"Redskins Country is a bizarre place of exaggerated emotion and violent overreaction to every conceivable event. We're like the fanatic Red Sox Nation, but without the Calvinist preference for eternal damnation. Since the Redskins won NFL titles as far back as the '30s and '40s and Super Bowls as recently as the '80s and '90s, we assume that the franchise would be a champion again if only the bete noire of the moment (owner Daniel Snyder in recent years) would just stop messing things up. It has been this way my entire adult life, since the day Vince Lombardi came to town in 1969 to restore the team's glory. Since then, a condition of manic elation or depression has almost always been in place. Yet I never get over my sense of wonder at the phenomenon. Even my late father, who came to town in Sammy Baugh's heyday, abandoned his usual scrupulous judgments whenever the Redskins were the subject of conversation. Defeat was improper, abnormal.
"So, in this atmosphere, Jansen's injury can't simply mean that the Redskins will have to figure out whether Derrick Dockery or Kenyatta Jones moves into the right tackle spot. No, it has to be the End of the Redskins' World as We Know It. Actually, the Redskins' front office has constructed an enormously expensive team that is, nevertheless, painfully thin at some key spots. If running back Clinton Portis were out for the season, his backups would be pitiful. If wide receiver Laveranues Coles or a couple of defensive linemen were hurt, that would create voids. But depth in the offensive line isn't one of the problems. Bugel has been scratching his head about having six players with the ability to start at five positions. Backup center Cory Raymer, coming back from a ruptured Achilles' last year, was the odd 300-pounder left out. Now he may be back in. If the 345-pound Dockery moves to right tackle, then Raymer takes over at center and current center Lennie Friedman would move to left guard. Confusing, yes. But at least in that case, the overall talent level of the Dirtbags might not fall as much as many assume. It's a rare 5-11 team that has such decent choices after losing a player as good as Jansen. Of course, it's a rare 5-11 team that has the highest payroll in history. So with Snyder's wallet wide open, there's never an excuse for a bare cupboard.
In NFL towns a thousand miles from the nation's capital, the injury to Jansen is probably seen in more sensible perspective. If Gibbs and his AARP coaching staff still have their touch, and if all the team's high-salaried offseason additions are as good as advertised, then the loss of one lineman who has never been a Pro Bowler should be the kind of injury that a quality team can surmount. If it starts to unravel the whole plan, then how good were the Redskins of Gibbs II going to be anyway?
So come in off the ledge."
Skins will win a playoff game this year...MUD
A letter from my Representative (DeputyWhip Eric Cantor)...
August 4, 2004
The Mudboy Slim Family
1234 XXXXX Drive
Richmond, Virginia
Dear Mudboy Family:
Congress has begun its Summer District Work Period, and I wanted to takethis opportunity to update you on the War on Terrorism, the September 11th Commission Report, and our strengthened economy.
War on Terrorism
On September 11th, 2001, nineteen men and four planes changed a nation of millions. In addition to being a terrible tragedy and the largest attack ever on the
American mainland, it was a wake-up call to all Americans. In that one day, our illusion of safety and security was shattered and the dangers to us posed by terrorists and the regimes that supported them were thrust
forward from the shadows, exposing our vulnerabilities and the gravity of the terrorist threat.
Since that fateful day when those planes crashed in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, Congress has taken many steps to ensure our safety. A primary step was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, which monitors threats to our nation and protects our homeland from attack. In addition to developing an infrastructure to prevent attacks in the United States, the primary reason why the American people are safer than they were three years ago is because this administration is committed to combating terrorism at its source, preventing it from reaching the United States. By following a strategy of working with friends and allies and promoting democracy as we fight terror abroad, we are making the world safer for all Americans and the global community. We are working in conjunction with the United Nations, NATO, the International Atomic Energy Agency and other individual nations in the fight for global security.
And we are succeeding. The Middle East has changed for the better, as two countries have been liberated and three have changed their agendas due to our foreign policy. The Taliban regime, which was the most repressive in modern history, supported terrorists and allowed Afghanistan to be used as a breeding ground for terror, was overthrown and replaced by a democratic regime. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is committed to holding free and fair
elections in his country this fall.
Americans are also safer because of the war in Iraq. Saddam Hussein posed a grave threat to American and global security. A tyrannical dictator, he had a history of aggression, including invading two countries and bombing
a third. He harbored and funded terrorists, used chemical weapons against Iran and the Kurds in his own country, and he was outwardly in pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. He refused to comply with 17 United Nations
resolutions and was hostile to the U.S. and other western powers. By removing Hussein from power, as well as capturing him and bringing him to trial for his crimes, the U.S. eliminated the possibility that Iraq could
use WMDs today and the possibility that Saddam's brutal regime could do so in the future.
In addition, by imposing regime change in Iraq, the United States sent a message to the world that we will not tolerate those who seek to terrorize us. And the world was listening -- just weeks after the invasion of Iraq,
Libya announced that it was discontinuing its nuclear program, a decision that is invaluable to maintaining global stability and preventing nuclear war.
Over the past three years, the Bush administration has repeatedly met the challenges posed by the post-9/11 era. By promoting democracy, engaging in multinational
coalitions, and defeating terror at its source, the administration is transforming the Middle East and making the world a safer place.
September 11th Commission Recommendations
I welcomed the September 11th Commission report and agree with its conclusion that our homeland is safer today, but we are not yet safe. I am working with the President and my House colleagues to examine the Commission's recommendation and to use them to develop a plan for further action. Addressing the President's plan for the establishment of a National Intelligence Director and a National Counterterrorism Center will require Congress and the Administration to roll up their sleeves, and I stand ready to assist the President in his initiatives.
As evidenced by this week's increase in threat level, cold-blooded terrorists are still determined to wreak havoc in the U.S. and our interests around the world. Staying on the offense is the right strategy for our nation's safety.
The U.S. Economy is Surging: Tax Cuts Are the Reason
Following the enactment of pro-growth tax policies in 2001, 2002, and 2003, the U.S. economy is booming and consumer confidence is rising. Since the summer of 2003, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has expanded at
the fastest pace in nearly twenty years. The inflation-adjusted after-tax income earned by Americans increased at a 4.9 percent annual rate in the first quarter of 2004, faster than its annual pace since 1999. Inflation has remained low and, despite a recent increase, is still well within the range that economists consider stable. Job growth is up and unemployment remains down.
The consensus forecast among private economists is for strong economic growth to continue through 2004 and remain above the long term trend through 2005. Inflation is expected to remain low, and growth in the industrial production sector is expected to outpace overall economic
growth.
Business investment has been stimulated by the bonus depreciation and the 2003 reduction in capital gains and dividend tax rate provisions. The recession of 2001 was led by the bursting of an investment bubble in the late 1990s. Timely tax policy has fueled the rebound in
investment.
You may be assured that I will continue to support legislation and initiatives that strengthen our national security and economic security during my tenure in Congress.
For your convenience, you can sign up to receive further information from me on issues important to the 7th District at http://cantor.house.gov/updates . Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
With kind regards, I am
Sincerely,
Eric Cantor
Member of Congress