The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good - President Barack Obama and Mayor Michael Bloomberg
The Bad - Senator Harry Reid and Senator John Cornyn 
The Ugly - Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin

So students in Political Leadership 101, let's summarize... there are good leaders who rise above issues to by calling on the better angels of our nature; there are bad leaders who aren't leaders at all but jump in any parade, even marching along with disgusting rabble, if they think it will benefit them; and there are the ugly fear mongers who prey on our angst even if it means ripping to shreds our most cherished constitutional and national values.

Tea Party Terrorists

The actual, real, documented acts of violence by the tea party folks are a long long ways from patriotism... they are acts of domestic terrorism. Eric Cantor, John McCain, John Bainor and other Repugs are tiptoeing around condemnation of vandalism/violence and encouragement of broken glass and cut gas lines... not quite telling the wingnuts to stop while saying words like "target" and "reload" are appropriate in this heated political environment.

I ran into a tea party type at a local grocery this week. She was in her 70s and her car sported a variety of flags like "Don't Tread on Me" and bumper stickers calling President Barack Obama a "socialist." She pulled in close so I asked her why she had all those flags and stickers. Her answer - "healthcare reform is socialism, a government takeover." I asked if she was on Medicare and happy with it. "Yeah," she said, "and they're trying to take it away." Huh?? She said "it was time to eliminate Obama and those damn Democrats who support him..." Now I don't know what she meant by "eliminate" but it sounds like PalinSpeak. Hunt 'em from helicopters??

Do you see the hypocrisy and misinformation in her comments? Can you hear idiots like Glen Beck echoing in her shallow brain? Or maybe the hate spread for months by local yokel politicians. It is time for Repugs to move beyond hate and into real policy. Into solving problems instead of creating divisions. I ain't holding my breath.

Cheat notes

I taught school for 30 years and caught plenty of cheaters. Some were creative and innovative (almost wanted to reward their smarts), others crude and juvenile. Sarah Palin's crib notes fall in the latter category. Most 17 year old Virginia rednecks could do better. Tea party wingnuts should swiftly change to coffee.

Who ya gonna believe on climate change?

With the recent chill winds and a forecast of a cold end to the year, a friend (who knows my political leanings as I know his) asked, "so, where's the global warming?" My response was, "a cold wind sweeping off the mountains isn't much of a barometer on global warming... but it might help tell you if there is black ice on Rt. 42."

With many focused on Copenhagen and the eventual deal (or no deal) that may emerge, it really comes down to who do you believe on the issue of global warming. For example, do you believe this position:

• Warming is a "global challenge"
• Climate change is "a social, cultural, and economic issue..."
• The nation should look into ways to "participate in carbon trading markets"
• There are "opportunities to reduce greenhouse emissions."

Or, is this position more in line with your ideas:

• Climate change isn't based on science, it is simply "agenda driven politics"
• "Without trustworthy science and with so much at stake, Americans should be wary about what comes out of this politicized conference..."
• "We can't say with assurance that man's activities cause weather changes..."

My friend, who sported one of those "I'm Voting For the Chick" yard signs that sprouted in the Valley in the fall of '08, falls squarely in line with the latter. His grin widened when I pointed out these are Sara Palin's views expressed in a recent WaPo op-ed.

"Ya know," I said, "you really ought to check out those other statements on climate change. They signal a responsible forward looking position; the kind of thing we're trying to achieve in Copenhagen." His head shaking scoff was cut short when I added, "besides, those are Sara Palin's view, too."

