Rules for a Great Vacation

This posting is being made from a beautiful vacation spot on the shores of Lake Michigan. I have escaped Washington's heat, have a gin and tonic in hand, and am slowly watching the sun set, painting as it descends an ever changing salute to the day that has been.

Vacations like this don't just happen. They are the result of a lifetime of traveling to the four corners of the world, learning as you go where to go, how to get there, and what to do after you have arrived with family in tow. If you're interested, here are my guidelines for a successful vacation for you and your family this year.

If traveling by car, first determine the best navigator in your family. This is a critical assignment and cannot be trusted to just anyone. Look for the family member most skilled at reading street maps quickly and road signs accurately. Put this person in the “shotgun” seat and keep him there for the duration. It also helps if the navigator is familiar with the driver’s idiosyncrasies, like a tendency to make frequent stops for coffee.

Be generous with rest stop time. Indeed, if you are traveling with small children, take off your watch and put it in the glove compartment. You will always have more urgent business than staying on schedule.

As you approach a new town, make note of highway signs directing you to the nearest hospital, fast food outlet, or mall. Trust me, someone in your vehicle will need to visit one of these venues very soon.

Never take two boys under the age of three into a restaurant. If in doubt, look to see if the maitre d’ is carrying a folded linen napkin over one arm. If he is, turn around immediately.

Keep expenses under control with this life-tested meal-cost calculator. As you walk into a restaurant, glance at the tables. If they are covered with a vinyl or plastic tablecloth, the bill will usually be under $20 a person. If it is made of linen or any other cloth material, expect the bill to be more than $40 a person. I usually look for restaurants with no table covering at all.

Always order from the “specials”menu. Generally speaking, the chef on duty knows how to prepare all of his “specials.” But not always. Sometimes the “specials” are those entrees left over from the night before, and he is just trying to unload them on unsuspecting diners. It’s your call – but when in doubt, stick with the “specials.”

Don’t go on a cruise if weight is a personal problem. Forget the television ads; cruises are not about rock climbing, snorkeling, sailing…or even cruising. They are about eating. If you like eating, you will love a cruise….ANY cruise.

Never travel with friends. Just as you should never hang wallpaper with your spouse, you should never take a vacation with friends. There will be endless arguments over who pays at the restaurant, which movie to see, even how long to stand and observe the wonders of nature. In short, a vacation with friends means you may never be friends again.

Adopt these guidelines and you will never have a “bad” vacation again. I just hope I’m not too late to help with your plans for this year’s vacation.

A Leader for These Times

Today, 200,000 "thirsty" Europeans came to the Victory Column in Berlin to get a "drink" from freedom's best representative in these times, the tall man from Illinois -- Barack Obama. And he did not disappoint. He filled each cup with an inspired message about the need for unity among nations "to protect our common security and advance our common humanity."

He made an indirect reference to Reagan when he talked about the need to tear down the walls between each other. "The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down."

It may have seemed over the top to some, even idealistic, but it was a beautifully crafted and eloquent philosophical speech about our need to come to grips with the common goals of "our shared destiny."

Soaring rhetoric dominated the speech interrupted frequently with cheers and applause. It was as if he is already President. Is it any wonder a new generation of youth are looking to Barack Obama as America's best hope for their future.

Neither John McCain nor German Chancellor Angela Merkel could have brought that many people together to hear them speak on any subject. That alone is a reflection of the "thirst" for leadership, true leadership on the world stage. Patience, dear friends at home and around the world; your "thirst" will soon be quenched!

Simple as That

I think the Obama trip to the Mid-East must be giving the McCain campaign living nightmares. It has been a resounding success. He has been welcomed as a breath of American fresh air. “Finally, there is someone from the land of the Stars and Stripes who listens to us and will work for a reasonable solution to world crises.” You can see it in the faces of those with whom he meets.

This race is almost over.

