Discussion of issues

Berry Laker points out the Congressman Kagen will be at the annual Outagamie County corn roast next Wednesday.

KIMBERLY — The Outagamie County Democratic Party will hold its annual corn roast from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 25 at the main shelter in Sunset Park, W. Kimberly Ave.

The event will include corn, brats, beer, hot dogs, snacks and appearances by U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen, local representatives, judges and candidates for public office. Tickets, available at the event, are $8 for adults and $4 for children.

For more information, call Connie at 920-832-8990.

Steve Kagen has been silent about Congress not addressing the American Energy Act before adjourning for a FIVE WEEK VACATION. So this would be a good time to ask him why he doesn’t push for Speaker Pelosi to allow the PEOPLE’S House to do the business of the people which includes addressing this energy crisis.

Of course John Gard is also missing a great opportunity to daily hit Kagen on this issue with at the very least press releases.

Prima Donna?

Is Brett Favre a prima donna?  A columnist from the Wall Street Journal seems to think so.

It would have been refreshing if at least one of the worshipful media folk at the press conference had replied, “Well, actually, Brett, you’re here because after months of vacillating on your retirement and putting the Packers through hell — and forcing them into using a valuable draft pick on an extra quarterback because they didn’t know whether you’d be playing for them this season — you tried to bully them into either making you the starter or trading you to a team of your choice. Like a prima donna, you put your own desires ahead of the welfare of the organization to which you professed loyalty. Now you’ve been dumped on one of the NFL’s most desperate franchises because no one else wanted you.”

He isn’t very kind at all in his assessment of Favre pointing out the following facts:

What we have is a 4-12 team that has signed a 38-year-old quarterback who, though he made something of a comeback last season, hasn’t otherwise finished in the top five of the league’s passers since 2001. (In 2006 he was ranked 25th; in 2005, 31st.).

From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Favre has thrown 66 touchdown passes and 62 interceptions. If any other NFL quarterback had put up those numbers, his job would be on the line

He has never, for instance, led the NFL in the league’s passer-rating system, which measures effectiveness with various statistics

In the single most important passing stat, yards per attempt (YPA), he has also never led the league and finished as high as second only once (in 1995 with a 7.7 average)

His career postseason is a mediocre 12-10, including an embarrassing 23-20 loss to the underdog New York Giants in the NFC conference championship this past January. On his own home field Mr. Favre was outdueled by the previously unheralded Eli Manning. In fact, as a postseason passer Mr. Favre has never approached the record of the Packers’ Bart Starr, who won five NFL championships from 1961 to 1967

All things that we here in Packerland all know.  Perhaps it’s why Packers management did what they did, they weren’t blinded to the truth like many fans who tend to forget his shortcomings as a QB since the back-to-back Super Bowl seasons.

He may not be Joe Montana (who won 4 Super Bowls) but it may also be a stretch to claim like this writer did that Favre is over-hyped.  I’d also disagree with this statement:

However good Mr. Favre was, though, is beside the point to the 2008 New York Jets, who may have bet their future on a Hail Mary pass.

While the Packers made a business decision they felt was best for their team by cutting ties, the Jets definitely upgraded their QB position.  The problem for Brett is that as this shows he won’t get a free pass from the New York media the way he did from time to time in Green Bay the last 17 years.

Drill Here, Drill Now Tuesday – 8/12/08

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.

My Gas Price (the Green Bay, WI metro area): $3.74/gallon for regular unleaded.

American needs to drill here drill now.  America is having a energy crisis and we need to do something now!

Urge Congress and pass a bill to drill in America, where the United States has vast oil and gas resources onshore and offshore that are currently illegal to develop and therefore inaccessible.

U.S. law prohibits the development of approximately 38 billion barrels of undeveloped oil resources (19 billion barrels onshore and 18.92 billion offshore).

U.S. law prohibits the development of approximately 180 trillion cubic feet of undeveloped natural gas resources (94.5 trillion cubic feet onshore and 85.7 trillion cubic feet offshore).

Also did you know that …

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.

I encourage you to sign the drill here, drill know petition if you haven’t already done so.   And since Speaker Pelosi decided it was best to embark on a five week vacation, sign this petition as well.

Yet another world record

Michael Phelps did again.

Michael Phelps won his third gold medal and record-tying ninth of his career Tuesday, breaking his own world record in the 200-meter freestyle at the Beijing Olympics.

The American touched in 1 minute, 42.96 seconds, lowering his old mark of 1:43.86 set at last year’s world championships in Australia.

He cruised to the wall nearly 2 seconds ahead of silver medalist Park Tae-Hwan of South Korea, who finished in 1:44.85. American Peter Vanderkaay earned the bronze in 1:45.14.

Phelps’ ninth gold medal tied him with four others, including Mark Spitz and track star Carl Lewis, for most career golds.

He is 3-for-3, with three world records, in his attempt to break Spitz’s 36-year-old record of seven golds in a single games. Spitz set world records in each of his races at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Phelps’ other victories were in the 400 individual medley and 400 freestyle relay.

Five more races to go for the man who so far has been unbelievable. The overall performance of the American swimmers, along with the surprise performance of the men’s gymnastics team, should make all Americans proud.