"The thief is sorry he is to be hanged not that he is a thief."

WTF is wrong with folks who have the name O'Donnell here in A-merry-ca? This time it's Lawrence and not Christine I have to talk about.

Seems my liberal friend got into some hot water when he made -what some would consider- racially insensitive remarks about Hip Hop Mike.

"As the first congressional election during his party chairmanship approaches, Michael Steele is dancing as fast as he can trying to charm independent voters and Tea Partiers while never losing sight of his real master and paycheck provider, the Republican National Committee"

Ahhh Lawrence, you can't say that. Just because you are a liberal and we are ideological soul- mates don't ever believe that you can get away with saying the same ignorant s&^# that I have to call republicans and conservatives on. I can call Hip Hop Mike all kinds of names, but you can't. It's that simple. You will have to find another way to make your point.

For the record, I am not one of those black folks who believe that liberals are anymore enlightened than conservatives when it comes to matters of race.- Although I do believe that they, at least, more often or not, make an effort to try and understand us. They try not to seem as insensitive.- Folks like O'Donnell think that they can get away with saying certain things because they are on the same political team as most blacks. That would be a mistake. We are on the same team but we are not the same. We are the same as Hip Hop Mike but we are not on the same team as he is. Hip Hop Mike knows this, which is why he screams bloody murder when he gets the business from liberal whites. Anyway, he demanded an apology from O'Donnell and he got one.

..I chose a word that could be misinterpreted as a racial reference on the same night that I took to this pulpit to so righteously condemn the racist e-mails sent by new york billionaire and Republican candidate for governor, Carl Paladino is ironic. So too, that Michael Steele has yet to pass judgment on those same e-mails.

I completely understand and sympathize with the many ways in which a party chairman’s public speech is constantly constrained. i think we all know what Michael Steele would like to say about his New York candidate’s e-mails and I think we all understand why he hopes he’s never asked about them. My public speech is not similarly constrained by political considerations. I am honored that Michael Steele believes me to be the kind of person he can call to explain his hurt and politely request and expect an apology. After apologizing to him on the phone, I told him I would apologize on this program, something he did not request. I also told him that I, too, thought the interview was a lot of fun, that I enjoyed our give and take. and that I would love to do it again whenever his schedule allows. Mr. Chairman, I sincerely apologize."

Yeah OK Lawrence, if you say so.

Still I am disappointed with Hip Hop Mike, we slam liberals when they go all David Duke on him but he refuses to condemn the ignorance on his team. Go figure. But that's alright Mike, you are a republican, you are just doing what comes natural.

Finally, I have a couple of stories I would like you to comment on for me because (for professional reasons) I can't.

This one and this one. Thank you!

The food stamp party.

Oh my, it's getting ugly here in A-merry-ca. I have a confession to make: I have been blessed all of my life. I am one of the lucky ones here in A-merry-ca who has never had to depend on a government handout. But there are a lot of hard working and successful A-merry-cans who, at some point in their lives, did need a little government assistance. Families and individuals can go through rough patches, and, when they do, they might need help from a government that they have been paying taxes to all of their working lives.

Which brings me to Newt Gingrich. My man recently labeled the democratic party the party of food stamps. (Of course considering the number of A-merry-cans on food stamps right now, that might actually be a good thing for the dumbocrats. )

"It's perfectly fair to say they are earning the title of the party of food stamps," he said. "By contrast, we have historically since Ronald Reagan of 1980 been the party of job creation."

Fair enough, Newt. But what if your Reaganesque supply side policies do not create jobs? What if on their way to achieving the A-merry-can dream they go broke and hungry and might need some food stamps to get by?- A college student, or small business person who is going through a rough spell comes to mind. - What then?

Oh, that's right, they are just people. Who cares about them? It's not like they are foreign owned conglomerates who can give the republicans and their lap dog organizations much needed money.

Yep, just people. Bad stuff happens to just people sometimes. Like poor Gene Cranick of Obion County, Tennessee. Seems Gene forgot to pay a $75 annual fee and it cost him big time.

"A smoldering rage may be all that remains after Gene Cranick's home burned to the ground last week in Obion County, Tennessee.

Firefighters are usually the bold "veni, vidi, vici" sort, but those from neighboring South Fulton could only say "veni, vidi." They came. They watched. That's it.

