Things I STILL Do Not Understand: The Debt Ceiling 'Deal' (Part II)

"Let me be clear, there are things in life which I simply do not understand. Perhaps I do not understand certain concepts because they defy logic, or perhaps, more likely, other people who understand them less than I do - keep trying to explain them to me 'incorrectly'..."  

-- Mike Kane 08/03/2011

I've been listening to the TV and radio for the past week trying to get a handle on the whole 'Debt Ceiling Deal' thing. After five days of almost constant-exposure to the 'Smartest People' in the room pontificating about the deal, I have still MORE questions than I did yesterday. Some go back to BEFORE the deal, some DURING the deal, and a few AFTER the deal.

Not wanting to over-burden my already-pounding head, let me ask my questions in no particular order - if you have answers to any of the following, please chime in, if these you leave you scratching your head too, well, I'm sorry...

Question 1:  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told us that August 2nd was the 'Absolute Drop-Dead-Default-Date' to getting a deal together to avoid a technical DEFAULT of the Federal Government.  The original first-ever 'Absolute-Drop-Dead-Default-Date' was May 16th, as outlined in my original post:  Raising the Roof, Or 'Lowering the Floor'?  

Luckily for us, the Obama Administration (working diligently with the Treasury, SEIU, and Martha Stewart's Tax Advisor), FOUND '$136 BILLION' between the White House couch cushions resulting in the date being pushed back to early August.   

So I guess what I'm really wondering is this:  Was August 2nd a REAL date, or merely a Marketing Ploy to scare the Bejesus out of old people, the sick, the handicapped, and the un-informed?  I'm thinking that it was a scam, but hey, what do I know?  If YOU know for sure please get back to me so I can let the President know the next time I'm at the White House helping him look for change in the couch.   


Question 2: Moody's and the folks at the S&P told us that the US Government would need to SLASH spending by about $4 TRILLION to keep its AAA Rating. I wasn't GREAT at Math, but isn't 2.4 LESS THAN 4.00 TRILLION? 

UPDATE:  Friday evening Standard & Poor's lowered the Nation's credit rating to AA+  

Ah, nuts, I guess somebody over at the S&P was even better at Math than I was.  They KNEW that the 'promise' of a $2.4 TRILLION reduction in debt over 10 years is LESS than an ACTUAL $4 TRILLION immediate reduction in Government Spending...

And, per the article 'linked' from the 'Update' line above: 
"S&P said that in addition to the downgrade, it is issuing a negative outlook, meaning that there was a chance it will lower the rating further within the next two years.

It said such a downgrade to AA would occur if the agency sees less reductions in spending than Congress and the administration have agreed to make, higher interest rates or new fiscal pressures during this period.

S&P first put the government on notice in April that a downgrade was possible unless Congress and the administration came up with a credible long-term deficit reduction plan and avoided a default on the country's debt." 

You can read the entire article: HERE 

Question 3:  The President, Harry Reid, Timothy Geithner, John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, Jerry Lewis,  and "Babbu-The-Lizard-Boy" each told us that if we did not resolve the Debt Crisis Dilemma by August 2nd that there would be a profoundly negative impact on US and World Financial Markets. 

Let me be the first to say the following: 

"THANK GOD-IN-HEAVEN THEY ACTED
WHEN THEY DID!" 

If they didn't come up with this last-minute-bipartisan-bit-of-horse-pucky, can you IMAGINE what would have happened to US and World markets?

Can you imagine how WORSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN!?!?!?!?!?!? 

In case you've spend the last several days sleeping under a bridge abutment, let's recap the excellent financial results following the landmark legislation that 'we-just-had-to-have':

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 60.93 points, or 0.54%, to 11444.61. For the week, the blue-chip index finished down 698.63 points, or 5.75%, its biggest weekly point drop since October 2008. It has dropped 9.75% over the last two weeks and is down 1.15% for the year. -- Wall Street Journal Online, August 5, 2011  
  
So, I'm wondering, if Congress didn't have an arbitrary timeline, the President didn't freak out old people, the sick, the dependent, and squishy-minded Americans who believe that ALL GOOD comes from Government, given the legislation more time AND honest negotiation, would Congress have been able to exorcise the 'really bad aspects' of the recently-passed Debt Limit Increase?  Or, would US and World markets have been impacted LESS negatively as they were FOLLOWING passage of the 'Deal'?

