Tag: politics

Missing Link

The House and Senate both flipped based on Tuesday’s election. With all the hoopla about concessions and successions, resignations and designations, hand shakes and half baked, I am focused on a missing link.

Or should I say, missing Linc. Lincoln Chafee, the defeated Republican Senator from Rhode Island, that is.

Did you know that Chafee stood apart from all Republicans and most Dems on the October 2002 Iraq War resolution? Chafee, Russ Feingold & Ted Kennedy on one side. Shumer, Clinton, Edwards, Kerry, and the entire Republican Senate delegation strongly behind the White House on the other (The Vote).

Did you know that Chafee thinks that global warming is real and needs to be addressed? Is against drilling for oil in the Arctic? (On the environment)

Did you know that Chafee didn’t vote for Bush in 2004? Although he did say that he couldn’t vote for Kerry. (NYTimes)

Did you know that 63% of the people who voted in Rhode Island on Tuesday said they approved of him. And 51% said he was about right on the issues (CNN Exit Polls). So, most people who voted in Rhode Island approved of his work and agreed with him on the issues.

I must be getting old and soft, but this Senate turnover is a bit bittersweet when legislators who are doing the bidding of their constituents–and provide a moderate voice to their party–lose out. Somehow I think we all lose a little on some level. Where is the roadmap to bi-parisanship? I need to think on this.

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Why Does A Muskrat Guards His Musk?

Cowardly Lion/Bert Lahr

Most people now think that the President’s thing in Iraq is a bad idea. And there’s evidence that our actions might be making things worse. In addition, the party of morals and values might be having trouble on many levels, here and here. Oh, and that the top folks in the White House are living in denial.

The response of the opposition party? Outside of kicking up some dust, saying that the Republicans are bad guys or bad guys, it’s the same cowardly response. Or lack thereof.

Why say something? If you say something, the other side will use it against you. So just stay quiet. Where is the leadership from the opposition? Well, there is trio Warner, McCain and Graham taking a principled stance on human rights protections for prisoners. Wait, they aren’t the opposition. But they were joined by….well, Dems couldn’t join in because they were waiting for the GOP to eat itself. Which was shortlived when–SURPRISE–there was a compromise and the red-staters took the day. Again.

Sure the Prez was bruised, but the leadership moment, the chance to reach across the aisle, the moment of leading over rough terrain versus bickering like kids on the schoolyard was gone. Poof!

Just before our mayoral primary, my neighbor asked me who I liked. I told her that I liked Adrian Fenty because he had guts. When the Mayor and other council members were touting an early curfew to deal with a violent crime spike this summer, Fenty called the bill what it was–window dressing. The lone wolf on that vote. As the front-runner in a tough election, he ran the risk of the negative riff about being “soft” on crime. And, yes, that happened, but he still won. Soundly.

What makes the Hottentot so hot?
What puts the “ape” in ape-ricot?
Whatta they got that I ain’t got?
Courage.

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The Party’s Over

Yes, that party known as SUMMER VACATION is coming to an abrupt end. The 14-year-old will need to get up at the butt-crack of dawn. This may be the first time that he has seen a morning hour since June 3rd. Except for when we drove all night to make the early ferry to the beach. He mostly slept on the way.

The 12-year-old* has one more day, but, frankly, it’s over for him, too. He is furiously printing out his summer reading assignment. Turns out he needed 5X8 index cards for this assignment. At least that’s what he said. The summer reading info was misplaced sometime at the beginning of summer, so I have to go with his story.

The really good news is that we were able to find all the clean uniforms that were put away a 11 or 12 weeks ago. Well, some pieces were replaced, but others were found, still clean. Sometimes clean clothes that have been put away become less put away. And then they have to be rewashed. We are still, however, without the bucs for the 14-year-old. His size 13’s are backordered. He claims he can wear sneakers until they arrive. Again, I have to go with his story.

So the party’s over for this year. And a New Year starts.

* Don’t get confused. He was the 11-year-old two weeks back. See Naming Convention. I can’t help it if I worry about you, Loyal Reader! Also, I must admit that I originally typed “11-year-old.” He was looking over my shoulder and promptly corrected my big error.

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Burning Speech

Hillary, Hillary, Hillary. Who for art thou? Thou want-est thy throne so greatly, thou est willing to throw away the baby with the flag? To the centre with thee! Not to the arms of whack right.

Hillary, Hillary, Hillary. Get thee to a nunnery or something. I do not want to hear-eth you utter the words, “Out, damned spot, out I say.” No, Lady Clinton. No.

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Whoosza Fault?

Was watching Mayor Nagin this morning on Russert. I’m glad that Russert asked some tough questions. He made Chertoff squirm a bit last Sunday, too.

Here’s a typical exchange.

Russert: “Did you make mistakes?”
Public Official: “Tim, I’m not going to that. We did the best we could. The [insert name of other guy] didn’t…”

Here’s a typical exchange in my house:

Parent: “What was your part in this?”
Kid: “Well, he….”
Parent: [interrupting] “I’m talking about YOU.”

It’s not so much the Blame Game. It’s a lack of personal responsibility. I wish somebody would say, “This is what I did.” The President needs to remember that step one is admitting that you have a problem.

How can you have a role in fixing a problem if you don’t admit your role in it?

Hope my kids get this message, but it looks like it will preclude them from a career in politics.

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