Archive | February, 2011

Somebody show this to the Governor

28 Feb

The state is beginning to realize an already dysfunctional information technology (IT) system has gotten worse.
The reason?

There’s many, but most of it is a personnel decision by former Governor Linda Lingle.

State auditor Marian Higa has blamed just about everything on the lack of priority and leadership by Lingle.

The Legislature allowed a Chief Information Officer position in her administration.
Most states have this position.

The state comptroller, Russ Saito requested and got the job on top of his other duties as director of the Department of Accounting and General Services.

Saito is a good person and hard-working.
But as we noted in this article, you can’t wear two hats and be effective.

As we pointed out, it’s a different skill set and a full-time job.

Saito responded to Higa that a full-time position of chief information officer “is not necessary.”
Absolutely wrong.

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Rumsfeld a flesh-eating lizard

28 Feb

Hardly.

Book tours are the painful part of being an author.

But whomever booked this one should look for another line of work.

As part of his, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld appeared on “The Opie and Anthony Show” and discussed whether or not he is a flesh-eating space lizard.

These guys are on satellite radio and can get more tasteless than funny at times.

While Opie and Anthony attempted to steer the interview with Rumsfeld back to more serious topics, comedian Louis C.K. repeatedly tried to have the longtime Washington insider deny that he is actually a lizard in disguise.

Heh.
Lile we say, tasteless but an interesting angle – for maybe one question.

At first, Rumsfeld dodged the question with a story about how wherever he goes in New York, people want to shake his hand, get his autograph, and buy him dinner.

That didn’t work.
Louis refused to let up throughout the 15-minute interview.

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Making fun of the Tea Party

28 Feb

Making fun of the Tea Party can be difficult at times.
A lot of people agree with them.

Good, reasonable, nation-loving people.

If you look at what the party says it stands for, it’s easy to agree.

Less government, less taxes, less federal folks sticking their nose in your business.

Admirable goals.
Goals a lot of people want to see.

Us too.

Something gets lost between the dreams and reality.
In some ways the Tea Party is as much a cult as it is a movement.

It pushes the crazy button way too often.

Let’s jump in…
Tea Party supporters gathered for a weekend strategy summit in Arizona over the weekend.

They say they want to make sure the Republicans they helped return to power live up to promises to dramatically change Washington.

The event was filled with warnings to the GOP not to squander their new base of support, at the risk of less help or opening up to challenges from the right.

The message that came out of the meeting:
Congress is too timid when it comes to slashing spending.
Republican leaders seem too willing to compromise with President Barack Obama to avoid a government shutdown.
The newly empowered GOP won’t take a firm enough stand to cut the nation’s debt.

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Trying to rein in the Tea Party

28 Feb

We’ve said before the Republican Party is committing suicide.

It’s just our opinion, for what’s it’s worth.

As the freshmen Tea Party faithful run wild and free through the halls of Congress, they could paint the party in a corner that might well mean losing their seat on 2012.

Our prime example:
Last week, House Republicans were budget-slashing rebels, taking a hacksaw to federal accounts, ignoring a Senate sure to ignore their bill, and a president with a veto pen in hand.

But facing the vision of a government shutdown still looming on March 4th, being the party that sticks to its guns suddenly looks like a losing line in the national PR battle.

Last Friday, hoping to recast themselves as the responsible ones in Washington, they came up with the stop-gap budget bill to keep government going a bit longer.

Their case is clear: if the Senate can’t stomach their two-week stopgap bill that cuts $4 billion in federal spending, it’s Senate Democrats, not House Republicans, who are inching the government toward a shutdown.

It’s their fault, not ours.

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Monday quickie

28 Feb

Four months after sweeping to power in the House, Republicans are getting a reality check about 2012: President Barack Obama is going to be a lot tougher to defeat than he looked late last year.

The GOP is seeing how difficult unseating an incumbent president with a massive warchest is going to be, even with a still-dismal economy.

Republicans underestimate President Obama at their own peril.
There’s a long-standing truism of American politics – unless there’s a major crisis of confidence, it’s highly difficult to defeat a sitting president.

There is a sense among Republicans that predictions of Obama turning out to be the next Jimmy Carter were premature.
Some potential Republican candidates are saying, “The people that are sitting around saying, ‘He’s definitely going to be a one-term president. It’s going to be easy to take him out,’ they’re obviously political illiterates – political idiots, let’s be blunt.”

Next…
 It’s become a familiar talking point among Republicans in Washington, talk radio and some right-wing blogs:
The people are ahead of the politicians on entitlement reform, ready to face the tough realities about Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare.

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