In her acceptance speech to the Republican National Convention last night, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska showcased her photogenic family, related her experiences as Governor and mayor, and thrilled the Republican Party base with her wit.
Though she took aim at her Democratic opponents briefly, she is to be commended for delivering a fine speech to the crowd. Though it was written by a Bush Administration speechwriter, she delivered her lines with the zest and fervor that her supporters expected.
She introduced herself well, and now must begin the process of learning how to navigate the waters of both national and international crises and policy, as a Vice-President must.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Georgians Rally Against Russia, And We Must Stand With Them
Yesterday, one million Georgians, according to the press, protested against Russian military action and the backing by Russia of Georgia's two separatist regions.
Held in the capital city of Tbilisi, the protesters united to show their support for Georgian autonomy, in the aftermath of Russian action in August to crush a Georgian bid to retake the breakaway region of South Ossetia from pro-Moscow separatists.
The European Union weighed in by postponing talks with the Russians on a new partnership pact that was scheduled for later in September, on the condition that Moscow pull its troops out of Georgia.
In response, The Russian government accused the United States of sending weapons and assistance to the Republic of Georgia, and once again warned Western governments to deny support to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The West must not allow itself to be bullied by renewed Russian saber-rattling. It should continue to expand the NATO alliance, and should continue to give verbal support to Georgia in its hour of need. In addition, we must not give up on Russia. With its nuclear arsenal, energy reserves, and strategic importance in the war on international terrorism, we must help the Russians avoid the perilous backslide back into totalitarianism, and encourage the further develop of market forces and democratic reforms.
Held in the capital city of Tbilisi, the protesters united to show their support for Georgian autonomy, in the aftermath of Russian action in August to crush a Georgian bid to retake the breakaway region of South Ossetia from pro-Moscow separatists.
The European Union weighed in by postponing talks with the Russians on a new partnership pact that was scheduled for later in September, on the condition that Moscow pull its troops out of Georgia.
In response, The Russian government accused the United States of sending weapons and assistance to the Republic of Georgia, and once again warned Western governments to deny support to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The West must not allow itself to be bullied by renewed Russian saber-rattling. It should continue to expand the NATO alliance, and should continue to give verbal support to Georgia in its hour of need. In addition, we must not give up on Russia. With its nuclear arsenal, energy reserves, and strategic importance in the war on international terrorism, we must help the Russians avoid the perilous backslide back into totalitarianism, and encourage the further develop of market forces and democratic reforms.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Biden More Honorable Public Servant Than Karl Rove Will Ever Be
In response to Bush Victory Architect Karl Rove's declaration today that Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Joseph Biden is a "big blowhard doofus," because of his propensity to talk alot about issues, I have only one thing to say: Karl Rove has no standing to criticize ANYONE.
Joseph Biden has done more in serving Delaware, in serving the nation, in putting cops on the street, in raising his boys as a single father after the tragic death of his wife, in drafting the Violence Against Women Act, in leading the charge against the confirmation of Right-Wing zealot Robert Bork to the Supreme Court, in being a leading advocate for U.S. intervention to stop the ethnic cleansing campaigns in Bosnia and Kosovo, and in facing down genocidal/homicidal maniacs like Slobodan Milosevic, than Karl Rove has accomplished in all his right-wing political pontificating over the last eight years.
A college dropout and former direct mail posterboy like Rove would never have gotten a chance at a national reputation if he hadn't schooled a non-effective Governor from Texas in the art of political mudslinging and political chicanery.
I'll take a talkative Joe Biden with a documented record of achievement any day of the week and twice on Sundays over a deceitful, unscrupulous, and unprincipled political hack like Karl Rove.
Of course Karl Rove has time to attack Biden now that even the Presidential nightmare he created has disavowed him. Without the White House and Team Bush to cover his mistakes and to make excuses for him, Rove has nothing left to do with his time but attack quality public servants, pretend to be of value to the McCain Campaign (which he isn't), and await some misstep that will finally see the law punish him for his dubious and reprehensible machinations during the Bush years.
What goes around comes around. Mr. Rove can't escape retribution for his deceitful brand of political destruction forever.
Joseph Biden has done more in serving Delaware, in serving the nation, in putting cops on the street, in raising his boys as a single father after the tragic death of his wife, in drafting the Violence Against Women Act, in leading the charge against the confirmation of Right-Wing zealot Robert Bork to the Supreme Court, in being a leading advocate for U.S. intervention to stop the ethnic cleansing campaigns in Bosnia and Kosovo, and in facing down genocidal/homicidal maniacs like Slobodan Milosevic, than Karl Rove has accomplished in all his right-wing political pontificating over the last eight years.
