Sunday, February 24, 2008

So Much to Talk About

Holding On to My Voice

It has been a long time since I last posted, and I have a lot on my mind. Part of the time I was sick with that flu thing that's been going around. Now, my wife has it. I used a lot of my free time to edit a tribute video for a friend's 50th birthday, and I have actually had sporadic employment.

The NY Times McCain Story
I'm going to start with a brief response to the NY Times story last week about McCain's 2000 campaign: I don't care. As far as it being fodder for the fall presidential race, it would be like the canon is firing oatmeal: it's a little sticky but easily washes off. Neither the close ties to lobbyists nor the implied ties to one lobbyist in particular matter to me. Except for the assertion that he has, in the past, had lapses of judgment, it's not news. Special Interests glom onto politicians like remoras on a shark, like hookers on conventioneers. It's the nature of the business. Besides, what's the relevance to this year's race?

I'm less interested at what someone running for president did eight years ago than I am with the unconstitutional, criminal behavior over the last eight years that the Bush administration is apparently going to get away with.

Bad Pelosi
Nothing about the present Congress disappoints me more than Nancy Pelosi's stubbornly keeping impeachment "off the table." It's like that old parlor trick. She's pulled off the tablecloth but the grounds for impeachment remain in place. I understand not wanting to create a quid pro quo impeachment scenario between the Legislative and Executive branches when they are run by opposite parties, but a violation is a violation, and perjury over infidelity is not the same thing as violations of the Constitution and our civil liberties.

Good Pelosi
On the other hand, I applaud the House for refusing to rubber stamp the domestic surveillance bill, albeit by hanging their hat on the immunity clause for the telecoms involved in warrantless wiretapping. I am sorely disappointed in the Senate for passing it, though.

How many times have the senators in the presidential race had to defend their awkward voting record? You'd think that after the Iraq War vote and the vote authorizing torture and the continued funding of the war, the majority would get tired of the backpedaling and move forward with resolve toward stopping an insane administration bent on the disintegration of the country's dignity and respect. By continually agreeing to an incompetent president's self serving requests, the Senate enables the continued degradation of America's standing in the world, even as they try to blame it all on Bush.

The B-Movie Nightmare Ticket
Speaking of senators running for president, I want to make it clear - and I hope that the majority of Democrats are with me on this - that despite Wolf Blitzer wanting to make it so, Obama and Clinton are not a "dream ticket," no matter (you should pardon the expression) who is on top. The only way that it could resemble a dream is if they were both president, that is, a hybrid - Clibama, if you will, or Obinton. That's something, though, that could only happen in a Hollywood movie, which may be why the LA debate crowd were so enthusiastic about it.

Don't Make Me Ralph
Finally, I hope I am right in believing that only a modicum of seething is appropriate over the news that Ralph Nader has entered the presidential race as a third party candidate. I trust that it is too late for even him to have an impact. As he said this morning on Meet the Press:

"If the Democrats can't landslide the Republicans
this year, they ought to just wrap up,
close down, emerge in a different form."

Ya think?

-PBG