Dave Oliveria of the Spokesman-Review's "Huckleberries on-line" posted what can be called the chuckle from here on until election day in November. That is when House Speaker Lawrence Denney threw a hissy fit over the fact that the Capital Press corp wasn't pledging allegiance when the rest of the legislature was. And further, Betsy Z. Russell got a letter from the same fellow re-iterating just why he felt he had a right to throw a hissy fit. The pledge of allegiance as new wedge issue. And there must be something seriously wrong with you if you don't recite it. A little reminder here, I don't see too many people saluting the flag either when it gets carried along the parade route. So, what is the measure of "respect?" The pledge itself is all about an allegiance to the flag that represents a United States, a nation undivided. Well now, the pledge can be all about dividing people between GOP lawmakers and the press corp that covers them. Not what I would call a proper use of the pledge.
Froma Harrop wrote a nice pox on both their houses re Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama on the playing of the race card. Which undoubtedly is one reason both candidates are now trailing Senator John McCain in the polls. The way Ms. Harrop nicely puts it, can easily be summarized as two children squabbling over votes, delegates, etc. Just that one child seems to be a bit meaner and nastier than the other. It was on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360*" that one of the contributers noted that when Senator Clinton was the front runner, the disenfranchisements of voters in both Michigan and Florida did not matter. Nor did she start wailing and screaming about the need for those votes to count or those delegates to be seated, until Senator Barack Obama usurped her spot in the universe. It was noted that Senator Clinton did not have a hissy fit with the DNC stripping delegates from both states when they moved their primaries up too fast and too soon. That is, until she fell behind in the popular vote, states won, etc. That is what you call a monumental flip flop. Anderson Cooper found it registering on the radar. Lou Dobbs did not. Froma Harrop republished in the Spokesman-Review.
Did not get home until almost 10 last night after just now getting off of work. Watched the main portion of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and the 5 year anniversary of the war. He showed film clips in fact of how much the administration's view of the war changed with the winds over time. We were only "at war" until the 1st of May 2003. We had reached "a turning point" by 2004. We were in for a hard slog going forward by late 2005, 2006. We could find jammed in our teeth those "defeatocrats" by 2007 and 2008. We seemed to have forgotten that the war was over in 2003. Well, you can't exactly argue or spin away why we went to war in the first place since it is all on video. Nor can you argue or spin away the fact that it was then Sec. of Def. Donald Rumsfeld that promised that the most time the U.S. Troops would spend in Iraq was 6 months. Nice trip down memory lane, that. And afterwards, Stewart spread out two giant hands on very long poles to signify just how much Rumsfeld had missed in his prediction. Only the GW supporters on Dave O.'s blog will have a very short memory span, much like GW.
Spring is well under way and we are now facing a --blizzard? Temps in the low 30s and the snow coming down fast. Not going to be fun walking to pick up my paycheck today. And work late.
Froma Harrop wrote a nice pox on both their houses re Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama on the playing of the race card. Which undoubtedly is one reason both candidates are now trailing Senator John McCain in the polls. The way Ms. Harrop nicely puts it, can easily be summarized as two children squabbling over votes, delegates, etc. Just that one child seems to be a bit meaner and nastier than the other. It was on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360*" that one of the contributers noted that when Senator Clinton was the front runner, the disenfranchisements of voters in both Michigan and Florida did not matter. Nor did she start wailing and screaming about the need for those votes to count or those delegates to be seated, until Senator Barack Obama usurped her spot in the universe. It was noted that Senator Clinton did not have a hissy fit with the DNC stripping delegates from both states when they moved their primaries up too fast and too soon. That is, until she fell behind in the popular vote, states won, etc. That is what you call a monumental flip flop. Anderson Cooper found it registering on the radar. Lou Dobbs did not. Froma Harrop republished in the Spokesman-Review.
Did not get home until almost 10 last night after just now getting off of work. Watched the main portion of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and the 5 year anniversary of the war. He showed film clips in fact of how much the administration's view of the war changed with the winds over time. We were only "at war" until the 1st of May 2003. We had reached "a turning point" by 2004. We were in for a hard slog going forward by late 2005, 2006. We could find jammed in our teeth those "defeatocrats" by 2007 and 2008. We seemed to have forgotten that the war was over in 2003. Well, you can't exactly argue or spin away why we went to war in the first place since it is all on video. Nor can you argue or spin away the fact that it was then Sec. of Def. Donald Rumsfeld that promised that the most time the U.S. Troops would spend in Iraq was 6 months. Nice trip down memory lane, that. And afterwards, Stewart spread out two giant hands on very long poles to signify just how much Rumsfeld had missed in his prediction. Only the GW supporters on Dave O.'s blog will have a very short memory span, much like GW.
Spring is well under way and we are now facing a --blizzard? Temps in the low 30s and the snow coming down fast. Not going to be fun walking to pick up my paycheck today. And work late.
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2 comments:
This is an issue that in my time wouldn't have been one, since everyone respected such things as taking their hats off when the flag goes by, or stops talking during the pledge. I mourn the over all respect that used to be shown for many things. The aged, the infirm, small children, etc. ... Where did we get off the path?
Well, when the GOP on the parade route one year decided that the flag could become a tote bag and I got razzed for trying to make a "big deal" out of the whole matter. Dissing the flag or any other way of honoring one's country can be found in many little as well as big ways. I would certainly argue as the "Speaker of the House" at the Boise state Capitol that no one should be talking while the pledge is recited. That would be a legitimate argument. More so than demanding that visitors inclusive of the press corp should be forced to recite it at all. At what point does the person who demands respect cease to be respectful at all? Unfortunately, we are likely to take our cues from such "leaders." By the way, I still salute the flag.
And thank you for coming by for a visit.
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