Dateline:
Wednesday, November 3, 2010. 729 days until the 2012 election.
If you look hard enough, there's a lot to love about Tuesday's election. Lemonade still comes from lemons and elephant droppings can still make the flowers grow. You don't need Annie to tell you the sun will come out tomorrow. Some folks are happy already. John Boehner's coloring is just a little brighter this morning. The people of Arkansas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin are enjoying their 15 minutes of glory. On Thursday it's back to fly-over status for you. They know that the only time anyone will give a rat's ass about their state is if one of their college teams cracks the top ten or someone shoots up a 7-11.
Besides, we've heard this tune before. The cardinal archbishops of ex-presidents, i.e. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, both suffered big losses in their first midterms. It only makes sense. You run on a platform of making things better. When things don't get noticeably better (in the first twenty minutes after the inauguration) the country rebels and wants to punish your party. Incumbents suffer because decisions they made are easily attacked...usually by people who have never been called on to make the same decisions. Voila! Behold the tsunami.
However, the really good news is that after two years of Fox News telling the country how angry it is and how any bag of doorknobs would be better than the Democrats, many Americans were able to resist. After all, nothing could be so bad that Christine O'Donnell looks good. Exactly how far do you have to fall before this woman looks like your salvation? Apparently 40% of Delaware feels they've fallen that far. Good news: 40% is not 51%. Bad news: 40% is awfully close to the ledge. If this were a message it was a dangerous one. If you view a vote for Christine as a "no" vote, the medicine goes down a bit easier.
There was good news in Nevada also, where the people weren't quite ready to gamble on a woman who treats reporters like head lice. In a race where Harry Reid's Senate seat was as vulnerable as an unattended stack of chips at the Mirage, the GOP went all in on Sharron Angle ..and crapped out. It appears that the people of Nevada would rather hang with a 23 year Senate veteran as opposed to a woman who sees poultry as legal tender. Imagine, a state with a 14% unemployment rate coming to the conclusion that a little healthcare might be a good idea. Startling!
True, the Senate will still be blessed with Rand Paul but compared to the Real Housewives of Whackadoo County he looks somewhat rational. Anyway, it's not like Kentucky was a hotbed of progressive activism. Kentucky's idea of liberal is allowing black basketball players into Adolph Rupp Arena. Any Democratic victory there would be a gift.
Someone will have to explain West Virginia to me. Must be the miners unions. By all rights WV should be about as Democratic as South Carolina. The fact that Joe Manchin was able to capture the seat formerly occupied by Robert Byrd is a mystery. There might have been a time when legacy mattered but the good people of Massachusetts drove a spike into that idea in 2009. (See headline "Scott Brown Claims Throne of Ted Kennedy".) Whatever the reason, the great state of West Virginia will continue to have two, count them two, Democratic Senators. (They also have two of the three House Members.)
For those of you with fun in your hearts, the Senate has maintained some of its wacky, laugh-a- minute cast of characters. Bernie Sanders, America's only true Socialist, will be doing another six years as Senator from the Peoples Republic of Vermont. David Vitter is returning as Senator from Louisiana, proving once again the "live little boy/dead woman" axiom made famous by Edwin Edwards. Vitter was outed as a regular customer of a D.C. madam way back in 2007. But hey, what's a little prostitution among friends? It's not like he didn't pay for the services.Following in the grand tradition of William Jefferson (he of the cold cash) and David Duke (Klan candidate in 1988 and '92) Vitter proves once again that, in Louisiana, a little mud on your skirts is no impediment to high office. Elliott Spitzer only wishes he'd run for Governor in a state with such a "liberal" attitude.
And so we move forward. Having made a hash out of being the winners, Democrats will now take a crack trying to influence policy rather than craft it. Republicans on the other hand, are in the "be careful what you wish for" position. If the economy improves (Fox will certainly tell America the improvement has started) the GOP will benefit. If not we'll be back here in two years with the added joy of a Presidential race. So stay tuned boys and girls. The first episode of "Survivor, 2012" should start any day. We know you can see Russia from Alaska but can you see Alaska from Iowa?
Showing posts with label Harry Reid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Reid. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Saturday, January 17, 2009
...or can you be a woman President and still have inaugural balls?
Things to contemplate during the commercials of Tuesday's coronation...
Item
George W. Bush acknowledged "some mistakes" during his eight year catastrophe tour as President. Well, if you count the fact that he didn't screw up the oath of office, that would make the second thing he got right. Mistakes? When a baseball manager leaves a pitcher in for one-too-many batters, that's a mistake. When you leave the keys in your car and someone steals it, that's a mistake. However, when you ignore the suffering of thousands of Americans in New Orleans after a hurricane, when you lie America into a war that kills thousands and displaces tens of thousands, when you allow a cabal of mean-spirited, neo-con bureaucrats to mismanage every department of government from Interior to Justice, these are not mistakes; that's reckless incompetence.