That's right. During her short stint as Governor of Alaska, the state that is perhaps most impacted by the early stages of global warming, Sara Palin issued Administrative Order No. 238 to create the "Alaska Climate Change Sub-Cabinet to advise the Office of the Governor on the preparation and implementation of an Alaska climate change strategy." The order continues:

"Scientific evidence shows many areas of Alaska are experiencing a warming trend. Many experts predict that Alaska, along with our northern latitude neighbors, will continue to warm at a faster pace than any other state, and the warming will continue for decades. Climate change is not just an environmental issue. It is also a social, cultural, and economic issue important to all Alaskans. As a result of this warming, coastal erosion, thawing permafrost, retreating sea ice, record forest fires, and other changes are affecting, and will continue to affect, the lifestyles and livelihoods of Alaskans. Alaska needs a strategy to identify and mitigate potential impacts of climate change and to guide its efforts in evaluating and addressing known or suspected causes of climate change. Alaska's climate change strategy must be built on sound science and the best available facts and must recognize Alaska's interest in economic growth and the development of its resources. Commercializing Alaska's great natural gas reserves through a new pipeline will improve the nation's energy security while providing a clean, low carbon fuel to help the nation reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions."

Expressing some doubt at what I was telling him, my friend shifted the subject and we parted wishing each other happy holidays. My guess is, his holidays have been jolted by a creeping realization that his "chick" may not have any core values, that what she "believes" shifts with the political winds and book sales. Here's wishing for a white Christmas - maybe then my friend can enjoy giving me his what global warming? smirk.

To borrow a line from Stephen Colbert - a holiday tip of my hat to Eugene Robinson, a grinchy wag of my finger to Sara Palin.

GOP Exit Strategy

All the national right wing pundits are trying to downplay the Obama landslide by saying America is a center-right country. If only Republicans would be more conservative, they'd win more elections.

Of course, much of that talk is pure chicken litter designed to make the losers feel better and the give them some hope to reconstruct the tattered GOP. The reality is that Americans are totally angered with conservative incompetence that brought us Iraq, torture, Katrina, and a recession (or worse)! Americans are also frustrated with lack of progress in dealing with health care financing and a host of other issues.

Local politicians have heard the pundits and are echoing "center-right" at every opportunity. State Senator Emmett Hanger (R-Augusta) expressed that view to the News Virginian which reported:

Though a Democrat carried Old Dominion for the first time since 1964, Virginia remains a state right of center.

That’s the assessment of state Sen. Emmett Hanger, the Mount Solon Republican who has endured assaults from within his own party...

Hanger went on to explain that he supported Gilmore as a conservative but that he was too "combative" to appeal to many voters. Stealing a page from Mark Warner, Hanger went on to talk about working across party lines and getting away from the Rovian politics of "warfare." To give Hanger credit, he has in recent years been more bipartisan in tone. But, when he was elected to the Virginia Senate, his campaign engaged in some pretty nasty stuff. Perhaps his tone changed from the vantage point of incumbency and after seeing that many in his party - swacgirl, Kurt, yankee phil, and Anne to name a few, can go even lower in the gutter.

Truth is, the core activists of the Valley GOP are far right. Very far. While Emmett Hanger may be right of center, the swacs see him as a liberal and maybe even a socialist too willing to work with Democrats. Those wingnuts have a pretty good hold on the local GOP committees and in 2011 Hanger will have a hard time winning the nomination. 

Unless they take this "exit strategy." As they are totally disillusioned with America for electing a liberal, radical, socialist, friend of terrorists, and African-American to the White House (I had one person tell me that's why it is called the "White House"), maybe they should just move. And I have a great place: Alaska!

What's good for them in Alaska?

• Open space - live far away from liberals
• Sarah Palin.
• Ted Stevens - master of jailhouse leadership.
• Books banned in libraries.
• Drill here, drill now.
• Todd Palin and his successionist movement. If it is successful, you can ban the Democratic Party.

There is one downer for these right wing fanatics if they take my advice and move to Alaska: they'll live in the most socialist of states. Yep, the State of Alaska takes money (about $6 billion per year) from from oil companies and doles it out equally to each and every resident ($1,200). From each according to his ability, to each according to each according to his need? But, you'll feel better 'cause you'll have the bucks to buy Ann Coulter's latest drivel. 

