Michael Vick - A Step Too Far

I've become pretty jaded over my lifetime and little shocks or surprises me, but I must admit that the news that Michael Vick has a new dog did just that.

It seems he tweeted a picture of his daughter and happened to catch the corner of a Milk Bone box in it.  Then the picture was replaced without the box.  That in itself makes me queasy.  He tried to hide the truth.

Legally he has every right to have a dog now that his parole for the horrendous abuse he was instrumental in inflicting on the dogs in his dog fighting ring has ended.

He claims that what he had done in the past in no way molded who he is today.  I'm no psychologist but I don't buy it.  Every experience you have in life molds who you are.  He claims it's for his kids so they can learn to love and respect animals.  Fine.  You leave and let the kids have the dog.

A lot of his fighting dogs were taken in by Best Friends Animal Society for care and rehabilitation.  Many are still there with severe personality problems. Many had to be euthanized because of their injuries. Somehow all the court mandated work for the Humane Society is supposed to negate all this.  Tell that to the dogs who fight for their lives even now.

I'm sorry, no.  Michael Vick has had more breaks than most would ever get because of his prowess on the football field.  He has regained his wealth.  He has regained his adoring fans - at least as long as his skills last.  That's more than enough.  Way more.

I live in an area of the country where attitudes toward animals is mixed.  Most love their dogs every bit as much as I loved ours.  Others think of them as no more than possessions to be used for whatever sport their owner decides - from hunting to fighting. Too much fighting.  Too much neglect.

There is always the argument that an animal's life is not as valuable as a human.  Unless you're making heaps of money on the fights.  But the animal has no say.  It's a cliche as old as time, I know, but also undeniably true.

If a human can be executed for taking another's life or sentenced to life in prison people applaud.  The creep got what he deserved.  If a sex offender or a child molester has to register so people know of their proximity, people cheer.   That gives them the edge on keeping themselves and their children safe.

So it should be for those who abuse animals.  Perhaps a better lesson for his kids would be to work along side their Dad with the Humane Society.  You don't always get what you want and it isn't always your fault.  This time it was Dads.

I have no objection to second chances but the caveat is it should be deserved.  Mr. Vick has had a multitude of second chances pan out to his benefit.  The one he doesn't deserve is to ever have a living breathing animal living under the same roof.  Nor does that animal.

The Best Moment Of The Debate - Any Debate

The best moment of any political debate, it seems, is when the debaters come on stage and shake hands.  If only our national politics were really that civil.

Actually, the debate was pretty much as I expected.  When Biden was acting like the Vice President rather than Al Gore he came across as knowledgeable, in command of his stance and a man to be respected.

Paul Ryan, too comported himself well.  More than Mr. Biden actually.  It is no fault of his that he appeared to be the younger, less experienced of the two. He was. That he held his own is commendable.  While he may not have signed sealed and delivered the election to the Republicans, he didn't do them any harm either.

The polls will tell, I suppose, if the persistent mugging and laughter from Biden will be something that resonates in the long run.  I don't expect that it will any more than I expect the debate to be remembered past next Tuesday.  It's merely a chance to see if the men seem capable of stepping into the Presidency should it ever be necessary.  Sarah Palin could not pass that test even with the constraints placed on Biden so for that reason if no other, it's important. 

The conservative side said Biden was condescending and somewhat maniacal in his behavior.  I would agree it was often over the top, sometimes inappropriate and uncalled for.  That's the key.  This was a debate between two men vying for the Vice Presidency.  It should have been no laughing matter.  The topics at hand are dead serious and when he behaved in that manner he was impressive.

He didn't have to act like he was doing a stand up routine at a comedy club to challenge or answer a point from Ryan.  I'm sorry he felt he did because it took away from his over all effectiveness.

 After all the hype from both sides subsides I expect it will be judged anticlimactic for all the pre-debate hype and expectations.  Both accomplished the minimum necessary to keep their tickets viable.

I rather like the mood that's anticipated by a hand shake over the mood that immediately prevails.  When it gets silly I tune out.  If they can be civil enough to shake hands they should be civil enough to discuss the matters at hand.  It can get heated. How can it not when opinions are so diverse?  But to try to dominate with extemporaneous outbursts be they vocal or facial does more to turn people off than turn them your way.

Infallibility At What Cost?

I've been puzzling for several days as to why the President is keeping with the narrative about the You Tube video being the cause of the attack on the Benghazi consulate.

Nearly everyone has come to agree that the attack was an act of terror and the video had nothing to do with it.  Only those involved in the campaign seem to be forwarding the President's view.

Former U.N. Ambassador offered up the idea that the President so believes the elimination of bin Laden has al Qaeda on the run he refuses to consider any alternative.  Terrorism no longer exists as it once did.  Security levels in Libya were exactly what they should have been. He has made the middle east and the world safer.

Hub offers up another theory.  His campaign people have convinced him if he admits to what now seems to be the truth he'll be accused by the Republicans of being a flip flopper.

There may be some truth to that theory.  It's the more political of the two.  I'm more worried about the other, however.  He's showing me he thinks he's infallible.  Only his opinion is the correct one no matter what the facts may be.  He's also showing me he's delusional and that is potentially dangerous.

If everything that's said about the President has even a grain of truth it could become problematic.  If he's detached, if he's lazy, if he really can't be bothered with his security briefings and if he really believes he has conquered terrorism and what's now going on in the world is just a bump in his road there could be more severe problems ahead.

