Listen friends, I'm not the biggest American Idol fan around. This year, especially, from what I've seen, seems to be average at best.
But my god, man--this 16 year old kid just gave one of the most amazing, inspirational, and moving performances I've ever seen.
One, it Imagine was an amazing song in and of itself. This kid did it justice and then some. If you're a music fan...or even if you just appreciate someone mastering a craft, do yourself a favor and watch this. It's worth the 2 minutes, I promise.
--G
Thursday, February 28, 2008
American Idol
Feel-good story...
An Iraq war veteran received the ultimate homecoming gift in the form of a $1 million lottery jackpot, the Spokesman Review reported. Wayne Leyde, 26, of Mount Spokane, Wash., came upon his new fortune by scratching off one of his four lottery tickets while at home with his parents Tuesday night, the Review said.
After finding the winning numbers, the veteran of two tours in Iraq ran downstairs to tell his mom and dad the good news. His mother jokingly informed him that he was due for a rent increase, according to the newspaper. The personal banker and National Guardsman said he's thought of 50 people he should give some of the money to and about 10,000 ways to spend it.
Good stuff...
--G
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Natural Born Citizen?
Might the fact that John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone (1936) disqualify him from eligibility to become elected President of the United States? There is no settled case law, although the issue has, in fact, come up in the past. At issue is Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution: "No person, except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office, who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States".
This can come as no suprise to the McCain camp, the issue was raised in 2000 during his first, albeit brief, Presidential bid. He never seriously challenged W., so the issue was not fully vetted.
I would completely blow this off as another NY Times hatchet job, but for the fact that the Hilla may still become the Democrat nominee (albeit her chances seem slim at this point). As Lefty said in his previous post--don't rule her out yet. How do I tie Billary into this one, you ask? Well--does anyone remember Sore Loserman---er---I mean Gore/Lieberman in 2000? I do. I had the priviledge of working for team W. down in Florida. You remember Florida, don't you?! That's right, the same state that attempted to steal the election for Al Gore with a stacked state Supreme Court. Yea, that Florida. Well, cooler heads prevailed when Bush v. Gore was settled in December of 2000. I know, my Dem friends will argue THAT court was stacked. I will concede that point, if you concede that the Florida State Supreme Court was rigged as well. Any takers? No?
Do you see where I'm going with this? Are we going to have another Republican elected President where the outcome will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court again? That would be disasterous on many different levels (the least of which would be the P.R. nightmare from such an outcome).
Now, I want to give Obama the benefit of the doubt--that he would not make this an issue were he the Democrat nominee. The Hilla? Please! Does anyone doubt that if the chips were down she would not contemplate this sort of challenge if...when McCain beats her?
I submit that it's a non-issue. Is it not enough that the man I affectionately refer to as McCrazy served our nation bravely in the U.S. armed forces as a Naval flight officer and a United States Senator? No? Ok, how about the fact he was born to two citizens (naturally born). His father was serving in the Navy at the time of John's birth and was serving in the Panama Canal zone on the orders of the U.S. government.
It's actually a fare question to ask. But the answer should be resolved quicker than it took to even ask the question. We'll see how it plays out...
--G
Inside the Ropes
First and foremost - we are about meat - and Stretch and I had some pretty good stuff at the Union Club before the festivities. Stretch had the Filet - which she said rivaled Downtown 140 - her favorite. I had the Colorado Lamb Chops that were out of this world.
Second - Democrats wear lots of fur. Seems like they shouldn't given the animal rights wing of the party - but they do.
Third - Matthew Modine is much taller than he looks in the movies.
Fourth - Rev. Jessie Jackson ought to be ashamed of himself. He literally pushed Stretch and I out of the way on our way out last night... Not sure where the fire was - but he needed to get there in a hurry. Come on... a simple "excuse me" would have been sufficient.
Fifth - I'm still not ready to say that Hillary is done, but she is snake bit. She has the look and sound of someone who just can't get it right. And even when she does, so many people have already made up their minds about her that it doesn't matter.
Sixth - We always believed that the Republican strategy would be to exploit the 50% of the nation that doesn't like her... The D's did it instead. Remember this if Hillary pulls this out...it will allow McCain to take the high road.
Seventh - If you looked at the words the candidates were saying about policy - and took away the adjectives that Obama is so good at using, it would be very difficult to tell the difference between the two. They are both very liberal, they are both savvy politicians, and they are both capitalizing on our nation's absolute disgust with our President.
Eighth - Brian Williams hit a home run last night by pulling out a Browns helmet before the debate...but Tim Russert stole the show with his aggressive and unrelenting questioning of both candidates.
Ninth - Even if this race goes to the convention, this should be the last debate...After 20 debates, nothing new is going to be said, and more than likely, nothing new is going to be heard.
Finally - and with all due respect to POTUS - the Best Blogger in the Buckeye State - the real winner last night was "THE" Cleveland State University. Under difficult circumstances, they put on a great show and made our city proud!
Lefty
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
And the winner is....
There were no knockout blows tonight, but there were some zingers along with a few missed haymakers. HRC tried to land one with the SNL reference. It missed by a mile. HRC is losy at attacking, but I guess that's what happens when you're the leader and losing ground fast.
The first half of the debate was like an all out attack on HRC, althoughbut I have to say her comment about taking all the first questions in the debates came off as whiny. Also, let’s face it she’s a policy wonk, running for President of the United States, not an orator, running for President of the debate club. BHO struggled desperately on the Farrakhan question. His body language was very contorted. I’m glad they didn’t let him walk around the question.
On the big issues there’s not much difference: Health Care = Big Government = Big Tax increases; NAFTA = Loss of Manufacturing Jobs + Great for Agriculture (guess what, Ag is Ohio’s biggest industry); and Iraq = Cut and Run.
No one hurt themselves and no one hurt the other. I look forward to Lefty’s thoughts as he had the pleasure of being in the Convocation Center in person. In the end, the voters of Ohio will decide the winner in 7 days. Vote early and vote often.
- POTUS
Denounce vs Reject
- POTUS
Top Ten Debate Observations
10. Obama is smooth, calm, and Presidential in his demeanor.
9. Billary is a dishonest, power-hungry liar. In contrast, BHO appears to be sincere and honest (if not misguided).
8. That cackle!!!!! God, i'd rather hear fingernails on a chalk board!
7. The Hil does not strike me as a "Commander-in-Chief"--at all. In fact, her election would result in an exponential decrease to the morale of our armed forces.
6. Obama is even more liberal than i thought. What does he mean when he says he is going to "go after the special interests". Witch hunt anyone?
5. Billary is not as moderate as she attempts to portray herself.
4. It was a joke listening to Clinton assail lobbyists and "special interests".
3. Tim Russert doesn't mind asking tough questions (and The Hil doesn't mind completely ignoring the question and giving her own answer).
2. She is a good debater: she pounced when appropriate, but her punches were effectively countered by BHO--thus efficiently mitigating any potential damage.
1. Althought he won the debate, BHO did not hit her hard enough, in my opinion. (i.e.--the argument over "denouncing" Ferrakhan vs. "rejecting"--she was mincing words--he should have responded "Perhaps if President Clinton were here he could educated us on what the definition of is, is").
In closing, she said "We do need a fighter in the White House". Why not, if she get's elected, you'll have a lover and a fighter.
--G
Questions to look for tonight
1) What are your plans to create a national transportation and infrastructure strategy?;
2) What are your plans to restore the Great Lakes and protect them as an economic and natural resource?; and
3) What will be your vision for NASA and the country’s space exploration program?
- POTUS
Redfern’s Higher Ed Hostility Continues
As reported in the PD:
CSU couldn't use tax money, student tuition or the school's endowment to cover expenses.CSU get used to empty promises….
So instead it raised money from about 40 donors -- the major ones are KeyCorp, National City Corp., Parker Hannifin Corp., and The Plain Dealer.
The Ohio Democratic Party did not chip in. It's offering debate tickets in exchange for donations ranging from $2,000 to $50,000.
- POTUS
Lawsuit of the Week