Remember, this 'deal' was supposed to SAVE us from 'Gloomy Financial Uncertainty' - right?

But wait - there's MORE!!! 

The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index edged 0.69 point, or 0.06%, lower to 1199.38. For the week, it finished down 7.2%, its biggest percentage drop since November 2008. The index is down 10.83% throughout the last two weeks.


The Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 23.98 points, or 0.94%, to 2532.41. The technology-oriented index slumped 8.13% this week and is down 11.42% over the last two weeks.   Source:  Wall Street Journal Online


Question 4:  IF, big 'if', (but better than a big 'butt'!) you are the President of the United States and you KNOW that hard financial times are coming, do you:

a.)  Form a bipartisan committee to recommend how to best weather the impending financial storm?,

b.)  Form a bipartisan committee to recommend how to best weather the impending financial storm and play 70+ rounds of golf in your first two & a half years in office?,

c.)  Form a bipartisan committee to recommend how to best weather the impending financial storm, play 70+ rounds of golf in your first two & a half years in office and THEN disregard the recommendations of the bipartisan "National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform" LEADING into the financial mess we find ourselves in today?

or, do you

d.)  Do an exclusive interview with 'Tiger Beat' magazine?

The answer, of course, is...  [DRUMROLL]

is...

No, just kidding. 

But you almost bought it for a moment, didn't you?  I mean, it COULD have happened, right?  Unfortunately, it's not real - it's a gag. 

More unfortunately for the country, the actual answer, of course, is 'C' - which can best be summarized as follows:

a.)  Form a committee to reduce government waste
b.)  Golf 'a lot'
c.)  Ignore the committee's recommendations
d.)  Blame it all on Bush, Japanese Tsunami, Arab Spring, and oil prices


Question 5:  Republicans, in their 'Pledge to America', promised to provide 3 days of review for any Bill in the House prior to its being brought up for a vote.  In violating their own stated promise to the American People, they have shown a lack of commitment to their not just Republicans, but all Americans. 

Let me ask you this, who's more at fault for this - President Obama, Congress, or the Treasury for creating the 'crisis' to begin with, or Speaker of the House Boehner for not sticking to his campaign-based principles? 

My opinion?  Boehner 'screwed the pooch'.  When you negotiate from a position of weakness, you take shortcuts, you make 'easier' decisions.  You get what you deserve. 

We, the People, deserve better.

If you have any answers to the above inquiries, toss them in the Comment section below - I'd like to know what you think..

I fear that many in our Nation have more questions than they have answers.  This holds especially true for the man currently sitting in the White House.  Maybe the President can start asking US what we do when our household is spending more than it takes in?

For this, yes, I believe we have many 'answers' for him.  

If only the man would ask someone other than a Nobel-Prize-Winner for an answer from time to time? 

Actual 'Made-Up-Seconds-Ago' Example:  When President Obama needs to know what time it is -- he asks one of his 'Nobel-Prize-Winners' how to deconstruct and then reconstruct a watch using only 'Green Technology' and the power of his 'Awesomeness'.

For the love of God!  Someone, please, from now on when he asks what time it is, tell him the following:

"It's just after midnight, Mr. President.  Get some sleep now...  You've got 18-holes in the morning."

Speaking of time, it's time for me to chase dreams into the night...

I do well with dreams.  Sometimes the waking is the nightmare.

Things I Do Not Understand: The Debt Ceiling 'Deal'

"Let me be clear, there are things in life which I simply do not understand.  Perhaps I do not understand certain concepts because they defy logic, or perhaps, more likely, other people who understand them less than I do - keep trying to explain them to me 'incorrectly'..."   --  Mike Kane 08/03/2011

I've been listening to the TV and radio for the past several days trying to get a handle on the whole 'Debt Ceiling Deal' thing.  After 72 hours of almost constant-exposure to the 'Smartest People' in the room pontificating about the deal, I have questions.  Some go back to BEFORE the deal, some DURING the deal, and a few AFTER the deal.  

Not wanting to over-burden my already-pounding head, let me ask my questions in no particular order - if you have answers to any of the following, please chime in, if these you leave you scratching your head too, well, I'm sorry...

