Adele Ferguson: Stay-at-home moms, Inslee funds rate comments

ITEM—Just as the Democrats were stoking up a hit on Mitt Romney as being unacceptable by women voters, prominent Demo Hilary Rosen threw gasoline on the fire by stating that Ann Romney “never worked a day in her life.” Even Democrats joined in condemning the remark about a woman who was a stay at home mom, rearing five sons. Rosen apologized to her and “anyone else who was offended.”

COMMENT—USA Today says Hillary Rosen has two children with her ex-partner Elizabeth Birch, although there is no explanation for how that came about.

ITEM—Congressman Jay Inslee has transferred $155,000 from the campaign money he raised for reelection to the state Democratic party to use in helping elect him governor. He has $375,000 remaining in his federal account.

COMMENT—How come he didn’t transfer the whole works since it was donated for use in a race he abandoned to go for higher office?

ITEM—The Bainbridge City Council joined Seattle, Bellingham, Edmonds, Mukilteo. Portland, San Francisco, China, Italy and South Africa in banning plastic bags except for garbage and newspapers. The ban was kicked off years back by finding of a dead whale with plastic bags in its stomach.

CQMMENT—The banning of this convenience just for the finding of one dead whale? I still don’t see why some manufacturer hasn’t come up with a bag made of material that deteriorates completely such as melting in a fire without smoke. Or are they too busy coming up with new male enhancement medications?

ITEM—The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that Congress passed two years ago is fatally flawed, according to an American Enterprise Institute editorial in the Wall Street Journal. The Volcker Rule, which prohibits banks and their affiliates from engaging in bond trading for their own account, has foreign countries complaining as well as members of Congress who recommend delaying its implementation this July and simplifying it.

COMMENT—Well, what did you expect when they picked the two members of Congress as responsible as anyone for causing the economic downfall, Sen. Christopher Dodd and Rep. Barney Frank, to write the legislation dealing with the disaster? Frank, thank God, will soon join Dodd in being an ex-screwer upper.

ITEM—In the end, every one got a little of what they wanted as the Legislature wrapped it up April 11 after a 22 hour marathon of negotiations and votes. Democrats fought off big cuts to the safety net and, with GOP help, eliminated a big tax break for banks. Republicans pushed through a reduction in pension benefits for new state employees and both parties claimed credit for sparing education more cuts.

COMMENT—Do you realize that the Democrats, with 27 senators to 22 Republicans and 56 House members to 42 Republicans plus the governor, could have passed the budget and gotten out on time but couldn ‘t even put that together? They’re about as useful as the U.S.Senate which hasn‘t passed a budget in three years.

ITEM—Now that Mitt Romney is virtually cinched as the Republican nominee for president, all the talk is about selecting a veep fit and qualified to step into the president’s shoes if necessary.

COMMENT—That’s what they should have been considering in 2008 when they swept into the top office a man with only a couple of years under his belt as a senator and never had a real job in his life other than rounding up votes.

(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville, Wa., 98340.)