Pickin' On Palin

As long as Joe the Plumb...oops, I mean Journalist, remains fodder for the media, Sarah may as well keep her visibility high too. Who knows, one day they may be running mates!

Actually I think I may have underestimated Sarah's suitability for public office. She has learned a great many lessons that will serve her well should she ever move up the ladder! One is to use the media to her advantage. Then blame the media for everything that goes wrong. And whine. Oh yes, whine.

She can't honestly think Caroline Kennedy hasn't taken her lumps for her "you knows" and "ums" during interviews. She has. They both need some lessons on how to communicate effectively.

When she is wondering out loud, to a reporter of course, if Caroline is receiving preferential treatment for a Senate seat because of her name, education and the fact she lives in Manhattan and is more cosmopolitan than the rurally oriented Palin, it makes me chuckle. Kennedy is after all making a run for the Senate seat from New York. Manhattan is in New York. Many of the reporters are based in New York. Yet I find no lack of scrutiny because of it.

One thing Ms. Palin might bear in mind. She was running for the office of Vice President of the United States. Perhaps the enormity, the significance of that position hasn't occurred to her. Perhaps it hasn't occurred to her that being a Mayor of a small Alaskan town wasn't quite enough to convince us she was ready to run the country. It seemed like some kind of a lark to her. I can't begin to imagine how she'd be handling the current situations - the crumbling economy, the escalation of middle east conflicts, had McCain won and become unable to serve.

She might also bear in mind that the scrutiny really wasn't against Sarah Palin, the person as it was Sarah Palin the persona. Now however, it is the person!

Remember the Katie Couric interview and Tina Fey's portrayal of her on Saturday Night Live? According to an AP article, Palin complained that they had "exploited" her. And that Couric had been condescending. Every time these tired old subjects are re-addressed it seems her victimism increases!

She even went on to complain that the reporter doing the interview took her comments out of context "to create adversarial situations." How long has the election been over? Why is this even out there for me to comment on?

She's got it down pat. Use the media. Blame the media. She even has a body double in Fey if the going really gets rough - if she can afford her. She also shows she's in touch with reality for the next go round. If blaming the media doesn't get the traction she needs, she has the rest of us covered too.

As she wrapped up the interview she commented, "When did we start accepting as hard news sources bloggers, anonymous bloggers especially?"

I'm not sure the rest of the world has. But then most of us can name the papers and magazines we read.

Honor Role

There was a thought provoking letter in the morning paper about the excessive media hype over the death of John Travolta's son. The writer pointed out that while tragic, it was no more so than the deaths of four other young men whose names we do not know. Nor do we know the names of their loved ones for they are not "celebrities".

Who are they? Congressional Medal of Honor winners with ages ranging from all of nineteen years old to thirty three. All died from injuries sustained in the line of duty - fighting a war.

The fact that celebrity news will always be a headline grabber, whether tragic or salacious, does not escape me. What does escape me is why there is so little due given the young men and women who have given their lives in our wars. I hope the Obama administration will allow us to see the flag draped coffins and the military funerals and the grieving families. Not out of macabre curiosity, but to drive home just how much sacrifice of life and limb this country has endured.

Thanking the veterans we may meet is a start. I'd like to think, however, that most of us will agree that the attention given the Travolta tragedy is not proportionate to the 30 second photo op of Bush presenting bereft families a medal, especially the Medal of Honor, posthumously, for the selfless actions of their loved ones.

Theirs are the stories that should be making the headlines.

Our Man "Flynt"

Everyone wants a piece of the bailout pie. The financial institutions, the auto industry, people who over extended themselves in the housing market and those who allowed it to happen. People like us are at the very bottom the barrel because we live within our means and carry no debt. One has a right to be bitter.

A couple of men, however, are looking out for everyman's interest. Larry Flynt of Hustler fame and Joe Francis of Girls Gone Wild have requested $5 billion to bailout the "adult entertainment industry"! The reasoning is that Congress needs to support their enterprise just as it does any other industry "cherished" by the American people. Don't you love it?

These men tell us people are depressed and having to take to bath tubs far too often for release. "It's time for Congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America!" Yeah. What will guys like Eliot Spitzer and John Edwards do?

