tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52193839144111555512012-01-13T18:12:40.110-08:00Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-59155277892784769342012-01-13T17:49:00.000-08:002012-01-13T18:12:40.518-08:00

I am a rather "liberal" practicing Catholic. I sometimes purposefully engage conservative Catholics in on-line forums and work very hard to ensure that the words I choose are as fact-based and as dispassionate as possible. I engage with a mind very open to learning more about the alternative points of view and I believe it important for both sides of such arguments to be heard. I recently

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-10599157436005443242011-07-29T07:36:00.000-07:002011-07-29T08:28:30.399-07:00

The Tea-party caucus wants what it wants when it wants it with no regard for anyone else or the consequences of their actions. If they were kids - we'd accurately call them spoiled brats. Also like spoiled brats, it wasn't enough to get almost everything they wanted - they have to have absolutely all or nothing. I'm sick of the obstructionist temper tantrums. Government, by design, requires

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-13560290417212869492010-01-19T14:41:00.000-08:002010-01-19T14:43:32.769-08:00

I am sick of the way wrangling takes place in the US Senate. I see pundits consistently say that 'the will of the people' is behind killing real health care reform. Balderdash! The will of the people, in a democracy, is represented by 50% plus 1. The 60-vote requirement in the Senate to kill a filibuster and allow a bill to be voted on has nothing to do with the will of the people. Without

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-32162521100770928222009-12-30T11:26:00.000-08:002009-12-30T11:40:11.755-08:00

I've been asked why I don't blog much any more. The basic answer is simple... My guy won! Much of my ranting in recent years has been largely therapeutic. Lost in a sea of overwhelming 'conservatism', I felt as if the voice of those with views similar to my own were being irrationally dismissed. Knowing I was largely speaking, or yelling, for myself - it felt good to yell. I knew I would not

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-18909823311976684032009-08-30T10:19:00.000-07:002009-08-31T07:48:58.775-07:00

I mourn the loss of "the greatest legislator of our time," as he was eulogized by President Obama. For those of us who remember the Sixties, Ted Kennedy's passing represents the end of more than an era. As the sole surviving Kennedy brother, this passing also brings to a close the 'Kennedy mystique' that I grew up with. For those who are too young to remember both the idealism and tragedy of

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-75226909391131237952009-06-18T21:46:00.000-07:002009-06-19T08:29:17.879-07:00

Wow. I have put my geek-ness into action.Perhaps some of you have seen the news reporting that much of what we know about events following the Iranian elections is being provided directly by Iranians via the Internet. This is true despite the fact that the Iranian government is censoring Internet access. This is happening because of a thing called a 'proxy server'. Proxy servers allow the

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-52215304154880274172009-05-12T13:32:00.000-07:002009-05-12T13:42:18.949-07:00

I have written about Affirmative Action on a previous blog. The current heightened media coverage, however, prompts me to do it again. Even the most liberal of media outlets do not cover this topic correctly - and it surprises me. Affirmative Action is completely misunderstood by the vast majority of US citizens. This is not opinion -- it is a fact. I am not a lawyer, but I happen to be

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-83791396565293683242009-05-01T16:27:00.000-07:002009-05-03T18:26:36.023-07:00

The moment I've been waiting for has arrived. The supreme court is the single most important reason that I so emphatically hoped for a Democratic president. I believe strongly that the whole constructionist/activist argument is wholly bogus. To say that there is exactly one correct interpretation of the constitution is ridiculous. It is as ridiculous as saying there is only one literal

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-58074537801405411352009-04-26T12:05:00.000-07:002009-04-26T13:57:12.184-07:00

Yes... I do have a life outside of my political passions. Alice and I had a glorious week in California. Visiting Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park. Here are a few pictures.We happened to be in Yosemite during three days of record-breaking Spring heat creating rapid snow melt. The waterfalls are rarely flowing as full as they were during this time. The first picture is Yosemite Falls.The

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-57371122595476868202009-04-07T14:05:00.000-07:002009-04-15T13:59:16.951-07:00

There are many descriptors I'm tempted to use, but I'll settle for 'wrong'. Gingrich is calling Obama's foreign policy a 'fantasy'. This statement can not even pass for opinion. If I give him the benefit of the doubt, it is more accurately labeled a delusion. President Obama has been extraordinarily consistent throughout his campaign and early presidency. He has never limited military force

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-67204321756716019312009-02-03T15:04:00.000-08:002009-02-04T18:19:22.372-08:00

