First a few words about the editorials published in the Spokesman-Review on the 17th of March 2008 the second one by DeWayne Wickham of Gannet News Services was particularly entertaining. IE, I'm not sure whether he was moaning or gloating over the idea of the Democratic party's early demise because Senator Clinton continues to demand her 15 minutes of fame on the campaign trail even though she is well behind in the popular vote, states won and pledged delegates. Indeed, she is the one who'd love to have seated the delegates of Michigan and Florida even though she had no competition in those states and won by default. So yes, in this much, it is Hillary Clinton's raising a stink about the Dems in both states breaking party rules at a time when she is indeed behind Obama in pledged delegates and etc. that truly does threaten the Dems with the sort of internal disunity that as Wickham put could cause their destruction. Unfortunately, Wickham chose to leave that important factoid out. What I found fascinating was that the Dems, at least in Florida blame the GOP for wanting to move up the primary date. At what point in time (source: CNN) were the Dem Committee in Florida, handcuffed, kidnapped with tape over their mouths? Sorry, but I don't believe I can buy that story. I'd have to say they were in a rush to move up their primary dates where by they could become a deciding factor in who should be the Dem nominee for President. What this has become is a compounding comedy of errors with Senator Clinton reducing her credibility as a woman candidate by continually scratching and clawing for first place. And poor Obama on the other hand having to deal with a YouTube soundbite from his former minister who states "God damn America" among other ill chosen words. And getting sniped at by black ministers who didn't like the fact Rev. Wright's "preaching" got taken out of "context." Well, I don't much like any Christian extremist expressing openly (and where he can get YouTubed for it) his anger and distaste for this country. It doesn't matter to me whether it is a Rev. Wright or or Rev. Robertson. Yes, they have a right to free speech, no matter how wrong, and the rest of us have a right to repudiate what we come to think they stand for. Has McCain repudiated the influential Pastor Hagee? No. He stands on stage with the guy who engages in blow to blow anti-Catholic rants which is sure to divide the GOP just as much on religious grounds as the Dems already are on race and gender. But, before I would write a post mortem on the Dems ability to survive the chaotic 2008 election cycle, I'd remind Wickham that parties alone do not put presidents in office, the voters do. And many voters are now becoming independent. And because more voters are becoming registered as independent, both parties are now in trouble.
Now on to Robert Scheer, I'll agree with him that a sex story, esp. one played out 24/7 on CNN for several days was excessive in its coverage. Indeed, the fact that the sex story involved a Democrat who also happened to be a moral crusader made the sex story far more titillating. Now what about the moral crusader currently in the White House who has no use for: Constitutional law, international treaties, the shared powers of government, any sense of democracy and what human rights really mean. If we want to close down Saddam Hussein's rape rooms as an example; neither do we want to reduce ourselves to the level of being perceived as a brutal dictator or an occupier of a foreign nation that maybe does not have that people's best interests at heart. There was plenty of reporting on that fact over the many years of the GW presidency. But there was no massive clamor to remove the man from office for public displays of truly criminal and corrupt behavior. We do not torture, GW disingenuously said... Prior to his vetoing a ban on specific forms of torture. Torture is a human rights abuse. And a guy who should be all for, freedom, democracy and support of human rights would hardly allow torture as a weapon of choice in any war, inclusive of the war on terror. Sex, no matter how one obtains it, if through an affair, or by way of seeking out prostitutes, does not make the mockery of one's high office on a level equal to high crimes and misdemeanors. What Robert Scheer called the massive public yawn on Congressional attempts to curtail the high crimes of human rights abuses--the human rights abuses that have GW's full approval--was easily something that the news media should indeed have spent 24/7 coverage on until even the GOP clamored to have GW removed from office. If it isn't about sex then it doesn't sell. But as a matter of national interest, it is far more egregious that we have a torturer in chief currently in office than one who diddles with an intern. You can find Robert Scheer's editorial at Creators.Com
Now on to Robert Scheer, I'll agree with him that a sex story, esp. one played out 24/7 on CNN for several days was excessive in its coverage. Indeed, the fact that the sex story involved a Democrat who also happened to be a moral crusader made the sex story far more titillating. Now what about the moral crusader currently in the White House who has no use for: Constitutional law, international treaties, the shared powers of government, any sense of democracy and what human rights really mean. If we want to close down Saddam Hussein's rape rooms as an example; neither do we want to reduce ourselves to the level of being perceived as a brutal dictator or an occupier of a foreign nation that maybe does not have that people's best interests at heart. There was plenty of reporting on that fact over the many years of the GW presidency. But there was no massive clamor to remove the man from office for public displays of truly criminal and corrupt behavior. We do not torture, GW disingenuously said... Prior to his vetoing a ban on specific forms of torture. Torture is a human rights abuse. And a guy who should be all for, freedom, democracy and support of human rights would hardly allow torture as a weapon of choice in any war, inclusive of the war on terror. Sex, no matter how one obtains it, if through an affair, or by way of seeking out prostitutes, does not make the mockery of one's high office on a level equal to high crimes and misdemeanors. What Robert Scheer called the massive public yawn on Congressional attempts to curtail the high crimes of human rights abuses--the human rights abuses that have GW's full approval--was easily something that the news media should indeed have spent 24/7 coverage on until even the GOP clamored to have GW removed from office. If it isn't about sex then it doesn't sell. But as a matter of national interest, it is far more egregious that we have a torturer in chief currently in office than one who diddles with an intern. You can find Robert Scheer's editorial at Creators.Com
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