Another Disjointed Rant

I stole this from Hrrmph! I think it about sums it up.



Looks as though the McCain folks are trying very, very hard to dump Sarah Palin. She may be more difficult to throw under the bus than they at first thought.

However, before they do, there is one thing I would very much like to know. Why is it that it has been 9 days since she told Brian Williams that she would release her medical records, and she is still stonewalling? I believe I predicted that this would happen. The woman is hiding something, and it's something that would be devastating for the campaign. You heard it here.

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Here's something scary for Hallowe'en. At a rally today, John McCain promised (threatened?) to take Joe the (not) Plumber to Washington when he wins. As what? The mind boggles.

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Seems the Center for Media and Public Affairs did a study, and reported that the media newscasts in the past 2 months have reflected positively on Obama. And, they also report that the first half of Fox News Channel's "Special Report" with Brit Hume showed more balance than any of the network broadcasters.

Read that last sentence and see if you can figure out which way the Center leans.

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Did you see Al Gore's speech in Florida? One of his comments really resonated with me. He said, " The Stone Age didn't end because we were running out of stones." He said, among other things, that it ended because change happened. And, the "Oil Age" won't end because we run out of oil. It will end because we will find ways to stop depending so heavily on it. But, change won't happen in a McCain Administration.

Every time I see Al Gore I think how different things could be today, and would have been for the past eight years if he had been President.

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Chris Matthews was talking about the "Undecided" voters, if any there be. He asked, "What do they want, breakfast in bed?" I don't always agree with him, but I do agree with that question. This late in the campaign, I tend to think that people probably aren't really undecided. They just don't want to state their preferences. That's good enough for me.

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The media people want to keep the suspense alive by talking about how close the race is becoming in many areas, but Obama is still polling way ahead in the number of electoral votes he has amassed, unless everybody is lying. I hope the polls are accurate.

Here's what I want to happen. Whether John McCain wins or loses, I want him to just shut up about his unfortunate incarceration in the Hanoi Hilton. He seems to think that he's the only person in the world who suffered in Vietnam. And, he thinks that it entitles him to be the President. He has dined out on that particular period in his life for his entire career. Has he done ANYTHING else noteworthy in his life?

He scoffs and calls Obama a Socialist and worse, while his whole life has been spent living off of the Government. Has he ever held down a real, honest job in the private sector? Does he have any idea what it's like to work at a job he hates but can't leave because he needs Health Insurance? Of course not. He has had free health insurance all of his life.

But, I am getting carried away, so I'd better do what I advised him to do - shut up.

There is one more thing I want, though. I want Obama to win with a large enough margin to amount to a complete repudiation of George W. Bush, John McCain, Sarah Palin, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan and all their advisors who keep espousing the "Trickle Down" theory.
It doesn't work. Never has. Never will.

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.

Random Thoughts For A Monday

It's really funny the way John McCain and Sarah Palin keep calling Obama a Socialist. Especially in the face of the gigantic bailout of the banks and mortgage companies that Bush and the Congress and Senate have foisted off on the taxpayers.

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Now, the auto industry wants $15 Billion more, on top of the $25 Billion that has already been allocated for them. Might I be so bold as to suggest that the auto industry got itself into this shape because they moved all the jobs out of the country years ago, thanks to Nafta, as did many other industries? Why shoud they expect a country that they sold out to step up and save their bacon with bailouts that will ultimately be paid for by many of the very taxpayers that they laid off in their run for the border?

I say no bailouts until they start bringing jobs back into the country.

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Furthermore, it's very obvious to me that the prescription drug program, known as Medicare Part D has many, many flaws and could stand some reform of its own. I have a feeling that if we manage to get a large majority in the House and Senate this year, they had better do something about this blatant giveaway to the Insurance Companies, or we aren't going to be too particular about which party gets voted out next time, just the individuals who try to perpetuate this program as it is. They can start showing their good faith by getting rid of that idiotic donut hole, and make the insurance companies cover everyone ALL YEAR, instead of just up to a point, whereby they gleefully continue to collect premiums during the months they don't have to cover anyone.

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Here's something to ponder: If we can spend trillions bailing out the fat cats, who's to say we couldn't bail out Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid if they start to go under? Or, would that be too beneficial for ordinary citizens?

