A Pundit Pete Piece of History from 2008

.

PPPS (Denver) With the fate of our economy hanging on debt limit negotiations in Washington, DC, we thought it might be instructive to look back at Pundit Pete's first opinion piece, written on the eve of the 2008 elections. To Pete's great astonishment, this piece was rejected when originally submitted to several newspapers and media outlets. But out of the ashes of that initial disappointment rose the Pundit Pete Press Service, to become the media giant that it is today. We offer this bit of history to our loyal readers -- Pundit Pete's first opinion piece printed here for the first time.

Thoughts on the Coronation 

by Pundit Pete, October 24, 2008, Littleton, Colorado

Hey folks, let's take a moment away from our euphoria over the upcoming historic election (or has it already happened? It's hard to tell).

With an Obama win, these are the folks who will be in charge of our country:
 
1) Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, whose leadership in a crisis consists of rants against the opposition party bordering on "hate speech", followed by demonstrations of joy when announcing new records in bailout and earmark spending.

2)  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who with each speech seems intent on taking "whining" to a new level, interrupted only by pronouncements of defeat in Iraq.

3) The Mainstream Media, whose fall from the high standards of journalism is now complete, as evidenced by the irrational attacks on Sarah Palin and Joe the Plumber, the yawning responses to Joe the Senator's rhetorical embellishments; and a total lack of curiosity about domestic terrorists, pastoral bigots, professional purveyors of voter fraud, or corrupt politicians, all found paling around with a certain Senator from the South Side.

At the same time, the media has been demonstrating a remarkable curiosity about book banning, the Bush Doctrine, women's clothing, pregnant teens, the definition of "paling around", and the life of a citizen who asked a question of the Messiah.

All of this curious media behavior, of course, is small stuff when weighed against the backdrop of all the Progressive pundits, editorial writers, and editorializing reporters at media outlets and newspapers across this nation who have been actively trying to influence an election. (ACORN should be taking notes. Perhaps they will be submitting a few earmarks to Congress to establish a new media division.)

A new media mantra should be enshrined in stone somewhere in New York or Washington to read: "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak Evil Only of Republicans."

4) Finally, we have Barack Obama, the Messiah, the One, the man with the golden voice, whose actual accomplishments consist of running for office, setting records for missed votes, and a period of educational and community organizing exploits for which we have little or no paper trail.

Apparently, the only documented record of administrative accomplishment we have for Mr. Obama concerns his service as Chairman of the Board for the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, an education grant organization which funded programs in the Chicago schools. After five years and from $50 to $150 million spent under Mr. Obama's direction, the organization's own 2003 report concluded that the programs "had little impact on student outcomes" and "little evidence of a school improvement effect."

Obama's campaign web site states the he "has been a leader on educational issues throughout his career", yet makes no mention of the Annenberg Challenge. Perhaps fellow board member William Ayers isn't the only reason why Barrack would prefer we overlook that part of his resume.


Now I like Barrack Obama. I'd love to sit down and have a beer with him, or better yet, go on a trip with him to Kenya or Europe, where he is much admired.

But, is this the guy we want to defend our country, to improve education (or anything else), and to be put in charge of billions (trillions?) of our tax dollars, along with Nancy and Harry and our friends in the media?

I don't think so!

Good government operates with checks and balances. I can't think of two better checks on the excesses of power than John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Citizen Pete Debates David Axelrod at Rockies Game

PPPS (Denver) One of our loyal readers and sometimes contributor, Citizen Pete, had the encounter of a lifetime Wednesday evening.  

David Axelrod & Citizen Pete at Coors Field

Pete had taken a break from his responsibilities to attend a Colorado Rockies vs. Chicago White Sox game at Coors Field. Amazingly, so did David Axelrod, the former White House Senior Adviser who is now managing President Obama’s reelection campaign from Chicago.

After receiving an anonymous tip, Pundit Pete Press Service (PPPS) interviewed Pete outside the stadium after the game. We asked Citizen Pete (CP) to describe the experience.

PPPS: How did you happen to meet David Axelrod?

CP: It was my wife who spotted him in the  stadium concourse. I thought she was kidding, but then she pointed him out as he was walking away. I caught up with him as he got in a line of people waiting for hot dogs and beer. 