I am so F'ing sick of this anal retentive judgmental society. I am so F'ing sick of the holier-than-thou set who seem to think judging others is better than sex. I am so F'ing sick of people so anxious to find fault that they've conveniently forgotten about any missteps they may have made in their own lives.Yes I'm mad... and I'm venting... in my own inimitable Italian way. I usually try to

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-27876710059071442342009-01-27T09:17:00.000-08:002009-01-27T10:35:55.787-08:00

Please! Get Real!President Obama is, after all, a mere mortal. The new bailout bill is being touted by the media as some kind of litmus test to see if we've really entered the 'post-partisan' era. There's nothing that any one person can or should do to create instant consensus -- even the president. We are a nation of diverse opinions and that diversity will always be with us. 'Post-partisan

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-37886390891898754122009-01-20T09:58:00.000-08:002009-01-21T06:14:50.646-08:00

At the risk of staining my joy in the moment, these words keep echoing through my mind and I needed to get them out. They were spoken by President Gerald Ford upon taking the oath of office in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Nixon's resignation. It is indeed my sincere belief that the Bush 43 administration has been another national nightmare. This is not meant to inflame or be cynical..

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-28145231545281313392009-01-19T17:15:00.000-08:002009-05-08T16:09:44.756-07:00

I'm choked up already after watching the inaugural kick-off concert last night. The peaceful transition of power in this country represents the best of our great republic to the world. Every presidential inauguration presents some measure of hope. For me, and I think many others, this one is truly different.Barack Obama is, for me, THE candidate I've been waiting for my entire political life.

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-52681818508512982132008-12-18T15:53:00.000-08:002009-02-04T15:47:21.158-08:00

The media and many pundits on the left are going on and on about how inappropriate Rick Warren is to deliver the invocation at Obama's inauguration. They are outraged at the symbolism of someone so opposed to many of Obama's positions being placed front and center at this extraordinary moment in history.Once again..... Bravo President-elect! I support Obama's position completely and find myself

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-23886056479230264782008-11-26T13:13:00.000-08:002008-11-26T13:14:53.289-08:00

Obama continued his streak of winning words, from my perspective, when he answered a reporter's question about change. The media has been all over Obama's cabinet selections. They keep asking how he can call it change when he is appointing so many familiar faces to his cabinet. They suggest he may alienate his supporters. When a reporter directly asked about this he demonstrated a perfect

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-17913228397118744892008-11-12T16:47:00.000-08:002008-11-24T07:45:23.982-08:00

Is good for the country... right? That's how the saying goes anyway. I've heard lots of historical analyses around how and why the auto industry is on the brink of bankruptcy. Here is one consumer's point of view.I am disgusted with the industry at large. They certainly do not deserve a bail out. They are in this situation by their own fault. It is compassion for the workers and the simple

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-6456774567071045802008-11-09T10:30:00.000-08:002008-11-11T14:18:31.123-08:00

I grew up in a house where I was often judged more by the alcohol intake level of my father than by the merits of my actions. Growing up in the 60s, I remember even more of the racism that often still exists just below the surface... never blatant, sometimes wholly unconscious, but omnipresent. Traits I learned and inherited from my maternal extended family - representing for me what family and

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-86147509444353528092008-11-06T15:11:00.000-08:002008-11-07T08:49:58.263-08:00

I'm still stunned. The media is well-articulating this historic shift in American politics represented by President-elect Obama's victory. Wow... that feels good to write. It has been a very long two years for this political junkie and I've never been more filled with hope for our country. My expectations, however, are easily kept in check. I'm old enough to have lost some of my idealism,

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-59961606131044137812008-11-06T15:05:00.000-08:002008-11-11T12:12:25.424-08:00

I am a practicing Catholic -- a practice increasingly difficult for me. This pre-election Sunday we were given the predictable, thinly-veiled mandate to vote 'pro-life'. Of course no one says it outright but the message is clear - vote Republican. I have argued before at some length that voting pro-choice is not the same as voting pro-abortion. My views actually parallel our new Catholic Vice

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-53442792264908077472008-10-31T10:52:00.000-07:002008-10-31T10:58:36.278-07:00

With my final contribution to the Obama campaign today, a screen followed the usual confirmation providing me an opportunity to briefly "tell my story." This being my only opportunity to express my thoughts and appreciation to those directly involved in Obama's campaign, I seized that opportunity...I am a 53 year-old white middle class male in the hard core conservative state of Kansas. McCain

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-75898246652406376132008-10-30T08:03:00.000-07:002008-11-11T14:24:42.006-08:00