A college dropout and former direct mail posterboy like Rove would never have gotten a chance at a national reputation if he hadn't schooled a non-effective Governor from Texas in the art of political mudslinging and political chicanery.
I'll take a talkative Joe Biden with a documented record of achievement any day of the week and twice on Sundays over a deceitful, unscrupulous, and unprincipled political hack like Karl Rove.
Of course Karl Rove has time to attack Biden now that even the Presidential nightmare he created has disavowed him. Without the White House and Team Bush to cover his mistakes and to make excuses for him, Rove has nothing left to do with his time but attack quality public servants, pretend to be of value to the McCain Campaign (which he isn't), and await some misstep that will finally see the law punish him for his dubious and reprehensible machinations during the Bush years.
What goes around comes around. Mr. Rove can't escape retribution for his deceitful brand of political destruction forever.
Japanese Government Again Rudderless
With the resignation today of Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, the Japanese state finds itself once again struggling to find a charismatic leader to resemble the former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
As with Koizumi's hand-picked successor, Shinzo Abe, who resigned shortly after taking office due to health reasons, the departure of Fukuda leaves the shaky Japanese economy in a state of continued turmoil, exacerbated by another power vacuum at the top.
With the Japanese Parliament evenly divided between Fukuda's party and the opposition party, a genuine unifier and political healer will be necessary to stem the tide of turmoil that has been the recent hallmark of Japan's economic downturn.
With China's rising influence in the region, as demonstrated by their recent extraordinary performance in hosting the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the Japanese must come together to shake off their malaise both economically and politically before it is too late.
As with Koizumi's hand-picked successor, Shinzo Abe, who resigned shortly after taking office due to health reasons, the departure of Fukuda leaves the shaky Japanese economy in a state of continued turmoil, exacerbated by another power vacuum at the top.
With the Japanese Parliament evenly divided between Fukuda's party and the opposition party, a genuine unifier and political healer will be necessary to stem the tide of turmoil that has been the recent hallmark of Japan's economic downturn.
With China's rising influence in the region, as demonstrated by their recent extraordinary performance in hosting the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the Japanese must come together to shake off their malaise both economically and politically before it is too late.
Palin's Family Should Be Off-Limits, With One Exception
The revelation earlier today that Governor Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter is pregnant, and will marry the father is, sadly in our society, all too frequent. And yes, I agree with both the McCain and Obama campaigns that the families of the candidates should be off-limits to insult and overzealous scrutiny by the media...with one exception.
The ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin has no standing now to climb upon a "proverbial high horse" and lecture the good people of America, or the Obama-Biden ticket for that matter, on the subject of "family and moral values." This has been an all-too frequent weapon in the arsenal of Republican presidential tickets of the past-imposing the so-called moral and Right-Wing Christian values of some on the lives of everyone, regardless of their religious belief system.
I hope the McCain-Palin ticket will show more class than to tout the superiority of their Republican values over that of the Democrats' values. If not, if they decide to attack Obama-Biden and their legions of supporters on "moral family values" in a cheap, tawdry effort to capture undecided swing voters, then by all means, I say to the Democratic ticket...TAKE THE GLOVES OFF, AND COME OUT SWINGING!
If McCain -Palin decides to attack Democrats with the old and tired family values stick in this election, I say fine. Let's then give them the debate they want-a debate on family and moral values- Let's then publicly examine the family and moral values of a Vice-Presidential nominee and her nearest and dearest whose lessons and parenting skills were apparently so effective that a 17 year old girl got pregnant out of wedlock... and the daughter of the state's Chief Executive Officer to boot! Quite a role model for the people of Alaska and the country.
If McCain-Palin knows what's good for them, and wants a shot at winning this election, it had better not go there.
The ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin has no standing now to climb upon a "proverbial high horse" and lecture the good people of America, or the Obama-Biden ticket for that matter, on the subject of "family and moral values." This has been an all-too frequent weapon in the arsenal of Republican presidential tickets of the past-imposing the so-called moral and Right-Wing Christian values of some on the lives of everyone, regardless of their religious belief system.
I hope the McCain-Palin ticket will show more class than to tout the superiority of their Republican values over that of the Democrats' values. If not, if they decide to attack Obama-Biden and their legions of supporters on "moral family values" in a cheap, tawdry effort to capture undecided swing voters, then by all means, I say to the Democratic ticket...TAKE THE GLOVES OFF, AND COME OUT SWINGING!
