THE 450 BILLION DOLLAR QUESTION FOR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES!!

We'll get to Lindsay Lohan and immigration laws in another country in a minute, but let's address the problem that Republicans, who want to be our next president are having. If you've noticed in the two previous "debates", President Bush has been rarely (if ever) mentioned. Instead, Ronald Reagan is mentioned. A lot! Of course if he were still alive, he'd probably disown most of these guys, but that's another story.

From the first two Republican debates, I came to four conclusions. (1) Two poll leaders are flip-floppers of the first order and I wouldn't trust either of them to tell me the time of day. (2) The candidate who seems to have something original to say is one of these "too smart for the room" guys who's in desperate need of "coaching". (3) The actor, who has yet to announce, might well be their strongest candidate. (4) Newt Gingrich? Puh-leeze!!

Do you know how much money this Iraq war has cost us so far? Something in the neighborhood of 450 billion dollars and counting.

No matter who ends up surviving and becoming the Republican candidate, I call your attention to a situation which leads to a question posed by Time Magazine's Joe Klein who writes, "We invade a country, suspecting weapons of mass destruction, but the WMD aren't there, and we get bogged down in a hopeless sectarian struggle. What do you do?"

Ladies and gentlemen, that's the 450 billion dollar question I want these candidates to answer and the one who gives the answer that makes the most sense, gets my vote. If none of the answers make sense, my response is, we've already got that guy and he's the reason we're asking this question. Solution? Get us different candidates and that's why this question needs to be asked and answered sooner rather than later.

And yeah, let's ask that question to the Democrat wannabes as well.

LINDSAY LOHAN IS BACK IN REHAB:

If you read our Lindsay Lohan item yesterday, you saw a picture of her slumped in a car. I didn't know that picture had been taken at least a day and a half after she had been admitted to a hospital because of the accident and the DUI thing. In other words, she was apparently partying again.

Now she's back in rehab and people are wondering what will happen next? She has a film coming out July 26, in which she plays a stripper and a film she was supposed to begin that stars Shirley MacLaine (among others) has now been pushed back.

This will hopefully be the wake-up call she needs, but it apparently has been a wake-up call for the California Alcohol Beverage Control Board who will now use a lot of undercover officers to try to bust clubs who are selling liquor to minors. It's a shame that it took multiple Lohan incidents to get the attention of this board because these stories involving underage "stars" drinking in these clubs has been reported on all the celebrity television shows and in all the tabloids for a long time.

Like I said in this space yesterday, I'm rootin' for ya, kid.

"HIDDEN PALMS" DEBUTS TONIGHT:

On a more pleasant note involving celebrities, a new television show debuts on the CW at 8 tonight. It's described as being somewhat like "The O.C." but it features more sex and more fun. People like Gail O'Grady and Sharon Lawrence are involved along with some actors who were in "The O.C.". I'm definitely gonna check it out.

ANOTHER TWIST ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION:

Reader Jon Badeaux is a guy who worked many years with legendary broadcaster, "The Real Don Steele" and he has three music sites including his latest under the "Generations" banner (www.generationsradio.com.)

After reading yesterday's commentary on illegal immigration, Badeaux offers a question and then gives examples. You, dear readers, are encouraged to read this all the way to the end!

Badeaux writes, "As a native of Southern California, I am keenly aware of the incredible injustices done to foreigners. Yet I'm also sensitive to the issue of the amount of taxes we had to pay to support illegal immigrants in our state. Do you think the following laws, if implemented in our country, would be a bit harsh? Read them over. Be sure you read all the way to the end."

And here are the laws Badeaux listed:

(1) No special bilingual programs in the schools.

(2) No special ballots for elections.

(3) All government business will be conducted in our language.

(4) Foreigners will not have the right to vote no matter how long they are here.

(5) Foreigners will never be able to hold political office.

(6) Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers. No welfare, no food stamps, no health care or other government assistance programs.

(7) Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage.

(8) If foreigners do come and want to buy land, that will be okay. But options will be restricted. Foreigners would not be allowed waterfront property. That is reserved for citizens naturally born into this country.

(9) Foreigners may not protest. No demonstrations, no waving a foreign flag, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies. If you do, you will be deported.

(10) If you do come to this country illegally, you will be hunted down and sent straight to jail.

Then Jon Badeaux writes, "So what do you think? Are these concepts too harsh? Then let me explain one little detail. The above items are real laws! IN MEXICO!"

Editor's note: If you read this before pictures have been added, come back! Pictures will be up soon! We post a new blog every morning, Monday through Friday between 7 and 7:15. Any comments and or suggestions are welcome at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

TOMORROW:

A surprise!