My Thanksgiving Menu is Better than Yours

Here is my 2011 Thanksgiving Menu:

Aperitif: 

Cranberry Float

Amuse Bouche Duet: 

"Thanksgiving Taco" (Corn tortilla with maple-glazed pork belly, cranberry-ginger salsa, sage crema and queso fresco)

Butternut squash, sage and homemade ricotta crostini

Trio of Autumnal Squash Soups:

Butternut with parsnip bacon
Acorn with maple bacon
White pumpkin with toasted nutmeg pecans

Palette Cleansers:

Cinnamon Pear Ginger Sorbet
Sauvignon Blanc Green Apple Sorbet

Entrees/Sides:

Traditional Roasted Naturally Raised Turkey with Sage Dressing and Gravy
Smoked Southwestern "Red Bourbon" Heirloom Turkey w Cornbread Sausage Dressing
BBQ Pheasant with Quinoa Red Bean Stuffing

Paula Deen's Green Tomato and Cheese Casserole
Sour Cream Mushroom Leek Pie
Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon
Brussel Sprouts with Brown Butter, Sage and Bacon
Maple Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes
Lucy Mary's Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce
Hot Chunky Buttered Applesauce
Tri-Colored Roasted Beets
Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
Assorted Homemade Breads and Rolls

Dessert:

Lesley's Maple Pecan Pie
Barb and Mom's Cream Pies
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie with Strudel Topping
Cherry Pie
Gingersnap Ice Cream

See, I told you.

A certain someone needs to have a chat with a certain someone, by George!

NOW, comes the real test. 

NOW, comes the real commitment to a cause; to the children; to Camden; to humanity!

The Camden Democratic Party’s hand-picked, expensively litigated, carpet bagger celebrity candidate - Olympian Carl Lewis - has just dissed George Norcross.

The Eighth District Senate Candidate, who is on the ballot again this week, I guess, took the time to once again explain yesterday that while he STILL has not had the chance to examine all the issues; and STILL does not have a platform; he does know at least one thing: He opposes the Chris Christie/George Norcross “Opportunity Scholarship Act.”

It is true. I read it in my Philadelphia Inquirer this morning. When asked about the OSA, Carl said, "I'm not supporting any of that. I'm supporting the children."

Problem with that is that those who support the OSA believe THEY are supporting the children. And some of them are kind of important folk.

The OSA isn’t just some obscure bill and passing fancy. It is THE lynchpin of the revitalization of Camden and the signature piece of a plan to reform education. It also just so happens to be the subject of numerous op-ed articles by a man who usually turns up his coat collar to the glare of public attention - George Norcross. From the Star Ledger to the Inquirer to the Courier Post, Mr. Norcross has promoted the OSA as a way to “show we really mean it, to back up our words with bold and creative actions that will produce concrete, lasting results.” (Star Ledger  February 16, 2011) 

Mr. Lewis apparently does not believe that “All of New Jersey’s children deserve a chance” as suggested by Mr. Norcross.

So what happens now? 

Does George publicly chastise the candidate? Does he take him to the political woodshed? Does he just leave it alone knowing full well that in the unlikely event that Carl Lewis is elected and when the time comes, he WILL vote for the OSA if presented the chance or ELSE?

I don’t know.

I do know what will happen now, however. The Lewis camp will spin his words. They will say, “Well, that just shows that Carl Lewis is his own man. That he is independent. That he is not owned by any political party or political personage.”

Balderdash.

What it shows is that the Lewis team made a political calculation that the support of the powerful teachers union - the New Jersey Education Association - is essential if he is to have any chance whatsoever of victory.

But the burden now really is not Carl’s. He did what he did. The burden is belongs to Mr. Norcross. Does he stand up for what he believes and harm his candidate or leave it alone. Let’s see.

President Alexander

Remember the good old days of 2010, especially last fall and summer when The White House and Members of Congress were getting along so well, holding hands, singing “Kumbaya” and generally working in a bipartisan manner for the good of America?

Yeah, me neither.

But all of a sudden it is the 10-15 percent of Congress who identify themselves as “Tea Party” members and who just arrived at the Capitol in January who are mucking up the works; generally causing all sorts of havoc; and destroying the American and global economies. At least that is the impression you would get if you spent anytime watching MSNBC or, God forbid, tuning into “Face the Nation” or “Meet the Press” on Sunday and listening to the President’s spin masters, including the pitiful David Axelrod and the Massachusetts Senator who has become a caricature of his own self, John Kerry (who, by the way, in case you forgot, served in Vietnam).