You have media types still talking about how close it is going to be, but it won’t be – really. Take a look at recent Democratic wins in special elections for Congress in reliably Republican Mississippi and Louisiana. Republican Senator Ted Stevens is in trouble in Alaska. Even in the very Republican state of Utah, Democrat Mark Udall is pulling ahead. Democrats seem set to pick up 5-7 seats in the Senate. In addition, there are at least six states in the West that have nearly always fallen for Republicans that are “in play” today.

Add to all that the fact that Obama is bringing in record amounts of cash from an army of ordinary citizens who want to have some say in electing the next President (imagine that!) and you begin to see how this is going to play out in November. (Obama raised $52 million last month!)

For McCain to have any chance, his team will have to manufacture derogatory stories about Obama out of whole cloth which they seem entirely capable of doing. Most of these stories will be circulated on the Internet in September and October and no doubt some of them will find their way into mainstream media…but your responsibility and mine will be to ignore them.

Yes, we are entering the silly season. Pundits have to talk, 24 hour news shows have air to fill, but the bottom line is: people want the Bush-Cheney crowd out of town. It is not complicated; it is as simple as that. America’s leadership will change in November…and you can take that to the bank today.

Here's to 'ya, Mr. President

Electing a President in these difficult times should involve more than whether you would like to have a beer with him. It ought to involve serious discussion of the major issues even if –just be honest here – you don’t understand all of them. One issue all understand clearly is that America has no long term energy policy but America does have a clear dependency on foreign sources of oil for the energy that drives our economy.

So we should ask the two major candidates running for President a series of questions:

What do you think about hydrogen powered cars? What about converting solar power generated in the Southwest into a national electric generation center? What about fusion? What about developing clean coal and building a smart grid on which to carry all this unique power?

If either can talk intelligently about these issues, hoist a beer to them.

Al Gore says we can achieve energy independence in 10 years. I don’t believe it. But then again, I didn’t believe we could put a man on the moon in ten years – and we did it. So, who knows? Could there be a future “Microsoft” of energy out there?

If a candidate can talk intelligently about these questions and in the process formulate an energy policy for the long term that makes sense or at least fires our imagination about the possibilities, then, my friend, we are talking with the next President of the United States.

And Another Thing

I don’t know about you but I’m sick and tired of hearing Republican candidates at all levels stand up in front of a group of constituents and say, “If only we could get those liberals in Washington to stop wasting your money, we could balance the federal budget and you could keep more of your hard earned money.”

Next time that happens in your town, I want you to stand up and shout, “Baloney!”

Here's what they haven't told you: 91.4 percent of the current federal budget of 2.901 TRILLION DOLLARS is set in concrete.

Defense gets 726.1 billion, Social Security gets 730.7 billion, Medicare gets 672.3 billion and Medicaid gets 262.7 billion, and interest on the national debt gets 761.3 billion. OK? That’s all locked in. We’re spending $12 billion a month defending America in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush says we have to be there so we are. So, if you are a Republican, don’t complain about defense spending.

What’s left? 8.6 percent of the current federal budget goes to ALL other functions of government, including education, transportation, justice, housing, government operations, and the total comes to $249 billion. That’s all. That's not much out of 2.9 trillion, is it?

The current federal deficit is estimated to be $410 billion in fiscal year 2008. In other words, if you closed all cabinet departments except Department of Defense, and closed the Congress and the Supreme Court TODAY, you still would not be able to balance the Bush-Cheney budget.

Here’s what you should say to those guys who make irresponsible statements about “those tax and spend liberals” in Washington: If you want my vote, stop pointing fingers at the other side and start talking about how you are going to Washington to work with your colleagues from the other party to find a way to make the federal budget fiscally responsible while meeting all of our domestic and international obligations….even if it means cutting favorite programs and adjusting tax rates.

It won't fit on a bumper sticket but it IS a responsible way to govern.

Bring Both Sides Together -- to Govern!

