Molehills out of mountains and vice versa

In the middle of a campaign for the most important position in the country, we should be talking about the global economy, tensions around the world such as problems in Iran, Syria and elsewhere.  We should be talking about how to best prepare ourselves for the new economic circumstances our world now inhabits or how to overhaul our tax and entitlements systems.

But we are not.

The GOP presidential nominees aren’t talking about these things.  They are focused on contraception and questions of “good and evil.”  The Republican Party, seems intent on not returning our country to a more prosperous state but to a different era.  It has become normal for politicians on both sides to wax nostalgic about “the good old days.”  Those days seems always have been in the 1950s, when — by the way, the tax rates for the highest earners was at its highest level ever.   But the current crop of candidates don’t think going back to even the 50s is enough.

I get why the Republicans feel the need to return to social and religious issues, their base loves it.  Think about what they want to talk about: contraception, religious wars, gay marriage.  Really?

Newsflash:  It’s 2012, Women can vote and most use contraception.  Gay marriage will be legal everywhere in the United States during my lifetime.  Nothing you do will change either of those facts.  Just to be as clear on this as possible — you are on the wrong side of history on these issues but that isn’t the real problem.  History doesn’t care.  The problem is by wasting everyone’s time on issues that won’t be changed at this level, we fail to talk about the policies that will.  You cheapen the process.

All of this is great for the Democrats.  And I want President Obama to win.  But as good as this is for his reelection prospects, it is bad for the country.  Presidential campaigns provide an opportunity to really examine and evaluate the state of the country and the best ways to deal with the challenges we face.  These should be lofty conversations and debates not petty bickering about social issues that were settled years ago (not to harp, but nothing Rick Santorum can do will turn that clock back).

When President Obama took office, I characterized the situation he faced as his “Himalayan problem.” All problems were so large individually but it was hard to gage their enormity when clumped together.  I misspoke, this was not his Himalayan problem, it was ours.  By choosing to focus on issues that excite  one base or another at the expense of those that impact all of us, the GOP is making molehills out of our Everest sized problems and that’s unfortunate.

I’m melting, melting! Oh, what a world! What a world!

Where to start this week?

Maybe I can start with the most disturbing story since Jerry Sandusky.  WTF?  Can we all agree that no one should abuse children?  What thought process leads someone to think taking pictures of children with blindfolds, tape and/or mouths full of semen, which they thought was “magic candy” is appropriate?  Apparently LA educator Mark Berdt thought that was just fine.  I saw an official from the area say this on CNN, “They just thought they were being blindfolded and gagged as a game.”  There is so much wrong with that statement that I am not sure where to begin.  So, I’ll end my anti-child abuse rant there.

How about Mitt Romney’s compassionate nature? Recently he told a reporter, “I don’t care about the poor, there’s a safety net for that. If it’s broken, I’ll fix it.”  I am sure the nation’s poor — and some estimates have that number as being as high as 42 million Americans — will be greatly relieved to hear that.

Why do we still care what Donald Trump thinks about anything?  Rumor has it, he will endorse Newt Gingrich.  Why do we care?  Oh, right, we’re stupid.

(FYI, if you are not familiar with that quote it from The Wizard of Oz, a movie about which I have written before.  Side note: has anyone heard the story of the suicide on the set that is supposed to be in the film?  Used to scare the crap out of me.  And I was in college when said scaring took place.  Of course I am afraid of velociraptors, so clearly something is not right with me.)

Seriously, when did this start bothering you? Yesterday?

Wow.

This used to be one of my favorite photos of myself. Today? Not so much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this Congressman Anthony Weiner situation had happened at a different time, I would have felt differently.  (I should point out before I continue that I have been pretty merciless in my criticism of John Edwards, someone I supported and worked for and when I started doing stand-up used to say “Every time I think this story cannot get any douchier, it does.”  That joke is as true today as it was two years ago when I wrote it).  The calls from the right for Weiner to resign and the “outrage” they have been falling over themselves to express sickens me.

You see, I have a few other scandals kicking around in my head making me put this in perspective.  There is neither rhyme nor reason to the order I am using.

America’s Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani.  The cheating really isn’t what bothers me.  He and his then-wife – Donna Hanover – were having very public problems.  This is none of my business.  Not until this happened; Ms. Hanover was doing an interview where she told of how they were “trying to work things out.”  As she says this, the channel goes to a split screen with the mayor giving a press conference that he was in the process of serving her with divorce papers.  Yes, that’s how she learned she was getting a divorce.  Ouch.  Where is he now?  Considering a second run for president.  Oh, he was a crappy mayor, too.

The GOP “ideas” guy, Newt Gingrich.  Three marriages and countless pieces of Tiffany’s jewelry later, everyone’s favorite “intellectual” and serial adulterer, divorced one of his wives while she was recovering in the hospital from cancer.  Doonesbury ran a cartoon of this at the time with Newt telling her to “Press hard, woman, you’re making three copies!”  Where’s this family values former Speaker?  Again, running for president.

