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Transparency and House Democrats fighting for President Obama. There was wide-ranging request by Republicans for documents on private meetings that White House officials had last year with doctors and other medical providers as health care legislation was being prepared. This of course was done behind closed-doors. The house was able to limit requests to records detailing agreements the White House reached with provider groups. The Republicans have rightly accused President Barack Obama of not fulfilling his promise to conduct health care talks in public. These talks held last May at the White House led to the announcement that doctors, pharmaceutical companies and other health care providers had agreed to find about $2 trillion in health care savings over the coming decade. this kind of back room dealings are out in front now because of Healthcare reform that included extra federal aid for Nebraska and Louisiana. This has not been passed yet but it is clear the details have been worked out as Democrats consulted with White House officials in working out the agreement with committee Republicans. This is the kind of thing that makes President Obama and the Democrats appear to be snake oil salesmen, they have a potion to cure everything and they know more than you.

Days until Super Bowl XLIV 10 days
Days until Calgary Winter Olympics 15 days
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Days until Iron Man 2 Movie Debut 99 days
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Days until a New President 1088 Days
Days Country Held Hostage Under Hope and Change 373

We watched President Obama who was stopped for applause 86 times in his State of Union address, this tradition needs to end. He spent two thirds of the speech dealing with the economy and jobs. There was so much speculation that he was going to move to the center, that never happened. It was 40 minutes before he even mentioned Healthcare reform and only took 50 minutes to lay some blame of previous President George Bush. There were two uncomfortable moments when he called out the Supreme Court as the only sat ten feet away. This happened again when he mention open military for gays in front of the Joint Chiefs of the military. Both groups sat stoic and must have know it was coming and sat staring straight ahead as the gallery leaped and applauded behind them. He finished up using the quote “I Don’t Quit” as Karl Rove reported he said “I” 96 times. There also might be a shock at was not said as he never mentioned Guantanamo Bay of the trails for terrorists in New York City. We were surprised he pushed Cap and Trade as we though and most pundits after the speech agreed have been dead for at least six months.

Tonight the President Obama is set to deliver his second state of the union. We are eagerly waiting to see the spin and shine he can put on his freshman effort. The rumor is that he will unveil a jobs-heavy agenda. The buzz is that the goal is to Get the economy, the confidence of voters and his own presidency on surer footing. The pre-speech up fronts say the speech will have two themes this first is to reassure Americans that he understands their struggles and convince people that he is working to change Washington. There should be detail about how he wants to help businesses hire again, salvage an overhaul of health care insurance. There have been many misses over the first year and health care reform stands at the top, ending the war in Iraq, Guantanamo Bay detainees are still there and the influx of thousands of troops in Afghanistan. We could her more of the same as he reverts to an agenda that would include health care reform, regulation of Wall Street, energy and immigration reform. We will heard about the lame spending freeze on some domestic spending for three years. The Republican response will be delivered by Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, this is another good move for the GOP as it was McDonnell who won an election that President Obama campaigned hard for his opponent. We heard Scott Brown say yesterday on the radio that he will not be in attendance for the speech. We have a feeling his presence and what it represents will hover over the whole night like a cloud of clarity.

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Days until a New President 1089 Days
Days Country Held Hostage Under Hope and Change 372

Scott Brown was on the local radio today in Boston, this guy is a winner. There was plenty of reasons for him to win but to get over a million votes in Massachusetts there had to be something else. We think we might have heard it today. Brown speaking in the afternoon told the radio audience about meeting Patrick Kennedy on his first trip to Washington as senator. He told the story without jab even though he was being baited by the host he stayed true to the story. Patches meet Scott Brown was cordial and gave him a book written by his father the late Ted Kennedy who seat he will be sitting in the senate. The thing that makes Scott Brown appealing is that he said of the meeting with patches, he had a great respect for him as he did not think if he was in Patrick Kennedy’s shoes he could have done it. He is so refreshing an honest for a politician we cannot believe it and he is a republican. There is something so genuine about him and it is definitely what was tapped into by the non republican liberal leaning voters in Massachusetts.

On November 4, 2008 the Massachusetts voters banned greyhound racing. This cost the state jobs as these race dogs needed dog grooming, training, care and feeding. The tracks themselves needed people to work the windows, administration, staff, concessions, and maintenance. In a time when the state needs jobs there have been at least 1000 people added to the unemployment ranks. There is more people that take of the greyhounds that are both associated with the racetracks as well as even more that handle other parts of the racing community. All of the dog racing tracks in Massachusetts were be ordered to shut down by January 1, 2010, as commercial dog racing was slowly phased out. This was due to Massachusetts Ballot Question three which passed, with 56 to 44. The 56% majority vote passed The Greyhound Protection Act. Even though there is no live Greyhound action in the bay state any longer there is still simulcast racing from these tracks as they try to hang on. There is a need to supplement the lost income by adding casino slot machines and gaming tables. The hours of operation have been reduced and they have added simulcasted thoroughbred racing as well. There is no magic replacement and it is uncertain the future of these tracks.

