About the best thing that can be said after watching the GOP debate hosted by CNN at the Reagan Library - be thankful you aren’t a Democrat. Not much of an endorsement, but better then the alternative.

Truthfully, I was embarrassed for Romney and McCain. At times it was hard to watch. Neither candidate appeared or acted Presidential while slinging grade school insults at one another. This will not endear either of them to those of us weary of the politcal acrimony, particularly in the Republican Party.

The lesson for Mike Huckabee is that less is more. CNN host Anderson Cooper’s attempt to marginalize him worked in Huckabee’s favor in my opinion. When Huckabee did have the opportunity to respond, his comments were mostly above the fray and on point. I don’t think he can win the nomination, but of the four remaining candidates he is the one that offered a distinction from the rhetoric and injected honor in the debate. Unfortunately for him I believe the die are cast and this has now become a two horse race. Unfortunately for us, the two remaining horses appear to have the DNA of a jackass.

Fellow citizens - we are screwed. There isn’t a single candidate in either party that we can be proud to call Commander in Chief. This can’t possibly be the best America has to offer.

Where is Newt Gingrich when we need him?

Social Networking:

I attended the final round of the Buick Invitational last Sunday. I had purchased my ticket online a few days in advance because it was only $15.00. Tickets at the gate were $30.00. Seemed like a no brainer until I woke up Sunday morning to some of the worst weather I have seen since moving to Southern California. Despite the weather I wasn’t going to let $15.00 in tickets go unused. I am retarded that way. It was cold, windy and raining when I left home. As we approached La Jolla the down pour turned to a drizzle. Blue sky appeared over the pacific horizon and the sun periodically appeared from behind the high clouds.

The reason I bring any of this up is because the inclement weather kept the huge crowds away for the early part of the day, which allowed me and a few others an up close and unobstructed view of Tiger Woods. The photo insert shows Tiger on the 11th green after making a sweeping right to left 35 foot birdie putt to give him a 10 stroke lead. I am standing just to the right outside edge of the photo frame with a perfect look at Tiger’s view. It was a thing of beauty. A master working his craft.

Consider this; Tiger Woods is up 9 strokes with 8 holes to play. The tournament winner has been determined - it was over Saturday afternoon for that matter. The rest of the field is jockeying for 2nd place. Tiger spent as much time studying that seemingly impossible putt as he would if he were finishing the Masters at Augusta on the 18th. His competitive spirit, physical skill and mental toughness make him by far the best golfer in the world today. It is only a question of when and by how much he will break hollowed records held by the great ones Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. He now has 62 PGA tour victories, 13 of which are majors.

He is the second most remarkable and influential athlete of my lifetime. Muhammad Ali is still ‘The Greatest’.

Social Networking:

I lived in a rural area of northwest Washington most of my life. The political mood of the state for as long as I lived there favored Democrats. The population center is King County (where Seattle is located), which carried that majority. Outside of King County the Republican crowd is spread north and east to the Idaho border. So when elections rolled around King County residents greatly influenced the outcome. In the mid 1970’s voters from areas outside of King County were disgusted by the relatively small Seattle region determing election results for the entire state.

In 1976 Dixie Lee Ray (Democrat) was elected Governor of the State of Washington by defeating Republican John Spellman. (Spellman would be elected the following term). She was a polarizing figure at a time of growing discontent. Villified for her moderately conservative views on taxes and environmental protection, Dixe Lee Ray served only one term.

Prior to the 1976 elections a small group of friends and associates formed an alternative political party. They called themselves the OWL Party - “Out with Logic; In With Lunacy”. The campaign slogan found on many buttons and signs mockingly said “Vote The Rascals Out”. I still have one of the buttons. They actually had candidates appear in the official voters pamphlet for Govenor, Attorney General and Secretary of State among others.

I am reminded of them as I watch the sometimes absurd political process at work right now. Oh how I wish “Bunco” Bob Kelly and Jack “The Ripoff” Lemon were running for office today. A little levity to illustrate our self absorbed human nature.

So there you have it. A very brief trip down memory lane on life in the State of Washington.

Social Networking:

The Clinton’s are one of the most intriguing stories in the history of American Politics. No other husband and wife have individually risen to the highest ranking office in the country as Hillary aspires to do in the footsteps of her husband.

A wise man once said if you stand for everything you stand for nothing. The Clintons have mastered the art of framing their position on issues as they shift from the uber liberal euroview policies during the Whitehouse years to a transparently formed centrist position. Matter and anti-matter can’t coexist peacefully very long without exploding. The Clintons are playing a dangerous shell game with voters that I believe will deeply harm the Democratic Party. They do so because they believe it serves their selfish interests and promotes their personal aspirations. I am no fan of the liberal left, but I am concerned about the integrity of American politics. Many Democrats are equally disgusted by the conduct of Bill and Hillary in recent presidential campaigning. Just a few months ago it seemed a foregone conclusion that the Democratic Nominee would win the Whitehouse and that nominee would be Hillary.

Because of the Clintons collective arrogance and their ill advised belief that ‘the end justifies the means’ the Republicans are back in play. Too bad for the Dems. Good news for the Reps.

The Clinton’s are disingenuous. They wouldn’t recognize truth if it were tattooed on the back of their hand. Extreme liberalism is the root cause of their failing strategy and Hillary is one of the high priests of that pagan religion. They know it would be impossible for her to win the Presidency on the socialist principles embedded under the veneer skin of their life’s work.

