She's Baaaaaaack!

I finally got my new keyboard. Doesn't it look better? The new one is black, which clashes with the rest of my computer parts, but nothing else in the house matches, so why should I worry about the computer?

Anyhoo, aren't you glad President Obama "accepted General McChrystal's resignation?" I am. The General was way out of line this time, and made it personal. The very idea! I don't think Obama had any choice. If this was the first time, maybe, but McChrystal had his own little path worn in the carpet. He had been called on it several times before.

McChrystal obviously had zero respect for the administration. And, there's no telling what he had been saying in private. The troops had to know about his attitude.

What an idiot, shooting his mouth off to a reporter. Wonder where he'll be stationed next. Bet he won't like it much.

Stay tuned.

Obama's Back!

All in all, I thought President Obama's speech was excellent.

And, the rebuttal speech by Republican Rep. Charles Boustany (R) Louisiana, was very helpful - NOT. It's central message? Start over. Scrap everything that has already been done and start all over again. Can you say, "stalling tactics, children?" One would think that Bobby Jindall's rebuttal to the State of the Union would have convinced the Republicans to look to some other state for the rebuttal to this one.

And then, as if South Carolina doesn't have enough to be ashamed of, Rep. Joe Miller (R) hauled off and called the President a liar. He apologized this morning, sorta. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, "The Republican leadership told me to apologize, so I apologize."

It looks very much as though the inmates have taken over the asylum.

Apparently Fox News didn't bother to carry the speech. Typical.

Maybe, now, the Democrats will get together and, finally, just go ahead and pass whatever they want, and let the Republicans whine all they want.

Stay tuned.

CORRECTION: Apparently one of Fox's entities carried the speech. My bad.

News Items

Recently, Jericho, Arkansas Fire Chief Don Payne had to go to court twice in one day to contest yet another traffic ticket. The second time, he told the judge in no uncertain terms what he thought of the police and their speed traps. Apparently, this has been a big problem in tiny Jericho, and people are up in arms.

The response from the cops? They shot him in the tushie. Now the seven-man police force has been disbanded and City Hall has been shuttered until things calm down in the community.

It's not every place that the people have to be protected from the police.

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At Sen. Blanche Lincoln's town hall meeting in Russellville the other day, a large number of people expressed the belief that President Obama has filled the government with commies because he has appointed so many "Czars".

Never mind that it was the communists in Russia who overthrew the Czars.

The stupid burns on.

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Apparently, at least six states have declared that their schools will not air President Obama's speech to students, as well as some in Missouri, and I'm guessing that there will be a bunch of school districts in Arkansas that won't air it.

We can't have our President indoctrinating our children into studying hard and excelling in school so they can achieve their dreams in later life.

We gotta keep 'em ignorant.

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Michael Jackson's family is finally going to bury him. They have chosen Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. There goes the neighborhood. Oh, stop it! I'm not making a racist comment. I'm referring to the crowds of fans who will undoubtedly be descending on the venerable old cemetery where the remains of some of the most famous show-biz folks repose.

Where have they kept Michael stashed all this time?

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Arkansas' largest family, the Duggars, are expecting number 19.

I'm too appalled to say any more.

Stay tuned.

So Far, So Good

It's just my humble opinion, but I heartily approve of President Obama taking his show on the road. He's taking his plans to the people, and going around Congress and the Washington media. When I say "Congress", I mean Republicans and Democrats alike in both the House and Senate. They are all so out of touch, I don't think they would have enacted the stimulus package in such a short time if they hadn't been urged by their constituents.

Obama knows who should really be calling the shots - and it's us. If we like what we're hearing from him, and, even if we don't, we have to let our elected officials know about it. Otherwise, all they will do is ponder and posture and end up doing nothing, just like the last eight years.

This, people, is real change. Now, all we have to do is express our support and give the plans time to work. There's no instant gratification here. A system as bogged down as ours is will recover slowly. It took many years to get us into this mess, and it won't turn around over night, but I'm convinced that it WILL turn around.

'Way to Go, President Obama!

Yes, We Can

Fifty years ago, as I went from classroom to classroom during my school day at Little Rock Central High, if anyone had told me that I would live to see a black man elected President, I would have said, "I hope you're right, but I don't believe it."