Question 1:  How does increasing Congress's ability to borrow money by $2.4 TRILLION reduce spending?  Would you give a bottle of Jack Daniel's to an alcoholic to get him to stop drinking?

Question 2:  Moody's and the folks at the S&P told us that the US Government would need to SLASH spending by about $4 TRILLION to keep its AAA Rating.  I wasn't GREAT at Math, but isn't 2.4 LESS THAN 4.00 TRILLION?

Question 3:  The Bill, as written, creates a 'SuperCongress' provision.  Will the members of this SuperCongress be compelled to wear tights, boots, and capes?  And if they are - will the proceedings be televised on CSPAN?  And if they are televised, will Guantanamo detainees be forced to watch them? 

Question 4:  How can President Obama continue to blame our current economic 'Malaise'* on President Bush's policies?  He HAS been President for almost three years - correct? 

I know it SEEMS longer than three years, but President Obama blaming our current economic conditions on GW Bush is like my wife blaming me for a bad dream SHE had in which I did something wrong. 

When she wakes up, she's mad at ME and all I did was wake up...  (Am I the only one this happens too?) 


Question 5:  If someone presented the following chart to you, would you think that there is 'might be a slight spending problem' within the US Congress (since spending is proposed by Congress and 'approved' by the President)? 

To more completely understand the above chart, please note a couple of things:

FIRST:  GW Bush, between 2000 and 2006, between the two solid red lines, increased our National Debt from $5 TRILLION to over $6 TRILLION with a 'divided government' (Republicans held White House and Presidency - Democrats controlled the Senate) 

[An increase of $1 TRILLION in new debt while recovering from 9/11 and spending for two wars.]

SECOND:  GW Bush between 2006 and 2008 (dashed white line to second red line) increased our National Debt from over $6 TRILLION to over $8 TRILLION with a Republican in the Presidency and Democrats controlling the House, the Senate. 

[An increase of $2  TRILLION in debt in 2 years]

THIRD:  President Obama, a Democratically-controlled House (2 Years) and Democratically-controlled Senate (3 Years) between 2008 and 2011 increased the National Debt from $8 TRILLION to over $14 TRILLION in LESS THAN THREE YEARS. 

[A $6 TRILLION increase in debt in less than three years]

FOURTH:  The prior item, of course, was the fault of GW Bush.  

FIFTH:  The chart above was found on a Korean Investment website.  My sincere thanks to "Korean Investment's Yoo". 

You?  No, not YOU, the OTHER Yoo...  Ah, never mind.

SUMMING UP:  Democrats never met a borrowed dollar of yours that they didn't like to spend.  40 Cents of EVERY dollar being spent today is borrowed from other nations or being printed at the Treasury.  It's backed by?

Hope and Change.

There are MORE questions, of course, but I am out of time and valuing my JOB as I do, I must be off. 

More questions to come.  If you have any answers, toss them in the Comments section below. 

If you, too, have questions, please don't give them to me as I have enough for all of us...  And my wife told me that she had a bad dream about ME last night so I'm sure I'm going to get questions of my own later today... 

[SIGH]

*NOTE: President Carter NEVER used the 'M' word, but it became synonymous with his 'Malaise Speech' which as mentioned above, never included the word itself. 

"How Brown Was My Latrine?" (a.k.a.: Summer Camp 2011)

Okay, it's been a couple of weeks.  I can go there now.  I wasn't exactly sure how to get started, but starting is easy once fingers begin moving on the keyboard, the mouth begins mouthing the words I type, and the dehumidifier in the my downstairs 'Rec' room begins to drone on relentlessly. 


Grab my hand, we're going into the woods...


Summer Camp 2011 
July 3rd through July 8th


We took part in the annual pilgrimage to 'Summer Camp' a few weeks ago.  The weather was 'close' to perfect, highs during the day of mid-80's and in the evening it dropped into the high 50's.  Sleeping on the rickety cot and mattress in the WWII-era Boy Scout tent was better than sleeping in my own bed at home.  


I had a tent all to myself (due to an potentially-explosive 'methane' issue).  No, actually I was the 'acting' adult leader for this year's trip and we had an even-number of boys.  They got to bunk with each other - as for me, it was just me, all alone in my own tent.  It was nothing short of wonderful.  On paper, I'm the Assistant Scout Master - in real life, I'm Mike Kane, with my youngest son, Tim, in Boy Scout Troop 244. 


