Pure Presidential Bigotry

Okay, upfront confession - I'm one who always thought America the Beautiful should be our national anthem. The Star Spangled Banner can be inspiring on the rare occasion it is sung well, but it says little about our country. I think asserting we're proud, free, and brave is about as far as it goes.

Having said that, I am proud that anyone would honor our anthem by translating it (even loosely) into their native tongue. A vulgar or obscene version notwithstanding, for me it is nothing short of bigotry to think a foreign language rendition of it is offensive.

Free expression means free expression, and George Bush yesterday went a step further in voicing his authoritarian feelings. Why in the world should the national anthem be sung only in English? It was written at a time when we were at war with the English, but I think that fact may support the contrary argument.

I ordinarily don't like name calling, but I feel compelled to say Bush is an ethnocentric bigot.

Note to intelligence agencies: Please apologize to 'Dub' for my tendency to use big words. I have security issues of another kind.

Oh, No! Limbaugh is Right!

This administration may actually know what way it is heading, but it isn't the American way. I know this because yesterday I found myself in agreement with Rush Limbaugh. He called Dr. Wang Wenyi, the woman who spoke out to Hu Jintao at the White House, a freedom fighter.

Rush, also like me, wondered out loud why the media in America was not highlighting the fact that the President apologized to the Chinese communist dictator because someone in America excercised the freedom to speak openly to the powerful.

Not only was Dr. Wang hauled away by the Secret Service, now she has been charged seemingly with everything the law could find on the books.

I was discussing with acquaintances the obvious hypocrisy of Bush speaking about the need for China to improve its human rights position - mentioning freedom of speech and of religion specifically; then, permitting someone to be physically dragged from his presence for daring to speak. One friend, I think facetiously, mentioned he thought it was probably a left-wing conspiracy. I agree.

There is a conspiracy afoot to introduce freedom into our capitalism. I hope and pray it isn't too late.

Still with me, Rush...Rush...Ru...

The Dumbing Down of Network News

Just when you (okay, I) think the corporate media is at the bottom. When some in media finally hear the Bush bandwagon so out of tune they are beginning to take a newly objective look at the world around them.

CBS confirms the awful rumor.

Katie will be anchoring the network news - in the evening - during the week. I can't count, at least not on my hands alone, the number of women more qualified to host than Couric.

Yes, she is still attractive. She's even reasonably articulate. I have watched her for years, though, and can't imagine why she wants the job. She has never seemed really interested in world affairs. Social issues and entertainment events, sure, she has taste and a certain dated style, but national politics and international messiness have never seemed to have an appeal for her.

She can't tell the difference between a political talking point and a substantive position statement. She demonstrated as much in a recent interview with Howard Dean when she wanted to insist that Democrats in congress had taken money from the Abramoff lobbying machine. This because the Republican talking point for the issue has been that Abramoff's tribal clients had donated to Dems, and she bought it. Equating the clients he victimized with the crimes of the lobbying firm was base if she knew she was doing it; otherwise, she was just plain ignorant.

That's just one example of her lack of depth and substance. She has talent and personality, but she is not what the American public needs on what should be one of the bulwarks of history's first draft, The Evening News.

No Longer Boss, DeLay Quits!

I've heard he quit to 'save the majority' for Republicans in the House. Former Congresswoman Susan Molinari just insisted on Hardball that there is no other reason.

I've heard he's worried about pending charges in Texas.

I've heard he's worried about the spillover from criminal operations run from his Congressional office.

I've heard he saw a tough re-election campaign ahead with no certainty of winning.

What I haven't heard is why I think he quit. He is not in charge anymore. Plain and simple, DeLay cannot stand seeing someone else in his leadership post with no immediate prospect of returning to power. That's why he won't finish out his term and retire.

He's just going to take his ball go somewhere to try and be in charge of something.

Poor wittle Tommy...sniff...sniff.

Chris Matthews, the Poor Persecuted Zealot

Chris Matthews said on Hardball tonight, in agreement with Tony Perkins, that he believes there is a campaign against religion in this country.

Excuse me. The religious fundamentalists in this country have attacked our science and our secular government. They are introducing bigotry and intolerance into our social fabric and our legal framework.

When people of reason stand up or complain, then the oppressors scream: "Our religion is under attack!" I say it is their bigotry and intolerance that are rightfully being defended against.

Theirs is a cry from fanatics desperate to rally their base by claiming a bogus status as victims.

The claim is ten pounds of bullshit in a five-pound bag.

My Current Hero

Russ Feingold speaks for a lot of people in this country. Especially we Democrats that don't carry a pantload of political cover around with us.

His call for censure of the President was a dead-on position in light of the aimless N.S.A. hearings and virtually non-existent investigation. I am a member of the opposition party in this country, and I will proudly stand with Senator Feingold in opposition to illegal wiretapping.

Check out an excellent discussion here of what it's all about.

For Us and Against Them

I listen to a lot , my wife says too much, of political gab on cable TV. Frequently what happens is the pundit d'jour will end up conceding the Republicans have made a terrible mess of things; then, immediately proceed to a variation of "but the Democrats don't offer any alternative".

That's pure, unadulterated manure from your least favorite barnyard animal! Here's an example of how to stand up for us.

Rather than argue the media's deafness, or the natural pulpit the Repubs get from the White House and both houses of Congress, I'll point to Rahm Emanual on HardBall the other night.

Seemingly to Chris Matthew's chagrin, when asked for alternatives to current Republican policy Rahm instantly reeled off the following:

Change to priorities that put our fiscal house in order, and reinvest in America‘s future. That is by making sure that if you work, you have health care. In the 21st century, college education is universal, as high school was in the 20th century. That—ensure that we create an institute for science and engineering to marvel the NIH for health care. To make sure we create a hybrid economy for our energy and cut our dependency on foreign oil in half. And to make sure that the next Congress, when the 9/11 Commission comes back, you don‘t get an F, the president of the United States and the Congress, for not implementing what should be done to protect Americans.

I say that's not bad straight off the cuff, and it's only one example of Democrats saying what we stand for and presenting an alternative. We just have to keep saying it over, and over, and over again.

But I'm not saying we should not preach against them as well. Again, the cable guys hand out some good advice every now and then. This from the conservative talker, Joe Scarborough:

Hammer home these three themes over the next ten months.

1. There is a culture of corruption in Republican-run washington.
2. There are record deficits, record debts and record government waste in Republican-run Washington.
3. Soldiers are dying across the world for reasons that are still not clear three years later.

These are examples of the bipolar way I want to proceed this year.

Positive and straightforward in putting forward Democratic values and policy proposals.

Negative and blunt in describing the disaster the Republicans have created at home and abroad.