A Touch of Chaos

There have been a host of interesting events since my last posting, so let’s take a brief tour of the land of insanity.

Race Matters 1, or, The Importance of 42

Remember Jackie Robinson.

Remember Branch Rickey.

Remember Walter O’Malley.

Robinson’s heroism is never to be overlooked, but were it not for Dodgers’ GM Rickey and owner O’Malley, Robinson’s courage would not have been displayed.

Race Matters 2

Anyone who believes the two stories of the Duke University lacrosse players and the probably temporary professional demise of Don Imus are not interrelated need to take another look at the cases.

Both cases involved a rush to judgment against rich white guys, and this rush was promoted by those famous racial provocateurs, Rev. Al (convicted for defaming an innocent man) Sharpton and Rev. Jesse (Hymietown) Jackson. In both cases, the white guys were the victims of professional media-mob lynchings stirred up by the aforementioned reverends.

Regarding the Duke case, take a look at the well thought out piece by Peter Applebome in the Sunday (4/15) New York Times Metro section. Applebome gets it just right as he points to the reverse racism evidenced by a black minority, unwilling to let the evidence come forward for examination before hanging the innocent. Also guilty are the leftist academics and women’s groups who did nothing less than hoist the players off the ground once the rope was placed around the players’ collective neck. Of course, directing the old heave-ho was district attorney Nifong, who suppressed exonerating evidence. Nifong issued a legalistic non-apology apology for his actions. He should not only lose his license, but also spend some time as a guest of the state.

I was stunned this morning while watching ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopolis. His two female panelists, including Democratic Party operative Donna Brazile, stated that they had “mixed feelings” about the end of the Duke story. “Mixed feelings”? I was flabbergasted. What did these women not learn from the story? A horrendous mistake was made by many in the media, academia, and various “rights” organizations, and they say they have “mixed feelings”?

Imus in the Mourning

I remember the Imus show from his beginnings in New York. He was on WNBC. Well, he sort of was on WNBC. He missed so many shows because he was either drunk or stoned that NBC fired him and exiled him to Cleveland for a coupe of years before bringing him back to New York. I was a bit of a fan for some of his bits, such as the pompous evangelist Rev. Billy Sol Hargas (“I don’t care if it rains or freezes/ long as I got my plastic Jesus/ riding on the dashboard of my car”), but on the whole, I didn’t really care. I was more than surprised when he returned to New York and became a major hit, so much so that big-time politicians and serious writers clamored for airtime with him.

Imus has been doing his current shtick for many years and many people are flabbergasted that he got canned for his “nappy haired ho’s” comment regarding the Rutgers women’s basketball team. The claim is that Imus used language common to rap and hip-hop music for more than a decade.

So what went wrong and why was Imus canned? CBS corporate suits caved like a West Virginia coal mine when Rev. Sharpton et al. called for Imus’s head on a platter. CBS, through its other entertainment arms, has long profited from the racism, vulgarity and crudity of rap and hip-hop. What gave their corporate cowardice adequate cover was that Imus made a fatal mistake: previously, he would insult groups or specific public figures who certainly were both deserving of or capable of withstanding attack by dint of their public positions or publicity seeking, here he attacked specific individuals who had done nothing to warrant this attack.

This verbal assault on the Rutgers women certainly deserved action by CBS, and the initial announcement of a two-week unpaid suspension sounds just about right. In light of his mea culpas at the feet of Al Sharpton (why did he gave Sharpton this power to grant absolution?), and his face-to-face apology to the Rutgers women’s basketball team, Imus’s termination was nothing less than a corporate lynching to satisfy a racist mob.

What does it all mean? This country is marked by the permanent stain of slavery and racial prejudice. Efforts over the past 50 years to make amends for our national history have made progress in admitting our past and correcting our present, but racism and its legacy remain a clear and present danger to our future. Racism exists in all communities, black and white, and to various degrees, from subtle and silent to outspoken and violent. The chasm between certain segments of our society is wide and the space between us is filled with the corrosive acid produced by the professional provocateurs and their willing associates. Sometimes the issue of race is just a race to the bottom.

The Uniter and the Decider

I shouldn’t be surprised at the continued idiocy spewing forth from this administration. I really shouldn’t. Especially since the administration is headed by an idiot, what else can you expect?

But the headlines that say the idiot-in-chief is looking for a “War Czar” to control the land wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are just totally baffling. Let’s see, there is the navy admiral, William Fallon, who is the head of the United Stated Central Command, which stretches from the Horn of Africa to India and the south eastern rim of Russia, who controls all forces in that entire region. Then there is a joint chiefs of staff. Then a secretary of defense. Then hawk-in-chief Dick (I’ve got better things to do) Cheney. Then the “Decider” himself. So now he is looking for someone to act as War Czar? Nope. There are plenty of people in the chain of command to invest with the title of “War Czar”.
As reported in the media, several retired flag officers have already turned down the position. One general said, in essence, that this administration hasn’t got a clue as to what it is doing.

What the idiot-in-chief is looking for is a scapegoat on whom to pin our ultimate defeat in both land wars.