Our 'actual' Scout Master is the Ranger at Camp Tuscarora (you can call it Tuskie if you like - it's a lot easier to type or say, in a sentence).  'Ranger Mike' (not me, the OTHER Mike) pretty much runs full throttle from 5:30am in the morning till 11:00pm in the evening seven days a week for six weeks each summer.  Once summer camp is over he checks himself into a Camp Ranger De-Stress clinic for the 'serially sleep-deprived'.  I would imagine that 46 weeks out of the year, Tuskie is a great place to wake up in.


These six weeks of Summer Camp, though, let's just say, 'They'd kill a lesser man...'


I brought my digital camera with me to camp again this year.  The following photos took place over six days - you'll probably get through them in less than half this amount of time.  As for myself, I don't need the photos 'cause I was there.  My memory isn't as good as it used to be, but probably better than it will be in another ten years, but good memories have a way of 'sticking'.  Unfortunately, well, the bad ones, they get 'stuck' too. 


This post isn't about the 'baddies'.  It's about the 'goodies'. 


Let's get gettin' while the gettin's good...

Home Sweet Home for the Week July 3rd - July 8th, 2011
(Please take time to note the MAJOR Award underneath the
Chippawa sign - more on this in a second)

The Boy Scout Troop has been setting up at 'Summer Unit 3' (Chippawa Site) since before we moved into the area, and probably way before my kids were born.  It's quite possibly the nicest camp site in the facility.  It's got trees, it's got sun, it's got shade, it's got spiders, crickets, garter snakes AND a latrine. 

Seriously, what else could you ask for?  (Anyone who asks, "A TV?" is not capturing the 'Scouting Spirit' and will be struck in the face with a cream pie.  (They call this 'foreshadowing'...)) 

Ah, behold, the mighty 'Tuscarora Site Inspection' award!  Troop 244 DECIMATED the competition (two other Troops) by winning this MAJOR AWARD four of the five days it was given.  On the fifth day, it was awarded jointly to the other two troops we competed against because, apparently, no one has ever won it five days in a row.


How do you GET this prestigious award?  You need a clean campsite, a non-stinky latrine (more later), assigned chores for scouts, a well-maintained fire pit, no bears in your tents, a Dad (me) to trim the lawn via industrial Weed-Eater (louder than a jet engine) and lastly, a 'site improvement' project.  (Think 'brown' - don't rush me, I'll get there...)
    

"Doo, Doo, Doo, Lookin' Out My Tent Flap"

On Monday afternoon I rested after a fun-filled morning of mowing, trimming, and edging the campsite.  In the picture above, but not really visible you'll find a lawn mower and the Weed Eater from the US Weed Eating Olympic Team. 

Can't see 'em?  They're there, trust me.  Okay, how about now?

Oh yeah, I got site-clearing skills...  Of course, after snapping the above photo I fell asleep for  almost two hours.  In my head, however, the 'metallic-mosquito-from-Hades' noise of that dang Weed Eater continues to this day.

Home away from home, July 2011...

Behold the Fire Pit!

The fire pit is pretty much Ground Zero at the campsite.  There are EXTRAORDINARILY uncomfortable benches (with 'BONUS splinters!') surrounding half of of it, the other half is where people who planned ahead of time had folding chairs set up (I was one of 'them').  I lay my weary body down on the bench for a moment in order to get a photo of things much greater than myself.


This, is that photo...

I really like this picture.  I don't know if it's because it was a beautiful day, or if it just 'put things in perspective' for me.  In any event, this is what I saw as I lay down upon the 2" x 6" plank next to the fire pit.

When we arrived at camp on Sunday, we signed up for the 'now-near-legendary' Bear Cave Hike.  In the photo above, we see Scouts walking away from me as I take another photo.  Thinking back, I spent the entire week watching the back of kids' heads.  I was the 'scooper' for most walks / hikes.  If anyone lagged behind, I would 'Scoop' them up and move them forward, hopefully, not trampling any others in the process. 


At the end of the walk, I could have used a 'Scooper' of my own - I was 'Pooped'. 


I was a 'Pooped Scooper'.  (This, it turns out is better than being a: 'Pooper Scooper'...) 

