Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses - Kathy Mattea

This Is The Outfit I Drove For. Forty One States In Just Over A Year. Not Bad...

Ever Been Trucking...

Breaker 1-9, how bout that westbound flatbed, you got your ears on bud? How bout it westbound? A minute or so later a voice came booming over my CB radio. You got Big Jim from Wyoming here, who we got on that end? I tell him they call me Bojangles and I hail from the great state of Kansas. Big Jim was quick to ask how Toto was doing. Wise guy.
Big Jim asks what’s on my mind. I asked him whether he’s seen any bears (State Troopers or local cops) for the last few miles and because I’m about an hour over my 10 hours I needed to know whether or not the chicken coops (weigh stations) about ten miles down the road were open tonight. Big Jim assured me the chickens had flown the coop for the night (the weigh station is closed) and said he hasn’t seen a bear for a couple hours or so. Mash the gas Bojangles, this is Big Jim, I‘m heading to the house. I thanked Big Jim for the information and told him to be careful and to keep his britches between the ditches. This is Bojangles, I gotta be in Jacksonville, Florida by morning and I’m outta here. And off into the night we headed our separate ways.
I was doing a little rearranging in my basement the other night and brought in another box of priceless treasures (junk) from days gone by out of the garage and came across the briefcase my dad had given me years and years ago when I first started trucking. I probably hadn’t seen this stuff in almost 20 years. In that box was my old log book, which by the way, I hated. There was a map of fuel stops from one end of the country to the other. Safety manuals out the wazoo, and booklets dealing with hazardous materials, load limits, and night time driving. I came across my dispatcher’s card, her name was Jean and for the most part we got along pretty well. I opened a manila envelope crammed full of the papers my wife and I had to fill out anytime she came along as a passenger. Then there was the notebook I used for all the needed information on every load I ever hauled. Information like Shipper name and address, phone numbers, load and seal numbers, piece count, weight, and pick up time. That was followed by the same information about the receiver of whatever I was hauling at the time.
I Can’t say I remember every detail of every load I ever hauled but a few of them do stick out. One load (hazardous chemicals) started in New Orleans and ended in a town called Nitro, West Virginia. First off, I thought the name Nitro was a little weird. It was a trip that included the “Huey P. Long” bridge in New Orleans. I’ll just say my wife ended up scared to death in the sleeper before we’d even gotten half way across it. It was after we arrived in Nitro when the real fun started though. The rest of the story involves a “Haz-Mat emergency clean up crew, a completely unrelated explosion at a chemical warehouse across the road from where we were. That explosion prompted local health officials to issue a warning for citizens to stay indoors and to close all windows, doors, and to shut off their air conditioners. Yeah, I remember that particular load pretty well.
There was the time outside Ashville, North Carolina when I lost my brakes going down a mountain called “Black Mountain,” that was fun. The last load into Chicago is still fresh in my mind too. Let’s just say it involves a fellow trucker who called himself Wagon Master, a truck stop bar, a couple of bikers, and making what could easily be considered one of the worst decisions I‘ve ever made. We’ll see, maybe I’ll get into that but then again, maybe not. I’ve got stories about truck stops, lot lizards, missing kids, (especially young girls) and some of the other things that go out there with some of those living life on the road.
Anyway, I’m going to tell some of these stories over the next few weeks. If you’re interested, stop on by, who knows, maybe we can have a little fun along the way. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Happy New Year.
Maybe you have a similar story or you’re just curious about life on the road. Visit my web-site at www.rm235.blogspot.com click on comments and lay it on me. Or you can always e-mail me at www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Six Days on the Road and I'm Going To Make It Home Tonight...

The Numbers...

Numbers. I've never been a numbers guy, never really gave them much thought one way or the other. But over the course of the last 23 days I've learned numbers can literally mean the difference between life and death.
Numbers like 17, 235, 15,12, 160, 87, 65/45, and 23 all became to mean everything in my Granddaughter's world. Emily was born 17 weeks premature on November 12th.and was transferred to “room 235” of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Stormont-Vail Hospital. This was also the day my journey through her world of numbers began.
Good morning Emily, I'm your Grandpa. I know, I'm kind of big and probably a little scary looking but you'll get used to me. Hey, look at those numbers on the ventilator. The nurses tell me 15 is excellent for your oxygen level. And that the vent setting doesn't get much better than a 12. I know it's been a pretty rough first day for you, so I'm not going to stay too long. You be a good girl and mind the nurses, I'll see you in the morning. And remember that Grandpa loves you.
And so our daily routine began. We talked about the adventures we were going to have once she got to come home. First and foremost I explained she was going to have to put on some weight. At 1lb., 4oz., it was going to be hard for her to ride a bike. I offered to start bringing her chocolate chip cookies and pop. While Emily thought it was a good idea, the nurses didn't think so. We talked about her first day of school, about the fishing trips we were going to take. She was really excited about going 4-wheeling in the mountains of Colorado.
I told her how lucky she was to have two Grandmothers Linda and Debbie that loved her so much. We talked about her aunts, uncles, and cousins. I warned her about the stupid cats and dogs she'd meet. I even warned her about staying away from boys. I'm not sure, but I think I saw her blushing after this conversation. But mostly, she liked hearing about her Mommy and Daddy.
Over the next few days I learned about the other numbers on the monitor above her bed. The top one was her heart rate. I learned that 160 was a very good number indeed. And that 87 indicated how much oxygen was in her blood. The 65/45 was the blood pressure.
All day and night long the doctors and nurses watched these numbers. They made adjustments to the machines or medications according to what the numbers told them. They were very up front with us from the beginning. Some days were pretty good. Others were pretty bad, it all depended on the numbers. The nurses referred to this as the roller coaster ride.
Monday December 4th was an exceptionally good day. Her numbers were even better that they had been the previous weekend. She was finally able to open her eyes for the first time. They were the biggest, most beautiful, brown eyes I had ever seen. We talked about riding the train at Gage park. I blew her a kiss, told her Grandpa loved her, and assured her I'd see her in the morning.
Sometime around 9:00 Monday night the hospital called. Emily had taken a turn for the worse, and we needed to get there as soon as we could. It was the numbers, the 15 and 12 had turned into 101 and 40. The 160 was now a 50. The 87 was somewhere around 35 now, and the blood pressure that once read a steady 65/45 wasn't even registering anymore. They told us her system was shutting down, she was dying, and didn't think she'd be able to hang on for much more than 3 or 4 more hours.
While ultimately the numbers got the best of her, Emily did beat the 3 and the 4. She wasable to hang on about another 24 hours. And in doing so we were all able to say our goodbyes. I'm not sure what the others said to her. For me though, I held her tiny hand, kissed her on the forehead and told her I understood that if she had to go, and to remember that Grandpa loved her.
There are three more numbers to this story though. We had her with us for 23 days, 4 hours, and 42 minutes. And for that I'll always be grateful.
You can get a hold of me at my blog www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can e-mail me at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Gotta Stick Together...