Kevin Lee Dixie v. State of Ohio; Clerks Office, Toledo, Ohio; Clerks Office, Cleveland, Ohio 2/22/2008 08CV00450
Action for civil rights violations and defamation. The plaintiff claims that the defendants exposed him to public ridicule by labeling him as a mentally incompetent homosexual.
Monday, February 25, 2008
The Road to Recovery
Having never been to NOLA or Ole Miss, I took some time to see the sites. I drove from MSY to downtown NO, past the rebuilt Superdome and the NO Convention Center. It was strange to see the facilities in person after seeing the carnage that followed Katrina. I went on to the French Quarter. Now it was the middle of the afternoon, so it wasn’t like I was going to party. The first thing I noticed when I got out of my car was the smell. It stunk and I think it had nothing to do with Katrina. I took my camera, but the only thing worth taking a picture of was Jackson Square. I guess Bourbon Street is only fun at night; during Mardi Gras; or watching it on an episode of COPS (filmed on location with the Men and Women of law enforcement) with FLOTUS from the comfort and safety of my living room couch.
I headed east to Mississippi. As I traveled out of town, I was struck by the devastation that still exists nearly 3 years after the storm. It was like a 3rd world country in some areas. I later learned that much of the delayed rebuilding is due to government red tape and fights with the insurance companies.
Anyhow, I made my way to Bay St. Louis, MS where our contacts had made arrangements at a local hotel/casino. We had a small reception that evening and called it a night due to our early start and long day to follow.
In the morning, we took what has been called the ‘new chamber tour.’ This is a mixed bag tour of areas that still need to be rebuilt and the rebuilding that’s in progress. Let me tell you this: NO PICTURE I EVER SAW OF THE DEVISTATION COULD PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE WHAT I SAW AND HEARD ABOUT. PERIOD. I was shocked by the magnitude of what that storm did. Homes and buildings, new and old, all suffered the same fate. Katrina was like nothing anyone had ever seen before, or could have prepared for, short of leaving it all behind and in many cases coming back to nothing but a concrete slab.
I was also amazed at the stories of heroism. Two brothers, who rode a jet ski 2 miles in 80 mph winds and waves at night to rescue their father’s elderly neighbors, who as my friend described, “I have never seen death in one’s face, until my brother and I swam into their bedroom to find them floating on their mattress knowing the end was near.” Or the Doctor, who was not from the area originally, who decided to ride the storm out in his 2 story brick house located on high ground. As the water rose into the second floor, he tied his five children together, as he, his wife and they swam out of their second story window during the height of the storm so as not to drown in their home. So affected was he and his family, that they moved away shortly after the storm, choosing to leave the area that they no longer called home.
The human strength to survive is incredible. When facing incredible odds, ordinary humans, ordinary Americans, do extraordinary things. And in Bay St. Louis and across the Gulf Coast, everyone and anyone who faced that fateful day in August of 2005, has a story of luck, survival and heroism.
And on that road back, that Road to Recovery, the communities that make up the Gulf Coast celebrate each victory. As pictured above, the bridge rebuilt that spans the distance between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian, was a victory well savored by the community. It was a bridge envisioned in hope and rebuilt by determination. It is my solemn wish that my new friends on the Gulf Coast remain strong and steadfast in their commitment to their neighbors, their friends and our country.
- POTUS
Monday, Monday…
Enterprise usually does a pretty good job, but apparently they couldn’t find two 15-passenger vans in the whole Cleveland area. What a joke! Finally they locate one van which they got to the site 20-minutes before wheels down, and the second vehicle…a Nissan Armada. Are you kidding me? We ditched the foreigner, in spite of is V-8 power and aggressive looks for old reliable – my ’03 Silver Bullet. All 126,000+ miles of shining DETROIT steel!
I pulled shotgun in the 15, which Eagle Dave piloted. Lefty was along for the ride as well during the first leg, spent the rest of the day riding the STE. I roped Radio into volunteering as well. He was pretty excited when I called him after I landed on Saturday in CLE from MSY. I don’t think he knew what he was getting into, but in the end we got the money shot with the Boss and all was well. Special thanks to Radio, who took good care of the Bullet and was second in line.
The afternoon event went well. Packed house. Live local and national feeds. And great food. And afterwards, I road the STE to the FBO. Memorable...to be there and for who wasn't.
Oh yeah, tip of the SteakMatters platter goes to PGA who put the day together. Nice job. See you when you’re back in town.
Italian Flavor

