Almost time for preseason football.  GEAUX SAINTS!

But Favre threw that interception and the Saints forced OT and in OT they won!  It is exciting at the Sanders house these next two weeks!  GEAUX SAINTS!  Beat dem Colts!

This affects the integrity of the game:  The Jets are in a tight fight  for two playoff berths left in the AFC with Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston, Denver, and Miami.  For a team to in effect lay down affects the other teams seeking that playoff spot.  Hence, this cannot be tolarated.  The Commissioner must act to prevent this from a recurrence.  The Jets were sanctioned for a misleading injury report to protect the integrity of the game.  This is no different.

This insults the efforts of the players.  The Colts played well to get to that stage.  They were being acclaimed as potentially the team of the decade.  This insults that effort.  It may hurt them in the playoffs because it introduced a major conflict factor.  In future years, this will affect the play of the Colts or anyone associated with this decision at any team they serve at. 

It hurts the league.  The fans have an interest in the NFL, especially if they pay to see a game.  There are television and radio contracts as well as cable and pay-per-view revenue.  This sort of shenanigan costs the NFL in credibility and standing.  The fans of the teams seeking those playoff spots have been robbed of their chance to see their team prevail fairly. 

Since the issue of undefeated seasons has now seriously come up twice since 2007, there must be rules in place for this situation.  No resting of players without a legitimate reason (running up the score, for example) and how it is done must be approved by the Commissioner in advance.  This also applies for meaningless games whether the team is undefeated or not.  Hence, there must be action taken by the league against the Colts and whoever is responsible for the decision last Sunday to “rest” these players.

(What’s this thing about the Post lately, Sandy?  I just get the opinions and political news from the Post!)

The Saints (and Colts) can and should try for perfection.  You do not have to make stupid decisions to reach for the best.  Besides, the Saints have to win the next two just to clinch home field throughout the playoffs.  The Vikings are a good team.  We need every advantage.  Then there’s just one more game – the Panthers in Charlotte.

CEAUX SAINTS!  BEAT COWBOYS!

GEAUX Saints!

UPDATE:  I watched the game up here in DC.  I felt like I played the game myself.  It was awful and awe-ful at the same time!  Thankfully the Saints won the game.  12-0! 

UPDATE:  This is an inspiring article in the Washington Post about the Saints’ role in the revitalization of New Orleans.  While there are limits to what a sports team can do, it is clear that the Saints have brought some pride to the Big Easy.  There are many things to see in the New Orleans area.  Try this site out for more information.

The campaign of the seeming front-runner in 2012, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has now sprung a serious leak.  Believe me, this gives me no joy.  I believe that Gov. Huckabee tends toward mercy and he may have allowed several to be released when they did not deserve. 

With no national buzz for former Massachusetts Mitt Romney and many party leaders frightened about the nomination of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the party leaders may have to decide who to support.  That may well be Jindal. 

Besides, if the Saints have an undefeated season and win the Super Bowl, that ought to be reason enough to support the visionary governor!

Why not spread it around.  Keep the Lions at home.  Cowboys, too.  But let the other four spots for turkey day games be scattered throughout the teams.  The Saints have never (that I know of) been to a Thanksgiving game.  There would be two NFC and two AFC teams every holiday.  No team other than the Lions and Cowboys would play again until all the other teams have played – about eight years apart. 

Meanwhile, we’re waiting for the Alabama and Saints games!  Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

However, I heard this on Rush Limbaugh and saw a portion of it on Gary Bauer’s End of the Day email.  (Here’s where to subscribe to it!)  It is from George Washington’s Thanksgiving proclamation. 

“…I do recommend and assign Thursday, the twenty-sixth day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these United States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we then may all unite unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation… for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and … for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed…”

President Washington was acting out the express will of the First Congress, who passed and sent to the states the First Amendment with the Establishment Clause.  I’d suggest today this type of proclamation might draw a lawsuit!

Here, from Rush’s website is the entire proclamation.  Here it is from Washington’s papers website.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving and may all my readers know Jesus Christ as their Personal Savior and Lord!  (Here’s how if you need it from Billy Graham’s website.  Here’s more info  from the same place if you have done so!)

