John And Elizabeth Edwards Separate

It appears that John and Elizabeth Edwards have separated. According to reports, Mrs. Edwards "is moving on with her life" after the former Senator admitted fathering a child during an extra-marital affair.





Parting Company

John Edwards and the Missus
Have gone their separate ways
Their wedded bliss seems over
After a confusing thousand days.

John's been in seclusion
During all the fuss and bother;
And now, he has admitted
His affair made him a father.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Democrats Expect Bernanke To Stay

Senate Democrats are confident Ben Bernanke will be confirmed for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. Previously undecided senators are now said to favor his confirmation.



Cheers For The Chairman

Support's on the rise for Obama's man, Ben,
To stay with the Fed and be chairman again.
With odds in his favor, about two-to-one,
He seems hardly a man who is under the gun.
Democrats feel there's simply no doubt
The United States Senate will not turn Ben out.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Obama Plans Help For Middle Class

President Obama has announced plans to ease the stress of Americans in paying their bills. His plan includes tax credits for such things as child care as well creating jobs for the middle class.


Easing The Burden

The president wants to be of some help
To middle class folks in paying their bills;
Things like child care and creating new jobs;
Down-to-earth plans with not lots of frills.

His aim is to ease all that middle class pain
With special tax credits among all his goals.
His move appears aimed at easing our stress,
As well as improving his score in the polls.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Supreme Court Kills Campaign Reform

Senator John McCain says the Supreme Court has made it impossible to reform campaign financing by big business. The Court has ruled that corporations are entitled to spend as much money as they wish to help or hinder a political candidate. McCain predicts voters won't stand for it.





Aborting Reform

John McCain has given up
Campaign finance reform.
But says that somewhere down the road,
Expect a voter's storm.

Our highest court has spoken out
On a corporation's right
To spend whatever it sees fit
In any campaign fight.

Says McCain, that's all she wrote,
Till we hear the voters' screams
As big business spends its mega bucks,
As allowed by The Supremes.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Religious Apparel Causes Bomb Scare

A young passenger aboard a US Airways flight caused a bit of a stir when he donned what is know as phylacteries, a religious article worn by Orthodox Jewish men. Some fellow passengers thought it was an exsplosive device. A subsequent investigation determined it was a false alarm.



Let Us Pray

A ground crew arrived to check on a scare
That had airline passengers up in the air.
Apparel that seemed like a dangerous particle,
Was simply just a heavenly article.
The passengers feared they'd be all blown away.
But the teenager said he just wanted to pray.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Health Reform May Be Cut Back

In the light of the Republican win in the Massachusetts Senate race, the White House and Senate Democrats feel compromise may me needed to pass health reform.



Preserving Reform

Now that Republicans have some more clout,
some Democrats fear that health reform's out.
As they all ponder their measure's fate,
it seems cov'rage for all will just have to wait.
Though the president feels it's still the best plan,
his call to congress is save what it can.
Americans, now, are waiting to see
if there's anything left on which all can agree


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

The Letterman Case To Go To Trial

A judge in New York says a jury will hear the charges of attempted blackmail involving a Television producer and late night host David Letterman. The defendant says he was simply trying to sell Letterman a screenplay based on the host's life.



The Play's The Thing

Did Bobby "Joe" try to blackmail Dave?
Or was it just a business deal?
The judge insists we'll go to trial
To decide which version is for real.

The defendant says he wrote a script
Adapted for the silver screen.
And offered it to Letterman
For good old fashion money, green.

The man says blackmail or extortion
Is not a thing that he'd consider.
He simply wanted to give ol' Dave
A chance to be the highest bidder.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Hunger Persists Despite Aid And Food

Thousands of people continue to struggle for food and water, despite the presence of doctors and aid workers. Millions of dollars have been pledged by nations in Europe, in addition to the $100 million promised by the United States.


Devastation

So many people missing,
So many mouths to feed;
Doctors, troops, and workers
Try to get to those in need.

A million people homeless;
Fear and anger set the mood.
Two Hundred Thousand people
Crying out for food.

Skinniest House In New York Sells for $2M-Plus

A house known as the skinniest house in New York City has sold for more than Two Million Dollars. The brick house in Greenwich Village was built in 1873.



Tenuous Townhouse

The skinniest house in Gotham
Has sold for really top dollar.
In the heart of Greenwich Village,
Far away from want and squalor.

Just over nine feet wide,
As long as three grown men,
Last sold in the year Two Thousand,
It went back on the block again.

Margaret Meade once lived there,
As did Edna Vincent Millay.
The latest owner decided
To sell it and move away.

The Owner got Two Million
For a location in demand.
And you can live in this townhouse
For a monthly rent of Ten Grand.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Obama Wants Bankers To Repay Bailout Funds

President Obama proposes a tax on Wall Street to repay the cost of bailing them out of their financial problems. He says it's only fitting that those who benefited from the bailout to pay the costs.



