What Might Have Been

Lost in the swirl of news about the health care legislation, etc., is this tidbit in the New York Times. It's for all those who thought some of us were a mite too paranoid about Mr. Bush & Company.

Bush Weighed Using Military in Arrests

No surprise, the Dark Lord was in favor of this. It doesn't matter the political leanings of the people in D.C., you still gotta keep an eye on them. Which reminds me, I really should get up to speed on the health care debate.

If She Was Only a Dude Part Two

The Sotomayor flap just keeps growing. The sensible Republicans (yes, there are a great many of them) are dismayed at their lunatic fringe who insist on pushing the message that a brown, Latino woman on the Supreme Court is the end of America as we know it.

But it gets worse.

G. Gordon Liddy, of Watergate fame, spouts off on his radio show:

LIDDY: Let’s hope that the key conferences aren’t when she’s menstruating or something, or just before she’s going to menstruate. That would really be bad. Lord knows what we would get then.

I just can't freakin' believe it. Aren't we past this kind of bullsh*t? We have a woman two steps away from the Oval Office, we've been in space, and died on the battlefields of Iraq. But it always comes back to the "curse" as if that somehow renders our brains into lumpy pudding. Or worse yet, homicidal maniacs.

It would be easy to taint all men for this moron's misogynistic views, but that's not fair. The majority of the guys I've met are intelligent, thoughtful and cool. Unfortunately, they don't tend to the ones with the national radio shows or looking to curry favor with the far right (Newt) and their voices are being drowned out by the nutters.

If Only She was a Dude

President Obama nominates a Hispanic woman for the Supreme Court. One definitely suited for the job. So what does one of our Republican politicians have to say?

"Of primary concern to me is whether or not Judge Sotomayor follows the proper role of judges and refrains from legislating from the bench. Some of her recent comments on this matter have given me cause for great concern. In the months ahead, it will be important for those of us in the U.S. Senate to weigh her qualifications and character as well as her ability to rule fairly without undue influence from her own personal race, gender, or political preferences." (emphasis mine). - Senator Imhofe (R - Oklahoma)

So apparently if you're one of the dudes on the court we don't have to worry you'll rule in favor of other dudes, be they white or black, or be they Republican or Democrat? I'm surprised Imhofe didn't mention her religion (Catholic) but then he's treading on thin ground with the gender and race thing as it is. He's known for such bonehead comments, just like his counterpart in Iowa, Rep. King.

She's qualified to be on the court. Period. The fact she's Hispanic and female shouldn't matter. But to these guys, it does.

Proud to be an American

There are certain landmark moments in one's life. The election of JFK. His assassination. The death of RFK. The loss of Martin Luther King, Jr. The moon landing. 9/11. I remember them all very vividly.

Last night I witnessed another incredible American moment -- the election of Barack Obama as our next president. Now whether you are Democrat, Republican or Independent, this election has had considerable meaning to you. According to the numbers, 130 million Americans voted, the most to ever vote in a presidential election. Give yourself a High Five.

You went to the polls to tell Washington and the world what you wanted. This incredible nation is in turmoil. We have our soldiers dying on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Our financial future is murky. Over 40 million of us do not have basic health insurance. We have slid so far away from the American ideal and the basic tenets of our Constitution. Now we, as a nation, have a chance to recapture what makes us grand.

I had hopes that this election would bring us a leader who might see beyond politics, who had vision, much like FDR did in 1932 during some of our nation's darkest hours. I do believe that our next president has that spark, that intelligence, that empathy to bring us out of this black moment and set us on a new path. He may not have the track record of Mr. McCain, but he has the good sense to seek sound advice, to weigh it and then move forward. The nation didn't need a maverick. It needs a statesman with deft hand at building consensus. Mr. Biden will serve as a bridge between our new leader and his fellows in Congress. That was something Ms. Palin would never have accomplished.

