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9/11/7…Flying to New York

Monday, September 10th, 2007

September 11th, 2007…a Tuesday…only one thing to do…

GET ON A PLANE!

On September 11th, 2006, I flew from Los Angeles to Oakland. I wanted to fly to New York, but business took me there a week earlier.

This year, everything was organized in advance. September 11th, 2007, at 8:46am, has me in route to New York.

I am not scared. I am emboldened.

I am not a hero. Heroes are people that serve our military worldwide. However, I am an American, and I remain forever enraged at the brutal murder of 3000 of my fellow New Yorkers.

If we refuse to fly, the terrorists win. If we let fear defeat hope, the terrorists win.

I will not back down. I will not give in. One day I will die, and while it might not be on my terms, it will not be on the terms of savage barbarians.

Upon landing at the airport, I will visit my grandmother in Brooklyn. She is 99, and still going strong. Then I will spend some time on Wall Street for business. Then I will make my way to Six Flags Great Adventure for Sean Hannity’s Freedom Concert.

Lee Greenwood is headlining the concert, and the proceeds go to the orphans of 9/11 victims and fallen soldiers.

I will be wearing a t-shirt with the photo of Iwo Jima on it that says, “These Colors Don’t Run…Or Burn.” 

My necktie will have the three soldiers on it. I wish I could meet these men and thank them myself.

On September 13th and 14th, I will be celebrating the Jewish Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah. However, on September 14th, I will leave temple for a few minutes to go to ground zero. I will look to the sky, and quote President Bush. “I hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and pretty soon the people who knocked down these buildings will hear from all of us.”

On September 20th, 2001, the President promised us that, “We would not falter, and we would not fail.” He urged people to fly. I urge everyone to do the same.

For those of you that face delays at the airports, take a deep breath, and remind yourself that delays are caused by people, and that longer delays are caused by larger amounts of people. I prefer that flights start and end on time, but I would not mind waiting if thousands of my fellow Americans are exercising their God given right to be free…and fly.

Let the Eagles Soar. Let September 11th, 2007, be a day when America shows its resolve.

Bring it on. I am ready to fly.

eric

Posted in POLITICS | 10 Comments »

NFL 2007–Week 1 Recap

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

7 Months of waiting came to an end on Thursday for a precious few, but many others had to wait until Sunday.

I would like to thank the bartenders and waitresses of Mother Hubbard’s Sportsbar in Downtown Chicago for having excellent food, and a great environment to watch a ballgame or 10.

New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts–The Colts are not going to relinquish their championship without a fight, and after a 10-10 tie at the half, Peyton Manning renewed the pinball machine that is the Colt offense. The Saints were a feel good story last year, and that meant nothing to the Colts. 41-10 Colts

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings–The league will survive without Michael Vick. The Falcons will not. Backup quarterback Joey Harrington through a touchdown pass for the Vikins, which would be good except that he plays for the Falcons. 24-3 Vikings

Carolina Panthers at St. Louis Rams–The Carolina defense manhandled the Ram offense. Orlando Pace was knocked out of the game, at which point the Panthers teed off on Ram quarterback Marc Bulger. 27-13 Panthers

Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills–The Bills offense consisted mainly of a punt return of a touchdown. Leading 14-12 late in the game, the Bills inexplicably tried to throw the ball rather than try to grind down the clock. Giving Denver one last chance, the Bills then gave up two fourth down conversions, and reliable kicker Jason Elam kicked the game winner as the clock was moving. Denver did not even have time to stop the clock and prepare, rendering the kick more impressive. 15-14 Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans–It may have been an expansion Texans team that took the field today, but not in Houston. The Chiefs used to be known as the Dallas Texans, and they played with all the innovation of a 1960s game. An 80 yard touchdown pass by Matt Schaub and a stifling defense shut down KC. 20-3 Texans

Miami Dolphins at Washington Redskins–Somebody somewhere cared about this game. On the last play of the game, the Dolphins completed a hail mary, but short of the goal line. An overtime field goal won it for the DC faithful. 16-13 Redskins in OT

Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers–This game was an old fashioned head knocker. Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb both got belted on several occasions. A controversial play early in the game involved an Eagle punt returner getting belted before the ball got there, causing a fumble that the Packers recovered for a 7-0 lead. No penalty was called. The Eagles led 13-10 late in the game, but a tying field goal followed by a muffed punt led to a game winning Packer field goal with under a minute to play. 16-13 Packers

New England Patriots at New York Jets–Ellis Hobbs returned the second half kickoff 108 yards for a Pats touchdown and a new NFL record. Randy Moss being traded to the Pats for a 4th round pick was as much a steal as the USA buying Manhattan for $27 from the American Indians. The Raiders are dead last for a reason, and Randy Moss had 183 yards receiving, including a 51 yard bomb from Tom Brady, where Moss outran 3 defenders. Chad Pennington got hurt again, rendering the Jets finished in this game. 38-14 Patriots

Chicago Bears at San Diego Chargers–Despite the win, I maintain that the Chargers are on their way down. Norv Turner, offensive genius…ummm…no. A turnover filled game with two hard hitting defenses ruled the day. Philip Rivers went ballistic after San Diego fumbled at the Bear goal line on a play where the Bears appeared to jump offsides. MVP Tomlinson threw a touchdown pass on a halfback option. 14-3 Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns–Wherefore art thou team, Romeo? In the toilet. Brady Quinn was thankful to be holding a clipboard as the Steelers raced to a 17-0 1st quarter lead. Blitzburgh harased Charlie Frye all day. The Steelers started 3 of their first 4 drives deep in Brown territory. The Browns have a chance to be the worst team in football week 3 against the Raiders. 34-7 Steelers, although the game was not that close.

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars–two coaches that preach physical defense is a main reason why this game was a headknocker. Lendale White had a fumble at the goal line, but overall Tennessee pounded out 282 yards on the ground. Vince Young had a miserabl day passing, but ran for a touchdown. Tennessee had the ball for almost 37 minutes. 13-10 Titans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks–A pair of field goals put the Bucs up 6-0, but by halftime Seattle was up 10-6. In the second half, Jeff Garcia and Cadillac Williams were both knocked out of the game, altohugh Garcia did return. Matt Hasselbeck was efficient, and Sean Alexander, free from injury after being cursed by the Madden video game, cracked 100 yards on the ground. 20-6 Seahawks

Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders–This was the game of the day. Ok, I lied. however, it was not the worst game ever played, and the Raiders are not the worst team ever to play the game of football.

First of all, starting Josh McCown over Dante Culpepper is insane. JaMarcus Russell is expected to be signed and in camp by Wednesday, and while this season is not lost yet, the Raiders lost at home to a team almost as pathetic as they were last year.

Yes, Josh McCown went 30-40 for 313 yards, but make no mistake about it…besides one bomb for 50 yards, these were dink and dunk passes that pad stats but accomplish nothing. The West Coast Bullsh*t is great for quarterbacks with no arm strength, but with Culpepper playing this would be unnecessary. Jerry Porter is wasted in this offense.

The Raiders were down 10-0 at halftime, which would have been 10-9 had Sebastian Janikowski not missed 3 field goals in the first half. None of them were super long attempts. Seabass performed well until last year, and if this continues he will be gone next year. As pathetic as the Raider offemse is, 3 missed kicks is unacceptable.

The Raiders fell behind 17-0 because the Lions kept starting in Raider territory. It would have been more when the Lions drove from their own 3 yard line to near the Raider end zone. However, the Raider defense intercepted a pass to prevent that score.

As for the defense, while it made some good indiviudal plays, overall the pass defense was exploited easily and often by Jon Kitna. An interception return set up one touchdown, and somehow the Raiders came back from a 17-0 3rd quarter deficit to take a 21-20 lead, which they held with 5 minutes remaining in the game.