Before we get started today I gotta deal with a personal issue. Note to my two sons: I know your both mad at each other and you’d rather I’d just stay out of it. But here‘s the deal boy‘s. Get over it and you’d better both be home for Christmas morning. Got it? Good!
Do I think this’ll do any good? Yeah I do. Obviously they’re too big to put over my knee nowadays but for whatever reason they still listen to me. Besides, like most families we’ve been through a lot worse than this.
Yeah I still gotta play the mean old dad part from time to time, but to tell you the truth, being a grandpa is a whole lot easier. Just last night I went to my grandson’s grade school, Christmas program. I just love watching those little kids singing their hearts out. While Adam and his classmates were doing their part I was playing with little Sophi. She just turned 1-year-old a couple of weeks ago and just constantly cracks me up. After the program we went to Mentzer’s for burgers and something to drink. Adam just loves the place, he drank a chocolate shake and l let Sophi drink most of my Pepsi so needless to say, by the time they went home with mom and dad they were both wound up pretty tight. Krista’s my little coloring buddy. And Shawn is just all boy. I don’t know how else to describe him. Once he started walking there has been no stopping him. You clean up one mess and he’s making another and it’s non-stop. We play trucks together and here’s how that usually works. I roll it to him. He throws it across the living room. I go get it. He laughs. I think he’s got me just about where he wants me. Do I spoil them? Oh yeah! And yes, I do consider it a form of payback.
How about you guys? Are you mad at somebody in your family? Maybe you haven’t spoken to your brother for a couple years because of some stupid fight you guys had. Maybe you’re mad at your sister. Could be either your parents or grandparents. Maybe it’s an aunt or an uncle, who knows?
I know, some things just can’t be worked out. But what’s it going to hurt to make a phone call just to say hi or maybe Merry Christmas? Maybe invite them over for Christmas dinner. Maybe you'll find out you both stopped being mad a long time ago. Maybe not. But unless someone makes the first move you’ll never know. Just remember, if you keep putting it off for whatever reason the day will come when it’s too late. Don't wait that long.
Well guys, it was two years ago almost to the week that I started writing this column and I’d like to thank you and Denise Hall for putting up with me as long as you have. It doesn’t come up often but every once in a while someone will ask me why I named the column “Room 235.” I’ve told the story before so some you might remember it. Just so the rest of you know, two years ago this week my grand daughter passed away. She was in Room 235 at Stormont-Vail, so there you go. Next week I’ll tell you the story about our little Emily and what she meant to us.
Yeah, I’m pretty confident our family’s going to weather this latest spat between brothers just fine. Like I said earlier, we’ve made it through a hell of a lot tougher times than this.
Like always, you’re invited to visit my blog at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can e-mail me at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Breaking our backs chasing the American dream...

The Looking Glass

Man, a hundred billion here and a hundred billion there and sooner or later you’re talking about real money. Let’s see, we’re bailing out the biggest banks in the nation and the insurance industry. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler are hoping to get in on the action. Now Governors from all across the country are bellying up the feeding trough in an attempt to save their own butts before it’s too late and the money’s all gone.
Listen to the Democrats and they’ll tell you it’s all because of the neo-cons, George Bush, and his buddies who control big oil, big coal, and those big, evil corporations. You know, the one’s that provide us with millions of jobs, most of which pay very well and allow us to feed our families and put a roof over their heads. The same jobs that come complete with generous benefit packages including health insurance and retirement benefits. Anyway, if they’d just listened to people like Barney Franks and Nancy Pelosi and put more government regulations in place none of this would have happened. I mean besides, Republicans are nothing but a bunch of hicks anyway and everyone knew they couldn’t handle the job, right?
Listen to the Republicans and they’ll like tell you pretty much the same story only they’ll tell you they’ve been the one’s shouting from the rooftops that more government regulations needed to be put in place and the Democrats were the one’s standing in the way from the get go. If the Democrats had just listened there would be no problems in the world today. Whatever.
Greed and ignorance are what’s done us in. It’s pretty easy to put all the blame on Washington but come on. For the last 20 years or so we’ve all demanded higher wages and better benefits from our employers at the same time we demanded lower prices on everything we purchased.
I remember when I was a kid about the only thing you could get that was marked “made in China” were those little trinkets you paid a dime for in the gumball like machines at the grocery store. I remember thinking how cool it was to have something all the way from China.
Things have changed a little since those days, haven’t they? Today you’d be hard pressed to find anything that’s not made in China, Japan, or Korea. We’re outraged at the working conditions employees are forced to work under and how little they’re paid by some of these foreign companies. But that doesn’t seem to slow us down as we head out to the closest super-store to get the latest gadget they’re offering up, does it? Somehow or another we don’t get the connection between the millions of foreign made cars and trucks on our hi ways and the woes of the American Auto Industry. It’s all their fault, besides they deserve everything they get, right? Maybe they do. It sucks that if they go under they’ll take millions of jobs with them.
What about the millions of people who bought way more house than they could ever afford? Why is it that no one’s holding them accountable. You know, it’s one thing to buy that $250,000 house when you and your spouse combined are making about $50,000 a year. But then you throw in the new car for the wife and since you bought that great big 5th wheel travel trailer you just had to buy a new truck to pull it with. Sure, you got a good deal, only $35,000. There’s no way we’re going to use that old push mower anymore so we head out and buy that new John Deere mower. Yeah, I know our yards are pretty small and the mower is designed to mow up to 10 acres but man, we sure look cool don’t we? And we just had to have that new 60” plasma TV, the thought of watching TV on the old set is out of the question, right?
Then the overtime or the bonuses or whatever we so heavily counted on dried up and it was all we do just to keep our heads above water. We still had to put food on the table and the utilities still had to be paid. And of course there was no way we were going to cut back on eating out. I mean, why should we when we still have eight or nine credit cards to fall back on. Hell I’ll bet you at least three of them aren’t maxed out yet either. Think I’m exaggerating? Think again. The next time we’re looking for someone to blame our problems on all we need to do is look in the mirror.
You’re always welcome to visit my blog at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can e-mail me at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Hope all is well with you and yours...

