Someone asked (sneered) about Chicago.

Chicago is not a perfect part of the universe, but if you've ever been there, it's not at all bad. Lake Michigan is not a dead lake, they actually drink the water. And the shore line from the Museum of Science and Industry, north to Evanston is a gorgeous piece of urban design and development. It's one of the best in the nation.

The problem of course, is that they made the the Chicago River flow backward so that the bad stuff didn't go into the lake and that is pretty bad. But for a century or so, Chicago has cared for the environment, and Lake Michigan, and it shows.

But it took intelligence and planning to protect, enhance and preserve athe Lake Michigan shore.

To the Sarah Palins of this world, that intelligence and planning just gets in the way. My God, those eggheads actually built museums on the waterfront too. Must have been commie intellectuals.

http:johnklotz.blogspot.com

David Talbot's reporting on the "pages" of Salon is American investigative journalism at its very best. Given the Palin-mania that briefly(!?) swept the country, he has provided needed insight into who this person really is. She may be a beauty queen but she isn't very pretty.

Anyone who cares for their country owes David a debt a of gratitude for shinning a light into the dark corners of her soul.

http://johnklotz.blogspot.com

It's about time we called a spade, a spade and realized what we are really doing with this bailout - creating a national stated owned bank. Shades of Alexander Hamilton.

That may be okay, but if the federal government is going to function as a bank, then it should function at a profit. Make money, isn't that what banks do. And if we are going to take this momentous step, I suggest spending an extra few days or hours to get it as right as we can might not be a bad idea,

So 700 billion takes care of Wall Street. How about the automobile manufacturers. Instead of guanteering loans made by private banks ala Chrysler, why doesn't the "national bank" loan the money out-right. The vigorish would-be the difference between what we pay for treasury notes and what we can get in interest.

I wish I was writing tongue in cheek but I’m not really. The private sector has demonstrated that it can't handle banking anymore. Time for the government to step in.

Of course, to me, the one important rider to the bail-out is the amendment of the bankruptcy law to give bankruptcy judges the power to restructure home mortgages, just like they can restructure any other debt. Congress gave a privileged, position to home mortgages (not enjoyed by commercial mortgages) and now they can take it back. Given the fact that four million American families are in default with most facing imminent foreclosure, the bankruptcy piece may be the most important of all.

But let's call a bank a bank. If the federal government is going to act like a bank then it should be a bank. And the tax payers can split the vigorish.

http://johnklotz.blogspot.com

The estimates of the viewing audience for Friday night were in the 100 million range. I know that my wife and I were juggling a trip to visit family/business in DC this weekend to be sure we would be at a TV at the right time.

However, I have a small beef with all the talk about McCain's "fighter pilot" mentality. That's an insult to fighter pilots of which my late oldest brother and personal idol was one.

How about "cowboy" mentality?

Seriously, whatever the mentality, there is a serious lack of it in the McCain campaign. This is the worst campaign since McGovern swept the 1972 primaries and then imploded at and after the convention. At least he had an excuse: the unprecedented Nixon dirty tricks campaign.

McCain's only excuse is desperation and a judgment that is seriously flawed.

By the way, is it true he was shot down on his first combat mission? Big brother flew 25 over Vietnam.

http://johnklotz.blogspot.com

As a born again Obama supporter (from John what's his name), I was a litle disappointed in Obama.s performnce. I wanted a knock-out and what we got was 15 rounds of rope-a-dope. I was particularly annoyed at Obama's giving away the store on some issues (like Star Wars). But I did liked his usual air of confidence, grace and humor. Frankly, I thought McCain had won even though he came accross as the mean old man living next to the park who keeps your ball: "I told you kids to keep that ball out of my yard!!!"

I gave up on watching the after show comments. Waiting till one o'clock for Rachel? Chris M at midnight?

This morning, the intial post-debate polls were all titlted towards Obama, the CBS poll dramatically so.

Maybe more Americans rememebr the mean old man chasing them away and keeping their ball than I realized.

johnklotz.blogspot.com