April 21, 2016 at 10:07 pm
Local Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick is leaving office at the end of his current term. As usual, a few candidates lined up for the chance to take his place. At the moment, one of them in particular seems sure to win the primary race next week. That would be… Fitzpatrick?!? Yes… but not Mike. His brother Brian Fitzpatrick is running to take the office. Now, to the part I find interesting, and perhaps even a touch devious. Brian’s campaign signs are colored and stylized just like Mike’s signs were in previous elections. They boldly proclaim the last name, “Fitzpatrick”, listing the first name in much smaller text. Brian has also been keeping a very low profile. He has had limited interactions with the press and is generally trying to stay out of the limelight. This is by design. The strategy is clever – hope no one notices that you’re not actually your brother, and gain the advantage of being the incumbent, without actually, well, you know… being the incumbent. Based on the little bit of poking around I did on Brian Fitzpatrick’s website, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between him and his brother. So even though I find the […]
August 4, 2011 at 5:54 pm
The saga of the Great Debt Ceiling Crisis of 2011 came to a disappointing end Tuesday when President Obama signed into law the lousy “compromise” that was sent to him by Congress. Let us look back on the events that brought us to the pathetic end of the over-hyped debt ceiling “crisis”. The President addressed the nation on Monday July 25, in the hope of frightening the American people into a blind, thoughtless frenzy that would have them pressure their respective members of Congress into a “compromise”. The days following his speech brought the introduction of several plans by various leaders in Washington DC. The primary of those being one from House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) – who incidentally filibustered his own bill for more than 20 hours. In the President’s speech Monday he did his very best to explain the problem to the American people. He did so by: Demonizing tax cuts as an expense to the government – as if the money belongs to the government, and the government is being inconvenienced in allowing you to have it, as their gift to you. This money belongs to you! The government has […]