Larry Roibal

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Hank Paulson may be the most important man in Washington today. In 2006 he left behind a 37 million dollar annual salary to become a public servant as Tresury Secretary. The one time Eagle Scout is one of the few Bush appointments that came to Washington prepared for the job….Good thing, considering the mess he found when he got their.

This is a painting I did a few years back, after Hurricane Katrina tested another Bush appointment, Mike Brown. His experience at the International Arabian Horse Association didn’t prepare him for the job.

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 Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Governor of Alaska and John McCains choice for Vice President, Sarah Palin introduced herself to many American’s last night by delivering a very good speech before the Republican National Convention.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

John McCain picks Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, but Hurricane Gustav rains on the GOP parade truncating the planned events and speeches for the first day of the Republican National Convention.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Last night the Democratic party kicked off its four day convention to nominate Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden to lead the party in this falls election and become the next president and vice president of our nation. The delegates were treated to a speech by Caroline Kennedy; a Ken Burns tribute film to the Lion of the Senate, Ted Kennedy; a speech by the 76 year old senator, who recently suffered from a malignant brain tumor but made the journey to Denver to endorse Barack Obama; what I thought was a great speech by Michelle Obama; and capped off by Michelle and Barack’s adorable girls teleconferencing with their daddy from Kansas City….. but I couldn’t help notice that there was a subtext to the proceedings… especially if you were watching CNN….Get over it already!

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Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

The 2008 Democratic National Convention starts today. Obama has already proven that he and his campaign have great stage craft and there should be a big bounce from the four day show…. but then again, this is the democratic party… factor in the protesters, demonstrators and team Clinton, and all bets are off.

Piggybacking off of Stephen Gardner’s Sketch of the Day postings of multiple versions of the same drawing I’m posting these doodles this morning. These are done very quickly (about a minute or two) so I … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

You here a lot about balancing the ticket, but maybe Obama would be wise to choose another youthful, ivy league educated candidate in Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint 

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones served the 11th district of Ohio since 1998. She was Ohio’s first Black congresswoman, the first black woman to serve on the powerful Ways and Mean Committee. She chaired the House Ethics Committee and was  a strong opponent of the War in Iraq. She suffered an aneurysm on Monday and passed away yesterday from complications of the brain hemorrhage . She was 58.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Biden’s undisciplined manner has made him a favorite among the media, who are always hungry for a quote, but I’ve always heard that the cardinal rule for picking a running mate is do no harm. Might a loose canon bring more harm than good?

Thoughts?

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Pakistani President Musharraf announced his resignation yesterday. His party having lost an election, his popularity plummeting after declaring a state of emergency to eliminate his enemies and the prospect of loosing long time allies Bush and Cheney left him with no political options but to step down.

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The president of Eastern Airlines Phil Bakes, announced yesterday that the airline has agreed to pay a $9.5 million fine for failing to comply with routine inspections of it’s fleet. After an investigation, the F.A.A. said it had found nearly 70 cases in which planes were operated in violation of Federal regulations, sometimes repeatedly. The fine is by far the largest ever imposed by the FAA. Bakes said that Eastern had agreed to the penalty because the prospects of litigation ”were clouding both Eastern’s outstanding safety record and Eastern’s substantial … Continue Reading

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When I think of Julia Child, it’s hard not to think of Dan Aykroyd’s hilarious impression of the french chef fumbling with a knife and bleeding all over the kitchen. But in reality Julia Child was not only a great chef, author, and television star; records released today reveal that Child served as a US spy for the Office of Strategic Services (the OSS). Created by Franklin Roosevelt during World War ll, the OSS was an earlier version of the CIA

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Overcoming the humble start of being born in a tin shack in Tennessee, having his mom die and his dad run off when he was just a year old, being raised by his grandparents and picking cotton as a boy, Isaac Hayes would teach himself to play piano, organ and saxophone and go on to become a music icon. He won an Academy Award, Three Grammy Awards and became a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He died yesterday at age 65.

Also…While I was taking a long weekend … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

The simplest solution is the best.

Sometimes I callenge myself to draw a likeness with the the greatest economy of strokes. If the strokes are in the right place, nothing more is needed.

In politics, nothing ever seems as simple as, we need oil, we have oil within our borders, lets get the oil.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Growing up, I had a Great Uncle Nick who would captivate us with the tales of how he and his family escaped from Russia as a boy; Alexander Solzhenitsyn wasn’t as fortunate. Having survived eight years in a Russian gulag, his Nobel Prize winning books chronicle the horrors of Stalin’s slave labor camps. Solzhenitsyn died yesterday. He was 89.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Some bloggers, armed with strong hit counts, have an over inflated view of their contribution to the public discourse and have developed an adversarial relationship with traditional media. I’m not in that camp. I’m a full time illustrator. I don’t have the time, nor the budget to track down a story. I have never filed a freedom of information request. I rely on traditional media to stay informed, not just as a blogger, but as a responsible citizen. Some may have noticed the Star-Ledger’s bylines peaking out … Continue Reading

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Yesterday, US District Judge William Martini, sentenced former mayor of Newark Sharp James to a slap on the wrist, proving that in New Jersey, crime does pay. The corrupt pol was tried for illegally steering public land to his mistress and cronies and was convicted of fraud and conspiracy. Martini ordering Sharp to serve 27 months and pay $100,000 fine.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

I have a photo shoot in New York for a book cover illustration I’m working on, so today is another quicky.

