10:32 [Kasson]: Well Bristol Palin apparently moved on tonight.

10:19 [Wink]:  The nation is following this very-very closely.  Unless ‘Dancing With the Stars’ is on….

10:02 [Wink]:  The curse of victory. Republicans, like the Dems before them, will let this alleged power go to their heads.

9:30 [Kasson]: Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin are on Fox News right now, and it was actually a nice, cordial  conversation. Although I found it funny when Sarah Palin suggested that the “Neanderthals verbally attacking” female candidates on both sides need to “evolve.”   Is that a belief in evolution I hear?

9:27 [Kasson]: It looks like Rhode Islanders (sounds like an NBA team), are voting down the state name change, I guess this should be taken as a referendum against our suggestions.

9:16 [Kasson]: That Michele Bachman interview with Chris Mathews was a classic in the disconnect (though noise may have played a factor.

9:03 [Wink]:  O’Donnell can tour with Palin. That would bring the total IQ up to about 115…

8:48 [Kasson]: Interesting “concession” speech by Christine O’Donnell.  If you weren’t paying attention, you would think she won.  Are there bigger things planned for her?

8:44 [Wink]:  While the red states get redder, the blue states become truly blue.

8:13 [Wink]:  GOP will control the House, the Dems may hold onto the Senate.

8:02 [Kasson]: Republicans are now projected to take control of the House.

7:50 [Wink]:  Update:  The GIANTS ARE STILL THE WORLD SERIES CHAMPS !!!

7:43 [Kasson]: You know what they say about pundits, they make a “pun out of you ‘nd it”

7:37 [Wink]:  But back to the Rhode Island thing… rename it? How about ‘Rhode Schlolar’ (Rhodes Collar?)or ‘Rhode Hard and Put Away Wet’ or (irony intended) ‘The Colossus of Rhode’

7:35 [Cessna]: West Virginia projected to go Democrat, according to pundits this was a key win for Democrats to keep the Senate.

7:23 [Kasson]: How about Apple Juice, an an All-American drink, also healthy (and cheap, you never know in this economy).

7:19 [Cessna]: For the 2008 election, we toasted Barack Obama’s win with eggnog. This election’s drink of choice? Tears.

7:13 [Wink]: Election Night, 2010. We know that each and every election season you look forward to tracking the inner thoughts of the Winkest Link team.  Kick back and enjoy. We will give you a blow-by-blow as the evening progresses. For example, the pizza is delicious…

7:10 [Cessna]: So a Democrat in Delaware won their House seat. Is that a surprise, even in a Republican Takeover year?

7:00 [Cessna]: I was going to say something like that or “Rhode Landlocked,” but in all reality, Rhode Island is nothing. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.

6:57 [Kasson]: Welcome Wink, glad to see you helping better the country.  Cessna, is bringing us his geography trivia informing me that in fact Rhode Island is not an island.  Does that make it an isthmus?

6:53 CST [Wink] Sorry for the late arrival. I was boosting the economy of the local pizza mart.  Just doing my part.

6:40 CST [Cessna]: Rhode Not An Island?

6:36 CST [Kasson]: Interesting ballot issue of the moment.  Rhode Island is voting to change their name, any suggestions?

6:33 CST [Cessna]: Rob Portman projected to win Ohio Senate seat. So much for my help in my Political Science 230 class, Mr. Fisher.

6:26 CST [Kasson]: I love it when results are called before any votes are tallied,  This includes (D) Leahy in Vermont and (R) DeMint in South Carolina.

6:17 CST [Cessna]: Early lead for Republicans in House 11-1. This is a bad sign for Dems since polls that have closed by now are on the East Coast, which is majority Democratic, usually.

6:15 CST [Kasson]: The first polls are now closed.  First predictions: Senate after election Dems-52 Republicans-48 House: this is way crazier to predict,  Republicans-228 Dems 210

The good news is, the next installment in the Batman series is set to start filming this summer. And it already has a title: “The Dark Knight Rises.”

I am kind of excited about this new film. I was really reluctant to see the last one, because I did not want to think of myself as one of the “pity viewers” who only watched it (and raved about it) because of the [unfortunate] death of Heath Ledger. However, when I finally got around to seeing it, I agreed that it was a masterful film.

But I digress. The better news is, it will not be filmed in 3D! Apparently the director, Christopher Nolan, has the integrity not to use the visual gimmicks that are all too common in 3D films ($20 says this crashing car will come flying at me). Who knew any director would have this level of integrity?