Here is what Axelrod said:

“It was the right thing to do to avoid that default. It was the wrong thing to do to push the country to that point. And it's something that should never had happened. And that clearly is on the backs of those who were willing to see the country default, those very strident voices in the Tea Party. And by the way Bob, let me say one other thing - not one of the Republican presidential candidates stood out in opposition to that. Not one of them said let's compromise and be responsible about this.

Kerry was even worse:

“I believe this is, without question, the "tea party downgrade." This is the tea party downgrade because a minority of people in the House of Representatives countered even the will of many Republicans in the United States Senate who were prepared to do a bigger deal, to do $4.7 trillion, $4 trillion, have a mix of reductions and, and reforms in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid; but also recognize that we needed to do some revenue. I think this is one of the most telling, important moments in our country's history right now.”

Let me repeat: The Tea Party members are 10-15 percent of Congress. Blaming them is kind of like blaming the other team’s cheerleaders for your loss.

President Obama has become Judith Viorst’s Alexander of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” children’s book fame. Except that the bad experience isn’t just lasting a day or a week or a month, for that matter. He lives in perpetual “Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” land and it does not look like there is a sunny day at the Jersey Shore anywhere in his future. And the hits just keep on coming as 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this afternoon that Health Reform’s individual mandate violates the Federal Constitution. (The children’s book reference is especially apropos given the President’s comments today in Michigan on how to solve the debt problem:  "Everybody's got to chip in," he said. "That's fair. You learn it in kindergarten.")

But the President is the problem. He blames people. He has mastered the blame game. If he is not blaming the Tea Party or Republicans, he is blaming the Tsunami or something called “the Arab spring.” And, of course, there is still some currency in blaming George W. Bush and conservatives in general.

But none of that will get the President to a better day. 

Perhaps this will: Now that the 12 Congressional members of the debt commission have been appointed, the President should meet with them and say:

Get to work. I look forward to your recommendations. Here are a few rules I personally believe you should follow. They will help you reach agreement. Remember, language matters. Trust me.

Don’t refer to tax policy as “loopholes.” At one time, these so-called “loopholes” were “incentives” that Congress believed would create jobs and improve the economy. If they have outlived their usefulness or are no longer accomplishing their goals, let’s get rid of them. But if they still work in some instances, seems to me we could use a job or two in this country.

Don’t use the phrase “fair share” when it comes to who should pay taxes and how much. I will bet a lot of money that we will never agree on the what that means. YOUR idea of fair is not mine. 

Let’s dump the phrase “safety net.” What does it really mean, anyway? Perhaps it would be better if we simply said, ‘We should do what we can to help those who really need our help.’ Put a special emphasis on the word “really.”

And finally, if the deadline approaches, and we are close to an agreement, let’s just give ourselves some more time. Is there anything really wrong with that?

If the President does that, he just  might have a very GOOD day sometime this winter or next November.

If he doesn’t, however, perhaps he should move to Australia. (Read the book.)

A Deficit Raptor Spends

It is unfair to call me a "deficit hawk." Hawks are too meek and mild to represent how I feel about the Federal deficit.


So I instead call myself a "deficit raptor," raptor being the term used to collectively describe ALL birds of prey, having been derived from the French word "rapere" meaning to seize or take by force. And while I would not take all of it ("it" being Federal spending), I would take a lot - by force if I had to.


And while I would not cut my 90-year-old aunt's Social Security payments if I thought it would lead to a balanced budget and elimination of the Federal deficit, I would have to think about it. (Don't worry, Aunt Anne, I am just trying to make a point. I still love you.)


But even Raptors are smart enough to leave some nibbles behind when eating them might endanger their very well being. 


Such is the case for protecting the F-35 Program and its thousand New Jersey jobs. And while I care about the 126,000 jobs in the 46 other states that the program provides for once, I have to be parochial. 


Federal budgets are about choices. So let's assume that even the grandest of deficit hawks - say a Paul Ryan - is going to fail to eliminate Federal spending in its entirety. Some things will stay and some will go. The F-35 should stay.


Unless you have been in a cave and have not read a newspaper in a few years and thus believe that peace is about to break out worldwide any second now, foregoing the need for a U.S. Military presence, we need the F-35. The program will deliver more than 2,400 aircraft for the United States and our allies. One only needs to look to Libya to understand the importance of air power to a successful military operation and foreign policy at a minimal cost in human life. And one only needs to look to Iraq to understand that Americans will no longer tolerate the sacrifice of its soldiers. Our current fleet of aircraft is older than at any other point in our history. We have to modernize.


So if the program protects us; saves lives AND happens to be beneficial to New Jersey also, well that is a formula that this deficit raptor can live with. And one around which our entire Congressional delegation should unite.

