It has been some time since I last posted, but that does not mean I have not been up to anything.
My latest endeavor is politweet.net
It aggregates political, press and media twitter users into an organized format.
Go check it out and don't forget to hit the "Like" button at the top of the page.
Below are all of the instances in HR 1 (the stimulus bill) where a monetary amount was shown. I took the raw text and ripped out the numbers and formatted them to currency (our currency.) It is not a perfect methodology but neither is this bill.
For those who want to know my total is $756,275,819,860 +/- a few billion.
$ 79,000,000,000
$ 39,500,000,000
$ 39,500,000,000
$ 30,000,000,000
$ 30,000,000,000
$ 22,290,000,000
$ 22,129,000,000
$ 18,500,000,000
$ 18,111,000,000
$ 16,126,000,000
$ 15,636,000,000
$ 15,000,000,000
$ 14,000,000,000
$ 13,600,000,000
$ 13,000,000,000
$ 11,000,000,000
$ 11,000,000,000
$ 10,000,000,000
$ 8,400,000,000
$ 8,000,000,000
$ 7,700,000,000
$ 7,500,000,000
$ 7,000,000,000
$ 7,000,000,000
$ 7,000,000,000
$ 6,200,000,000
$ 6,000,000,000
$ 6,000,000,000
$ 6,000,000,000
$ 6,000,000,000
$ 6,000,000,000
$ 5,838,000,000
$ 5,500,000,000
$ 5,000,000,000
$ 4,500,000,000
$ 4,500,000,000
$ 4,190,000,000
$ 4,018,000,000
$ 4,000,000,000
$ 4,000,000,000
$ 3,861,000,000
$ 3,750,000,000
$ 3,500,000,000
$ 3,440,000,000
$ 3,400,000,000
$ 3,250,000,000
$ 3,250,000,000
$ 3,200,000,000
$ 3,030,000,000
$ 3,000,000,000
$ 3,000,000,000
$ 3,000,000,000
$ 2,825,000,000
$ 2,825,000,000
$ 2,750,000,000
$ 2,750,000,000
$ 2,750,000,000
$ 2,750,000,000
$ 2,736,000,000
$ 2,733,000,000
$ 2,500,000,000
$ 2,500,000,000
$ 2,400,000,000
$ 2,400,000,000
$ 2,350,000,000
$ 2,225,000,000
$ 2,188,000,000
$ 2,090,000,000
$ 2,000,000,000
$ 2,000,000,000
$ 2,000,000,000
$ 2,000,000,000
$ 2,000,000,000
$ 2,000,000,000
$ 2,000,000,000
$ 2,000,000,000
$ 2,000,000,000
$ 2,000,000,000
$ 1,825,000,000
$ 1,800,000,000
$ 1,750,000,000
$ 1,750,000,000
$ 1,700,000,000
$ 1,600,000,000
$ 1,500,000,000
$ 1,500,000,000
$ 1,500,000,000
$ 1,500,000,000
$ 1,500,000,000
$ 1,500,000,000
$ 1,490,804,000
$ 1,400,000,000
$ 1,350,000,000
$ 1,236,810,000
$ 1,200,000,000
$ 1,102,000,000
$ 1,100,000,000
$ 1,100,000,000
$ 1,066,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 1,000,000,000
$ 954,000,000
$ 950,000,000
$ 920,000,000
$ 900,000,000
$ 850,000,000
$ 800,000,000
$ 800,000,000
$ 800,000,000
$ 750,000,000
$ 750,000,000
$ 700,000,000
$ 700,000,000
$ 650,000,000
$ 650,000,000
$ 649,900,000
$ 624,380,000
$ 600,000,000
$ 600,000,000
$ 600,000,000
$ 600,000,000
$ 600,000,000
$ 600,000,000
$ 600,000,000
$ 550,000,000
$ 550,000,000
$ 550,000,000
$ 545,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 500,000,000
$ 490,000,000
$ 462,000,000