Cranick lives outside of the city limits and he admits that he forgot to pay a $75 annual service fee that would have provided him with fire protection. Firefighters wouldn't lift a finger, much less the hoses that might have saved the house.

The fire reportedly started in some barrels outside. As the flames crept closer to the home, Cranick says he offered to pay whatever it would take. The plea fell on deaf ears. Hours later, the home was gone.

So were three dogs and a cat.

"They coulda' been saved if they put water on it. But they didn't do it," Cranick told MSNBC.

The South Fulton firefighters did show up and managed to save a neighbor's field. The neighbor had paid the fee. But they would provide no heroics for the Cranicks. A local news report shows them climbing back on their trucks, flames still dancing over what was once the family's home."

Of course, folks like Glen Beckkk and other wingnuts thought that this was funny. You see, in their A-merry-ca, when one is not serious enough about his or her individual responsibilities they must be punished. So the Cranicks got their just deserts; they lost their home. Unfortunately Beckkk didn't get his; he still has one.

Not quite.

Put this one down in the "duh!" category. Tell me something I didn't already know. The problem for his O ness is that the folks who love him won't vote this mid-term, so all of his peeps (even the ones running away from him )are going down. The only thing that will help dems salvage a couple of seats is the craziness of the teabag folks. (Did Sarah light really start a political spot by saying "I am not a witch"?Okkkkaaayy then.) But, other than that, things are looking bleak. Independent white voters already shot their liberal guilt load and there will be no more votes for the beige man. It's that simple.

Here in Pistolvania the dems are trailing in all the polls, and there is a full fledged rust belt rebellion against all things O in places like Michigan and Ohio. And, over at Radio Rwanda, they are happier than Bishop Eddie in an NFL locker room. (Sorry, low blow.)

But, all is not lost: the good news for you Obamaholics is that O has two years to get his s%^t together. It's time for him to get out of that Ivy League cocoon that he has been living in for the past two years. He has been surrounded by know it all handlers and nerdy wonks, but it looks like he finally broke free and is coming out to see the real world. "Yes we can"? No you can't. Not if you don't stop working on your golf game and playing college professor in the beltway. Still, maybe he is starting to get the message, and as a result dems gained some traction. But is it too little too late? I think it is. My man Rahm should have left about a year ago.

Meanwhile, O will be back in Philly again on Sunday to try and stir up the faithful. He is hoping that they will be fired up enough to go out and vote come November 2nd. (Good luck with that) Here in Philly we are getting used to seeing O around these parts. We are just wondering where he has been for the past two years. Oh well, at least The Roots will be playing. I wonder if they will give us a few bars of "Don't feel right"? I think that would be appropriate.

Crazy season.

Maybe I should make Rachel Maddow my honorary field Negro of the week. It's nice to see that she has Bill O'Reilly figured out. Now if we can just get her to say what she really thinks of the guy on the air.

Speaking of saying what she thinks; I am afraid I am going to have to talk about Sarah light again tonight. Folks, if you think I am focusing too much on Sarah light, just remember this: As November 2nd fast approaches, there are other candidates out there like Sarah light, who will, if elected, be making decisions which will have a profound effect on our lives.

"...But even for a Senate candidate who's lied repeatedly about her educational background, is suspected of campaign embezzlement, is suspected of tax fraud, rejects modern science, hates gays, has crusaded against masturbation, has talked about stopping Americans from having sex, and embraces a hysterically extreme political worldview, this is pretty extraordinary.

Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell of Delaware said in a 2006 debate that China was plotting to take over America and claimed to have classified information about the country that she couldn't divulge.

O'Donnell's comments came as she and two other Republican candidates debated U.S. policy on China during Delaware's 2006 Senate primary, which O'Donnell ultimately lost.

She said China had a "carefully thought out and strategic plan to take over America" and accused one opponent of appeasement for suggesting that the two countries were economically dependent and should find a way to be allies.

"There's much I want to say," she said at the time. "I wish I wasn't privy to some of the classified information that I am privy to." [Article]

Stop laughing and read something else for a minute: This happened four years ago, so Sarah light cannot blame these statements on her youth.

But let's forget about Sarah light and think about all the blind support that she is getting from her conservative friends simply because she chose to identify with their political tribe. This is politics in A-merry-ca post Obama: I will support you no matter what, just as long as I can say that my party picked up a seat.