Jon Kitna then found a wide open receiver who somehow got past the entire Raider secondary. Down 26-21 with over 4 minutes left, Josh McCown responded by fumbling the ball away. The defense held Detroit to a field goal, and were down 29-21 with 2 minutes left. The Raider offense rose to the occasion by turning it over again, allowing the Lions to go up 36-21 with over a minute to go. 16 points in 3 minutes.

These are the Lions. The William Clay Ford Lions. The Matt Millen Lions. The 3-13 Lions, worse than every team last year except the 2-14 Raiders.

If the Raiders cannot defeat Cleveland at home in week 3, 0-16 is a possibility. This game may have been rock bottom for the Raider franchise, but time will tell. 36-21 Lions

www.justblogbaby.com provides more Raider lowlights.

Sunday night featured the New York Giants at the Dallas Cowboys in a shootout. Terrell Owens established himself repeatedly. Eli Manning and Tony Romo traded touchdown for touchdown. The Giants had Manning, running back Brandon Jacobs, and a couple others knocked out of the game. In the same way that offensive genius Norv Turner won a defensive slugfest, defensive genius Wade Phillips won a pinball machine contest. 45-35 Cowboys.

Monday night provided the double header of the Baltimore Ravens at the Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals at the San Francisco 49ers.

With the Bengals leading the Ravens 27-20 late in the 4th quarter, the Ravens made it to the Bengal goal line. A tying touchdown was called back due to an offensive pass interference call. However, on 4th down, and an incomplete pass that would have turned the ball over was nullified by a defensive holding penalty, resulting in an automatic first down. With both teams trying to lose, the next would-be tying touchdown pass instead bounced off the receiver in the end zone, popped into the air, and became a gorgeous shoe string interception. 27-20 Bengals.

The 49ers and Cardinals may not be exciting, but this game had a thrilling if inept finish. With the Cardinals leading 17-13 late in the game, 49er quarterback Alex Smith threw a pass that looked like a touchdown. However, the receiver fumbled at the one yard line into the end zone. A Cardinal defender could have won the game by falling on the ball, or even knocking it out of the endzone. However, the same team that blew a 20 point lead to the Bears last year without giving up an offensive touchdown, continued their 125 years of ineptness. The defender tried to pick the ball up, allowing the 49ers to fall on it. Do to the “Holy Roller,” rule, the ball went back to the 1 yard line. The 49ers scored and won the game. 20-17 49ers.

eric

Posted in SPORTS | 1 Comment »

The Capital Gains Tax Is Unethical

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

Typing from Chicago instead of from my usual home in Los Angeles, I am pleased to announce that this city is not always awful. When I was here in April, it was 38 degrees, and I maintained that this place was for animals, and not human beings. Although it is September, the weather is balmy, and it is amazing how pleasant I can be when I am not spitting blood every second of every day due to risks of hypothermia.

It is with this positive spirit that I want to praise presidential candidate Mitt Romney. He has come up with a sound policy proposal that all the other republican candidates should immediately embrace as their own. I could care less where good ideas come from, provided they are implemented.

Mr. Romney has proposed to abolish the capital gains tax for anybody making less than $200,000 per year. Good for you Mitt! Well done sir!

The capital gains tax is unethical. It is immoral, and it should be killed outright.

The first myth is that people who receive income from the financial markets are not actually “working.” This is nonsense. Investing takes guts, character, and a very strong stomach. It is about taking risks, which is what this nation was founded upon. Investing is hard work, and an entire financial services industry consists of professionals who are as vital to a person’s financial health as a doctor or clergy person are to their physical and spiritual health.

The next myth is that a capital gains tax cut is a sop to the rich. Again, this is sheer folly. Cutting taxes on everybody benefits everybody. The rich do not need to “give back.” They already give back in the form of producing thousands of jobs. To quote the brilliant economist Dr. Thomas Sowell, “It is the thieves and criminals that should give back because they produce nothing.” If I am given a $1000 tax cut and a multimillionaire is given a bigger tax cut, how does that hurt me? Not at all. I still benefit.

Republicans are scared to cut the capital gains tax for fear of being labeled as a friend of the rich. I agree that the capital gains tax should not be cut. It should be eliminated altogether. Enter Mitt Romney.

Mr. Romney realizes that the only way to disarm the criticism that cutting taxes benefits only the wealthy, he is directly eliminating the capital gains tax cut for those making under $200,000. I would prefer that he eliminate it for everyone, but this still a major step in the right direction, because it can actually be accomplished.

Buying stocks, commodities, or any other investment outside of treasury bills is risky. If I lose money, the government does not bail me out. Therefore, when I win, why should I be penalized for winning?  We already have a graduated tax system.

The Indianapolis Colts won the Superbowl, and the Oakland Raiders finished last. To try and redistribute success means that when the NFL Draft comes around, the Raiders pick first and the Colts pick last. That is sufficient. To require Colts quarterback and Superbowl MVP Peyton Manning to quit the Colts and join the Raiders would be insane.

The democrats are socialists when it comes to taxes. They believe in Robin Hood Economics, which has never worked anywhere. The pilgrims experimented with socialism, and it failed then as well. Societies function properly when people are given incentives to work hard. Human beings by nature are incentive driven.

One other fact that often gets overlooked is the concept of charity. Rich people give more money to charity because they can. Poor people cannot give to charity. It is not their fault. They just don’t have it by definition. Rich people can either tighten their belts or loosen them, and antagonizing the rich is a good way to hurt those that need rich people to survive. On December 31st, rich people often sell stocks in their portfolio that they believe will never recover. By creating these losses, they can reduce their capital gains, leaving more money in their pocket. Why should I object if 90%of their extra money is spent on themselves if the other 10% goes to charity (number picked by example)? I can’t. If people are helping others, we should thank them, not condemn them for not giving more.

Nobody is guaranteed a victory in the game of investing, sure as there are no guarantees in the game of life. To punish the lucky winners (skillful winners in many cases) by confiscating their profits through taxes only provides a disincentive to investing. Contrary to what liberals think, the stock market is not greed…it is investing. What the left calls investing is what most human beings would call “spending.” It is not the same thing, and using phony words does not allow a cat to become a dog just because it is declared to be one.

America ceases to be a moral nation if we hurt those at the top out of sport, vengeance or jealousy. Low taxes benefits everybody, and high tax environments cripple societies. Those who disagree should listen to French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Liberals admire the French, and yet he wants France to emulate America from a tax standpoint. That should scream volumes.

Unfairly to Romney, his opponents will come up with their own plans, and he might lose some credit. Nevertheless, I personally am less interested in who changed the world than the fact that it was done. Romney’s opponents had better get on the ball. This policy proposal is one of the soundest ideas to come about in years, and it must become a reality, regardless of who wins in 2009.

The left wants to spend your money, and to do that they have to steal it. Yes, they will call it taxing and investing, but it is stealing. I worked hard to build an investment portfolio, and I will hold onto my investments for decades if I have to do so. I will not be able to take profits, but what is the point of taking profits if they will just be confiscated anyway? There is none.

The capital gains tax is a vile, horrible entity, and like liberalism itself, it must be crushed into nonexistence and wiped from the face of the Earth.

eric

Posted in POLITICS | 42 Comments »

4 Fine Men

Friday, September 7th, 2007

While thanking God almighty for the return of the National Football League, my thoughts returned to politics as the Indianapolis Colts defender their World Championship with a thrashing of their opponents. The Colts are a great metaphor for America. They burned brightly, and people questioned whether the only thing left to do was decline. Time will tell, but the Dynasty that is America will not go quietly into the night. We have more to prove, and more to accomplish. There is always more.

