Of Borders And Bonds

When President Obama welcomed the President of Mexico today he said in his remarks that we are not defined by our borders, but by our bonds. I disagree on one point. I believe we are defined by what lies within our borders. Borders count.

Within those border we also have bonds and they seem to be failing as rapidly as those of our once strong allies like Great Britain and Turkey and even Israel. We've managed to alienate all of them.

Now it would seem that Obama's bonds within his own party are failing. First he is antagonizing the press. Then the primary candidates are being hung out to dry. Arlen Specter is the best example. Not that I was pulling for him. I think he got what he deserved. Never-the-less, promised Presidential support was no where to be seen because Obama didn't want to be tied to another loss as he was earlier in the year with Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia.

They talk about the loneliness of the Presidency. The isolation in the White House. This from the Blackberry President who insisted on keeping his so he could keep in touch with the outside world. What happened? Do you suppose he's brought it on himself by not being a man of his word? You can see it coming. It happened to Bush too. Obama, with his insistence on his agenda at all costs, is losing his own people. They worry about falling like dominoes with his support so they are beginning to opt out. It needs to be remembered they were already falling without him. It's his agenda and a "D" behind your name is going to be treacherous.

This all makes sense except for one thing. The Republicans still have no one taking the lead and here we are in primary season. Will the American public hand this President a second term based solely on the Republicans failure? It could happen. It happened with Bush. He got his second term, as angry as the people were with him, because the Democrats had a weak candidate.

It's no wonder we no longer forge ahead. We're playing on a teeter totter. It's time for that elephant to get a name and a face!

The Pinocchio Syndrome

I have a solution for all our political woes. An implant that would cause a politician's nose to grow every time a lie escapes his lips. Man, you wouldn't be able to maneuver through the halls of Congress!

It would also be a blessing when it comes to deciphering which candidates are playing loose with the truth. Take Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and his war record. Blumenthal is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Chris Dodd, no stranger to mis-truths himself. He called a press conference today to dance away a New York Times story which revealed he mislead voters about his war record. Only on a few occasions, mind you, and it shouldn't denigrate the fact that he did serve in the Marine reserves which he claimed to have joined by looking them up in the yellow pages and calling.

Someone, and I think it's Blumenthal, is missing the point. No one is denigrating what he did, but rather what he said he did and did not. Serve in Vietnam. I am no authority on how the draft worked back in those days, but getting five deferments doesn't sound to me like he was anxious to risk life and limb. Ending up in the reserves is suspect unto itself, but as I said, I'm no authority.

Had he let slip once that he served in Vietnam, it could be construed as misspeaking but records should he made the same statement time and time again. He has it backwards when he accuses the Times of an "outrageous distortion".

I haven't yet decided how I feel about the men from the VFW who stood behind him in support. Did they really believe it was a collection of statements of no consequence? Were they blinded by the man and his position? I can't imagine actual Vietnam vets wanting someone who did not serve claiming to have done so for political gain.

We the people got lucky this time. Someone blew the whistle prior to an election and the press did a good job in substantiating it.

One Democratic operative compared Blumenthal's statements to those of candidate Hillary speaking of her experience under fire in Bosnia when tape showed a gathering of small children singing and bearing flowers. "It wasn't the end of Hillary Clinton." Wasn't it? So too should it be the end of Mr. Blumenthal. How can voters know now what is and what is not truth? From a state Attorney General no less!

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study, there are so many, on the length of politicians' noses as a ratio to their accidental misstatements.

To Be Or Not To Be - Gay

I've been watching the media agonizing over Supreme Court Justice nominee Elena Kagan's sexual preferences. Is she or isn't she? The same has been asked, without the fervor, of Janet Napolitano and Janet Reno. None have decided to say so everyone assumes they are. What does all this mean?

For one thing it dispels the myth that gays or lesbians are less able than the straight world! Heck, with the positions these three hold (or held) you might even say they are more able! I know, that's too much of a generalization. I also know it will be argued Ms. Kagan's sexual identity could influence her opinions on gay marriage and "don't ask, don't tell". Sure it will, just like Justice Sotomayor's ethnic background may influence her thinking on issues pertaining to Latinos. Or women's issues. Let's face it, who we are has a lot to do with how we think concerning just about everything. So why the big deal on sexuality?