For a fleeting moment Karl Rove did what I thought -and now have come to realize- was the impossible. He showed some integrity in speaking out against Sarah light. But he was soon crushed by an avalanche of ignorance and forced to retract every honest word he said about her. Now he and his wingnut buddies might live to regret it. If, by some miracle, she heads off down I-95 to represent Delaware in the US Senate, the image of the republican party will be damaged for generations. But she won't be alone. There are a few other republicans who could end up in the senate and who will contribute to that legacy as well.

Sunday rant.

If there is anyone out there reading this post who knows how to make a tackle in football, please send your resume to The Eagles Football Club, 230 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19145. Thank you.

It was ugly at "the Linc" today, folks. My birds caught a beatdown from the DC dead-skins. "5" came back home and delivered a win for them. And, to make matters worse, Vick looks like he is out for at least six weeks with broken ribs. Damn it's tough to be a birds fan.

Anyway, it's hard to write a post tonight because I am still seeing Clinton Portis gash my team's D for more yards. So anyway, here are a few random thoughts:

I know that OJ Simpson is kicking himself tonight. Man if he could have just stayed out of prison long enough to see this. Oh well, I know where the vacation hot spot will be for NFL players next year. Especially the black ones.

I bet that dude who wrote the article about "Crazy white American folk" in the Village Voice didn't expect this type of backlash. What did he expect? That white folks would just roll over and let him talk about them in unflattering terms? Not anymore. This is not your father's A-merry-ca. White folks are no longer ashamed of their whiteness. And damn it, you liberal tree huggers will not turn this country back to the days of white guilt. Just wait until November 2nd. You all will be wishing that you didn't put that beige man in the people's house.

"I picked up a crack pipe when I was 25 years old because I wanted to try it, and it took me 22 years to un-try it. But it's a wrap now. I lost all that time with a pipe in my mouth. Now it's a mike to my mouth."

El, I just hope that you have your counselor on speed dial. But I wish you the best.

Now that tons of money is pouring in for my girl Sarah light, I hope she spends it wisely this time. One thing she won't be spending it on is tofu. Seems my girl loves her meat....(get our minds out of the gutter readers.)

"WILMINGTON, Del. Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell once told a TV interviewer that she tried several religions but skipped becoming a Hare Krishna because she didn't want to be vegetarian. "

I bet the Hare Krishna folks are happy for that.

Finally, just two more days for the release of Dana Milbank's new book. I can't wait.
I think that Milbank is on to my man, and in his new book I think that he will make a compelling case that the guy is certifiable. But who is crazier? Beckkk and his P.T. Barnum style schtick, or the millions of A-merry-cans who worship at his alter?

It's hard to pick between the two.

I'm out. Hey, does anyone have a football team with a large bandwagon.

A "Smaller more diverse" crowd.

It was nice to see all that diversity on display in DC today. I bet folks in red states A-merry-ca took it all in and thought to themselves, WTF? I am not sure exactly how many folks turned out, but it looked like a nice crowd. All the usual suspects were there to fire up the crowd and demand jobs and justice. But, more importantly, they encouraged folks to go to the polls and vote. Still, I think Beckkk and company had them beat. (A smaller more diverse crowd they are calling it) But hey, those folks with Beckkk are more motivated. And, let's not forget; they have more dollars.

Seeing progressives actually putting their boots on the ground is encouraging. I know that in Europe folks aren't afraid to hit the streets. They want jobs and they are angry, so they march. Unemployment is at damn near 20% for black folks here in A-merry-ca and we sit.- Should I get into the poverty disparity? Nah, I think I will save that for another post.-

If there is one thing we know for sure it's this: the folks in DC today weren't sitting:

"Soraya Gardner of Yardley, Pa., a union member, said she’s sick of “the racism, the tea party stuff.” She, her husband and her daughters stood with signs reading: “The Coffee Party: Wake up America!” and “Hey Glenn, We’re here. You’re not. Honor restored. You’re welcome.”

Peggy Brown, who lives in the Washington suburbs, said “Fox News, that’s about as bad as you can get” and that conservative personalities Beck, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh “preach and spew out hate” and have “brainwashed” Americans.

“Are you smarter than a half-term governor?” read the poster Cornelius Boss of Columbus, Ohio, was carrying, taped to a toilet seat along with a photo of ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Matthew Leber, a member of the University of Massachusetts teachers' association, said he was rallying out of concern for his four granddaughters’ future. Their father lost his job nearly two years ago.