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Oh, I'm so glad Sarah is wearing her own clothes again. I'm sure she is much more comfortable. And I'm glad she and Elisabeth Hasselbeck are keeping the story alive day after day.

Methinks McCain has created a monster.

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By the way, if you think racism hasn't reared its ugly head in the campaign, you should be reading my e-mail. Some of the stuff people are sending me just make me sick. But then, I live in one of the most racist areas of a basically racist state. Maybe it's not as bad elsewhere?

Sarah Failin'

DONKEYS!?! She couldn't find a scarf with elephants on it?

I just couldn't resist stealing this from my friend Patsy's blog. I don't know where she finds them, but she comes up with some of the BEST photos! And, since I planned to rant about Sarah again, even though I have promised at least twice before that I was through talking about her, I couldn't stop myself. Evidently, I lied like a rug.

Well! It didn't take the Hockey Mom-Maverick-Reformer-I Love America and You Don't Girl long to jump on the old gravy train, did it? $150,000+, compliments of the RNC for a wardrobe, makeup and hairdo can do wonders for the Republicans' answer to Eliza Doolittle (giving credit to Chris Matthews, here. I'll steal from anybody, and admit it. ). I guess Walmart, K-Mart, Penneys and Target aren't good enough any more.

And, yet, when we see her speaking at rallies, she is wearing the same old rags, dark skirt, blouse/jacket and heels. She either has five identical outfits or she's washing them out by hand in the Super Eight each night. So, where does she wear all these Neiman Marcus and Saks outfits?

If you ask me, and you didn't, but that's neither here nor there, the RNC needs to spend a few dollars on Sarah's behalf to buy her a copy of the U.S. Constitution so she can bone up on the two duties of the Vice President. Then, maybe then she wouldn't embarrass herself and the Grand Old Party, saying she plans to expand the V.P.'s duties beyond the original ones and the other ones she aspires to, i.e. running the Senate and helping make policy.

I have a sneaky feeling that the Senators jealously guard their exalted positions in the government. Oh, they might be polite enough to listen to one or two of Sarah's ideas at a cocktail party, but when it comes to formal policy meetings, she'll be surprised to find the door firmly closed in her face.

In other news, apparently Sarah has finally agreed, albeit ungraciously, to release her medical records. It remains to be seen if this it accomplished before election day, and if they are complete.

In the meantime, Sarah's running mate, is trying to get over his latest Senior Moment in Pennsylvania. He said, "Obama is saying some pretty nasty things about this part of the state. (Cheers) and I couldn't agree more." (Huh?) He tried again, "And, I don't disagree." (Silence) and, one more time, "And, I don't agree." (more cheers)

At another rally, McCain used his convoluted reasoning to condemn Obama for wanting to reward corporations with tax credits for creating new jobs and/or bringing jobs back to the U.S. McCain apparently sees this as Socialism, or spreading the wealth around. And, all the time, I thought HE thought that giving the middle class opportunities to make a living was bad and giving corporations money was okey-dokey. I'm so confused.

But not as confused as McCain.

McCain vs Women

Here's a quote from John McCain that I read yesterday. "Sarah Palin is a direct counterpoint to the liberal feminist agenda for America. She's the best thing that could have happened to my campaign and to America."



Hear that, unhappy Hillary supporters? NOW go and vote for McCain.

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.

He'll Take The High Road

And, let Sarah take the low road.

So, now we know what desperation looks like, and it's pretty ugly to behold. John McCain has abandoned whatever sense of decency he may have once had and is hiding behind a woman's skirts. He knows that Sarah Palin is lying about Obama, claiming he is "palling around with terrorists", yet he allows her to go on saying them, or, maybe he even encourages her. And, there's more to come.

If there's anything I detest about politics, it's the way candidates tend to sell their souls when it begins to look as though they are losing ground. I first noticed this when George H.W. Bush abandoned all of the core beliefs that he had held throughout his entire career. He went from a moderate Republican to a Reagan idealogue, in exchange for Reagan's promise to back him when the time came for him to run for President.

After Bush's first term, when it appeared he was in real trouble against that upstart, Bill Clinton, he kicked over all the traces and unleashed the religious right at his convention, and they have been running rampant over the Republican Party ever since.

Then, George W. Bush got religion and the zealots embraced him, he won, and we all know how that worked out.