It seems to me one's sexual preferences should be a most private matter unless the person wishes it known. It should not be a litmus test for anything. I've often felt the gay community would be a lot better off if they'd lay off the semantics and settle for substance but that doesn't seem to be their agenda. Equality at all cost. It's really all in a word.

I don't think even the "marriage is between a man and a woman" mantra holds the weight it once did when you have churches elevating gay clergy to high positions. The Episcopalians just ordained their first lesbian bishop!

Actually having gays and lesbians form marriage-like relationships isn't all bad. With the state of over population in the world, they are more likely to adopt than father or mother their own. Two mother and two father families takes a little getting used to, but if it's a loving family unit why not? It's happening so why not support it as you would an interracial family? The obstacles the children will face are not unalike!

Slowly the tide is turning and I expect it will continue to do so. What would be of great help is with all the DNA research that's being conducted, they would come up with a marker that identifies a homosexual gene. That would put the argument as to whether or not one is born "that way" to rest.

I happen to believe you are. I won't even begin to argue with anyone who disagrees. Until such a marker is found, either could be correct. In the meantime, why don't we just live and let live. It matters not if you're a potential Supreme Court Justice or the kid next door trying to figure it all out.

Animal Abuse

Our pets. How we love them no matter what size, color,or breed. We become addicted to their presence because it is filled with nothing but good.

That's why it's so disturbing to hear of the recent spate of poisonings around the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene area. It even touched one of our local bloggers. I think back to how painful it was watching the decline of Bacchus. But it was a disease and old age. Something I wasn't ready for but not unexpected. But poisoning! How utterly horrible! Just this morning there was another report of poisonings downstate a bit. Thirteen since January! What kind of people are roaming about out there?

There is an effort being made to find out who these people are and to keep track of them once caught. An animal abuse registry much like the one for sex offenders. California has legislation pending. Tenneessee, Louisiana and New York are considering the same. What a great idea. After all, animal abusers often do not stop with animals! One California legislator, state Senator Bob Huff, thinks it's overkill to put animal abuse on a par with child abuse. I think he's wrong. Abuse is abuse.

He also states that the fines imposed for such crimes wouldn't generate enough revenue to cover the costs of the registry. While there are abuse sites being run by private citizens, a national data base would be far more effective!

So many people have told us, since we have no children, the dogs were our kids. Well, I'll accept that premise for the likes of Mr. Huff!

As for the fines not being enough to support it? Well, here's a thought. Make fines stiff enough so that they do! Sheesh.

Shuttle Scuttled!

For those of us who have grown up with the space program, yesterday was a sad day. The shuttle Atlantis blasted off on it's final mission. There will be two more - one by Endeavor, the other Discovery. Then it's over. Thirty years of thrills and chills. Over. We leave manned space to others. Personally, I think Obama's aim for Mars is less than visionary but rather an offhanded slap at the exceptional accomplishments of the U.S. space program.

Maybe you had to grow up with it. Remember the competition between the Soviets and ourselve? Do you remember the name of the first satellite? Sputnik. Russian. Remember the awe that was inspired by the first chimpanzee in space? Ham. Then the first man. A man! A Russian. Do you remember the name? I do. Yuri Gargarin. John Glenn was our first orbiter. Then the moon landing and the exploration that followed. Our national pride couldn't be contained.

Back in those days the names of the astronauts were as well know as the tabloid stars are today. I remember most of them. How many current astonauts can you name?

The program was not without tragedy. The loss of Gus Grisson, Ed White and Roger Chaffee in a pre-launch test. The nation mourned but the program continued.

The Challenger with the first teacher on board was next then the Columbia. Again the nation mourned yet the program continued. We still have the unbelievable Hubble telescope and the Mars rovers to brag about. Both succeeded beyond our wildest expectations. And the shuttle. The old reliable work horse that repaired satelites and shuttled crews and supplies to and from the space station as it was being built.

It is all being left to others. No more will we watch, fascinated, as crew members would leave the safe confines of the ship to do their daring space walks. No more will we be witness to the corny jokes between Houston and the crews. No more of those spectacular pictures of earth that were so often beamed back. No more.

It is ironic to me that the lead now returns to the Russians. Our astronauts will be hitching rides with them. Space. The final frontier, to borrow a phrase. And we're relinquishing our lead in manned participation to others. This administration seems determined to be the great equalizer. The country I grew up in is slowly changing in character. We're no longer the leader of the pack. We're edging ever closer to being the outcast. A lonely, ostricized figment of what had once been the envy of the world. Even Russia.