Now in the past I have always held John McCain in high regard. Something happened to him during the campaign that damaged his reputation in my eyes. I began to take notice of this campaign the moment he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. Her narrow minded, Us vs. Them, provincial view of America was profoundly disturbing. Rather than being inclusive, she was divisive. Her knowledge of the world scene was woefully inadequate. Unfortunately, Mr. McCain went for the lowest common denominator who proceeded to question not only their challengers' patriotism, but mine.

So here's my advice for the governor. Go home to Alaska, Sarah. Learn something about this great country before you come back to run for 2012. Learn about the world. And know one thing for certain: people who don't agree with you aren't any less patriotic than those who do.

Last night I saw a glimpse of the Mr. McCain I once admired. He delivered a profoundly moving concession speech. It was full of honor, of love for this country. You regained a lot of respect, sir, and I thank you for that.

I'll admit it -- I haven't been very proud of my country in the last eight years. Some would say that is not being patriotic, but I disagree. That's honesty. We aren't always proud of our children when they make mistakes, but we still love them. I had never believed that an African-American could rise to such high office. The American ideal holds. Anyone can become president. This morning I can see lots of mothers eying their kids over the cereal bowl. "See?" they'll say. "You can do anything!" And those moms would be right.

Our citizens have spoken. What a remarkable testimony to this great and democratic nation. Let's heal the divide, roll up our sleeves and get the work done. That's what Americans do. We need to become that beacon of hope, like we once were.

G*d Bless America! And may G*d bless our new president and vice-president. They're going to need every bit of help they can get.

Clothes Make the Woman?

I'm not a clothes horse. Somehow I didn't inherit that gene. I wear nice clothes every now and then for business, but for the most part I'm very happy in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. But even I know there are times you just gotta look good.

So where I agree that Ms. Palin needed to doll up a bit from her Alaska "chic" to take on the national stage, I do feel her handlers didn't do her any favors. $150K? WTH? That's over four times the average U.S. salary ($720/week according to the Bureau of Labor). Even in good times it would be excessive. With things going south, it reeks of eating cake while folks lose their houses and their jobs. Worse yet, it goes against The Brand (hockey mom who shops at Wal-Mart.)

No I don't completely fault Ms. Palin for this, though some of the onus should fall on her. Where she might not have known exactly how much all those high end clothes cost, questions should have been asked. I know I would have asked when something from Neiman Marcus landed in my lap. When she did find out about the prices, she should have shook her head and demanded a trip to J. C. Penneys or Dillards. They sell business clothes. Nice business clothes, and the purchases would have reinforced Palin's image of the average mom.

You don't go against the brand (unless you're Madonna who can get away with it). You can't claim to be for the little guys if you're wearing shoes that cost as much as their paycheck. Just don't fly.

So what would I have recommended? Well, the suit at the top of this blog costs $59.99, not counting shipping. I picked a red one as I know that's what the Gov favors. Add a lace top underneath to counter all those folks bitching about showing a little cleavage and she's got it. $60, not $2000 and above. (Note to all those who are combat shoppers -- I know you folks woulda got better deals at Neiman Marcus and Saks.)

So to all those handlers who did the actual shopping: what were you thinking? Are you that out of touch with the message that you just fly on autopilot? Apparently so. That seems to be the case with the entire McCain/Palin campaign. How sad.

Religion & Politics

I know it's the current fad to spend a lot of time talking about your religion while on the campaign trail. It lets you use certain "buzzwords" that resonate with members of the voting block. I, for one, don't want to hear it. The Constitution specifically states that no religious test should be applied for the office of president. So you can be Christian, Pagan, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish or Seventh Day Adventist and I really don't care. That being said, I have my own test.

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."(Matthew 7:30)

I don't quote from the New Testament very often, but the statement is apt. Telling me you're a devout Christian (etc). is not like SHOWING me. Heavy-handed tactics do not impress me. Demanding that the 10 Commandments be displayed in courthouses doesn't rock my boat. I'm Jewish. My people received the commandants at the foot of Mt. Sinai, but I don't expect my Hindu or Muslim neighbors to be impressed by that. They have their own religious texts which are just as meaningful as the Bible or the Old Testament. What? How can that be? Read 'em, folks. The underlying beliefs are the same -- Love Thy neighbor. And what about the Atheists? Not everyone believes in a Higher Power. Who am I to tell them that belief is invalid? Despite all the promises, none of us will truly know until we're no longer here.

