Washington has learned a new sport. It’s called “Hollywood fights.” You remember, in the movies, a fellow swings a powerful uppercut, you hear a loud thud, and the other fellow falls back like he’s dead. Then he recovers and swings at the first guy… loud thud… and he falls down. This goes on for a while, back and forth.  But, really, nobody lands a punch.  It’s all for show. And after a while the audience gets tired of watching and goes home.
Well, these fake Hollywood fights have moved east. The President came out for increasing taxes on the top 2% and is going around the country saying it’s only fair; increase taxes for folks like Mitt Romney and George Clooney, but leave the rest of us alone.
On the other side, the Republican House voted to repeal the new health care law.
Now, the President and the Republicans know that neither plan is going anywhere. But they spend their time and energy (and our dollars) trying to convince us they won the fight by throwing better punches. Voters are already tired of watching these shenanigans and are ready to walk out the door, go home, and stop paying to watch these fake battles. They might be persuaded to tune in after the election in case one of them did get knocked out cold.
There’s a question I have been hoping a reporter would ask the President and Mr. Romney, and I guarantee it would draw attention. See, businesses are holding on to vast amounts of cash, maybe a trillion, rather than buy new equipment or hire workers. They seem to be waiting until after the election before making any moves. Here’s my question: “Mr. President, if you are re-elected on Nov. 6, what do you predict these companies will do with all that money?”
Then ask Gov. Romney the same question. The answers, if they are honest, would tell you a lot about where the economy will be headed in 2013. But odds are they would not be honest, and I’ll be just as confused after they answer as I was before.
A week or so ago President Obama reminisced about earlier vacation trips when the family rode a Greyhound bus then hung around the Howard Johnson motel all day. I don’t think he got many votes with that story. A lot of people can’t even afford a bus ticket, and for those who can afford it, who wants to ride all day on a bus. All day on an airplane is tough enough, in those tight seats, but at least you get somewhere on a plane. Young folks today aren’t satisfied with staying for days at a Howard Johnson’s, even if they get ice cream. They want vacation trips like the ones the President’s wife and daughters have taken the last 3 years. Or at least a trip to Disneyland, Cedar Point, the beach, or the Grand Canyon.
The so-called Humane Society (HSUS) is up to a new trick. They claim their goal is to protect farm animals from “slave holders” and make ‘em turn loose their hogs and chickens to roam free. But the HSUS lawyers are now suing these farms for generating too much odor. Really? If you want something that stinks, let 1000 hogs and 1000 chickens run free on the range; you’ll get more odor complaints than ever, and especially from those whose backyard the hogs adopt as part of their free range.
The real goal of the HSUS is to get all of us to stop eating meat. Not a chance. Just like the Republicans have no chance Obama will dismantle his health care law. And no chance the President can get Republicans to enthusiastically increase taxes on their wealthy contributors.

Historic quote by Will Rogers:
“You must always remember that in politics,  there is some crookedness going on on both sides.” DT #2090, April 16, 1933