So six of seven Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted against recommending Sonia Sotomayor to the full Senate for confirmation, with poor Lindsay Graham the only consenting senator. Then Michael Steele, erstwhile Republican National Committee Chairman, begged off from attending a National Council of La Raza meeting (the largest Latino advocacy group in the country), because he was attending some RNC get-together in California. Moreover, he couldn't even be bothered to find a Republican governor from some backwater state to fill in.
Is it just me, or are the Republicans purposely pissing-off the Latinos? The Latino vote has become increasingly important, as they register in larger numbers and continue to slide towards the Democrats. I swear, I almost suspect the powers that be in the Republican Party are intent on burning their house down just to start over.
Today's news has it the Blue Dog Democrats are starting to side with Republicans in an attempt to derail President Obama's health care initiative. At this point, Nancy Pelosi needs to earn her keep, and herd these yahoos into line. Grow some brass ones, Nancy. Threaten them. Promise to pull plumb committee assignments. Tell them we'll yank their campaign funding and run progressives in the primaries. These DINO's (Democrats In Name Only) are going to have to be purged eventually, anyway. Let them scurry to the Republican side and find out what it's like to be in the wilderness.
The Governator just signed a budget that will close at least 100 of California's 279 state parks. We don't have the final list yet, but rumoured to be on the chopping block is one of may favorite places, Picacho State Park on the Colorado River. According to the California State Parks Foundation, our state parks return some $4.2 billion in economic benefits, through ripple effects, to the state's local economies. Even before the recent cuts, just 1/10th of one percent of the entire state budget funded our state parks, and for every dollar spent, $2.35 was returned to the general fund from taxes generated by consumer spending. Talk about being penny wise and pound foolish.
My questions: since the parks are public property, are they really closed? What's to stop me from showing up at Picacho and going fishing or hunting anyway? If it's closed, I assume that means there won't be a ranger there to tell me it's closed. They'll just post some sign saying the park is no longer in operation. Can't I just go anyway? Can I bring my dog now, or is that still against the rules? I'm confused.
Finally, am I the only person who's sick of the Chase Bank commercial featuring a butchered version of John Lennon's "Instant Karma?" The poor guy has to be spinning in his grave. If Yoko is behind this -- and I suspect she is -- I hope she rots in purgatory for an eternity. I've worn out the mute button on my remote.
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