As I was searching for confirmation of this information another headline caught my eye. Aha! All is not as altruistic is it may appear! It seems Flynt is suing two of his nephews for selling their own line of films that are "inferior products" and knockoffs.

Heaven for fend, one would not like the family name dragged through the mud! The lawsuit to maintain Flynt quality will cost big bucks, but $5 billion worth?

One article on this subject ended with the statement, "Most lawmakers have called the request for bailout money a publicity stunt."

Do you think?

SOMEone Has GOT To Stop Shooting!

The Israelis are smart all right. The timing of their retaliation against the rocket lobbing of Hamas was designed to take place during the transition of power in the U.S. so no clear cut policy was in place.

Even though Obama has stated time and again there is but one President at a time, it hardly seems so. He's getting all the face time and news conferences yet Bush still holds the office. Therefore it has been a convenience to him to say little about the conflict in Gaza other than to protest the killing of civilians.

I'm not laying all of this on the Israelis. Nor do I blame them for taking advantage of the timing to try to end the attacks once and for all. They are unlikely to succeed.

I do ache for both the Israeli and the Palestinian citizens who are bearing the brunt of the mayhem. Military casualties are either being under reported or both sides are far better than I'd expect. It's the civilians; the women and children who are starving, denied medical attention because of the lack of supplies and facilities and being slaughtered.

I don't envy Hillary Clinton the task she will be facing in a few short days. The war, as one might expect has escalated. Hezbollah, the other "H" word, has raised it's ugly head from Lebanon. Hamas and Hezbollah. Brothers under the skin. They use similar tactics to keep the citizenry in line. They provide schools and hospitals and the like out of one hand while lobbing missiles into Israel out of the other. Now they've joined forces.

Lebanese militants lobbed three rockets into Israel today. Of course Israel returned fire. Eleven more people were killed in Gaza bringing the total to nearly 700 over thirteen days.

Now what? As much as I'd like to believe diplomacy will work there is no evidence that it has a chance. If it is undertaken at all it seems to do little more than provide breathing space, allowing all side to regroup and strengthen. That Israel, with all it's superior military power, is unable to eliminate it's adversaries, perhaps it's time to let them fight it out to it's ultimate conclusion without our intervention or our money.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. Yes, for those of you who will remind me of all the accords granting Israel the right of a homeland, I understand that. They have it now. They've had our financial support in the billions of dollars. Should we not expect to see some positive results?

It's harsh. I know. But as I sit here listening to all the hype about the new administration and it's hope for change, I'm well aware of where some of those aid dollars could be put to better use. Here. For us.

What's the saying, "Money doesn't buy happiness"? It doesn't buy peace either. Maybe it's time we realize we cannot babysit the rest of the world while our own are wanting!

Joe The War Correspondent

Wow! The fewer qualifications you have the better job you can get! Heck, I ought to be Michelle Obama's Press Secretary! I was browsing around and found this AP headline: Joe the Plumber to become war correspondent. Yep. He's being sent to Israel to cover the Gaza war. Let's see. Samuel J. Wurzelbacher. He could be Jewish. Which would give pause to the credibility of his reporting. But then if he's German, that would too! Never mind the fact that he's not even licensed as a plumber what's more a journalist!

He told WNWO-TV in Toledo he'll be spending ten days covering the fighting. From safely behind the lines I'm sure. Even the likes of NBC's Richard Engel are being kept on the Israeli side of the border. That's probably okay for his purposes though. He just wants to let "Israel's average Joes' share their story." I won't look for objective journalism here!

The big question, however, is who would hire him? It wouldn't be MSNBC. They are far too liberal these days and already have a full roster of "personalities". FOX. It must be FOX. The icon of conservative reporting. Nope. As lopsided as their viewpoint is, they for the most part have reporters with at least a modicom of journalistic experience. None of the major networks nor CNN would send him. That duty is reserved for their anchors. Then who?

Searching, searching. Here we are. PJTV.com. A conservative web site.

What does PJTV stand for? Pajamas TV. Seriously.

Oh well. Yawn.