“The government needs to give incentives, tax breaks and whatever it takes for people to get back to work and stop giving tax breaks to the rich,” Leber said."

Yes, but remember Matthew, you are the government.

The wingnuts are calling what happened in DC today Left-a-palooza, and soon you will be hearing and reading about the small numbers and all the radicalism and Communism that was on display down there from all of the wingnut blogs. In fact, let me give you a little of it now to save you the trouble of having to put any millage on your mouse:

"Regular readers are also familiar with many of the “One Nation” organizations’ progressive K Street/DC roots.

Open-borders zealots will be out in full force. No doubt some of the same types of paid, non-English-speaking day laborers who’ve been hired by California Democrats will also be in attendance.

Their creed: One Nation, under government, indebted to Soros, with mortgage payments and social justice for all.

The union buses are still rolling in, but at the “One Nation” site, they’ve already posted aspirational photos of the scene at the mall:"

Isn't A-merry-ca great?

Government "behaving badly."

O man WTF? You are going to have to insist that the folks who work in and around the White House use common sense while carrying out their day to day duties. When I heard what happened to Vernon Baker's grandson I was seriously pissed off.

"SPOKANE, Wash. - The White House apologized Thursday for turning the family of a Medal of Honor recipient away from an exclusive tour last week because the late veteran's 10-year-old grandson was wearing shorts.

Vernon Baker, the last surviving black Medal of Honor winner from World War II, was buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery after dying in July from complications of brain cancer at age 90. He belatedly received the military's top award from President Bill Clinton in 1997, after historians concluded he'd been wrongly denied because of his race.

On Saturday, his widow and grandson went to the White House for a special tour of the West Wing, which includes the Oval Office and rooms that are in use.

The staffer who was to lead the family wasn't sure whether 10-year-old Vernon Pawlik's attire , shorts and a T-shirt bearing a picture of the boy's grandfather , was considered appropriate.."

You have got to be kidding me! And no, I am not crying racism, just stupidity on this one. I honestly think that dumb ass staffer would have turned away a white family for the same reason. Oh, and BTW, the boy's T-shirt had a picture of his grandfather. Could they have f&^%*d this up anymore? Yes, I believe that they could have. [Article]

Finally, you have got to love A-merry-can exceptionalism. We are so much more important than other folks that we experiment on them for the greater good of us god fearing folks. Hell they were just a bunch of poor Central Americans who really don't contribute much to humanity, so why not use them as guinea pigs? Besides, they were just prison inmates and mental patients. And, if we are going to be honest, here in A-merry-ca we have our own second class citizens to experiment on , so we really didn't need the Guatemalans.

Still, I am glad O and his peeps apologized, it was long overdue. I just wonder how long it would have taken for someone to discover this little incident if Susan Reverby didn't have a curious mind.

Unintended consequences?

It's a wild news and weather night here on the East coast. Here in "Iggles" nation we are just patiently awaiting 5's return. It should be fun to watch come Sunday.

Anywhooo, I want to start with uncompromising positions and how they can have sad and unintended consequences: My man Kassim Osgood is a wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he decided to run a route right into the bedroom of a 19 year old cheerleader. Problem was, of course, that girlfriend had a jealous ex boyfriend. And we all know how exes can get at times.

"Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Kassim Osgood had to leap out a second-floor window late Monday to escape a gun-wielding man who had attacked him and a 19-year-old Roar cheerleader he was visiting in a home on Fort Caroline Road.

By the time it was over, police said the armed intruder had traded gunfire with the woman after sticking a gun to her head, saying, “What did that football player say to his girlfriend, 'It’s a good day to die,' ” misquoting ex-Florida Gator Chris Rainey’s recent text message to a former girlfriend.

Osgood, a former Pro Bowl special teams player in his first season with the Jaguars, had some minor bruises from his escape and being pistol-whipped, the Sheriff’s Office report said. He declined to comment Wednesday. "

Kassim, you better be glad girlfriend lived on the second floor and that she was packing. WTF? A shootout with her ex after he put a gun to her head? Gotta love those females in the Ville. [Story]

A similar story with a young man being caught in I guess what was to him a compromising position didn't end so well. He committed suicide after his roommate posted streaming videos on the web of him having sexual relations with another man.

