(Bumped... people kept asking for Ask Ryan Anything... so they best be asking questions in the comments!)
A whole assortment of people have asked me in comments over the past few months "where's Ask Ryan Anything?" It's been gone for nearly a year - and people still remember it. So, have at it!
The rules: you can ask me anything in the comments and I'll give an answer. It can be related to politics, or not. Anything's fair game, though if it's incredibly snarky, my answer may be in kind.
Here's a little comment to kick this all off: All I can say about Obama is "I told you so." Hillary may not have been a great President, but she would have been a decent one. At the very least, she probably wouldn't have pissed on the constitution and denounced Wes Clark for doing a wonderfully fantastic deed in our efforts to crush McCain. Obama's actions in it all? Talk about grasping the jaws of defeat from victory. Also, he's now officially a wimp.
Posts
17 comments:
Do you support my Constitutional right to have a gun?
What do you think about the 200 million being spent for a high school (partially with state money) in Newton?
5:18 - I support the constitutional right for you to own a rifle or something of the like in order to be a part of a militia, like the Constitution says. This radical redefinement - legislating from the bench, as Republicans like to say - is not something I support.
5:24 - $200 million is excessive, but for a city of Newton's size and wealth perhaps a little realistic. Swampscott's 650 or so students just got a shiny new $55 million high school.
That said, I've read in the past that Massachusetts requires excessive permitting and regulations that increase the cost of construction in this state compared to, say, North Carolina. I'd be eager to learn more about that, if anyone knowledgeable would care to direct me to some good sources.
Do you support my right to shoot an intruder in my home?
If they're carrying weapons or threatening you, yes. Though, you can't just shoot to kill, because that could be your son and daughter there going to the bathroom.
If there is an intruder I will say that you may put yourself in more danger by trying to get into some kind of a shoot out with a threatening invader than you would by locking yourself in your room and calling the police, especially in this day and age when everyone has cell phones and there's always a phone nearby.
But, yes, I recognize that you neither can't nor shouldn't go to prison for self defense.
Do you think DiMasi will survive given his ethics troubles?
Absolutely. As my friend on Beacon Hill said to me when I expressed doubt about his ability to stay on, "That guy's not going anywhere until he wants to. Too many people owe him favors."
And, what do ya know? Suddenly the racino bill - which DiMasi promised a hearing (and would have been closer than the casino bill) - evaporates into thin air, dead as a doornail. This, after all that stuff was launched at DiMasi (which many will say is because DiMasi took on the gambling lobby) and everyone and their mother predicted his downfall. Ya, that guy's not going anywhere, until he's sick of being the head honcho.
What is so special about Sal? It appears to me that he may be a crook.
Do you think that the people who think they are Obama's base are the same people that Obama wants to be his base?
Ryan:
It appears that you are a Sal supporter. Why? He does appear to have ethics issues and he certainly has not been a friend to Mr. Patrick, someone that you appear to support.
Thanks
Anon 1:58 There's nothing particularly special about Sal. He's been a pretty good Speaker on the issues and has shown some willingness to compromise, but that doesn't make him anything out of the ordinary (just better than Finneran). There's a big difference between "special" and "not likely to go anytime soon."
Laurel - good question. My opinion: Obama doesn't think he needs his base anywhere. He's suffering from the group-think that says "where else are they going to go?" What he doesn't realize is that a great many of them either may decide to go no where on election day, or to vote for him but not work on his behalf. Maybe it's a fine strategy in terms of winning, but maintaining a religious conservative element in a prime way for capitulation. However, in politics, what you see is generally what you get. I truly think we're seeing something very close to the real Obama.
anymore, not anywhere. LOL.
Anon 9:47,
Many of the charges brought against Sal was punishment for his role in blocking casinos, of that I'm sure. Heck, he even received death threats - including from people who knew his dog-walking schedule. Obviously, I dig his courage and fortitude throughout that whole process, especially since many of these charges against him are spurious at best and would never hold up in court.
That said, I'm not married to the guy. He's done a lot of good, much more than any speaker in the past, and he's shown a recent willingness to compromise on a great many things with the Governor on the issues I support. So, on the whole, I approve of the job he's doing as Speaker. That doesn't mean I don't think he could improve, though.
Ryan - do you think Marzilli should resign now that he's been indicted?
I just read that the question to abolish the income tax had enough certified signatures to qualify it for the ballot. There has been some sense that it might actually pass because voters believe that even if it does pass, the legislature will kill it anyway so it becomes more of a protest vote anyway. What do you think the chances of it passing are and what do you think about people using the vote to protest some perceived government abuse/waste?
Anon 9:15 - I think Marzilli should have resigned weeks ago.
Chris - I think the chances of it passing are relatively small, but I do think the vote will be somewhat close. It's a very tempting question, especially when the economy is going down the tubes and people feel desperate for relief, but eliminating the income tax won't do that, because it'll just mean the money will come from somewhere else... leaving many of us in towns that do raise property taxes by significant margins paying more and getting less. The other towns? Eek.
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