My wife, on the other hand, kept on going in the other direction, either to avoid a confrontation, or as I would like to think, out of sympathy for Mr. Axelrod.

PPPS: Why were you so anxious to talk with him?

CP: Well, I figure you only get one chance to speak to a person who has access to the President, so you’d better take it. I thought maybe he’d like to know a little Tea Party perspective on things. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t hear from many regular folks like me.

PPPS: So how did you begin your conversation? Were you nervous?

CP: Well not really at first. I started by saying, “David?” You know, to make sure it was really him.  He said, Yes?  Then I started to introduce myself, and for the first time in my life, I was momentarily at a loss for words.  

After a long pause, all I could get out was a nervous, “I’m so excited to meet you......the man who invented astroturf!” 

I’m not sure if he was more proud or more anxious at that point.

PPPS: How did the conversation go from there?

CP: Well, then I said, “I have some things for you to tell the President. He needs to stop the  spending.” 

Then he started to lecture me, saying that you can’t balance the budget with just spending cuts. 

I said, “Wait a minute. You need to listen to me. I’m a Tea Party guy. I’m here to give you some input.”

PPPS: How did he respond to you identifying yourself as from the Tea Party?

CP:   He replied, “You need to tell your friends to stop supporting tax cuts for people making over $250,000 a year.” I said that I might consider something like that if the President ever actually cut anything, anything at all from the budget.

Then, he responded with, “The President proposed a budget that cuts trillions.” 

To that I said, “Oh, do you mean that budget that was just voted down 97-0 in the Senate? How’d that work out?” 

All he could come up with was “That was only a symbolic vote.” 

Not wanting to embarrass him any further,  I told him to enjoy the game and let him go. 

PPPS: So was that the end of your encounter with Mr. Axelrod?

CP:  Well, I thought it was. In fact, I kinda kicked myself for not getting a picture with him before we started debating.

Later, after I had rejoined my wife at our seats, I was telling the guy in the row behind me that I’d just talked to David Axelrod.  Not two seconds later, here comes Axelrod, who sits down two rows directly in front of us. Go figure the chances of that happening again.

PPPS:  So did you resume your debate with him?

CP:  Well, no. I figured he ought to be able to enjoy the game.  On the other hand, I did really want a picture with him; you know, to prove I had really met him.

Then after a couple of innings, the people in the row between us got up. I figured you only get one chance to have your picture taken with someone who has access to the President, so you’d better take it.

I climbed over the seats, sat down behind Mr. Axelrod and gently tapped him on the shoulder. With something less than total enthusiasm, he agreed to have his picture taken with me.  Like a good sport, he said “I’ll bet your pals will love that”.   I thanked him, and like many a good Tea Party member would do, said “God bless you” and left him alone to enjoy the game.  

PPPS:  On reflection, what do you think of your encounter with David Axelrod, Senior Adviser to President Obama? Are there things you wish you had said, or wish you hadn’t?

CP: Well, I wish I could have debated him longer, perhaps on a stage, or with a video recording it. But then, it was a ball game, and he is entitled to his free time. 

On the other hand, here was a man who was complicit in creating the largest deficit and debt in the history of our nation - in practically destroying our economy and a lot of other things. Maybe he needs to hear from more people like me.   

One thing that I wish I had done, was to ask him to apologize for some of the things he and “his pals” had said about the Tea Party.  I suppose, in that respect, I was much more polite than he deserved.  But that is who we are.

And that ended our interview with Citizen Pete.  Although Citizen Pete maintains that he won their short debate, Mr. Axelrod did not go home totally empty handed; the White Sox beat the Rockies 3-2.

Citizen Pete Responds to Senator's Call for Help

PPPS (Denver) Below is a copy of an email sent by one of our loyal readers, Citizen Pete, in response to Colorado Senator Mark Udall's request for help in reducing government waste, fraud and abuse. In our role to educate and inform, and to patriotically assist our government during these troubled times, we have printed a portion of the Senator's appeal, and Citizen Pete's generous response. We encourage other readers to offer their own suggestions to our hard-working Senator.

Senator Udall's Urgent Newsletter Appeal 

Dear Fellow Coloradan,

Too often in Washington D.C., Congress tends to focus on creating new programs and regulations, while sidelining an equally important role of the legislative branch: overseeing and reforming laws that are already on the books .....