Radio put together another great evening of the couples from school. As he likes to cook, and eat, he chose Sapore which is the recently opened restaurant of Loretta Paganini of the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking and The International Culinary Arts and Sciences Institute.
Paganini is a great American story. She learned how to cook in Italy from her mother, studied at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and came to the United States to make her fortune. Knowing little English [take note all recent arrivals, legal and illegal], came to New York and then she made her way to Cleveland, OH in 1977. She began teaching in Cleveland’s Little Italy in 1981 and in 1989 opened her school of cooking in Chesterland, OH.
Sapore means “flavor” in Italian. And that not only describes our dinner, but also our dining experience. The restaurant is located in a transformed home, next to the school of cooking and across the street from the ICASI. As you walk, in there are windows, framed as pictures, which look into the kitchen. The place has a modern décor, which is a transformation for this 1950’s bungalow. The interior had an open feel and was complimented with refinish hard wood floors, light walls and excellent lighting. The place seat probably 30 people, max, and there seemed to be a focus on groups as there were at least 3 large tables of diners, including our table.
The meal is a flat fee, four course dining adventure. Each course has 2 choices, and the wine selection was limited to three choices, which complimented the menu choices. (I also liked Sapore because you are welcome to bring your own wine, which is served for a minor corking fee.)
For the first course, I had the warm frisee, chicken confit, pickled onions and sherry vinaigrette. (Yes, this being a gourmet restaurant we did experience some ‘if you have to ask’ moments.) The chicken was tender and enjoyable. As for the pickled onions, regular readers will not be surprised to read that I moved those to the side. The second choice was an oxtail consume, which was reported as very good.
The second course was a choice of Ravioli of chicken and local goat cheese or fresh fettuccini, roasted fennel with parmiggiano reggiano. I choose the fettuccini because of the 1st course chicken) which was also enjoyable, but a bit heavier than I expected, only because I hadn’t eaten pasta in several weeks. FLOTUS had the ravioli and loved it. It looked great and I was sorry she ate it all before giving me a chance to try it.
The two main course selections were bacon wrapped salmon with beets, flageoulet beans, and pistou broth; and braised pork shoulder, thyme baised onions and pomme puree. (Two guess on my selection and the first one doesn’t count.) The braised pork shoulder was awesome. The texture of ‘the other white meat’ so tender that I used a fork to portion the bites. I even tried the braised onions, which added incredible flavor without over powering the taste of the pork. And the pomme puree (AKA mashed potatoes) were to be enjoyed as well. No fake ones here. Hand cut, boiled and ‘pureed’.
The desert choices left me cursing my allergy to walnuts. The choices were an Ohio walnut torte or braised pineapple and green cardamom crepes. I get migraines from walnut, so I had to pass, but when those dishes I arrived, I was tempted to challenge the headache gods. I didn’t and happily I was not disappointed by with my braised pineapple. It was sweet to eat and complimented with a carafe of pressed coffee.
Everyone enjoyed the meal and felt the location made for a surprising dining experience. Pagannini’s Italian heritage and French education provided for a nice mix of course options and we learned later, when talking with Loretta, that the menu will change on a regular basis as they try different items. I look forward to the opportunity to take FLOTUS back for a date night.
Top Notch!
Lefty
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Cabin Club Has Tasty Grub