But, I have lived to see it. And, I'm glad.

More later.

I Voted, Have You?

This early voting stuff is the bomb. There was a fairly decent crowd at our alternate early voting place, across from the courthouse, which is not very handicapped/elderly-friendly. The new place is much easier to get in and out of. We were there at about 1:30 p.m. yesterday and at that hour, all the voting machines were in use, with three or four people ahead of us in line and a few more coming in behind us. I think it is safe to assume that there were only two of us voting for Obama.

I thought that once I had voted, I would just relax and let the chips fall where they may, but the minute I got home, on went the TV so I could see if anything startling had happened while I was out. Whew! I'll be glad when next Wednesday gets here so I can either celebrate or mourn the results. I have a feeling that there will be lawsuits, once again, because the polls may very well be misleading, and the loser, whoever it may be, and his followers, will be convinced that the election was stolen.

There are a few things that bother me about Obama's campaign, I must admit. The amount of money he has collected and spent should have him much farther ahead if it is true that elections can be bought. And, if they can't, then the obscene amount is a waste, and I can't think of a better advertisement for public funding, such as that taken by McCain. I realize that Obama had to campaign all over the country because he didn't have the necessary name recognition, and public financing wouldn't have come close to paying the bills. But, it makes me wonder about our political system.

Another thing that bothers me is that I can't shake the notion that when push comes to shove, many people who have said they were going to vote for Obama will get in front of those voting machines and say to themselves, "Nope. I just can't do it." and will vote for McCain strictly on the color of his skin. This feeling has stayed with me throughout the campaign, and I hope I'm wrong. If I am, I'll say so on my first blog after election day. But, I have to say, even though I supported Obama and voted for him, deep down, I still think that Hillary would have been the best choice, with all her baggage and Bill and his baggage.

There are many things I don't like about the McCain campaign, but the main ones are John McCain and Sarah Palin, and the overall tone of their message. I think they are both the wrong choices for their offices. The John McCain of today has been unrecognizable compared to the John McCain of a few years ago. Many of his longtime friends and colleagues have commented on it, so it's not just me. He has been all over the map with his "secret plans", the idiotic Joe the Plumber farce and his choice of running mate was simply irresponsible. He is living in a dream world if he thinks he's immortal, and look what we're left with if something happens to him.

I'm going to try not to watch as much TV until the weekend, but I can already tell you I'll fail miserably. Why should I stop obsessing just because I voted early?

More rambling later.

No More Debates

The debates are finally over and not a minute too soon, in my opinion. I thought this one was better than the other two in that they finally did actually engage each other and discuss a few issues.

Barack Obama did what he had to do to hang on to the high road. And, McCain did what he had to do to hang on to the low road. By all accounts, Obama won.

I tend to agree with the pundit who declared Joe the Plumber the winner. He said Joe will have an agent by tomorrow and several franchises.

Obama kind of dared McCain to bring up Bill Ayres and McCain took the bait, and threw in a few smarmy remarks about ACORN for good measure. It didn't work out the way McCain thought it would.

And then, McCain seemed to confuse Downs Syndrome with Autism. He didn't cover himself with glory that time, either.

I really thought that McCain looked like a grumpy old coot, with all that blinking and grimacing. He and Sarah must really make a pair, what with her winking and all. But, at least he didn't get up and wander aimlessly around the stage like he did in the last debate.

I'm just so glad there are no more debates. I really don't think they clarify anything, usually, although in this one, they did give their views on a few social issues that they hadn't touched on in the other two debates.

Ready, set, VOTE!

When Will They Ever Learn?

When I was a senior at Little Rock Central High School back in 1958, I was exposed, for the first time in my young life, to the ugly faces of hatred and bigotry. I looked at those faces every morning and afternoon outside the school, where, inside, we were trying to keep nine frightened black students safe from the crowds that had been bused in to keep the federally mandated integration from going forward.

Then, throughout the '60s, I saw those same hateful expressions on faces in the news and watched in horror as President Kennedy, his brother, Bobby, and Rev. Martin Luther King all were assassinated.

