The rest of the offer story

You know the media need to stop chasing things that come out regarding the “Favre situation.”  Multiple news organizations reported earlier today that Favre was offered $20 million to stay retired.  Note how the Green Bay Press Gazette (and likely others) based reporting on what a supposed Favre source said.

The Packers and Favre remain in a stalemate over Favre’s desire to be released because the Packers don’t want him at their training camp, and General Manager Ted Thompson’s refusal to waive him and inability to trade him to a team Favre wants to join.

Packers President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy met with Favre and Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, on Wednesday at Cook’s office in Hattiesburg, Miss., but Murphy was unable to convince Favre not to report to training camp.

Murphy didn’t have much football related to entice Favre to stay home, though a source close to Favre said the team raised the possibility of paying Favre a substantial salary — about $20 million over 10 years — to stay retired.

But alas it appears there’s more to the story then first reported.

The Green Bay Packers’ much-publicized 10-year, $20 million offer to Brett Favre was part of an ongoing negotiation on a long-term marketing and licensing agreement between the club and its quarterback — and not a last-ditch attempt to pay Favre to stay away from training camp, according to a source close to the negotiations.

Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy’s eight-hour meeting with Favre and agent James “Bus” Cook on Wednesday at Cook’s Hattiesburg, Miss., office was the continuation of talks that began not long after news of Favre’s retirement broke on March 4, the source said.

“In no way were they trying to bribe Brett or buy their way out of the situation,” the source said. “That’s just not something they’d do. They started talking to (the Favres) about this shortly after he retired.”

Apparently it is being seriously considered.

Late Thursday night, ESPNews reported that Favre is seriously considering the offer, which would call for him to make public appearances and engage in various marketing campaigns for the Packers. It is believed to be similar to deals that were offered other high-profile stars such as Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins.

If Favre takes it, it ends weeks of uncertainty and growing dissatisfaction among his many fans and allows him to bow out of a contentious situation gracefully. In turn, it bails the Packers out of a public relations nightmare that they helped create with poor communication with Favre during the off-season.

An NFL source who wanted the Packers’ side to be explained, said Murphy first proposed a 10-year formal relationship with Favre in March after the quarterback’s retirement and did not first bring it up during his nine-hour visit to Hattiesburg Thursday. There were occasional talks about it between March and June before Favre started making noise about wanting to return to football.

Murphy, the source said, decided that with the two sides at an impasse to meet with Favre face-to-face to finalize a post-retirement deal. He told Favre and Cook that the deal was on the table regardless if Favre decided to come back.

“He felt it was important to let Brett know face to face that he was serious about a long-term relationship regardless of his intentions to play football,” the source said. “Regardless of how it was interpreted, it was a continuation of a discussion in March to formalize a long-term relationship.”

After the meeting was over, Favre refused to comment and Cook made no mention of an offer Murphy made during his visit. Curiously, Murphy also didn’t comment on the meeting even after it was reported that he was offering Favre $20 million not to report to training camp.

There is some thought that the gesture was made to allow Favre a chance to consider how the Packers feel about him in the long-term. The contract offer is not dependent on Favre retiring and would be available to him regardless of whether he wants to play football this year.

Kudos to the Packers for rising above the fray, they’ve helped create by not making such things known.  Kudos to Favre for acknowledging the negotiations.

ESPN reported later Thursday that Favre acknowledged he was in negotiations with the Packers and was seriously considering the offer. A source close to Favre confirmed to the State Journal the quarterback is contemplating accepting the deal and could do so soon.

Thumbs down to the Favre source that continues trying to spin the Packers into a bad light and the media for printing said spin.

Two different reports

Both the Green Bay Press-Gazette and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal have articles about Packers President Mark Murphy flying to Mississippi to speak with Favre.

The Journal Sentinal article sticks mainly to facts and quotes from specific people.

Before that, new Packers President Mark Murphy flew to Hattiesburg, Miss., on Tuesday night, presumably to discuss with Favre the organization’s next move. When reached by the Journal Sentinel, Murphy, who flew by himself on a private plane, would not disclose his exact intentions in traveling to Hattiesburg, where Favre lives.

“I can’t talk here,” Murphy said.

…

“It seems the situation has gone all bad,” cornerback Charles Woodson said. “From the interviews and text messages and all that stuff, it’s really hard for anything good to come out of it now, because there’s been a little bit of finger-pointing and he said/she said type of thing. It’s just going to be a circus.

“When he comes back up here, the word is being the backup, it’s going to be crazy.”

Favre did not work with the same personal trainer who lived at his house for part of the off-season last year and put him through a battery of high-tech exercises to prepare for the 2007 season, so his level of conditioning is unclear. Of concern to the Packers would be an injury to Favre during training camp that would sideline him for the season, thereby leaving the Packers liable for his $12 million base salary.

“We’ll address everything as far as the details of how Brett Favre fits into our future plans when he arrives here in Green Bay,” McCarthy told a large gathering of reporters shortly after practice. “Brett Favre is still a very good football player. He is an asset to our football team.

“The plan for Brett Favre will be discussed with Brett Favre first, and then we’ll make the public (aware).”

