The soldiers fight and the kings are heroes.
Hebrew proverb
Obama: Still Bush-Bashing After All These Years....
"The reason they still support me is because they understand what an incredible mess had been made as I was coming into office and we've been spending the last three years cleaning it up. The good news is that the economy is starting to strengthen. We've seen some positive signs. The unemployment rate has ticked down." - Memphis interviewStill mourning my UH Cougars' championship game loss last week, as a personal ritual, I watched part of the 112th Army-Navy game (the 10th straight victory for Navy, which holds a 56-49-7 lead). I guess as a Navy veteran, I should be happy... Today's game was unique in that it took place in DC. (Well, actually FedEx Field, which is located in Landover, MD, a DC area suburb). You'll never guess whom I saw on the broadcast. He's a celebrity whom has made appearances on late night TV, sports programs, The View, and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. That's right: President Barack Obama. He met with the sports announcers to give us some invaluable insights we might not otherwise not know, like: did you know the Pentagon is located in the DC area?
I don't think my readers would be surprised by my reaction to Obama's statement above. But my take is more as a professional and manager: how would I feel if one of my teammates or subordinates said the same type of thing in the context of their responsibilities? I'm just being honest here, and it really has nothing to do with politics: I don't want to hear a worker bitching about his job. I want to hear him take ownership and responsibility, show me what he can do with the opportunity he's been given. I don't want to hear a chronic, constantly whining complainer, someone whom is pointing fingers at everybody but himself, a person with more excuses than concrete accomplishments. My instinctive first read of a person whom does that is: you aren't up to the job; you need to find another line of work.
This is not to say I don't appreciate someone whom can point out his accomplishments. The problem I have in this regard is my belief that a job well done speaks for itself; it is specific and factual and minimizes the use of hyperbole, subjective or evaluative context, and undue personal references.
Obama's communication fails on many levels. What does he mean that the economy needed "cleanup" of three years? "Cleanup" seems to be a convenient abstraction to cover nearly 2.5 years of a jobless recovery; we are still over a half point above what Obama claimed would be the peak unemployment if we passed his massive 2009 stimulus package. It's not clear why we should believe his policy prescriptions are any more valid now. We've had economic growth since mid-year 2009. What Obama fails to say is the drop in unemployment has less to do with more people being hired than far more people dropping out of the work force because they don't see job prospects.
Mark Levin and His Definition of "Conservative"
"I don't need to be lectured about who can win and only who can win. I heard that crap in 1976 [moderate incumbent] Ford wins the primary [over unelectable Reagan] and gets his ass kicked. [In 1980, conservative] Reagan kicks [moderate] Bush's ass and Carter's ass. And four years later...There's only one way this country can be saved. With a conservative.,, Romney is not a conservative." Mark Levin on "Why Aren't Righty Outlets Applying Conservative Test To Romney?"I haven't really commented much to date on the person Hannity calls "The Great One", and I don't want to turn this blog into a pro-Romney mouthpiece. I'm not affiliated with the Romney campaign, and in fact, from a policy perspective, my views are probably closer to Ron Paul's than to Romney's. But Mr. Levin seems to suggest that a policy litmus test on some unspecified, arbitrary stand of conservative principles, Romney is not a conservative. He's dead wrong.
First, Reagan himself was not the conservative Levin and others refer to in terms of conservative today. Reagan as California governor signed a therapeutic abortion into law and raised taxes; in contrast, Romney as Massachusetts governor vetoed a law potentially yielding human embryo farming and cut taxes. Who is more conservative? Second, President Reagan made an agreement to increase taxes for spending cuts (which never materialized), he agreed to payroll tax increases to help "save" social security, he signed a largely ineffectual immigration reform bill into law, and he ran up huge federal deficits. Where do these stand with today's conservatives?
Let's look at his review of history: he argues that more moderate Republicans don't win; that doesn't explain how Eisenhower and Nixon were each reelected, and GHW Bush won the 1988 election, and many conservatives, including myself, find that George W. Bush was hardly a conservative in practice, largely ramping up spending and regulations and nearly doubling the national debt, new entitlements (Medicare drug prescriptions) and finally largely interventionist policies during the 2008 economic tsunami. Let me also point out RomneyCare does not include payroll taxes (favored by other reforms) or a public option.