America was founded on the principal of religious tolerance. Choosing staff members at the Justice Department based on political loyalty and religious preference is anti-American. Spreading rumors that Barack Obama is a closet Muslim on a holy crusade to destroy America from within is just stupid. If a Muslim was the best man/woman for the job, you'd pass them over for some idiot who is of the "real" faith? Apparently so.

Jimmy Carter had it right. He is a decent man who has quietly led by example. He kept his faith private for the most part. He's built homes for the poor, monitored elections around the globe and earned his keep while in retirement from the Oval Office. Mr. Bush, on the other hand, will slink off to Crawford and cut brush. Period.

We've only got one country, folks. We need the best person for the CEO position. We've done a lot of damage to ourselves, our reputation, our economy over the last eight years. We HAVE to get it right this time. Deciding who should be the next president based on his/her religious qualifications is destructive. It's a sad thing to watch candidates preening for their religious constituency while the country swirls around the drain.

Just Don't Lie to Me

That's probably a statement we've all heard from our parents or a lover at one time or another. It's pretty basic. Don't lie. Of course we all "shade" the truth. Telling your best friend that her new dress makes her look like a giant tomato is not a kind thing to do. Telling your boss you think he's a mental midget is a CLM (career limiting move). On the flip side, there are times when honesty has to come through no matter then consequences. I'm at about 50-50 on those. I've butted heads with hospital management about the care of women in labor, but held my tongue in other situations that I now regret not taking on. I'm sure most people have the same track record.

Then comes the politicians. Back in the "good old days" I felt the media would take these bozos to task if they outright lied to the public. My gut tells me that a lot of b.s. got shoved past us back in those good old days, but not as much as today. When you add in the pressure of a presidential race, the pols really go to town.

Hopefully there will be more places like this one: FactCheck.org

An example from the site:

Giuliani's wrong when he claims to have added 12,000 new NYC cops while he was mayor.

On his Web site, Rudy Giuliani claims that he grew New York City's police force by 12,000 officers between his inauguration as mayor in January 1994 and mid-2000. That's just not true. Most of the cops he's counting – 7,100 to be exact – were already housing or transit police who were simply folded into the New York Police Department. The merger of the departments didn't increase the number of police in the city at all.

The actual increase in the size of the force was about 3,660, or about 10 percent, during the period Giuliani pinpoints. And Giuliani doesn't mention that the cost of hiring about 3,500 of the officers was partially covered by the federal government under President Bill Clinton.

Giuliani is particularly inclined to lie. Yes, I used that word. The media speaks of mendacity (the tendency to lie) rather than just saying, "Rudy. You couldn't tell the truth if you tried." He has an ego problem, a habit of going out of his way to punish enemies and the tact of a razor blade. And I'll go on record -- he will be a worse president that Mr. Bush. Bush may lie, but in his heart he believes what he's saying. Giuliani just doesn't care. He believes were all chumps and so far, he might be right.

Why? That's the question we Americans should be asking. If he (or any of the candidates) lie to us now, they'll do it later. (Remember those WMD in Iraq?) The consequences are far more grave than a "well, he did get those health care numbers wrong." A lying president sets the tone for the entire administration. A lying president covers his ass and in the process, people get hurt.

If Mr. G can't be bothered to tell the truth (and he has the staff to do the research so there is no reason he shouldn't know the numbers, details, etc.) then why do we need him? Why can't the American people say "No way. You lie. We want as honest an individual as we can get, and you are not it."

All politicians shade the truth. The ones that lie to your face and expect you to kiss their ring are the last thing this country needs. So do a little fact checking of your own. Don't believe a word they tell you. In the end, you will be the one to pay the penalty, not the Pinocchio in the White House.

Late addition: Here's another set of beauties at TPM Election Central The guy just won't quit.