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Violet Style

Violet

Violet.

A Princess, named after her mom's favorite color and for the color of royalty and a beautiful tiny flower, was born at 10:14 p.m. on March 1, 2011, following a long two-day campaign. She weighed in at 7 pounds and 5 ounces. A "Jersey Girl," Violet was born at Virtua hospital in Mt. Holly.

Violet was greeted immediately by her mom and dad, Donica and Rick, and shortly thereafter by her grandparents, Joyce and Donald and Robin and Dave, and her aunt and uncle, Lesley and Robin.

Violet came into the world announcing her outlook on life - face up - always looking to the Heavens.

Violet is doing well as are her mom and dad. Her grandparents are beat, however.

Spring!

Ok, well it is just around the corner.

These showed up in our front yard today.

The Christie Contradiction

My Governor says he is not running for President. 

I believe him. I really do.

I believe him when he says “I’m not ready.” I disagree with him, but I believe him.

I believe him when he says,“You have to feel in your heart and mind you’re ready for the presidency. I’m not stupid. I see the opportunity. That’s not the reason to run.” I agree with him that simply because there is an opportunity is not reason enough to run.

But there is a contradiction here: Almost every time Chris Christie opens his mouth and speaks - whether from the Clerk’s podium in the chamber of the General Assembly where he is delivering a budget address or at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC - he reminds us how desperately America needs him to be in the White House. Not later, now. As soon as he can get there.

I hear the Governor say while discussing the depths of New Jersey’s fiscal woes in Washington at AEI, “This is a problem that took a decade to develop and it's going to take longer than a year for us to fix. Fiscal discipline is extraordinarily important not just for New Jersey but for America.”

Then I think to myself, “Well shouldn’t we get started right now on America?” How much deeper is the federal fiscal hole going to be after four more years of fiscal insanity in Washington? Is it a fissure from which we will ever be able to climb? 

And for those of you who think that we have somehow constructed a levee to hold back the flood of red ink simply because we elected a few Republican members of Congress who talked a good game in the previous election, I want to remind you what happened the last time they were in charge. In fact let me remind you of what happened just a few weeks ago when it took a mini-revolt by Tea Party members in the House Republican Caucus to hold the Leadership to the puny $100 billion spending cut promise made just a few months earlier.

Then Governor Christie explains in plain English to us that “the way we used to think about politics and unfortunately the way I fear they're thinking about politics still in Washington ... says lie, deceive, obfuscate and make it to the next election.” And a lot of Americans find that refreshing. Quite frankly, I find it sad. I am saddened by the fact that so many Americans have come to expect so little from our elected leadership. Shouldn’t that be the norm - or “The New Normal” as the Governor has described New Jersey? But I have no hope that the coming Presidential election will give us anything other than the same old deceptions without Chris in the race. And his frank way of speaking has given that hope to many others.

I listened as Chris Christie said, “I hear people saying, we're going too fast, we're going too fast. We need to slow down a little bit. I hear the same thing in New Jersey.” And he adds, “Leadership today in America has to be about doing the big things and being courageous.”

And then I remember what former US House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt explained to me a few years ago, “Congress cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. It is not built that way.” So I get frustrated because I agree with Christie that there are so many “big things” we need to get done in America and I have no hope they will get done and he tells me I have to wait six more years, until Inauguration day 2017, before we even begin the work.

I am sorry Governor. I do not believe America can wait, or what will be left of it. That is why I will continue to beg, plead and coax Americans to come to www.draftchristie2012.com and add their names to the thousands of us who believe your time is now. As I have said before, “If you were volunteering for the job, we would not need a draft, now would we?”

THE Voice

I am the voice of conservatism.

There I said it.

I have taken the mantle. I have assumed the throne. I sit in judgement.

Pretenders to the conservative crown like Steve Lonegan, Rick Shaftan and Mark Levin have been deposed. Their harsh and false verdicts have done them in.

Lonegan, who once convinced a handful of people in a tiny town in Bergen County to elect him Mayor  but has won absolutely nothing since, is not the King.

Shaftan, who has never done any REAL work in the conservative trenches to cut a tax or a budget or save an unborn life - instead, hiding behind the skirts of candidates, is not the King.

Levin, who once sacrificed at the altar of Icon Reagan, but who has since left it to others, is not the King.

No, I am King now.

And what has this unholy trinity done to offend ME - the new conservative sovereign? They have ridiculously declared that Chris Christie is not conservative. Balderdash.

They say that our Governor - and MY presidential candidate - is not "conservative enough" because he does not pass their own litmus test on gun control, immigration and global warming, which, in my dominion of the right, are issues 17, 18 and 19 on the conservative hit list.