…

“It’s one of those tough situations for everyone involved,” right tackle Mark Tauscher said. “With Brett, people understand what he’s going through. It makes for a unique and difficult situation for both parties. Everyone wants to go out and put their best foot forward. I think Brett will do that.”

The Press Gazette article once again utilizes it’s famous “a source” line to infer that the Packers don’t want Brett Favre.

A source told the Press-Gazette that Murphy will meet Wednesday morning with Favre and his agent, Bus Cook, at Cook’s law office in Hattiesburg, Miss.

“They’re asking him not to come up there,” the source said. “They don’t want him up there.”

Perhaps they have to continnually use an unnamed source because the said source is just trying to fan the flames??

And maybe a case of the Journal Sentinal showing how the Packers are trying to take the high road and resolve the situation behind closed doors while the Press Gazette continues to play the Favre camp game of airing everything to the media?

Stevens indicted

What a disgrace.

Sen. Ted Stevens, the nation’s longest-serving Republican senator and a major figure in Alaska politics since before statehood, was indicted Tuesday on seven felony counts of concealing more than a quarter of a million dollars in house renovations and gifts from a powerful oil contractor that lobbied him for government aid.

…

Tuesday’s charges tarnish one of the most powerful and savvy of the GOP lions in the Senate. Stevens has coasted to re-election six times in Alaska but this year is in what has been viewed as the toughest race of his career against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.

…

Throughout the investigation, Stevens has remained an iconic figure in Alaska. A moderate Republican, he has served almost 40 years in the Senate, where he unabashedly steered money to his remote and sparsely populated home state. He often drew criticism from outside Alaska for going around the traditional appropriations process to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars for pet projects.

The Justice Department has closely followed that money, looking for where it intersects with the senator’s son, Ben, who also is under investigation concerning financial ties to a company that stood to make millions off a piece of federal legislation his father wrote.

I agree with Owen -  Senator Stevens needs to resign immediately and I would add that if he doesn’t Republican leadership needs to force the issue.  The good people of Alaska need to make sure a conservative who understands the Constitution and what it means to represent the people is elected to take his place.  Goodbye and good riddance to a RINO.

Drill Here, Drill Now Tuesday – 7/29/08

This was started over at Wake Up America by Jessi in an attempt to get our supposed Representatives and Senators in Congress to WAKE UP to the problem of rising energy costs.  It will continue every Tuesday until the allowing of more domestic drilling takes place.  The idea is to post the weekly gas price. 

Jessi points out that a whopping 81% of Americans support greater use of domestic energy resources! I say it’s too bad the wishes of the people aren’t being granted in Washington.

Steve over at No Runny Eggs points out some interesting information.

CONGRESS RECENTLY VOTED TO MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO DEVELOP U.S. OIL SHALE RESOURCES

With oil prices at an all-time high, Americans are facing escalating gas, diesel, and aircraft fuel increases. Oil prices are projected to increase further.

Congress, however, has made it illegal to develop vast domestic oil resources in large parts of the United States.

The most startling Congressional prohibition on domestic oil production concerns the recently enacted ban on the development of oil shale resources in parts of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming in the Green River Formation. According to a Rand Study estimate, this reserve contains over one trillion barrels of oil, with 800 billion barrels fully recoverable, or three times the current oil reserves as Saudi Arabia.

Here’s another interesting thing -

Oil prices tumbled more than $2 a barrel Tuesday, finishing at their lowest level in seven weeks as a stronger dollar and beliefs that record prices are eroding the world’s thirst for energy sparked another dramatic sell-off.

The drop — which surpassed $4 a barrel at one point during the day — was a throwback to oil’s nosedive over the past two weeks and outweighed supply concerns touched off by a militant attack Monday on two Nigerian crude pipelines. It was oil’s seventh decline in the last 10 sessions.

That two-week nosedive would coincide with President Bush lifting the executive ban on offshore drilling.

The point is obvious – the time has come to drill for oil here at home.  Sign the petition if you haven’t yet.

Oh yeah, here in the Green Bay area the gas price was $3.79 ($3.74 at the Oneida One Stop) today.

Start of the endgame?

Brett Favre has officially submitted the paperwork for his reinstatement.  Look for NFL approval to come tomorrow.

The Green Bay Packers confirmed this afternoon that quarterback Brett Favre has filed his reinstatement papers with the National Football League, which said it will not act on the request today.

“That’s obviously the first step of Brett coming back,” coach Mike McCarthy said after practice. “So we’ll deal with that when he’s reinstated and we’ll definitely have a plan in order.”

Commissioner Roger Goodell now has to approve of Favre’s reinstatement, which Goodell has said in the past he will grant. The Packers will then have 24 hours to either release, trade or place Favre on the active roster.

League spokesman Greg Aiello said Goodell will not approve Favre’s reinstatement today, meaning the Packers could wait until Thursday to determine their course of action. What that will be, McCarthy didn’t say.

“Brett Favre is still a very good football player,” McCarthy said. “He’s an asset to our football team. The plans for Brett Favre will be discussed with Brett Favre first and then we’ll make it aware to the public.