John McCain tried to follow that lead, and it didn't work for him, because the idealogues are uncomfortable around mavericks. Too hard to control, they think. Hence, Sarah Palin. McCain is hoping she can deliver the extremist wing of the party that has heretofore been coolish to him. It seems he has now turned her loose to do what she does best - trash the opposition. Like others of her ilk, she's not much troubled by the truth. "Any means to an end" is their mantra, because "God is on our side". She is as transparent as a pane of glass and she doesn't care who realizes it.

The McCain people have no doubt promised her their backing when she runs for President in her own right. Yeah, right. Like the Republicans are actually going to elect a woman as their candidate. When pigs fly, with or without lipstick.

John McCain has had a long and distinguished career. Once revered as a genuine war hero, he was his own man. Now, he's just a pathetic old man, desperate to fight Vietnam all over again, and relive the glory days when he was young and had the world by the tail.

The sad part of it is whether he wins or loses, he'll have to live out the rest of his life with the knowledge that he has diminished himself by allowing naked ambition to replace dignity, honor and integrity.

Maverick no more. Hero no more.

McCain To The Rescue

Don't be fooled. John McCain is suspending his campaign and going to Washington because all of his campaign advisors are already there, lobbying for the banking and mortgage undustries.

He did manage to appear in an interview with Katie Couric before riding off on his white horse to save the country. But, he canceled an appearance on Letterman, which didn't sit too well. Letterman fired back by having Keith Olbermann on in McCain's place, and they sat there and made fun of him.

Hasn't anyone told Senator McCain that we are now well into the 21st Century, with all sorts of technology that can keep him in constant contact with his fellow Senators?

McCain doesn't want to debate Friday night, either. Well, ok, then, send Sarah, since he thinks she's so qualified. I think he's just trying to create a situation where there won't be enough time for the Vice-Presidential debate.

This is the wierdest presidential campaign I've ever seen, and I've seen lots of 'em. If it weren't so disgusting, it would be funny.

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.

But, Seriously...........

I actually felt sorry for John McCain Thursday night, at first. So many things went wrong for him that night. It should have been his night to shine, but he was completely overshadowed by his choice for Vice President. First, when he appeared on stage, he looked old and tired, resembling anything but the "maverick" he claims to be. That green screen didn't help any. Then, the backdrop with the blue sky and the flag flying was supposed to make us think of Patton. But, McCain didn't bear any resemblance to General Patton. Instead of a rousing speech with the crowd on its feet most of the time, he launched into an "I have sinned" kind of speech that should have sounded humble, but it wasn't because he pretty much absolved himself.

The bulk of the speech was the same tired old reminiscences about how he got shot down and spent five years in the Hanoi Hilton, and other POW camps. Yadda, yadda, yadda. I think I sort of snapped during that self-aggrandizing speech. I actually wanted to yell at the screen and tell him that I knew plenty of guys who came back from Vietnam sick and broken after having been injured and/or held in POW camps. And, every last one of them came home and got on with their lives and didn't have to use their experiences to get ahead for the next 30 years.

Just take a closer look at John McCain. He proudly describes his own timeat the Naval Academy as a "four-year course of insubordination and rebellion." He claims his father and grandfather got a kick out of his antics.

He once toyed with the idea of joining the French Foreign Legion, until he found out that the Legion required nine years of service.

I wonder how they liked the fact that he was such a "hot dog" that he crashed one plane into Corpus Christi Bay in Texas. Then, he ejected from another jet that flamed out as he was flying solo. Was he showing off?

Later, he knocked down power lines by flying too low over southern Spain. Hot-dogging, again? It has to be unusual for a young fighter pilot to lose that many planes without being stuck behind a desk, or mustered out, or had his path to promotions frozen. Unless, of course, he has a grandfather and father who are both Admirals.

The fact that he showed such recklessness and lack of judgment that he lost at least four planes can't speak too well for his presidential ambitions. I say "four" planes, because being shot down in Vietnam can't be called a success. Considering his past, could he have been showing off once again, flying too low, taking chances, mindless of everything but the thrill of the kill? He admits that he never considered the idea that he could lose his life in the war.

During his speech, he didn't say one word about his policies, or his vision for his presidency. He really couldn't, you know. Because he intends to continue the damage that was done by the Bush Administration. He wants to privatize Social Security, pass a Constitutional Amendment making abortion not only illegal in ANY case, but making it a criminal offense. He has no intention of "reforming" health care, and has never uttered a word about education. He has voted against the Federal Minimum Wage 14 times. He voted against the new G.I. Bill until it became expedient for him to vote for it.