Let me know when you are ready to go... I'll chip in for some snow shoes.

The Joke Is On Sarah

I was willing to give Sarah Plain (I mean Palin... slip of the typing fingers) the benefit of doubt, but when two Canadian radio comedians can totally fool her into thinking she was talking to Nicholas Sarkozy, we all have to wonder if she's ready for prime time. Even after saying completely absurd things like "from my ass I can see Belgium" and describing Ms. Sarkozy as "hot in bed" Sarah never gets it until the so-called Masked Avengers tell her she's been pranked.

Pond Scum

I received this photoshopped picture in my U.S. Postal Service mailbox today. The envelope was postmarked Charlottesville, which could be many places in central Virginia or the Shenandoah Valley. Of course, the cowardly pussy who sent it didn't include a return address or sign his/her disgusting note, printed in bright red, which read:

I THOUGHT THAT

YOU AND ALL OF

YOUR NUTTY,

ANTI-AMERICAN LIBERAL

FRIENDS WOULD ENJOY THIS.

EVEN THIS JOB IS ABOVE

B.O.'S PAY GRADE!!!!!

The original of the photograph is below. It is the creative work of Ted Szukalski who has a great website of his creative and original photographs. He is appalled that his copyrighted work is now being used for obscene political purposes. Szukalski says:

It is not often that I would post the same image twice in my stories. However , this photo of the homeless man and a women has become part of dirty tricks in American presidential campaign.

Someone has doctored this image to portrait Barack Obama as the shoe shine man and Sara Palin as his customer. This altered image is being circulated via email in USA. The perpetrator of this plagiarism left my copyright notice, which contains the address of this website, thus implying it was my original work. This is quite a low act as it involuntarily involves me and my photographic work in American presidential campaign, which I honestly do not know much about nor do I follow it. I certainly do not have favourite views either for American Democrats or Republicans.

I would like to assure both senator Barack Obama and Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin that the altered image has not been created, authorised, endorsed or distributed by me.

I'll save this in my collection of hate in the Shenandoah Valley. Along with the Obama sign spray painted with "KKK." Along with the Obama/Warner/Rasoul sign with "nigger" painted over Obama's name. Along with my phone message that shouted "nigger lover."

The Shenandoah Valley has beautiful scenery and many wonderful people. But, in our midst are a few hateful racists. People who have been encouraged by the mean-spirited McCain/Palin rhetoric. Haters that are kept at arm's length but are nevertheless encouraged by some local Republicans. Low life pond scum who have no appreciation or idea of what it means to live in a democracy.

For shame, Shenandoah Valley. You see yourself as a Christian area who loves your neighbor and treats others as you want to be treated, but at the same time some among us aid and abet racists who do these disgusting things. Or you look the other way. I'm not sure which is worse - being evil or being silent in the face of evil. 

Rove on running mates

On Face the Nation in early August, Karl Rove thought Barack Obama would pick Tim Kaine as his running mate. Rove sought to diminish the Virginia governor:

With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he’s been a governor for three years, he’s been able but undistinguished. I don’t think people could really name a big, important thing that he’s done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America. And again, with all due respect to Richmond, Virginia, it’s smaller than Chula Vista, California; Aurora, Colorado; Mesa or Gilbert, Arizona; north Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada. It’s not a big town. So if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I’m really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States?

This bird thought an adaption of Rove's quote was appropriate:

With all due respect again to Governor Palin, she's been a governor for less than two years, she's been able but undistinguished. I don’t think people could really name a big, important thing that she's done. She was mayor of a small town in Alaska. And again, with all due respect to Wasilla, Alaska, it’s smaller than Chula Vista, California; Aurora, Colorado; Mesa or Gilbert, Arizona; north Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada. It is about the same size as Bridgewater, Covington or Lexington. It’s not a big town. So if he were to pick Governor Palin, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I’m really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States?

Republicans would be howling if Obama pickcd Tim Kaine. Where is their outrage now?