Last week I responded to a letter written by my new friend Jim Hansen. You know the story so I’m not going to bore you with the details. But I did invite Mr. Hansen to visit my blog where we could have an honest debate about our differences. So far he has declined the invitation, that’s alright. Who knows, maybe he’ll have another letter in the Metro this week.
Here’s the deal guys. I know from time to time I get pretty controversial and a lot of times I do it just to get a reaction and when I do get one I’ve probably got it coming. All I ask is that if your going to respond to something I’ve written be honest about what I’ve said.
I still haven’t been able to generate much interest in my blog but I do get quite a few e-mails and last week’s column generated more that usual. Okay, the number of replies I received was six. Hey, it’s a start. Anyway, for the most part everyone agreed with my response to Mr. Hansen’s letter and agreed that he had in fact misrepresented what I’d written and that he’d started it, but without exception, all thought I was out of line when I told Jim to take off the “liberal blinders” and accused him of being divisive. Alright, point taken.
I don’t suppose it would kill me to give my own “conservative blinders” a rest every once in a while. I won’t like it but I’ll try. Maybe we all should. And I’ll bet you that if we did and started having honest conversations with each other without the accusations and name calling we’d probably find out that we’re not all that much different. I’ll bet you we could find that we all want a lot of the same things out of this life. A decent, safe, and stable place to raise our families.
That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop speaking out about the things I believe in. I’m not going to all the sudden tell you I’ve decided to support things like late term abortions or gay marriage just so I don’t offend someone. When I see or hear a politician saying or doing something I don’t agree with, I’m probably going to say so. From here on out though, I’ll make an extra effort to understand where that person’s coming from and try to listen to why they support and believe the way they do. Who knows, maybe I’ll learn a thing or two along the way. Hey, anything’s possible.
Look, Obama promised “change” and people believe it. That’s a good thing I guess. But listen, and I’m not trying to put the man down but he can’t do it. Sure, he promises to get us out or Iraq and I hope he does. He can promise to cut our taxes and so on and so forth. But that’s it.
Real change must come from us. At some point in time we need to quit the constant fighting and name calling and realize we’re all in this mess together. And at some other point in time we’re going to have to realize that in order for anything to change we’re going to have to work together. And that’s all I’ve got to say about that. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and yes Jim, that means you too.
Just because I haven’t been able to generate much interest in my blog doesn’t mean I’m ready to give up. Stop by sometime, who knows, maybe we can learn something from each other at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can e-mail me at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Come on Jim. I know you've got something to say...

Good, Bad, Right or Wrong Jim. This Single Act Defined, Maybe Even Consumed the Bush Administration...

Maybe we both need to take off our blinders Jim...

You have every right to your opinion Jim. But so do I...

Dear Jim...

I’d like to thank Jim Hansen for the letter in the Metro last week. Let me guess Jim, you’re one of those tolerant liberals we keep hearing about, aren‘t you? Don’t get me wrong, I welcome your response. I do enjoy a good, heated debate every now and then. But come on Jim, how about being honest about what I said instead of spinning it into something you want to believe I meant.
In your letter you talked about the column that ran on Nov.7th and about how I tried in vain to make it seem as though Bush and his right-wing conservatives had nothing to do with the current mess we’re in today. Gee whiz Jim, I checked it out and that’s not even close to what I said. Go back and read it again, you’ll find that what I really said was that “both political parties have screwed this country over for as long as we’ve been around.”
You brought up a litany of gripes I’d talked about in the column. Things like Home foreclosures, utilities being cut for the poor, gas prices being unpredictable, our kids coming home dead from war, and possible confrontation with Russia. You quickly pointed out that Bush and the Republicans have been in power for the last 8 years so it was quite clear (to you) who’s responsible. Then I guess to either prove your point or maybe just to drive it home you boldly asked how many of these woes even existed 8 years ago.
Man, you can’t be serious. Do you really believe your beloved Democrats had no part whatsoever in the mess we’re now facing. Are you really that blind Jim? Do you not understand that Bush can’t do anything without the approval of Congress which by the way buddy, is made up of quite a few Democrats? Hey, believe what you want, I don’t care.
But as far as the litany of gripes you brought up and asked which one’s even existed 8 years ago. Well Jim, I did some checking on that and guess what I found out. They all existed. Let’s see, have you ever heard of that silly little thing called the “great depression? Home and family farm foreclosures were a pretty big deal back in the late 20’s and early 30’s. I’ll be the first one to admit I don’t have any hard evidence to back this up but I’d be willing to bet that the problem of utilities being cut off to the poor has probably been around a little longer than 8 years too. I don’t know how old you are Jim, maybe you’re just too young and don’t remember the recession and oil embargo back in the 70‘s that made gas prices and even availability unpredictable at best.
You talked about our kids coming home dead by the thousands from war. Sorry Jim, I checked that one out too and what I found was that we’ve been doing that for quite a bit longer than 8 years. Looks like it’s been going on pretty much since the day the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. Early on we had that thing with the British. I don’t know Jim, maybe you missed that one. Let’s see, what else was there, oh yeah, how about the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World War One, and World War Two. Remember those Jim? We’ve lost soldiers in North Korea and Viet Nam just like we did in Desert Storm, Afghanistan, and Iraq. And do you really believe a possible confrontation with Russia never existed more than 8 years ago. I don’t know Jim, maybe you’ve never heard of it, but we had this thing back in the 60’s called the Cuban missile crisis. Let me guess, you missed the whole Cold War too, didn’t you? Hmmm., weird.
You boast that Obama will govern with dignity and hope rather than fear and divisiveness. Come on Jim, give me a break. I’ve read your letters for years now and for the most part, they’ve all had the same common theme, “your hatred of Conservative Republicans.” It’s a little hypocritical that you can lecture me about divisiveness when you’re one of the most divisive people around. I’ve got an idea buddy, how about taking off the liberal-blinders you wear long enough for the fog to lift and then maybe we can have an intelligent conversation.
How about it Jim, you ready to have an honest debate about our differences or do you prefer to remain the same, divisive person you seem to be? It’s up to you man. If you want to talk, you’re welcome to visit my blog at: www.rm235.blogspot.com That goes for the rest of you too. Or like always you can reach me by e-mail at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

It'll be here before you know it...

Ahhh, Anonymous Internet Tough Guys. You Just Gotta Love em...

How's Senator Palin Sound...

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching the left melt down because of Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin over the course of the last couple of months. The left, you know, the chosen one’s, the one’s who preach inclusiveness, tolerance, and above all, a woman’s right to chose. Problem is though, that only counts if you chose to tow the liberal line and nothing else.
The minute John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his running mate the left went directly into all out attack mode. They sent wave after wave of people to Alaska in an effort to dig up any and all dirt they could find on her and her family. Oh they found stuff alright. They found someone who claimed she had tried to ban books. That’s funny too, one of the books she supposedly tried to ban was “Harry Potter.” Problem with all that is the fact that “Harry Potter” hadn’t even been written yet. But hey, when you’re out to destroy someone, does that really matter?
They found out her husband got a DUI some 20 years ago. Oh my, there was the scandal involving her 17-year-old daughter being pregnant. We had the famous bridge to nowhere. You know, the same bridge that Obama and Biden both voted for before they voted against it. They tried their best to bring her down with the overblown trooper-gate thing. I’m sure they hated it when she was eventually cleared of any wrong doing in that case. Let’s see, she was criticized for having a baby with down- syndrome because in their minds, the only acceptable solution for such a child is to abort them. You know, because it’s best for the child. Sorry, I still have trouble following that logic.
The Obama deranged media, late-night talk show hosts, and the Hollywood elites all did their part to bring her down. The hypocrisy was mind boggling to say the least. High class celebrities like Pamela Anderson, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna, and mother of the year, Brittney Spears all sobered up long enough to climb on top of their high-horses to put her down. Larry Flint, an outstanding citizen, roll model, all around good guy, and oh yeah, owner of Hustler magazine jumped into the mix by making a porn movie with a Sarah Palin look alike. Now that’s real class. Not surprising, the most vicious attacks came from anonymous online bloggers. It’s amazing how cold-hearted people can be when they can hide in the shadows of their computer monitor.
Thought you had her, didn’t you? Wrong. Thanks to convicted felon, Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, Governor Palin just might end up being Senator Palin. Didn’t see that coming did you? Yeah, you beat the hell out of John McCain but who didn’t see that coming? And yes, you dealt Palin a set back. But you know what? She’ll be back and I believe she’ll be back stronger and more popular than ever.
When she does maybe we’ll finally get to know the real Sarah Palin instead of the pit bull, lipstick wearing, hockey mom the McCain campaign tried to turn her into.
Do I think she was ready to be vice-president this time around? Probably not. Not yet anyway. Do I think she’ll be ready to run for president in 2012? I don’t know, we’ll just have to wait and see. Give her a few years in Washington to learn the ropes then we’ll get a chance to see how she handles herself. We’ll get a chance to watch how she votes on issues that are important to us as a nation. I don’t know how it’s all going to pan out. Like I said before, we’ll just have to wait and see.
What I do know is that she’s tough as hell and handles herself with the dignity and class that most of her critics can only dream of having. Am I a Palin supporter? You betcha.
Want to argue about it? Visit me online at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can e-mail me at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet...