In the past few days, those same twisted, angry faces have surfaced once again, encouraged by Senator John McCain and his running-mate Governor Sarah Palin. In their latest political rallies, Sarah Palin has suggested that Senator Barack Obama "pals around with domestic terrorists", and John McCain has told people in his crowds that Obama is a liar, and doesn't have the judgment or integrity to be President, and they have allowed people in their rallies to scream such imprecations as, "kill him! " "treason!" and "bomb Obama!". Both candidates have just smiled and nodded when these things have occurred.

What McCain and Palin are doing was, at one time, labeled "inciting to riot", and I believe it used to be against the law. Whether it is criminal or not, it has certainly lowered the level of discourse, and without doubt, placed Obama and possibly his family and the family of Joe Biden in mortal danger.

In his defense, John McCain finally, FINALLY, took the microphone away from one of his backers when, in all ignorance, she said she was afraid of Obama because he is an Arab. McCain tried to correct her, very gently, and called for his backers to disagree with Obama, but with respect. In this and other rallies yesterday and today, he has tried to tamp down some of the vitriol, and has been booed for his efforts. Too little, too late? Perhaps. Apparently, Sarah Palin didn't get the hint, because she was still spewing her mean-spirited message at her rallies.

History has shown us that once the forces of hatred are unleashed, it is all but impossible to rein them in. It may be too late, now, but I hope not. If John McCain and Sarah Palin are not able or willing to change their rhetoric, we all need to cross our fingers and hope and pray that nothing unthinkable happens. In the meantime, we can only hope that the Secret Service protection will be beefed up around Barack Obama and Joe Biden and their families.

And, if the worst should happen, well, we'll at least know where to point the finger of blame.

False Outrage

Apparently, the McCain/Palin folks are going to be outraged and insulted about something on a daily basis, in order to keep from talking about the real issues in this Presidential race. They are focused on parsing every word spoken by Barack Obama. Right now, they are busy being offended by his statement, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." According to the McCain camp, this is a statement meant to demean Sarah Palin. Well, THEY made that connection, not Obama.

Do we really have such a short collective memory that we have forgotten Ann Richards, in her speech at the Democratic Convention in 1992, quoting yet another Texas politician as saying, "You can put lipstick on a pig and call it Monique, but it's still a pig." She was referring to the policies of George H.W. Bush. Obama borrowed and edited the statement. He was referring to the policies of John McCain. Not everything has to be about Sarah Palin. If he had intended to insult Palin, he could have made the implication much clearer by leaving the feminine name in it. Duh.

If the Obama campaign needs some zingers for Sarah Palin, I'd be happy to suggest a few. Try these on for size: (I know, I know, I said I wouldn't, but I just can't help myself.)

If Sarah Palin leans any farther to the right, she'll fall off the flat earth she apparently believes in.

Sarah Palin is so far to the right, she makes James Dobson and Pat Robertson look like "Backslidin' Methodists".

Sarah Palin is so far to the right, she makes Obama's Rev. Wright look sane.

Here's another one:

After a week of campaigning with John McCain, Sarah Palin is heading back to Alaska to memorize a new speech.

Ba-Da-Bing!

She will also wave a proud but tearful good-bye (for the cameras, no doubt) to her son, who is being deployed to Iraq this weekend. And, isn't it interesting that three out of our four top candidates have sons who will soon be going to Iraq? Wonder how long it will take for Sara and the Geezer to suggest that their sons are somehow better patriots than Biden's.

How long is it going to take before John McCain realizes that his V.P. choice has overshadowed him? She makes a much better speech than he does, she 's decades younger than he is and certainly much prettier. And, what is with this "Beauty Queen" fetish that McCain seems to have? Maybe he needs to remember that Sarah likes to shoot "wolves" from airplanes.

Well, I guess until the McCain bunch lets Sarah out to answer questions from the entire media, I'll just have to keep on using her as damn good blog-fodder. She's more fun than McCain.

More later.

Magazine Makes the News

I have never read the "New Yorker". I've seen various cartoons that appeared therein, and some of the covers, but I don't subscribe. It can't be purchased on news stands, so a large number of people may not even have known it exists. Until this week.

On the cover of this week's issue there is a caricature of Barack and Michele Obama standing in the oval office. He is wearing "Muslim" garb and she sports an Afro and camo and a rifle, apparently representing the Black Panthers. There is a picture of Osama Bin Laden on the wall, and an American flag burning in the fireplace. They are doing the little fist bump that had everyone talking not long ago.