$ 454,658,000
$ 430,000,000
$ 426,000,000
$ 420,000,000
$ 400,000,000
$ 400,000,000
$ 400,000,000
$ 400,000,000
$ 400,000,000
$ 400,000,000
$ 400,000,000
$ 400,000,000
$ 400,000,000
$ 350,000,000
$ 350,000,000
$ 350,000,000
$ 350,000,000
$ 335,000,000
$ 325,000,000
$ 325,000,000
$ 302,700,000
$ 300,000,000
$ 300,000,000
$ 300,000,000
$ 300,000,000
$ 300,000,000
$ 300,000,000
$ 300,000,000
$ 300,000,000
$ 300,000,000
$ 300,000,000
$ 296,000,000
$ 280,000,000
$ 276,000,000
$ 270,000,000
$ 250,000,000
$ 250,000,000
$ 250,000,000
$ 250,000,000
$ 250,000,000
$ 250,000,000
$ 250,000,000
$ 250,000,000
$ 250,000,000
$ 245,000,000
$ 245,000,000
$ 230,000,000
$ 225,000,000
$ 225,000,000
$ 224,000,000
$ 220,000,000
$ 209,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 200,000,000
$ 180,000,000
$ 175,000,000
$ 170,000,000
$ 160,000,000
$ 160,000,000
$ 150,000,000
$ 150,000,000
$ 150,000,000
$ 150,000,000
$ 150,000,000
$ 150,000,000
$ 150,000,000
$ 150,000,000
$ 150,000,000
$ 148,000,000
$ 140,000,000
$ 140,000,000
$ 137,000,000
$ 128,499,000
$ 126,000,000
$ 120,000,000
$ 114,581,000
$ 110,899,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 100,000,000
$ 98,527,000
$ 88,000,000
$ 87,500,000
$ 87,500,000
$ 87,500,000
$ 87,500,000
$ 87,000,000
$ 80,000,000
$ 80,000,000
$ 80,000,000
$ 70,000,000
$ 66,000,000
$ 63,000,000
$ 62,162,000
$ 60,000,000
$ 60,000,000
$ 60,000,000
$ 60,000,000
$ 50,644,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 50,000,000
$ 45,038,000
$ 44,000,000
$ 40,000,000
$ 40,000,000
$ 40,000,000
$ 40,000,000
$ 40,000,000
$ 40,000,000
$ 34,775,000
$ 33,000,000
$ 33,000,000
$ 30,000,000
$ 30,000,000
$ 30,000,000
$ 30,000,000
$ 30,000,000
$ 30,000,000
$ 29,169,000
$ 25,000,000
$ 25,000,000
$ 25,000,000
$ 25,000,000
$ 22,500,000
$ 20,000,000
$ 20,000,000
$ 20,000,000
$ 20,000,000
$ 20,000,000
$ 20,000,000
$ 19,000,000
$ 15,000,000
$ 15,000,000
$ 15,000,000
$ 15,000,000
$ 15,000,000
$ 15,000,000
$ 14,881,000
$ 14,000,000
$ 14,000,000
$ 13,000,000
$ 12,500,000
$ 10,000,000
$ 10,000,000
$ 10,000,000
$ 10,000,000
$ 10,000,000
$ 10,000,000
$ 6,000,000
$ 6,000,000
$ 6,000,000
$ 5,000,000
$ 4,500,000
$ 4,000,000
$ 4,000,000
$ 2,000,000
$ 2,000,000
$ 2,000,000
$ 2,000,000
$ 2,000,000
$ 2,000,000
$ 2,000,000
$ 2,000,000
$ 1,750,000
$ 1,500,000
$ 1,500,000
$ 1,500,000
$ 1,000,000
$ 1,000,000
$ 500,000
$ 250,000
$ 200,000
$ 100,000
$ 75,000
$ 65,000
$ 57,500
$ 50,000
$ 50,000
$ 50,000
$ 31,000
$ 30,000
$ 25,000
$ 25,000
$ 25,000
$ 15,000
$ 12,000
$ 10,000
$ 10,000
$ 9,000
$ 8,000
$ 8,000
$ 7,000
$ 6,000
$ 5,000
$ 4,860
$ 4,000
$ 2,500
$ 2,000
$ 2,000
$ 2,000
$ 1,000
$ 1,000
As a friendly reminder to staff. Don't go checking out the posteriors of your bosses while the press is taking pictures.