If McCain -Palin decides to attack Democrats with the old and tired family values stick in this election, I say fine. Let's then give them the debate they want-a debate on family and moral values- Let's then publicly examine the family and moral values of a Vice-Presidential nominee and her nearest and dearest whose lessons and parenting skills were apparently so effective that a 17 year old girl got pregnant out of wedlock... and the daughter of the state's Chief Executive Officer to boot! Quite a role model for the people of Alaska and the country.
If McCain-Palin knows what's good for them, and wants a shot at winning this election, it had better not go there.
Unless Our Course Changes, Retirement May Be a Thing of the Past
As American voters prepare to go to the polls this November, the stakes for America's well-being and strength have never been higher.
More and more American workers are working longer and harder for less, while corporate profits continue to skyrocket, and for many, savings is difficult, if not impossible, in today's volatile economic climate. The American Dream of a well-earned retirement after a lifetime of a job well done is becoming increasingly fleeting for all except the super-wealthy.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29% of people in their late 60's were working in 2006, up from 18% in 1985, and 6 million workers last year were age 65 or older. According to the Bureau and aol Money and Finance, over the next decade, workers age 55 and up are expected to rise at more than 5 times the rate of the overall work force in America.
If senior citizens in America choose to keep working full-time because they want to, I say bravo, good for them. Staying active and engaged both physically and mentally is not only good for one's health, but good for the country as well.
But if senior citizens have to work for fear of getting sick, going hungry, or losing what little they have, that is morally wrong in a country as great as our own. To those who say, "Well, they didn't save enough, that's their own fault, just too bad. Only the strongest deserve to survive,"
I say that Social Darwinism and devouring the weakest among us without providing opportunities to help those most elderly among us is a travesty of the highest caliber.
No one is talking about a handout. I am talking about a hand up. All Americans who have worked hard all their lives deserve that when needed.
More and more American workers are working longer and harder for less, while corporate profits continue to skyrocket, and for many, savings is difficult, if not impossible, in today's volatile economic climate. The American Dream of a well-earned retirement after a lifetime of a job well done is becoming increasingly fleeting for all except the super-wealthy.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29% of people in their late 60's were working in 2006, up from 18% in 1985, and 6 million workers last year were age 65 or older. According to the Bureau and aol Money and Finance, over the next decade, workers age 55 and up are expected to rise at more than 5 times the rate of the overall work force in America.
If senior citizens in America choose to keep working full-time because they want to, I say bravo, good for them. Staying active and engaged both physically and mentally is not only good for one's health, but good for the country as well.
But if senior citizens have to work for fear of getting sick, going hungry, or losing what little they have, that is morally wrong in a country as great as our own. To those who say, "Well, they didn't save enough, that's their own fault, just too bad. Only the strongest deserve to survive,"
I say that Social Darwinism and devouring the weakest among us without providing opportunities to help those most elderly among us is a travesty of the highest caliber.
No one is talking about a handout. I am talking about a hand up. All Americans who have worked hard all their lives deserve that when needed.
McCain Modifies Day One, Jefferson Prepares For Primary
I agree with John McCain's decision to cut back the festivities of Day One of the RNC Convention due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Gustav at the Gulf Coast. Not wishing to repeat the mistakes of the past and to appear shamefully partisan, McCain will spend time along the Gulf Coast initially monitoring the situation. I look for the GOP to pretend that Katrina never happened, and to say, in effect, "Look at us now...See, we do care, we do want to protect ordinary citizens from the wrath of Mother Nature."
I disagree, however, with U.S. Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA), as he stands ready to compete in this Saturday's Democratic House Primary in Louisiana. Looking to win a 10th Term in the U.S. House, I think that Congressman Jefferson' s recent Federal indictment on Bribery charges should give the man a moment of pause as to whether or not he is still fit to serve the public interest. As he awaits the start of his federal bribery trial in Virginia later this year, I think that most thinking Democrats would agree that Jefferson gave up the right to serve the people when he so blatantly began serving himself.
How do I know this? I remind my readers that the FBI found close to $90,000 in bribes in Rep. Jefferson's house when they searched it, money he denied knowledge of.
Where did they find it?
In his freezer.
I rest my case.
I disagree, however, with U.S. Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA), as he stands ready to compete in this Saturday's Democratic House Primary in Louisiana. Looking to win a 10th Term in the U.S. House, I think that Congressman Jefferson' s recent Federal indictment on Bribery charges should give the man a moment of pause as to whether or not he is still fit to serve the public interest. As he awaits the start of his federal bribery trial in Virginia later this year, I think that most thinking Democrats would agree that Jefferson gave up the right to serve the people when he so blatantly began serving himself.
How do I know this? I remind my readers that the FBI found close to $90,000 in bribes in Rep. Jefferson's house when they searched it, money he denied knowledge of.
Where did they find it?
In his freezer.
I rest my case.
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