Today in Obamaville - September 17 - Sarah Palin Wins Again

.

The Delaware Senate Race - More Palin Power

Stunning upset winner Christine O'Donnell continues to be the focus of the liberal media firestorm as they attack her for just about everything just as they did Sarah Palin two years ago.  It didn't seem to destroy Sarah and O'Donnell has already raised over $1 million since the attacks started.

In her first debate last night she held her own and was clearly the crowd favorite if you watched the debate.  It was held at the Wilmington Jewish Community Center and if audience reaction means anything the vicious attacks and character smears underway are helping O'Donnell.

Her answers were greeted by robust applause that was edited out of the MSNBC video clips, more Lame Street Media dirty tricks.  Also the press seems to have forgotten that the people of Delaware elected her, not the Republican or Tea party.

Speaking of the election, what the media is not telling you is that Delaware may be a Democrat state, with 293,000 Democrats and 183,000 Republicans, but just 12% of the Democrats voted in the primry while 32% of the Republicans voted.  That means 58,394 Republicans voted compared to 35,128 Democrats.

They also forgot to mention that 146,212 registered Independents in Delaware did not vote in the primary which means there are 329,008 Republican and Independent voters compared to the 292,000 Democrats.  Those who shot off their mouths before the dust settled could eat their words if their doomsday predictions for her are proven false.
.   

Coltons Point Times Worldview - Where are the Readers?

.

We thought you might find the following information of interest as we approach our 4th anniversary of publishing the Coltons Point Times next month.  Over the past four years we have grown to over 250,000 readers in 119 foreign countries and all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

This month the CPT becomes syndicated nationwide and worldwide and we are looking forward to bringing the story of America to the world.  For the last quarter of this year here are the top 25 countries and states in terms of CPT readers.

While you browse through the lists click and enjoy the following video from YouTube.  As always, we thank you for being part of the CPT family as you are our reason for being.

Top 25 Countries

1. United States
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. Australia
5. Philippines
6. Germany
7. France
8. Netherlands
9. New Zealand

10. Israel
11. India
12. Italy
13. Romania
14. Singapore
15. Poland
16. Brazil
17. Ireland
18. Malaysia
19. Spain
20. Slovakia

21. Mexico
22. Belgium
23. Norway
24. Colombia
25. Denmark

Top 25 States

1. Maryland
2. California
3. Texas
4. New York
5. Arkansas
6. Virginia
7. Pennsylvania
8. Florida
9. New Jersey

10. Illinois
11. Minnesota
12. Georgia
13. Ohio
14. Iowa
15. Arizona
16. Washington
17. Tennessee
18. Nebraska
19. North Carolina
20. Massachusetts
21. Michigan
22. Wisconsin
23. Colorado
24. Connecticut
25. Missouri

.

The California Marijuana Initiative - Stimulus that Might Actually Work

.


Since California is the first state to vote on legalizing marijuana in the Midterm election I thought I would outline the truth about drugs in America and give you an overview of what is beig debated.  The subject is marijuana use in America and the facts are this; over 100 million Americans have tried marijuana and 14.8 million use it monthly. Over 40% of all high school age kids have tried it.

Now for comparison purposes, there are three recreational drugs in America, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs including marijuana.

The most recent studies have shown a continued increase in the use of all type of drugs in America with marijuana use up about 9% the past year.  Results from the most recent comprehensive study, the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, tells the following story.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Office of Applied Studies (OAS)

Alcohol

Slightly more than half of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol in the 2007 survey (51.1 percent). This translates to an estimated 126.8 million people, which was similar to the 2006 estimate of 125.3 million people (50.9 percent).



More than one fifth (23.3 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking (having five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the 30 days prior to the survey) in 2007. This translates to about 57.8 million people, similar to the estimate in 2006.

In 2007, heavy drinking was reported by 6.9 percent of the population aged 12 or older, or 17.0 million people. This rate was the same as the rate of heavy drinking in 2006. Heavy drinking is defined as binge drinking on at least 5 days in the past 30 days.

In 2007, among young adults aged 18 to 25, the rate of binge drinking was 41.8 percent, and the rate of heavy drinking was 14.7 percent. These rates were similar to the rates in 2006.

The rate of current alcohol use among youths aged 12 to 17 was 15.9 percent in 2007. Youth binge and heavy drinking rates were 9.7 and 2.3 percent, respectively. These rates were essentially the same as the 2006 rates.