I understand party faithful on both sides of the aisle never wanting to see the forest for the trees.  They'll never change no matter what the circumstances.  It concerns me though, when it's the President.  The whole of politics goes to the art of governing.  Some leaders are dictatorial, some are willing to compromise but none should ever close their mind to the idea the truth may not be exactly the way they want to see it.

Those in his inner circle who perpetuate the myth so as not to displease him are doing neither him nor the country a favor. The truth may be an inconvenient one, but to insist on  trying to reframe it makes me question the motivation.

Is it the flip flop angle?  Possibly.  The battle is tight and not getting any easier.  Or has he deluded himself to the point the delusion to him is the truth? If that is the case he scares me.

Far more than his policies or the direction he's taken the country or the state it is in.  It scares me because the rest of the world sees this too, especially those who would do us continued harm.

What might he delude himself about next?  Our very existence could depend on what that might be and who would use it to their own advantage.

Liar Liar Pants On FIre

The President and his minions have been very careful about calling candidate Romney a liar or a felon.  They've well  learned the art of parsing a word or phrase, probably from Bill Clinton.

As they are quick to point out, they've never directly called him either.  It's always, "if he did or said such and such he may be a liar, felon, whatever."  But the damage has been done.  The words sit there like a rock and I'm not referring to may.

The poor guy can't win.  Or maybe he can if voters are getting tired of character annihilating accusations.  Or insinuations.  First they blasted him because he never laid out his policies.  That wasn't quite true, they were just so complex they were difficult to articulate in an easily understood manner. Now that he's actually saying something he's lying.  Sheesh!

Politics aside, it's time for it to stop.  It won't of course because when challenged the administration has to run from having nothing concrete with which to counter.  They've tried quoting experts from outside the administration but when they parse what those experts have said, they're beginning to come forward and say, "Wait a minute.  I didn't say that!" Oops.

We're down to the final weeks of what has been an agonizingly long and dirty campaign.  Neither side can claim the high road. Some of Romney's fellow Republicans have been his worst enemies. But lets stop demeaning one another.  Whoever wins is going to be the President of the United States.  The supposed leader of the free world. What sort of image are we portraying to the world, especially our enemies of which it seems we have more of than friends, when we're calling our potential leader a liar at best and a possible felon at worst.  It's bad enough to be detached, disinterested, arrogant, naive and everything else that has been directed at Obama. It's insulting and only a certain number of voters will agree anyway. Still, it's no where near the level of being called an outright liar or likely felon.  That insinuates corruption at the highest level.

I don't think even Obama views being more equal with other nations in quite those terms.

I also wonder about the surrogates that sling that mud.  It's shameful and disgusting.  If those speaking for the candidates can't present a convincing argument for their own candidate without stooping to that kind of rhetoric I can't help wonder why they support him in the first place.

Or is this what we've become?  A community that makes decisions on inflammatory rhetoric, and yes, lies,  rather than substance and fact?  If this is the case it's no wonder the country is in such a mess.

Panetta - It's About Time

Finally, for all of you who think I am totally one sided, I'm going to say something positive about a member of the Obama administration.  Leon Panetta for finally poking back at Karzai.

We all know how much respect I have for Afghanistan's President.  Zip.  Zero.  He has made a career out of siphoning off  millions of U.S. tax payer dollars.  Along with that affront his avocation seems to be complaining about our efforts on his behalf. Building roads, rebuilding towns, trying to befriend his people and keeping the Taliban at bay, training his police and army so they can protect their own country after our withdrawal.

The complaining never seems to stop.  Now he's criticizing us for not pursuing militants in Pakistan and spending too much time on those in Afghanistan.

For one thing, Pakistan is  a sovereign nation itself and we cannot go about crossing into their territory willy nilly.  We've asked Pakistan for help in containing these militants and have gotten nothing.  Of course the fact we sacrificed a doctor, who literally pin pointed bin Laden for us, to Pakistani justice doesn't do much to encourage the average Joe to step forward.

Then there are the Afghans themselves who take great delight in killing the very men who are training them.  We shouldn't concentrate on that?  Sorry Mr. Karzai.  Good luck to you when we're gone.

Mr. Panetta finally had it.  Maybe he was tired.  Who knows.  His reaction was hardly the norm for this administration but he did step up to the plate and suggest that just maybe Mr. Karzai should say thank you now and then.  To all the allied forces who's young men are fighting and dying for Afghanistan, whatever it is other than a hodgepodge of warlords, Islamist extremists and Karzai himself heading it's corrupt government.

He has even gone so far as to complain they are not getting the weapons they need and hinting he may have to go elsewhere.  China or Russia.  I don't know about China, but I have my doubts.  They'd want something in return but I can't think what they might get other than opium.  Russia?  Again, I don't know.  They were struck by lightning once, would they return and chance it again?

Tensions between the two countries are high, mostly because of Karzai's attitude.  Maybe it's time for one of our drones to malfunction and hit one more target.  If  lucky, Mr. Karzai then would no longer be around to complain.

How 'bout it Mr. President?  Next time you and the boys are playing with your wish list and picking the death of the day by drone maybe it could get the 'stans mixed up.  After all, Karzai himself thinks we should concentrate on the safe havens.

2000 and counting American service personnel would be singing praises from on high.  And a whole lot of us down here.