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.

The Many Faces of Hillary

Hillary is beginning to get on my nerves. This late in the race, she seems to be trying on different personas. She reminds me of one of our local quick stops that advertises, "We'll treat you so many ways, you're bound to like one of them."

First, in the last debate, she was Lady Bountiful fawning over Obama almost to the point of being condescending. Everyone said, "Awwwwwwwww, how sweet and gracious she is."

A day later, she is standing on a stage with some unnamed guy behind her whose job is to nod his head sagely, while she scolds, "Shame on you Barack Obama!" Everyone said, "Wow, she's like the schoolmarm who is terribly disappointed in her hapless student."

Then, she's shown waving her arms around and weaving a fantasy about how everybody is going to get together, join hands and sing Kumbaya, and peace will break out over the land, nay, all over the world, and everything will be good. Nobody knows what to say about this performance.

And, there stands Obama, looking like someone who is watching a train wreck in slow motion. And, everybody says, "Oooooooooooo, he's unshakeable, so even-tempered!"

So, I can't wait to see tonight's debate. Wonder which Hillary will appear. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see her wringing her hands and opining that the media is being unfair to her.

Stay tuned.

Those Damn Democrats

The Democrats don't ever do anything halfway, do they? If there's quicksand anywhere around, they'll find it and jump in. Bless 'em. It's feast or famine.

The media pundits seem surprised when they make much of the fact that women over Sixty are supporting Hillary Clinton. Well, duh. Of course. We women over Sixty are the ones who fought the good fight for women's rights. We have waited all these years for the Democrats to nominate a woman for the Presidency. The closest we have come, up to now, was Geraldine Ferraro, and we stood by and let her sleazy husband's activities shoot down her chance to become Vice-President.

So, now we have another worthy candidate, who also has a sleazy husband, but who has had the strength and determination to deflect all attempts to be tarred with the same brush he was. She has emerged as the strong, determined wife who stuck by her husband and didn't let him bring her down because she had her eye on her own prize - becoming the first female President of the United States.

She's not perfect, but we're philosophical about it. She may be our last chance to see a woman President in our lifetimes.

And, what do our fellow Democrats do? They bring in another candidate who also represents something we have waited a long time for. For all those years, while we fought for the rights of women, we were also fighting for the rights of people of color. We were captivated by Jessie Jackson and watched him light up the room everywhere he spoke. We celebrated the Civil Rights Movement with the same zeal that we gave to the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment).

Now, we have Barack Obama, a black man who has his own way of lighting up a room. A man we would all be proud to vote for. And, he's ahead. And, we would be satisfied with him as the candidate.

If it weren't for Hillary. So, we're pretty much split down the middle. Why, oh why, can't the Democrats do things one at a time? For all these years, we have hoped for a viable female candidate - OR - a viable black male/female candidate. Now that we have both at the same time, what's a good Liberal Democrat to do? We really can't have them both. It's hard to imagine that either of the candidates would accept the Vice-Presidency.

OK. The handwriting seems to be on the old wall. We'll shed a tear for Hillary (and our dreams) and go to the polls and vote enthusiastically for Obama.

And, we'll hope that there will still be time for us to see the first female President. Hmmmmm. I wonder if Caroline Kennedy has any political aspirations.

The Huckster's At It Again

It will be a crying shame when the time comes for Mike Huckabee to hang it up and drop out of the race for the presidency. We'll miss his pious, folksy stand-up act while, at the same time, we, in Arkansas learn even more about his dark, smarmy, greedy side.

Now, we discover, thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, and the diligence of some people at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, that he had a secret slush fund, er, Special Events fund sustained by private donations to a private bank account set up by the governor's office and administered by his Chief of Staff while he was in office.

Apparently, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration also got in on the act by helping to manage it.

Who knows how much money flowed through this "special events" fund or where it wound up, but I think we can guess. Huckabee only disclosed one gift "on behalf of the state". That was his official portrait, which he valued at between $40,000 to $50,000.

It's the tip of the iceberg, folks.

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It's almost time for the South Carolina primary. What a good idea, having it on Saturday, when most people are off work and have the whole day in which to vote.

Alas, I'm moving away from Hillary, even though I'd love to see a woman in the presidency. And, it's all that big ol' bull-in-a-china-shop Bill's fault! If he doesn't tone it down a bit, he's liable to alienate a lot of people. I know it's all political strategy, and heaven knows he's better at it than just about anybody, but I wonder if he realizes what a tightrope he's walking. And I wonder if they have actually written off South Carolina and he's just hanging around, sniping at Obama just for the fun of it.

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What a mess this campaign season has been! First the states battle it out to see which one will be the first to hold a primary, ending with the races starting 'way too early. Who ever heard of candidates running out of funds and having to drop out of the race before Super Tuesday? Good grief!

Dennis Kucinic called it a day, this morning. This leaves only three candidates.

Now, there's a rumor out there that John Edwards is just about ready to drop out, and that just makes me mad. Not because he is my candidate of choice; that would have been Bill Richardson. But, because that leaves us only two choices out of an original field of excellent choices, which is very disappointing. They should all have had more time.

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And, how will you spend your $600? Pay bills? Stash it in your savings account? Give a portion to charity? Of course not! I predict that there will be a steep spike in the sales of HD television sets.

Of course, being a "senior", I don't have to make a decision about that. People on Social Security don't merit a little bonus. In fact, this year, we received the lowest increase that we have had since I joined the ranks of the retired. Lucky me.