The editor of the magazine appears on the news, all wide-eyed innocence, and explains, in words of one or two syllables, for all the little people out there in Mid-America, that it was simply "satire".

Mr. Supercilious editor, believe it or not, I get it. Satire, that is. What I don't get is why you didn't think it was going to cause such a stir. For what purports to be a high-class magazine, this was pretty low-class satire.

At the very least, it is in poor taste. At most, it was intended to confirm what about 20% of the voters believe about Obama. It certainly has racist overtones, which also may or may not have been intended.

All I know is you would be well-advised to follow-up this magazine cover with a tasteless "satire" featuring John McCain on your next edition.

More of Nothing

I guess you heard that the House bill extending the unemployment benefits didn't pass. Bush promised to veto it, anyway. 'Way to keep the working man down!

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The Supreme Court restored Habeas Corpus, in spite of Alito, Scalia, Thomas and Roberts. Some detainees have been held for 6 years without recourse. Habeas Corpus is a constitutional guarantee which allows courts to determine whether a prisoner is being detained illegally.

Let's hear it for the Supremes!

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Did you hear about Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana? In an essay in the Oxford Review, he described a personal encounter with a demon, in which he participated in an exorcism with a group of college friends. He stated that not only did they cast out the supernatural spirit that had possessed his friend, Jindal wrote that he believes that they may also have cured her cancer. Wow!

I guess he's off the short list for Veep, huh?

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In show biz - Daniel Craig sustained an injury making the latest Bond movie. The tip of one of his fingers was sliced off during filming of an action sequence. Ouch!

It's not the first time he's been injured. In the last movie, he cut his face, requiring stitches. Oh, no! Not that purty face!

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If you want the truth about Barack Obama, you can go to his new website, http://www.fightthesmears.com/, which debunks false rumors.

I plan to send it as a group reply to all those former coworkers who are continually sending me e-mails with bogus claims about him. Every single time I get one from them.

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In Italy, there be Unicorns! Well, maybe not. But a one-horn deer was discovered in Italy. There were pictures of it in the papers.

Personally, I choose to believe it is a modern day Unicorn.

Stay tuned.

More Randomness

I'm spinning out of control! Stop me, before I begin to like sports! Lately, I have been watching soccer, and find myself liking it. It's not so much a fondness for the game, itself, but enjoyment of the surrounding activities. I do wonder if they ever suffer a whiplash when they snap the ball with their heads. That must be hard on their necks.

I like the way the teams for both sides bring out little boys with them, dressed in the team uniforms. I like the way the crowds spontaneously burst into song when their teams do something they like, and whistle when something strikes them as wrong.

I like looking at the players (woo-hoo), and noting their physical differences by nationality. I like listening to the announcers. They are so very civil. And they can pronounce all those names with only consonants in them.

And, I especially like the referees when they stand there and laugh when one of the players gets kicked in the family jewels.

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How about Obama's choice of Elizabeth Edwards to head up his Health initiative. This can't have made Hillary happy. I didn't hear, though, whether this will be just for the campaign, or a place in his administration. It makes sense, though, because John Edwards and Barack Obama are much closer in their methods of achieving universal health care than Obama and Hillary are.

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Speaking of Obama, what was he thinking when he said in an interview Monday that he would like to see people given yet another stimulus check? He didn't elaborate much, except to say that it would help people get through the summer. Hmmmmmmmm. Was he momentarily possessed by the ghost of G.W. Bush?

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There was an article in the London Daily Mail describing the way John McCain treated his ex-wife when he came home from Vietnam and didscovered that she had been disfigured in a terrible wreck and had undergone several surgeries during a six month period. After her wreck, apparently Ross Perot footed all her medical bills, and, incidentally, has nothing good to say about McCain. When McCain returned, witnesses recounted, he began his womanizing almost immediately. Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer, and started divorce proceedings. This was about the time he decided that Cindy would be a more attractive mate, not to mention all her millions.

This man has a cruelty streak a mile wide.

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I feel so sorry for all those folks battling the weather all over the midwest. The flooding is widespread and many people have no flood insurance. Wouldn't you know the insurance companies don't want to cover the kind of natural disasters that would be the most likely to do widespread damage.