I want to hear more about how we can make government work better for you, and you are the experts I need. Help me identify government waste, abuse or excessive red tape that you see in your daily life by submitting a “citizen report” through my website.

 

Citizen Pete's Suggestion

Dear Senator Udall:

The U.S. Senate has failed to propose or pass a budget in over two years. This failure to act on its constitutional responsibilities has allowed our government spending to balloon to unimaginable levels of deficit and debt and is "hindering our economy from reaching its full potential."

I suggest we suspend payment to members of the Senate until they fulfill their duties. The Senate has clearly become a wasteful, abusive and excessive government entity.

You work for us, but you are not doing your job. 

Get to work!

Respectfully,

Citizen Pete

Littleton, CO

###

Fathers Day

This post from Patriarch Pete (proud father of our founder, Pundit Pete) is dedicated to our friend Scott Langewisch, master story teller.

In a happy home in the suburbs, on the day before Fathers Day, a loving wife says to her husband, "Dear, tomorrow is Fathers Day. With the kids away, what special thing can I do for you?''

He responds "Oh, you don't need to do anything special, honey." Then, with a grin and a twinkle in his eye, he adds, "Just remind me how I got to be a father."

Late that evening, as the husband is falling asleep, he sees his wife slip out of bed, go to the back of their closet, and come out wearing a nightgown from years past. With a smile, the husband falls asleep and is soon dreaming about pleasant things.

In the middle of the night, very early on Fathers Day morning, the husband feels his wife gently nudge him and whisper, "Honey, wake up." But still in his pleasant dream, he falls back asleep.

Again, the wife gently nudges and says "Honey, wake up." Again he slips back into his dream.

A little while later, the husband is startled out of his dream by his wife violently shaking him, and shouting "Honey, you need to wake up!"

Fully awake now, he sits up and looks over at his wife, who is standing next to the bed. She tosses her overnight bag on the bed next to him, throws him the car keys, and stuffs a pillow up under the front of her nightgown.

Then she turns to leave the room, drops a water balloon on the floor, and frantically says "Oh no, the baby is coming. We need to hurry!

I'll be out in the car!"

Pundit Pete Weighs In On Palin E-mails

Note to our readers: Our esteemed leader and Editor-in-Chief, Pundit Pete, who is usually recognized as the smartest person in any room, skillfully directs operations at the Pundit Pete Press Service, but only occasionally offers up his official opinions on these pages. As those who know him well can attest, Pundit Pete operates at an intellectual level so far above the rest of us, that we often have no idea what he is talking about. However, on rare occasions, Pete will decide that an issue is so compelling, or that he has a prediction so prescient, that he insists on communicating directly with our loyal readers. On those rare occasions, we grant him access to this blog and a temporary password and let him opine. This is one of those occasions. 

To our readers - a message from Pundit Pete.

Recent news events have been replete with talk of E-mail Treats and Twitter Tweets.
 
On the subject of E-mail Treats, I have noticed a certain excitement revolving around today's release of some 24,000 e-mail documents from the former Palin administration.

Now, I am typically loath to criticize our esteemed colleagues at the New York Times or the Washington Post, but I do question their zeal in opening up old boxes of correspondence. (WP - do you really need to assign 8 reporters to this story?)

Again, I am not one to pass judgement, but I am beginning to think that they don't like Sarah Palin. Is it possible for them to have compromised their otherwise unassailable objectivity in reporting the news about presidential politics?

My own observations on the content of the emails gained from five minutes of perusing on the NYT web site:

1. Sarah can write in complete sentences. In fact she writes pretty darn well for someone of such limited intellect and education.
2. Sarah can multi-task and converse on numerous subjects, even when she is out of town, say running for Vice President, or having a child, etc.
3. Sarah likes and trusts her staff and is encouraging to them.
4. Sarah is up to speed on a surprising number of subjects for someone who has never read a newspaper.
5. Sarah had reason to be mistrusting of the media from the moment she was announced a VP candidate.
6. Sarah put her state and citizens first, and worked her a** off for them.

One other interesting note: although some of the content in the emails has been redacted, the Palins made no such request.

