Obama Over-Under Game

On Wednesday’s show I told you that I was going to start an over/under betting game in Vegas based on the content of President Obama’s speech.  Though he had the cheerleading ingredients the nation needs right now, his plans were just an elaborate sales presentation for another trip into our wallets.  So I said he would ask for more money in less than six months and if I could set up the gambling deal I’d be rich because it was a sure thing.  I didn’t know how much of a sure thing it was because on Wednesday he asked for $634 billion and his thugs in the Capitol Okayed an additional $410 billion.  If you’re keeping score Obama is near the two trillion dollar mark in spending—in less than six weeks.  At first I thought I was feeling bad that that I had missed my Vegas opportunity but then it struck me—I can set up a new version of the game anytime I want because something tells me, Obama and his gang will be back for my wallet whenever they darned well please.  And, in case you’re wondering, yes your odds are much better in Vegas than they are in Washington. 

Ankarlo’s Take is written for broadcast.  You can hear it live during Arizona’s Morning News at 7:20 on News/Talk 92.3 KTAR.

Give ‘em a Break

The sales job in congress was all about building bridges (figuratively and literally) and bi-partisanship.  The one we got had more to do with fear mongering thanks to powerful words like “catastrophe” and “depression.”   

By the end of last week there were no joint efforts between the Ds and the Rs and apparently the deep dark devastation wasn’t as bad as everyone foretold because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi jetted off for a little fun in Rome after she got her votes as did the man promoting the new debt just after the senate moved his plans forward.

Even the most loyal Barack Obama supporter had to scratch their heads at least a little after our new president wined and dined his First Lady during a three-day weekend getaway to Chicago just hours after telling the nation we were on a course with a Great Depression without the aid.

I’m all about people getting time off but with the nation allegedly on the verge of extinction couldn’t the president, at work for a total of 24 days, and members of his congress, at the grindstone for a whopping 38 days, let vacations slide for the time-being?  Am I really asking for that much?  Seriously?!

Democrats promised a transparent approach to politics in DC and as proof they even offered to let us see our $787 billion before they voted to spend it; they assured us we would get a full 48 hours.  Moments, not days, passed and so did the anti-bi-partisan bill.  And, nary a soul ever saw any of the 1,071 page document (So they/we don’t know what’s in it).

But, it’s nice to know our leaders got the rest they needed—a month’s worth of effort is pretty difficult work.  Or so our politicians have been told.

What a Fighter Thinks

 

A good friend of mine is serving yet another tour of duty and recently sent me an email outlining his thoughts about the war(s) there and our attitudes here. Even though he sent it to me just before our elections back in November, it is still the kind of letter that we all need to read from time-to-time.

 

From Sgt B in Baghdad:

How much positive news is coming out of Iraq and making it to the mainstream media? This is my first hand observation from physically being back on the ground. I know when Mike (my teammate) and I left here in 2004, our outlook was some what grim and we felt as though we had not accomplished enough. Coming back, in some ways has been refreshing. This time around I work at the Brigade level where you really get to see what goes on in several AO’s (area’s of operation). It’s a different view than what you get at the team level. Make no mistake about the environment, there is still enemy activity and there is still some pockets of violence, but nothing compared to what we saw in the past. We still have a significant amount of work to be done. However, Violence across the country is down over 75%. This time last year we lost 40 plus soldiers each month. This October, we lost 13 and only 6 of those were combat related. No loss is acceptable, but the fact that we are reducing casualties and achieving such success, is noteworthy.

Under the guidance of General Patraeus, the Army embarked on a new direction of war, “COIN” (Counter-Insurgency). In combination with “the Surge” (additional troops on the ground), the efforts of ingenuity, hard work, and persistence, the results are beyond the measure of expectation. If you haven’t heard, the U.S. Forces have turned over 13 of 18 (THIRTEEN of the EIGHTEEN) provinces in Iraq back to the Iraqi Government, the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi people. Fallujah, one of the hottest AO’s in the country is being turned back over to the Iraqi people. The Marines have been pulling out of the area for the past couple of months. Over 80% of our fine young Marines have pulled out of Fallujah. A city where one of the bloodiest and costliest battles for our Marines since Vietnam is now being returned to the Iraqi’s control. One heck of a fine job and our Marines should be proud of such an accomplishment!