The article I read about this says that making it in 3D would be “sure to add another $300 million to its grosses,” however, I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that.

I eventually buckled (and enjoyed) The Dark Knight, but I promise you if this next film came out in 3D I would NEVER watch it.

He is demanding $250,000 for “violating his constitutional rights” and also causing him mental anguish.

His lawsuit states that he “described himself as a strict advocate of Islam who follows the dietary restrictions that bar Muslims from eating pork.”

Now while I completely support religions being able to eat whatever [non-human] food they wish, I question that this man is a “strict advocate of Islam.”

After all, he is currently serving 3-5 years in prison for cocaine distribution. Where is that allowed in Islamic doctrine?

“You can’t expect troops to be lean, mean fighting machines if you’re stuffing them with fattening, artery-clogging meat, eggs, and dairy products every day” -Tracy Reiman, PETA Executive Vice President

A press release suggested he hand out veggie dogs or vegan food instead.

To that I say this:

You can’t expect anyone to want to be a US Soldier if all you are going to give them is crappy vegan food as their homecoming meal.

They do not need warrants. They do not need probable cause.

This is arguably the most dangerous law ever enacted.

This blatant invasion of privacy can be a window of opportunity for all states to pass the same thing. And not only the same thing, but other laws that directly affect you.

This is the biggest of big brothers. If it is not declared unconstitutional, all freedoms we take for granted could be at risk.

Who gives a crap?

Jim Nantz, apparently some sort of golf announcer, said he would be fired if he used that language on air.

Well, Jim, you’re paid to have a microphone in your face. Tiger is not. It’s not his fault that what he says is picked up from nearby microphones. Nor is it any other athletes fault, or job to keep themselves PC. Usually when an athletes (or fan) swears, and it’s picked up, the announcers just laugh it off or ignore it.

What I’m saying, Jim, is do your job and let the athletes do theirs.

Short answer: Money.

Long answer: MOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY.

We at the Winkest Link have discussed this, and have accepted that none of the extra 32 teams would honestly have a chance. They wouldn’t be adding the possible National Champion. Granted, they could be adding another George Mason, and there is discussion every year about teams that deserved to make it but were left out.

But if you were left out in the first place, you didn’t have much of a chance to win it all anyway.

An expansion would also belittle the quality of play in the National Invitational Tournament, which is prestigious enough, and it’s a great honor to play in that tournament as well. We at the Winkest Link, being big Nebraska and Creighton basketball fans, are all too familiar with the NIT.

Plus, with the creation of the Collegeinsider.com Basketball Tournament (CIT) and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI), teams that even think they deserve a postseason will get one.

Are insurance companies worried about the health care bill?

(Hint: Their stock prices are rising)

Under the Senate plan, millions of Americans will be forced into private insurance company plans, which will be subsidized by taxpayers. This will do little to reform health care but will be a windfall for insurance companies.

The point of creating a government option is to bring prices down. Naturally, the Senate version of this bill does not provide a ‘government option.’ Instead, we will subsidize the private insurance market.

You have heard the line about making laws and making sausage. The difference is that quality sausage can be very satisfying to the consumer. Major legislation, on the other hand, is almost always directed at benefiting the very wealthy first and foremost. If there are secondary benefits to the consumer, well, that’s nice too.

We expect this when Republicans control Congress. In practice, the result is the same when the Dems are in charge. Money dictates what goes into each and every bill.

Democrats are as beholden to the almighty dollar as are the Republicans, they are just less obvious about it.

To illustrate the difference, let us look at the major (non-war) concerns of the parties:

Republicans: Insist on elimination of the estate tax (also known as the inheritance tax). The standard scare tactic of the GOP is to call this a ‘death tax’ because stupid people will believe it applies to all those who die. They sell it as though YOU will lose dollars when a loved one dies.

Nope, this tax only effects the VERY wealthy, with giant estates. There is a credit which eliminates any tax on the first $3,500,000 of the estate.

Regardless of estate size. if an asset is left to a spouse or a charitable organization, the tax usually does not apply.

When it does apply, amounts over $3,500,000 are effectively subject to a flat tax of 45%.

To repeat, the estate is not taxed if the money (1) goes to a spouse, or (2) to a charity, or (3) if the estate is less than $3,500,000.