Like it or not. Barrack Obama is the next President of The United States...

Robin Williams "The Flag" Check it out if you get a chance, it's pretty good stuff...

What can I say...

America has spoken and spoken loud and clear. They made it known they wanted hope and they wanted change. You got it.
But what happens when the tears stop flowing, the hugging stops, the singing stops, and the euphoria you’re all feeling right now starts to fade away? What happens when the props, bling, and all the glitter are sent back to the warehouse and you realize Barrack Obama’s just another politician who simply told you everything you wanted to hear? What happens when everyone goes back home to their hum-drum daily lives and find out that everything’s the same as it‘s always been? What happens when people who bought more house than they could afford still lose their homes even though Obama told them he’d take care of that? What happens when you get behind on your heating bill this winter and the gas company cuts you off for non-payment? Do you think Obama’s going to be there for you? How about when you fill your car up with gas? Is Obama all the sudden going to pay for it because you’re down on your luck? No, it’s not going to happen.
What happens when you realize we’re always going to be in Iraq regardless of what you‘ve been told? You’ve bought into the notion that we should be doing more in Afghanistan. We probably should too, but you’re really going to hate it when they start sending our dead kids home by the thousands once you get your way.
Do you really believe now that your guy’s in the White House the Muslim extremists are going to stop hating us? You want to believe it’s all Bush’s fault but I’ve got a news flash for you, they hated us way before Bush ever came along. What happens when Russia deploys missiles against our NATO allies in Poland of they invade Georgia? Couldn’t happen? Already has. Do we go to war with Russia? I gotta tell you, you’re really going to hate that.
What about the collapse of stock market? The Freddie and Fannie thing? The housing crisis? Bush’s fault, right? Give me a break. Both parties have screwed this country over for as long as we’ve been around. And if you think electing Barrack Obama as our newest President is going to change that, well, I’ll just say you’re mistaken and leave it at that.
It comes down to this. If you want to get ahead in this world, all you’ve got to do is get off your butt and do something about it. Don’t sit around waiting for someone to come to your rescue. That’s the way it’s always been and the way it’ll always be no matter which political party happens to be in power at any given time.
Just look outside. The sun came up in the east this morning and it’ll still set in the west tonight. Life goes on. It’s up to us as individuals to either make something out of ourselves or not. Don’t buy into the notion that some politician is going to do it for you.
Here’s the deal, yes, we have our problems. But I truly believe we live in the greatest country in the world. I certainly didn’t vote for Barrack Obama but he’s still going to be my president. I’ll do my best to support him and my country any way I can, we all should. Just remember though, 2012 is just around the corner, we‘ll fight another day.
Hey, before I wind this up though, I’d like to throw out a “hell yeah” to our new Shawnee County District Attorney, Chad Taylor. No Chad, you didn’t have much of anything to offer as far as qualifications go so you whipped up the Phill Kline thing almost as good as Paul Morrison did. I guess in politics, winning is the only thing that matters, right?
Got something you want to get off your chest? Visit my blog at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can always e-mail me at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Hmmm, what's a guy gotta do to get a little feedback here...

I'd like to take a moment to thank all veterans and their families for the sacrifices you've made in order to give us the right to vote...

Don't sit this one out.

It's time...

What a surprise. Kathleen Subelius is backing Chad Taylor in the Shawnee County District Attorney’s race. I’m sure Mr. Taylor’s more than happy to accept this endorsement, I mean what politician wouldn’t want the support of the governor. Just remember though, this is the same governor who hand picked Paul Morrison to be the guy that was going to restore dignity and respect to the Kansas Attorney General’s Office. That worked out pretty good, didn’t it. Maybe she’s not as good a judge of character as she thinks she is.
I’m not saying Chad Taylor would be anything like Paul Morrison. I’m not saying he wouldn’t either. I’ve never met the guy. But I have heard from several people who believe if Mr. Taylor becomes our next District Attorney, Paul Morrison would be one of the first people he’d hire. Yeah I know, Mr. Taylor is on record numerous times stating these kind of claims are false and misleading. He has vowed on more than one occasion not to hire the man. So what. If enough people believe it and if enough of those people repeat it often enough, it becomes the truth, right?
It’s the same thing Chad Taylor’s hoping to do by constantly trying to make us believe Eric Rucker would bring Phil Kline along with him if he were elected. I guess it doesn’t matter that Eric Rucker’s repeatedly vowed not to hire the Mr. Kline if elected. Like I said about the Paul Morrison thing. If enough people believe it and if enough of those same people repeat it often enough it becomes the truth, right?
It’s a tactic, plain and simple. It’s a smoke and mirrors tactic by the Taylor campaign to divert attention away from their guy’s lack of any real experience to even do the job he seeks. He said in his own words that he’d never actually prosecuted a single felony case. Yeah but quick, look over there. Eric Rucker’s going to hire Phil Kline and besides he’s evil and wants to ban books. I‘ll bet he even wants to eat your children. So vote for me. See how that works?
Here’s the deal. Like any other part of the country, Shawnee County has some serious problems to deal with. Gang related violence is a huge problem whether you want to believe it or not. Most of the armed robberies and home burglaries are gang related. Almost every single one of the drive by shootings that have become so common in Topeka are retaliation of some kind or another between rival gangs and it’s almost always drug related.
Who do we want to deal with the violent criminal element in our community? Do we want a man with 15 years of experience in prosecuting these kind of criminals? Do we want a man who has a 90% conviction rate in prosecution these exact same kind of cases? Or do we want a guy who probably means well but has none of the experience needed to get crime in our community under control? You guys do what you want but I’m going with Rucker. It just makes sense.
Well guys, this is the last column before the big day. I wanted to talk about Obama and why I thought you should vote against him. But to be honest, I really couldn’t think of anything to say that hasn’t been repeated at least 100 times. By now most of you have a good idea where I stand anyway. My wife and I both voted last week so in all reality, I‘ve done all I can. Now it’s up to you. Get out and vote and let the chips fall where they may. I’m sure I’ll have plenty to say about the results next week. I’ll talk to you then.
Looks like everybody agrees with just about everything I write. Just in case you don’t though, go to my blog at: www.rm235.blogspot.com and let me know how I’m wrong. Or you can contact me at : www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Now this is the guy I want as my President...

