Do not take thought for your persons or your properties,
but first and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul.
Socrates
Political Potpourri
- Bean Concedes to Walsh. The IL-8 race resulted in Congresswoman Bean's concession to Walsh; this raises the unofficial total to 241-190 in favor of the GOP.
- Murkowski Clinches Reelection Victory Over Miller. Lisa Murkowski unofficial final count shows 100,868 votes vs. Miller's 90,448. The Miller campaign challenged 8153 Murkowski votes. Apparently Miller is in no hurry to concede (the campaign spokesman was quoted as saying "the race is far from over", hoping to challenge Murkowski votes after gaining access to voter rolls and fighting to strike the above referenced challenged ballots. It's time to accept the will of the people of Alaska, Mr. Miller.
- There is an interesting tidbit from a recently released book "Survival" from Richard Wolffe which contradicts earlier accounts that Rahm Emanuel was the bipartisan, deal-making champion behind the scenes on the health care bill. Instead, Emanuel knew that the days of super-majorities weren't going to last and argued that Obama could go for broke versus settling down for a foot-dragging, weakened compromise with the Republicans.
- The Wall Street Journal today published a summary of certain US/international corruption cases. WARNING: This may be hazardous to your belief in Big Government...
Charlie Rangel: It's Time to Resign
Twenty-term Congressman Rangel, recently reelected by yet another landslide, even with 12-13 corruption charges hanging over his head (two charges were folded in one charge), was found unanimously guilty by an 8-member ethics subcommittee of 10 charges, another with one undisclosed dissent, and the final split 50-50. What amazes me is how, time after time, people of color will reelect the same old same old leaders, just like William Jefferson. Other lawmakers with troubling allegations include Congresswoman Maxine Waters and New York Governor David Paterson.
I've made a couple of references to Obama's narcissism in recent posts. (I am not a professional psychologist, but like Justice Stewart's famous discussion of pornography: "I know it when I see it." I think to a certain degree it takes a very healthy ego to believe one is qualified to be President, never mind someone with limited administrative, leadership or federal experience. I grant the fact that Obama is a very charismatic, articulate, intelligent person, one of the most extraordinary orators ever elected President with considerable personal appeal.)
Some people, particularly my Indian friends, seem to be specially taken with Obama; one of my best friends is a first-generation Indian American, and he has zero tolerance for such discussions, seeing it as a "smear". The definition of "smear" involves the deliberate telling of a falsehood intended to damage another person's reputation. As far as I'm aware, relevant incidents are part of public record; I do grant that there is judgment or opinion in using the term 'narcissistic'. I will simply point out some personal differences of our personalities: I know, even though I hold three advanced college degrees, there are limitations to my knowledge, experience, and expertise; I accept full responsibility for my mistakes; I freely admit some positions I take (e.g., in favor of immigration reform and construction of the mosque near Ground Zero) are unpopular (at least in media conservative circles), and I have realistic expectations about the actions and opinions of others. I also have the ability to laugh at myself and not to take myself too seriously. I have knowingly taken career risks in academics and the IT profession to do the right thing. (I don't think Barack Obama has done any such thing; he has made some statements of the like that he has been willing to sacrifice a second term over his health care legislation, but that's political spin, because the chief Democratic talking point has been once the American people start seeing benefits, they will be sold on the legislation. The House and Senate passed very different health care bills in the first round, and in my view, Obama played more of a tactical versus strategic role).
I will just point out some choice points and leave it to the reader to read Last's article. First, I've alluded to this comment on multiple occasions (but had a difficult time finding a reference to it until now):
In January 2010, Obama met with nervous Democratic congressmen to assure them that he wasn’t driving the party off a cliff. Confronted with worries that 2010 could be a worse off-year election than 1994, Obama explained to the professional politicians, “Well, the big difference here and in ’94 was you’ve got me.”This is a not-so-subtle slap at Bill Clinton, grossly overestimating his victory in 2008. Obama was benefiting from some miscues from his opponent, he was in a change election year, and the economy was deeply troubled.
Other examples (which come from liberal sources or the public record):
- As he said to Harry Reid after the majority leader congratulated him on one particularly fine oration, “I have a gift, Harry.”
- "When [Obama] journeyed to Great Britain to meet with the queen he gave her an amazing gift: an iPod loaded with recordings of his speeches and pictures from his inauguration."
- “I think that I’m a better speechwriter than my speechwriters. I know more about policies on any particular issue than my policy directors. And I’ll tell you right now that I’m gonna think I’m a better political director than my political director.”
- "I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth. This was the moment—this was the time—when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves and our highest ideals."
A few originals:
- Remember Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist whom threw shoes at President George W. Bush? The Iraqi government threw the book at him... That's right: George W. Bush's Decision Points...
- Iraqis erected a giant bronze shoe statue in honor of al-Zaida. When asked to explain, the Iraqis noted that al-Zaida needed to land one shoe to win the silver and both shoes to win the gold.
- George W. Bush's Decision Points is #1 on Amazon.com and is expected to be #1 on The New York Times' bestseller list. Al Gore is demanding a recount, starting with sales slips from booksellers in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. The New York Times insists on classifying the book on its fiction list.
Henry Mancini, "Moon River"