Governor Johnson, who caused not slight controversy in calling for the legislation of marijuana while serving as his state’s chief executive, is a fine libertarian candidate in the Ron Paul tradition.  I am not sure he is as socially conservative as Cong. Paul (although he may be one of the first so-called pro-choice politicians that was endorsed by National Right to Life!), but he is a principled politician who has something to say.

Here is Evertts first blog entry:

A few TRILLION dollar nails in Americas fiscal coffin.

$1,000,000,000,000 dollars. A thousand billions. A million millions. About $3,400 dollars for every man woman and child in the United States of America. 34 million times what I made last year. You could buy 15 million houses like mine.

In the last 8 years our Federal Government has (or is a few weeks from passing) with a few yeas and nays, passed four things that will cost that much or close to that much. None of them are Constitutional, really needed, or would allocate that trillion dollars better than the people.

• The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
• TARP bank bailout
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Obama stimulus)
• Very soon to be healthcare bill.

Lets compare the national debt and Federal budgets to average American finances. Receipts (taxes brought in) were 2.52 trillion and the national debt was 10 trillion dollars at end of fiscal 2008. So, our Federal governement owed 3.92 times what they brought in through taxes.

Lets say you and your wife bring home $50,000, around the median American income. If you owed 3.92 times what you made in a year, you’d be $196,000 in debt. That is getting bad, way too much for me personally, but Americans if employed and being thrifty can live like that. By the way, you have ZERO savings just like the government, which means your future is very very bleak.

The three programs, purchases, boondoggles, whatever want to call Washington’s expenditures, that already passed equal around 158% of 2008’s tax receipts. For you and your family that equals to adding $60,000 in new debt over last 8 years. You’re even telling your wife you absolutely need a new  boat (healthcare bill) for another $19,500 price tag.

You were doing ok, but now you can barely afford them, I guess you wanted a few perks. Even though your perks might be renovating the kitchen, getting a nicer car, or giving the kids a real big Christmas, while the governments perks are killing thousands of people in the Middle East, paying off old buddies who run huge banks, giving every lobbyist their dream pet projects, and trying to force the whole country onto an already bankrupt Medicare system.

2010 is looking much much worse, those little projects are coming back to bite you. The deficit is expected to be $1.75 TRILLION by end of fiscal 2009, the national debt is estimated to be 12.7 TRILLION. Meaning you would now have over $250,000 in debt. Something has to give. Either you have to sell your house(reform social security), get rid of a car(cut the empire), get another job(raise taxes), or you will go bankrupt. It has to give now, you will not be able to keep this going for another year. The bank (China) is not going to give you anymore money because they see what is going on. No different for our government.

They could have keep right on going with the status quo, racking up yearly deficits of a few hundred billion dollars. We could have taken care of Osama and his gang in Afghanistan, got through the housing bubble, took care of needy Americans, and fixed Medicare all without bankrupting America. Washington lost its mind in the past decade. Only now people are wising up to what is going on. They could have kept right on being corrupt as any institution in the history of the world, but they got greedy. We needed a bigger empire, the banksters needed more of our money, lobbyists needed more influence, and the entitlement system needed expanded.

In a Gary Johnson administration, there will be people looking to the future. Short term fixes and pleasures will be out the window and the American peoples interests will be fought for. Not big business, big union, big bank, big military. Women, whites, poor, black, gay, atheist, wealthy, young, southern, catholic, healthy, hispanic, rich, sick, old, it does not matter. All Americans will equally benefit by the executive branch of government doing less. The alternative is the end of the American dream for everyone.

This is well said.  I would only add that the debt to PRC will make us subject to their persuasion on policy issues.  Better not discuss persecution of Christians or Tibet or Taiwan (Taiwan is the most mistreated nation in the world – the Republic of China is not allowed to enter the Olympic Games with their national flag or name.  They are also not in the United Nations) or we’ll not be happy!  The PRC debt should be retired first.

MORE from tajitj in a few days!  Go eat turkey and dressing and remember the important stuff:  The SAINTS will win Monday night!

Sandy the Chief Blogger