Wow! I paid little attention to the MA senate election. The truth is I have grown tired of politics. The last few weeks I have taken a vacation from TV news and have read very little on line. However, the MA election has suddenly caught my eye. I had no idea that the Republican elected to the Senate, Scott Brown, was an exhibitionist, that one of his daughters was an American idol contestant, and that his wife is a TV reporter who makes racy videos.
Apparently he put his daughters on display and almost pimped them during his acceptance speech. A photo of the Senator with his bikini-clad daughters has surfaced on the internet. Nothing much wrong with that, I suppose, unless the photo was distributed by Brown. To the family values Republicans it must have been a stretch to elect him. My guess is that they were much like John McCain was with Sarah Palin, so hot to win an election, they did not even bother to look into his background. Yet, as politics goes, even far right Republicans will sell their values to get a vote in the Senate.
It is no wonder that Glen Beck actually said that Brown should be watched: "I want a chastity belt on this man. I want his every move watched in Washington. I don't trust this guy. This one could end with a dead intern. I'm just saying. It could end with a dead intern." For once, Beck might be right. There is no telling what may surface from the Brown's apparently "interesting" past or what gaffs he may make in the future. At any rate we will have to wait and see if, like Palin, Brown is lacking in intellect. My guess is that the people of MA, so accustomed to Teddy Kennedy's representation of them, will be very disappointed. They have made their bed and, unless Beck's dead intern shows up, they have six long years to put up with him.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Harry Reid's Racist Remark
Harry Reid is quoted in a new book as saying that Barrack Obama was a "light-skinned" African-American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." Republicans are saying that Reid should resign his post because of the remark. I agree with them. Several politicians have been called to task over the years for their insensitive remarks.
Although Reid's remark was not as inflammatory as some, it still does not reflect well upon him. Politics being politics, Democrats have come to Reid's defense, saying his remarks were not as bad as others before him. The President has closed the issue, saying he has accepted Reid's apology. I expect the President to do just that and rise above the turmoil and politics.
Reid should step down from his position, (not resign his seat) and admit that his remark was inappropriate. I think that Democrats should hold him to the same standard to which he would be held if he were of the other party. This is not the time for double standards. Republicans have long been guilty of protecting their own, unless the heat become unbearable for them. Democrats should rise above that kind of practice and ask Reid to step aside.
Although Reid's remark was not as inflammatory as some, it still does not reflect well upon him. Politics being politics, Democrats have come to Reid's defense, saying his remarks were not as bad as others before him. The President has closed the issue, saying he has accepted Reid's apology. I expect the President to do just that and rise above the turmoil and politics.
Reid should step down from his position, (not resign his seat) and admit that his remark was inappropriate. I think that Democrats should hold him to the same standard to which he would be held if he were of the other party. This is not the time for double standards. Republicans have long been guilty of protecting their own, unless the heat become unbearable for them. Democrats should rise above that kind of practice and ask Reid to step aside.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The Latest Terrorism Threat
David Letterman has been having a ball with the latest suicide bomber and his "exploding underwear with the fuse hanging out his fly." I have to admit that I have not closely followed that story. I'm sure the accusations have flooded in, accusing the current administration of being "soft" on terrorism. The Republicans continue to hold up the nomination for the TSA chief, leaving that important position vacant. The intelligence agencies still maintain their turf wars and refuse to share information, regardless of the danger to the country. Full body scanning and profiling of passengers from the targeted Arab countries are touted as the latest weapons in the fight.
On the other side the terrorist groups have not faltered in their scheming to beat the various security measures. Apparently, the "exploding underwear" is their latest attempt. Fortunately, these guys are not the sharpest tacks in the box. Intelligence is not a good attribute for a suicide bomber. I'm sure the latest yokel's handlers are kicking themselves for choosing him. Yet, they will continue to work on various methods until they have conned a fanatic lunatic of reasonable intelligence and dexterity and an airplane is blown to bits.
Neither the Republicans nor Democrats want to see an act of terrorism succeed. Yet the accusations will continue to fly, bogging down the process and making the country more vulnerable. The bottom line is that over the course of the last 70 years Republicans and Democrats have equally contributed to a foreign policy that has created the hatred of this country among Middle Eastern and Eastern religious fanatics. They do not trust this country and will do whatever it takes to try to defeat us.
Guerrilla warfare on a world wide scale is very difficult to defeat with technology and weapons. We have made a very nasty bed for ourselves by continually meddling in the affairs of those countries. The bed was dirtied even more with the unprovoked invasion of Iraq. Now we have a threatened government in Pakistan that possesses nuclear weapons and an unstable leader in Iran that may be attempting to produce them. If terrorists get their hands on those materials, the world is in great danger.
We are in a war that is almost impossible to win unless we conquer the hearts and minds of the Arab world. The previous administration has given the current administration a very steep uphill battle in this war. Too many dirty tricks were directed toward the Arab world with the invasion, Guantanamo, torture, and rendition. Our country faltered in its world leadership role. Putting this derailed train back on the track will take more than words and it will take years. With the political climate here now, it is doubtful that the train will be repaired in the short term, and the election of another right-wing administration will muddy the waters once again. In short, like the "war" on drugs, look for the "war on terrorism" to continue for many, many years to come with little long term success.
On the other side the terrorist groups have not faltered in their scheming to beat the various security measures. Apparently, the "exploding underwear" is their latest attempt. Fortunately, these guys are not the sharpest tacks in the box. Intelligence is not a good attribute for a suicide bomber. I'm sure the latest yokel's handlers are kicking themselves for choosing him. Yet, they will continue to work on various methods until they have conned a fanatic lunatic of reasonable intelligence and dexterity and an airplane is blown to bits.
Neither the Republicans nor Democrats want to see an act of terrorism succeed. Yet the accusations will continue to fly, bogging down the process and making the country more vulnerable. The bottom line is that over the course of the last 70 years Republicans and Democrats have equally contributed to a foreign policy that has created the hatred of this country among Middle Eastern and Eastern religious fanatics. They do not trust this country and will do whatever it takes to try to defeat us.
Guerrilla warfare on a world wide scale is very difficult to defeat with technology and weapons. We have made a very nasty bed for ourselves by continually meddling in the affairs of those countries. The bed was dirtied even more with the unprovoked invasion of Iraq. Now we have a threatened government in Pakistan that possesses nuclear weapons and an unstable leader in Iran that may be attempting to produce them. If terrorists get their hands on those materials, the world is in great danger.
We are in a war that is almost impossible to win unless we conquer the hearts and minds of the Arab world. The previous administration has given the current administration a very steep uphill battle in this war. Too many dirty tricks were directed toward the Arab world with the invasion, Guantanamo, torture, and rendition. Our country faltered in its world leadership role. Putting this derailed train back on the track will take more than words and it will take years. With the political climate here now, it is doubtful that the train will be repaired in the short term, and the election of another right-wing administration will muddy the waters once again. In short, like the "war" on drugs, look for the "war on terrorism" to continue for many, many years to come with little long term success.
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