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Oh, no! Salmonella in the tomato supply! Roma tomatoes are on the list. What will all the Italian restaurants do?

Stay tuned.

Politics, etc.

But, Hillary? Oh, I just don't know. The race is rapidly sinking into the mire, and now, according to one news report, someone in Hillary's campaign is behind Rev. Wright's recent appearance before the National Press Corps. Denials all around, of course. Woudln't put it past her, though.

So far, Obama has remained cool as a cucumber with everything that has been thrown at him, but I would like to have been a fly on the wall when the good Rev. started appearing on television, with his own agenda. It might be necessary for Obama to show a little anger before long. He got pretty pissed off during that last debate, and couldn't completely hide it.

It has been suggested by some (New Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh I can't believe they have finally said something that I could agree with) that Rev. Wright is simply latching onto an opportunity to have his hate-filled, out-dated opinions heard. He may see himself as another Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson whose time has come. If so, it's time for Obama to distance himself completely and denounce the old bigot. It's one thing to tolerate a few wrong-headed sermons, for the sake of a long-term investment in one's church, and another thing to excuse what's happening, now.

Later: OK, Obama held a press conference in which he finally threw Rev. Wright under the bus. I hope the Rev's fifteen minutes are up. We don't need this kind of distraction in the final weeks of the campaign.

I'm still not counting Hillary out. She's one determined little lady, isn't she?

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Did anybody see John McCain's speech in which he talked about how we really NEED to do something about health care?? Seems he has a plan. Note to McCain: You've only been in the Senate since when ? The McKinley Administration? Why haven't you noticed this need before now?

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If you watched American Idol tonight, raise your hands? Hello? I wasn't going to watch it, either, then I remembered it was Neil Diamond night. Love that Neil Diamond. I would like to make a suggestion for future programs though, when they are featuring songs written and made famous by people who are now over 50, and asking people under 30 to sing them. For God's sake, sit those babies down and make them listen to the the featured artist's music for no fewer than 6 hours. Then, explain the lyrics to them. Sheesh!

Tonight was almost as bad as listening to them try to figure out Andrew Lloyd Webber last week. David Cook was the only one who actually "got" the music. Poor little Jason's voice has that lower register and with a little effort (practice) could have done justice to the songs he tried. Alas, he either didn't care or he was just plain bored or stoned or something.

No. You just don't want to suggest that this year's crop of Idol hopefuls try to sing songs that have actual lyrics, that should be understood before they can be sung. If the numbers don't lend themselves to the occasional "screech" and mournful "wooooooo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oo" and "Oooooohhhhh", these kids can't sing them.

Finally, why, oh why is Brooke still hanging in there? Who's she sleeping with? Huh? Huh?

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Dancing with the Stars is another show that has, in my opinion, jumped the shark. This week, Shannon (the gawky) and Derek leave the show. Too bad, so sad. Don't let the door hit you in the butt when you go out. Ho Hum.

Stay tuned.

One Less Friend

I guess I lost a friend today. Or, maybe I should say I drove her off, unless she is more forgiving than I know her to be.

She is forever sending me e-mails containing racist, bigoted, Republican propaganda, and today, I guess I snapped. She sent me a big picture of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson and someone else standing in front of a ginormous American flag. Of course, Barack doesn't have his hand over his heart, nor is he wearing a flag lapel pin. Her message was that she was going to send this photo every chance she got, because she just couldn't stand Barack Hussein Obama (his REAL name - her words).

Now, you all know I'm a mild-mannered little old Southern lady, sweet, gentle, and patient to a fault. I can put up with a lot of crap from a lot of people. I don't suffer it, gladly, but generally speaking, my feeling is that everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, and that includes being entitled to MY opinion. I try, always, to refrain from being rude, even in the face of political attack machines and dirty tricks, keeping in mind that it is all just "politics".

But, Dammit! I am so tired of these ignorant hillbillies around here sending me this crap! This is about the third time this particular hillbilly has sent me this particular picture. But, it's the first (and, hopefully, last) time I have responded to it. I asked her, not very nicely, to quit sending me this picture, and others like it. I told her I knew she was smart enough to recognize drivel when she saw it, so why was she buying into it this time?