Thursday, February 21, 2008
Follow-up, 10th Congressional Disappointment
Even before Tuesday's debate, there were lots of rumblings - some from former supporters -that O'Grady is a plant who's in the race solely to dilute the anti-Kucinich vote. O'Grady has an impeccable résumé and by most accounts has been a decent mayor. So it's very difficult to believe he would sell his political soul to Kucinich.Mr. Mayor, what’s the going rate for selling your soul, I mean, political reputation?
Nevertheless, O'Grady's performance in the debate was so odd, it led me to conclude that he's either the world's worst politician or is indeed working in concert with Kucinich.
Follow-up, Legislative Beef
Some say she is breaking unwritten race rules and disregarding natural alliances. Cleveland's political godfather, Arnold Pinkney, says we are at an unprecedented moment in American history, the possible nomination of a black candidate as a party's candidate for president. Tubbs Jones, though, is not choosing her candidate based on race. She says the decision comes down to qualifications.
The other day, I saw an MSNBC clip where Tubbs Jones and talk show host Chris Matthews were taking a Texas state senator to task. They demanded that the senator, who turned redder by the moment, list a single Obama legislative accomplishment. "What has he accomplished, sir?" snapped Matthews. The guy stuttered, stammered and kept trying to steer the conversation back to the notion of hope and inspiration. He kept trying to discuss Obama's "coalition-building" and what he believes Obama is capable of doing.
It’s easy to fall prey to the racial undercurrents of this Democratic primary, or to jump on board a campaign because it’s the cause celeb, but STJ is demonstrating the fierce loyalty to her candidate that has entrenched and endeared her in the 11th and has made her a player in the House. Might we be calling her Madame Attorney General soon?
Ohio Dem chairman uses racist remark, rejects higher ed funding
As reported in the PD, Cleveland State University is frantically raising money to offset the cost of the debate scheduled to take place at the CSU Wolstein Center on Tuesday, February 26. President Michael Swartz has been hurriedly working the phones, seeking sponsorships that range from $2000 - $50,000. As the same time, Redfern is fundraising as well, asking for similar sponsorships, which include a reception at Progressive Field and tickets to the debate. Initial comments by Redfern’s spokeman Alex Goepfert, indicated that some funds would be directed to Cleveland State to help defer costs. In today’s paper, the Chairman from Catawba Island indicated in fact that:
"My boy misspoke," said Redfern, referring to party spokesman Alex Goepfert. "It's not true. None of the money is going to Cleveland State."
So in one fell swoop, the leader of the Ohio Democratic Party used the racial epithet of ‘boy’ to humiliate and belittle a key member organization, and to reject funding assistance to Cleveland State, which is putting on his Democratic pageant.
If I were the press secretary, the next release I’d put out would me my letter of resignation. And if I were Chris Redfern, I would put assistance of Cleveland State above my self-interest of raising money for a party. But that’s just me.
- POTUS
Musings...
I'm happy people are enjoying it. It's quite cathartic for me.
It's good to see POTUS working hard. Our blog is starting to look like Blockbuster with all the video we're downloading. Google must be loving us. We better be careful or Google will take us down like they did that one site that was being critical of the U.N. God knows we wouldnt want to be critical of such a non-corrupt, useful group like the United Nations---puke.
Big ups to Ivy League. He bought me dinner tonight at the Cabin Club in Avon. GREAT meal. I'll give you the play later. It was an excellent meal. Thanks to another new reader, Orchid for joining us.
Later, peeps. I'm tired.
--G
Advancing McCain
However, in watching the coverage of McCain’s response when he landed last night in Toledo, OH, I caught a glimpse of SteakMatters friend, PGA, who has been providing advance for the Arizona Senator. Through an exchange of emails with PGA, he told me he was on the plane with the Senator when he landed. Not bad for a gritty Eastsider and alum of Bushwood, who took the campaign’s call when everyone else was out to lunch at the Rudy and Mitt buffet.
Check out the video of PGA here:
- POTUS
John McCain's bimbo eruption?

Mr. McCain, 71, and the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, 40, both say they never had a romantic relationship.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Where's the legislative beef?
Just as in the my Mo Vs Machine post, Obama's supporters are motivated by emotion and (false) hope and even after the embarrising display by supporters with Frank Luntz, good state senator from Texas showed a lack of preparation and could not come up with a single accomplishments. (Could it be that none exist?)
A special toast from SteakMatters to Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones for her insistance that Senator Watson answer the question and not attack Hillary. Now this is some classic video.
- POTUS
Air Force Pilot Dead After Mid-Air Collision


Proud to be an American?
BTW, that's not the first time she's used this line.Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the candidate’s wife wasn’t trying to knock her country, only underscore the meaning behind her husband’s campaign.
“The point is that of course Michelle is proud of her country, which is why she and Barack talk constantly about how their story wouldn’t be possible in any other nation on Earth,” she said. “What she meant is that she’s really proud at this moment because for the first time in a long time, thousands of Americans who’ve never participated in politics before are coming out in record numbers to build a grassroots movement for change.”
Hey Michelle, its about THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, not you or your husband.
We'll know if this story really has legs if Hillary decides to profess her long standing pride in this great country of ours. But as I mentioned in my comments to GOTSOO's video post, I didn't see anything on the MSM evening reports. Maybe they'll cover it in the morning. Here's to hoping that Hilla will comment during the overnight.
- POTUS
p.s. - I guess the Lee Greenwood classic won't be played during the Democratic convention, but was it ever?
10th Congressional Disappointment