Bush 43 was over his head the day he took office. After 9/11 he abdicated his responsibility to a gang of sour, vengeful cronies of his father's who never much cared for the Constitution and saw the attack on New York as their opportunity to run it through a shredder.
Thanks God this national nightmare is over. George...go...and take that sulphur smell with you.
___________________________________________________________________
Item
On to the Senate. Yes, Harry Reid looks like a dumb-ass for pontificating about who will be allowed to sit in his chamber. He was out-maneuvered by a Governor who is too stupid not to know when he's being recorded. Harry didn't count on the introduction of a sympathetic, 71 year old black man who would have taken this job if it had been offered by Bernie Madoff. Race was never a factor in anyone's actions, but the sight of 99 white guys (actually 16 are women) slamming the door on one black man...in the rain, no less, made the Senate and Harry Reid look like the membership committee at Augusta National.
One can only speculate as to what Gov. Blago hoped to gain by choosing Roland Burris but maybe he was hoping for some really good Nats tickets.
___________________________________________________________________
Item
Among the names you pray-to-God never to hear again, are Sarah Palin and Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher. Sadly, both of these cancers are still making the papers. Governor Snowshoes is now granting all the interviews she dodged during the campaign. Sarah is currently conducting the "Katie Curic Ate My Baby" tour with nothing good to say about the media. Apparently, it was that gaggle of liberal intellectuals at ABC, NBC, CBS, et al, that was solely responsible for making the Governor appear clueless, ill-informed, woefully under-qualified and a bad mother. Most Americans think that Sarah was giving that impression without much help.
Nevertheless, we must be charitable. After all, it's January, it's cold in Alaska. Most of Sarah's constituents are curled up with the livestock. If she doesn't talk to Sean Hannity or create some buzz on YouTube she might be forced to run the state that elected her. Boring!
Joe the Plumber, on the other hand, is squeezing every ounce of celebrity possible from his fifteen minutes. He was recently dispatched to Israel by the right-wing blog Pajamamedia that has some sort of broadcast arm called PajamaTV. What anyone in the news biz at any level thinks this bag-of-hammers could add to our knowledge of the Gaza War is anyone's guess. His novel take on the complex events in Gaza included a condemnation of all news coverage of wars. "I don't think journalists should be anywhere around war." He, not being a journalist by any definition, was apparently exempt.
Please, America, whatever God you pray to, pray that PajamaTV only gave this hamburger a one-way ticket.
___________________________________________________________________
Item
Although this blog has never pretended to be fair and balanced, (You want fair, watch Canadian TV) there has been recent criticism that isitjustme has ignored certain issues that, had they involved conservatives or Bushies, would have drawn more attention. Answering that criticism, we submit the following:
Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner is getting some flak for non-payment of federal taxes. The details of this are murky but they have to do with self-employment taxes and Social Security withholdings. While there is delightful irony in the fact that Geithner will, if confirmed, control the IRS, there isn't much scandal here. Embarrassing, yes. Damaging, no. Even the Republicans aren't making much of this. As to his housekeeper and her immigration status; please!
Eric Holder Jr., Obama's choice to run the Justice Department, has also drawn some criticism. In his case the issue is his role, or lack of a role, in some of Bill Clinton's dubious pardons as he left office in 2000. Holder was, at that time, deputy Attorney General and decided not to oppose Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich, a fugitive financier. This may have been a bad choice but, it hardly rises to the level of criminal conduct. Besides, Obama could appoint Bernie Madoff and still not approximate the stench created by such legal brite-lights as John "cover up those tits" Ashcroft or Alberto "attach electrodes to their nuts and call it macaroni" Gonzales. Anyone crazy enough to attempt to clean up the Justice Dept. should be granted a free hand and as much industrial-strength Mr. Clean as the job requires.
As for Governor Richardson of New Mexico, this is a tough one. He must have known that he was under investigation (paging Gov. Blagojevich) and so must the Obama transition people. Why the incoming President, especially this incoming President, would appoint a tainted politician to his cabinet, I cannot say. Chalk it up to bad Karma.
Hopefully these comments will put to rest any further whining that isitjustme isn't eager to tackle the tough issues, regardless of which party is involved. As long as we can circle back to some good old-fashioned Bush/conservative bashing, no topic is off limits. Fear not soon-to-be-former President Bush. Your legacy is safe with me.