Photo: courtesy of Politico.com
OK now what?
I believe that the version of conservatism that we have been used to for the last 14 or so years died last night. I think it is time to reassess what it means to be a conservative and actually act like we mean it.
To start turn off the T.V. read a book, do a sudoku or play with your child like I did tonight, but just stop thinking about the news for a while. There will be plenty of time for that later. This a time we should reflect and ask ourselves what has gone haywire in the last few years to cause the results of 2006 and 2008.
I will not put fourth any new ideas in this post, but I would like to create a dialogue between many who consider themselves conservative and find out what it means to be conservative today.
I have been plugging away at more states, but I nearly forgot to post a complete image of the West Coast.
BTW: You can take a peek at West Texas (Green counties in TX go to Wallace in 1968 and Perot in 1992) as well as Oklahoma.
Here they are:
1960:
1964:
1968:
1972:
1976:
1980:
1984:
1988:
1992:
Again, feel free reference the images, but don't forget to throw me some street cred.
Note: Data available via web and the Election Archives of various Secretaries of State.
More calls and plugging away at my dataset have resulted in the following maps:
Take note that what is now Carson City, NV was Ornsby County also La Paz County, AZ was Yuma. If you don't know who was running for President in these years you should have paid more attention in your American history classes.
1960:
1964:
1968:
1972:
1976:
1980:
1984:
1988:
1992:
Stay tuned I will post a complete West Coast image in a few days.
Next up, CO, KS, OK, TX & NM.
Again, feel free reference the images, but don't forget to throw me some street cred.
Note: Data available via web and the Election Archives of various Secretaries of State.
After a few calls and searching on the Internet I have finished the Pacific Northwest maps.
Here is 1960 (Kennedy & Nixon):
Here is 1964 (Johnson & Goldwater):
1968 (Nixon & Humphrey):
1972 (Nixon & McGovern):
1976 (Ford & Carter):
1980 (Reagan & Carter) BTW: Republicans can win Western states:
1984 (Reagan & Mondale):
1988 (Bush & Dukakis):
1992 (Bush & Clinton):
I am now off to do the Southwestern half of the country... Up next is sunny California, Nevada and Arizona. I had better take my sunscreen along.
Feel free reference the images, but don't forget to throw me some street cred.
Note: Data available via web and the Election Archives of various Secretaries of State.
It has been a long primary season and frankly speaking the last few months were pretty boring. I did like seeing Team Hill and Obama spend lots of money and tear into each other, but that kind of entertainment lasts only so long.
Now it is all about McCain and Obama and to be honest I'm not thrilled with either candidate.
The Cainster has a lot of issues mainly convincing me that he is a Republican with big "R." His awful attempt at immigration reform nearly destroyed his quest for the White House, but time will tell if it effects his returns in November.
The Big O has his problems as well. One he is a democrat. Two he is too vague and inexperienced for his own good. Third he may have alienated many of his fellow d's by being a little too snooty about his thoughts towards rural America i.e. the whole Bittergate thing. Fourth he has the "support" of Hillary and that should prove interesting before it is all over.
So let us recap... we have two candidates that have major issues with members within their own party and I am sure the race will be interesting. However I'm not nearly as jazzed about the race like I was back in 2004.
If you scroll way down to the bottom of my blog you will find what I have been up to for the last month.
I have decided to create the now famous Red and Blue county maps for the Presidential elections going back to 1960.