But just what is our Governor's "conservative crime" on even these three secondary issues:

On immigration, he has chosen not to weigh in on the folly that has become the national immigration debate. It is not a battle he has chosen to fight. So "off with his head" the pseudo cons say!

On gun control, despite a bold Christmas commutation of a man wrongfully imprisoned on a gun offense, Chris is just not good enough on Second Amendment issues for LeShategan. My goodness, he had the audacity to call Obama's Tucson speech "excellent."

And despite publicly raising doubts about the science behind global warming and subjecting himself to harsh criticism from the left, Christie somehow favors "cap and trade" in the small minds of these conservatives because he has not taken the Garden State out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), something he could not unilaterally do even if he wanted to. "Christie is GREEN," they scream. Oh gasp.

So what are the most important conservative issues for those who reside in the Kingdom of SicoCon?

We favor a small, non-invasive Government. On this issue, Governor Christie gets 1600 on the Conservative SAT. He has been perfect.

We favor a strong national defense and taking the war on terrorism (That's right. We believe it is a war.) to enemy territory. As US Attorney, Chris Christie was a foot soldier in this war.

We believe in God, in traditional family values, the sanctity of marriage and the right to life for every human being. In just the past 13 months, Chris Christie protected New Jersey's marriage laws by energizing Republican senators; was the first NJ Governor in its history to address the annual Pro-Life rally on the State House steps; and took a boatload of crap because he would not disappoint his children and cancel a long scheduled trip to Disney World when it started to snow.  And he keeps his faith private and personal, as it should be.

All other issues come after these.

Chris Christie is not just conservative in my world, he is off the charts strong. He speaks out when he should and shuts up when it doesn't matter.

So the next time someone wants to decide who is conservative and who isn't, you should ask "WWSS" - What Would Sico Say?

And ignore the temptation to be led astray by false idols.

If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God ...
1 Cor 3:18-19

New Addition to Sico Family

Ha. Fooled you. No, Donica and Rick's baby has not arrived yet. Our granddaughter is due February 22nd.

But Lesley and Robin got a new puppy - Professor Elmer Pugglesworth.

You can call him Elmer.

Here are some pictures.

This Week's "Storm of the Century"

Snow Blower Man

I do not have a lot of heroes.

Joe Namath, Mickey Mantle and Bobby Kennedy when I was young. Certainly my mom, the greatest cook who ever lived, and my Dad, the single most selfless man I have ever met. And the guys who run into buildings when they are on fire or about to collapse or both because "it is their job." That is pretty much it for my hero world.

But there is a neighbor who is getting close. I call him "Snow Blower Man." I sing it when he comes around, dancing like a little child. Sometimes I shout it. My wife Joyce thinks I am nuts. I might have learned his name some time ago. I might even have been told where he lives, but it does not matter because I do not remember. And even if I did, I would still call him "Snow Blower Man." That is who he is.

Snow Blower Man comes to my house and the homes of my neighbors every time it snows. This morning he came. He wasn't wearing a hat; just a pair of gloves and a jacket that appropriately read "Staff."

The first time he came, six years ago following a particularly heavy snowstorm, our walkway was cleared before we even got up out of bed. Rarely have you seen a happier pajama-clad man. I shouted to Joyce, "Someone shoveled our walk!" Just a few weeks in our new Riverton home, I thought we had moved to Paradise - a cold and snowy Paradise, but a Paradise nonetheless.

Snow Blower Man does not simply make a narrow pass down the block. No, he comes up all the way to our front steps, cutting a wide path from edge to edge. Our home is on a corner lot and our sidewalk has to be a good 60 yards or so. Snow Blower Man covers every inch.

My children have accused me of having a "bromance" with Snow Blower Man. So be it. I love the man.

In the six years that Snow Blower Man has been rescuing me from the back-breaking, heart-attack inducing task of clearing my walk, I have learned more about him and the men he represents.

He lives across the street, down the block, in the yellow house. I learned he is Irish, as in Irish from Ireland. He came to this country as an adult who had NEVER seen snow in his native land. (I did not even know that it does not snow in parts of Ireland.) He loves the white stuff so much, he asked his wife to get him a snow blower for Christmas one year. The rest, and his legend, is history.

I have also learned that Snow Blower Man is not unique. He is a member of a special class of men who own snow blowers. I know that because I was singing the praises of Snow Blower Man to a friend and he told me he does the same thing in his Pennington neighborhood. I hope he is as revered by HIS neighbors as Snow Blower Man is by this one.

And as I lift my hot chocolate in praise, all warm and comfortable in my home, please join me in saying:

"Long live Snow Blower Men!"