The 'Socialist', 'Communist', 'Marxist' charges against Obama are nothing more than the silliness of a desperate McCain campaign. If Obama is any of these things then so was Abraham Lincoln who instituted the first federal income tax in 1862 to fund the Civil War. The income tax was made permanent by a constitutional amendment in 1913 and we have been a 'socialist' country ever since -- by that

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-69770415963228158782008-10-21T18:56:00.000-07:002008-10-22T05:24:15.407-07:00

Kansas has a way of getting national press for some of the most blatant stupidity. I am honestly embarrassed, at times, to admit I live here. First it is creationism taught as science in the public schools - now it is the popular election of judges. The following is on our district ballot this November:Shall the following be adopted? The present method of nonpartisan selection of judges of the

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-53023204387193627472008-10-06T12:05:00.000-07:002008-10-06T12:42:19.435-07:00

In this season of numbers ad nauseam, I've been puzzled to the point of exasperation with the number 26%. It seems like a relatively small number. It is the current job approval rating for George W. and it defies any rational explanation in my mind. I would welcome a comment from anyone to talk me down here. Especially if you're one of those 26%.Who are you? I can completely understand those

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-31939640202481134052008-09-15T20:12:00.000-07:002008-09-15T20:18:26.418-07:00

I grew up in Independence, Missouri, Truman's home town. I even graduated from Truman High School. One of his quotes is certainly worth repeating at this moment in history. Straight from the Truman Library:I wonder how many times you have to be hit on the head before you find out who's hitting you? It's about time that the people of America realized what the Republicans have been doing to them."

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-19733275909767469712008-09-12T11:54:00.000-07:002008-09-14T07:19:47.111-07:00

The worst part about being so openly liberal is that the people who need to hear the FACTS we have to say will probably not even listen. Here are some great videos exposing a bunch of McCain's Rovian fiction for what it is. LIES!Even if I give McCain EVERY benefit of the doubt - the single fact that he is using Bush's abhorrent Karl Rove as a campaign adviser, proves beyond all feasible doubt

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-83091657574620310182008-09-12T08:11:00.000-07:002008-09-12T08:51:24.604-07:00

This clip from Jon Stewart's The Daily Show reveals Rove, as well as, Fox's O'Reilly and more for the liars they are. Too true to be funny. Caught in their tried and true tactics of stating lies as fact and enough people will believe you to make the difference. I don't understand the people who refuse to even scratch the tiniest bit of surface gloss away to reveal the bullshit inside. McCain

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-81295671223099320112008-09-10T09:21:00.000-07:002008-09-10T10:44:43.236-07:00

I know I will be branded as an extreme liberal, but I have to say it anyway. I have never allowed others to define me and my comparisons here are actually quite dispassionate and logical. Try for just a moment to really think about this comparison and give me the benefit of the doubt.I once liked McCain. Really! I once respected his well-earned maverick status. His heroic service to the

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-72816333441449192008-09-08T02:58:00.000-07:002008-09-11T19:18:17.907-07:00

I'm going to do something I don't often do.... I'm going to conditionally retract this post. Based upon the fact that Palin is finally granting interviews -- she has addressed this and put it in a larger context saying she would never presume to know what God wants. Just as I criticize others for not taking people at their word.... I will take Governor Palin at her word and give her the benefit

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-79736346513305523852008-09-05T14:49:00.000-07:002008-09-08T06:25:20.974-07:00

I like McCain. I like Palin. I don't doubt their motivation or sincerity. I think they both gave excellent speeches at the Republican Convention and I liked a lot of what I heard. While I would argue with some of their specific attacks on their Democratic rivals, I'll leave that to the media pundits. In the spirit of understanding I'm choosing to make this blog about some of my more conceptual

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-267563606436269542008-08-31T15:02:00.000-07:002008-09-08T06:26:24.424-07:00

Yes - I, like many others, thought the speech just about perfect and certainly historical. If you missed it - you shouldn't have. The media has been replaying lots of different clips, but I have not seen my personal favorite part replayed even once: "We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219383914411155551.post-2872451861244810322008-08-23T15:25:00.000-07:002008-09-08T06:24:59.121-07:00

I could not be more pleased and energized. I am still stunned by the amazing turnaround in my personal political fortunes. Four short years ago, my worst political fear and nightmare was realized with W's re-election. Four short years ago I watched a nationally unknown Senator Obama deliver a speech at the Democratic convention that caused me to ask out loud "Why doesn't he run for president?!?!?

Pat Kellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059223408609102697noreply@blogger.com0