Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Hillary More Prepared to Be Commander in Chief

Just look at some of the statements of past presidents:
Richard Nixon: "I am not a crook."
Ronald Reagan: "To the best of my knowledge, our government was not involved in this Iran-Contra business."
George H.W. Bush: "Read my lips: no new taxes."
Bill Clinton: "I did not have sex with that woman."
George W. Bush: err, time and space doesn't permit me to list all the half-truths, disseminations and flat-out lies emanating from the mouth of our most esteemed leader.

Presidents lying through their teeth to the American people has been so commonplace the last thirty years it almost seems a prerequisite for the job. In this light, Hillary's claims about being under sniper fire during her visit to Bosnia several years ago take on new meaning: she's merely a president in training, and a better trained and more believable liar than Obama, for sure.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

McCain Says Sunni, Shiia "Best Friends"

During his fact-finding mission to Iraq, John McCain was quoted that it was "common knowledge" that Sunni members of Al Qaeda routinely travel to Shiia Iran for training.

In a related story, scientists announced the stunning discovery that insects in fact like windshields and that elephant seals are secretly in love with killer whales.

Meanwhile, historians of ancient Rome have unearthed conclusive evidence that the Christians in fact loved the lions.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Five Years Later

So today marks the fifth anniversary of our invasion of Iraq. Five years after we invaded -- for no apparent reason -- a sovereign nation that posed no threat to us whatsoever, we still find ourselves mired in the midst of a civil war of our own making. Five years later, and Iraq is no closer to any sort of political solution than it was the day we took down Saddam Hussein, the day our incompetent president declared "mission accomplished."

During those five years, nearly 4,000 American men and women have lost their lives in this futile, unnecessary war. Almost 300,000 of our citizens have applied for medical benefits as a result of injuries, both physical and mental, incurred during this war and occupation. As many as a million Iraqi citizens have lost their lives, and many millions more have become refugees as a result of our actions. Far from making the world "safe from terrorism" (in the words of George W. Bush), our occupation instead functions as a prime recruitment tool for those who would most like to do us harm.

As staggering as have been the human costs of this monumental foreign policy blunder, the economic costs to our nation are just as harmful. Because of this war, we have squandered the future of our children and grandchildren. Indeed, the national debt rung up -- by a self-described "conservative" administration -- is larger that the accumulated debt of all previous administrations combined. Seven years ago our nation's government operated with a surplus and boasted of a booming economy that was the envy of the world. Today, be are mired in a severe recession that threatens to become a full-blown depression, while our overwhelming and untenable national debt leaves us with few options.

So this is the legacy of George W. Bush and his war: we are now a broken country. Our military is broken, our economy is broken, the dollar is in the dumpster, and the Middle East is in shambles. And yet he and his minions have the audacity to declare this disaster, even today, was the right thing to do. That his policies have somehow made us safer, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. That the costs, both human and monetary, are worth the price. On this fifth anniversary of the worst foreign policy disaster in our nation's history, in the end I can only offer this: shame on you, George Bush. Shame on those who would continue to enable you. And shame on us for allowing you to do this to our nation.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

An Inspiring Politician

I was seven years old when Bobby Kennedy ran for president, back in 1968. I can remember, to this day, my Mom listening to Kennedy speak, and weeping. When I asked her why she was crying, why she was sad, she said "I'm not sad, I'm happy. This man is going to be a great president. He inspires me. He inspires us all. He makes me believe we not only can, but will be a greater America."

Until today, I've never truly understood her feelings that day. I wasn't old enough to have comprehended the hope and promise inherent in Bobby Kennedy's speeches. I wasn't old enough to have heard Martin Luther King tell us "I have a dream," nor did I get to hear John F. Kennedy tell us "Ask not what your country do for you, ask what you can do for your country," other than as quaint sound bytes that only reminded me of an America that at one time was not only inspiring, but boasted of inspiring leaders.

Today, in this time, we again have a leader who inspires, whose words today actually had me weeping in my car as I was on my way to work. Barack Obama is that man, and this, I believe, is his time.

And it wasn't just his message today, however powerful it was. It was his manner. This man, so capable of delivering powerful, soaring oratory, was somber and humble this morning, befitting his subject manner.

Barack Obama is the man of the moment, who again fills us with the promise of a greater America, an America that, in his words, is a "more perfect union." He is an inspiration to me. And those are words I would never have thought I could write.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

More Random Thoughts On the Day's News

Eliot Spitzer knew the Republicans were out to get him. He knew he had a target on his back. Anyone who even remotely knows of the attorney firing scandal knows the Bush administration has thoroughly and utterly politicized the Department of Justice, and that DOJ officials would do anything to get any prominent Democrat they could. Given these facts, one is left with one simple question: what the hell was Eliot Spitzer thinking?

So the Fed moved yesterday to bolster financial markets by agreeing to swap mortgage-backed securities for Treasury Notes to the tune of $200 billion, a move most experts agree will only stave of a full-fledged recession for a few months. Maybe I'm just cynical, but doesn't this just seem like an expensive election-year ploy to protect Republicans?