I think about politics, and how the field of republican candidates are supposedly the worst we have had in some time. I utterly reject this view. The current crop of republican candidates is the best field we have had since 1980. The 1980 field produced Ronald Reagan, a great President for eight years. It gave us George Herbert Walker Bush, who would become President 8 years later. It also gave us Bob Dole, who would win the Presidential nomination on his third try 16 years after he first sought the nomination. It also gave us Howard Baker, a very respected Senate Majority Leader.

This 2008 group of candidates is phenomenal.

Yes, people will talk about the dwarves, aka Brownback, Hunter, Tancredo and Rupaul. They will even mention Huckabee, who is now mid tier. Yet does anybody judge the 1980 candidates by the lower tier candidates? Does anybody even remember them? Should we judge republican candidates by Bob Dornan, Alan Keyes, or Morrie Taylor? How about Bob Smith? I would be in shock if anyone could tell me who Arthur Fletcher was. He did run, and did not get much attention.

There are four top tier candidates, and they are all fine men.

Rudy Giuliani became America’s Mayor on 9/11. Some would say that anybody would have risen to the occasion. Ray Nagin or Kathleen Blanco, anyone? Not everybody is a leader. Rudy did not burst into tears and state how overwhelmed he was. He got to work, and healed a city. Had 9/11 not happened, he would still be one of the greatest Mayors ever. His unique approaches to crime worked. They worked. Some say that he benefited from the national drop in the crime rate. This is backwards. The national drop in crime was mainly due to the drop in Gotham City. New York City is now a world class city again, and that is because of Rudy Giuliani.

John McCain is an American hero. It is not that he was a prisoner of war. It was that he was offered early release, and he refused it because it did not include the release of all of his men. He refused to leave his fellow soldiers behind. he was beaten, bloodied, and tortured, but he did not break. Loyalty and honor do not come any greater than this man. He has angered many politicians by insisting on reducing spending and weeding out corruption. Those that object to this are often the big spenders, and occasionally the most corrupt as well.

Mitt Romney built a successful business empire, and then turned around the Salt Lake City Olympics after an IOC scandal had left them supposedly tarnished beyond repair. He repaired them. He cut taxes in liberal Massachusetts. He even nearly defeated liberal lion Ted Kennedy in a 1994 Senate race. Nobody else has come even close.

Fred Thompson has had two successful careers, one as a successful actor, and the other as a respected attorney (yes, they do exist). He distinguished himself during Watergate, and in 1994 successfully ousted Jim Sasser in Tennessee. He also did what few Senators ever do…he quit and went back to work in the private sector after one term. He could have easily been reelected, but he kept his promise that many in the class of 1994 made, to stay for a short time and not get sucked into the trappings of power.

All of these men have their flaws. Giuliani is twice divorced, and has backed gun control. McCain and Thompson both backed the awful campaign finance reform law bearing McCain’s name. McCain is also a divorcee, and Thompson had a reputation for being more interested in the ladies than in legislation. Romney is often seen as too slick, and his commitment to social conservatism has been questioned.

So what? The answer that should be replayed over and over whenever perfection is desired is that Ronald Reagan raised taxes in 1982, Outside of my family, there is no other person I have more reverence for than the Gipper. Winning the cold war allows for a mulligan on that tax hike, in the same way George W.Bush gets a mulligan for raising steel tariffs due to his fabulous economy and the Roberts Supreme Court.

The bottom line, one that the democrats fail to grasp, is that nobody of any consequence cares about whether black transsexuals should be given reparations for the right to have gay slave descendants get married. Those issues affect some Americans passionately, but the War on Terror affects everybody. Who cares if homosexual rabbits worried about global warming should have the right to abortions when Islamofacist terrorists want to render us extinct from the Earth?

The War on Terror matters. Iraq and Iran are serious issues. Giuliani, McCain, Romney and Thompson all favor a full throttled victory in the War on Terror. They do not see it as a bumper sticker. They see it as a fight for the very existence of free people everywhere.

The democrats want to fight Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh. The republicans want to find and kill Osama Bin Laden. If the democrats feel this way as well, why don’t they talk about it? At least mention the guy.

All four republican contenders favored going into Iraq from the beginning, and have never wavered. Some of them have even been staunch defenders of President Bush, and the Bush Doctrine. They supported the war when it was popular, stayed strong when it became unpopular, and are now watching the democrats turn into pretzels trying to appease the left wing jackals as the surge continues to work, and the war again gains support.

Republicans have every right to be frustrated. For one thing, we lost both houses of congress. I remain overwhelmingly optimistic because the country did not swing to the left. If it did, the current democratic congress would have a popularity rating more than half of President Bush. Republicans lost because the republican base got fed up with their own revolutionaries acting like the very democrats they derided. If anything, conservative principles were strengthened by the loss. Also, it would help if we could avoid being known as the party that molests children. Neither Mark Foley or Larry Craig actually did that, but the perception is that republicans are the Minnesota Vikings of boat party politics.

I have often said that trusting democrats to run the country is like trusting the Minnesota Vikings to babysit your kids on a boat. However, republicans are seen as just as awful, if not more.

Republicans cannot let frustration over our mistakes color the fact that their are four brilliant, tough, competent, capable, and very telegenic men running for President.

Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson are all fine men. We should be delighted that any of them will be our nominee.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/10/relax_republicans_this_is_a_fi.html

There will never be another Ronald Reagan, and to try to expect that would be unrealistic. Reagan was a giant. The USA Olympic Men’s Hockey Team will never be as special as the 1980 team, but that should not invalidate any future wins they bring to us in the future.

Nobody is perfect, but republicans are lucky. We will have a phenomenal general election candidate in 2008. We have 4 very fine men to choose from.

eric

Posted in POLITICS | 28 Comments »

Another Adult Republican Discussion

Thursday, September 6th, 2007

For those of you interested in entire debates dedicated to narrow interest groups, the democrats will be pandering to an audience near you at some point. As important as it is to discuss reparations for slavery, global warming hysteria, trisexual bestiality rights, and how to destroy education by letting public schools exist, children are for the daytime. This was a prime time debate by, about, and for adults. The liberals were sent to bed, and the grownups spoke with each other.

Fox News asks tough questions, and unlike Bill Clinton, who wagged his finger and blamed Chris Wallace for having the nerve to question him about anything, these adults took some difficult questions. Wallace did cross the line more than once, as did Wendell Goler. No wonder the democrats are more scared of Fox News than Osama Bin Laden, which is what their own rhetoric indicates.

As for the debate, while it was solid overall, the first question about Fred Thompson was stupid. Rudy Giuliani remarked that his Law and Order character was based on Giuliani’s Mayoralty, and then Giuliani listed his accomplishments.

The rest of the debate was substantive, and serious.

On illegal immigration, Mitt Romney stated that as Governor, it was a Mayoral issue. This was not a brave answer. It also allowed Giuliani to state what he did right as a Mayor. John McCain offered nothing, and Mike Huckabee committed the Joe Biden error of plagiarism by stealing Newt Gingrich’s Fedex joke. The press is fawning over Huckabee, but let’ s see if he gets called on this. Tancredo went ballistic, because water is wet. Hunter promised to finish the fence. Giuliani mentioned technology and tamper proof IDs, although I often wonder how that would work. McCain praised immigrant soldiers and Romney promised to after employers that hire illegals. Giuliani won the round.