Item
George W. Bush acknowledged "some mistakes" during his eight year catastrophe tour as President. Well, if you count the fact that he didn't screw up the oath of office, that would make the second thing he got right. Mistakes? When a baseball manager leaves a pitcher in for one-too-many batters, that's a mistake. When you leave the keys in your car and someone steals it, that's a mistake. However, when you ignore the suffering of thousands of Americans in New Orleans after a hurricane, when you lie America into a war that kills thousands and displaces tens of thousands, when you allow a cabal of mean-spirited, neo-con bureaucrats to mismanage every department of government from Interior to Justice, these are not mistakes; that's reckless incompetence.
Bush 43 was over his head the day he took office. After 9/11 he abdicated his responsibility to a gang of sour, vengeful cronies of his father's who never much cared for the Constitution and saw the attack on New York as their opportunity to run it through a shredder.
Thanks God this national nightmare is over. George...go...and take that sulphur smell with you.
___________________________________________________________________
Item
On to the Senate. Yes, Harry Reid looks like a dumb-ass for pontificating about who will be allowed to sit in his chamber. He was out-maneuvered by a Governor who is too stupid not to know when he's being recorded. Harry didn't count on the introduction of a sympathetic, 71 year old black man who would have taken this job if it had been offered by Bernie Madoff. Race was never a factor in anyone's actions, but the sight of 99 white guys (actually 16 are women) slamming the door on one black man...in the rain, no less, made the Senate and Harry Reid look like the membership committee at Augusta National.
One can only speculate as to what Gov. Blago hoped to gain by choosing Roland Burris but maybe he was hoping for some really good Nats tickets.
___________________________________________________________________
Item
Among the names you pray-to-God never to hear again, are Sarah Palin and Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher. Sadly, both of these cancers are still making the papers. Governor Snowshoes is now granting all the interviews she dodged during the campaign. Sarah is currently conducting the "Katie Curic Ate My Baby" tour with nothing good to say about the media. Apparently, it was that gaggle of liberal intellectuals at ABC, NBC, CBS, et al, that was solely responsible for making the Governor appear clueless, ill-informed, woefully under-qualified and a bad mother. Most Americans think that Sarah was giving that impression without much help.
Nevertheless, we must be charitable. After all, it's January, it's cold in Alaska. Most of Sarah's constituents are curled up with the livestock. If she doesn't talk to Sean Hannity or create some buzz on YouTube she might be forced to run the state that elected her. Boring!
Joe the Plumber, on the other hand, is squeezing every ounce of celebrity possible from his fifteen minutes. He was recently dispatched to Israel by the right-wing blog Pajamamedia that has some sort of broadcast arm called PajamaTV. What anyone in the news biz at any level thinks this bag-of-hammers could add to our knowledge of the Gaza War is anyone's guess. His novel take on the complex events in Gaza included a condemnation of all news coverage of wars. "I don't think journalists should be anywhere around war." He, not being a journalist by any definition, was apparently exempt.
Please, America, whatever God you pray to, pray that PajamaTV only gave this hamburger a one-way ticket.
___________________________________________________________________
Item
Although this blog has never pretended to be fair and balanced, (You want fair, watch Canadian TV) there has been recent criticism that isitjustme has ignored certain issues that, had they involved conservatives or Bushies, would have drawn more attention. Answering that criticism, we submit the following:
Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner is getting some flak for non-payment of federal taxes. The details of this are murky but they have to do with self-employment taxes and Social Security withholdings. While there is delightful irony in the fact that Geithner will, if confirmed, control the IRS, there isn't much scandal here. Embarrassing, yes. Damaging, no. Even the Republicans aren't making much of this. As to his housekeeper and her immigration status; please!
Eric Holder Jr., Obama's choice to run the Justice Department, has also drawn some criticism. In his case the issue is his role, or lack of a role, in some of Bill Clinton's dubious pardons as he left office in 2000. Holder was, at that time, deputy Attorney General and decided not to oppose Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich, a fugitive financier. This may have been a bad choice but, it hardly rises to the level of criminal conduct. Besides, Obama could appoint Bernie Madoff and still not approximate the stench created by such legal brite-lights as John "cover up those tits" Ashcroft or Alberto "attach electrodes to their nuts and call it macaroni" Gonzales. Anyone crazy enough to attempt to clean up the Justice Dept. should be granted a free hand and as much industrial-strength Mr. Clean as the job requires.
As for Governor Richardson of New Mexico, this is a tough one. He must have known that he was under investigation (paging Gov. Blagojevich) and so must the Obama transition people. Why the incoming President, especially this incoming President, would appoint a tainted politician to his cabinet, I cannot say. Chalk it up to bad Karma.
Hopefully these comments will put to rest any further whining that isitjustme isn't eager to tackle the tough issues, regardless of which party is involved. As long as we can circle back to some good old-fashioned Bush/conservative bashing, no topic is off limits. Fear not soon-to-be-former President Bush. Your legacy is safe with me.
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