Don't Pass Health Care Because Of Kennedy

I am so mad at the 24/7 media I could scream. They are the ones pushing for the passage of legislation that hasn't even been completed to honor Ted Kennedy! That would be the most stupid, irresponsible reason in the world to pass it and would hardly "honor" the man.

I'm no fan of Ted Kennedy, nor any of them for that matter. More poor little rich boys getting passes throughout life for behaving badly. I cannot give Ted a pass for the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. A death that could possibly have been prevented had he gone to the first house across that bridge and called for help - or mustered the help of those who lived there. To have waited 10 hours was criminal. But he was a Kennedy. All the motions were gone through but everyone knew what the outcome would be. Pass.

In another sense, he took the life of of another individual too. The career of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork. His campaign against Bork has to be one of the most venomous in the history of politics. It destroyed Bork's nomination and reputation. That too drained a life.

His bad boy behavior behind the scenes could be repulsive too. Take for example the "waitress sandwich" story that's making the rounds on talk radio today. It would seem he and his great friend Chris Dodd (D-CT) were dining in one of D.C.'s more posh restaurants with a couple of sweet young ladies that were not their wives. In a private room known as "The Teddy Kennedy Fun Room". Everyone was very drunk. When the sweet young things took a ladies room break, Kennedy grabbed a waitress, threw her on a table then threw her onto the sprawled Dodd and piled on top of the two of them. The details of the incident are disgusting.

So we lionize the man for his years of service and the fact he was a Kennedy. It was expected and will play itself out after he is interred in that most sacred of ground at Arlington; the final resting place of those who died for their country. Truly for their country.

I doubt, if the legislation is passed without serious revision, our narcissistic President, who wants health care reform to be his legacy , will allow another name on it. If he does, however, maybe it's fitting.

Just remember, you who are making your views known while you can, what happened to the country after the last major piece of legislation was pushed through without thought after 9/11? The Homeland Security Act has negatively impacted so many aspects of our lives! Our rights have been trampled. As a small example, we can't cross what were once friendly borders without hassle, we can't fly without physical intrusion or the risk of our names being on a terrorist watch list for no reason. We can be listened to with impunity. Our e-mails can be scrutinized. What will happen to our privacy this time?

Maybe Kennedy devoted himself to a lifetime of public service as a self-imposed penance for past transgressions. I'd have an easier time believing that had others, less serious in that a life was not taken, had not been a benchmark of his private life. Rather it had been behavior deserving the kudos his senatorial tenure seems to muster.

As Bill Clinton said, in effect, when asked about why he did what he did in the oval office with a young intern, "Because I could". It would also seem to be the case with Senator Kennedy.

Now. What about Chris Dodd? Another man who would be President. I'm beginning to wonder if we have a choice any more. I'm learning one thing. The moral standards of public figures are far different than mine. No matter. I still factor it into my opinions with no apologies.

Cheerleader-In-Chief

I've got to say, when I misjudge, I really do a doozy of a job. That's how I'm feeling about President Obama's ability to govern, what's more lead.

First we had the apology tour around the world. It's not even so much that he apologized for past bad judgement of a former administration as much as those to which he apologized.

Then we had the government bailout of banks whether they were needed or not. The Obamaniztion of the auto industry. Cash for Clunkers now where they've made the forms so difficult to get right auto dealers are awaiting hundreds of thousands of dollars due them. Stimulus money yet undistributed.

The health care reform debacle or is it the health insurance reform? A bill that has rushed through the house for the sake of rushing it through. There has yet to even be a bill from the Senate.

Congressional Democrats prying into pay and bonus plans of perfectly sound private businesses. The huge number of czars appointed to over see just about everything with lots of power and answering only to the President. Or is it Rahm Emanuel?

The war escalation in Afghanistan where the general in charge has been told to take a request for more troops out of his upcoming assessment before Congress.

Now the idea of putting the Bush administration's handling of terrorist interrogations behind us is gone. It's time to move forward, he said. Now the Attorney General has appointed a special prosecutor that will do nothing more than air more dirty linen and plunge the morale of the CIA back into a dark morass, further inhibiting their ability to do what they must for national security.

Obama is not a leader. He is a man who delegates. He delegates legislation to Pelosi and company without sending up his own guidelines. What kind of leadership is that?

I first started getting nervous when he began selecting his cabinet. So many were payback for support with no background in the positions offered. Including Hillary.

I'm not saying Bush did a better job. He didn't, but at least he stayed in the White House.

I had high hopes that the articulate young man with a sales pitch of hope and change had a vision of improving the way the government does business, not changing the entire fabric of what has made us great. What have we, really? One who is not so articulate without benefit of prompters. One who came to the presidency on the power of his personality with negligible experience to back it up.

I fell into the trap. I thought it was time to get some younger blood in place. I liked him. He had opponents who were so weak as to be laughable. Who did we have? Hillary? I really don't think she'd have been any better unless Bill played a role most of us were hesitant to embrace. Edwards? Right. Wrong.

The Republicans? Whew! Romney was the best of the lot. He at least has broad experience in the business world.

