Saturday, July 09, 2011

Bettin' Men

What do Paul Hornung, Alex Karras, Pete Rose and Eric Cantor have in common? Why, they are betting men. Alex Karras and Paul Hornung were immedaiately and indefinitely suspended for betting on football games when they played. Quick research does not state whether they bet on their own teams or not. My guess is, knowing human nature, they bet on their own team. Pete Rose states he bet on his own team while he was player and manager. He was suspended and may never, because of the disgrace, make the Hall of Fame, even though he was arguably one of the best players of the modern era.

These guys were suspended for betting on their own team to win. Other teams, too and perhaps they knew inside information on injuries. Who knows?

Then we have that self-righteous prig Eric Cantor. He declares that the debt ceiling can't be raised, yet, kept wars off the books for the previous administration. In debt talks, he walks away as a means to prevent new taxes from being enacted. Keep in mind that these are not "new taxes" but are the repeal of temporary tax breaks enacted when we had a surplus. Guess what, we have no surplus now.

I do not want to get into an argument over debt ceilings (read the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, I just did today. The debate is moot.) Nor do I want to get into an argument over the religion of supply side economics. Duh, there is more raw oil out there than there has been for years and the price is higher. There is a glut and the price goes up.

Finally, I refuse to argue over debts versus revenues. Taxes go down (revenue) and the debt climbs. Huh? No magic here. No belief system, just straight pragmatic reality.

What I want to discuss is Eric Cantor. Here is a man shaping the economy of the US and he walks out on talks to straighten it out. Guess what? He has invested in a fund that pays out good money if the US economy fails. He is betting on the failure of the US economy with his own money and he makes policy. Be kind of like being a manager of ball team and betting against your own team. Hornung, Karras and Rose got suspended for betting on their own teams.

What should be the penalty for betting on the failure of the US economy and also making policy that shapes the economy and then walking out on those talks.

Baseball and football know how to discipline their own. What about Congress?

Should Cantor be relieved of his duties for betting aginst the country while he serves it? Or at least be given the chance to get rid of those funds and being stricken from the role of fiscal responsibility and policy making for one year?

Just asking?

rojo

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