It's The Pits

I've gone and done it.  I've totally lost my sense of humor.  I define more and more of what I hear as tasteless.  Jokes included.  Take for instance Obama's crack at the White House Correspondents Dinner regarding Sarah Palin. Was it about Sarah? Or something else?

"What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull?  A pit bull  is delicious."

I guess there are some things of which I find hard to let go.  One is the horror story of football's Michael Vick and his dog fighting ring of pit bulls. I'm still reading progress reports on those rescued by Best Friend's Animal Society.  I've crossed paths with a lot of pit bulls during my years and have yet to meet one that deserves the reputation they have as a breed.  Oh sure.  They can turn and do but it's not a trait exclusive to them.  Even my beloved Saints can be nasty and believe me a nasty Saint is no Saint!  I guess that's why the President's joke left me cold.

I usually weigh how men treat their wives in public when forming an opinion.  Maybe I should pay more attention as to how they joke, or even just talk, about their dogs!  Neither Mitt Romney nor Obama rate very high on the Arf Scale!

Sure, Obama was referring to his previous comment about having eaten dog as a youth.  I know it's considered a perfectly legitimate food in some societies.  But not ours.  It's the connotation in the form of a joke.  Animal lovers in this country fight so hard to give our voiceless companions the best lives possible.  They fight the idea that an animal is no more then a possession and can be treated anyway you please.  They aren't inanimate objects.  They are living, breathing, feeling creatures. Does how you treat your possessions carry over to how you treat your animals?  Does it carry over to family too?  Some would say yes.  I'm not sure.  I've never experienced the circumstance.  Our dogs have always been treated  like the most revered of people.

It just hit my hot button.  I've been saturated with mean spirited and truth challenged commentary over the months since political season began in earnest.  It's going to get worse before it gets better, I know.  Go ahead,  tear one another apart.  Lie about one another.  Leave it to the bewildered brain power of the voters to sort it out.  But leave our dogs out of it.  Don't joke about eating them while legalizing the trapping of wolves.  Keep your attacks aimed at those on equal footing who are equipped to fight back - other politicians.

As words and phrases are being banned on what seems nearly a daily basis, maybe we should do away with "It's a dog eat dog world."  More appropriately it should be " It's a politician eats politician world." After all they are the ones cannibalizing our way of life.

Veep Sweeps

I don't remember this much attention ever being given to a potential Vice President, but since John McCain chose Sarah Palin I guess I understand why.

Usually chosen to counter balance a weakness in the Presidential candidate, the only thing Palin did for McCain's ticket was to be a female.

I haven't the worry I had with McCain.  Romney doesn't appear senile nor tempting the grim reaper.  Well, McCain is still with us so that was a worry I needn't have had.  For all my other thoughts about him, however, I have no apologies.

Now it's time to look at the choices being floated for Romney.  Have you noticed how many seem to share his lack of personality?  Maybe the theory is sleeping through his administration might be the preferable way to survive it.  Forget that many have already said they aren't interested, let's have a look.  If you follow politics you will know some of the names, but probably not all of them.  If you don't, you aren't likely to know any.  McDowell? Portman?  Martinez? Haley?  Not a lot of name recognition there.  Going into their weaknesses isn't necessary at this point.  The name or lack thereof is enough.

Who might you know?  Marco Rubio?  He says no, but never say never.  I will suggest he hasn't yet enough experience.  Condoleezza Rice?  Once a part of the inner circle was probably enough to last her a life time.  I could think of worse things than being a dean at Stanford.  Being Vice President is one of them.

Paul Ryan?  Too controversial.  Chris Christie?  Too abrasive and his weight/health might be cause for concern.  Jeb Bush said he'd 'consider' it if asked.  That's big of him.  He wouldn't run for President when asked.  And he's still a Bush and Obama might have too much fun with that.

So who's left?  I conjured up the spirit of ole Bacchus of Dogwalk fame and he sniffed out the answer in no time.  Mike Huckabee.  Perfect.  He's chunky, but not quite like Christy.  His personality runs rings around most of the others.  He has experience governing.  He's not Mormon. Wait for it.  He's an evangelical!  Talk about balancing the ticket!  Rick Santorum, eat your heart out!  You too Newt.  This guy is the real thing.  A true Christian conservative.

So there you have it.  Another Dogwalk solution front and center.

Obama may think he's the rock star, but Huckabee beats him hands down.  He can actually pick that bass.  He's pretty good, too!

One Man's Delusional Love Fest

If there was ever a reason to not vote for Newt Gingrich it's because he's truly delusional!  Yes. He's still in the race, such as it is, for the Republican nomination.

He's been spending all his time of late in Delaware, according to Politico . Even with seventeen delegates at stake in the winner take all primary, taking place today, what good will it do?  Unfortunately it will boost his confidence that he can yet become the nominee even though he needs five more wins to even get on the ballot in Tampa.

If this isn't delusional than I am.  Which could be.  Remember, though,  Delaware gave us Christine O'Donnell!  That paragon of conservatism yet even she has endorsed Romney!

