Gingery the Gelding

My late father in law used to a keep a ready and long list of people he considered p-ssies. Mostly men who he thought would sacrifice their dignity to avoid confrontation, who sucked up, did what is easy instead of what is right, or would exchange anything for the appearance of success. The P-ssy List was a fine -- if sexist -institution.

Today I make my entry. This is Republican Rep. Phil Gingery calling out (in a mild mannered way) Rush Limbaugh for criticizing the Republican leadership:

“

I mean, it’s easy if you’re Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks. You don’t have to try to do what’s best for your people and your party.You know you’re just on these talk shows and you’re living well and plus you stir up a bit of controversy and gin the base and that sort of thing. But when it comes to true leadership, not that these people couldn’t be or wouldn’t be good leaders, they’re not in that position of John Boehner or Mitch McConnell,”

One day later, Gingrey apologized, calling Limbaugh a "conservative giant" and the "conscience of the conservative movement." It is sad to see that Gingrey is a a bit of a pushover. It is sad that the GOP considers a drug addled shock jock its conscience. (Phil, Rush is not a statesman, intellectual or politician. He is a radio personality who will do or say what is necessary to light up the board. You are in the US House for god's sake. The hero worship and celebrity suck up is a little beneath you.)

No word on whether Limbaugh let Gingery spend the night or just kicked him out of bed when he was through with him.

But What is a Few Million Jews Among Friends

This week, Pope Benedict XVI (he will always be Ratzinger to us) lifted the excommunication of some ten priests affiliated with the conservative Lefebvre Society of Pope. Pius X. The move is part of Pope Benedict's effort to restore relations between the Vatican and the Society, which opposes the reforms of Vatican II.

Among the priests involved was Richard Williamson, who denies that the Germans killed 6 million jews in concentration camps and believes the Holocaust has been exaggerated to exploit Germany.

Needless to say, Jewish groups are ...upset.

UPDATE -- The Isreali Rabbinate, the chief religious authority in Isreal, has severed ties with the Vatican and canceled a planned meeting with the Vatican.

And the Beat Goes On ...

This week the media reported that John Thain, the (now) former CEO of Merrill Lynch spent $1.2 million of conmpnay money to redecorate his office. The DailyBeast.com has the breakdown. In the same day of news, you can read the GOP is holding up the nomination of the President's pick for Secretary of Labor. They are worried she supports the Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow unions to organize based on a card check.

Corporate malfeasance and the GOP looks the other way. Some mook wants a living wage and two weeks vacation and they are on it like white on rice. Time and time again we are confronted with our government's obvious preference for the rich over the working class. Time and time again we pretend like that somehow makes sense.

Well At Least He Prayed

A man marked the Roe v. Wade anniversary this morning by intentionally ramming his SUV into a Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota while several workers were inside, including one just feet from the door. No one was injured -- despite the man backing up and crashing into the front door two more times. After causing sufficient damage, he got out of his car and waved a crucifix in the air, according to reports.

Seriously. This actually happened. In the United States. And we are worried about threats to our democracy from abroad. Seems to me there a plenty of people here trying to start a theocracy.

A Festivus Miracle

I saw the huge crowds at today's inauguration. Amazing not only for the size, but for the sheer diversity of people. I suspect that some saw those crowds and were a little fearful. They didn't look like the folks who showed up in 2000 and 2004.

Obama is the Festivus President. He is the President for the Rest of Us.

Who is the Rest of Us? Too hard to define. But we don't show up in many Norman Rockwell paintings. We fall out of the 2-kids-one-dog demographic. We probably did not wear flag pins. Not so hot on the suburbs. Beyond that, it is pretty wide open.

January 20, 2009

And so we begin anew....

Joe the Biden

Last nite I watched a bit of the Inaugural Concert including incoming V.P Joe Biden's speech. Biden's speech was a bit rushed -- he realizes the next two days are not about him-- and focused on a common Biden theme: the dignity of labor. I will grant you that Mr. Biden can be overly sentimental, solipsistic and at times longwinded. But the content of his speech was a comforting antidote to the last twenty eight years.