Ford lost for a variety of reasons, including the facts that it was a change election year; his preemptive pardon of Richard Nixon was highly unpopular. It didn't have anything to do with his more moderate politics. He also had incumbency, a huge advantage over Reagan. In 1980 Reagan won--not so much for his conservative policies but because the "misery index" was high and Carter's approval rates were abysmal. And don't forget: Reagan had proven that he could win in the blue state of California.
Contrary to Levin's oversimplified view of the electoral process, voters do not make choices based strictly on policy positions. For example, Mitt Romney has the look and temperament one looks for in a President and he is highly articulate and a great debater; he has a better understanding of business and economics than the other players in the field; he is the only viable candidate (beyond Rick Perry) with public administrative experience; he has consistently polled better than the other candidates against Obama in the battleground states; he is running as a Washington outsider.
But even if we look at policies, Romney is a fiscal conservative; he's also a social and military conservative. He may be somewhat more nuanced views, but he boasts a solidly pro-market economic policy. Maybe he's not conservative enough for Levin's tastes, and he's changed some views over the years (just like any other politician). I personally admire the ability of a politician to admit he was wrong and adapt his views accordingly.
Musical Interlude: Nostalgic/Instrumental Christmas
Enrico Caruso, "Minuit Chrétien". Probably my favorite traditional Christmas carol. This brings me back to my junior high days near Sumter, SC; my French class did a performance of Anatole France's Le Jongleur de Notre Dame. It's similar in theme to "The Little Drummer Boy"--what can I give the Christ child but my drum playing? In this case, you have a juggler whom has nothing to give Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, but his humble performance in front of her statue. At the end of his performance, the statue comes to life and rewards the juggler with her blessing for the gift of his artistry. I LOVE this story; the high point of our performance of the play was singing "Minuit Chrétien". As a Franco-American, I find this Caruso performance, his only Christmas recording, brilliantly done and moves me to tears; I wish I could sing like Caruso.
Placide Cappeau's Cantique de Noël
Minuit, chrétiens, c'est l'heure solennelle,
Où l'Homme-Dieu descendit jusqu'à nous
Pour effacer la tache originelle
Et de Son Père arrêter le courroux.
Le monde entier tressaille d'espérance
En cette nuit qui lui donne un Sauveur.
Peuple à genoux, attends ta délivrance.
Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur,
Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur !
De notre foi que la lumière ardente
Nous guide tous au berceau de l'Enfant,
Comme autrefois une étoile brillante
Y conduisit les chefs de l'Orient.
Le Roi des rois naît dans une humble crèche :
Puissants du jour, fiers de votre grandeur,
A votre orgueil, c'est de là que Dieu prêche.
Courbez vos fronts devant le Rédempteur.
Courbez vos fronts devant le Rédempteur.
Le Rédempteur a brisé toute entrave :
La terre est libre, et le ciel est ouvert.
Il voit un frère où n'était qu'un esclave,
L'amour unit ceux qu'enchaînait le fer.
Qui lui dira notre reconnaissance,
C'est pour nous tous qu'il naît, qu'il souffre et meurt.
Peuple debout ! Chante ta délivrance,
Noël, Noël, chantons le Rédempteur,
Noël, Noël, chantons le Rédempteur !
Luciano Pavarotti & Placido Domingo. It's been my dream to perform what these world-class tenors did here: sing the first verse in French, the second in English. (I don't know if Celine Dion has done the same; I know she's done the English.) Is there any sound on earth more glorious than when Pavarotti nails those high notes?
Michael Crawford/Trans Siberian Orchestra. Oh, my God! Isn't this AMAZING? I love the way that Michael works with the angelic child choir. Heaven must sound like this...
Honorable Mention: David Phelps. There are moments during this performance that leave me speechless...
TSO Instrumental. The electric guitar work is just incredible...