Tobacco

In 2007, an estimated 70.9 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) users of a tobacco product. This represents 28.6 percent of the population in that age range. In addition, 60.1 million persons (24.2 percent of the population) were current cigarette smokers; 13.3 million (5.4 percent) smoked cigars; 8.1 million (3.2 percent) used smokeless tobacco; and 2.0 million (0.8 percent) smoked tobacco in pipes.

The rate of current use of any tobacco product among persons aged 12 or older decreased from 29.6 percent in 2006 to 28.6 percent in 2007, but the rates of current use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and pipe tobacco did not change significantly over that period.



Between 2002 and 2007, past month use of any tobacco product decreased from 30.4 to 28.6 percent, and past month cigarette use declined from 26.0 to 24.2 percent. Rates of past month use of cigars, smokeless tobacco, and pipe tobacco were similar in 2002 and 2007.

The rate of past month cigarette use among 12 to 17 year olds declined from 13.0 percent in 2002 to 9.8 percent in 2007. However, past month smokeless tobacco use was higher in 2007 (2.4 percent) than in 2002 (2.0 percent).

Illegal Drugs

In 2007, an estimated 19.9 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) illicit drug users, meaning they had used an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview. This estimate represents 8.0 percent of the population aged 12 years old or older. Illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used nonmedically.

The rate of current illicit drug use among persons aged 12 or older in 2007 (8.0 percent) was similar to the rate in 2006 (8.3 percent).



Marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug (14.4 million past month users). Among persons aged 12 or older, the rate of past month marijuana use in 2007 (5.8 percent) was similar to the rate in 2006 (6.0 percent).

In 2007, there were 2.1 million current cocaine users aged 12 or older, comprising 0.8 percent of the population. These estimates were similar to the number and rate in 2006 (2.4 million or 1.0 percent).

Hallucinogens were used in the past month by 1.0 million persons (0.4 percent) aged 12 or older in 2007, including 503,000 (0.2 percent) who had used Ecstasy. These estimates were similar to the corresponding estimates for 2006.

There were 6.9 million (2.8 percent) persons aged 12 or older who used prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs nonmedically in the past month. Of these, 5.2 million used pain relievers, the same as the number in 2006.

In 2007, there were an estimated 529,000 current users of methamphetamine aged 12 or older (0.2 percent of the population). These estimates were not significantly different from the estimates for 2006 (731,000 or 0.3 percent).

Among youths aged 12 to 17, the current illicit drug use rate remained stable from 2006 (9.8 percent) to 2007 (9.5 percent). Between 2002 and 2007, youth rates declined significantly for illicit drugs in general (from 11.6 to 9.5 percent) and for marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, LSD, Ecstasy, prescription-type drugs used nonmedically, pain relievers, stimulants, methamphetamine, and the use of illicit drugs other than marijuana.

Did you really check out the statistics? Alcohol was used by 126.8 million people 12 and over, tobacco was used by 70.9 million people 12 and over, and illegal drugs were used by 19.9 million Americans 12 and over. Of the latter 14.4 million used marijuana. Over time 100 million people have used marijuana.

The cost of illegal marijuana is staggering with a study by Jon Gettman, Ph.D. indicating that Americans spend nearly $113 billion annually on the drug. We also spend $10.7 billion in law enforcement to control the drug before the stimulus and new drug enforcements efforts by the Obama Administration. In other words our government loses nearly $31.1 billion in lost tax revenue to illegal marijuana and spends $10.7 billion trying to stop it, about $42 billion a year.

That is only the beginning of the cost however. The majority of the drug is grown in South America and Asia and smuggled into the states. Along the Mexican border over 6,000 Mexicans have been murdered in drug wars in the past year alone. Tens of thousands of people in other countries have been murdered over the years supplying the US with pot.

Yet the effects of marijuana are nearly insignificant compared to the physical and psychological damage inflicted on us from legal drugs sanctioned in America, alcohol and tobacco. If you threw in the abuses in the prescription drug use here you would find billions more in wasted money. We know all these legal drugs kill and cost us billions of dollars in medical costs.



So why not legalize marijuana? The benefits now substantially outweigh the risk. Marijuana is the only natural drug of the three recreational categories. Where it has been legalized in places like the Netherlands, the use by the public has dropped significantly below the rate in America. In fact in Columbia where it is grown the drug use is a fraction of the American use.

Not only would legalization eliminate the $10.7 billion in law enforcement costs, money that could be better used chasing the criminals in suits whose actions cost us trillions of dollars in losses, but the $31.1 billion in lost tax revenues could pay for a lot of deficits in states and a lot of new initiatives nationally.