There ought to be a sign:  "The Bear Cave - Stay AWAY!!!"

There wasn't a sign warning us off. 

Luckily for us, the bear was OUT for the day.


Remember, I'm the 'Scooper'.  I've got the slowest-walking kids back here with me.  As the old adage goes, "I don't have to outrun the bear - I only have to outrun YOU." 


Although, I really didn't want to find out the hard way WHO the slowest of the group was, because, most likely, it was me...

The side of the 'Bear Cave' rock formation AND bonus twisty-trunked tree!

Camp Tusky has a 'Back-Up' emergency alert system.  If there is a camp emergency the horn on the top of the dining hall blasts loudly until you can no longer hear ANYTHING ELSE.  If, however, the dining hall loses power, bursts into flames, is inhabited by bears or they can't reach the button to trigger the alarm, there's always the 'Bell'. 


I've been at camp now for six summers.  I never looked at the bell until this year.  I should have looked sooner.  It was manufactured by Meneely's Bell Foundry of Troy, NY.  It features the patented 'Meneely Rotating Yoke' (not making this up). 

The bell was manufactured in 1857.  Yeah, that's over 150 years old.  Almost as old as my Chrysler.

Okay, that's pretty cool.

Each day we line up outside the Dining Hall for Breakfast and Lunch.  The above photo is of the flag-raising ceremony.  At dinner we meet at the parade grounds, in uniform, for the flag-lowering ceremony.




At lunch, you challenge Staff to friendly 'Competitions'.  For example, you can challenge a staff member to a 'Fishing Challenge'.  If he / she catches more fish than you do, as the 'Challenger', YOU get a pie in the face.


When challenged by the Scout, the ONLY acceptable response in reply is, "To the Death!"


Example:  "I would like to challenge Tom to a Smores Eating Contest!"


Response:  "To the Death!"


Then, everyone claps, shouts, and in general question under their breath, "Can you really DIE eatting Smores?"  I don't believe so - as I'm still alive. 


If you DO accept the fishing challenge referenced above and if you catch more fish than the Staff Member does, the following series of events takes place:


1.  Everyone is called to the center of the Dining Hall

2.  The results of the Challenge are carefully reviewed and tabulated using highly efficient scientific methods.  For really high fish count numbers (over '10'), shoes are removed...


3.  If you lose the challenge, you get a whipped cream pie to the face, as illustrated below

Moments after this photo was taken, several bears stormed the Dining Hall and ate this staff member's head. 


It's a shame really, he was a nice kid. 

As the day begins to wind down, there's nothing better than a bunch of scouts sitting at a rickety picnic table teaching each other the 'Life Skills' they'll need to be successful as they get older:


a.)  Telling Jokes


b.)  Telling Tall Tales


c.)  Comparing Merit Badge Achievements


and, of course, the proudest Scouting experience of all...


d.)  Learning How to Play Cards Without cheating

So as the camp fire dies,and the sun sets on another year at Camp Tuscarora, we ask ourselves: 


WHAT did we learn this year? 


Which memories will last a life-time?


The answers to the above questions are pretty much the same as every other year: 

• We learn that there are things greater than ourselves.
• We learn that being away from TV, Radio, and the Internet helps you sleep better at night.
• We learn that if you hear 'snuffling' noises and leaves rustling coming from the outside of your tent at 2:14AM early Tuesday morning - it might NOT be a hungry bear. 
• We learn that eating 'Beefy Bean Burritos' at noon and sitting too close to the camp fire that evening is NEVER a good idea. 
• We learn that those people who honor the past of our Nation will help shape it 'for the better' in the future.
• We learned that on the Fourth of July, by recognizing our Nation, those who serve in the US Military, and playing 'God Bless the USA' over the dining hall speakers WILL make Mr. Kane remember how much he misses his son serving the US Navy in Japan.  A couple of years ago - he was at this table.   
• We learn that sometimes Mr. Kane cries in public - even when he's trying hard not to.

and,

• We learn that if you volunteer for a 'Site Improvement' project which includes the 'Staining' of the latrine - it's better to get the stain delivered on Monday morning vs. Thursday night.