"Fellow students Dharun Ravi, who was Clementi’s room-mate, and Molly Wei, have been charged with invasion of privacy and could face up to five years in prison if convicted.

They are accused of placing a camera in the room and streaming the images straight on to the internet.

In a message posted on microblogging website Twitter on Sep 19 Ravi allegedly said: “Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.”

Steven Goldstein, chairman of the gay rights group Garden State Equality, said his group considers Clementi’s death a hate crime.

He said: “We are heartbroken over the tragic loss of a young man who, by all accounts, was brilliant, talented and kind.

“And we are sickened that anyone in our society, such as the students allegedly responsible for making the surreptitious video, might consider destroying others’ lives as a sport.” [Story]

Hmmm, lots of layers to this story. But my man's roomie was one sick dude. Obviously he (the victim) was hiding his sexuality and his roomie knew that, which is why he thought his prank was cool. Dharun and Molly must not live in the real world. I wonder how they thought their little stunt was going to turn out? It doesn't' matter now. The problem for them is that a jury will probably ultimately decide whether their actions were foreseeable or not, and that could mean a long stint in the "pokey" for both of them. I know one thing; there is a certain pastor down in peach country who is praying that....never mind.

Here is another reason we shouldn't be just sperm donors. There are truly some sick folks out there. I swear you all make me want to rethink my stance on the death penalty sometimes.

Finally, it looks like the republican candidate for governor up in Zoo Yawk is doing his best to audition for the Sopranos play that's sure to come to Broadway:

"Republican New York governor candidate Carl Paladino has launched an astonishing attack on a reporter after he questioned him about claims against his rival Andrew Cuomo.
Mr Paladino reacted angrily to a question from New York Post state editor Fred Dicker and the two had to be held apart after a furious exchange.
Mr Dicker had asked whether he had evidence for accusations levelled at Mr Cuomo..

But the Republican then launched his attack on the reporter, shouting 'I'll take you out, buddy!' He referred to the newspaper's coverage of the daughter he fathered 10 years ago outside of wedlock before making the threat. 'I want to know why you sent your goons after my daughter, Fred. 'You send another goon to my daughter's house and I'll take you out, buddy!' [Story]

Watch, just like Chris Crisco in Jersey, he will be praised by the wingnut establishment for his "in your face" style, and he will have their full support come November. He better, or he might take them out as well.

Who should we believe?

*

I see that the folks over at Radio Rwanda are all in a tizzy over his O ness putting them on blast in his RS Magazine interview.

"How on earth is Fox News hurting the middle class?" O'Reilly wondered aloud during a segment with Alan Colmes and Monica Crowley Tuesday night.

O'Reilly also said Obama criticized Fox because "50 percent of the commentators" on the network disagreed with the president, as opposed to other media outlets who "still love him."

And this from tweedledum:

"Once again, we are seeing if you disagree with the president's left-wing agenda, you do so at your own risk," he said, before blasting Obama for his economic and foreign policy.

"Mr. President, this network did not put into place policies that are going to result in higher taxes, higher health care premiums and fewer jobs," Hannity said.

Honestly, this is A-merry-ca, and the folks over at Radio Rwanda have every right to put all the bull s&^ they want on the air. If the brain dead red state masses want to treat every thing they spew as gospel, then so be it.

The problem is, of course, that they pretend to be a legitimate news organization. Their "fair and balanced" aphorism is an even bigger joke than the bimbos and former republican candidates and operatives who they have masquerading as journalist. (BTW, they have even helped their employees run for political office) This is the frustration with FOX. Not that they are a wingnut propaganda arm , but that they pretend not to be. I am sure that this is what frustrates his O ness as well. In his orderly academic world this makes no sense. Could the people who elected me be this dumb? Ahhhh.....Yes! Rupert Murdoch and his minions understands the emotional A-merry-can. They would rather watch a blond bimbo read slanted news than an old bald man read the truth. It's why they will always win the ratings war.

Finally, in typical -hypocritical- republican fashion, millionaire Meg Whitman is throwing her *nanny of seven years under the bus. Or, should we say, under the border fence. Seems Meg knew girlfriend was illegal all along, but...well, we can't have the voters of California knowing that we say one thing and do another now can we.

