The Water Cooler is a brief look at what people are talking about in politics.

By Chris Ingram

To Hell with the Constitution

The controversy about the NYC mosque being built blocks away from Ground Zero is serving as a convenient distraction for congressional Democrats who would rather not be talking about record budget deficits, Social Security going bankrupt, and the millions of Americans looking for a job.

All that aside, while it is easy to jump on the no mosque in my backyard bandwagon, it is completely un-American to do so. And I’ve got to laugh at all of the Constitution loving blue-blooded Americans who conveniently forget (more…)

…only you get dumped after Election Day

By Mike Matteo 

So far today I have seen six political ads on television, have been called by two opinion research poll companies and had four recorded announcements by candidates who are running in the primaries.  And it’s not even noon on a Monday!  As I sat back and began feeling overwhelmed by the all this undeserved attention it made me realize that running for office is a lot like dating someone who possesses ulterior motives.  But even women who have sought relationships with me haven’t given me as much attention as the candidates who are obviously obsessed with my vote. Normally I should be flattered by all the attention but, (more…)

Cameras and cleavage

An irreverent look at sex and the media culture

By Victor Epstein

See racy photos and our first annual ”shame on you” list. (more…)

Media-Economics professor says journalists create little value

By Robert G. Picard

Oxford, England – Journalists like to think of their work in moral or even sacred terms. With each new layoff or paper closing, they tell themselves that no business model could adequately compensate the holy work of enriching democratic society, speaking truth to power, and comforting the afflicted.
 
Actually, journalists deserve low pay.
 
Wages are compensation for value creation. And journalists simply aren’t creating much value these days. (more…)

Not irreverent, but a worthy “view” no-less

By Laura Tillinghast

The last scheduled night launch of the manned space flight program as we know it is tonight (tomorrow morning) at 4:39 a.m.  If you live in Florida, set your alarms, go outside, and look East for the blaze in the sky.  If you are really adventurous, get in your cars, drive to Titusville and pull off anywhere along US-1, turn on the AM radio and listen to mission control as it launches.

View of Space Shuttle from Cocoa Beach, Fla. in 2007

There are just four more scheduled shuttle launches this year – all day launches – then the shuttle program ends forever.  Tickets to view from NASA galleries go on sale 4-6 weeks prior to launch and are pricey, but again, you can watch from US-1 as well.  The new NASA budget does not fund (more…)

Podcast tabletop conversation between Susan Massey and Chris Ingram

By Chris Ingram

I recently had the privilege to have lunch with Susan Massey who is a lovely lady in Tampa. Susan is a familywoman, a businesswoman, a conservative, and a someone who truly cares about the direction of our country. She got active in politics just a few years ago after getting tired of seeing the direction our country is headed. She now runs a web site called “dontspreadmywealth.com” which focuses on politics with an economic focus. Susan recorded our conversation at lunch last week and you can listen to the podcast here. We discussed Obamacare, the Masschusetts election, the debt, and the direction our country is headed.

Americans need to respond

As we have all seen on the news, Haiti is in shambles following the devastation from an earthquake earlier this week. What many may not know is (more…)

An early Santa?

By Chris Ingram

Rumors are flying around the sunshine state that lackluster Republican Party of Florida Chairman (and Charlie Crist bag-boy) Jim Greer will resign from his post.

Greer has been all but blatantly using state party resources to run Charlie’s floundering campaign. He has also sparked the ire of party loyalists, county party chairman, and donors for his heavy-handed tactics, arrogance, and (more…)

By Chuck Muth

Most Americans have this whole Fort Hood massacre all wrong.  Maj. Nidal M. Hassan was not a terrorist.  And he wasn’t a mass murderer.  And he may not even have been a coward. 

Maj. Hassan was an enemy combatant. 

And until we come to grips with that reality, as well as the fact that we are still a nation at war, the United States will continue to suffer such needless and unnecessary losses.

Since so many Americans have been undereducated by our government-run public schools, let’s refer to a system of education which most of us can readily relate to in order to understand what’s really going on here: Hollywood movies. (more…)

Hillsborough County Commissioners could do something (but they won’t)

By Chris Ingram

Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White’s sexual harassment case finally appears like it will be settled by the county. The county has agreed to pay $278,000 to White’s victim and her attorneys. I think this is the right thing to do as it limits the potential for any further costs borne to taxpayers already on the hook for well over $500,000 for the county’s legal bills for defending White.

And while the county should move on and count its blessings that White’s libido didn’t cost taxpayers even more, the commission needs to do something to get rid of Mr. White who refuses to resign. (more…)