The local populace across the country has started to work with Multi National Forces, the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi government. The tribal leaders, the Sheiks, and the SoI (Sons of Iraq), who were once combatants and working with the insurgency against American forces, are now working with us. Information Operations have put up wanted posters and billboards across Iraq for many of the HVT’s (High Value Targets) or HVI’s (High Value Interests) associated with Al-Qaida and associated insurgency networks. The efforts of working together have produced unimaginable results. Many of these HVT / HVI’s have either been captured, spotted in, or are known to have fled to Iran or Syria. Proof, the new direction is working. Most of this progress is due to the cooperation of the Iraqi people. Driving out Al-Qaida and establishing peace and regional stability are a result of the hard work and efforts of our fighting forces working hand in hand with the Iraqi’s. COIN (counter-insurgency) has been the focal point in the stage of the war. There are many aspects to COIN, counter-terror, open/ urban warfare and counter propaganda. But COIN also involves gaining support, compliance and cooperation from the Iraqi’s. Addressing local concerns and grievances that feed insurgency movements is of significant importance. All of these efforts work in combination to achieving success and I am seeing it first hand from the battlefield. The surge was a strategy that provided the adequate combat power needed to gain ground against the sectarian violence and insurgency. It has and is working. Understand we don’t always get it right the first go around. It takes a few trial and errors before we figure out what works. But, the point is, it’s working.

We no longer face an issue of “why we are in Iraq”. This issue at hand is how do we stay the course, achieve victory, and honor the sacrifice of those who will never return home. A failed mission in Iraq is not about losing face; nor is it about saving the millions of dollars it cost to wage the war; nor is it about just honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. A failed mission in Iraq means we have a bigger war to wage down the road. We face having to deal with a multi-front war with the entire Middle-East. A war our children will have to wage on behalf of our negligence. We will face the Iranian threat and influence to the region, escalating tensions that currently borderline war between Turkey & Kurdistan, and the fueled jihadist movements in Syria, Pakistan, Yemen and various other countries. Iraq is now a COIN operation. Counter Insurgency requires presence, patience and persistence. With that understanding, we can and will achieve victory in Iraq.

Before I turn this e-mail into a novel, I will close with this.

Note: these last comments are my opinion only. Before you head to the polls this Tuesday, I ask you to do one thing. Educate yourself “thoroughly” on the candidates. The next leader of the “free world” needs to have the courage and commitment to see this war through to the end. Everyone knows politicians on both sides have their agenda’s, and promises are made to achieve their goals. Both candidates are promising tax cuts, change, budget balancing, etc. Remember, they are both trying to win an election, so promises at political rally’s and what you hear on the news are all a front to garner support. The difference is knowing the details of their economic policy and foreign policy in order to make the best decision when it comes to voting. The question at hand is who is more qualified to run the country? This is not about a red state or blue state; it’s about red, white and blue nation. It’s not about being left wing or right wing; it’s about the West wing. And it’s not about being a Republican or a Democrat; it’s about being an “American”!

On Our Watch!

I love this country but when I read stories like the one that crossed my desk last week I wonder why its citizens are so short-sighted and our memories so limited.  The Army told us just last week that 2008 went into the record books as the worst year for suicides among its ranks.  Now the newest numbers are out and January 2009 saw six times as many suicides in the Army than the same time a year earlier and if their suspicions are correct—more soldiers killed themselves than died at the hand of the enemy. (24 suicides compared to 16 combat deaths.)

Shocked.  Outraged.  Angry.  Sad.  Pick a word to express your sentiments and they won’t adequately touch on the emotions statistics like that represent.  Broken souls, minds and bodies lead to a quiet, desperate and despondent soldier eating his gun.  His family is left to mourn and grieve for a lifetime.

Some will ask how I can possibly bring the American citizen into the mix and I will respond by asking, “how can I not?!”

When Vietnam vets came home they were ridiculed, cursed, beaten and spit upon.  The government promised to help them but sadly public support and money were both sorely missing and our nation still has countless broken soldiers as a result.  That was almost four decades ago though it describes our country in 2009.

Remember the early years of the War on Terror?  USOs couldn’t handle the overflowing volunteers, hundreds of citizens would wait at airports for any and all flights with soldiers aboard to applaud them as they came through the gates, businesses held jobs for their departing warriors (A law, by the way.) and Congress looked for new ways to fund returning military members.

That was then; this is now.  Businesses routinely take their fines for hiring replacements instead of holding the position for the serving soldier, some airports ask returning veterans to wait on the tarmac or use lightly travelled terminals so as not to offend We the People with their vissage and stories and—everyday ordinary people—many of us don’t even acknowledge their existence.

And Congress makes sure the VA has too few employees and way too little money.

So, when a man or woman combat veteran comes home and is fighting the demons of war while trying to forget the sound and smell of death the last thing he/she needs is an apathetic group of citizens who are too swift to look at the ground rather than look in their eyes.

What can we do?

1)      Go out of your way to let vets, of all military branches, know that you appreciate them.  Make eye contact and tell them that you will keep them in your thoughts and prayers.  Let them know they aren’t a statistic—they are important family and friends!