I’m going to have to go back and watch the tape again, but my initial reaction was to chuckle at the boldness of the Cimperman attacks. Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, continued attacks in this forum don’t work, as illustrated by the crowd groans during attacks later in the debate. I have to give Cimperman credit on his research and figures he used. One of the most amazing figures was $1.6million, which is the total salary that Kucinich has received during his tenure as Congressman. The other figure was 1 – the number of pieces of legislation written by the Congressman and passed into law.
Kucinich was calm through out the event. He responded to all charges and advanced his agenda, although he did seem to fall back too often on his stump speech. Those who underestimate the man’s ability and debate skills will quickly find themselves in a losing battle. The Congressman did nothing to hurt his election this afternoon.
The person who came out on top was Barbara Ferris. She had some of the best lines (“I feel like a Rose….” as she was seated between the sparing Cimperman and Kucinich.) Her grasp of the issues was impressive. Her previous candidate experience served her well.
As for O’Grady, I’m more convinced than ever that his only role in this race to dilute the Cimperman vote. And I continue to have the utmost respect for Palmer and her principled run, but unfortunately, she was overshadowed throughout the debate.
There were no knockouts, or drop-outs, and so we’re on to March 4th and likely another Kucinich victory.
- POTUS
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
For First Time In My Adult life time I am Really Proud of my Country
Wow..really, Michelle? Through 9/11, through other tragedies, other victories, the courage of many of the citizens of New Orleans during Katrina, the way folks came together after the Oklahoma City bombing tragedy, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the defeat of the U.S.S.R by the American hockey team in 1980, etc...none of that made you proud to be an American?
It took your husband's call for "change" and "hope" to make you proud? That says alot, Michelle, thank you for your honesty.
--G
Speaking of Change...
Up until this point, Clinton has won the female vote by a grand majority. She has also been successful at locking up the vote of those who earn less than $50,000--the working class. Wisconsin saw a shift in that trend. Tonight, exit polls are showing Billary barely--barely (2%) winning the vote of women and she LOST the vote from those who make less than 50k. Combine that with the fact that BHO destroyed her in the competition for the male vote and for the youth vote--and you have a recipe for disaster for the Hil. As my good friend T.C. said in an email to me earlier tonight:
Celebrate. Stick a fork in her, as she is done. To me it's a sign that D's are deciding that he's the guy and going with him. I don't think at this point ohio matters all that much. If she wins, it'll be a political come back as we've not seen in our lifetime. I still think the D's are taking an enormous gamble. I Thought McCain did a great job nailing him tonight. Go write your blog and declare victory.
I hope T.C. is right. He almost always is. Today is a big day, friends. With 44% in in Wisconsin, he's beating her by 12%. 12%! By all accounts a landslide win. I'm going to save my victory celebration for another evening, however. Team Billary is capable of stealing this, still. And I do mean stealing it...
Let's focus on BHO for a second. This is a man who wants to close Guantanemo; roll back the Bush tax cuts; an astronomically expensive health care plan riddled with subsidies (code word for huge tax increase on personal income tax and businesses); increase labor, safety and environmental standards (code word for more regulation on business); continue raising the minimum wage again and index it to inflation (code word for another attack on business); give a $4,000 tuition credit for every student, every year; greenhouse gas emissions (generate billions from "polluters"); he wants to cut and run and let the terrorists create a home base in Iraq; he wants to appoint liberal anti-gun/anti-life, activist judges to the bench.
Don't just take me at my word--look for yourself. Try to think of how much money (code word for how much your taxes will need to be raised), in order for him to pay for all of this socialistic nonsense.
As for his record in the Illinois Senate, here are just a few of his votes:
* He voted against requiring medical care for aborted fetuses who survive;
* He opposed letting people use a self-defense argument if charged with violating local handgun bans by using weapons in their homes. The bill was a reaction to a Chicago-area man who, after shooting an intruder, was charged with a handgun violation;
* He supported higher taxes, joining other Democrats in pushing to raise more than 300 taxes and fees on businesses in 2004 to help solve a budget deficit;
* He sponsored the Health Care Justice Act, a study of ways to implement a universal health care system statewide. (2004);
* He sponsored a bill to limit citizens to being able to purchase only one handgun (2000);
* He voted against making gang members eligible for the death penalty if they killed someone to help their gang. (2001);
* He voted against giving tax credits to parents who send their children to private school. (1999)--shame on them, huh?!
* He voted against a bill that would have paved the way to oil and gas exploration in part of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And, he voted to filibuster a bill that would have opened eight million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling.
He wants change, you say. He has hope, you say. Bull. He is as partisan as the next guy--despite all of his rhetoric on change and hope. You want an example, you say? Ok, here you go:
In explaining why he voted against now Chief Justice John Roberts, Obama told the Senate that he was “sorely tempted” to vote for him. Why?
“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind Judge Roberts is qualified to sit on the highest court in the land,” Obama said.
“He seems to have the comportment and the temperament that makes for a good judge. He is humble, he is personally decent, and he appears to be respectful of different points of view.”
“He does, in fact, deeply respect the basic precepts that go into deciding 95 percent of the cases that come before the Federal court: adherence to precedents, a certain modesty in reading statutes and constitutional text, a respect for procedural regularity, and an impartiality in presiding over the adversarial system.” BHO voted against him.
This guy is scary, folks. He's as left-wing as you get. If that's your bag--well, he's your man. But he's as partisan as the next guy. So, my fellow Ohioans--if you're going to vote for him in the general election against MCrazy, understand what you're getting.
If you're like most Ohioans and are more moderate to conservative in your ideals--this guy should scare you straight. More to come--I'm just getting warmed up!
Good lookin' out...
--G
CHANGE!
The Steak Smorgasbord – the food:

Euc opens: I got my monthly e-newsletter from my friends at University Circle, Inc. and to what did my wondering eyes read…The Euclid Tavern has re-opened! I can’t believe it. The new restaurant is serving lunch and dinner, with breakfast coming soon. They already have a line-up of bands scheduled to play. I hope they maintained some of the charm and history of the old joint. For me there are many memories, albeit a bit hazy - wall-to-wall packed on Tuesdays; the best wings on a hot summer night; cold beer, served in glass orange juice bottles instead of pitchers; the doorman - MK (who I later played college football with) and the family (TC, who also played ball) that ran the joint. And of course, who could forget the movie filmed there, The Light of Day, with Michael J. Fox (pre-Parkinson’s) and Joann Jett – the pics were on the wall and in full-Cleveland fashion, was always a good conversation starter, if you know what I mean, and I know you do. While the website needs some work, it’s a good start. Check it out at http://www.euclid-tavern.com/. Here’s hoping it’s as fun as the old Euc…I think.
Blue Point Grille: Boss and I recently had dinner with our friends, Captain and CIA, from 1See to celebrate our recent victory. BPG is one of FLOTUS’ favorite restaurants in Cleveland. I enjoy it because she enjoys it. But on this night they missed the mark. As avid readers know, when I go to a seafood joint, I order the steak. I always have, and always will. And when I’ve eaten at BPG previously they have always served me a great steak. Unfortunately, my Standard Cut Filet Mignon tasted like bad Parmigianino cheese, and you guessed it - fish. I get it, that’s the risk I take for getting steak at a seafood restaurant, but for the prices they charge, you’d think the chef could clean the grill. Everyone else loved their dinners, so who was I to complain. I appreciated the opportunity to celebrate one of last year’s great victories with one of our greatest clients.
Primi Piatti: While in Washington last week, I put together a small dinner for some of our friends following a reception. At the recommendation of the hotel concierge, I choose Primi Piatti. It was a cute little Italian restaurant, around the corner from our reception. I should have known however that we were in trouble when we walked in at the height of the entertaining hour and the place had open seats, not including our reserved table at the back of the place. The company made the evening: Boss, Lefty, Rainbow Warrior, Rainbow General; Ms. Balboa, and Purple Haze. We had a couple bottles of wine (nice selection) and dinner. My Insalatina Di Pomodorini was excellent – nice and light. For the main course I got the only steak on the menu (yes, there is a pattern here). The steak, Filetto DiManzo, was a Filet of beef grilled and served over shiitake mushrooms, flavored with Cognac cream and truffle essence. I had the meat served medium and fortunately, served a top the mushrooms and sauce. The filet was nicely cooked to temperature, although served pre-sliced. I made space at the end of the platter and ate the steak from that location, minus everything but a touch of salt and pepper. I'm certain I won't be going back to give them a second chance.
Upcoming: I’ve got three more experiences that deserve their own individual posts, but I will tease you with these parting thoughts – flavor in Geauga County; wedding night revisited; and breakfast in the West Wing.
- POTUS
Monday, February 18, 2008
The Steak Smorgasbord – a non-food buffet of thoughts:

Ice Fishing: Yesterday FLOTUS and I were driving in the Princess Jeep past a near-by state park. It was about 11:00a and the wipers were on low, meaning it was raining at a decent clip. The outside temp read 40 degrees. And wouldn’t you know, 3 idiots have shelters set-up on the ice and are fishing! To which I proposed this question to FLOTUS, “How bad does your home life have to suck that you find better to risk your life to go ice fishing during a 40 degree rainstorm, than to sit at home!?!”
Keno: Governor Stickland runs a three card Monty scam and Marc Dann is a co-conspirator (with all due respect to the original Co-Conspirator). Where do I begin? Strickland’s answer to the budget short fall is a joke.You have to appreciate, though, what he and the AG have done, because they are in the process of pulling off so many scams, Tom Noe’s blushing. The key to the three card Monty is distraction and slight of hand. So while Marc Dann was running ‘games of skill’ out of bars, Ted Strickland was reading his memo from the Keno game manufacturer on how to expand the Lottery (and get the state to buy more of their equipment.) Then, out of nowhere, the announcement that the state budget’s going in the tank (that’s what was meant when you were told not to use one-time money for operation expenses). Cut jobs (or don’t fill vacant positions) and (TA-DA) Keno to the rescue. And here’s where the other great slight of hand is. The Lottery, which supports Ohio’s K-12 is funded by lottery proceeds. It’s been a slight of hand from the start. As soon as lottery profits started coming in, the Legislature started ‘backing out’ an equal amount of General Revenue dollars. Now Rev. Ted, who campaigned against casino gambling, wants to control it for himself and use it to save the State’s budget. But hold the presses…I thought lottery profits were supposed to go to education…. I guess the jigs up on this three card Monty, because the good Reverend has just admitted that Keno’s going to help plug the budget hole, therefore exposing the 30-year lie that is the Ohio Lottery. We would have been better with casinos in Ohio…at least me and Doyle won’t have to drive to NY to take their money and our kids would have gotten Play and Earn, I mean Learn and Earn scholarships.
Rocket Attack: I was in DC during the Roger Clemens vs Congress pitching duel. What a joke. Bernie Kosar (not that one) sent me an email asking to relay his best wishes to the Rocket. I was so angry with the circus that was the Rayburn building that morning, I shot of this BlackBerry message back to my boy from Boardman.
Its a total circus! 25 mins to get into any of the house buildings this morn.
The hearing was in Rayburn. The front door line was around the building. Once
you got in, the line in the hall for a hearing room seat was 2 corridors long. I
was in the house T&I hearing and long time Members were saying that they
have never seen that many people for a hearing. (of course they were saying that
as they were leaving the nearly empty T&I hearing on funding our
infrastructure needs and the highway trust fund to go make sure that they were
in attendance at the Rocket hearing.) Our country needs to get its priorities
straight.
The hearing lasted 4.5 hours! Are you kidding me! Who gives a crap about whether Clemens took HGH or his wife did or if his former trainer is looking to make a buck.
Want to care about something, look at the colossal waste of US Taxpayer resources: The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has 23 Democrats and 18 Republicans, which equals: 41 members. A rank-and-file member of Congress makes $169,300 annually (not including other benefits). If you consider the 40-hour work week, a member of Congress makes $81.39/hour. If all members were in attendance, you and I paid $3336.99 an hour for their attendance and $15,016.46 for all members for the entire length of the hearing. I didn’t include the cost of congressional staff, security and other costs associated with the hearing. And estimating that not all members were in attendance for the entire hearing, we’ll call it even.
Oh yeah, and did I mention that Clemens spent a couple of days on the Hill prior to the hearing meeting with members of the Committee, including Ohio’s own Dennis Kucinich. It’s a common practice, but I wonder how many staffers and members got autographs and then grilled the future(?) Hall of Famer for the cameras.
McCain vs. Movement: Republicans hoping for an Obama nomination better think long and hard about whom would be a better McCain opponent. As I said in my prior post, Obama has become a movement. Its not about policy, its about the Obama experience. Recently noted in a USA Today article was the fact that 10.9 million Republicans have voted, compared to 15.7million Democrats – 44% more. Dubbed “an enthusiasm gap”, Republicans better get their act together if they expect to beat the Movement or the Machine come November.
One of the greatest lines ever...
--G
Great Lunch at...