Alberto Gonzalez Says, "The Dog Ate My Homework"

Dweeb of the Week Alberto Gonzalez continues to swing “slowly, slowly in the wind” and I wonder how long it will be before the Uniter and Decider decides it’s time to cut him loose. It’s is clear that he lied about the circumstances that lead to firing of eight US Deputy Attorneys General, and that those firings were motivated solely by political considerations, more specifically, the AGs were attacking Republican wrongdoing instead of the Democrats. Even Republicans don’t believe him.

Now comes word that the entire issue was discussed with Karl Rove over a parallel internet mail system run by the Republican National Committee specifically to by-pass the White House system and thereby evade required record keeping. And now they claim that they can’t find e-mails that Congress wants to examine in the course of reviewing the AG situation. In the internet age, nothing disappears, even after you press the “Delete” key. Or maybe Rosemary Woods still works in the White House?

Is there a Hercules available to clean out the Augean Stable that this administration has built?

Giuliani Time

This is rich. Rudy is campaigning in Iowa and he tells the Des Moines register he has experience fighting terrorism. The truth is Rudy hasn't so much as lifted a paper clip to actually "fight" terrorism. Since he left office Rudy has concentrated on making a fortune by setting up various "consulting" companies and capitalizing on his post 9/11 media exposure. Not that there's anything wrong with it. Rudy's rise is just another example of the media having a "boy crush."

Abraham Lincoln said "You can't fool all of the people, all of the time." The question is whether Rudy, like George Bush, can fool just enough people just enough of the time.

Giuliani leads in the Iowa polls by a slim margin, followed closely by Sen. McCain. ON the money side, McCain leads Giuliani $25m-$15m.

Sense and Sanity in Government .. What a Concept!

New Mexico Governor, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, is about to sign into law a measure that would remove the possibility of criminal prosecution from people who are trying to aid victims of drug overdoses. The total sanity of this measure is fall-off-your-chair startling.

Talk About Strange Bedfellows

This is hillarious. The National Rifle Association and the American Civil Liberties Union are on the same side -for- in a Texas gun case. You've got to reads this one.

Ka--CHINNNNG!

Easy as A-B-C


Really surprising news was released by the Federal Elections Commission regarding the fund raising achievements of the leading candidates.

On the Democratic side, there appears to be considerable traction by the A-B-C group: those political operatives and rank-and-file members who believe that Hillary Clinton is not, for various reasons, the best possible standard bearer for the coming election.Hence, A-B-C , or Anyone But Clinton. The ABCs believe Hillary has too much baggage, is too polarizing, voted for the Iraq war, is too wooden a candidate, and various combinations of the above. In searching for an alternative, the unseasoned Barack Obama managed to virtually tie Hillary in the amount of money raised the last quarter: $26 million for Clinton versus $25 million for Obama. Edwards came in at third place with $14 million. Take a look at this Jeff Zeleny NYTIMES article.

Of equal importance is the source of the funds. Clinton raised her money in a serious of big ticket events for Democratic fat cats, while Obama held many cheaper rallies and used the internet effectively. One possible result is that Hillary has maxed out the permissible fund raining of the fat cats and now has to depend upon the "little people" , who really don't get the "warm fuzzies" from her. On the other hand, Obama, has had more than twice the number of individual donations , and in far smaller denominations, than has Hillary. If Obama shows strength going forward, he then has the opportunity to pick up support, and more important, cash, from people who previously gave big bucks to Hillary but now see Obama as a potential winner.

On the whole, the Dems seem to be the money powerhouse this election cycle as they continue to surprise by raising more money, overall, than the Republicans. Early ’08 Fund-Raising Has Clear Blue Tint

Don't discount the possibility that the heavyweights,: Obama (geez.. calling a flyweight like Obama a heavyweight is mind boggling), Clinton and , bringing up the rear of the so-called "first tier" of Dem candidates , John Edwards, could tear each other apart
Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye

Major bad news for the candidacy of Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, as former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney raised significantly more money that McCain.

McCain's candidacy seems to be in shambles as he is shuffling campaign staff members and trying to field an effective fund raising team . For someone who has previously run for the presidency, this is an ominous sign.

Both McCain and Romney have flip-flopped on issues and each one presents no definable political persona. Instead, they look like a couple of old style pols who will do and say anything to get another vote. It is a sad move for the once highly regarded and self-styled maverick, McCain, and well as the moderate-liberal Romney.

Meanwhile, the high flying Rudy Giuliani seems to be coming back down to earth as more and more details come out about his personal life and his business dealings, particularly his attachment to former police commissioner Bernard Kerick. Now Rudy is saying that he supports public funding for abortions. Rudy's trying to run away from his political record, but as Satchel Paige used to say, " Don't look back, someone might be gaining on you."

If Rudy stays in contention, the opposition will start to pound him with so many negatives that Rudy will feel that he was hit with a southeast Asian tsunami.


Overall, it looks as though both the Democrats and the Republicans are having a hard time coalescing around one leading candidate. This is a good thing! It gives the campaign process, rather than the money raising process, enough time to have a real impact by requiring candidates to test themselves and their ideas in the public forum.

Don't be surprised if dark horse candidates start to gain traction, candidates with substance, and more importantly, candidates more in tune with their party's core values. Look for Bill Richardson on the Democratic side and Newt Gingrich for the Republicans.