But Republicans keep screaming ‘death tax’!

Who are they fighting for? Only the mega-wealthy. Not me. Not you (probably).

Democrats: Insist on providing “health care for all Americans”!

Nope. The Senate bill does NOT provide health care for all Americans. It provides an opportunity for all Americans to BUY health care from already wealthy insurance companies, sometimes at higher prices than they could have bought it before.

The new, higher prices will discourage even those who can afford it from buying it.

For those that can’t afford it, they will be subsidized to make it more affordable but, either way, the insurance companies garner millions more customers.

There will be no competition from a public option, so insurance companies will have no motivation to moderate premiums.

Are you under the impression that Senate Democrats wrote this law? Nope. Insurance lobbyists wrote it, the same way drug companies wrote the Medicare drug law (under Republican rule) which forbid Congress from negotiating the purchase price of the drugs.

The “Golden Rule” is: Those with the gold make the rules.

It is and ever shall be.
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Ladies and gentlemen, the Senator has left the building.

He is finally at peace, hopefully.

He fought his entire life for real change, real progress. And through countless family–and personal–tragedies he continued to fight. For equality, for minimum wage, and his final battle, health care. Ted Kennedy stood up for those too weak to fight. He was never there for himself, he was there for you. He fought to give everyone the opportunity to live the American Dream.

By saving and helping countless lives with his efforts, he more than made up for his mistakes.

Hopefully he is out there somewhere watching, and hopefully we can complete his one final task. It is our duty to pass legitimate health care reform, WITH the public option intact. This is not something to do in honor of Ted Kennedy, this is something to do in honor of those who wouldn’t be where they are right now without his efforts, and those that still need his help.

I will close with the story that President Obama told when Kennedy received the Presidential Medal of Freedom:

An old man was picking up objects off the beach and tossing them out into the sea. A young man approached him and saw that the objects were starfish. “Why in the world are you throwing starfish into the water?”

To this the old man replied “If the starfish are still on the beach when the tide goes out and the sun rises high in the sky, they will die”

Upon hearing this, the young man replied “That is ridiculous. There are thousands of miles of beach and millions of starfish. You can really believe what you’re doing could possibly make a difference!”

The wise old man picked up another starfish, paused thoughtfully, and remarked as he tossed it out into the waves, “It makes a difference to this one.“

“Liberals” have pretty much been on the right side of every major issue in the history of this country.

Ending slavery. Medicare. Social Security. Voting rights. Every one fiercely opposed by conservatives.

Those soft-hearted liberals were against going to war in Vietnam and Iraq. Those ventures both went well, didn’t they?

Now liberals want to make sure everyone has health care benefits.

Is there any hope this will pass, or did Obama just stick his foot in the biggest bear trap?

And if he doesn’t succeed in this, what will his presidency even be about??

“W” had a presidency with a purpose: He wanted to go to war, specifically with Iraq. It took some creativity* to convince the American public that there was a REASON to go to war with Iraq, but he succeeded, and got us into that war. Yeah!

Reagan had two goals, giving tax cuts to the wealthy and spending more on the military. He succeeded on both counts.

Obama did have one goal foisted on him, to bring the U.S. out of the economic chaos of a recession. It is way too early to determine his success on this.

Oops, almost forgot, getting us out of Iraq was another pressing goal. While the end in Iraq (to some extent) appears to be in sight, we may be in Afghanistan a long-long time.

Those are not Obama’s programs though, they are just pre-existing issues that needed fixing. Health care for all Americans is really his baby. His legacy.

Will he succeed? The verbal fighting is fierce, with lots of insane red herrings being tossed about (death panels??).

Regardless, SOME DAY there will be national health care in America.

Republicans are now staunch defenders of Social Security and Medicare. To NOT do so is political suicide. When these programs were proposed, however, they used the same scare tactics they are using now …too expensive, socialist, communist.

They have a great new scary word though…. Nazi. Yep, apparently the scariest thing about the Nazi’s was a plan to provide health care for all their citizens. JUST LIKE OBAMA !!!

The Nazi’s also had BMW provide many/most of their vehicles and other war equipment. Wouldn’t that make any American who buys a BMW a Nazi? It works for me!

If and when it is passed, you can put large amounts of money on this: Republicans will eventually say that national health care is one of the things that makes America great, and they would never dream of dismantling it.

*Creativity = Huge lies repeated endlessly so that morons believe them to this day.
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