Why 1960 you ask? Well that is the first year all 50 states voted for President. The 1992 map was not really what I would have started with, but the data was partially available on the web via the various SoS sites.
So stay tuned I promise to have all of the maps developed by the end of this year.
OK, I'll admit it has been a while and there has been plenty of stuff to write about, but my newborn daughter always seems to win over my attention. Since things are getting into a routine I think I can sneak in a few posts in between the feedings and diaper changes. Later Chris
The people working for the queen-in-waiting are sure dedicated in their quest for dirt. Team Hill got the goods on Obama by finding out that he wrote a paper in kindergarten on how he wants to be President.
I imagine the paper went something like this:
"I wunt to be puesident becus it wood bee kool to fwly arund the wrld and sea so many diffurent peoples."
the end.
Wow, that was a scandalous find by Team Hill. I bet if they dug deeper they may find a sinister looking finger painting by Barack or even worse... He stayed awake at nap time!
I still can be befuddled by what our "wise" politicians think any idea is actually a good idea.
Let's take this week's punching bag, drivers licenses for illegal aliens, for example.
Now if you are lucky enough to make your way (illegally) from Mexico to the Great state of New York you may soon be able to get the privilege to drive on our nation's great road system (which you did not pay for.) That being said you may have an accident and go to the hospital and receive medical care (which you will not pay for.) Then having been disabled you can apply for government benefits (which you don't contribute to) and then you can recover at home while your children go to a local school (which you don't pay for.)
Damn this is a pretty sweet deal where do I sign up...
Oh yeah I am here legally so I actually pay taxes to pay for the roads, schools, and government programs that take care of those who like to sponge off our country from the shadows.
It has been a few weeks since I posted on how MO donors are sitting on their hands when it comes to donating to the various Republican campaigns. I have pulled the latest numbers and unfortunately nothing has changed. Looking up campaign contributions for zip code 65804 (Springfield, MO) the only real activity was on the democratic side and hardly any donations went to the GOP field. The contributions going directly to GOP Presidential candidates is only $5,350. Romney $3,100 Guliani $1,000 McCain $1,050 Paul $200 For democratic candidates the total $17,950 Obama $4,050 Clinton $10,950 Edwards $1,350 Richardson $800 Biden $400 Kucinich $400 Hillary was the clear winner by raising almost $10,000 last quarter. I must admit that these GOP numbers are incredibly pathetic. The cost of this Presidential election will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars and raising 1000 bucks from a zip code that used to donate heavily to Presidential campaigns is not going to cut it. A note to the voters and hopefully contributors: If you have not noticed the first caucuses and primaries will be here before you pack away your Christmas tree for the year. The GOP field is not the greatest, but it is too late for fresh blood to enter and it really is time to decide on the one you want and start working to help your candidate. If nothing changes looks like the GOP base may just roll over, die and let Queen Hillary assume the Presidency. Data provided by Opensecrets.org
One of the biggest arguments that the dem's have against Bush is that "America's status around the world has declined since Bush came to office." Whatever. I don't recall a foreign ambassador being recalled for something Bush has done, but the democratic led house sure achieved that feat yesterday. A resolution calling a WWI event in Turkey genocide passed committee last night and that event alone has the Turkish Ambassador flying home for consultations with his government. I just don't understand why the dems verbally abuse and attack our friends and allies while taking summer trips to nations like Syria, Venezuela and other bastions of freedom and liberty around the world.