A family values discussion centered on Larry Craig. Brownback mumbled about family values being important. Hunter correctly pointed out that republicans evict their criminals, while democrats elect them to chairmanships. On abortion, Romney wanted the states to decide, while Huckabee gave a powerful answer about valuing all life from the unborn to Utah coal miners to people in long term care facilities. People who hate pro-lifers are scared of Brownback, but not Huckabee, who simply comes across as warmer. He vowed to pass a human life amendment without sounding threatening. On gun control, Giuliani wanted the states to decide, and that NYC was the safest large city because of him. Ron Paul, another water is wet candidate, bellowed. Brownback wanted a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Huckabee won the round, with Hunter also doing well.

Because this was not a debate among liberals, questions about leadership and Iraq were asked and answered seriously. McCain rattled off his credentials. Giuliani emphasized that he was running not on 9/11,but on his record of turning NYC around. Romney stated the surge was working, but McCain stated it more emphatically. Rupaul actually believed that we could leave Iraq without a bloodbath, and that we should not have gone into Afghanistan. Even some liberals supported going into Afghanistan. Rupaul is against war if it is an aggressive war. Perhaps he favors a sensitive war like the defeated 2004 democrat. Brownback announced the world was flat, because Kansas is flat. Huh? Huckabee praised McCain and stated that “you break it, you buy it.” Unfortunately, Huckabee did not praise our going in to begin with.

Then Huckabee and Rupaul got into a free for all that probably will give Huckabee major praise. Rupaul blamed the Neocons for getting us into war, and Huckabee pointed out we all went in together as Americans. Rupaul stated the war would cost republicans in 2008. This truly is the argument of democrats, that polls should guide decisions. Huckabee stated that it was not about losing an election, it was about losing honor. This has been a McCain theme for some time.

Hunter then stated victory was necessary, Tancredo mentioned Radical Islam, the one time when his forcefulness is quite sane. With regards to the endgame in Iraq, Romney was too quick to praise Tancredo. Tancredo was right, but keeping distance from Tancredo should be the order of top tier candidates. Romney redeemed himself by saying that he would wire mosques with judicial approval, and that the most important civil liberty is the right to stay alive.  Tancredo favored torture, McCain stated that our enemies would then torture us, and Tancredo correctly pointed out that they already do. McCain recovered by stating that those with military experience are against it.  I disagree with McCain on the issue, but his credibility is rock solid. On Guantanamo Bay, Giuliani pointed out that we can’t close Gitmo because nobody worldwide is stupid enough to take these people. Even liberals have not welcomed them into their backyards yet. Apparently Ted Kennedy does not want them at Martha’s Vineyard. Hunter said there has never been a murder at Gitmo, which is better than prisons in many liberal cities.

Huckabee won the round for b*tchslapping Rupaul, but McCain was winning by everyone else praising him, and offering his views better than he did himself at times.

An irrelevant question about Vice President Cheney was answered by Brownback incorrectly, and the debate then continued.

On taxes, McCain and Giuliani have not signed the pledge. McCain said his record speaks for itself, and that he will kill spending. Giuliani remarked that his only pledge is to uphold the constitution, before announcing his tax cutting history. Brownback protested that the pledge matters. Romney forcefully promised to kill the death tax, make the Bush tax cuts permanent, and eliminate the capital gains tax entirely on anyone with less than $200,000 invested. Now that is a brilliant policy proposal. Huckabee remarked that the IRS is scarier than muggers, and Rupaul wants to eliminate the government entirely, which I believe was tried in “Lord of the Flies.” Romney had a rough night, but he won the round hands down.

A tactless question beneath republican voters asked if Giuliani can be elected given his divorces. He pointed to his record.

The issue of Iran allowed Rupaul to truly go off the charts of Earth. We should back off, and talk to Iran, because they are cooperating. With who, Hezbollah? Ron Paul also said Iran is not a threat to Israel, and that Israel can take care of itself. Ron Paul can go…well…enough said. Tancredo pointed out that political correctness gets people killed. The hypothetical scenario was an issue, although Brownback said it was realistic. Huckabee added little, Hunter barely more. Giuliani correctly pointed out that Iran is not the Cold War. Giuliani did quote McCain, and then invoked Reagan by pointing out that Reagan did talk to Russia, but with thousands of nukes pointed at them simultaneously. It took forever to invoke Reagan, and Giuliani did it well. McCain then invoked Reagan by saying he got the hostages back. Romney sounded like a democrat when he talked about getting democrats, allies, and other Arab nations on board. It is idealistic and unrealistic to expect them to cooperate. They didn’t with Iraq.  Giuliani won the round.

The republican focus group was a shocker. They felt most of the candidates were underwhelming, with one exception. They declared McCain the winner. McCain did do well, but they declared Giuliani the loser. The rationale was that he answered every question by going back to his record as Mayor of New York.

Of course he did that! That is what he is supposed to do! Did Frank Luntz pick actual republicans? This is why Northeastern republicans are considered barely republicans. A man justifies his being worthy of the Presidency by running on his record.  Anyone can offer pie in the sky promises, but Giuliani should keep doing what he is doing.

Giuliani, McCain and Huckabee were the winners. Romney got hammered, often unfairly.  Fred Thompson was not there, and I refuse to comment on players not in the game. The remaining gentlemen are what they are.

As for the three winners, What separates Giuliani and McCain from Huckabee is that Huckabee wins debating points, but his warmth and humor are not a substitute for gravitas. Giuliani and McCain are still the best chances of defeating whatever child the demagoguic party foists upon us.

In the same way nobody outside of Dix Hills Notch, New Hampshire, cares about who those 30 people vote for, the focus group of that debate does not represent republicans even remotely. The debate was an excellent discussion among some intelligent individuals about the few relevant issues that actually matter. Once the dwarves leave the stage and let Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Fred, and maybe even Huckabee, confront each other, it will be a debate that will reach the intellectual stratosphere in terms of significance.

eric

Posted in POLITICS | No Comments »

Republican SEX scandals

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

I wish I was a liberal. Yes, I said it. I am a conservative republican, and I wish I was  a liberal. That way I can get entangled in as many sex scandals as possible with no consequences.

First of all I want to make something crystal clear. There is nothing funny about sex with under age citizens, or even pursuing it. Mel Reynolds is in jail, and Mark Foley resigned in disgrace, as he should have.

Secondly, I do not condone adultery. As Ted Koppel stated, “The 10 commandments are not the 10 suggestions.”

Having said that, it is unfair that republicans have to be held to higher sexual standards. If I was a liberal, I could just be expected to have no moral boundaries, and be free to run wild like a drugged out hippie (redundant, I know).

As a single male, there is nothing wrong about wanting to sleep with every hot republican Jewish brunette that conflicts with my also wanting lower taxes and dead terrorists.

The following is a conversation that I never had, because I value money and want to avoid getting slugged.

“Ms. Finch, you did an excellent job on this report. Well done.”

“Thank you Eric. Is there anything else?”

“Yes, Ms. Finch. I really want to paddle your hide. I know it is a sensitive area in more ways than one, but I want to play table tennis with your backside until you are red raw. Oh, and after that, I need to see paperwork on the new account we are seeing next week.”

I am not implying that to do the above behavior is appropriate, but to think about it should be fine. Republicans are so conditioned to be straitlaced that we are pegged as boring. Family values are for families, but why should single people be straitjacketed?

Also, for those claiming the above scenario is sexual harassment, how do you know Ms. Finch is the subordinate? Isn’t thinking that sexism? She could be the boss.

I thought about this when Spree at Wake Up America interviewed Melanie Morgan.

http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2007/09/exclusive-interview-with-melanie-morgan.html

She did an excellent job with the interview, but I never could have done that interview. Melanie Morgan is smart, republican, and hot. She would think I was an imbecile within 5 minutes, especially if my first question was a marriage proposal.