I asked her what made her think that just because someone put his hand over his heart in front of an obscenely large American flag and wore some cheesy little lapel pin, it meant that he/she was a better American than someone who didn't follow suit, like Lemmings scampering over a cliff into the sea. I also told her that she was, of course, free to ignore my request, but that I was free to delete it without opening it. So, she might as well stop sending the thing, and others like it.

So, she's probably not speaking to me any more - and good riddance to her and the elephant she rode in on.

Of course, I realize that this is the kind of thing we are in for if and when Obama becomes the Democratic candidate against John McCain. And, of course, she will ignore my request because she has ignored all of my nicely written requests that she not send me her usual 19-25 boring e-mails daily, containing videos and dozens of photos that used to fill my e-mail box to capacity. I say "used to" because I finally opened a separate e-mail account, just for her e-mails, and another one or two people I used to work with, who were prone to forward to me every single piece of drivel they receive from others.

So, what do you think? Have I been offensive enough to shut her the f*ck up?

Debate? What Debate?

Last night’s debate was more like “The George and Charlie Show.” It was perfectly disgusting, the way both moderators lobbed “gotcha” questions, more of them aimed at Barack Obama than at Hillary Clinton. For the first fifty-five minutes, we were treated to a rehash of the latest non-issues.

Note to Media: The opinions of Obama’s retired minister have been done to death. And, who was that ignorant woman you managed to find who asked Obama why he wouldn’t wear a flag pin? Do you really think that wearing a flag pin would make him more patriotic? I am so tired of watching all those ignoramuses wrapping themselves in the flag in order to make others appear to be something less than “real” Americans.

Charlie, on a more personal note, those glasses don’t make you look any more intelligent, perched there on the end of your nose. They just make you look even more smug and self-satisfied.

George, I kind of think it would be a good idea if you came right out and admitted that you are working, whether paid or unpaid, for the Clinton campaign. Your bias is much too obvious, and since you have set yourself up as someone who should be unbiased, you really ought to start every program on which you appear with this admission.

Frankly, after seeing the latest debate, I think the candidates ought to refuse to debate again on ABC and also refuse to allow last night’s moderators to participate in any future debates. In fact, if I ran ABC, I would have called a meeting early this morning, and fired both of them for their disgraceful behavior.

So there.

What They Should Say

I'm getting a bit upset with Hillary. Can't the woman just give a straight, unequivocal answer to a question? For instance:

Reporter: "Hillary, do you believe Obama is a Muslim?"

Hillary's answer: "Well, I will take his word that he is not."

Best answer: "Of course I don't believe he's a Muslim! What a silly question!"


Reporter: "Hillary, will you repudiate Geraldine Ferraro's racist comments?"

Hillary's answer: "I don't agree with what she said. Both campaigns have said things that are over the top. Hopefully, we can stop that in the future. But, no, I'm not going to fire Gerry. I can't. She's not a paid worker." (sly smile).

Best answer: "I was very surprised and saddened to hear her say those things. I had no idea she felt that way, and I have asked her to stop representing me in any way."


And, all this "I'm experienced" stuff. Instead of claiming to play large parts in foreign policy decisions while visiting other countries, why couldn't she say, "I have been in the unique position of being present during preparations for many foreign policy meetings and have been allowed to observe closely. While my husband and the other world leaders met, I have been able to go off on my own and speak with the citizens of many foreign countries. I feel these experiences have given me a first-hand education in foreign policy. This is what I mean when I say I am more experienced."

Gad, why didn't she make me her Campaign Manager??????

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Obama does it right. Today's speech was great. His answers to questions from the media are always short and to the point.

I have a question for the Republicans and I don't expect them to give me an answer. Why don't you condemn John McCain for accepting support from the likes John Hagee and Pat Robertson, who have both made some pretty reprehensible comments on a variety of subjects? Why is McCain given a pass and Barack Obama is not?

More Politics???????

I can tell from the lack of comments that you are probably either getting bored with my nattering on and on or you don't agree with my positions, but that's all right. I get all wrapped up in politics during Presidential election years. So, I hope you'll bear with me until November, when I might be able to come up with something more amusing, interesting or entertaining to write about.