The short answer might be give me another candidate. I thought it may have been only I that found the current field of GOP Presidential candidates were pretty bland, but after snooping around on the net I do not think I am alone. I did a campaign finance search on the zip code 65804 (Springfield, MO). In the 2004 election cycle this zip donated $227,145 to various GOP candidates and associates just over $50,000 of that went to the George W. Bush campaign. In that same cycle $154,230 went to democratic candidates and associates with $24,000 of that total going to the Kerry camp. With that kind of action I think I can assume that this zip leans to the right. Now jump to today. Excluding 3Q numbers which will be made available online next week this is what is going on in 65804. The GOP related contribution total so far is $58,620, but the contributions going directly to Presidential candidates is only $3,950. Romney $2,100 Guliani $1,000 McCain $650 Paul $200 For the democratic side the overall total is $16,022 and direct to a particular candidate totals $6,450 Obama $3,800 Clinton $1,000 Edwards $750 Richardson $500 Biden $400 It is not that the GOP donors are not donating anything. Sen. Bond brought in $14,450 and Congressman Roy Blunt brought in $35,000 during the same period. This kind of lackluster fundraising by the GOP candidates really shows the cavernous gap between the dems and GOP. When or more importantly who will close this divide is anyone's guess at this point. Next week I will pull the numbers again. The new set will include the 3Q receipts and we will see if any of the candidates have caught the eye of some of Missouri's biggest GOP donors. Data provided by Opensecrets.org
Yes, folks via the polling method the election seems to have been called and Hillary is the winner, but before Hillary dons a diamond tiara and begins to run the country into the ground we should remember one thing she still has to win via an election… you know those things where you go and actually vote for someone. Some on Team Hillary may think that election thing is a minor detail, but I will even go out on a limb and say that Hill will not even get the primary votes needed to run for President in 2008. Remember a couple of points: For all of the money that Princess Hillary has she will spend a ton of it in the primaries against her democratic opponets. She still is as polorizing as a nice pair of sunglasses. Her squashing of unflattering stories in the print media does not go over well with the media. So let's wait and see what happens, I think you and Hill will be very surprised.
We all can bury this stupid idea of having an electric bugle churn out Taps at military funerals. Last Friday Gov. Blunt basically ordered the Guard to reinstate this honor at funeral services. I would really like to know who signed off on this policy in the first place.
Last week I heard on the radio that Taps would no longer be played by a bugler for burials a Jefferson Barracks Cemetery (Click Here), rather the rendition of Taps will be played via electronic device which is embedded inside a fake bugle which would be held by a person acting like they were performing Taps. This is just the most ridiculous and demeaning way to save a buck that I have ever heard. The reason for this "new policy" is budget constraints due to the war. I don't believe that excuse for a second. Somewhere there is some bureaucrat that decided he didn't want this to continue. I know it wasn't a politician's idea, because suggesting or endorsing this would be political suicide. Put simply this is government at its worst. I would like to see how many generals, admirals or colonels want this iPod/bugle thing played at their funerals. I would also like to ask our political leaders if they could scrap a pointless pet project and fund a program that should have never been cut in the first place.
So I was plowing through web pages looking for something to write about and lo and behold I saw this on Hardball with Chris Mathew's website: And this (at the bottom of the site): There were no less than 4 ads to refinance your house at rates to insane to believe! Perhaps the media should stop running stories of the subprime market meltdown until they remove the ads that are causing the mess in the first place. Oh and here is a MSNBC report from 9/7 on "misleading" ads by lending companies.
I am finally glad to talk again about the world of politics and not the creepy bathroom habits of elected officials. Let's start out with MoveOn's hit ad on Gen. Petraeus. Not only did MoveOn make themselves look like a horse's ass by slamming a man who really has served his country for over 30 years, but to do it in a very public way via the NYT. (That's New York Times for those of you that have a life.) You see if you want to get your message across do it in the, "Paper of Record." Not only did the lefty group slam the General, they also did it at a good price. It seems to be that the NYT cut the group some slack to the tune of $100,000 or 60% off newsstand prices. So let's play a game: I will come up with some alternative lines for some of the democratic candidates as if I were writing an ad piece. Hillary Clinton or Hillary Capitulation? Only she can tolerate the avid "habits" of her husband for so many years. Barack Obama or Barack I'll Bomb Ya? Only he has said that he will unilaterally bomb sovereign countries to take out terrorists. John Edwards or John … who cares he won't win anything.
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