Phils pitcher Kyle Kendrick is duped on Comcast SportsNet.
This is, by far, the greatest baseball prank ever. Sooooo funny!
--G
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Win #1
Lefty
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Charles Barkley: Republicans/Conservatives = Fake Christians
Charles Barkley is officially an idiot. I pity residents of Arizona if this moron is elected Governor.
--G
Friday, February 15, 2008
Putin v. Clinton
When Hillary Clinton said, way back in New Hampshire, that Vladimir Putin "doesn't have a soul," I figured that would be the sort of thing the Russian wouldn't be pleased about. But when I called the foreign ministry the next day for comment, it was Orthodox Christmas, and I let it slide.
He was asked about the remark at his press conference yesterday, however, and indeed wasn't pleased.
The former KGB lieutenant colonel appeared to lash out at U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton — a leading Democratic candidate for president — when one reporter quoted her as saying that former KGB officers have no soul:"At a minimum, a head of state should have a head," Putin said.
--G
Thursday, February 14, 2008
How quickly they forget!!!
Lefty
Happy Valentines Day, Chumps
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Circus on the Hill

Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Mo vs. The Machine
So my question to you loyal readers of SteakMatters.com is this: Can momentum beat the (Clinton) machine? Can hope conquer experience?
There are two more Democratic contests on Feb 19 (Hawaii and Wisconsin) and then its March 4 (Ohio and Texas). BHO is expected to win both contests on Feb 19 and in fact BHO gave is victory speech in Madison, Wisconsin, while HRC was in Texas, basically conceding HI and WI. Additionally, HRC’s camp has said they that they will make their stand in Ohio and Texas.
Ring, ring.
Hillary: Hello, this is Hillary.
Rudy: Hey Hillary its Rudy. Let’s talk about your Tex-Ohio / last stand strategy.
Click.
Let’s face it, the Clinton machine is in trouble. They fired their campaign manager, Hillary’s loaning the campaign money, and senior staff is getting stiffed out of their pay checks like a White House intern…but I digress.
The reality is this: The Democratic electorate is a feel good electorate and Obama supporters feel good about him, but as Frank Luntz demostrated recently for Sean Hannity, not a one could point to an Obama accomplishment.
If the Clinton Machine doesn’t put it in gear, the “mo” that the history books will right about will not be "momentum", but it will be “movement”. And that, fellow steak lovers, is what is becoming of Obama and his campaign – a movement.
- POTUS
Potomac primaries yield no suprises

Monday, February 11, 2008
Did you miss me?

Thursday, February 7, 2008
This Conservative Supports John McCain...Trust but Verify

Pryor interview

Good Bye, Mitt

What a mess.
No word about Pryor joining the Bucks yesterday. Word has it he had his mind made up Tuesday night for the Bucs. He woke up Wednesday morning and decided he needed to give Penn State a fair shot. I could care less. If he comes, fine, if he doesn't fine. We eneded up with a great recruiting class without him.
Fyi--my last post for a few days, probably. I think I've got the POTUS/Boss virus. I'm down for the count til further notice--I'm sure POTUS and Lefty will pick up the slack!
Good lookin' out.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Various musings
Some observations: The Hil has her hands full with Obama. She was helped by her strong wins in the Northeast, though. I still think Obama comes out on top. I'm not so sure he'll win California, but he'll get some delegates there. I'm not staying up that late--Ill find out in the morning.
Really there were no suprises. I'm listening to Obama's speech--man is he liberal.
On another note, word has it that Terrelle Pryor to Ohio State is a done deal. Ghost is reporting that Pryor is tossing it into OSU TE recruit Jake Stonebruner's sister--and rumor has it, that it's a done deal.
Rivals.com is saying Pryor won't commit during National signing day tomorrow.
I guess tomorrow will bring news on several fronts: California results, Pryor results, and State of the State results.
Good night.
--G
Monday, February 4, 2008
Super Tuesday

