever-dirtier tactics and language, you have to wonder what the McCain posse is up to as far as selecting a suitable running mate to serve as his vice president.

Let's take a look at the core tenets and value system of a mythical organization - and find out what Barack Obama supporters have to say to them:

1. Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the White community
3. Commitment to the White family
4. Dedication to the pursuit of education
5. Dedication to the pursuit of excellence

As some of you can tell, this past week I've written more than my fair share of commentary about the situation of illegal aliens flooding into the United States, which some have taken to be racially motivated.

The citizens of Colorado, unlike any other state in the country, might have a chance to get low-interest loans to install renewable energy systems and make conservation efforts in their domiciles - all backed by the bonding authority of the state and local governments. Why isn't Congress following this model?

In a shocking display of hubris, U.S. Department of Education (USDE) Secretary Margaret Spellings (SecUSDE) is going to require all of the states to use the same formula to determine their graduation rates as part of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program. Why? Well, because some districts cheat. Shocking, isn’t it. And, why do they cheat, you ask?

After my little debacle with Comcast (resolved, for now, but I'm still waiting on the paperwork) I did a little more digging. Comcast, and I'm not making this up, is setting up technology straight out of George Orwell's "1984" - or at least they want to.

This falls into the "Oh, duh, ya think?" category of reporting. Like, it took a poll to figure that out? Just ask the common guy sitting next to you at lunch, doesn't matter their race or religion. Senator Barack Obama's speech was nothing short of oratorical brilliance, but even that will have trouble defending the words that, if they came from a Caucasian, would brand him a racist.

The Consumer Price Index for February shows no change from the prior month, which would be great news if the CPI was a survey of all lifestyles within the country, but it isn’t. The CPI is only applicable for urban dwellers.

At least Obama and Clinton have found their records, or more appropriately, NON records, on energy policy to be fodder for sniping.

The Federal Reserve Bank is set next week to further reduce interest rates for banks – the very banks that are looking to continue tightening the reins on granting credit. The Federal Reserve by all current wisdom would seem to be powerless to do anything but effect interest rates – but that is not the case.

Most people don't understand the significant differences between condos and coops - you should read up on them before you get involved in either, so you understand what you'll be getting into.

Amazingly, but it appears Under Secretary Bud Albright might actually have made the right call on FutureGen, even if it was for the wrong reasons.

Did you know that merely 50 years ago, Illinois was NOT a corn desert, but produced a vast variety of fruits, vegetables, and other crops? That the federal government killed that, with two programs - the subsidies to farmers, and the massive, federally-subsidized water projects that are the only way California's produce farms can stay alive?