The Governator.  Known for decades as groping women on film sets and press junkets around the globe, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “recent” antics should shock no one (not the LA Times who reported on this when he ran for governor).  Think it gets worse than fathering a child with your maid, who continues to work for you and bring her son who looks just like you to the house you share with your wife and children?  Oh, it does.  Reports have indicated when confronted with his – is it indiscretion at this point? – situation he told Maria Shriver that she had to move out.  Oh, and the premise of his new animated series (from the press release issued the week this story broke) is that a governor is living a dual life – as governor during the day and super hero at night – he even keeps a separate and secrete home under the home he shares with his wife and family that he doesn’t even tell them about.  And where is he?  Right, starring in a new Terminator movie.  He said he would be back…

David “Acorn shouldn’t get funding because they support prostitution and only I am allowed to do that” Vitter.  In 2007, the world learned that Senator David Vitter was a client of the “DC Madam.”  He had been a “client” from 1999-2001(he was in the House of Representatives where he was serving in the seat vacated when Bob Livingston – at the time Speaker – resigned following his own adultery scandal, for which Vitter praised him saying “This is what Bill Clinton should have done.”  If that doesn’t make your head spin, what does?).  The main difference between Vitter’s support of prostitution and Acorn’s is the latter was investigated and found to be false while the only standing between Vitter and a  criminal prosecution for his crimes is the statute of limitations.  Where is he?  The US Senate.

Henry Hyde – my personal favorite.  This is an oldie but goodie.  Congressman Henry Hyde – one of the chief prosecutors of the Clinton impeachment – admitted he cheated on his wife but explained it as being a “youthful indiscretion.”  He was 51 when that happened.  I have tons of time to do dumb stuff and claim it was all because of my youth.  The former Congressman has passed – at 83 after retiring with a full pension and some pretty sweet health insurance.

What people do in their private lives – no matter how public they have made their lives – is private.  None of what I wrote about is any of my business.  I was never going to vote for any of them (except John Edwards).  When Eric Cantor – Minority Whip and lead “you need to resign, Weiner!” point person – was asked about Vitter, John Ensign (affair with employee that was covered up with payments to his best friend and her husband) and Mark Sanford (flew to Argentina with state funds to have an affair) he said “We are a party of ideas, not personalities” – it makes my skin crawl.

So, no, I don’t think Anthony Weiner should resign.

All these cheaters deserve to live (but not work!) here.

Really?

Really?  Yes, really.

 

This has become my favorite word.  I think I must say ‘Really???’ about a hundred times a day.

 

·         Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his opponents use ‘Hitler tactics.’  Really?  Mr. Abmadinejad, one of the world’s most famous and infamous Holocaust deniers, has accused his political rivals of behaving like Adolph Hitler when they insulted him:  It is illegal to insult  the president in Iran.  He furthermore threatened to put them in jail for saying that he had lied about the economy.  And they’re acting like Hitler?  So the man who thinks Hitler really didn’t do anything all that bad is threatening to throw people who disagree with him in jail.  Really?  Yes, really. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5592OM20090610

·         The GOP ‘disses’ Sarah Palin. Palin disses David Letterman.  The press wonders what this means for the Party.  Really?  Sarah Palin was invited to speak a fundraiser in DC but the offer was rescinded when she didn’t give a firm answer and Newt Gingrich stepped in.  Her response seems to have been to call David Letterman ‘pathetic’ and the media ‘buffoons.’  Before jumping on Palin, it should be noted that the press really hyped the infighting and given the current position of the GOP in America, this is what makes them think it is in disarray?  And Mrs. Palin, this is the battle you want to have?  With Letterman?  Really?  Yes, really.

·         Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA) thinks President Obama’s ‘paygo’ idea is hypocritical.  Really?  Eric Cantor sure is living up to his new nickname, ‘Dr. No.’  He has opposed pretty much everything President Obama does or says.  First he accused the president of being a hypocrite when he asked Congress to make the ‘PayGo” (any spending needs to be paid for) rule law – mostly because of the new spending.  Apparently, he was absent during his first eight years in office when the Dubya admin spent like drunken sailors and ran up our deficit and debt.  Of course, it didn’t look as bad then because the costs for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars were included in the budget (nice accounting trick there).  Then he said “the stimulus package is not a success story, people are still suffering.”  Note to Rep. Cantor – the bill passed about six months ago, it took us longer than that to get into this mess, it will take longer to get out.  So, the Minority Whip both thinks it is ok when his party spends money on unnecessary wars (Iraq) and tax breaks for the uber-wealthy but cannot stand to see it spent on Americans and wants policy changes he doesn’t like to work immediately.  Really?  Yes, really.

·         When all else fails, we know Joe will find a way to remind us all what a (insert your favorite expletive that means jerk here) he is.  Really?  Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) have said they plan to do everything in their power to block CIA photos of ‘enhanced interrogation’ from being released.  By anything, they mean stop the Senate from getting any work done until their amendment is added to a bill that would fund our troops.  Hey, it’s not like the Senate has work to do, right? They only have to hold hearings on a Supreme Court nominee, work on overhauling health care, fix the economy, deal with escalating violence in Pakistan/Afghanistan/Iraq, prevent a pandemic, keep an eye on North Korea….  And did I mention the first bill they want to filibuster is for funds for our troops?  Really?  Yes, really.