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Note to Tim Russert: Hillary voted to authorize GWB to make the decision to invade Iraq on the strength of lies and faulty information. So did a lot of others.

Live with it and move on.

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Note to Chris Matthews: See Note to Tim Russert.

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Note to Ralph Nader: Look closely into the mirror next time you shave. You're old, You're all ego, you're irrelevant.

Go away.

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Note to John McCain: You're the luckiest bastard on earth. You came back from 'Nam a hero and relatively intact. You've had an illustrious political career, especially after you dumped the first Mrs. McCain in favor of her wealthy, younger look-alike, who was able to finance your aspirations. Her you are, the leading candidate of a party full of people who don't really like you much. Get real.

You're no Ronald Reagan.

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Note to Barack Obama: You're almost as slick as "Slick Willie". So far, everyone's afraid to criticize you for fear of being called a racist. The fun's almost over. The Republicans have no such qualms.

Be ready.

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Note to Hillary: You've had some sorry advisors, and you're in danger of losing the nomination. The rats will soon begin leaving the ship. They're already telling you to drop out. Here's my advice: Don't get out until you're damn good and ready. Nobody else does.

You go, girl.

Feelin' Sorry for Hillary

She doesn't need my pity, but I kind of feel sorry for Hillary Clinton, anyway. Just think about it from her (possible) point of view. I don't know her personally, so I am making up my own scenario, here, and I could be wrong, but this is the way I see it.

First, at Yale, she met this goober from Arkansas who, like most good old Southern boys, could charm the birds out of the trees. He was the one, after all, who put astroturf in the bed of his pickup truck to make things more comfortable for the young ladies he was romancing back there. She may not have known this about him, at the time. But, much to her surprise, he loved her for her brain. So, she fell for him. Hard.

They started making their master plan. They got married, much to the chagrin of her friends and maybe her family up in big old sophisticated Chicago, and he took her to live in Arkansas, a place where one of her friends described as "primitive". And, she was happy as a clam while they lived there and she became a law professor and helped him become, first, Arkansas' Attorney General, then Governor, twice. He never objected to her continuing her work, this time as an associate in a prestigious (for a primitive state) law firm in Little Rock. He didn't even object when she decided to keep her maiden name, Rodham, instead of being little Mrs. Clinton.

By the time she had Chelsea, their plan was firmly in place. Bill was off and running for the main prize, the presidency. And, it worked. To the astonishment of the other candidates, Bill won.

They were right on schedule. Bill would serve for eight years, then, they promised Gore he would have his turn, and Hillary would make her bones, so to speak, in the Senate. After that, it would be her turn to become the first female president. And, then the wheels started coming off. Gore lost the election, with the help of the Supreme Court, the crooked Republicans and the stupidity of lots of people in Florida who supported Ralph Nader.

But, she didn't give up. After all she had endured, notably Whitewater and bimbo eruptions, she hung in there. She made good use of her time during the George W. Bush presidency, moving to New York and becoming a U.S. Senator. Biding her time, which wasn't easy for a Type A, impatient personality such as herself, she threw herself into the job, ingratiating herself with the other senators, working hard and taking advice from those more experienced. She gained a lot of respect from her fellow senators, so that by the time she announced her candidacy, she had already secured promises of support from a goodly number of super delegates and she could raise a lot of money.

Riding high, she readily accepted the notion that she had a straight shot to the nomination, and it would be all over by Super Tuesday.

Then, it happened. This much younger black man jumped into the fray. He was articulate, impressive, determined and extremely intelligent. He was of another generation, with new ideas and a way of expressing them that captured the imagination of many people who heretofore had supported Hillary. She had enjoyed the support of much of the black community before Barack Obama got into the race, and many of them, understandably, switched allegiances. The final blow came when even her super delegate support began eroding.

Since there was no cohesive plan for the weeks between Super Tuesday and the Democratic Convention, no one knew where to go from there. "Be nicer!" they advised. "Be meaner!" "Be softer, and cry!" "Lecture the young upstart! (Shame on you, Barack Obama!)" Things got sillier and sillier, and now, she is in danger of losing the whole enchilada. Everything she has worked for is slipping away.

After all she has put up with over the years, the time and effort she has put into helping others achieve their goals, she probably won't realize hers. It's really sad, when you think about it.