Right or wrong, I think that tapping our domestic oil reserves is a good place for McCain to go drilling for votes, but his gas tax holiday for the summer months crusade is loosing it’s window of effectiveness. It’s almost August and congress will soon be headed home to their districts until after Labor Day. It’s beating a dead horse.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Rich (Goose) Gossage was inducted into Baseballs Hall of Fame yesterday. Goose was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1970. After five seasons with Chicago and a cup of coffee with the Pirates, the hard throwing reliever came to the Yankees in 1978. As a relief pitcher, he helped define the modern day closer, pitching the final out to clinch a Division, League or World Series title seven times. The Yankees, with the help of Goose, pioneered the set-up/closer configuration that every major league team has used since. He was … Continue Reading

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Senator Obama’s political views may be 180 degrees from Ronald Reagan’s, but like the former president, Obama has studied the stage craft of a winner.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint 

I have two photo shoots in New York Today, so todays doodle was another quick one.

Yesterday Senator Obama visited with Shimon Peres and professed an unshakable commitment to  the security of Israel.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

I seem to be referencing Andrew Keen’s book alot lately, The Cult of the Amateur, How The Internet Is Killing Our Culture. As I’ve stated before, Mr Keen makes a lot of very interesting points about Web 2.0 and how bloggers are filling the web with unprofessional content. I have to concede, there is a lot to be said for having an editor. Take this story about a mayor of a New Jersey shore town and a blog he writes detailing his frustrations with out of town, undesirable renters. You would … Continue Reading

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Janet’s top,.. Justin’’s jaw,.. An the FCC fine.

Ho, Ho, Ho.
Janet’s top… Justin’s jaw… An the FCC fine.

Ripppp.

Name three things that were dropped.

A Federal Appeals Court through out the 550,000 fine imposed by the Federal Communications Commission against CBS for the infamous wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl.

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Before Obama left for Iraq, I was thinking it had the potential to produce another Michael Ducacus driving a tank moment, but Obama is proving to be adept at handling the world stage. Sensing that the contender-in-chief may soon be their commander-in-chief, Obama is being well recieved in Iraq.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

A while back, I wrote on this blog about an interesting book by Andrew Keen, The Cult of the Amateur, How The Internet Is Killing Our Culture. I agree with much of what Mr. Keen writes but ultimately disagree with his conclusions. Of course there are irresponsible, untalented and ill informed providers of content on the web, but if we intend to uphold our constitution and protect freedom of speech on the internet, we have to be savvy about separating the wheat from the chaff. As a blogger, my radar … Continue Reading

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New Jersey’s native son Raymond T. Odierno was confirmed by the US Senate last week by a 95-1 vote to rise in rank from a Three Star Lieutenant General to a Four Star General and Multi-National Force-Iraq Commander. Odierno has confidence in both McCain and Obama to carefully weigh his advice before withdrawing troops.

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The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Eric Roberts, Anthony Michael Hall and Heath Ledger, in his final performance, opens at midnight tonight.

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Yesterday the two major candidates gave speeches on the war. Obama wants to move the emphasis back to Afghanistan. McCain thinks we $hould do both.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

I grew up a Yankee fan, as was my dad before me, so it seems like I knew Bobby Murcer. He signed with the yanks in 1964, was called up in 65 to play shortstop, served in the military from 67-68, became a regular in 69 as an outfielder, was a five time All Star, had the second highest batting average in 1971 batting .331. a gold glove winner and fifth in MVP voting in 72. He was traded away to SF for Bobby Bonds and also played for the Cubs, … Continue Reading

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Any resemblance that this doodle has to Don Rickles was totally unintentional. But it seems that lately, McCain, like Rickles has to rip his friends to succeed, so maybe I allowed that to subliminally enter into my morning ritual…who knows…Anyway…The latest hockey puck that McCains has to denounce, his top economic adviser, former Texas Senator Phil Gramm. Gramm said the economy would be doing fine if it weren”t for our nation of whiners talking it down. I’ll try to smile the next time I pull up to the … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint 

I have to catch a train this morning for a photo shoot in NY, so today’s sketch is another quickie.

Yesterday Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stoked anti Israeli sentiments and flexed his muscles by firing 9 test missiles, including one capable of striking Israel and US allies in the region… Iran may be testing missiles, but  they’re also testing the will of American’s to follow an unpopular president should the US decide to do anything about it.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Fords stock price was already in trouble when Allan Mulally became CEO on Sept, 5th 2006. At $8.39 a share, the company was worth less than a third of what it was six years earlier.  Last month car sales in America (led by Honda and Toyota) topped Fords F Series Trucks for the first time since 1992 with sales down by 31% for the month of May. Mulally said last week that the consumer shift to smaller vehicles is going to be permanent. With China’s growing economy stretching the world’s … Continue Reading

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G. Richard (Rick) Wagoner Jr. has been the CEO of General Motors since May 1, 2003 when GM stock price was 35.50 per share.  This year GM isn’t performing very well, Saturn sales -19%, Buick sales -21%, Saab sales -29%, SUV sales -37%. …at yesterdays close $10.24.