“There are no ill feelings toward Brett Favre and he will be welcome back in our locker room.”

So now the next move in the possible endgame of the “Favre situation” lies with the Packers.  What is known is that Favre will not be released outright or traded to a division rival.

(If you say he deserves better than that, why not give him what he wants?)
The club has certain rights in this too. We’ve told Brett that we would work with him and obviously it would have to be an in-tandem thing to work out any sort of trade or whatever. But to just offer a blanket release just relinquishing all of the club’s rights to me doesn’t make good business sense.

(Would you ever consider trading him to a NFC North team?)
No.

Enough already

So yet another day and the “Favre situation” continues.  The difference between the Packers and Brett Favre?

The Packers have continually attempted to resolve the situation behind closed doors.  Brett has continually aired everything through his “trusted” media sources.

GOP problem

Well apparently the GOP still doesn’t get it. When there is a PRIMARY you don’t do blanket endorsements of the incumbent. All members of the Wisconsin GOP should be concerned about blanket endorsements such as the one taking place in Washington county.  Such unquestionable backing of incumbents is what ultimately allows RINO’s to stay in office.  The reason why Tom Petri (RINO) is running unopposed in the 6th Congressional District could very well be because of the position of the NRCC.

“We are confident that Congressman Petri’s record in the district will get him re-elected,” said Julie Shutley, a spokeswoman for the NRCC. “We are a committee comprised of our incumbents. Our primary mission is to beat Democrats, and definitely, a part of that is protection of our incumbents.”

That would be the same NRCC that back in 2006 decided it to back John Gard in the primary for an open seat in the 8th Congressional District.  While John may have been the best choice it’s hard for others to compete when your opponent gets party backing before the voters have a say.

Nationally it’s probably why RINO’s like Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, Christopher Shays, Jim Leach, and countless others are still holding their seats.  Or why someone like John McCain is the presumptive nominee of the Republican party.

No wonder with all the backslapping and “this is your time” deals that take place, the GOP is currently on the fast-track to becoming the FORMER home of many conservatives.

Typical politicians

Times are tough but the dimwits in Washington apparently don’t care. They want to raise the federal gas tax.  Apparently some in Congress believe that listening to lobbyists is more important than actually cutting spending or listening to constituents.

Oberstar, D-Minn., said his committee is working on the next long-term highway bill. He estimated it will take between $450 billion and $500 billion over six years to address safety and congestion issues with highways, bridges and transit systems.

“We’ll put all things on the table,” Oberstar said, but the gas tax “is the cornerstone. Nothing else will work without the underpinning of the higher user fee gas tax.”

At the very least, the gas tax should be indexed to construction cost inflation, DeFazio said.

The nonpartisan National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission concluded in a report this year that the U.S. needs to spend $225 billion annually over the next 50 years to create a highway and transit system capable of sustaining strong economic growth. Current spending, at federal, state and local levels, is about $90 billion a year.

Among other revenue-raising possibilities, the commission recommended gradually increasing the current federal fuel taxes to 40 cents a gallon.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association is calling for a 10-cent-a-gallon raise and indexing the tax to inflation. With construction costs soaring because of competition for building materials from China and other developing nations, the tax rate would have to be about 29 cents a gallon to achieve the same purchasing power as the 18.4-cent rate imposed in 1993, the association says.

Personally I like Josh’s take on this lame-brain idea.

Following their logic, the federal government should be punished for having a higher windfall profit on gasoline. Here’s my proposal: every percentage point they want to raise the federal gas tax will be met with a percentage point cut from every federal salary or wage, including elected officials. So if they want to raise the gas tax by 50% then their salaries get cut in half.

In real numbers, your congressman, who is currently paid $168,000 a year would reduce his salary to $84,000 annually, and that’s just the House of Representatives. Based on 2006 U.S. Census data, there are 2.7 million people employed by the federal government. One month’s federal payroll was $14 Billion. So my plan would save taxpayers at least $7 Billion a month.

An even better idea though would be replacing the dimwits on both sides of the aisle with Americans who will actually cut spending as an option, patriots like Jim DeMint.

Congress should first reduce spending on pet projects, known as earmarks, argued Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. “I’m not going to let the Senate spend all this money when nobody is looking, especially when we refuse to stop wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on earmarks.”

For the liberal whiners

… here’s some common sense.  (H/T – Northwoods View via Berry Laker)

We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior and secure the blessings of debt free liberty to ourselves and our great great-great grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bedwetters.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: That a whole lot of people were confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of Non Rights.

· ARTICLE I — You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV or any form of wealth.

More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

· ARTICLE II — You do not have the right to never be offended.

This country is based on freedom, and that means the freedom for everyone, not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots and probably always will be.

· ARTICLE III — You do not have the right to be free from harm.

If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful. Do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

· ARTICLE IV — You do not have the right to free food and housing.

Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generations of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.

· ARTICLE V — You do not have the right to free health care.

That would be nice but, from the looks of public housing, we’re just not interested in government run health care.

Read the rest.

Thompson Coalition

If you haven’t visited the Thompson Coalition site recently, do so NOW! Lots of great new information on a variety of issues.