After seeing her picture, I was determined to have a Morgan before bed. I could not convince Melanie Morgan, so I decided to settle for Captain Morgan. I figured if I finished the entire bottle, I would not be able to tell the difference. Actually, I don’t drink, but I need an excuse for my behavior pattern.
I know a gorgeous republican Jewish brunette who has experimented with some mild “girl on girl” action. I can talk to her about Nicholas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, but why should that stop me from admiring her physically and wanting to be reincarnated as a pillow that she hits her friend with? When did lust become only acceptable with liberals?

Senators are soliciting prostitutes. So what? Whether it is gay or straight, they are guys trying to get laid. Again, forget they are married. If they are single, how is that different from a surf and turf date? Does any woman in her right mind really think that a guy takes her out to steak and lobster so we can hold hands? We have an agenda, and that involves using our teeth to claw through your underclothing. This does not mean we would do so without permission, but within the laws of decent society, we have every right to make an attempt.

For the Milli-Vanillionth time, one can respect women and want to sleep with them. One can respect a woman’s mind while wanting to devour her body. Men are hunters, women are the hunted, and we have every right to adhere to the laws of nature and biology.

There is nothing in the republican party platform that says that men have to be repressed until we go crazy.

Bill Clinton lied under oath. That was my objection with him. He should have just gone on television and said, “I can’t help it. It ain’t nothing but the dawg in me. I bounced her like a volleyball, and I might do it again.”

So where is the line? Well Juanita Broderick, if believed, was a rape victim. That is totally not acceptable anywhere, ever. Letting them die in a river like Ted Kennedy did is certainly unethical. Yet fear of approaching a woman out of desire? Are we that puritanical?

We are all flawed. We all make mistakes. Yet republicans are seen as pious, and therefore, hypocritical.

Some say the war on drugs is lost, and others argue the same for the War on Terror. They are wrong. However, let’s declare the war on sex lost. We can kill drug lords and terrorists. Sex cannot be killed. It is too powerful. It will always be there.

Rather than trying to humiliate every politician that tries to play paint belly with a hot woman, why not simply accept this as normal? If the guy is married, it will be his fault when his wife gets the shotgun and exacts Texas Justice. Actions have consequences.

Larry Craig is being forced to resign. Why? For being gay? Isn’t that gay bashing? Jim McGreevey and John Corzine put their lovers on the payroll. Yet only McGreevey resigned. Wasn’t Corzine’s sexual crime just as bad, even though it was heterosexual?  David Vitter is not being pressured to resign. Is it because his prostitution was heterosexual?
Why is a 535 member club filled with drunk drivers, tax cheats, and other reprobates so puritanical when the issue is sexual?

Rape is wrong. Sexual harassment is wrong. Prostitution is legal in some parts of America. Doesn’t it seem strange that Senator Craig was arrested in Minnesota for a crime that would not have been a crime in certain parts of Nevada? Perhaps if Harry Reid let loose, he would actually smile. That dour look on his face is probably due to his frustration at attacking every republican less repressed than he is.

I will never preach family values, and when I get married, I will still live by them. Until then, I want my taxes cut so I can have more money to spend on women who will dance provocatively in my condo like Tawny Kitaen in Whitesnake’s “Here I go again.”

Should my being a conservative republican mean that when I was in college, I should not have found Barbara Boxer a hot piece of (redacted) just because she was a liberal? Flaming fiery liberals are kinda sexy. It doesn’t mean they are right about taxes or Iraq.

We should stop focusing on sex scandals, because sex itself is not a scandal. It is a privilege. Either members of the republican party defend their right to go buck wild, or we will all end up either repressed or worse…liberals.

eric

Posted in POLITICS, WOMEN | 26 Comments »

2007 NFL Predictions

Tuesday, September 4th, 2007

I have said on many occasions that my passion for politics, while burning strong, pales in comparison to my passion for the National Football League. We have over a year until we select our next world leader, and there will be many days to analyze it to death. For those who prefer politics to sports, come back tomorrow.

On Thursday September 6th, the Saints are at the Colts. Everybody else must suffer in waiting until Sunday, September 9th. The 2007 NFL season starts in 2 days, so let’s get down to business.

To quote mutual fund manager Bill Fleckenstein, I am “often wrong, but never in doubt.” With that, here are my predictions for 2007.

NFC East:

Philadelphia Eagles–Andy Reid is an excellent coach, and last year might have been his best job, which says a lot. 11-5

New York Giants–Tom Coughlin is a disciplinarian in the Bill Parcells mode, but the G-men have been decimated by injuries. With Tiki retiring, Strahan needs to have more fire than ever. 8-8

Dallas Cowboys–All the talent in the world will not change the fact that Wade Phillips is a great defensive coordinator and not a good head coach. If the legendary Tuna Bill Parcells quit in disgust over him, Terrell Owens will eat Wade alive. 8-8

Washington Redskins–Joe Gibbs has always been a winner, and Daniel Snyder does spend money. Yet value seems to be elusive. 6-10

NFC North:

Chicago Bears–They are simply not that special. Unlike the 2001 and 2005 Bears teams that were complete flukes, the 2006 team had some legitimacy, but the whole conference was wretched. 9-7

Green Bay Packers–Brett Favre willed that team to 8-8 last year. He might be out of miracles. 7-9

Minnesota Vikings–Let’s see how Adrian Peterson does. Kelly Holcomb needs some relief, or he will get pounded. They are a year away. 7-9

Detroit Lions–Yes, Mike Martz is a genius evil mad scientist, and yes, he has the personnel, and no, past performance does not guarantee future results, but they are the same old Lions until proven otherwise. 5-11

NFC South:

Carolina Panthers–This team was decimated by injuries last year, but they are just as talented as the teams from 2003 and 2005. Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith, and the gang, combined with a Jon Fox defense anchore dby Julius Peppers should make this team the favorite in the NFC. 12-4

Tampa Bay Buccaneers–They are back. Jon Gruden needs to settle his quarterback situation, but hard nosed running and stout defense should lead to typical “Buc-ball” wins of an ugly nature. 11-5

New Orleans Saints–Last year was a feel good story, with Gleason and Deloach contributing to the greatest blocked punt in NFL history. Yes, they were one win from a Superbowl, but they only went 10-6 in getting the # 2 seed. They play in a tough division, so let’s see if the momentum can continue. 11-5

Atlanta Falcons–They are done. No Vick, no franchise. Period. 5-11

NFC West:

Seattle Seahawks–Playing in a terrible division alone should be enough. If Matt Hasselbeck gets hurt, Seneca Wallace is a very able backup. Shaun Alexander is the key, and anyone running behind Walter Jones should be ok. 10-6

San Francisco 49ers–They are overrated. Alex Smith is unproven, and Frank Gore is not that overwhelmingly special. A weak division helps. 8-8

St. Louis Rams–I still maintain that all being equal, Kurt Warner is better than Mark Bulger. Bruce and Holt are aging, and their defense looked awful in preseason. 7-9

Arizona Cardinals–125 years of futility will not change this year. Matt Leinart may turn out to be good, but Edge has lost his edge. Maybe the Cardinals dragged him down, or maybe his former team knew what they were doing when they let him go. 5-11

AFC East–New England Patriots–It is almost unfair, but the team that was cruising towards a 4th ring before being shocked will have a chip on their shoulder, which is not normal for perennial champions. Randy Moss is the last piece of the puzzle. 14-2

New York Jets–If the Jets contribute to one of two losses for the Pats, Belichick will use it as fuel in the playoffs if they meet again. Mangini is hard nosed, and his team will reflect it. A healthy Pennington, always a question mark, means a very healthy record. 11-5

Buffalo Bills–This is a make or break year for J.P. Losman. I do not see much on the horizon. 7-9

Miami Dolphins–New everything, many question marks, we shall see. 7-9

AFC North:

Baltimore Ravens–A defense that is as nasty as ever. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are healthy, and run stuffer Ngata is a giant wedge of beef. This team won a Superbowl with half a team, and Steve McNair is the last piece of the puzzle. He is a warrior. 12-4

Cincinnati Bengals–If Marvin Lewis can keep his guys out of jail, they should be ok. 2 years ago one would have said a playoff year was an aberration, but the dynamic has changed, and last year was an aberration of what should be a winner. 10-6

Pittsburgh Steelers: A new coach is always a wild card, but Big Ben will have a chip on his shoulder from last year. 9-7

Cleveland Browns–Romeo Crennel is a good man, and he should get 2 years to develop Brady Quinn, but that might not happen. They are a year away, and that might be too much time to wait. 5-11

AFC South:

Indianapolis Colts–Losing their left tackle could be a problem, but from Bill polian to Tony Dungy to Peyton Manning, this team is first class all the way. They got the New England monkey off their back, but this will be a tougher year for them. 12-4

Jacksonville Jaguars–Jack Del Rio has a defense, but will Garrard get it done? They should be in the hunt. 10-6

Tennessee Titans–Jeff Fisher is the best coach in the league right now. Vince Young is no fluke. They should contend, despite the Pacman distraction. 10-6

Houston Texans–They are still an expansion team until they prove otherwise. Matt Schaub can play, but what is he working with? 4-12

AFC West:

San Diego Chargers–Even Norv Turner cannot destroy a 14-2 team in one year, but within 2 years they will be 8-8. San Diego is done. They have the players, but so did previous Turner teams. They are a quick playoff exit. 11-5

Denver Broncos–It all rests on the cannon arm of Jay Cutler. Mike Shanahan teams will provide the offensive line and good running game. 10-6

Kansas City Chiefs–This team is seen as horrible after losing Trent Green, but Herm Edwards is a motivator. 8-8

Oakland Raiders–If Jamarcus Russell gets to camp, it helps from a learning perspective. Dante Culpepper is still very good, and the team has talent. If they lose to the Lions in week 1 and the Browns in week 3, both at home, 0-16 is a possibility. The defense is solid, but the offense is not there yet. 3-13

NFC Title Game–Carolina Panthers defeat Philadelphia Eagles

AFC Title Game–New England Patriots defeat Baltimore Ravens (Yes, I know, I left out the Colts, they could make it back here, but either the Patriots or Ravens could beat them up physically).

Super Bowl–I will go to my grave knowing Tom Brady fumbled that ball against the Raiders in 2001. He also did not deserve the MVP in either of his first two Super Bowl wins, although he might have earned it the third time, when he did not win it. Nevertheless, Randy Moss will fit in just as Corey Dillon, Rodney Harrison, and every other misfit somehow fit in. Bill Belichick is the chess master, having escaped the legend of Bill Parcells. New England Patriots 34, Carolina Panthers 27.

Then after the pro Bowl, where hopefully 3 Raider defenders and punter Shane Lechler will play, the countdown to the 2008 Draft will begin with Roger Goodell saying, “The Oakland Raiders are on the clock.”

Are you ready for some football? Let’s get it on!

eric

Posted in SPORTS | 6 Comments »

Great Quotes

Monday, September 3rd, 2007

Today is Labor Day, so in the spirit of the working man, I am going to go gorge on red meat while leaving you all with some of my favorite quotes from a book by Glenn Liebman.

“I don’t hire anybody not brighter than I am. If they’re not brighter than I am, I don’t need them.”–Bear Bryant

“I just found out what ’emeritus’ means. It means working without pay.”–Moose Krause

“An Atheist in Alabama is one that doesn’t believe in Bear Bryant.”–Wally Butts

When asked if wanted to meet the Chicago Bears, he replied, “I always enjoy animal acts.”–Calvin Cooledge

“The Bears are so tough that when they finish sacking the quarterback, they go after his family in the stands.”–Tim Wrightman

“We didn’t have steroids. If I wanted to get pumped up, I drank a case of beer.”–Art Donovan

“I’m going to study Spanish so I can use a few expletives in my press conference next season.”–Francis Peay

“A football player is like a prostitute. Your body is only worth something for so long. When it’s no good anymore, nobody wants it.”–Larry Grantham

When asked the most profitable type of writing,he responded, “Ransom notes.”–Alex Karras

“The Rose Bowl is the only bowl that I didn’t have to clean.”–Erma Bombeck

“It’s a good thing Brian was a 3rd child, or he would have been the only one.”–Kathy Bosworth

“In the long run, the cream always rises and the crap always sinks.”–John Elway

“I left because of illness and fatigue. The fans were sick and tired of me.”–John Ralston

When asked after a bad game about the Buccaneers’ execution, he replied,” It’s a good idea. I’m in favor of it.”–John McKay

“The real make of a man is how he treats people who can never do anything for him.”–Darrell Royal

“If you’re a pro coach, NFL stands for ‘Not for long'”–Jerry Glanville

Asked if he was the best coach in the country he replied, “Absolutely. There are a 1000 better coaches in the cities, but I’m the best in the country.”–Lou Holtz.

Asked his college major, he replied, “I got a B.S. in B.S.”–Bubba Baker

“I never graduated college, but I was only there for 2 terms..Truman’s and Eisenhower’s.”–Alex Karras

“We’re as clean as any team. We wash our hands before we hit anybody.”–Nate Newton

“Al Davis is the kind of guy who would steal your eyes and then try to convince you that you looked better without them”–Sam Rutigliano

Asked what he wanted on his tombstone, he replied, “To my wife…I told you I was sick.”–Lou Holtz

“If defensive linemens’ IQs were 5 points lower, they’d be geraniums.”–Russ Francis

“Now that I’m retired, I want to say that all defensive linemen are sissies.”–Dan Fouts

“I’m a light eater. As soon as it’s light, I start to eat.”–Art Donovan

“Everyone is unhappy at times, even my wife. Only she doesn’t get interviewed about it.”–John McKay

“If I drop dead tomorrow, at least I’ll know I died in good health.”–Bum Phillips

“People say I’ll be drafted in the first round, maybe even higher.”–Craig “Ironhead” Heyward

“Asked if he ever dreamt about losing so much, he replied, “No, I dream about girls.”–Dexter Clinkscale

“Most players don’t mind drug testing once they realize they don’t have to study for it.”–Mack Brown

“My only request is that I draw my last dollar and my last breath at the exact same moment.”–Bobby Layne

“If I were a reporter, I’d want to talk to me.”–Todd Christiansen

“If you don’t have an ego, you’re a wino.”–Conrad Dobler

“If I didn’t enjoy gloating so much, I wouldn’t do so many interviews.”–Jimmy Johnson

“Emotion is overrated. There was a lot of emotion at the Alamo, and nobody survived.”–Ron Meyer

“I recruited a Czech kicker, and during the eye exam, when asked to read the bottom line, the kicker replied, ‘Read it? I know him.'”–Woody Hayes

“If ESPN had been around 18 years ago, I wouldn’t have any children.”–Gene Murphy

“If a man watches 3 football games in a row, he should be declared legally dead.”–Erma Bombeck

“Football features 2 of the worst aspects of American life–violence and committee meetings.”–George Will

“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is most likely the one who dropped it.”–Lou Holtz

When asked what he ran the 40 yard dash in, he replied, “Shorts.”–Chuck Doyle

“I normally run the 40 yard dash in 4.9, but when a 280 guy is chasing me, I run it in 4.6.”–John Elway

“I wish I could remember my halftime speech so I could forget it.”–Jerry Davitch

“When I look in the mirror in the morning, I want to take a swing at me.”–Woody Hayes

“He’s not small, he’s just short.”–Bum Phillips

“That boy don’t know the meaning of the word fear.” In fact, I just saw his grades, and that boy don’t know the meaning of a lot of words.”–Bobby Bowden

In discussing another player he said, “Physically he is a world beater. Mentally he is an egg beater.”–Matt Elliott

On another player, he said, “He has a lot of class. And all of it is 3rd.”–Conrad Dobler

“I haven’t heard from Elvis since his daughter married Michael Jackson. I think it killed him.”–Jerry Glanville

“Tom Landry is such a perfectionist that if he were married to Dolly Parton, he’d ask her to cook.”–Don Meredith

“The quality of a man’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor.”–Vince Lombardi

Happy Labor Day everybody!

eric

Posted in POLITICS, SPORTS, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

End of the silly season

Sunday, September 2nd, 2007

There are things in life that do actually matter. However, August is not the month to observe them. Trivial matters become magnified, and the Earth shakes at every non event. This past August was no exception.