"..Allred said that the Social Security Administration notified Whitman in 2003 that the number Diaz provided when hired in 2000 was not valid and that Whitman did nothing until June 2009, when she fired Diaz after she asked for help with her immigration status. Diaz is filing a claim with the state Labor Commission, seeking back wages and mileage.

Here's what Whitman said in a statement:

'After nine years of faithful service, Nicky came to us in June 2009 and confessed that she was an illegal worker. Nicky had falsified the hiring documents and personal information she provided to the employment agency that brought her to us in 2000. Nicky told me that she was admitting her deception now because she was aware that her lie might come out during the campaign. Nicky said she was concerned about hurting my family and me.

As required by law, once we learned she was an illegal worker, I immediately terminated Nicky's employment. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I considered Nicky a friend and a part of our extended family.'"

Now, I ask you, who do you believe?

"Why are you a Christian?"

Folks are buzzing about a poll out showing that atheist and agnostics actually know more about religion than church going folks. Frankly, I am not surprised. If, for instance, the folks who worship at the foot of Creflo and Bishop Eddie are examples of religious people, it actually all makes sense.

"Why did atheists do so well? The study concluded that those who reject faith often do so after growing up in a religious household, and studying and deliberating keeping the faith. Also, atheists and agnostics tend to be better educated in general. Why did Christians do so poorly? It may be because once someone accepts a faith, they stop examining it."

You religious folks would do well to learn Second Timothy, 2:15. I am just sayin.

"Why are you a Christian?" That's what some clown asked his O ness today at a campaign stop in New Mexico. O should have told the woman that it's none of her damn business, but we all know that as the President of these divided states he couldn't do that. Not when it's a question about religion. Not in A-merry-ca. If it's one thing we love it's our religion. And we want our leader to be god fearing just like us. (I am sorry if all this passion about religion makes me a little nervous. But I just saw a grainy video of the Taliban stoning a woman to death for being caught out on a date with a man.)

"It was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead -- being my brother's and sister's keeper, treating others as they would treat me," he said. ..And I think also understanding that, you know, that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings -- that we're sinful and we're flawed and we make mistakes, and that we ... achieve salvation through the grace of God." ..My mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life.."

Yes, just in time to run for President. Oh well, at least we know that you are not a Muslim.

Solving the education problem.

*

It's nice to see that public education is getting so much attention in A-merry-ca these days. We can thank my man from Facebook and his one hundred million dollar gift for that. Lord knows that it needs to. I think folks are starting to realize that it's everybody's problem. Even those of us who don't have children. Maybe we can start tackling the causes of the problem and not the symptoms for once. (Thanks Dan) BTW, let me just leave this link for you haters out there who think that black children are somehow genetically inferior to those kids from the majority population. Thank you.

Anyway, I think I have a simple solution to the education problem in poor inner city and rural neighborhoods here in the land of the [some are] free. Now please believe that I did not come to this lightly. It took years of working in urban A-merry-ca with some of these children as a volunteer, a court administrator, and as a professional in private practice.

So here goes: Tie performance and attendance in school to tax breaks and more public assistance benefits-if they are receiving it- to the families of these children. That's it. It's that simple. If, for instance, the little rugrat is making all A's and is attending at least 95% of his or her classes for most of the school year. His mother or father (whoever is working at least 25 hours per week in the home) would not pay state (Keeping in mind, of course, that there is no national curriculum in A-merry-ca, and the feds are not responsible for education. Still, the feds could be involved as well, if the federal government gave money to the states which were armarked for this program.) income taxes on their salary for that year. They would send proof of the rugrats performance with their state tax returns. If the family receives food stamps or cash assistance they would get an additional food stamp voucher or cash benefits when they bring proof of their little rugrats performance to the local welfare office.

Let's face it, folks, all the great teaching in the world will not change how some of these children perform if they do not get motivated at home and learn to value education. These children are starting behind the eight ball because of the environment that they are coming from. Many of them have zero college graduates in their families or their neighborhoods. So the educational value system that some of us talk so freely about and take for granted is a foreign concept to them. Chris Crisco can keep beating up on the teacher's unions in Jersey to show off to his GOP friends, it won't do any good. It might get him political Brownie points, but ten years from now schools in places like Camden and Jersey City will still be f*&^%d up.

Maybe, just maybe, with some kind of financial incentive, the person in the home charged with making decisions that affects their child's life will do the right thing.

Arne, that was free.

BTW, what is wrong with the *picture above?