2)      Call your US congresspersons and senators—routinely—and encourage them to support our military, military hospitals and the Veterans Administration with their attention and our money.  If we can afford to have a military then we are abysmal failures if as a country we don’t take care of them when they return.

3)      Give your time and money to programs that reach out to help military men and women.  I am not going to give you names here (though I may at a later time).  In my mind, if you really do care about these brave men and women then your first step to learn how to help is to invest a few minutes researching ways that you can personally make a difference.

More soldiers died at their own hands than by their ruthless and hate-filled enemies.  And it happened on our watch!

 

A QB’s Undeniable Faith

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Go Tampa!!

It’s Thursday in Florida-day 3 of our visit to Tampa and Super Bowl 43. So far, my team (Diane, Rob and me) has taken in Media Day with the cast and crew from the Cards and the Steelers, enjoyed a party or two (nice little get-togethers but the BIG ones don’t really start until Friday night), hung out on Radio Row with over 100 other radio stations and spotted a LOT of football stars-past and present. And, in the middle of it all, it’s been quite boring to say the least.

Don’t get me wrong, the best part of my job is always when I have the chance to experience new places and things and then tell you about it. So, from that perspective, it’s been terrific. On the other hand, this is Super Bowl 43. S.U.P.E.R. B.O.W.L. 43!! I fully expected to see a town decked out and waiting for its time in the national spotlight-you know, kind of like Glendale and Scottsdale. Instead, many here haven’t been able to tell me who’s playing in the big game on Sunday and those that can seem to have a ho-hum attitude about it, sort of a “been there done that” attitude.I realize the Valley’s chance to shine has been limited when compared to Tampa and Miami but come on-how about a little razzmatazz-magic?! The football gods seem to smile quite frequently on this part of the country, why not at least smile about it. The airport had zero signage (other than some 81/2 by 11 sheets of paper taped to one of the tram’s windows and they even got that wrong because they cheered for the wrong team (Go Steelers! What?!). The paper and TV stations are just now getting in on the coverage and the streets are anything but festive. Nothing!

But, I’m not complaining. No sir. Not for a minute. I hope Tampa keeps it up just like they are-don’t change a thing folks. You see, the way I look at it, if the universe’s leaders in put-a-price-tag on anything and everything mindset (Read that: NFL.) don’t like what they see this time around in the Sunshine State, Arizona will have a better shot at landing another hosting opportunity-sooner rather than later.

We enjoyed the buzz, the visitors, the energy and the money that came to town as Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs delivered on all promises and of course would love to do it again. So, I’m cheering for two things this year: A Cards win and a Tampa loss!

We Can Kill Them!

State Representative Andy Biggs is my kind of guy. While so many of us are crying about the obscenely stupid speed cams dumped on us by former Governor Janet Napolitano, he is actually fighting to get them off our state’s highways. And now he has help.

Late last week the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted 5-2 to recommend approval of  House Bill 2106, legislation that would force the removal of the cameras now installed on Interstates 110, 10, and other highways. Guys like me won’t be happy until these contraptions are completely gone from city streets too but at least it’s a start.

Rep. Biggs parroted what I’ve been saying all along about these cams, “This was done in the name of revenue.” He added, “It is a speed tax, and it is being done to fund social programs.” Bravo!

Then, on Friday, January 23rd the plan to ban the cams gained more steam as even more people became outraged when they learned these cameras are recording anything and everything 24 hours a day. Though I first told my listeners about this “small” privacy infringement in October of last year I’m just pleased people are finally paying attention to all the issues in play: The right to face an accuser, the privacy expected in one’s car, the loss of human interaction and the State’s ever increasing desire to create ways to take our money. Not to mention the number of accidents those demon possessed lights are going to cause when they scare the crap out of unsuspecting motorists as folks make their evening commutes.

American Traffic Solutions Inc. claims people are still very much behind the technological scheme to pick your pockets by about 63percent which would be an interesting stat to consider if we didn’t recognize the poll to be just a bit one-sided. American Traffic Solutions is a competitor to Red Flex, the Australian company awarded the $20 million + percentages contract here. If you want to really know what your fellow citizens think about this issue–instead of a bogus poll-just bring it up, casually, to just about anyone. You’ll know in no time just how much they are despised.

Nope-now is not the time to retreat; now is the time to force the issue. This thing is going to go to the full legislature, if not to all Arizona citizens in a potential ballot initiative. So our job is much easier today than it was a week ago: We need just contact, and re-contact, our elected state legislators and tell them to certainly vote Yes to HB 2106 and any incarnation (Read this: new HB or S # it may be assigned.) around the corner.

Before I close this blog entry, trivia demands that I impart a little historical knowledge to you. Speed cams actually got their American start in Texas decades ago. They were removed after proud Texans grabbed their guns and went target shooting. Such an uprising won’t be necessary here if we kill them via our political opportunities first.