I wasn't like Hub who couldn't bring himself to vote for either candidate. I voted for Obama. He's the President of the United States of America. He's acting like a King would if in England. There for ceremonial purposes without really being involved in governing.

I wish his enthusiasm for the perks of the office and the adulation he's been receiving would wear as thin for him as it has for me. He's the President. I want him to act like it and get a handle on what's happening in his administration and our country.

Is The Whole World going Nuts?

I thought we had a corner on political correctness, especially when it comes to words describing ethnicity. You know, words like "redskins" and "squaw". Ask Don Imus about "nappy" hair!

Maybe it's what happens when the world of politics becomes so chaotic no one knows what to think about it. Or don't want to think because the inconsistency and blatant incompetence of it is so overwhelming! Crack down on something so removed from important issues, people will forget the reality of what is or is not happening. I don't know, I don't know.

What's happening in Britain will no doubt soon invade our shores. According to the TIMESONLINE a new surge of words are being purged from common usage. For instance, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission wants "black" day replaced by "miserable" day. They suggest that such words carry a "hierarchical valuation of skin color". Even "ethnic minority" is deemed insulting.

The National Gallery in London thinks " gentleman's agreement" insults women and "right hand man" is demeaning.

Even the word "master" is a no no even when it comes to "master" bedroom! "Whiter than white" is also taboo! "Black sheep", "black looks" and "black mark" are also considered a negative view of all things black! There was no mention of "blacker than the ace of spades". I'm sure if I put my mind to it I could come up with a lot more.

How the heck can I blog if I'm forbidden to refer to Obama as our first "black" President? Maybe it's an omen. Oops! That could be insulting to some religious groups.

Man. I do miss Bacchus! He was a catch all. He was reddish brown, white and black and for yellow, well, maybe his teeth. He didn't care what we called him as long as we called him for dinner. No wonder people love their dogs so much.

When You Can Laugh You Know You're Healing!

Bacchus will be with us for a l-o-n-g time to come! We've begun washing the blankets, gathering the toys and vacuuming everything! He had never stopped shedding his winter coat and tumbleweeds of dog fur are everywhere.

In some native American lore it is said the spirit of the departed stays for three days. In Bacchus's case it's probably to make sure his Mom is going to snap out of her funk. It's okay, kid; I'm getting a handle on things.

Yesterday morning Hub heard me fumbling around the kitchen getting my first cup of coffee and came in. He said, "Either Bacchus's spirit is alive and well or we've got a mouse! I saw a dark something scoot out of here when I was getting ready to turn on the light."

"Or you didn't!" I laughed.

We haven't had a mouse in the house since we first moved in. We had a battle royal for about three days and that was the end of it. But, living on five acres in the middle of the prairie, we decided to dig out the live trap, load it up with peanut butter and set it where we thought was strategic. Outside the pantry.

Last night we were watching the tube when we heard the click of the door. Sure enough we had a little guy. Hub took him out to the fence line at the back of the property and let him go. "He didn't want to leave his peanut butter," he was laughing when he came back in. We both laughed. It reminded us of someone else and his taste for "people food".

We resumed watching TV. It wasn't long before another little guy was scurrying around at our feet. Hub got up and reset the trap. "That 'spirit'", he muttered, "wants to make darn sure we have something to do!"

We both laughed. No mouse yet today but we know he's in there! It reminded me of the old Scottish prayer,

From ghosties and ghoulies,
And long-leggety beasties,
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord deliver us.

We're doing just fine. We're beginning to laugh.

There are poignant moments too. I was searching for mouse holes in the guest room closet and found a little wooden heart on the floor. It says "Love bears all things". It's probably off one on my stuffed animals from the collection that adorns the guest bed until we have company, then into that closet they go.

What an opportune time to find it. I smiled. How true.

Aryans - Why Here?

About ten days ago I wrote a post on the resurgence of hate groups in our little corner of the world. They are not new to the area. A time came when the community said enough was enough. They lost their compound and it was thought they were pretty much gone when the founder of the Aryan Nations died just a few years ago.

As I had talked about, they have reappeared. At first they were distributing their hate literature in the dark of night locally. It has since begun happening across the state line in communities in Washington. Friday, the powers that be from the local communities, police, local officials, and human rights groups, called a press conference to denounce this activity and state that they were prepared to nip it in the bud by threatening prosecution if anything escalates into criminal activity.

It would seem they are a day late and a dollar short because earlier this week an armed man was arrested for harassing and slinging racial slurs an individual in front of his home.

They've gotten the press they want. Public officials have put them on notice to watch their step while they cry about their right of free speech being violated. I have no doubt this is but a drawing of a line in the sand by both sides. It's a drama I would rather not watch play out but have no doubt that it will.

We understand why these people feel emboldened; the economy has people frustrated and angry. The race issue of having a black President. Hate groups see opportunity.

It has been made perfectly clear on a number of levels they are not welcome here. They had been eradicated so it was thought. Wrongly. My question is, and perhaps it merits examination, what is it about this area and the people who reside here that they find so appealing?