I'm a lifelong Democrat. That should come as no surprise to those who read the blog regularly. I believe the Democratic Party survives and thrives for its ideas, not its ideology. When I worked on Capitol Hill, the Republicans I knew sat on the back benches, did nothing but say "no" to every new idea presented, and waited for Democrats to solve the nation's problems before going home to ask voters to send them back to prevent Big Government from taking over their lives. It was a good gig...until the people caught on during the current Bush administration.

The "no" party is against a long term energy policy that actually solves the problem. Instead they want to just drill America's way to a solution..and pander to us with an occasional gas-tax holiday.
The "no" party is against a national health insurance program that would insure the 47 million uninsured and the countless more millions under-insured for health care costs that climb every year in double digits.
The "no" party is even against adequate funding for the few programs they actually advance, thus assuring their ultimate failure -- and there are too many to mention here.
Above all, just say "no" to every idea the Democrats advance.

Of course, there is some credence in the claim by the "no" party that the left side of the Democratic Party should be called the "yes" party. The lefties have no problem in saying "yes" to every new social spending program that comes down the pike. I saw a lot of that kind of problem solving the last 30 years of the 20th century and Americans don't want that government either.

Now, along comes a Democrat with yet another positive idea for America: BRING BOTH SIDES TOGETHER AND GOVERN. Whoa! That's radical. Can we handle it?

Obama says he is tired of the take no prisoners politics of the past several decades. He wants to build a new consensus. He understands that governing is all about compromise. I remember when Newt Gingrich stood on the steps of the Capitol, and unveiling his Contract with America, said, "...we want to accomplish this list of objectives and we will not compromise." My thought was, "Well, you won't be in power very long because governing is ALL about compromise."

So, when you see Obama moving to the center on your favorite issue, give him a break. He is seeking consensus; he is positioning himself to govern, not score political points against the opposition. In the end, he knows the job is not about ideology; it is about governing. Voters perceive he is trying to strengthen this republic. Indeed, he is trying to preserve it. Our youth understand the potential that lies within him. That's why they come in the tens of thousands to hear him, and to support him. He is the best hope for their future...and ours.

Barack's Vote for Bush's FISA Bill

The Senate sent the White House a bill last week overhauling rules on secret government eavesdropping and shielding telecommunications companies from lawsuits. Barack Obama voted for the bill and immediately the blogosphere came alive with supporters ready to bolt or at least asserting he had lost their vote. I disagred with the vote, too, but I have not – and will not – reconsider my support for the one man in America who can help us take back our government from those who disparage our Constitution and use the levers of power to perpetuate their own narrow personal agendas.

Regardless of who is elected, you and I will never agree with that person 100 percent of the time. I will not give up my support for a leader, therefore, just because I disagree with one or two votes he makes while serving in the Congress. I like to think I’m the kind of voter who makes decisions based on the exercise of broad public policies. Do we go to war on false pretenses? Do we spend $1 trillion on that war before we admit we made a mistake? Do we spend like drunken sailors on anything our “friends” want? Do we cut domestic programs that benefit all Americans? Do we leave an entire city to fend for itself following a natural disaster? You know, little things like that.

We should give the man a break. There is more at stake than our pique over one or two votes with which we disagree. To paraphrase Phil Gramm's comment to the Washing Times the other day, we need to quit “whining.” Just remember, Obama is THE man for these times.

Hand Over Heart or Tummy? (I wish someone would tell me these things!)

Ever since Barack Obama did the famous fist bump with his wife, Michelle, President Bush has been working on it, trying to perfect it in case he meets Obama somewhere -- say, on the west steps of the Capitol next January. On July 1, a 12-year-old boy tried to teach Bush how to do it and there was a great photo in the Washington Post showing Bush, brow furrowed and eyes narrowed in total concentration, trying to master it. Unfortunately, the photo is copyrighted and thus, not available. Just as well. You can see by the photo attached that he is still struggling to master the hand over heart position most of us learned in grade school for those times when we recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Mmmmmm……or maybe he just had a tummy ache.