Arizona Dreamin’

My voice is shot.  My ears are ringing.  My back is aching from sitting in traffic for over two hours going into the NFC championship game and another hour trying to get out.  And, I’m not complaining—not at all.  After all, our Arizona Cardinals are on their way to Tampa Bay and Super Bowl 43.  This, from the team the “experts” called the worst playoff team in NFL history.  Idiots.  The analysts, not the Cards!

Number 13, Kurt Warner, has once again showed why he should have been the league’s MVP this year instead of the older Manning boy who was knocked out in the first round and has, in my mind, solidified his place in Canton, Ohio.  He will be the third oldest QB ever to make it to the Super Bowl and only the second quarterback to take two different teams to the big dance.  Congrats Kurt—and Fitzy and the rest of a top notch team; you guys have given us more than some big wins—you have given your fellow Arizonans a little hope when we desperately need it.

Think about it, the Redbirds came to the Valley over twenty years ago and made a habit out of disappointing just about everyone.  Often was the case when the team was so far ahead that they should have coasted to a win only to roll over and play dead just to cut their fans to the core.  Year after year the Cardinals played and year after year they let us down.  Yes, I did say “us.”  Though I came to the Valley just a couple of years ago I did grow up in St. Louis and I cut my teeth on the Cardiac Cardinals back in the days of Jim Hart and Dan Dierdorf and the gang.

So, why after so long do we go to the big bowl now?  Is it just our time (probably), a great team and coach (Led by rock star Whizenhunt—most likely) or, is there something even more significant?  Tens of thousands of Arizona citizens have lost their jobs and more are on the ledge.  Our budget is upside down—we’re down about two billion bucks this year.  And the housing market is so bad in Phoenix that it has been declared “Ground Zero” for America.  Tough times indeed.

As I screamed my lungs out along with 71,000 of my best friends at University of Phoenix stadium I looked around at all the people sharing my euphoria.  For three solid hours in the game and the many hours afterwards, we have all been on a high of epic proportions.  And, for that same period of time, we escaped the reality of troubled times by embracing every touchdown, sack and scramble for extra yards.

Yes, I think the Arizona Cardinals may be more than just this year’s dream team.  Perhaps they represent all that is good and possible when we finally do get a quiet moment to dream.

Sacrificial Giving

We’re still a week away from Barack Obama replacing his official looking sign, “The Office of the President-Elect of the United States of America” with the real thing (I didn’t actually know America had an “office” of the president elect.) and two things I told you he would do are indeed being done.

On ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, (1-11-09) the incoming president bought himself some time—a whole lotta time when he said, “I want to be realistic here — not everything that we talked about during the campaign are we going to be able to do on the pace that we had hoped.”  With this short sentence Mr. Obama was able to follow in the wonderful tradition of so many other politicians who promise the sky only to move us all to the basement while we’re looking up.  So much for change.

But, in the end, we’re Americans.  I mean, come on–how many of us actually believed he was really going to do all the things he promised even though he ran and won on the offers?  Oh, I can hear many now, “But, Darrell, the world is going to hell.  He can’t be blamed for that.”  You’re certainly right except for one thing:  Obama continued to make the promises even though he was educated about the dreaded issues that waited.  Such is life.

On that same ABC television broadcast, the incoming leader of the world covered his tail with regard to his other campaign promise: redistribution of wealth, “Everybody is going to have to give. Everybody is going to have to have some skin in the game.”  Sir, I am going to give you a shot to be a great president but please, don’t treat me, or any of my fellow citizens, as fools.  I think we’re all pretty aware that this nation is in some deep trouble and it has touched us all—some more than others.  We understand the obvious.

But our next president wasn’t speaking about the obvious; he was using political code.  So, let me break it.  The “everybody” he’s talking about is anyone who has worked hard, sacrificed much and chased the American dream and the more of the dream this person has realized—the more “giving” he or she will have to do.   Lovely.

Since many expect the rich conservatives (Downgraded on the campaign trail to those earning more than $125,000 a year.) to do more than everyone else because liberals believe it is the duty of us all to be slaves to our government Master  allow me to remind you of the stats provided by Syracuse University professor Arthur Brooks via his book, Who Really Cares.   Mr.  Brooks’ research showed that conservatives, while making slightly less money than liberals, actually contribute more. “When you look at the data, it turns out the conservatives give about thirty percent more per conservative-headed family than per liberal-headed family. And incidentally, conservative-headed families make slightly less money.”   Brooks even found that conservatives are eighteen percent more likely to donate blood than liberals.

Mr. President Elect—I will do my part, could you check with the one-third of Americans who pay no taxes at all to see if they can kick in a buck or two—you know, since we’re all part of the solution.  Wow, that last sentence looks pretty funny in print.