Speculation rose to a fever pitch over whether somebody will run for President. The excitement is not over any issue, but whether or not they will decide to even apply for the job at all.

The media, perhaps in desperate need of sex in their own personal lives, are fascinated with the sex of everybody else, whether it be gay, straight, successful or attempted, legal or illegal.

A Senator denied he was gay after soliciting gay sex in a place where soliciting of gay sex was commonplace.

Dumb, useless Hollywood starlets acted like dumb useless Hollywood starlets.

Politicians argued over the significance of a war report that had not been delivered yet.

Candidates that nobody outside of their own families had heard of announced that they were dropping out of the presidential race, lamenting that the system was broken because nobody cared about them.

There are no sports on television. Baseball, soccer and golf do not count, and they never will. Pro Football games are not yet Earth shatteringly relevant.

America is bored in August because there is nothing to do.

Parents count the days until the children go back to school, and even some children are counting it as well.

It may be a beautiful day outside, but the scorching heat makes it difficult to enjoy it. Lounging poolside sounds appropriate.

We spend so much of our lives dealing with reality that it is nice to take a few weeks and just laugh at the idiocy that passes for consequential information.

Senators pursuing hookers, while media hookers pursue the Senators. I wonder which matters less.

I could blog about something significant today, but does anybody really want to read it today? If you don’t, I don’t blame you. If the rest of America can mail it in, I should be allowed to as well.

Even protesters are bored. Vegetarians and carnivores will be getting together for Labor Day festivities, and as long as the zealots have their veggie burgers and tofu dogs, they will be temporarily satiated.

Normally people ignore most protesters anyway, but at least in August the protesters know this as well. Besides, what is the point of pretending to be deeply committed to a cause nobody else cares about when it is too hot outside to stand or harass a total stranger?

September approaches, with Labor Day barbecues filled with red meat. The National Football League begins. The presidential race starts to heat up.

Life starts to get relevant again. Besides, if a Senatorial hound dog removes himself from a hooker’s body and sees his 5 o’clock shadow, then there might be six more weeks of silliness.   Depending on your level of intellect, this is negative or positive.

I hope everybody enjoyed the silly season and the three day end of nonsense coronation weekend. Now sit down and be quiet and be ready for serious business starting the first Tuesday in September.

eric

Posted in POLITICS | 13 Comments »

Raiders Recap–Preseason Week 4

Saturday, September 1st, 2007

The Oakland Raiders had their final preseason game against the Seahawks in Seattle.

When the regular Season starts, my recaps will not be as lengthy. The preseason is for breaking down and analyzing almost every single play. The score is peripheral. However, when the games count, the only thing that matters is the final score. Ugly wins supercede the fictional creatures known as beautiful losses.

For further recap and Raider info, go to www.justblogbaby.com

In a surprising move, Josh McCown was named the starting quarterback, although he was to share equal time with Dante Culpepper. I felt Culpepper had the job locked up, but I am not the coach.

Josh McCown’s first pass was a perfect strike to Ronald Curry over the middle for 10-15 yards. A steady dose of runs by Lamont Jordan, who continues to impress, led to a 39 yard field goal attempt by Tyler Fredricksen. I was surprised that Sebastian Janikowski was not in. The kick was wide by a country mile. Another Raider missed opportunity.

Seattle started out with Seneca Wallace, and not Matt Hasselbeck. Unlike most backups, Wallace is good enough to be a starter, and can scramble better than Hasselbeck. There is no drop off at that position in Seattle.

Watching the defense was interesting. Seattle appeared to go three and out, but an illegal contact penalty on 3rd and long gave Seattle new life. This kills teams. Then on the next 3rd down, a perfect pass by Wallace was complete to Deon Branch for a first down, but he fumbled on the play. He was ruled down, which replay showed was not the case. However, the referee blew his whistle. So between a defensive penalty and a blown call, the character of the defense was tested. The Seahawks had a 4th and 1 at the Raider 40 and decided to go for it. A false start penalty pushed them back, and they punted.

Special teams are a special breed. I have no idea where he came from, but welcome to the NFL Johnny Lee Higgins. He returned the punt 90 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Raider lead.

Seattle’s next drive went nowhere, but the Raiders did not move the ball either. Josh McCown seems to feel the pressure well and step up in the pocket appropriately, but he overshoots receivers.

Seattle’s next drive was aided by a horrendous pass interference call on Chris Carr. The ball was uncatchable, and he was clearly playing the ball. The refs disagreed. With Seattle at the Raider 16, a pass into traffic by Wallace that should have been intercepted was dropped in the end zone. However, a solid run stop (that forced a fumble, but Seattle recovered) and a gorgeous defensive play by Stanford Routt held Seattle to a field goal with 5 seconds left in the first quarter.

True, the Seahawks are not the same without Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander, but the Raiders first string played well against Seattle.

The second quarter began with a new Raider drive. McCown had a very nice 6 yard scramble, followed by a perfect sideline lob pass to Mike Williams. Mike Williams is big and strong, and earlier in the game had a gorgeous stiff arm to pick up a first down. With regards to the running game, Zack Crockett is still a hero at fullback, as good a blocker as ever. Dominic Rhodes struggled, with Jordan clearly running better. After a time out, on 4th and 4, a harassed McCown through an off balance pass that fell incomplete.

Seattle torched the Raiders on the next drive. A 35 yard pass play from Wallace to Nate Burleson was a breakdown in the zone. On first and goal at the 6, Wallace threw another perfect strike to Burleson, this time for a touchdown and a 10-7 lead.

The Raiders started the next drive at their own 43 yard line after a decent Chris Carr return followed by a 15 yard face mask tacked on. Coach Lane Kiffin likes the west coast quick strikes, and receiver Taylor had a great stiff arm to pick up an extra 8 yards.

Dominic Rhodes had a nice run to set up 3rd and 1, but he was stopped for no gain on the next play. It was a horrible spot, but it should never be that close. On 4th and 1, Rhodes picked up the first down with a tough second effort, but then fumbled the ball. The replay clearly showed Rhodes was down, but Lane Kiffin did not challenge.

Yes, the call was horrendous, but Rhodes should have hung onto it, and Kiffin should have challenged it. This was dreadful all around, and it wasted a scoring opportunity.

The defense continued to impress, stuffing Seattle on 3rd and inches. On 4th and inches, two Raiders jumped offsides. If this as the regular season the language to describe it would have been unbearable. The Raiders have a solid run defense, but the pass defense gave up a 1st down on 3rd and long. Cornerback Duane Starks made a gorgeous interception at the 1 yard line to stop Seattle. Wallace had been flawless up to that point.

Dante Culpepper came into the game with three minutes left into the first half, 99 yards from paydirt. It took two plays for Dominic Rhodes to be stuffed for a safety, and a 12-7 Raider deficit.

