Pat Riley is my uncle

When I was in sixth grade I would tell the foxy older ladies (7th and 8th graders) that the head coach of the Lakers, Pat Riley, was my uncle. This was 1988 when the Lakers were on top of the world and "Riles" was just as famous as Magic Johnson. I told a few older girls that Pat Riley was my uncle and word quickly spread about my "famous" relative. A few days later in P.E. class, about half-way up agony hill, it occurred to me: I might gain recognition and attention in the short-run, but I was doomed in the long run. All thoughts of making out with mature women behind the backstop would be ruined once they found out the truth. Yet, I persisted in repeating this lie for a few more days until Sunny confronted me in the chocolate-chip cookie line. I was embarrassed and ashamed of my youthful shenanigans and promised I would no longer lie to get attention.
Now, I was 12 at the time so perhaps my lie was understandable, but I can't help but wonder how my life would be if had given a different answer as to why I had lied. If only I looked in Sunny's eyes and angrily claimed I mispoke and huffed off perhaps I could be a presidential candidate today!
Who else but H.R.C. could claim REPEATEDLY in speeches that her life was in danger as she dodged sniper fire in Bosnia. The stories of running for her life with her head down and speeding to the base. But the real question is why did she lie? What did she have to gain?
I lied for the same reason all guys lie, to get attention from girls. Hillary lied to support a lie. If she is "ready from day one", has "35 years of experience", and was "vitally involved in foreign policy", etc. she must produce evidence of her experience. She cannot so she does what the Clintons do best, lie. She lied because she did not think she would get caught. She lied because the press never called out her husband on his multiple lies when he ran for president. What Hillary does not realize is the playbook form the 90's does not work in 2008. Hillary has more excuses for this one than O.J. (1st reference to the juice). She "mispoke", was "tired", was "sleep-deprived", was getting a burger with Kato, or chipping golf balls with A.C. (whoops-old habit). The only problem with this answer is that Hillary told this lie multiple times over a period of ten months. She desperately wanted to be seen as brave, tough and independent woman. The irony is she could have been all of things, if she only did one thing, divorce Bill.

4000 Dead

On Easter Sunday the 4,000th U.S. service member died in Iraq. This post will contain no sarcasm or snarky comments, just some somber questions that I do not know the answer too. It goes without saying that all US. service members who voluntarily put themselves in harms way deserve or up most respect and admiration. I personally have seven former students who are actively serving in the U.S military. All seven have served in the gulf or Afghanistan or will be deployed to the region shortly. However, simply claiming you support the troops, wearing a flag on your jacket, or putting a flag up on the 4th of July is not patriotism. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, "patriotism is always questioning your government." Here are my questions:

1. What is the United States objective in Iraq?
2. How do you define "winning" in a country full of multi-ethnic tensions that is three distinct regions formed into a country by the British?
3. What exactly are we fighting for in Iraq?
4. Who are we fighting?
5. When is the "mission accomplished" in Iraq?
6. Is it realistic that a Christian nation can occupy a country and force democracy upon Muslim people at gunpoint?
7. Do we accept democracy in Iraq if the majority decides to kick us out?
8. When a soldier dies in Iraq, what is he dying for?
9. If Bill Clinton was president and in charge of this war how would you feel? Would your support or opposition for this war change based on a Republican or Democrat?

I honestly do not know what the answers to these questions are. I am curious to hear your thoughts.....

I am currently reading Michael Oren's book on the middle east. His book is called Power, Faith, and Fantasy-America in the middle east 1776-present. I would recommend reading this book.

Drive-by media

Rush has coined the term "drive-by media" to point out how the media often jumps on the most obvious and surface level of a story and instantly forms an opinion. Now the media and the conservatives are going bonkers because of the "hate speech" put out by Obama's pastor. Obama's pastor is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. The United Church of Christ has a membership that is over 90% white! Here is a man that has given thousands of speeches, and we are judging this pastor by a few soundbites. We do not know who this man is, we do not know the content of his character, we do not know about his service to our country, and yet we make snap judgements about him. Do I agree with the comments that Obama's pastor made? No, of course not, but I also do not agree with the anti-Semitic comments made by Billy Graham, nor do I agree with Reverend Falwell's comments that 9-11 was Gods way of punishing America.
I speak in front of teenagers everyday. If you taped everything I said in my classroom you could pull out a few soundbites that would wildly distort who I am and what I believe in. As Rush constantly reminds us, it is dangerous to be part of the drive-by media.

One last point-is Obama's pastor running for President?

Hillary Clinton # 1 with old racist hags!

I have been busy this last week blogging about the upcoming season of the Hills and have not been paying attention to politics at all. Anything happen this week? Ha ha! What a week it has been. Let us recap:

1. The governor of N.Y. is forced to resign due his involvement with a prostitution ring.
2. The first women ever be put on a national ticket for V.P. calls Obama "lucky" to be black.
3. Obama has proved so teflon, they are going after his pastor.