God was thrown out of public schools...

Politicians should be too...

All politicians...

Sonny, you're just wrong this time...

I’m going to tell you a stroy about a good friend of mine today named Sonny Scroggins. First off, Sonny’s a guy I have a great deal of respect for. He’s a guy who stands up for what he believes is right. A few years back, he marched around the Statehouse for three or four years until he finally convinced the Legislature to divest the state’s Kansas Public Employment Retirement System (KEPRS) from companies doing business with Sudan.
I met him a couple of years ago when he was out there standing at 21st and Wanamaker speaking out against “Gangsta Rap.” I went out there to meet Sonny and was proud to stand with him in his fight. I didn’t necessarily believe gangster rap was something we could or even should try to legislate. But I too find a lot of Gangster Rap repulsive. But then I’m an old guy too. Go figure.
Since then I’ve run into him at several different rallies around town, the last time I ran into him was the day we protested in front of Cumulus Radio for firing Jim Cates. It didn’t do any good but we all felt a little better for doing what we could.
Sonny’s a good guy who’s done a lot of good for a lot of people. And yes, I do consider him a friend. But I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I didn’t let him know how wrong he is in his latest fight against 501 schools.
By now a lot of you have heard the story about the teacher that was told to go home and change her shirt because the one she showed up for work wearing had a picture of Obama on it.
Sonny, according to the story in the Capital-Journal you’ve decided to protest at different schools around town until a workable solution has been developed for people who wear t- shirts with the likeness of Barrack Obama , yet don’t make a political statement to influence people in the school system one way or another.
Sorry Sonny, but that’s a bunch of crap and you know it. You know as well as I do that simply wearing a t-shirt with Obama’s picture on it less than two weeks before what’s probably the most important presidential election we’ve ever had is in fact, a political statement. Sorry man, I’m not buying it and neither is anybody else.
Just a few days ago my 10 year old niece was giving me a hard time and told me she was for Obama because if McCain’s elected he’ll bring back slavery. I asked her where in the world she got that idea. She told me because her teacher said so.
Granted, maybe those weren’t the exact words out of her teacher’s mouth. I’m sure it was part of a conversation the teacher was having with the kids about comments Whoopi Goldberg made on the “View” when she asked John McCain if she should be worried about the return of slavery if McCain were to be elected president.
My point is simple. Why in the world is this teacher even having this conversation in a classroom with a bunch of fourth graders in the first place? It’s a public school and a public school is no place for any teacher, no matter what their political beliefs are to try to influence our kids. That’s not their job. But then again, I’m not stupid either. Public schools have been used as the premier, liberal training ground for years now and Sonny, you and I both know it.
How about this idea. How about teachers go back to teaching our kids to read and write and leave your damned political beliefs at home where they belong.
Sonny, I invite you or anyone else who wants to talk about this to visit my blog at www.rm235.blogspot.com or like always, you can reach me by e-mail at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Looks like Sonny's at least gotten their attention...

Drink Up...

Kool-Aid Drinkers

Hey Obama supporters, the warehouse just called and asked me to let you know the truckload of “Hope” flavored Kool-Aid you ordered just arrived.
Yeah I know, that was a cheap shot and I’m sure it probably offended someone out there. Maybe some of you even believe I should apologize for it. I’ll tell you right now, that’s not going to happen.
Tell me, do any of you on the left worry about offending me? I‘ll go ahead and answer that. No, it doesn‘t bother you a bit. In fact, that’s what you do best. Do you worry about offending me when you make fun of and mock John McCain because of the way he holds a microphone? Do you worry about offending me when you make fun of him because he can’t raise his arms as far as most people or because he has trouble using a computer. No, you‘re okay with that. Do you worry about it when anonymous bloggers on the left continually use stupid catch phrases like John McSame and Sarah “Pagina“? No, personal attacks are your speciality. Did it bother you when these same anonymous bloggers started the rumors that Sarah Palin’s new born baby was really her daughter’s baby? How about the t-shirts that are going around proudly proclaiming that Sarah Palin is a bitch? Did that bother you? No, people have the right to say what they want, right? I’m sure the latest one’s calling her a “C-word“, you know the word I’m talking about. It rhymes with hunt, bunt, punt, runt, take your pick. You haven’t spoken out against it, so I’m assuming you’re okay with that one too. Whatever.
It cracks me up to listen to you go after Sarah Palin over the made up scandal now being called “TrooperGate.” You call it the worst abuse of power you’ve ever seen. And because of this alone, you claim she’s unfit to serve her country. But let someone question the Messiah (Obama) about his associations with people like Bill Ayers, the admitted terrorist, who’s living room Obama launched his political career from and you call them a liar. You won’t even entertain the possibility that your guy’s anything less than perfect.
If someone has the nerve to ask why Obama would stay in a hate-filled, racist church led by the Reverend Jeremiah Wright for twenty years and all hell breaks lose. He claims he and his wife attended church there two or three times a month and wants you to believe he never once heard any of the racist comments we all listened to a few months ago and you swallowed those lies hook, line, and sinker. Besides, he quit the church right? Yeah, he quit it alright but not until he figured out it was an issue that could damage him politically. Yeah, he’s really looking out for you alright.
It’s laughable to hear you guys whine that Sarah Palin doesn’t have enough experience to be a “heartbeat” from the Presidency. Sorry, but you’re the one’s who made it perfectly clear that experience doesn’t matter when you decided to jump on a “community organizer’s” bandwagon as the guy that’s going to save us all.
Explain this if you will. If Obama was such an accomplished community organizer, why is the Southside of Chicago still one of the most dangerous places of any city in America? Why is it that armed robberies, drugs, gangs, and drive by shootings are the rule of the day rather than the exception? Maybe they just didn’t understand his massage of hope as well as you do.
No, I don’t care whether you believe anything I’ve written here today or not. Check it out for yourself. All I really wanted to do was to let you know your Kool-Aid’s in. Drink up.
Think I’m wrong? Tell me so online at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can e-mail me at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Hank Williams Jr. sings his new song - McCain and Palin Tradition