First of all, why was Culpepper asked to come in at such a ridiculous point and time? Yes, he needs playing time, but asking a guy to get into a rhythm in such a situation is insane. This was another awful decision by Coach Kiffin. Secondly, running off tackle in a slow developing play is giving the defense extra time to get the safety.

Seattle punted again with a minute left in the half, and Higgins nearly broke another one. The Raiders started at their own 35. Lane Kiffin continued to absolutely confound the football gods by throwing a couple passes, not calling timeouts, and letting the clock run out. It made no sense. They were not at their own one yard line again. They were at their own 40, with 35 seconds left, and Kiffin refused to run another play. It was mind boggling.

The Raiders trailed 12-7 at the half, in a game where they had zero offensive points, a missed field goal, and numerous missed opportunities. In fact, the Seakawk defense outscored the Raider offense 2-0.

I keep saying that the Raiders had so many games last year that were winnable. At the risk of sounding like Tony Montana in “Any Given Sunday,” the difference between winning and losing is often mere inches. In 2000, the Raiders were 12-4 and the Chargers were 1-15. The Raiders barely survived the Chargers both times. In 2006, the Chargers were 14-2 and the Raiders were 2-14, but the Chargers barely survived the Raiders in San Diego.

Games at some point are psychological. The game of the year in 2006 was the Monday night game between the 5-0 Bears and the 100 year frustration known as the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals led 23-3 after three quarters before Chicago scored on an interception return, a fumble return, and a punt return, to lead 24-23. Zero offensive touchdowns, and the Bears were ahead. The Cardinals still could have won, but Neil Rackers missed a reasonably short field goal as time expired. The Bears went to the Superbowl, and Cardinal Coach Dennis Green had a justified meltdown.

I say this because while 2-14 teams should not have high expectations, there is no reason a team with the talent of the Raiders should be that bad, They have potential, but preseason games like this one show that the Raiders have not come close to reaching that potential yet. Also, the Raiders had good time of possession previous games, but in this game Seattle had it for 19 minutes and the Raiders only 11 minutes.

Neither team did anything with their first possession of the second half, although Culpepper did manage to outrun four Seattle defenders and throw the ball away, avoiding a sack. Avoiding disasters in close games is important, and keeping it close until the fourth quarter is sometimes good enough. Seattle went nowhere on their next possession, and Culpepper avoided another sack and scrambled for a 5 yard gain.

The Raiders overall have made some strides. They seem more disciplined, are committing fewer penalties, and the offensive line is significantly improved.

Seattle blitzed Culpepper, who threw a perfect screen pass to Justin Fargas for a 25 yard gain. Culpepper then threw a perfect bomb to Johnny Lee Higgins, who dropped it.

Culpepper faced more pressure than McCown did. McCown may have better stats, but Culpepper’s intangibles demand that he be the starter. On 3rd and 7, facing a blitz, Culpepper threw a perfect sideline strike to Travis Taylor for a 20 yard gain to the Seattle 27. After an offensive pass interference call, on 3rd and 13, Culpepper rolled out and connected with Taylor for a first down. Another pass to Santiago took it down to the four yard line. On the next play, a perfect play action pass allowed Culpepper to roll out and lob a gift to receiver James Adkisson. Culpepper could have walked it in, but chose to throw it. Had it been dropped, I would have screamed that he should have run it. Nevertheleless, a good play call and great execution had the Raiders up 14-12 with 3 ½ minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Culpepper was 6 of 7 on the drive for over 80 yards.

After the kickoff, on first and 10, Oakland called a timeout on defense. That should not occur in that situation, and will hopefully be straightened out by September. On 3rd and 1, Wallace was intercepted for the second time, this time by Bowie. Bowie had to jump sky high to get it. Neither interception by Wallace was a horrible pass. Overall he played well, but the Raider defenders made some great interceptions at key times.

This next drive brought Raider running back Echemandu into the game. He does run hard. The Raiders had a 4th and 8 at the Seahawk 33, and decided to go for it rather than try a 50 yard field goal indoors. Again, I know in preseason, teams want to experiment, but to not give field goal kickers practice could be costly in the regular season.

Wallace was still playing in the 4th quarter, which was quite surprising. It was also unnerving when his next pass was a 32 yard gain, and the pass after that was a sure touchdown that was dropped. Unlike Rookie Lane Kiffin, the Walrus, aka Seattle Coach Mike Holmgren, is experienced enough to throw the challenge flag when needed. Nevertheless, the call was upheld as an incomplete pass. It was still a good challenge. On 3rd and 7, the Raiders were caught off guard when Seattle ran the ball. That is good play calling. On 4th and 1, Seattle ran for the first down. Another third down conversion led to first and 10 at the Raider 11 yard line. The backup run defense is not the starting defense. An 11 yard run put Seattle up 19-14 with 10 ½ minutes remaining.

The ensuing kickoff was taken 5 yards deep in the end zone, and I managed to breathe after it was returned to the 30. In what may be a first, a flag for an illegal block was actually picked up as veteran referee Ed Hochuli announced that there was either no contact or contact too minimal to affect the play.

Culpepper made his first major mistake of the game when he threw a long pass into traffic that was intercepted. On 3rd and 4 from their own 48, Seattle tried another draw play that had fooled the Raiders before. This time the defense stopped it, and Seattle punted.

Johnny Higgins fair caught the ball at his own 9. I was questioning why Higgins was fair catching everything, especially after having run one back for a touchdown. However, the announcers brought up the point that perhaps they did not want him to get hurt.

In another mind boggling decision, Andrew Walter was brought in to try and win the game with 5 ½ minutes left and 91 yards to go. Given that it was already announced before the game that McCown and Culpepper were competing to start and that Walter was relegated to 3rd string, giving him charity snaps rather than allowing Culpepper to try and win it seemed senseless. I know the final score does not matter in preseason, but unless it was a test to see if Walter should be cut altogether, the injury rationale for Culpepper does not fly. The Raiders went nowhere, and Seattle got the ball back with three minutes left.

Equally bizarre was the decision to have Seneca Wallace sit after 57 minutes. Either have him play sparingly, or let him finish the game. At the two minute warning, Seattle faced a 3rd and 8 from their own 25. They ran the ball to the outside and picked up the first down. As much as I downplay the successes of the offense, this backup defensive lapse is not a tragedy. Seattle ran out the clock, as the Seahawks defeated the Raiders 19-14.

The Raiders finished the preseason 2-2. They will not be a good team this year, but they might not be an awful team either. Forget the playoffs. If a 2-14 team can improve to 6-10, then in 2 years more improvement could get them to 10-6 and a playoff berth.

As for final thoughts, Culpepper should be the starter, JaMarcus Russell must get into camp and hold a clipboard for the whole year, and neither McCown or Walter have Culpepper’s ability.

Dominic Rhodes is suspended for the first four games, but even when he returns, Jordan is the starter. Fargas is marginal, and Echemandu hopefully will make the team. He might develop a cult following.

The offensive line looks vastly improved, and Zack Crockett is solid at fullback.

The defense is fine. Rob Ryan is a chip off the old buddy block, and with an even adequately marginal offense, the Raiders should improve.

The Raiders host the Lions in week 1 and the Browns in Week 3, both winnable games at home. If they lose those games, 0-16 could happen. Even if they start out 2-1 (at Denver in week 2 is not promising), it will be a long season. However, the building blocks of the future are there.

As Al Davis would say, “Just Win Baby.” We shall see.

The 2007 NFL season starts Thursday, September 6th, when the Saints are at the World Champion Colts. On Sunday, September 9th, the Raiders start their season.

7 months of waiting is almost over. Are you ready for some football? I am. Let’s get it on!

eric

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