Wampus Cat Report

Introduction

Strangers, I have always heard, are friends you haven't met before. Please let me introduce the Wampus Cat Report. And myself as its originator.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

We finally  have brought our troops out of Iraq. We have invested more than 4,500 American lives (10 times that many were wounded), 800 billion dollars and years of involvement.

It has been so long that some might have difficulty remembering why we went  there in the first place.

But it has been emphasized time and again in more recent years that we had to stay the course lest the losses there be in vain.  So more American soldiers died and were wounded, compounding the need for us to “stay the course.”

There is an important lesson here:

It is much easier to get into these “limited wars” than it is to get out.

What happens in Iraq in the months and years immediately ahead will tell us what, if anything, was accomplished by our involvement. And whether it was worth it.

PRETTY PLEASE

Iran has come by one of our “super secret” drones.  The Pentagon can’t say whether it was shot down, malfunctioned or was caught in a butterfly net. We do know it was on an aerial recon (make that “spy”) mission.

President Obama, hat in hand, has asked Iran to return it – “please.”

Fat chance!

But Iran isn’t completely selfish. It is  sharing the drone’s technology with China and Russia.

What Do You Think?

The Associated Press reported that Samantha Hubbard thought it was “a good idea.

N.C. State Senator Fletcher Hartsell, a Republican,  proposed giving every student $1,000 each year he or she made good grades and had good attendance and conduct.

That would amount to $12,000 per student over the course of grades one through 12.

Times how many students?

Samantha, who thinks it is a great idea, is nine years old. The AP didn’t list Senator Hartsell’s age.  But his thinking apparently is about the nine-year level.

Meanwhile Governor Perdue and our legislators are trying to figure out how to balance the state budget. 

Mixed Message

The United States is now promising forces trying to overthrow Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi $25 million in “non-lethal” aid.

That’s the latest from President Obama.

When rebel forces in Libya first launched their campaign to take control of the country, Obama declared that Gadhafi  had to go – giving verbal encouragement to the rebels.  After all, Gadhafi  was behind the downing of a U.S. airliner over Scotland that killed hundreds of Americans.

Go for it, rebels!

But Gadhafi’s well-equipped air and artillery power soon turned the tide against rebel forces.

U.S. carrier aircraft and missile ships – as a part of NATO – took the lead in countering Gadhafi’s military. A U.S. plane went down in Libya, ostensibly from mechanical problems. There quickly escalated opposition at home over our involvement in “another war.”

President Obama began backing off. No more U.S. aircraft or missiles would be sent to help the rebels get rid of Gadhafi.

More criticism at home over the president’s confusing, contradictory signals. Rebel forces in Libya faltered, began falling back under increasing pressure from Gadhafi forces.

Then came the renewed U.S. assurance: We’ll provide the rebels with $25 million in “surplus non-lethal” aid – materials not to be used to combat government forces.

So much for our declaration that Gadhafi must go…

And for our international credibility.

Daylight Confusing Time

Daylight Saving time had always been a bit confusing to me. I had trouble remembering when to set my clock forward and when to set it back. Then  someone gave me this helpful advice: Spring forward and Fall back!

That worked fine. Then one day Jack Lee, for many years sports editor of the News-Argus, reminded me: “But you can also Spring back and Fall forward!.

That did it haven’t been able to keep it straight since.

But the whole business reminds me of the fellow who cut a foot off one end of his blanket and sewed it onto the other, thinking he’d end up with a longer blanket.

Obama’s Arithmetic

The president has proposed a budget that  projects a deficit of $1.6 trillion  for the next year. But take heart. He says he has plans to reduce spending by $1.1 trillion OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.

Wampus never has been worth a hoot at arithmetic.  But somehow these figures don’t seem encouraging. Maybe County Commissioner Jack Best can  help me on this one. Or my next door neighbor, CPA Tommy Allen.

Disappointed in Perdue

Beverly Perdue has been trying to do a good job as the state’s first woman governor. In many instances she has shown impressive courage in difficult economic times.

But her political past appears to be dogging her footsteps. It caught up with her recently in the form of an FBI investigation. This comes on the heels of some earlier embarrassments.

The latest information suggests that over the years – and during her tenure in the mansion – she has used her clout to influence  promotions,  transfers and other matters in the Highway Patrol.

Back when she was a highly influential member of the State Senate, she wrecked her car while en route to her hotel from dinner with other legislators.  Instead of calling police as required by law, she waited until the next day and called a high level friend in the Highway Patrol. No charges followed.

More recently, she was asked about using her influence in promotions.  Her first response was that she didn’t feel anyone “could say who intervened when.”  When a News & Observer reporter persisted, Perdue insisted time and again: “I don’t intervene in promotions.”

But subsequently she  decided to “set the record straight” (her words) by saying: “I have offered many recommendations on which men and women deserved recognition at agencies throughout state government.”

It appeared close to a classic example of meeting herself coming down the other side of the street .

Fair and Balanced???

I’m a longtime viewer of Fox News. Because it’s  “fair and balanced?” Of course not. It’s no more “fair and balanced” than CBS, NBC and ABC. They’re all liberal as all get-out. And, conversely, Fox News is equally conservative.

But it does help balance out the other networks’ “unbalance.” And the public needs that “balance.”

But I do have a real problem with Fox. Its panelists have a tendency to all talk at the same time. I mean like three of them jabbering away with nobody on the panel listening and the viewing public at a loss to what they’re saying.

Bill O’Reilly is something else again. He is absolutely and arrogantly rude to his guests. He will ask a question and then interrupt and take charge of the “dialogue” without giving the guest a chance to finish a sentence. He then is subject to conclude with: “Ill give you the last word.” But as soon as the person offered “the last word” opens his or her mouth, O’Reilly breaks in to pontificate until the end of program.

His Mama should have slapped him in the mouth when you was coming up. Obviously absent that, invited guests should refuse to come – or threaten to bust him in the teeth when he rudely and repeatedly interrupts.

Drivers Beware

Longtime Wampus friend Graves Lewis shared an interesting message recently. He said some law enforcement agencies warn that folks – especially women – parking in public lots, such a shopping centers, should be wary of  “messages” attached to their rear windows. (Or any car windows, for that matter.)

His informants said there have been instances in which drivers  seeing the  “messages” in their rear view mirrors while backing out  have gotten out of their vehicles to check on them – only to have a carjacker dash up, jump into their vehicle and scratch off. Often times with purses that were left on the passenger seat by female drivers.

He suggests ignoring such “messages” until later.

Trivial Observations

Since my days as press secretary to U.S. Congressman Herbert Bonner back in the late 1940s,  I have enjoyed observing politicians. They can be fascinating people, especially during campaigns – and the successful politician campaigns all the time.

One observation that has always intrigued me: When young men are elected to the U.S. Congress, they all tend to show up with impressive and identical patches of gray in their temples. No problem here. The gray temples give them an appearance of dignity and seem to suggest wisdom.

Their similarity might indicate a lack of creativity on the part of the Capitol Hill barbers. But then, how much can you do with temples and white dye?

---

Then there was a friend of mine who was elected to Congress. He was a fishing buddy, down to earth and unpretentious. But shortly after being elected to the U.S. House, he showed up with the mandatory white temples. And one day we were discussing our disagreements.

“In my opinion…” I began my argument.

But when it came his turn, he  profoundly responded: “In my considered judgment…”

That did it! Obviously my little opinion was about to be trumped by his “considered judgment.”