Lying Politicians

You just gotta love Congress, don’t you? Remember when they were running around promising if you’d vote for them, you’d have a friend in Washington. They promised they’d be in there fighting for you. Remember that? Remember how they ran all those negative ads to prove their opponent was nothing more than another corrupt Washington insider, remember that? Do you still believe it? Do you remember when they promised to always put the interests of the country first and foremost? Still believe it? Wanna buy a bridge?
How about the collapse of our entire financial system and the $700 billion bailout bill that according to who’s telling the story may or may not work. How’s that going? Do you still believe it’s all one party’s fault and that your Congressman or woman is the lone shining star in the bunch? Believe what you want.
The bailout bill passed the Senate the first time around without any problem. But when it came up for a vote in the House, things turned out a little different. A few of them actually started raising questions about the bill they were voting on. Speeches were given and tempers flared.
Yes! Could it be that we finally had enough politicians with the guts to do the right thing for a change? Could it be that they were making good on the promises they’d made us? Did they vote against the bill because it was wrong for America? Did they vote against it because they believed we needed more time to think it through? I’d like to think so.
No, they voted against it because they needed more time to cram a bunch of pet, pork-barrel projects into this “must-pass” legislation and then dared anyone to vote against it. In essence, they let it be known that their votes were for sale for let’s say, another $112 billion in pork-barrel projects.
Republicans and Democrats alike bellied up to the feeding trough. They sold their votes for pet projects like $2 million in tax breaks for a company in Oregon that makes wooden arrows for kids. That’s right boys and girls, kids toys. Someone’s friend in Washington secured an agreement to save a few racetrack owners somewhere around $100 million in taxes over the next two years. Rum producers know who their friends are. If you happen to produce rum and you happen to produce it in either Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands, your guy sold his vote to save you $192 million in taxes over the course of the next two years. Wool producers came out pretty good too, their friends in Washington made sure they’d get $148 million worth of goodies too.
There was even a little something in the goody bag for the Plaintiffs in the Exxon-Valdez oil spill too. Because of the efforts of their guy, Rep. Don Young R, Alaska, they stand to save up to $49 million in taxes on the punitive damages they were ordered to pay almost 30 years ago. And if you happen to own a corporation that made money in the American Somoa area, you’re now entitled to your share of $33 million courtesy of the American taxpayer.
Here’s my favorite. Thanks to the heroic efforts of lawmakers like Rep. Diane Watson D, Los Angeles, Hollywood film makers who agree to make their movies in the United States stand to save $478 million in taxes over the course of the next ten years. Now isn’t that nice? Now we all get a chance to help Hollywood make even more of their Anti-American films. Give me a break.
I know, a lot of you will defend these Congressmen, saying they’re only looking out for their constituents. Besides, isn’t that what they’re supposed to do? Here’s what I think. I think they’re liars and I think they were looking out themselves by taking care of some of their major campaign contributors. But then, what do I know, I’m just an old guy.
Did I miss something? Tell me about it online at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can contact me at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

The American Dream by Hank Williams Jr.

Hey Congress, this is for you...

Here's the way I see it...

I’ve been racking my brain all day trying to figure out what to write about this week and I’ve boiled it down to a couple of things. First, like everyone else, the financial melt down we’re facing is first and foremost on my mind. While I have a pretty good idea how it happened, I’ll be the first one to admit, I have no idea how to fix it. But then, that’s not my job. I do find it amazing that there were so many people out there who fell for the “too good to be true” mortgage offers that ultimately did them in. What’s more amazing is that you and I are now expected to pick up the tab for the stupid decisions millions of other people made.
If you listen to the left, it’s all Bush’s fault and a vote for McCain will only give us 4 more years of the same old, failed policies. And if you listen to the right, it was all the fault of the Democrats and a vote for Obama will surely send America into a downward, out of control spiral that will eventually ruin us all.
I’ll tell you what, I’m sick and tired of both political parties spending so much time and energy attacking each other over every crisis that comes along. The Democrats want us to believe it’s all because of the Republicans and the Republicans want us to believe it’s all because of those evil Democrats. Then they have the nerve to call for a “bi-partisan” solution. Give me a break. There’s a reason Congress has an approval rating of around 11%. It’s because we can’t trust them to get anything done without this huge, never ending fight.
I’ve got an idea, how about this. How about all you Lawmakers, Senators, Congressmen, Congresswomen, Presidents, and President wannabes out there grow up and stop acting like a bunch of damned kids for a change. Quit your grandstanding. Quit the fighting. Put your own personal interests and re-election plans and your power plays on the back burner for a change. How about putting the interests of your country first and come up with a plan that won’t break backs of the American people. That’s what you promised us you’d do in order to get our votes, now do it.
Okay, I got that off my chest and yes, I do feel better because of it. But there’s another melt down we’ve been watching over the course of the last couple of years that hasn’t attracted nearly as much attention as our financial crisis but is just as big a deal. Well, not really. But if your as big a Chief’s fan as I am, you know what I’m talking about. Never in my life did I think we could ever lose 12 games in a row. I know, they keep calling it a re-building season. But come on, 12 loses in a row? To tell you the truth, I was just about ready to write them off. But then last Sunday, the Chiefs reminded me why I loved them so much when they beat the living crap out of the unbeaten Denver Broncos. You gotta understand how important this game is in my house. You see, for some reason unknown to me, my wife has become a huge Bronco’s fan. She’d been taunting me for weeks about the blood bath her Broncos were bringing to Arrowhead and she could hardly wait for the big day. Yeah, that ended on the first play of the game when Larry Johnson broke lose for a 65 yard run.
Like most Sundays, the kids and grandkids all come over to watch the Chiefs game. And like all families, we don’t always agree on everything. But we manage to have a great time and enjoy the time we have together. Maybe Congress should get together on Sundays and watch a little football. Hey, what could it hurt?
Agree with me? Or maybe I’ve said something to rile you up a little. Tell me so at:www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can contact me at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

For a coule of hours every Sunday we can forget about all the nonsense coming out of Washington DC...

Truck Henge 08

And the non-stop attacks on Sarah Palin and her family continue. Well, let me tell you this about that. Never in my life have I seen such blatant, ah never mind, what’s the point? Besides you guys already know how I feel about all that. Come November 4th, we’ll find who’s promises people bought into. It’s that simple.
It’s funny how we get so worked up and emotional about presidential elections. Both sides want you to believe that if you vote for the other guy, the world’s going to come to an end. We place that much importance on it but then we keep sending the same old people back to Congress year after year to do the same old grandstanding they always do. I’m probably wrong here but I don’t think we’ve ever had a Congress with a lower approval rating. You just watch though, we’ll send them right back in there like we always do and still expect things to somehow get better. Oh well, what are you going to do?
Sorry, that wasn’t even what I wanted to talk about today. I wanted to tell you about a party I went to last Saturday night. Ever hear of a place called Truck Henge?” Truck Henge is located just east of the Oakland area along the Kansas river on a farm owned by a man named Ron Lessman. On the road leading onto the Lessman farm are two row of trucks and busses half buried in the dirt, pointing toward the sky painted with slogans such as “Freedom isn’t lost!” There are signs warning that this area is “Zoned to speak your mind,” and one that warns that a man with his “own ideas” lives here. To understand the meaning behind Truck Henge, you need to understand a little bit about Ron Lessman. First off, he’s probably the most welcoming and generous person I’ve ever met. I’m not sure but if you needed a shirt he’d probably give you his. That’s just the way he is. But here’s the deal, don’t go onto his land and try to tell him how to live. A few years ago he had a run-in with certain Shawnee County officials who evidently didn’t like the way he was living and demanded he change his ways to suit them. To make a long story short, those certain Shawnee County officials lost. And now we have Truck Henge.
Anyway, last Saturday night the Lessman family held their second annual concert to promote the local music scene here in Topeka. Man, what a party it turned out to be. I don’t know , I think they had 8 or 9 different local bands who literally played all night long. And I’m not exactly sure but I’d say there were somewhere between 300 and 400 people there that night. Me being an old guy and all, some of the songs I recognized, some of them I didn’t. It was fun watching the people as they wandered around the farm too. One guy in particular was really craving attention. We called him the fire guy. He’d blow lamp oil onto a torch and shoot flames into the air. Not something I’d want to try but hey, it was kind of cool. Speaking of fires, I’ve talked a little bit about taking my kids camping when they were young. I always prided myself on the camp fires we used to build. My fires might shoot flames maybe 10 feet into the air. Ron’s fire sent flames towering to 30 or 40 feet into the night sky. Very cool. I met a lot of very good people out there at Truck Henge that night. And as far as I know the whole thing went off pretty much as planned.
Once again, I’d like to thank the Lessman family for opening your home to me and my family. And for doing your part to point out some of the positives Topeka has to offer.
You can check out a few pictures of the concert and watch a video I found on You Tube about the story of Truck Henge, starring Ron Lessman himself at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can e-mail me at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