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You know you are in free fall when even a sitting Vice President’s son is putting off running as a Democrat. It is even more stunning to the landscape of the nation when you realize Joe Biden’s eldest son, the current Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, will not run for the Senate seat long held by his father. This is the first full term election since Vice President Joe Biden had vacated the seat for 1400 Pennsylvania avenue. The spin is that Biden said he needs to remain focused as attorney general on a high-profile criminal scandal. This does fly in the face of Martha Coakley who was leaving a AG for senator, not that she ever prosecuted a high profile case correctly or had any on the horizon. This is going to be a tough year for Democrats and they have to reap what they sew including Beau Biden in Delaware. This coupled with fact longtime Republican Rep. Mike Castle, a 70 year old a two-term governor jumped in the race in October. This is another seat in play in the senate to go along with sure fire losers Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Michael Bennet of Colorado. There are a couple of seats that can be had wit ha good battle that include Sens. Barbara Boxer in California, Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania and Kirsten Gillibrand in New York. Then you can throw in Illinois and a chance for Connecticut. The bigger problem for democrats in Delaware is there has been no one raising money or pressing the flesh and there is only eight months until the election. Beau Biden has put the new candidate behind an eight ball and the only explanation is democrats do not know where they stand with the voters of their own state.

Days until Super Bowl XLIV 12 days
Days until Calgary Winter Olympics 17 days
Days until Spring 2010 53 Days
Days until Clash of the Titans Debut 59 days
Days until Iron Man 2 Movie Debut 101 days
Days until Robin Hood Debut 108 Days
Days until a New President 1090 Days
Days Country Held Hostage Under Hope and Change 371National Debt 1/25/2010   12,303,736,486,568.45
National Debt 1/21/2000      5,713,302,084,517.53
National Debt 1/8/1835                                        0.00

Chalk this up to bad timing and a bad message. Scott Brown wins and the dirty little secret is he never mentioned he was a Republican. His campaign literature said nothing about being a republican, only independent thinker. So after this huge victory what it the next action by the Republican Party there will be 168 Republican National Committee delegates heading Wednesday for winter meetings. Where are they holding the meeting in the high-tax, big-government Democratic supported state for the last five decades and President Barack Obama’s birthplace, Hawaii? There is no doubt Republicans are invigorated after national spotlight election victories in Massachusetts, Virginia and New Jersey. The event will be held at one of Waikiki’s most prominent beachfront resorts. This is a media nightmare and not matter what positive spin is attempted it still looks like a winter vacation in Hawaii in the end and we believe the timing could not be worse. Steele the RNC president tried to spin that the recession is affecting everywhere including Hawaii and threw in it was to recognize the work of the Hawaii delegation and celebrate Republican governor Lingle as she finishes up her second term. The lame stream media will use this and so will the campaign ads in the fall. Do not be surprised if the DNC has their meeting in Washington to use “we understand Americans are not taking vacations how can the leaders”.

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Days until a New President 1092 Days
Days Country Held Hostage Under Hope and Change 369

The Supreme Court has made the decision to ease limits on campaign spending by corporations and labor unions. In the 5-4 vote in the high court changed parts of the 63-year-old law that forbid companies and unions from using their own money to produce and run campaign ads that urge the election or defeat of particular candidates by name. President Barack Obama says he can’t imagine “anything more devastating to the public interest” in his radio and Internet address Saturday. He went on to claim that the ruling could jeopardize his domestic agenda. There are even more fabulous quotes “This ruling opens the floodgates for an unlimited amount of special interest money into our democracy,” and the hits did not stop there he threw out this little gem “It gives the special interest lobbyists new leverage to spend millions on advertising to persuade elected officials to vote their way – or to punish those who don’t.” We highlight this because the truth is there is going to be no more money spent then in the past. If you think this will make them spend more we think you are mistaken. The bottom line is that when the AFL-CIO and Shell Oil want to get money behind an issue they know how to do it. The problem is we do not see it happen. The money just pours into the campaign and they use it as they want. Then we wonder why they vote for Shell Oil to be able to dig for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Robin Williams’s new special said the politicians should wear labels like race car drivers on their suits. This way we would know they are sponsored by AFL-CIO and Shell Oil. It is easy for President Obama to think this is wrong because of where he sits and his need to only run on more campaign in his life.