I love that they are attacking Obama's pastor for his "extreme" views. It reminds me of the movie the Untouchables where they can't get Capone on murder, racketeering, gambling, etc. and the get him on tax evasion. (1st mob reference for those keeping score at home) So lets take a look at a few things my pastor told me when I was growing up:

1. The world will most likely end before the year 2000. This is because Gorbachev is the anti-Christ (note the mark of the beast on his forehead) and 1999 could be turned upside down to produce the number of the beast.
2. Evolution is a lie
3. God loves you so much but if you reject him he will throw you in a lake of fire and torture you for eternity.

These are just a few examples. I love all these people who are "outraged" at Obama's pastor comments, did they not know about Romney's religion? Don't get me started on the "magic" underwear.

What can you say about the comment that Obama is lucky to be black? This comment is so outrageous coming from Hillary's camp. I guess we don't realize how hard Hillary has it these days. She was able to carpetbag her way to N.Y., run against NOBODY in her primary race, and beat Rick Lazio in a state with a 2/3rd Democratic voter advantage. After winning one re-election campaign she was deemed the front runner of her party because her husband used to be president. We forget how "lucky" Barrack is to have such a common name, have no connections, and can't live of his spouse. He sure was lucky to be abandoned by his father and have to earn everything he had in life. It would have been much harder to marry a gifted politician and ride his coattails to the white house. Poor Hillary, she has it so hard.

Obama is set to give a big speech tomorrow on race. This could be his Kennedy moment......

Some states are more equal than others

Obama will get the nomination. He has won 28 states and should win this Saturday in Wyoming. He won Texas and picked up seven delegates, yet the Clintons and the media keep telling us that Hillary has a real shot at the White House. The Clintons have repeatedly said that Hillary has won all the "big states." Once again we have selective reasoning in the Clinton camp, it does not matter if you win in a large or small state, all that matters is the delegates! Obama has the lead and it is almost impossible for Hillary to catch up. The only way she can get such a large margin of votes in the remaining states is if her campaign can spread false rumors about him. For example, they might say,he does not say the pledge, his Dad is a Muslim, he wants to get sworn in the Koran, he dresses in foreign clothes. But who would believe such drivel? Surely we are too sophisticated to fall for such baseless allegations and would teach our children to judge people on the content of their character. These e-mails would never get passed along.........wait, would they? Hmmn........

The Empire Strikes Back

Well, it looks like my predictions are about as accurate as a Steve Sax throw to first. I did not want to watch the news this morning and hear about the "grim determination" of HRC, it was enough to make me cry into my Cheerios. The Clinton death star is still operational and intends to fight all the way to Denver. I really believed that the Obama mission of hope and optimism would defeat the dark ramblings of Hillary. I guess we did not know how much poor women love seeing a 60 plus woman answer the phone in a pants-suit at 3 a.m. How else can you explain Ohio?
The good news is that Obama still has a significant delegate lead and will get the nomination. He must hit Hillary hard and keep the pressure on her. He must raise three issues:
1. tax returns
2. schedule as first lady
3. Donors to Clinton library

If Obama can keep the pressure on her and the media picks this up she will be forced to put out all three items. We will see Bill's dubious foreign connections, her amazingly light schedule following the health care debacle, and a list of donors full of convicted felons. As a top Obama campaign manager told me (Riley-Manhattan Beach) all Hillary has too do is make a COPY of her tax returns. The idea that she has to "get them together" is nonsense. This setback will make Obama a better candidate for the general election in November. One final question- is grandad still registered in Ohio?

Prediction for March 4

Will we see Hillary display the joker smile tonight? Will she "find her voice"? Will Obama take Texas and Ohio? What will happen if he takes Texas but loses in Ohio? Today presents so many possible outcomes and tomorrow is so full of questions. Is this not why we love politics? Are we not entertained?
So here is my prediction for tonight. I think Obama wins in Ohio, loses in Texas, but wins in the weird Texas caucus's. Obama will still be way ahead on delegates and Hillary will say something lame like, "don't mess with Texas, the people have spoken. I am a winner." She will than continue on in this race to Pennsylvania where it will finally end, on my birthday, April 22. I wish I could write more but I have to teach my class. We are reading All Quiet on the Western Front, wonder if Bush ever read it?

Is it better to be loved or feared?

If one wonders about the Clinton playbook you must go back and read Machiavelli's, The Prince. Is it better to be loved or feared? I can just see how this meeting went down in H.R.C. campaign headquarters. Well Hillary, we can't make them love you so we will make them FEAR you. Only you are tough enough, because you answer the phone at 3 a.m. in glasses and a business suit, to handle this dangerous world. As Bill Clinton said in a speech from 2004 you should vote for the candidate that makes you hope and think about the future, not the candidate who is trying to scare you. Words of wisdom from slick willie himself.