Marijuana could be grown in America putting tens of thousands of acres into productive, tax generating use, land currently sitting idle and generating no property tax revenue. States that lost significant property taxes with the loss of tobacco crops would have a way to recover the losses. Thousands of lives in Mexico would be saved every year by eliminating the drug smuggling and drug wars involved in distribution.


Note these three most recent US Presidents have all admitted to using marijuana.

When we tried to prohibit the sale of alcohol in America it backfired and we should have learned our lesson. We allow the sale of tobacco which has hundreds of chemicals added to it to make us addicted to it and the government still can't stop 126.8 million people from using it. The last three presidents of the United States have all admitted to using marijuana and all three attended Ivy League schools. There would be a great sigh of relief from all the countries trying to stop the flow of marijuana into America and we would be saving thousands of lives a year. How about we use common sense and finally legalize it and put billions of dollars to work for us?
.

The March of the Invisible Americans - the Independents

.


In the past two years a fascinating phenomena has quietly taken place that could change the future of politics in America. Just 18 months ago for the first time the number of people claiming to be Independents has surpassed the total number of members of either the Democrat or Republican parties. If the political bosses of the two parties are paying attention then they better be preparing for an early retirement, their stranglehold on the political system and the government may be coming to an end.

So what if the Independents outnumber the Elephants and Donkeys? Well in simple words it means that nearly 40% of our voters have rejected the policies, programs and candidates of the two party system. It also means this huge voting block reflects the disenfranchised voters of America, the one group of our citizens subject to taxation without representation.

You see just 32 states allow registered Independents to vote in the primary election for federal offices, meaning for those of you who slept during American History class that means 18 states do not allow Independents to vote in the primary. Several are rather large states banning the Independent vote.



Now some enterprising Independents have formed a bunch of Independent political parties in order to get on the ballot but the states, thanks to the pressure from the two reigning political parties, have made the rules so difficult it is hard to accomplish. Even with his millions of dollars Ross Perot, without a doubt the most successful Independent candidate in the 20th century, still was not on all ballots.

Ross did what he had to do and in spite of the efforts of the two parties to crush him he still got 19% of the vote and cost Bush senior the election.  Clinton won by far less than the 19% Perot took away from both party candidates. More on Mr. Perot later as I intend to report on my years as a media advisor to Ross Perot and the things he was doing for people behind the scenes.

Why are states forcing Independents to set up their own political party when they are Independents because they are fed up with the political parties that exist? They don't want their own party, there is all ready to much politics in America. They just want the right to vote for candidates from either party or any of the many minor parties like the Green Movement, etc. in the primary and general elections.



Who gave the Democrats and Republicans the right to dictate who we can choose from on the ballot? In many cases the parties are protecting the worst candidates and the parties have demonstrated that their primary purpose is to protect the political system that is corrupt to the bone. If America is the land of the free then why do the political parties get to screen and virtually dictate who we can vote for in the elections?

As America has matured and both parties have demonstrated an equal zeal to promote greed and corruption the difference between the Democrats and Republicans has vanished. Oh it may be that most liberals are Democrats and most conservatives are Republicans but there are liberals, conservatives and moderates in both parties.

It may be that the party and presidential candidate have a platform to run on but as every winner the past century including the most recent candidate of change Barack Obama have demonstrated, once they win nothing really changes. Both parties are addicted to campaign money, both try to control government policy and in the end the rich still get richer while the middle class is left holding the bag. There will never be effective and honest campaign reform as long as the two parties control the candidates for president, the House and the Senate.

It is time someone sensible in our nation's capitol step up and give all the voters rights. It is time we recognize that control of the government is not the right of the political parties but the people. It is time we pay attention to what got us into this mess in the first place, taxation without representation, greed and a healthy dose of corruption.

I don't remember reading anything about the power or role of the Democrat or Republican parties in our Declaration of Independence or Constitution. There were no guarantees that they should be allowed to control our national policy nor pick our candidates. Fact is they weren't even in existence when our Founding Fathers were debating our future.

I believe both parties should have a voice in national politics, along with the Independents. Then the voice of the people will be heard. Right now only the political machines are heard. Someone in Washington should clean up the mess. For the first 100 years third parties were essential to our success as our forefathers knew there was an inherent danger in allowing political control to be concentrated in a couple of parties.