Bonus Onus

He's seeing red through all that green
And calls the bonuses "obscene."
The President, on the attack,
Says we want our money back.

He's calling for a whole new tax
To take the cost off all our backs.
To mend the nation's fiscal health,
He wants the banks to share the wealth.

To bankers' claims that it's unfair,
Obama tells them, with some flair,
Instead of putting up a fight,
Why not simply do what's right?


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

No More Free Rides For Tiger

The agreement between Tiger Woods and General motors, giving Woods free access to GM vehicles, is over. A company spokesman says the endorsement agreement had been scheduled to end on December 31.


Life Can Be Rough

GM isn't cutting
Tiger any slack.
Its endorsement deal is over
So it wants its Buicks back.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Cowell Quitting Idol

Simon Cowell has made it official. He'll leave American Idol at the end of the coming season. He says he'll concentrate on bringing the popular X-Factor to the United States, where it will be seen on Fox.



Simon Sez

Simon sez he's going away;
But he'll be back again this way.
When Idol wraps it up, this year,
Simon will be out of here.
We'll miss his comments, some sarcastic;
Others that could make one spastic.
But as long as no one, here, objects,
He'll be back with Factor X.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Reid Won't Resign Leadership Role

Harry Reid has no plans to resign as Senate Majority Leader. Republicans demanded that Reid to step down because of remarks regarding President Obama, that critics see as racist. The senator says he's apologized to the president and others and plans to stay where he is.

Lighten Up

Harry Reid says he won't quit;
Don't even try to steer him.
But the next time he cracks a joke
Should be where folks can't hear him.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

"No Domestic Attacks" When Bush Was President

Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York, told a national television audience that the United States "had no domestic attacks" (by terrorists) under George W. Bush. He was comparing Bush with President Obama's handling of the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a domestic airliner.


Foot In Mouth

No domestic terror under Bush.
So says Rudy, by Heaven.
Unless, that is, you insist we count
That thing called Nine-Eleven.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Obama Responsible For Nation's Security

President Obama, accepting final responsibility for the nation's security, has told intelligence gathering officials to improve how they get the word out about threats to our security. He says the United States will "do whatever it takes" to win what he calls the "war" against terrorists.




Tackling Terror

The president says
The buck stops with him
On security issues
He describes as quite grim.

Changes are coming
To tighten the reins
On those who'd disrupt
Our travel by planes.

Intelligence gathering
Seems quite up to snuff.
But unless there is sharing,
It not nearly enough.

It's a war against terror
With very high stakes.
To win, says Obama,
We'll do what it takes.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Democrats Stepping Down From Congress

Two senators have announced they won't run for reelection this year. Earlier, Democrats in the House announced they'll retire and one switched his allegience to the Republican side of the aisle.

Lawmakers Leaving

As election year two-thousand-ten
Prepares to go full gear,
More Democrats have told the folks
They won't run again, this year.

For Republicans, the news is good,
As they move in for the kill.
The GOP is on the move
To take over on The Hill.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Cost Of Insurance Coverage Is Key Issue

The president has begun meeting with fellow democrats in congtress to hammer out health care plan for Ameicans. Obama wants a final version by the time he addresses congress on the State Of The Union.

The Cost Of Coverage

The president and his democrats
started meeting in earnest today,
discussing what health care citizens need
plus ideas for helping them pay.

It must be affordable, democrats say,
of coverage that folks need to buy.
They must have the best their money can get,
with premiums that won't be sky high.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

Los Angeles Judge To Hear Roman Polanski Case

The criminal case of Roman Polanski will be back in court, this week,as prosecutors continue efforts to have the director returned to the United States on rape charges.


Appealing In Absentia

The case of Roman Polanski
Will be heard by a judge in L.A.
The defendant won't be there to hear it,
Since he's locked up in own Swiss Chalet.

The government wants him brought back here.
It's pursuing every possible chance.
The defense and the victim agree, though,
That Roman should go back to France.


Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

State Senators Looking For Money

State lawmakers across the country are heading back into session, faced with how to raise money to keep their governments operating. They're looking for ways to do it without raising taxes.


A Taxing Problem

Those stimulus dollars from Uncle Sam
Appear to be drying up.
States have all spent their rainy day funds
And are left with an empty cup.

Citizens cry for everyday needs
Like food stamps and Medicaid
And still lots of folks are unemployed
And need someone to come to their aid.

The lawmakers may have only one choice;
Yes, the one that all voters expected.
The pols would prefer an alternative move,
Since they all want to get re-elected.

Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon

The White House and Congress To Probe Air Safety

President Obama heard from his security people on what went wrong involving the attempted bombing of a jetliner. Both the administration and congress are seeking answers from the intelligence community.


For Heavens' Sake

Our government will start the year
With efforts to make strong
Our airline safety methods that
Keep things from going wrong.

Obama and our congress-folks
Want answers, clear and plain,
To how we can protect our skies
So terror doesn't reign.

Copyright 2010 Jim Gordon