How to Choose a President

Every day I receive e-mails from friends and family who are unhappy with the positions taken by the major candidates for the office of President of the United States. Their support drifts from one candidate to the other and back again. Sometimes, they're just not sure what to do. Some wonder if they ought to look at an independent candidate, or perhaps write in another name. All such alternate choices are silly…and would be a waste of a good vote.

"First of all," I tell them, "if you are looking for a candidate without flaws, you won’t find him. Unless you are looking for a Benedictine monk as your President of the United States, candidates will always have flaws and you will never agree with all they say and do. A candidate without flaws is not a requirement for the office and it never has been."

All have flaws. The proper questions to ask are:

Which candidate has the requisite judgment to make the right call when required?

Who has the intellect to analyze the tough issues and find the compromise that will work for all America?

Who has the integrity that will earn him the trust of the people in order that he might lead successfully?

You will notice that I did not suggest a single question about issues. My questions are focused on the bigger, overarching criteria that should be the true measure of the President we seek.

The right answers to the above three questions will put you not far from the next best President for America in November.

Nunn Better

Several news stories about the Aspen Ideas Festival currently underway caught my eye the other day, in particular, two stories about the recent “Afternoon of Conversation” that concluded July 3^rd. Former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn was there along with Colin Powell, columnist Tom Friedman and journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. Nunn, it seems, received a great deal of media attention because he has been the subject of much conversation as a possible running mate for Barack Obama. Excerpts follow from a story written by Brent Gardner-Smith for the Aspen Daily News Online:

Under rapid-fire questioning from (Aspen Institute President) Walter Isaacson, Nunn, 69, said he did not vote on whether to invade Iraq, as he was no longer in the Senate, but that as a citizen, he was against the decision.

When asked what America should do in Iraq, Nunn said, in his thick, Georgia drawl, that we should continue to train the Iraqi army and police, protect the country’s borders, “do what we can to take care of Al-Qaeda,” and work towards reconciliation.

“But what we are not going to do is continue to be involved in an urban civil war between religions,” he said, adding that he would not put an absolute deadline on pulling out troops.

Both Powell and Nunn said that the American armed forces can no longer sustain the troop levels currently called for in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Nunn added that “manpower is going to dictate when we get out of Iraq more than any politician’s campaign promises.”

…

Then there was Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter who reported on the Aspen meeting by saying, “The electrifying Obama can afford to share his ticket with a staid running mate.” Excerpts follow from his Newsweek Web Exclusive filed July 4th:

“The odds are very much against it and I don't expect to be offered it,” Nunn said July 3 at the Aspen Ideas Festival, looking a lot younger and more fit than, say, John McCain. That's a pitch-perfect version of the coy dodge expected of all serious candidates for the job.

…

The main reason Nunn has a chance is that Obama has told his advisers that he won't choose anyone who lacks the stature to be perceived immediately as a plausible president. This makes any short list much shorter.

…

In Nunn's case, out of the Senate doesn't mean out of the action. His record in the 12 years since he left is impressive. Nunn and Sen. Richard Lugar have, with little public attention, managed to reduce the greatest security threat in the world—loose nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union. The Nunn-Lugar initiative has been a huge success and a Nobel Prize is a distinct possibility.

…

Nunn also makes it clear that he backs Obama's position on talking to Iran. “You can't have a dialogue when you have a pre-condition to beginning that dialogue,” he said in Aspen, sounding like a man who could dispense with John McCain's appeasement analogies with a wave of the hand.

…

General elections are fought in the middle, which is exactly where Sam Nunn sits. They are fought over independents and moderate swing voters, who would like Nunn. Above all, he would help lift his party's presidential nominee over the threshold of credibility that, for all the positive polls for Democrats, still stands between Barack Hussein Obama and the presidency.

The talk about Nunn being on someone’s ticket goes around every four years, but Nunn has never been to the ball. This year, Obama may find Nunn better for the dance.