Mark my words. 

This whole exciting exercise is going to backfire.  The emails will come back to haunt........... the liberal media.

Everyone should take a few minutes to read through some of the Palin emails. It would surprise me greatly if your opinion of Sarah Palin does not trend more positively as a result.

On the subject of Twitter Tweets, I state categorically that I have never met Anthony Weiner and that I have no relationship with Promiscuous Pete, who is at most a distant cousin. As to certain postings of a photographic nature, I am willing to submit to a TSA scan or pat down at any time, if that will settle the matter and clear up with certitude certain rumors circulating in the blogosphere.

An Apology to Our Readers

PPPS (Denver & Washington, DC) Some of you may have wondered about the two-month hiatus in stories posted on this site, and a few of you, unfortunately, may have briefly been tweeted to some uncomfortable content during that period. We sincerely apologize.

Beginning in early April, all of our editorial staff and correspondents were posted to London to cover the Royal Wedding. This was the first time that the Pundit Pete Press Service had attempted coverage of such an important international event entirely from a remote location.

Unfortunately, certain technical and logistical problems were encountered, including the apparent hacking of our web site and Twitter accounts by an unknown person or organization. Several of our stories were compromised and had to be removed, including behind-the-scenes coverage of the Royal Family by our own, award-winning, Chief UK Correspondent, Pompous Pete. We are diligently working to re post those stories for the benefit of our faithful readers.

We will also be re posting our Editor-In-Chief Pundit Pete's in-depth article about his golf outing and exclusive interview with President Obama, as well as continued coverage of the Arab

**********************************************************

@ Promiscuous Pete

     Pundit Pete

AW - got jingle f/y re-election "OH I WISH I WERE AN OSCAR-MAYER WEINER..." # liked last photo - here's 1 of me 

PHOTO BLOCKED DUE TO INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT

2 minutes ago via web                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                           
**********************************************************

and, while at first we suspected that someone on staff may have been responsible, we have since ruled out that possibility, and our IT staff have now successfully blocked the hacker. We continue to vigorously pursue the identity of the hacker(s), including the prospect for prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience to our readers and thank you for your patience.  - The Staff

 Note: Photo of Royal Wedding (AP Photo/Dave Thompson, Pool) from Oregon.live web site.

Behind-the-Scenes Quote of the Week

يجب على الناس الذين يعيشون في خيام لا رمي السكاكين

Muammar Gaddafi with Hasni Mubarak in 1992 - Photo from the Time, Inc. Photo Essay titled Inside the tents of Muammar Gaddafi

PPPS (Cairo) This week's Behind-the-Scenes Quote of the Week is credited to PPPS Chief Middle East Correspondent, Palestinian Pete. On assignment in Cairo, Pete has been covering the Arab League meeting convened to address a no-fly zone over Libya. During a break in the contentious negotiations, Pete overheard this comment from one Arab diplomat discussing Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's prospects for remaining in power,

يجب على الناس الذين يعيشون في خيام لا رمي السكاكين       

Roughly translated, this classic Arabic saying means,

"People who live in tents should not throw knives."

Important Note & Disclaimer: PPPS is not responsible for mistranslation of Arabic sayings  in this or any other PPPS articles, or for misinterpretation of any mistranslation of Arabic or other language sayings or phrases, or for misinterpretation of cultural or religious references to tents, or to certain middle eastern religions, or for any resulting riots which might occur in Arab cities or neighborhoods around the world. 

If threatened, PPPS will disavow any prior knowledge of, or professional relationship with, PPPS Chief Middle East Correspondent Palestinian Pete, any of his friends, family or associates, and will immediately remove any misinterpreted or objectionable content from this posting.

 Follow @Pundit_Pete

MLK Day — One Day After

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., maybe it's time to take the race card out of the deck and replace it with this:

Thank you Dr. King for your sacrifice for our country, for your faith, for your courage, and for your inspiration.  — The Staff

Note: You can pass this message on and purchase a window decal like the one above at Meadowlark Press.

Democratic Prospects in Today's Election

 

 One Tea Party participant's opinion of Nancy Pelosi and friends' prospects for retaining control of Congress. From the 9/12 March in Washington, DC in 2010.  Citizen Pete photo.