Tuesdays with Paulie (Late Debate Edition)

GOP Hopefuls Meet for Tea
CNBC hosts debate nobody can watch

What were you doing today at 3pm (CST)? If you were like most registered voters, you were at work, school or picking your children up from school. Chances are you were not in a position to watch a Presidential debate. Nonetheless the geniuses at CNBC believed this was a good time to schedule such an event.

As one of the few Americans home at this time of the day, I did watch the debate or should I say watched what I could between dozing off. With that said, Fred Thompson better find some life in his public speaking or he will be asking for old job back on the set of Law & Order before the Iowa caucus. The former Tennessee senator and veteran actor had decent answers for his first debate, but the same passion we have seen in movies such as the Hunt for Red October and In the Line of Fire, was nonexistent. Find the fire Freddy.

What was not his fault, but looked like Admiral James Stockdale in the 1992 Vice Presidential debates, John McCain had hearing issues due to sound problems. Viewers couldn't help thinking that maybe his age had something to do with it. Truth be told it was bad luck.

What is fascinating out the Arizona Senator is that he will give great answers on so many questions, especially when it comes to spending and defense. Then he talks about immigration and all the brownie points suddenly disappear. It's time for McCain to give it up.

Ron Paul entered today's debate packing 5 million dollars in his war chest and the same fiery anti-war attitude. I have ripped Paul in this blog for his ignorance regarding foreign policy and he continued to display that same stupidity Tuesday afternoon. The fact that the Texas congressman refuses to believe that Iran is or can become a threat to the United States is disturbing. However, Paul in many ways is the perfect candidate on domestic issues. He understands that Americans are overtaxed, government regulation is evil and that substadizing agriculture is counterproductive. When it comes to economics and fiscal responsibility, Paul is fantastic. It's just a shame that as President he would probably ask congress permission to call 9-1-1 if he witnessed the President of Iran planting a dirty bomb on the Lincoln Memorial.

Frontrunner Rudy Giuliani and the man with perfect hair Mitt Romney, enjoyed a fun heated debate over taxes. The former New York mayor bragged about his 23 tax-cuts while mayor, but was reminded by Romney that he maintained a commuter tax. Giuliani responded by pointing out that spending fell during his mayoral tenure and spending grew when Romney was governor of Massachusetts, which got a response from Romney of "It's baloney." For those of you in Urban areas that means, "bullsh*t!"

So who came out of Tuesdays event as the big winner? Ron Paul! Why Paul, because Internet roaming virgins in their mid-30's that live in their parents basement will spend the next 24 hours writing about him and voting for him in Internet polls. The only other significant news is that Fred Thompson participated in his first debate and accomplished nothing, while moderator and left-wing media hack Chris Mathews did not behave like a bias jerk, with the exception when he told Thompson he should of stopped at "No" instead of expanding on an answer. From a viewers perspective Mathews was right, but as a moderator there is no place for commentary. I'm sure after the debate Mathews got together with Keith Olbermann and they both discussed how they could steal from the middle-class and give to the government.

Tuesday can be summed up easily: A waste of time.


Peoples Republic of Chicago & Cook County
Democrat rule hurts poor and kills economy

I've never understood why the political Party that champions the poor and the working man does everything they can to nickel and dime those who need financial relief the most. It's well known that Chicago gas prices are the highest in the nation due to exuberant county and city gas taxes. Cook County resident pay $2 per pack cigarette tax and Chicagoans pay an additional 68 cents on top of that. Taxes on what are viewed as sin items hurt the poor more than any class of people due to their disporportionate use of these products. None of this information is new and the residents of Cook County and Chicago arguably deserve to be screwed by the politicians because they comtinue to re-elect the same bums to city hall and the county board. People get the government they elect.

Chicago Tribune reporter Gary Washburn recently unvailed a list of taxes you probably didn't know about. When sports fans or music lovers attend concerts or sporting events, they pay an additional 8% amusement tax. That's on top of the fees from Ticketmaster and the sales tax. Chicago charges a soft-drink levy on top of sales tax and a buck a tread tax on the purchase of tires. There is also a 7% city tax on your phone bill that is exclusively for Chicago residents. If you decide to move too or within Chicago, the city hits you with a real-estate transfer tax. $7.50 for every one thousand dolars of the home. A 200,000 dollar home will run you an additional $1500 that goes straight into city hall's coifures.

The latest tax fiasco in Chicago will be unveiled today when the mayor announces a 193 million dollar shortfall in the budget, so here comes a 10 cent bottled water tax. Now the city wants to screw you for making a healthy beverage decision.

With all this taxation, don't forget that last week Cook County Board President Todd Stroger tried passing a 2% increase in the county sales tax, which would make residents pay an 11% sales tax rate. The measure was 2 votes short, so it was withdrawn. Look for a resolution of 1 to 1.5% tax increase to pass soon.

Welcome to the Peoples Republic of Chicago and Cook County. Chairman Daley and Chairman Stroger look forward to taking your money.

Paulie