I find it a bit strange that only now, in the beginning of the presidential election year, Obama has finally decided that he needs to do something about our miserable economy, an economy that he shaped and owns. Within the past month of so, including his speech in MT today, he has finally decided to give Americans a break. Think about it, he is now interested in job creation while at the same time deciding to give amnesty and the right to work to 300,000 illegal immigrants; increases for recipients of Social Security (although not enough to offset increases in Medicare); after three years of watching millions of Americans lose their homes he now wants to force banks to “renegotiate” mortgages (but only to a small population of homeowners). Where was he in 2009, 2010 and most of 2011? Today he announced a program to help college students with their loan repayments. You must remember that Obama nationalized the student loan program by having the federal government take over that program such that there would be no competition. It’s apparent what Obama is doing, he is simply “BUYING VOTES” using taxpayer money. He is trying to “energize” his declining base even to the extent of lending his name and support for the “OCCUPY WALL STREET” mobs which tend to be made up of young people, a group that helped him get elected in 2008. Obama is the poster child of a desperate man. He is losing support within his own party and among the independents voters, his popularity is at an all time low so his tactic is simple, “GO OUT AND BUY VOTES”. Surely the American voter isn’t so naive as to buy his “used car salesman pitch” but then again, he deceived millions in 2008. At the moment he is trying to cast himself as being above the Washington problem. In fact, Obama is the Washington Problem. His anti-business policies have worked extremely well — businesses are closing their doors and are not hiring. Obama is truly living up to his campaign promise of “transforming America”. The problem is most Americans don’t agree with his vision.

Every day, more press releases come in to the newsroom about area shelters overflowing with cats. The latest comes from Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, whose shelters around the Valley are quickly filling up with litters of kittens and "desperate housecats" that need some extra care.

The holiday shopping season has just begun, and an alarming number of consumers already are struggling with unmanageable debt.

Hanging around the boxing world in New Jersey and New York over the years, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells picked up the term “game quitters.” The meaning is simple — someone who creates the appearance of trying to win but in reality, it’s just for show.

My friend pulled me aside not long ago and offered an idea for a column:

In a Gulf Coast awash in heartbreak, the Associated Press found a small but especially poignant tale.

September 30, 2004

Tom Patterson: Did you ever seriously doubt that Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., would cave over the health care bill?

Did you ever seriously doubt that Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., would cave over the health care bill?

MINGORA, Pakistan - Civilians cowered in hospital beds and trapped residents struggled to feed their children Saturday, as Pakistani warplanes pounded a Taliban-held valley in what the prime minister called a "war of the country's survival."

Rev. Sue Youngblood and Connie Andersen: URGENT: Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa Correctional Health seek an agency willing to accredit a failing correctional health system. Call the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office with any information leading to the discovery of such an agency.

The Wisteria Lane neighborhood has spent the past four years battling cancer, tornadoes, blindness, infidelity and attempted murder. Now the residents face the most daunting challenge of their suburban lives: aging.

NEW YORK - When Edie packed up and left Wisteria Lane at the end of Sunday's "Desperate Housewives," viewers were caught by surprise.

Can it be that elections tend to bring out whatever latent stupidity candidates and their supporters may harbor, or that they induce people to say stupid and simplistic things in the belief that voters respond only to the stupid and simplistic?