It was a system that worked quite well. Then came the party bosses who tapped the money and found out how financially rewarding control could become if only they could force the public to pick between two stooges. Occasionally we get good presidents. But there are a lot more good people that could be helping out the country but they will never get the chance because they do not have the backing of the political parties, unions, Wall Street or the money managers, all who conspire to preserve the status quo.



Mr. Obama, you promised changes. Actually you promised a whole lot of things but we know you were just kidding on most of them. You knew you could never deliver. But we understand little political lies, we have been conditioned over the years. Maybe you would like to champion the one change that will benefit us for all time, get rid of the two party control of the American political system. The time is now!

.

Media Credibility and the Polls - What to Believe

.

With primaries over we are almost through the silly season of the never-ending campaigns for control of our government and it is time to take a look around at all the damage that has been done. How do we do that? Well the media and politicians use a clever technique called polling to keep us informed of what we think and the big question is does it really do that? No!

Wake up media and stop trying to sway the American public opinion. It has been 40 years since I started developing campaign polling and demographic databases and the one constant through nine presidents is nothing has changed. The American people will always make up their own mind and if you try to influence them your polls will be the same disaster as always.

So why should the news media care? Because the credibility of the media is just as poor as the credibility of the president, congress and corporate America and those reporting the news should not be considered a joke. If I didn’t care about the reputation of the media I would not care, although the extreme efforts of some media to mislead the public does provide some form of entertainment.

News reporting is a protected privilege in America, it is even protect by the Constitution in the Bill of Rights. But along with such privileged status comes responsibility, the responsibility to not abuse your rights and many of the media seem to forget.

What is the purpose of polls? Polls are a snap shot at that moment of time in reaction to a specific question. No more no less. The more objective the question the more objective and honest will be the answer. The more scientific the pool of people polled the more accurate the results.

Every day political news reporters try to apply the results of daily polls to what will happen in the future. For example, they tell us Democrats and Republicans are tied in the polls today and that means the Democrats will do much better in the Midterm elections than expected. Such extrapolation is nonsense and the media knows better. When you hear such things just know there is a hidden agenda by those making such silly reports.

This is September, not November, and so far one third of the voters, the Independents, have not even been polled since all primary polls only talk to Democrats and Republicans. Those few polls that do survey Independents are not getting much press but they show the largest GOP lead ever recorded over the Democrats, well in double digits.

Any poll done at this time when one third of the voters are not even counted, and that one third may well be the angriest of all the voters, could be 20-25% inaccurate. So why does the media continue reporting the party results? They know better.

The only polls accurate right now are those concerning the public sentiment and they foreshadow serious change this fall. More than two-thirds of the public think the country is headed in the wrong direction, more than two-thirds think Obama and the Democrats are doing the wrong things, and more than two-thirds think congress, all of congress, is just as misguided. Barring some unforeseen catastrophe as I have pointed out consistently all year, a tsunami is about to hit the Democrats in control.

If the parties are running even at this time and both are held in low regard by the populace it is only because the Independents are not being counted. Come November 2 the game changes radically and the combined Republican opposition with the Tea party and Independent disgust with government will make a statement that will be heard around the world. The party in power will fall.

Also, there is no way the results in one state mean the same thing will happen in another state as the people of Delaware are far different than those in Ohio or Iowa, just as New York is different than California. Polls can also be very distorted if the people surveyed are not registered to vote, or even if they are registered does that mean they will actually vote.

As I said recently, just look at the numbers. Well over 4 million more Republicans than Democrats voted in the primaries in 2010, the first time since 1930 more Republicans voted in the primaries than Democrats. Yet sitting on the sidelines because they were denied the right to vote by archaic campaign laws is the mighty Independent voting block and they are just as mad as the "rogue" Republicans who have been leading the attack.

Take New Hampshire for example. The latest polls show 70% of Independents are dissatisfied with the direction our federal government is going. In yesterday's primary there were 266,144 eligible Democratic voters and about 70,000 turned out. There were 264,451 eligible Republican voters and about 152,000 turned out, more than twice as many Republicans. Yet there are 388,589 Independent voters who did not vote. If 70% are fed up with the direction of Obama and the Democrats they will be joining the vote and bring about a Republican landside in November.

A poll of “eligible voters” can be wrong because about 40% of eligible voters are not even registered to vote. Even a poll of “registered voters” could also be wrong for less than half will vote in the election and the enthusiasm of the voter will dictate the turnout. Republicans have much greater enthusiasm to vote and Independents may have even greater enthusiasm. Few polls will ever go into the level of detail needed to get accurate results.