OSU Football (and basketball) fans...pay close attention
This is shaping up as one of the best recruiting classes for OSU in some time. Pryor has it narrowed down to OSU and (who else) Michgan. Landing Pryor would be huge.
Stay tuned.
--G
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Super Bowl of Texas Hold'em, Part 2

In the M-O-N-E-Y! 130 entrants. POTUS finishes #6.
Was there even a Super Bowl tonight? I have no idea because I didn't see a play until the final 2:00 minutes of the game.
Hats off to Doyle Brunson for sticking with me for the night and serving as my coach and advisor. Now don't think he was doing me any favors, we were playing a syndicate with an agreed 25/75 split if one of us made it to the final table. I did and he earned his money.
The recap:
Let me tell you, playing tournament style is tough. I drew Table 1 at the start. The tourney is run on a computer program - very professional. There were 13 tables of 10. The computer keeps the tables evenly split so there's always at least 9 people playing at the same time. Trouble is, if you loose only 1 person at a time, the table keeps refilling. For the first 4 hours I was at the same table and didn't have to sit out a hand. Playing like this is much more difficult than the 10-person tourney's we play with the crew at home or in Bemus.
We started the day at around 2:00 pm w/ $3000 in chips. I was trying to slow play and feel the table out. At the first break I was huring. I had about $1800 in chips and was looking up at some big stacks. I ground it out of the next three hours, with breaks every hour or so. On the final hand of the session, I took out three people, which ended up colapesing our table into other ones.I ended up at a table with some real players. One of them, Ohio State, I had heard was a big player and had made it to the final table at last year's event. His buddy, Cavs, was to his right. They were both agressive players and I was not looking forward playing them Big Stacked as I was, I was looking to avoid them. As it turned out, Cavs got him self elimated and I unexpectedly ended up head's up with Ohio State holding a 9-A. On the flop, I caught a 9 and bet agressively. OSU went over the top, All-In. I called him. He didn't have squat. And I beat with the nines.
Our table was collapsed again, and I ended up at table of short stacks and quickly approaching the money number of 13 players. Being chip leader I was happy to push people around, and out, when my positon allowed. Otherwise I let the short stacks duke it out. With one hand, two people were out and I was in the money, guarenteed to at least get my buy-in back. At the other table, another went out - now 12. And at our table 2 more, which meant, were at 10. Time for the featured table.
I was in the 3rd spot and the chip leader going into the final table. There were 3 guys short stacked, so I planned to let them fight for the scraps. I could wait. As it turned out, I stuck my nose in a pot and ended up with a inside-straight draw and got re-raised on my raise. I folded not wanting to chase the river.
I didn't play any other hands. And saw four more people go out. I was getting bad cards, but in spite of the lost small and big blinds, I had enough of a lead that I was still in striking distanace.
That came Big Slick - A-K off suit. The blinds were 4000/8000. As the table folded around, I just called the Big, hoping that Red to my left, who was also the Small, would raise as he had been all night as the small. He went in big with a 20,000 raise. The Big folded and I went over the top, calling Red all in. He had me covered with chips, but I was pretty confident in A-K, plus I felt this was a great chance to double up. He called.
Red drops a pair of Princes (J-J). With my A-K its a horse race. The flop comes out ace/ten/jack. I pair my aces, but he has a set (3) of Js and I'm looking for another ace (for a set) or a queen (for a straight). Forth Street's a brick and the River pulls me under. Red knocks me out with JJJ. I finished in 6th.
Funny thing about the two hands, at Red's starting table JJ was a winner all night. At my starting table A-K was a loser. inspite of that, I would still make the call. That's why they call it gambling.
Doyle was happy. He made his money back on his 25%. I was happy. I netted out 4/1 on my money. Which reminds me, that's the second time I've played in a Super Bowl Hold'em Tourney with Doyle and the second time I've finished in the money. I can't wait for next year.
Thanks again Doyle and thank you Grandpa for watching over.
WOW!
Player of the game should be Eli Manning. What an amazing fourth quarter performance. As boring as the first half was, the second half was that exciting.
Congrats to the Giants. What a hell of a game. I can't tell you how happy i am that Tom Brady has been put in his place. Maybe he'll lose the arrogance next year--probably not though, he is, afterall, a Michigan alum. The Patriots went through the season as if the NFL owed them something. Not suprisingly, Belechick was classless in defeat--running off the field before the game clock had expired.
Having said all that, I take no glee in the fact that my good friend Ghost is probably heart-broken right now. I take no pleasure in that. He is a true sports fan--and I take no pleasure in his sadness. Sorry, Chef. A hell of a season. You must be doing something right if so many people are rooting against you.
Big drawback with the Patriots not winning--we have to keep hearing from those Miami schmucks who think their team is the greatest ever. Chumps.
What a game...
--G
Best Ever?
Lefty
Is it just me?