 

As a final note on torture, mom you might not want to read this, this quote seemed really appropriate for the torture debate: “If you beat this motherfucker long enough, he will tell you he started the fuckin’ Chicago fire but that won’t make it true.”  ‘Nice’ Eddie – Reservoir Dogs.  Exactly, thanks Eddie for making my point so eloquently.

 

 

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Who are we?

Who are we?  Who do we want to be?

 

History has shown that from time to time a society has to decide who they are and what they want to be.  This is not something they do on purpose but are more often forced into it when things get really tough.  It makes some sense as when things are going well, people don’t have the need for such thoughts.  The United States has been in that position several times; just before and during the Revolution, the Civil War and during the Great Depression and World War II.  As we enter the second year of the worst economy since the Depression and are entrenched in two wars, we find ourselves again at that point.  These are not the only issues that beg these questions, however.

 

·         Torture:  Does protecting our national security ever give us the right to use this?  No, it does not.  I reject the suggestion that we need to do away with our values to stay safe and believe when we turn our backs on our core beliefs we increase the risks we will be attacked. 

o   Torture is the antithesis of everything we stand for.  Benjamin Franklin said ‘Those who would give up liberty for security deserve neither.’  He was right.  There are a number of reasons for this.  I am honestly torn about which I think it more important – the precedent with set abroad or the one we set at home?  If we can torture others, we inch closer to the day when we can torture our own citizens.  This isn’t just my opinion, it was that of several George W. Bush lawyers who opposed it.  Moreover, one can see this in action when they see how long some American citizens have been detained for suspected anti-American activities.  These are the very things our founding fathers wanted to prevent.  There’s also the point that we see ourselves as a benevolent force in the world but not everyone else does.  When we forfeit our belief in the rule of law as it pertains to others, we become hypocrites and pave the way for others to do as we have done.

o   Torture doesn’t work.  Don’t take my word for it, read a little about how investigators get decent information.  It is not through torture.  Al Qaeda trains its people to deal with torture so they aren’t going to talk.  Ask John McCain how much he gave up during his seven years in a POW camp.  Plus, the people who would talk, generally would say anything to stop the pain so whatever intel they give cannot be relied on.  Dick Cheney has said that we got good information through these methods but has never said if we could have gotten it any other way or if better information was missed because of what we did.  In fairness, he probably doesn’t know and that is a whole different problem.

o   We follow the Geneva Convention to protect our soldiers.  If we can find loopholes in the Geneva Convention, do we really think other countries won’t do the same thing?  Really?  Are we that stupid?

·         Social safety net:  Our political debates tend to center around a few themes and one is how big our government should be.  Do we want a small government with almost no taxes where we all fend for ourselves or do we want one that does for all of us collectively what we cannot do individually?  I would opt for the latter.  The irony is I know we don’t want to decide, we want both.  Exhibit a for this theory is California, which has the closest thing to direct democracy in the US.  The Californian electorate is confused about this as anyone.  Because they can hold direct referendums, they prove they want it both ways.  Prop 13 gutted the state's ability to tax the citizens (yes, I know property taxes were crazy back then) but the same people vote for plans to expand health care and improve education.  It seems we all want decent roads, a good military, an education system that doesn’t suck but you know what?  Taxes pay for that.  Oliver Wendell Holmes said, ‘Taxes are the price you pay for a civilized society.’  Who are we then?    

·         Why do we care about places outside the US and even in space?  

o   Foreign aid:  When polled, people will consistently think that we both spend too much money helping other countries but then think we should be spending more than we are (their estimates are that we spend at least 10 percent of our budget on aid and should spend something closer to that but less while the real amount is less than three percent.)  I think a huge chunk of this is that most people cannot find most other counties on a globe.  President Clinton said that we should have a policy where we have more friends than enemies, and I agree with that.  A first step would be to know more about other cultures.  It is hard for us to ‘get’ the India/Pakistan situation if we do not know the history and/or cannot find either on a map.  Africa is not only not a country but is much larger than Europe yet we learn a lot more about England than anything in Africa.

o   Spacedust:  I attended an event this week where people seemed to think the space program is just not worth anything.  They are not alone.  At least a few Members of Congress have supported ending NASA and using that money for things closer to home.  President Kennedy was right when he said we should go to the moon, though it’s too bad he didn’t live to see it.  Studying the stars does more than waste tax dollars, it inspires innovation.  It creates jobs.  It teaches about who we are and why we are here.  Plus if we don’t get global warming under control it might find us a new place to live… (no, I don’t think we will do that – at least in my lifetime)

o   The arts & humanities:  Such an easy target and so important to our society.  We may not always see the immediate value of either but should they go away we would see the impact of their absence.  

 

Barack Obama’s victory in November was, to me, a sign that we want to go in a new direction.  The course he has set for the country is one that I think we will make life better for all of us and inch us closer to being what we want to be.  My hope is that we will not just look to him but to each other and start to openly talk about this and not just debate it.   

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