Some Democratic party officials have begun clamoring to have the disputed Michigan and Florida delegations seated at the party convention after all. What kind of message would this send? That playing by the rules is optional? Seating these delegations would effectively neuter the Democratic Party's ability to set a fair and sane primary season next time around. If Florida and Michigan get seated, I expect California to move its next presidential primary up to, say, December. That's December 2009.

Memo to advertisers: quit trying to ruin Easter for my little boy. The past week has seen my wife and I scrambling for the remote whenever an ad comes on extolling Target or Walmart as the best place to get goodies for my son's Easter Basket. Listen, jerks, at my house that's the Easter Bunny's job. What's next, an ad at Christmastime telling me to get my Santa presents at Toys 'r' Us? They only get to enjoy the magic of Easter and Christmas for a few years as it is -- don't blow it for them with your crass commercialism.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Hillary Rove Clinton

When Clinton falsely accuses Obama of cozying up to the Canadians and implying his anti-NAFTA rhetoric is just posturing, that's unfair. When it's subsequently found out she herself is guilty of the act with which she has falsely charged Obama, that's Karl Rove territory.

When a Clinton candidate equates Obama's calls for Hillary to disclose her income tax returns with persecution on the scale of Ken Starr, that's Rove territory.

When Clinton hems and haws when asked if Obama is a Christian, that's unfair. When it's subsequently found out a Clinton staffer likely was the source of that Email making the rounds that accuses Obama of being a Muslim who will swear on the Koran and who doesn't even know the pledge of allegiance, that's Rove territory.

And when Hillary says the only two candidates still running qualified enough to run the country are herself and a Republican, that's Rove territory.

The Clintons appear to have graduated valedictorian from the Rove school of politics. Her scorched-earth campaign could possibly cripple Obama's general campaign this fall, and she apparently thinks that is alright.

All I can say is that Howard Dean better find a way to throw this detestable woman under the bus, and fast, or we could be looking at four more years of the Bush presidency. Shame on her, and shame on her husband.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

An Open Letter To Hillary Clinton

Dearest Hillary:
For the love of God and country, please call this off. I know you won three of the four contests tonight, but even the most deluded of your advisers can't possibly contend you actually won anything of substance tonight. At the end of the day (or week, in the case of Texas), you will probably have fallen further behind in the elected delegate count. Barack Obama has an insurmountable lead. Regardless of what you do, he will arrive at the convention with more elected delegates, more of the popular vote, and probably more pledged super delegates than you. He will be the nominee, no matter what happens from here on out.

The problem, Hillary, is that your "kitchen sink" negative campaign might very well sabotage Obama's chances for election come November. If you truly care about your country and your party, you must cease and desist now. To persist only reinforces the idea you are purposely hurting Obama so you can defeat McCain -- or whomever is the Republican candidate -- in 2012. This stinks of pure political opportunism of the worst sort: that you are more hungry for power than you are hungry for patriotism.

Hillary, the country may not be able to withstand another four years of the failed Bush presidency; and make no mistake, another four years of Bush is exactly what McCain promises. We must not squander this opportunity to take back our nation. Please stop attacking Barack Obama. Please stop comparing your "experience" with McCain's, a thinly veiled swipe at your erstwhile opponent. Bow out gracefully, while you still can, and save whatever dignity you still have. Do it for us. Please.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Is Racism Dying?

In an opinion piece published in today's Los Angeles Times, Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom bring up an interesting yet rarely discussed aspect of this year's presidential race: the stunning support of white voters garnered by Barack Obama. I am on record as suggesting the Democrats would have been wise to nominate John Edwards because I feared too much institutional racism still existed to allow Obama to win the general election. This year's primary results show that, so far, I was wrong.

In state after state Obama has won large amounts of the white vote, remarkable considering he's running against a female candidate who has attracted large numbers of voters based solely upon gender. He's won over 40% of the white male vote in "blue" states such as New York and California as well as in "red" states such as Utah and Georgia. Were he running against a white man as opposed to a white women, it seems reasonable to assume he would be winning like amounts of white female voters as well.

What is at work here, I believe, is that the sheer passage of time is slowly erasing institutional racism in our country. Beginning with Brown v. Board of Education, the ruling that ended segregation in our schools, and continuing with the civil rights movement of the 60's, most young people today have grown up in schools and neighborhoods that are far more diverse than their mother's and father's.

Indeed, in my neighborhood are homeowners of African American, Hispanic, Asian and Middle Eastern decent. My son's school is similarly diverse. Many of his playmates are people of color. He wouldn't even comprehend racism, much less practice it, because he has grown up in an environment in which all races are both present and equal.

And it these younger, racially unpretentious people -- of all races -- who are flocking to the Obama candidacy in unprecedented numbers, tipping the scales in his direction. Today, I not only think Obama can win the general election, I believe he will. His rise is another positive sign that racism is slowly being bred out of our country -- and a sign that, however slowly, the civil rights movement worked.