Days until Super Bowl XLIV 15 days
Days until Calgary Winter Olympics 20 days
Days until Spring 2010 56 Days
Days until Clash of the Titans Debut 62 days
Days until Iron Man 2 Movie Debut 104 days
Days until Robin Hood Debut 111 Days
Days until a New President 1093 Days
Days Country Held Hostage Under Hope and Change 368

National Debt 1/21/2010    12,300,163,248,044.69
National Debt 1/21/2000      5,711,817,746,476.20
National Debt 1/8/1835                                        0.00

We just want to let make you aware of the biggest mistake of the first year of the President Obama presidency was day 362. That was the day he flew into Logan airport on Air Force One to help Martha Coakley defeat Scott Brown or so he hoped. He had tried to campaign in Virginia which was a double-digit loss as Republican Bob McDonnell won easily. He flew into New Jersey five times in support of Jon Corzine who eventually lost to Republican Chris Christie. Then on day 362 at Northeastern University in Boston, he hitched his wagon to another loser, another loss, this time with huge implications. It was funny to hear the President try to say that the Scott Brown win was some how tide to backlash from the Bush era. At some point, do you start wonder if this President can ever think he might be the problem? We know the left long accused President Bush of never accepting blame, but there can be no mistaken that Scott Brown winning as a Senator from Massachusetts cannot ever be considered backlash against a Republican President. Moving forward the Healthcare bill could be died, if it is not it will be a shell of what it was. The supermajority is gone and the work of this President just became a whole lot harder. Democrats now fear for their political life, and the back room deals are no longer acceptable. The next ten months are going to be very interesting and we wonder if anything can be done at all.

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Days until Clash of the Titans Debut 64 days
Days until Iron Man 2 Movie Debut 106 days
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Days until a New President 1095 Days
Days Country Held Hostage Under Hope and Change 366

Wide Awake in America or Bullet the Blue Sky use any U2 song you want but today feels like a brave new day. We try not to talk about local politics but when it thrust upon everywhere we turn to comment is only fair. We have voted in eight senate races as a Massachusetts voter and have never been on the right side of the election. We have votes against John Kerry and Ted Kennedy each four times. It did not matter who the opponent was we had an acronym we used ABK anybody but Kennedy, anybody but Kerry. Last night as we watch, over two million votes cast, over a 50% turnout you would have thought in a state where Democrats out number Republicans 3 to 1, it was a slam-dunk for the democratic machine. However, it was not, driving to work yesterday there were homemade signs for Scott Brown all long the roadside. When they told me last year, President Obama had a grass root campaign, because he tweeted and kept a blackberry on his hip. We understand today a grassroots campaign is when people so want to be a part of something bigger, something that makes a difference, and finally when people stand up and scream you went to far. We believe that was the message sent to Washington the voters gave them the keys to the country and instead of doing what we wanted they spit in our face and decided for themselves what we wanted. This is the reaping of what you have sewn, and like Republican Senator Scott Brown from Massachusetts said last night, “if this can happen in Massachusetts it can happen every where and they know it.” Let me just say it one more time cause it feels so good Republican Senator Scott Brown from Massachusetts.
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Days until Spring 2010 59 Days
Days until Clash of the Titans Debut 65 days
Days until Iron Man 2 Movie Debut 107 days
Days until Robin Hood Debut 114 Days
Days until a New President 1096 Days
Days Country Held Hostage Under Hope and Change 365

National Debt 1/15/2010 12,319,326,469,724.43
National Debt 1/15/2000 5,719,849,572,269.03
National Debt 1/8/1835 0.00

Yesterday we woke up to a winter storm of snow, rain, and a mix of the both. The two contenders for the U.S. Senate seat did not let that stop their last minute push for votes. They were both at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast at the Hynes Convention Center. Martha Coakley went Johnny’s Luncheonette in Newton then headed of to Pittsfield, Springfield, Framingham, and Dorchester. Scott Brown after the breakfast waited for Bruins fans outside the TD Garden. Then he was off to North Andover, Littleton, and an evening rally in his hometown of Wrentham. We are up to six robocalls a day and the ads are pretty much Martha, Scott, Martha, Scott, Jordans Furniture Martha, Scott, and back to the show. It is getting a little long in the tooth and thankfully, there is lee than 12 hours to go. The new Suffolk poll that concentrates on three communities that are a microcosms of the state, has Brown with a double digit lead in all three towns. There is snow falling as we type and it is predicated to continue without accumulation. The early turnout has been pretty brisk for an election that has only one selection, during a minor snow storm, for a two year replacement Senator seat.
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Days until Iron Man 2 Movie Debut 108 days
Days until Robin Hood Debut 115 Days
Days until a New President 1097 Days
Days Country Held Hostage Under Hope and Change 364