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The Daily Dose/February 4, 2010
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes from around the Human Experience...
CIRCLING THE WAGONS: If anyone requires further proof this country is riding the A train to the fifth ring of Hell, President Obama's having the nerve to suggest that people trying to save money shouldn't blow that money in Vegas provides it.
To Review: This follows his scandalous February, 2009 remark where he had the nerve to suggest that banks that received federal charity should not be holding meetings in Sin City.
Back To The Future: Since nobody else seems to be doing it, The Daily Dose is pleased to place the president's Las Vegas comments in something we like to call 'context', a concept that has all but disappeared from modern political discourse.
The comments were made at a New Hampshire high school, at the tail end of a pretty good speech (we know, we read the whole thing) on the economy. President Obama was talking about the need for government to reduce its deficit. Here is the entire paragraph:
Responsible families don't do their budgets the way the federal government does. Right? When times are tough, you tighten your belts. You don't go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices. It's time your government did the same.
What The Hell's Going On Here? Can anybody disagree with this? Our day job is at a glamorous hotel/casino on the fabulous Las Vegas Strip and is more or less dependent on people blowing money in Vegas and we agree with it. Is anybody out there actually in favor of blowing Billy's college fund at the craps table?
A Disenting Viewpoint: This opinion is out of step with those of several of Nevada's elected leaders. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman took time out from cocktail hour to announce "the president is a real slow learner" while everyone from senators Harry Reid and John Ensign to Nevada's House delegation made similar statements of outrage, doing a very good job of making themselves look childish as well as selfish.
First off, the remarks, taken again, in what we like to call 'context', were certainly not anti-Vegas any more than they were anti-boating.
And if they were, so what? It is simply not reasonable to expect your elected leaders to be all things to all people. It is impossible for a small town alderman to be all things to the people in the few square blocks that make up his constituency, and it is beyond comprehension to believe that the President of the United States can do that, too.
A Final Thought: And, honestly, if you can't afford Vegas we don't really want you to come anyway because you arent doing anybody any good because though you may be able to afford a discounted room you can't afford to gamble and you can't afford to eat in our expensive restaurants or pay $300 for a belt. Stay home. Save your money so you can send your to college so they can get a decent job and can afford to come here.
I Do Solemnly Swear: On this date, in 1789, George Washington is unanimously elected President of the United States by the Electoral College. He would inaugurated on April 30.
Stop Me If You've Heard This Before: On this date, in 1793, George Washington is unanimously elected President of the United States by the Electoral College.
Order In The Court: John Marshall becomes Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court on this date in 1801.
Like his appointment, this date is shadowy. He had been confirmed on January 27, and received his commission on January 31 and he continued to serve as Secretary of State until March 4, when President John Adams left office.
The end of Adams' term and the appointment of Marshall is not a coincidence because he wanted to appoint someone before Thomas Jefferson took office in March and John Jay, the first Chief Justice, had declined a reappointment.
By The By: Also, in an attempt to screw Jefferson, Adams created many new circuit court judgeships and filled them before leaving office, and he also lowered the number of Supreme Court justices from six to five, meaning there would have to be two vacancies before Jefferson could make a Supreme Court appointment, although there was not a vacancy while this provision was in effect.
Dry, Technical Matter: Marshall would serve as Chief Justice for 34 years, longer than any other Chief Justice. Despite the fact he was not Adams' first pick, and that he was selected mainly because he was around to accept the appointment, his influence was profound. Under Marshall, the court established that the Supreme Court had the authority to invalidate an act of Congress it deemed contrary to the Constitution and also adopted the practice of issuing one opinion, where in the past each justice had issued their own, separate opinion. Marshall is generally considered to have taken a very broad view towards interpreting the Constitution, allowing the power of the Federal government to flourish. He participated in over 1,000 decisions and wrote 519 opinions.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS: We are still deciding who to root for in the upcoming Super Bowl. We are, of course, unbridled bandwagon hoppers here at the Writer's Shack and when both the AFC and NFC top seeds are playing, it makes it kind of tough.
New Orleans, of course, is our sentimental pick, because they've been really bad for most of their 43-year existence, sort of like us. We like their uniforms, too, especially ones with the white jerseys and the gold pants. Plus, we toured the Superdome once and we even saw them play in person ages ago against the Los Angeles Rams.
OTOH: The Colts play their home games in Lucas Oil Stadium, and we've been putting Lucas Oil Stabilizer in our car for years and are very pleased with it. It's a great product, although we are not endorsing it because they are not paying us to.
Final Answer: We may well wait until the game is over before picking our fave, much like we did last year when our Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII.
Thought For The Day: I will get ready, and then, perhaps, my time will come. - John Wooden
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: Of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, Holly had the biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Holly spent one week at #1 with That'll Be The Day in 1957. The Big Bopper's biggest hit was Chantilly Lace, which went to #6 in 1958 and Valens' biggest hit was Donna, which went to #2, also in 1958.
Today's Stumper: Whose treason trial did Chief Justice Marshall preside over? - Answer next time!
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