There is a final distortion of poll results if the caller identifies who employs them or if they say it is for an organization like Gallup, Rasmussen or the Washington Post for example as some people are going to be inclined to answer the way they think the “media” wants them to answer. People do not want to feel stupid so they might just make up answers, especially on issues they do not know.

The bottom line is this. If you believe the polls published by the media you are as crazy as the media. On the other hand, if you really want to see a meaningful poll the following are the latest results from a Gallup Poll on the Confidence of the American Public in our institutions.

It would appear the general public already know what they think of the media and their polls when 78% of our citizens do not have a great deal of confidence in Television news, yet they have even less confidence in Congress with 89% not having confidence, the worst record of any American institution. Also note that nearly two thirds of Americans, 64%, do not have confidence in the President. Then remember these numbers are almost three months old. How low can you go by now?

.

Feliz cumpleaños México. ¡Viva México!

.

Today Mexico celebrates their 200th anniversary and all Americans should celebrate with our Southern neighbor.  Please take the time to watch the videos pesented and enjoy the BBC photos of the celebrations that are taking place throughout the Mexican nation.

As someone who spent nearly every year visiting Mexico when growing up we need to be reminded that there are many common values and shared visions we have with Mexico. In times of troubles such as the drug wars currently having a tragic impact on that nation, remember it is an American problem as well and they are courageously fighting our battles for us.

¡Viva México!

 

Please watch these videos...

.

   

Obama and Democrats Launch Fund Raising Drive Today - Why Lie?

.

The Lie!

The following letter was distributed today, September 15, by the Obama Democrats fund raising operation.  In it they state;

The special interests in Washington are not happy, and it's because of something you did.

Since President Obama moved into the White House, this movement has stripped them of their influence, proving we could take on the lobbyists and corporate cash with good, old-fashioned organizing.


The full text:

xxx--

The special interests in Washington are not happy, and it's because of something you did.

Since President Obama moved into the White House, this movement has stripped them of their influence, proving we could take on the lobbyists and corporate cash with good, old-fashioned organizing.

Now these groups are vowing to get payback in the fall elections -- and they have put all their chips on one man: Congressman John Boehner.

Third-party organizations have already spent millions to help Republicans take over the House and make him Speaker -- and you can bet there are millions more to come in the form of nasty TV ads and shadowy robo-calls before November.

Here's how we fight back: the largest-scale voter turnout effort this party has ever assembled in an election like this.

Another grassroots supporter has promised to match, dollar for dollar, whatever you can chip in today. These matched donations add up fast -- and right now there are 84 donations across Maryland waiting to be doubled.

Don't leave this money on the table -- donate $5 or more today and double your impact.

It's easy to see why these special interests picked John Boehner. This is a guy who first made national news 14 years ago when he was caught handing out checks from tobacco lobbyists on the House floor.

John Boehner said he did nothing wrong -- he was simply helping out his lobbyist friends.

And, in all of the fights we've waged together these past 20 months, he's been these special interests' right-hand man.

He teamed up with financial lobbyists to do everything he could to stall Wall Street reform and even took time before the vote on health reform to scream "Hell no!" over and over again from the podium.

If John Boehner is handed the Speaker's gavel, all that is wrong with Washington is back in business. Their plans are simple -- unravel what this movement has done and stand in the way of the rest of President Obama's agenda. Some Republican leaders have even threatened to shut down the government to get their way -- a heartless move that would hold Social Security checks hostage and shut down veterans' hospitals across the country.

With just 48 days to go until the election, this movement is the only thing standing in John Boehner's way.

Take advantage of this opportunity to piggy-back on another grassroots supporter's promise. Help fund our effort to fight back against Republicans and keep America moving forward.

Chip in $5 today to get your donation doubled:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Match2010

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

The Truth!

According to the independent OpenSecrets.org in terms of special interest money raised by Obama and the Democrats in 2010!


Total Fund Raising in 2010:

And that is the WHOLE TRUTH!

.

Obamaville 9/15 - The Mystique of the Muslim Mosque at Ground Zero

.

In yet another development misinterpreted by the media, especially the liberal media and Obama people, as the shroud of mystique is peeled away from project there is no doubt the sponsors will have to give up hopes for placing the mosque at Ground Zero.

The liberals, Obama people, Mayor of NYC and many others expended a great deal of political capital trying to justify the right to build it at Ground Zero but common sense will prevail in the end and it will be moved. Legal opposition from first responders, legal action by New Jersey residents, questionable funding sources and bizarre threats of retaliation by the Muslim world if it is not built there have all combined to make it impossible in our opinion and you will soon learn it will be moved, or dropped altogether since the money was never there in the first place.