The following is a list of the bands that played in Truck Henge 08 and their web-sites.
Hammerjunk www.myspace.com/hammerjunkrocks
The Hemroids www.myspace.com/thehemroids
Klusterfux www.myspace.com/klusterfux
Wakamojo www.myspace.com/wakamojo
Lazer Panther www.myspace.com/lazerpanther
Shumann's Resonance www.myspace.com/schmannsresonance
Side Effects www.myspace.com/sideeffectstopeka
Mirror image www.myspace.com/mirrorimagetriplets

Ron Lessman tells it like it is. Part One

Ron Lessman tells it like it is. Part Two

The Bridge To Nowhere

Not that it makes any difference but I’m going to throw this one out there today just for the fun of it. You’ve all heard about the famous “Bridge to Nowhere,” right? We keep hearing Obama and the left-wing bloggers, you know, (the experts) constantly criticizing Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin for supporting the bridge before she voted against it. You know the drill. It’s funny that no one ever mentions that Obama and Biden both supported the exact same bridge from the get go. But hey, why let facts get in the way of a good political attack strategy, right?
First off, the supporters of this project went about it all wrong from the beginning. If they’d just asked for my help, I could have told them how to get it done and by the time they were through they could have been heroes. I’ll get to that later though.
Be honest. Other than knowing it’s now known as the “bridge to nowhere” what do you really know about the thing in the first place?
You’ve probably heard that it was just a bridge to connect the mainland to an island that had just 50 people living on it. Anyway, that‘s the story I‘ve always heard. But the main reason for the bridge was to replace the ferry that currently connects Ketchikan, Alaska to the Ketchikan International Airport on Gravina Island. Ketchikan International is the second largest airport in Southeast Alaska and handles somewhere around 300,000 passengers a year. But we never hear that part of the story do we? It would have provided better and safer service to the airport and provided more opportunities for development of large tracts of land on the island, you know, ”economic development.” Again, no one wants to talk about that now do they?
The bridge was to be nearly as long as the “Golden Gate Bridge” and a little taller than the “Brooklyn Bridge” It had to be this tall to allow for ship traffic because it would cross what’s known as the “Tongrass Narrows” part of Alaska’s Inside Passage. The proposed cost of the project was just under $400 million. Now I don’t claim to be an expert on bridges. In fact all I really know about bridges is, well, nothing. But it doesn’t sound that far out of line to me. Let me ask you this, isn’t it a Governor’s job to improve whatever parts of their states they can if given the chance? Makes sense to me. When it became apparent the funding had dried up and that the Congress and the media were spinning this to make Alaska look bad Palin had no choice but to change her position and stop the proposed bridge project. To do otherwise would have been, well, stupid. What can I say?
There were two ways this bridge project could have flourished but like I said before, no one asked me. So here goes. Instead of building a bridge to improve safety and to provide better service to the Ketchikan International Airport and allowing for more economic development on Gravina Island, they should have said they building it to save the poor, helpless “Polar Bears” who are dying at an alarming rate because of global warming. It wouldn’t have mattered one bit that the polar bear population is thriving and has been steadily growing for the last three decades. The Democrats and left-wing bloggers, you know, the “experts” would be falling all over themselves to get their names attached to this one. You know, for the moral reasons they’re so strong on.
And if that plan failed to gain the needed traction to move the project forward you could always build a “late-term” abortion clinic on Gravina Island and you could build any bridge, at any price you wanted. Just something to think about.
Think I’m out of line? Tell me so at www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can always e-mail me at:www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Amen by Kid Rock

NEVER FORGET...

Small Town by John Cougar Mellencamp

Small Towns

Obama just doesn’t get it, does he? He doesn’t understand that when he looked down his nose and mocked Sarah Palin for being the Mayor of a “tiny” little town of 9,000 people somewhere in Alaska, he offended a hell of a lot of people.
He offended the Mayors and the people who live in these tiny little towns all across America. Who does he think lives in those tiny little towns he mocked? Millions of American’s, that’s who and they vote. For the most part, they’re just people, people like you and I. They’re people doing the best they can with what they have to work with. In these small towns you’ll find farmers and ranchers. You’ve got your rough necks and construction workers, plumbers and electricians. You walk into the hardware store and they know you by name. In most cases a guy can get a haircut without making an appointment ahead of time. You have your policemen and women and there’s a good chance the Fire Department is made up of volunteers who drop everything at a moments notice to help someone else. There are teachers, doctors, and nurses. Every little town has their lawyers, City Councils, and Mayors to deal with. It’s probably just me but it seems like Churches are more important to the people who live in these small towns he looked down upon.
People from small towns deal with the same issues as people everywhere. They have good times and bad. If you’ve got business in a small town during football season and their high school is playing an away game, you’d better get it taken care by at least noon. A lot small towns will literally shut down to follow their kids to wherever they’re playing. Yeah, it’s that big a deal.
They deal with death, taxes, marriage and divorce. They have hopes and dreams and don’t really like anyone telling them how to live. Some of them hunt and fish. Some of them like to race their stock cars at dirt tracks all across America. You know, kind of like snowmobile racing, only it’s not so cold. These are the people Obama tried to marginalize in his attacks against Sarah Palin.
You know, Obama doesn’t like aknowledge the fact that Sarah Palin is the current Governor of Alaska. And when he does, he does his best to portray the entire state of Alaska itself as insignificant because of it’s population. That’s funny too. When Obama and Al Gore were screaming about us all dying in ten years because of global-warming, Alaska was hailed as the most important place on Earth.
Obama you can say what you want. You can claim she’s inexperienced and not ready to lead till you‘re blue in the face. But the fact that you and your handlers know Sarah Palin has the support of 80% of the people she represents tells me you know exactly how much trouble your campaign is in.
Oh yeah, Governor Sebelius. I know I’m not the first one to talk about the speech you gave in response to the one Sarah Palin gave at the Republican National Convention. And I know I’m not the first one to point out the hypocrisy of your comments. I thought it was a little ironic for you to criticize her speech because she was just reading something written by someone else.
Whatever Governor, the speech Sarah Palin gave that night at the Republican National Convention was delivered with the excitement and passion that ignited the biggest political firestorm in a generation. The prepared speeches you “read” Governor are dull and boring and they inspire no one. That’s the difference Governor. Believe me when I say the Conservative movement is alive and well all across America and we’re here to stay.
Want to join in on the conversation? Go to www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can contact me by e-mail at:wwwkevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Obama, you have no idea how much trouble you're in...

