I have zero tolerance for liberal/progressive attempts to portray the Ft. Hood terrorist as not responsible for his actions--i.e., perhaps he was "mentally ill" (isn't that rather oxymoronic that the Army would hire a psychiatrist whom himself was "mentally ill"? Physician, heal thyself!) or a "victim" of his Muslim heritage... When liberals postulate any criminal is not responsible for his own actions, it undermines the very foundation of our legal system.
I have no problem with Major Hasan's full legal rights in front of a military court-martial; this is not the government trying to plant evidence on an innocent Army officer whom just happens to be Muslim. But let's stop pretending he didn't engage in a premeditated act. The evidence is compelling. First-person testimony has it Hasan shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great") as the unprovoked doctor opened fire on his fellow unarmed American soldiers. Let us not dishonor, with a sophistic comparison of a murderer, the true victims: the ones whom died while serving their country with honor and distinction. Rest in peace, our fallen American heroes.
Senators Landrieu, Lincoln, and Nelson Are Tools of Senator Majority Leader Reid
I was looking for (but couldn't find) some conservative cartoonist caricaturing the Blue Dog Democrats as toothless lap dogs for Pelosi, Reid and Obama, getting kicked for the sport of it, and doing tricks at their command. Allowing debate to proceed on a compellingly unsatisfactory bill, that masquerades as "reform" but is in fact an unprecedented market share grab by the federal government, is unconscionable for anyone whom suggests he or she is moderate, independent or conservative. News reports of business-as-usual deal making in the bill (about $100M in Louisiana relief) to attract Landrieu's vote makes her sham justifications even more disingenuous. I am sick and tired of hearing Landrieu and others parrot propaganda statistics misleadingly comparing health care expenditures between European countries/Canada against the United States. Do you seriously want to compare the innovation, quality and responsiveness of medical care in the United States to these countries? For all the health insurer-bashing going on about "windfall profits" and dropped coverages, etc., the fact is that our private health insurers schedule costly procedures or approve expensive drugs many of the other developed countries, under a government-protected, "non-profit" monopoly, reject or postpone. Ironically, as those countries seem to recognize the shortcomings of their own health care systems and appear to be cautiously moving towards a more competitive system, the Democrats in Congress seem focused on changing something that most people in this country are happy with.
It is true that these senators have not necessarily voted for the bill and may end up voting against whatever emerges. But that will never be good enough: they sold their political souls to put on the table one of the worst pieces of legislation ever to be put in front of the US Senate without any meaningful guarantees of consensus, bipartisan reform. Now we are at the mercy of majoritarian abuse--which could defeat any meaningful attempts to improve the bill, simply by maintaining 51 votes from the 60 seats they hold. I recommend that voters in Louisiana, Arkansas and Nebraska put down these Blue Dogs' political careers their next election.
Palin Rationalizes Her Personal Attacks on Letterman
Comedians make fun of politicians--it's not personal. When Sarah Palin responded to Letterman's bad taste Alex Rodriguez joke not by simply demanding a public apology but by saying that she wouldn't trust Letterman around her underage daughters, that was stepping over any reasonable line of appropriate behavior.
What Americans respect in leaders is someone whom remains calm, reassuring and even-tempered under crisis, someone with thick skin and whom doesn't sweat the small stuff, not someone whom abuses her power and influence to pursue a vendetta against a former brother-in-law or some comedian whom delivers a bad joke. Barack Obama retains solid favorable ratings not because of his wrong-headed policies and political agenda, but because he comes across as likable, reasonable, articulate and confident. Sarah Palin strikes most Americans as a lightning rod and a divisive figure, not someone whom can bridge the political divide (as Barack Obama disingenuously promised but has failed to deliver on in any objective, substantive way).
It's not just Palin's hypocrisy of targeting Letterman, whom was not the first comedian to crack a joke about Bristol Palin; Bristol Palin, at the time of the joke, was 18 and a key public figure in a national abstinence campaign. (Sarah Palin would disingenuously attempt to suggest that David Letterman intended the joke to be about a different, obscure daughter, just barely in her teens. Yeah, right... A joke about an unnamed Palin daughter getting knocked up by a major league baseball player was not intended to be about the oldest daughter, an unwed mother...) I wrote a few posts on this topic back in the late spring.
Sarah Palin has attempted to suggest that she responded just like any mother protecting her kids. Dennis Miller, Bill O'Reilly and other media conservatives are in lockstep with her thin defense of a disproportionate, unacceptable response. (And I have little patience for the politically correct nonsense that Sarah Palin is being attacked for behavior that would be respected in a male politician.) A number of Presidents (Nixon, Carter and others) have had politically embarrassing siblings; Ronald Reagan's two youngest children had their moments, as did George W. Bush's twin daughters.
I have news for Sarah Palin; if she intends to go knocking on doors in Idaho, looking for votes, there's one 11-year-old boy's porch from which the "momma bear protecting her cubs" had better stay away.
Sarah Palin Jokes
In honor of Sarah Palin's best-selling memoir, I've collected my favorite jokes from the late-night circuit:
"People in Alaska are looking forward to Sarah Palin's memoir. They're already calling it 'The Book to Nowhere.'" --David Letterman
"The book costs $24.99, but it has a $5,000 jacket." --Jimmy Fallon
"Well, the publisher was impressed that Sarah Palin finished the book four months ahead of schedule. That's not a big deal. She finished her term as governor 18 months ahead of schedule." --Jay Leno
"Sarah Palin's got that book out, that 'Going Rogue.' And she says that she was upset with John McCain because at the end of the election night, the McCain people would not let her deliver a concession speech. And I thought, don't worry, Sarah, I'm sure you'll get another opportunity." –David Letterman
"Since resigning as governor, many say Sarah Palin is now going to spend some time working on her memoirs. Alaskans are saying they can't wait to start reading Palin's memoirs and then quit halfway through." --Conan O'Brien
David Letterman's Top Ten Sarah Palin Tips For Writing A Book
6. Limit yourself to one "you betcha" per chapter.
4. When in doubt, just type (wink).
3. Don't let writing cut into attending "Fire Letterman" rallies.
1. I'll try to find ya some tips and I'll bring 'em to ya!
Political Cartoon
Scott Stantis of the Chicago Tribune reminds us of what's come from Obama's high-sounding campaign rhetoric:
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Dan Fogelberg Song/Remake
My favorite song from the late soft rock artist Dan Fogelberg, best known for "Same Old Lang Syne" and the immortal love ballad "Longer Than", among numerous other hits, is ironically not of his own tunes, but a soulful rendition the the 1960's Cascades' classic, "(Listen to the) Rhythm of the Falling Rain". I love the sax and the musical arrangement; this is one of those remakes that I think improve on the original hit (others include, as I mentioned in a prior post, Dave Mason's "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?", and the Hollies' take on the Supremes' classic "Stop! In the Name of Love").
Ladies, make sure that the men you love in your lives are checked for prostate cancer; Dan Fogelberg was a tragic victim of this terrible disease, and he and his surviving family members would not want others to experience the same heartbreak.