Why?  Because Troop 244 is the first group to stay at the campsite since last summer.  Stuff from beneath the latrine has pretty much dried out / dissipated over the winter.  Butt (big butt), if you don't get the stain until dinner-time on Thursday and don't start staining until Friday morning...  Let's just say it doesn't smell as good in the latrine on Friday as it did on Monday morning.


The question which began this post:  "How Brown Was My Latrine?"

Over the past few years porcupines, squirrels, chipmunks  and other 'denizons
of the woods' conspired to chew the wood within the latrine.  Someone had to
sand, and paint it, right?  Yeah, that would be me...

The Answer:  "Very"




I'll leave you with the following.  The kids packed their tents, rolled their bags, and had headed down to the parking lot to get signed out by their parents.  I made one last trip to the campsite to make sure that no gear, kids, or trash was left behind (it's a Boy Scout thing). 


As I approached the campsite for the last time a deer stepped onto the road about ten feet in front of me.


We stared at each other for probably no more than thirty seconds, but it felt as if a much longer period of time passed.  There was no fear in either of us - just a mutual understanding of each other. 


We both 'belonged' there.

With a quick look back at me and a leisurely turn to the right, my new-found friend left the campsite. 
Having completed his inspection, I began mine.


Yeah, it was 'all good'. 

Al Gore Can Lead Republicans to Victory!

Al couldn't save his marriage to Tipper, but might he possess
the secret strategy for Republicans to save the Country? 

Whoa, Al, you are so...  "Da man!"

I remember watching Al lay this 'made for Porn' kiss on Tipper as I sat in my cushy chair in Jacksonville, FL.  Moments later my dog (whom I believed was sleeping on the floor next to me) lifted her head and licked the underside of my right hand as it hung over the side of the chair.  Somewhere in space, the scream which left my body continues to travel, unimpeded by distance, or distortion...

Did I really think that Al Gore snuck into my family room and put a 'Big Wet One' on the bottom of my hand?  No, not really.  But after seeing these two vapor-locked together onstage in 2000, well, I was just 'on edge'.  My life would never be the same.  And my eyes, they BURNED (Both from the onscreen tongue-lashing and the fact that I was laughing pretty hard after screaming like a school-girl). 

I have recently been thinking about something Al Gore said that I caught on Television years ago.  Turns out that the clip goes all the way back to the early 1990's when Clinton / Gore were looking to de-throne 'Bush 41 - The Elder'.  Something Al said back then has continued to burn as an ember in the back of my mind through the years. 

It was something about the State of our Union under George HW Bush.  Something about how Bush 41 could not be trusted for four more years because of what he, and his administration had done to our economy, our standard of living, our unemployment rate, and in general, the well-being of our Country. 

They say, "Seek and ye shall find".  Well I looked, and tonight, I found it.  Nestled between clips of Al spouting off about Global Warming (oops 'Global Climate Change'), clips of screaming about how GW Bush 43 -- The Younger "Played on our Fears!" and forcing our nation to do terrible things based upon lies, fabrications, and on the whole, 'meaness of Bush and Cheney', in general.  It was right there.  It was there waiting for me to re-discover it. 

If Republicans want to displace President Obama in the White House, perhaps they should begin by chanting similar to the chant contained in the following video clip - every chance they get... 

Wherever there is a camera - a microphone - or more than 4 people gathered together at a time, let them take up the chorus begun by Al Gore in 1992. 

Let us learn from Al the lesson which is best summed up in John 8:32:   

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."


Oh, and it'll help you win elections too... It just takes courage, consistency, and commitment. I just hope the Republicans are up to it.  Everything Al chants in the video above can be laid at the feet of President Obama.  The question is:  Which Republican will carry this message to the People of America?  If only we had someone with the passion of Al Gore, the political savy of Bill Clinton, and the loyalty of a Golden Retriever - we'd have the perfect candidate to beat the 'Punk of Pennsylvania Avenue'. 


Imagine this:  Al Gore's own words, boldly coaching a new wave of Conservatives into the House, Senate, and White House.


Yeah, life is good.

Gotta go.  I need to shower after re-living that Y2K kiss which began this post.  I'm feeling 'oogey' and there is a dog next to my chair 'eyeballing' my hand - which is odd - because this is a different dog... 

Sometimes you don't need to teach an old dog a new trick.  Sometimes you just need to teach a new dog an old trick.

I wonder if Republicans can learn from Al?

Sheesh, I hope so...