In the future let us hope our political leaders are a lot less politically correct and a lot more in support of the majority of Americans who have said all along it is not appropriate to build it there. It was never a matter of did they have the legal right to build it there and always a matter of common sense, why would anyone want it there. In the end common sense will win out.

.

MSNBC Host Chris Matthews first Media Person to Get It?

.

Last night as the legions of political analysts and media personalities were absorbing the astounding results of the latest Tea Party movement in the Tuesday primaries of all the media coverage on television including the cable trio of CNN, Fox and MSNBC the normally liberal Matthews was the only person on television who seemed to sense the real ground swell of the Tea party and Independent movements.

As the Democratic and Republican leaning networks and announcers were declaring the Tea party win in Delaware as a blow to the GOP efforts to win control of the Senate, Matthews was the only one to urge caution in interpreting the results as a GOP defeat in the Midterm elections.

We have been writing in the Coltons Point Times for over two years aboutr the rapid polarization of the Independents in America as the total registered Independents have surpassed the total number of either Democrats or Republicans. The Independents feel alienated by both parties and are mad about the growth of government, reckless deficit spending, an increase in the national debt and a failure of our political system.

Somehow the Lame Street media has completely missed this growing discontent. At the same time the Tea party movement has evolved which was castigated by the media as radicals and lunatics. Yet the Tea party, fueled first by Sarah Palin and then Senator James DeMint, pulled off stunning upset after upset up to and including last night. The principles articulated by this group matched the goals of the ignored Independents.

It was only a matter of time before the interests of the Tea party rogues and Independents merged and that is now as we approach the November election and the huge Independent base can finally flex it's muscle after sitting on the sideline all year. To his credit Matthews is the first media person to acknowledge this potential powerhouse and ask if all incumbents may be at risk and if the Democrats might be in danger of losing in a massive landslide. We hope he keeps his eyes open.
.

Obamaville 9/15 - A Sad Ending to the Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints affair

.

Last January I wrote a Super Bowl preview and said the following. This week the last action I predicted, the Reggie Bush would lose his Heisman trophy came true when he returned it, the first time in history a Heisman has been forfeited. All the penalties I predicted were imposed.

It was the end of a dark chapter in college football and one the NCAA and NFL must address if the sport is ever to be completely cleaned up. While the school, USC, lost millions of dollars in revenue, lost the ability to appear in bowl games and had to forfeit a national championship, Bush suffered as well. But the sports agents who lured him into the illegal acts go unpunished.

The time is long overdue for the NCAA and NFL to take strong actions against the predatory practices of unethical sports agents by banning them, preferably for life, if they harm a career of such a youth as Bush. A kid in college can easily be seduced by the temptation of cash and gifts while in college and those who make such offers deserve to be banned from the sport for the damage they have done to the player and the college.

Monday, January 25, 2010
Super Bowl Time - The Gladiators in the Coliseum - Are the Saints Angels or Demons?

I do have a problem with Reggie Bush, star of the Saints. There is something unfair about what he did when he was in college at USC and he won the national championship and Heisman trophy. A multi-year investigation by the NCAA is about to be released and I expect it will show Bush violated many laws in college accepting cars, cash, a home for his parents, trips and who knows what else from agents intent on getting a piece of his pro career.

If that is true, then USC will probably have to forfeit all the games he played in and might lose the national championship and Bush might lose the Heisman as the best player in college football. It would be appropriate for the severity of what he may have done. What is unfair is that the university can lose all that, be put on probations and lose millions of dollars in revenues from bowl games, lose tens of thousands of dollars in sports scholarships other deserving kids might have been given, but Bush, the one behind the disaster, loses his trophy and nothing more.

He still kept all the payoffs during his college career, his parents kept what they got, Bush got his millions of dollars in the pros, so crime seems to be very rewarding for him. You see, without the national championship and Heisman trophy he never would have got the millions he was paid to turn pro. If pro football wanted to run a clean house they would ban for life anyone who cheated in college to benefit in the pros.

As it stands right now the next generation of pro football players will be encouraged to cheat, take bribes and illegal gifts in college, further eroding the morality in amateur sports, especially if Bush and New Orleans wins the Super Bowl. It just does not seem right that the signal we send our youth is crime pays, and pays and pays, not just for the moment but throughout their career. This Super Bowl will be a bit tarnished if the Saints win.
.