One thing that is worrisome in all states is the need to be wooed by candidates.  Even though logistically it isn't always possible a certain element of voter will hold out for that personal attention whether or not the candidate is actually worthy.  This is rumored to hold true in Delaware too, though I can hope not.

Why the Republicans weren't able to field a better selection of candidates puzzles me.  There isn't one of them I feel comfortable with but at least they've winnowed it down to perhaps the least offensive.  Heck, how can someone who can't articulate an idea be offensive?

Those remaining are just as puzzling.  Ron Paul, I suppose, just wants a platform for his ideals hoping at least some of them might catch on.  Recently departed Santorum wandered too far to the right and left the comfort zone of the average voter.  Then there's our Newt. The man is the poster child of self love from his opinion of his own intellect to the sound of his own voice.

Hopefully Delaware will have learned it's lesson with Ms. O'Donnell and will not give Newt the victory he craves.  Perhaps then our attention will no longer be divided with thoughts of 'what next?'

As imperfect as the choices are, at least we'll be down to two.  My apologies to Americans Elect. Of their top five declared candidates I've heard of one and he's one in which I have no interest.  One more time it looks like our choice will be for the least offensive of two who shouldn't be there in the first place.

Blood Money

The more I know the less I understand. It doesn't keep me from gettin mad though. Why are we going to pay Afghanistan (read Karzai) billions of dollars for a minimum of ten years after our withdrawal for the privilege of continuing to defend it?  Figure somewhere between four and six billion dollars per year. What am I missing here?

For one thing, it means more U.S. military casualties.  That's a given.  It means propping up a leader as corrupt as the day is long who we put in place not only once, but twice.  It means taking his abuse every time we look cross eyed and suffering his scoldings every time we sneeze. We're being made to look weak and subjective!

It means taking orders from him! It means continuing to train his security forces, the ones who with some regularity kill the very men training them.  Our men.  It means getting their permission for everything we do.  No more night raids.  No more launching drone attacks into Pakistan or any place else.

We're expected to support their economic development.  What?  Poppy production?  Education.  Women too? Not likely.  Health care and social initiatives?  What, pray tell!  Defend human rights and free speech?  Human rights?  This is Afghanistan we're talking about here.  The country the Taliban wants back.  Karzai is little more than the mayor of Kabul, by the grace of the Taliban at that.  The remainder of the country is still under the thumb of various war lords who side with us only if the money is right.

How this is supposed to insure stability in Central and South Asia is beyond me.  I'm not convinced any other country has an interest in that waste land other than us.  Our NATO allies are leaving.  We'll be there alone protecting the people against aggression from who?  They think it's us!

To make matters worse, it's being structured so the President doesn't even have to get Congressional approval.  Our only hope is they refuse funding.

I've long been weary of Mr. Karzai's abuse.  This is the last straw.  Bin Laden is dead.  He was the target from the get go and wasn't even there for the past six years or so.  Let's end it.   Really end it.  Karzai can tap the funds he has already embezzled to fund his protection.  It's not our responsibility to fund his retirement.

As I said, there is much I don't understand.  I do understand it's un-American for our military to have to pay lip service to a 'hostile' ally. Isn't it about time we put Mr. Karzai in his place?  We have a lot better use for four to six billion dollars a year in this country!  I can think of a lot better use for our young men and women's lives too!

If This Isn't Who We Are, Who Are We?

Not long ago photos appeared on the web of our service men urinating on dead Afghans and the cry went out.  "This isn't who we are!" It has happened again, an older incident, but one just published.  The same cry has gone out.

It seems to me we're doing a whole lot of denying and very little defining these days.

We're insensitive to our enemies during a war that has been waging for far too long.  We're racist when a white feels it necessary to defend himself. We're not God fearing enough if we're pro choice or neutral on Gay relationships. We're against the poor and the elderly if we think Obamacare is bad legislation.  We're selfish if we're wealthy. This isn't who we are either.  At least I hope not.

On the other hand who are we?  Are we the public servants working for the GSA who mock we tax payers as they party hardy on our money?  Are we the military and Secret Service personnel who partook of the ladies of the night in Colombia?

We're either very confused or just not very nice people any more.  Self indulgent.  Defensive.  Entitled?

Of course there is good out there.  Tons of it.  Kind,  caring,  giving people who do enormous good daily.  They just don't make good enough copy to sell papers or get a discussion going on Facebook or Twitter.  They don't raise your blood pressure.   They don't generate your rage.

I'd like to think they are the silent majority.  Once I would have argued that point.  However, when I read about the continuing abuses by Americans against Americans, like the actions of the TSA for instance, I find it impossible. Maybe it's not us, maybe it's those who we've elected to lead us. If so then shame on us.  We do seem willing to follow their lead however.

The military takes a lot of the abuse but I can't help but wonder from whence it comes.  The Coast Guard, for example, uses live animals for 'live tissue' training. It has been revealed that they will anesthetize a goat and cut off it's legs for the purpose.  Sometimes with nothing more sophisticated than a tree trimmer.

Well, that raises my blood pressure and generates my rage.  I ask you, what kind of people would sanction such  actions?  I cannot imagine.  Does it start at the top?  Is this really who we are?