The Clintons teflon coating and considerable politcal aptitude has protected them from the scandalous events of the 1990’s including Travelgate, Filegate, Pardongate, Ron Brown, Vince Foster, Sandy Berger, Monica Lewinsky et al, and Whitewater.

Can you imagine Bill Clinton back in the Whitehouse with discretionary time on his hands?

Social Networking:

Former USC running back Reggie Bush has been accused of accepting multiple financial gifts totaling nearly $300,000 while leading USC to the top of the BCS polls between 2003 and 2004. The allegations range from demanding monthly cash payments in the amount of $3,000 to facilitating the purchase of a $750,000 home for his family by New Era Sports Management owners Michael Michaels and Lloyd Lake. This story has been in the news now for nearly two years. Investigations by the NCCA and PAC-10 have been stalled because Bush, no longer an NCAA athlete is not compelled to cooperate with NCAA or PAC-10 investigators and one of the sports agents involved, Michael Michaels has recently settled with Bush for an amount reported to be over $200,000. Part of the out of court settlement agreement prohibits Michaels from disclosing the details of the settlement. In other words, Bush bought Michaels silence.

The other wannabe sports marketer Lloyd Lake has recently filed a $291,000 lawsuit in an effort to recover what he claims Bush owes him for direct out of pocket payments.

Lake claims he personally paid Bush:

• $13,000 in cash to purchase a Chevy Impala (see photo insert) plus another $8,000 to customize the vehicle with tires, rims, paint, stereo and engine enhancements.
• Monthly cash payments of $3,000 for ‘living expenses’.
• Paid airfare and hotel accommodations to Las Vegas and Southern California vacations for Bush and his family.
• A home valued at $750,000.
• $28,000 in cash to help the family settle pre-existing debt.

Lake appeared this week in the HBO series Real Sports in which he provided details to interviewer Bernard Goldberg about his assertions. Part of the segment included tape recordings between Lake and LaMar Griffin, Bush’s stepfather, that clearly stated Bush agreed to repay the money given to him and his family during his eligibility at USC.

I watched the broadcast and believe that the segment unquestionably substantiates many of the claims made by Lake. When asked about his thoughts following the interview Goldberg stated he found Lake’s claims to be credible, particularly in light of the content of the tapes. Bush has repeatedly refused requests for interviews other then to issue a statement “I did nothing wrong”.

Is this how an innocent person responds to such accusations? At this point Bush has nothing to gain by protecting USC, but he potentially has millions of endorsement dollars at risk if his image is tarnished. By settling with Michaels he paid for shutting him up, preventing Michaels from offering any details to investigators due to the non-disclosure agreement.

What did USC coaches/administrators know and when did they know it?According to Lake he was at Griffin’s house (the one purchased by Lake and Michaels for the Bush family) during a telephone conversation between Pete Carroll and LaMar Griffin. The discussion was centered around how to document the housing arrangements for Reggie’s parents in the newly purchased home. Carroll, apparently unaware he was on speaker phone, told Griffin to make sure that there was a lease agreement in writing.

It is hard to believe that Carroll was not aware that the home was provided to Bush’s parents under questionable circumstances. Carroll should have asked himself why LaMar Griffin would seek his advice on how to document the purchase transaction. Carroll’s advice to the Griffins, if accurately reported, was irresponsible at best and possibly fraudulent.

Yahoo Sports reported USC running backs coach Todd Mcnair was aware of Reggie’s relationship with New Era Sports Management prior to the National Championship game vs.Texas.

During his freshman and sophomore years at USC Bush drove an older model Toyota pickup with a camper cab on the bed of the truck . Sometime during his Heisman Trophy season he showed up at school driving a newly customized Chevy Impala outfitted with expensive rims, wheels and stereo equipment. Part of Lakes deposition scheduled for Feb 12th, 2008 will include testimony that he provided among other things, over $20,000 for the vehicle and it’s amenities.

Someone please explain how NO ONE at USC noticed their prized athlete was suddenly driving a new car and had a pocket that was now regularly lined with cash.

Reggie came from a working class family. While growing up he lived with his mother and stepfather in an inner city apartment complex in south San Diego county. The family had fallen behind in debt and needed financial assistance. It is easy to understand how the opportunity to help his parents and improve his own standard of living would be too much to resist. All the while continue to improve his stock as a super star college athlete in one of the nations elite football programs at USC. The pressure on young athletes to perform and provide for their families is sometimes a very strong motivator for excersing poor judgement. Who can blame him for wanting to financially help the family?

Let’s not forget that the NCAA (and BCS) is a billion dollar industry. Television contracts, merchandise, advertising dollars and gate revenue are all at stake in the annual college football bonanza. Careful not to jeopordize the integrity of the system that feeds the greed, the NCAA has refused comment during the investigative process.

It is possible that Bush will settle with Lake before Feb 12th in order to avoid providing deposition testimony under oath. The last thing he needs is purgery charges. This will effectively buy Lakes silence and prevent the NCAA or PAC-10 from completing a full and fair investigation. Lake makes no bones about his motive - he wants his money back. Money that he borrowed from family and friends based on promises made by Reggie to sign with New Era and repay his debt. Lake has no interest in helping the NCAA in their investigation except to leverage his position in the lawsuit. Lake’s attorney Brian Watkins has said that they will turn over testimony provided through depositions to the NCAA. If Bush allows that to happen USC will possibly face stiff sanctions and he may lose his Heisman Trophy.

Sometimes there is a big difference between innocence and not guilty.

Social Networking: