The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident.
Charles Lamb
'The Big Man' Is Dead: Clarence Clemons
Until Bruce Springsteen decided to meddle in politics around the middle of the 2000's, I was a faithful fan (buying even his boring acoustic albums). There are maybe a handful of songs I personally would regard as classic 70's archetypal hits (e.g., Boston's "More Than A Feeling"). The one I rate highest was the one that put Springsteen simultaneously on the cover of major news magazines: "Born to Run". The following clip is a montage of performances but the big man with a sax (most prominently in red in the montage) is unmistakable.
It's Time To Rethink Our Alliance With Pakistan
It's bad enough that the Pakistan government is trying to scapegoat up to 5 nationals for cooperating in intelligence on the UBL compound in Abbottabad. The Pakistanis think the greater sin is not the fact they had harbored the world's #1 terrorist mere miles from the country's capital and within walking distance of major training centers--but "sovereignty" issues over the raid. Only a clueless Pakistani could believe that UBL could live where he did without some tacit key support within security and intelligence; I don't necessarily believe this involved the top levels, but I do think that the leadership needs to accept responsibility for not purging the organizations of relevant elements (Perhaps they would have preferred that the US Congress had declared war on Pakistan for aiding and abetting the Taliban which protected Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.) The fact that we have seen four US leads on bomb-making terrorist groups in the lawless region dissipate because of leaks in the Pakistani security apparatus confirms the fact that the inept Pakistan government lacks the commitment to make any necessary reforms.
Thursday's Senate 73-27 Vote To End Ethanol Subsidies: Thumbs UP!
One of the oddest facts in this kerfuffle which I covered earlier this week when Dems abandoned Coburn's bait-and-switch vote on the issue is that Americans for Tax Reform opposed the elimination of ethanol subsidies with an Alice in Wonderland logic that the elimination of ethanol tariffs and sustenance of existing subsidies constitutes a "tax hike"; the bizarre argument would logically extend to any special-interest/protectionist tax break, not just ethanol subsidies. ATR wants you to know, of course, it's not against ethanol reform, so long as you have compensating regulatory reform and the elimination of the estate tax. It's this kind of nonsense that makes it all but impossible to accomplish bipartisan fiscal discipline on Capitol Hill.
No 'Political Humor' Segment. I am just seeing a rehash of lame Father's Day or Weiner jokes. Just a reminder that Giglish, one of my sources of late night jokes, will stop covering new material starting next week and will cease operations by month end.
Killebrew Fact
October 1, 1969: Harmon Killebrew hits his 393rd and final home run of the 1960s. It’s the most by anyone in the decade, and the most by one batter in one decade between Babe Ruth in the 1920s and Mark McGwire in the 1990s.Musical Interlude: My Favorite Groups
Chicago/Peter Cetera & Ronna Reeves, "SOS" (ABBA cover). One of my favorite ABBA songs with a brilliant interpretation. I will resume my post-Cetera Chicago set with my next post.