Sarah Palin

Didn’t see that coming, did you? Neither did Obama or his handlers. You know what I’m talking about. I’m talking about Obama turning on the TV last Friday, you know, the day after his big speech and not being able to find his smiling face anywhere. It was all Sarah Palin.
You can say what you want about McCain. But you gotta admit, McCain sucked every ounce of energy there was right out of what should been Obama’s big day with the announcement of his VP pick, Sarah Palin.
Like a lot of people, I thought for sure he’d pick Rommney. He’d have brought economic experience to the McCain campaign, that’s about it. We’d have to listen to the non-stop attacks on his Mormon faith again for the next two months. Yeah, like a lot of fellow Republicans, I‘d already decided to vote for McCain. Believe me, it wasn’t so much a vote for McCain. More than anything, it was a vote against Obama. Still, at the end of the day, I figured Obama would end up being our next President.
All that changed last Friday, didn’t it. Think of it this way. The right feels exactly the same way about Sarah Palin as the left does Obama. And here’s the deal. It’s not just me either, there’s millions of us. You guys have your rock-star, now we have ours. You know, maybe that “old, white-haired dude” can pull this thing off after all.
Is she qualified? I don’t know. To tell you the truth, I knew she was the Governor of Alaska, But that’s about it. I do know that because of her, the Obama campaign is in full blown panic mode. And the attacks on her and her family have just begun. Go ahead and attack her on the grounds that because she’s a woman and a mom she wouldn’t have time for the job, especially since her youngest child was born with down-syndrome. See how far strategy gets you. Besides, isn’t that way of thinking exactly what the left has been fighting against all these years. Talk about hypocrisy. The were quick to point out that her husband got arrested for DUI something like 20 years ago. It’s funny too, about the same time her husband was arrested on alcohol charges, Obama was snorting cocaine. Evidently, that’s okay though.
Get this, they’re trying to make a moral issue out of Palin’s 17 year old daughter being pregnant. The irony of that just cracks me up. All I’m going to say is that at least she’s not going to abort the baby just because it’s an incontinent time, you can take it from there.
What do the issues they’re bring up mean? To me it means a hell of a lot about her character as a person, a wife, and a mother. Her family is no different than that of millions of families all across America. I know how disruptive a DUI can be to family. They’ve had to deal with their teenage daughter getting pregnant and like any good mother, she’s standing by her daughter’s side. As a family, they’ll deal with it as it comes because that what a family does. To me, it means she’s just like you and I. She’s one of us. And how this can be seen as a bad thing is beyond me.
It’s hard to explain. But because of the naming of Sarah Palin as McCain’s VP pick, I’m actually excited to be a Republican again. Something else to think about. Let’s say McCain does pull this one off. How does a 2012 race between Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton sound? Damn, this thing just keeps getting better.
You can contact Kevin McGinty at his online blog at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or by e-mail at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

An exaggeration? Maybe, for now anyway...

Say what??

How's that again??

Yeah but you're not supposed to question the "Chosen One."

Simply Brilliant

Hey, how about Obama’s pick for VP, Senator Joe Biden. Obama’s supporters immediately hailed this decision as nothing short of sheer brilliance. Yeah, I agree it was probably as good choice as he could have made. But come on now, you know as well as I do, the scripts had already been written and they were just waiting for a name to put in the blank. Hell, he could have picked Mickey Mouse and the die-hard supporters would still say it was brilliant, if not visionary. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating but come on, some of you act like Obama’s bigger than the second coming of Christ or whatever. I worry about what’s going to happen when you finally start to realize he’s just another politician who’s made way more promises than any he can ever keep. Oh well, I guess we’ll see how that all works out.
Real quick, I want tell you about an e-mail I received last week from a guy named Harry who was responding to last week’s column. Harry said for the most part he agreed with my views concerning Barrack Obama but was quick to point out that I had failed to mention that the next president would likely be appointing the next two, possibly three, Supreme Court Justices. Excellent point Harry. And for me, that point was driven home Wednesday morning when it was brought up on The Jim Cates Show that Hillary Clinton was possibly being considered for the job. Wow! Never, ever, in my wildest dreams, did I see that coming.
I know it’s a long shot, but let’s say maybe you still haven’t made up your mind about this guy. Before you cast your vote this November, ask yourself if this is really the America you want. If it is, knock yourself out. Just remember though, Harry and I are going to cancel out at least two of your Obama votes and we’re bringing lots of friends.
Then we have our very own Congresswoman, Nancy Boyda. A Democrat. I know, me being a Republican and all, I’m supposed to hate her. But to tell you the truth, I have a lot of respect for her as a person as well as the way handles herself on the job. Now don’t get me wrong here. I disagree with a lot of her policies. I disagree with her on her support of the minimum wage issue. I doubt we’ll ever see eye to eye on the issue of the so called, “fairness doctrine.” I see that for what it is. An attempt to shut down conservative talk radio. She says no. Whatever. And I strongly disagreed with her “old” energy policies.
I say “old” policies because if I remember right, she’s voted against expanding off-shore drilling every chance she’s had. You know, she voted against it before she voted for it, or something like that. Then again, maybe I’m off base here. It just seems to me, the Democrats finally realized this was a fight they couldn’t win. Now we have Nancy Boyda acting like she invented “off-shore drilling.” She wants to “drill, drill, drill.” She wants to invest in alternative energy sources like wind and solar. In the last commercial I saw her doing, she even said she wants to expand nuclear power as well. Way to go Nancy. So what?
Here’s what I think Nancy. If you and your Democratic Party want the energy issue as your own. Take it. And if you have a plan that will make America energy independent, go for it. But if you’re just feeding us another line of crap to win an election, then go do something else. We’ve been lied to by both parties since at least the 70’s and frankly Mrs. Boyda, we’re sick of it. Other than that, I think you’re doing an okay job.
For the record though, I fully intend to support Lynn Jenkins in this race. But that’s just me being a die-hard Republican. That’s not going to be good enough for a lot of people. Lynn, you’ve got a hell of a tough fight going on here and so far, your opponent’s the only one showing up.
Want to join in on the conversation? Visit Room 235 online at: www.rm235.blogspot.com or you can contact Kevin McGinty by e-mail at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net