I could go on and on, and I probably will, but not right now. Right now, I am feeling pretty disgusted about that speech, and all the other speeches made during that pathetic convention.

More later.

Cynicism Run Amok

Here is the "before" and "after of John McCain's choice for Vice-President.












The first one is Sarah Palin as beauty contestant, and the second one is Sarah Palin, good Republican woman.

That sound you heard early Friday morning was the collective dropping of Republican jaws when John McCain announced that his choice for Vice-President was Sarah Palin. He even had to glance at his cheat sheet to remind himself of her name.

When you consider how many very worthy Republican women were available to him, i.e.: Condi Rice, Kay Baily Hutchinson, it passeth understanding how he rationalized his decision to choose someone with so little to bring to the ticket.

If he wanted to chase away the women who backed Hillary, and threatened to bolt and vote for him, he couldn't have done a better job of it. Her political philosophy couldn't be farther from theirs. She's pro-life, pro-guns, pro-NRA, and anti-gays. Of course, he has solidified his evangelical base, all the right wing wackos, but at what cost? There were plenty of people in his party who are very unhappy with John McCain being the candidate, but were willing to be good soldiers, so to speak, and support him. But now? That will remain to be seen.

This choice just screams volumes about McCain's opinion of women in general, too. He's saying, in effect, you girls are just so dumb and empty-headed that you will accept anyone I choose. So, get back in the kitchen and shut up.

Much as I hate to admit to one or two tiny faults, I'm going swim over to the shallow end of the polical pool and own up to one failing by telling you my first impression of Ms Palin. With that hairdo and those dorky glasses, I thought she looked like one of those "cult" members from Texas, only better dressed. There, I feel better, now that you know I'm human. Then, I found the picture of her with her short shorts and deep cleavage and wondered, "Will the real Sarah Palin please stand up?"

I also wonder how Cindy McCain feels about her hubby's choice.

This could get interesting.

His Lyin' Eyes

In an Op Ed piece in Military.com, Philip Butler relates the story of his experiences as a POW in Vietnam at the same time and in the same POW camp as John McCain. If you would like to read the piece in its entirety, here is the address:

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_2,00.html

Dr. Butler explains that while he respects John McCain, he won't vote for him. He writes that he arrived at the camp two years before McCain did, and he had to endure four years of torture, but McCain only had to go through two years because of the regime change that brough a softening of the treatment. Butler says that virtually everyone was offered early release, and all of them refused, because release was conditioned on the POWs' cooperation in making propaganda tapes, etc. Nevertheless, John McCain made no fewer than 24 propaganda tapes, one of them was made two days after his capture.

His problem with John McCain is that he seems to depict himself as the only one who ever refused early release, and that he has used and embellished his story constantly to further his political career. Dr. Butler says that time in a POW camp over 30 years ago does not make McCain experienced enough to be President.

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There was a little story being bandied about that John McCain made up his touching little story about the enemy soldier that loosened his chains and drew a cross in the dirt, on Christmas Eve. Lots of people think that McCain got this story from "Gulag Archepelago", by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, but this apparently is false. McCain is a big fan of Solzhenitsyn, and the story could conceivably have been told in one of his books, but not in "Gulag".

The story has been around for a long time and quoted as an Urban Legend in Christian circles. It originated with Charles Colson. Remember him? Why is it that all those Nixon henchmen keep popping back up in today's Republican Party? Back in 2000, McCain reshaped the story and it was used to "sweet-talk" evangelicals.

McCain has lied, to suit his purpose, as usual.

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Cone of Silence, indeed. That's a good one. John McCain answered the Reverend's questions much too quickly, without pausing to think about them. It's the first time I've ever seen him do that.

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By the way, did anyone know that Cindy McCain has an older step-sister? Her father had been married twice, and Cindy was his second daughter. You can look it up. You certainly won't hear it from Cindy or John McCain. Why not?

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What else are we going to be asked to swallow about this old charlatan? When is the media going to start taking a closer look at him?

About John Edwards

Thanks to Margie at Margie's Musings for the Super Commenter award. Go over and check out her blog.

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Now, about John Edwards. I may be the only person in the blogosphere who thinks all this gotcha journalism is a huge invasion of privacy. Frankly, I don't know why anyone would care about his affair or affairs at this point. Maybe, if he were the Presidential nominee, it would rate a story, although that tactic didn't work out very well for the Clinton detractors, did it? And, John Edwards wasn't destined to be the V.P. candidate, anyway, even if he was on the list.

Of course, he denied the affair. Duh! They always deny it. It's a knee-jerk reaction. I have never known a man who would simply admit cheating on his wife. Even when they're caught beyond any doubt, the first instinct is to deny, deny, deny.

And, no, it doesn't have anything to do with Obama. So, the media can stop the silly questions about how this will affect him and theconvention and the entire Democratic Party. The short answer is, it won't. And, there's no reason for Edwards to stay away from the convention. If all the men who ever cheated on their wives were required to stay away from the convention, the hall would be full of nothing but women.

So, let's just get over all this phony outrage. There are lots more important things to worry about.

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And, speaking of affairs, and womanizing candidates for President, why oh why doesn't anyone condemn John McCain for his affairs? It seems that moral outrage is saved for Democrats.

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Don't you find it ironic that George Bush actually stood up to a microphone in front of the whole world and condemned Russia for "invading a sovereign nation"? Hello pot, meet the kettle.

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Anybody watching the Olympics? Me, neither. I'll admit I did watch the opening, to see how they would light the torch. Nothing, in my humble opinion, could top what they did in Barcelona. Last night was pretty good, but Barcelona - Wow!


Stay tuned.

Nothing But The Truth

The next time you receive that mass e-mail stating that Barack Obama had the American flag removed from his campaign plane, it will state that Snopes says it is true. And, it is - as far as it goes. Snopes It goes on to say that he only removed the flag that was used in the American Airlines logo on the tail of the plane. There is still an American flag on the plane right next to the plane's serial number. Furthermore, in the NEXT paragraph, there is a picture of John McCain's airplane, and there's not a sign of an American flag anywhere.

Good grief, people! Next time, try to tell the whole truth, instead of picking out words and phrases that match up with your biased, ignorant, bigoted, racist ideas.

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The other day, in Ozark, MO, a 16 year old boy was found on the ground under a bridge. Police tased him 19 times. They justified this by saying that the kid didn't turn over when they told him to. Turns out, the boy had a broken back.

'Way to go, Officer Krupke! (You remember Officer Krupke from 'West Side Story', don't you?")

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It's been a bad week for 16-year-old boys. A young employee at the Branson Zoo offered to take a picture of the tigers, but fell inside the enclosure, and was bitten several times. The official story from the Zoo officials was that the tigers were trying to help the boy.

Nice kitties.

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Last week, our local City Council met in closed session and took a secret vote replacing a retiring councilman. The Mayor assured them that the vote was legal. (Snrk.) Worse, yet, so did the City Attorney. This is the kind of thing that makes the editor of our local paper go apeshit. He is all about the Freedom of Information Act. So, the council, to shut him up, met the next week, in open session and voted the same way.

I would like to think the Mayor, Attorney and Council can't possibly be stupid enough to keep on trying that secret vote business. They must be doing it to rattle the editor's cage and watch him blow like Old Faithful.

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Hey, did you see the video that Paris Hilton made, calling John McCain a "wrinkly old guy"?

The wrinkly old guy apparently didn't get it, because he called it "cute".

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Speaking of McCain, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Cindy took him to the woodshed for pinping her out to the biker beauty pageant.

That old geezer ought to get all the feminists flags flying for his apparent attitude toward women.

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Show of hands. How many people have gone to McCain's website and bought tire gauges for $25.00 a pop? He's too much a part of the Washington mind-set to see anything wrong with charging that much for an 89 cent item available at Wal-Mart. But, then, I have never noticed him objecting to the gubbmint buying $200 ash trays and $600 toilet seats, either.

Some maverick.


Stay tuned.

Ramblings and Memes

I tried to watch a biopic about Bob Dylan, yesterday afternoon. It's called "He's Not There", and sure enough, he wasn't. After about 45 minutes, I wasn't there anymore, either. "

And, that's all I have to say about that.

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Making the candidates approve their ads is the best thing that has happened to the political arena in decades. This way, John McCain can't claim he didn't know anything about the silly ad his campaign is running, blaming Obama for the high gas prices.

Furthermore, he needs to figure out (after the election) that when he denies having said something, there is going to be a tape of what he said somewhere that will make him out to be the liar he is. Or, maybe he's just getting senile. Either way, he doesn't need to be the one with his hand on the red phone.

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OK. Velvet Sacks tagged me for a meme and I'm going to try to do it. "Name six things you are proud of." I'm trying to think of six things. So, here goes.


1. It will come as no surprise to my blogbuddies that I am proud of my children. They both turned out to be fine human beings, in spite of the fact that they could have gone bad and then blamed their "broken home" for the way they turned out. I've always said that they never gave me any trouble because it was all too apparent that their Mom was just hanging by a thread and could have snapped at any moment. Then, who would have taken them to school?

2. I am proud of my high school, Little Rock Central High. I graduated the year that we made history when we integrated the school. I am proud of my fellow students for helping to keep order inside the school while screaming crowds of protesters had to be held back by the local police. And, I am proud of the Little Rock Nine, the black students who kept coming back to school day after day, being escorted past those ugly, jeering faces in the crowds. "Central" has always been named one of the best high schools in the country, and that year was no exception. Those black students went on to distinguish themselves in various fields, as did many of the other students who endured that year. We all worked hard to make things as normal as possible in that trying time. And, I think we succeeded.

3. In the '60s, while much of the country was in turmoil, protesting the war in Vietnam, the newspaper staff at the Uof A were involved in a protest of our own. One of our reporters became privy to the information that the funds earmarked for a new library had been moved into the coffers of the athletic department. So, he wrote the story, it was printed, and he and the two editors of the newspaper were fired. The University took over the newspaper, which had always been independent, according to the Freedom of the Press concept, but it was destined to be censored, so I and the rest of the newspaper staff resigned in protest.

The Administration had a new, more cooperative, editor waiting in the wings and she made a tepid attempt to get me to stay on, which gave me the opportunity to proudly make my own version of a "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech, with much huffing and hair tossing.

4. I discovered, while working for a large corporation, that I was endowed with an adaptability that came in very handy. I was the Executive Secretary to a succession of bosses (7 of them), over a period of 15 years. Some of them left through promotions, and some of them left in the dead of night, escorted from the premises by a corporate officer, but, there I stayed, ready to deal with the next personality who would sometimes be introduced to me, by surprise, the following morning.

I was the personification of the term "dead end job."

5. I am proud of my grandmother who, in her early twenties, left her home in England, and without so much as a backward glance, sailed to the United States to meet the man she met and fell in love with on a cruise. It could have been such a disaster. What if he had merely led her on? What if he failed to show up at the dock, with the engagement ring, and a firm intent to marry her as promised?

I am proud of her because I know in my heart I would have spent the rest of my days alone, a bitter old maid, with 18 cats, in a tiny cottage in England, before I would have embarked on such a journey with the confidence she showed.

6. And, finally, I have to say that I am proud of the Democratic Party for putting forth a woman and a black man as our candidates for President of the United States. I will happily vote for Barack Obama.

At the same time, I may also shed a tear for Hillary.

Let's Pretend

Oh, I'm so relieved. Here I was, obsessing over gas and food prices, and wondering where it would all end. Silly me. I should have known it was all in my mind. Thank you, thank you, Phil Gramm, for setting me straight. I wasn't too happy about being called a whiner, though. I really thought that was a bit mean of you.

Now, when I fill up my gas tank, I'll whistle a little tune. When I go to the grocery store, I'll be able to buy brand name veggies and better cuts of meat, instead of store brands and stew meat and hamburger. Then, when I go through the checkout line, and the cashier reluctantly gives me the total, I won't have a fainting spell. I'll just smile at her, shake my head, and say, "It's all right, you know. It's just a figment of our imagination."

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John McCain says Social Security is a disgrace. Well, not exactly. He says the fact that working people are paying into Social Security so retired people can draw theirs is a disgrace. Never mind that's the way the program was set up to begin with, and has worked very successfully ever since its inception.

You know what he really means, don't you? He wants to privatize Social Security. He really hasn't made a secret of it. Just because the old codger has access to more money than he can count, and doesn't need Social Security, he doesn't want anyone else to have it, either. But, he does want to reward all the companies who could cash in on it if it's ever privatized.

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You may have noticed that the Washington media has chosen to ignore McCain's outrageous voting record as it pertains to women. He voted FOR a bill that would make insurance companies pay for Viagra, but voted AGAINST one that would make them pay for birth control pills.

And, he thinks he can get the women's vote. Snrk. Think about it, Hillary holdouts!

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Jesse Jackson put his foot in it, again. After an interview, he thought his microphone was turned off when he murmured, "....... Obama's talking down to black people. I'd like to cut his b----s off." Jesse, Jesse, Jesse. What a cut-up, no pun intended. Now, he'll have to go on all the talking heads' shows all weekend and try to 'splain himself.

Who's the winner here? Why, Jesse, of course.

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Speaking of Jacksons, Michael Jackson is said to be planning a comeback. Supposedly, he'll be touring with "The New Kids On The Block."

I guess he's too old to go on American Idol.

Stay tuned.

Points To Ponder

Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, wants some kind of time-table for a withdrawal of American troops in the deal the two countries are negotiating. President Bush is resisting. Quelle surprise!

If he can get a commitment out of President Bush, he'll be doing more than the American public has been able to do. Good luck to him.

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When is a potato chip not a potato chip? When it's a Pringle, that's when. At least, that's what a court in the UK has decided. The makers of Pringles argued that their product shouldn't have to pay the value-added tax imposed on potato chips because there's hardly any potato in a Pringle. It's mostly dough and other things. The court bought the argument.

Who knew?

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Ask John McCain about his service record in Viet Nam and he will tell you that he never talks about it. I guess that's why all his campaign ads, so far, have bragged about the fact that his plane was shot down, he was held captive for five years, refused to leave when they offered to let him go, blah, blah, blah. The latest ad contains flashbacks from 1968, and shows pictures of a young flier (McCain) and all I can think when I see this ad is, MYGAWD! HE'S OLD!

Probably, this isn't the desired reaction, ya think?

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I saw a story in the paper yesterday, talking about the fact that doctors are now giving children medication for high cholesterol. My word! Isn't it typical of the medical profession these days to think that pills and other drugs will solve all health problems?

For a while, we doped up our children with Ritalin when they showed some exuberance, and now, we're giving them cholesterol drugs so they won't have to get off their little duffs and go outside and get some exercise playing, and their parents won't have to pay any attention to their little diets of cola, pizza, burgers and fries.

Stay tuned.

Random Thursday

Our local newspaper devoted a full page to these two photos and four or five others just like them. "Look, ma, I killed me a turkey! Ain't I smart?"

OK. I don't have anything against hunting. Honest. I just object to putting a rifle in a young child's hand and letting him/her go out and kill something. Is it any wonder so many kids grow up and kill other people? I think it should be against the law for anyone to have access to any kind of gun until he/she is at least old enough to get a driver's license.

Teach your children well.

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When you don't get out much, you have all kinds of time for your mind to wander. Many times, when I'm reading, my mind takes over and after while, I realize that my book is in my lap and I have been thinking deep thoughts that some might call "crazy ideas." I develop some of my best conspiracy theories this way.

The other day, I was letting my mind do its thing, wandering through the maize of seemingly insurmountable problems facing our country these days. The war, rising gas prices, rising food prices, they all seem connected to each other, making it harder to solve them. But, we have to start somewhere.

So, let's stop this silly war.

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Let's find someone Hillary trusts and have him tell her that it's all over but the shouting. She has started embarrassing herself, and doesn't realize it. She is going to jeopardize her political future if she doesn't watch out.

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And, will somebody please explain to John McCain that claiming that Hamas endorses Barack Obama will most likely be construed as negative campaiging? He claims he's going to conduct a positive campaign.

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On a lighter note, did you see Clay Aiken on "The View" this morning? Wherever he goes, it seems he is trailed by a fan club that calls themselves "Claymates". Why does this seem kind of creepy?

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Speaking of "The View", the ladies have been preoccupied with hyping Barbara Walters' new autobiography that hit the stores yesterday. It has definitely been "suck-up week". Nobody is better at self-aggrandizement than Barbara.

Unless it's Star Jones, who has taken this opportunity to make her own headlines in the gossip columns, by trashing Barbara. Gleefully.

I do love a cat fight.

See what I mean? I may stay at home, but my mind wanders the world.

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.