The last twenty eight years (with small exception) have been dedicated to convincing the American people that the road to prosperity required that working people take less. Less wages. Less benefits. Less workplace safety. Less security. Our leaders set us up to compete with the poor in already poor countries and told us that even the most basic workplace guarantees were "regulating us out of business." The National Labor Relations Board and the courts established rules that made it next to impossible for workers to form a union. NAFTA gave every employer the ability to counter any workplace demand with the ominous threat to move to Mexico.

The results were predictable. For the last 28 years real wages have dropped dramatically. Our jobs have moved overseas in a race to the bottom. Our workplaces our less safe and less unionized. At the same time, people at the top of the income scale saw their incomes skyrocket. While the policies described above were bad for people who work; they were very good for people who invest, own, manage other people's money, or facilitate corporate transactions. We now live in a society in which even the modest aspirations of a middle class lifestyle are beyond the reach of too many. We can all be outsourced at will and the next generation will not have jobs as we know them, but will exist on sporadic "gigs" that have no benefits, no hope for advancement and carry the moniker "independent contractor."

Mr. Biden's speech at least betrayed some hope that we may have an administration that cares about people who work and not just about those who make money off their labor.

Mo Do

Although she can be tiresome, I liked Maureen Dowd's recent comment on W:

It’s astonishing that, as banks continue to fail and Americans continue to lose jobs and homes, W. was obtuse enough to go on TV and give a canned ode to can-do-ism. “Good and evil are present in this world,” he reiterated, “and between the two of them there can be no compromise.”

He gives the good-and-evil view of things a bad name. Good and evil are not like the Redskins and the Cowboys. Good and evil intermingle in the same breath, let alone the same society. A moral analysis cannot be a simplistic analysis.

Weekend Update

Just some news from the weekend:

Newt Gingrich was on the radio this morning. On the economy he suggested that the least taxed people in the free world need tax relief. Second, he implored the incoming president to avoid partisanship. Yes, this is the same Newt Gingrich who, as House Speaker, tried to impeach President Clinton and vowed never to pass any piece of Democratic legislation. Lightning did not strike, at least while I was listening.

According to the American Banker, banks are preparing to execute a $30-40 billion securities offering based on ... [wait for it] ... consumer credit card debt. Uhmm ... didn't we just... oh forget it.

There was a story in the newspaper about the burgeoning "Buy American" movement. One person interviewed was very resistant to buying an American car becuase "it was his right as an American" to buy any car he wanted. True. But just becuase you have a right, doesn't mean that its the right thing to do. Like it or not, we are all now co-owners of GM and Chrsyler. Like it or not, their success spins off more prosperity for Americans than does the success of transplants. Like it or not, the sovereign funds of various countries are buying up increasingly large chunks of our eceonomy.

It amazes me that some so called patriots will send a man half way around the world to die "for our country," but balk at the tiniest consumer sacrifice. I guess sacrifice only works if it is someone else's, or it doesn't effect conspicuous consumption. Iraq? Fine. But tell someone they should buy a Lincoln and not a Lexus and you will get an earful about their "rights."

This Week In The News

This week, the US. government dismissed charges against Mohammed al Qhatini, the so called 20th hijacker, who was detained at Guantanomo Bay. The dismissal came on the heels of an admission by Pentagon official Susan Crawford that al Qhatini had been tortured repeatedly at Gitmo and that any information he provided was unreliable. Asked about the impact of her concession that the "enhanced interrogation techniques" used at the US prision amounted to torture, Crawford deferred saying that she was too busy preparing for the change over in Administrations to answer questions: "we were all asked to submit a list of ways the President restored dignity to the White House, so I am working on that now."

This week, President Bush delivered a prime time farewell address to the nation as part of his legacy building camapign. Asked how his efforts to define his Presidency are proceeding, the President candidly offered. "Tough row to hoe. Really I am trying to do two things. First I have to convince people that my various lapses in judgment were really 'making the tough decisions.' Next, I have to convince people that some actions that barely meet minimum expectations for a President are actually heroic successes. Always tough to lower the bar. Lastly, I gotta keep sayin' I kept people safe after 9/11 even though there is no evidence anyone tried to attack us. I am not worried though. There is always a chance that someday, a sequence of random and unforeseeable events will somehow make me look good. Kind of banking on that actually...."

This week a Vatican spokesman condemned the Isreali invasion of the Gaza Strip, stating that Gaza resembled a "concentration camp." The Pope followed up those remarks with a statement that: ''Once again I would repeat that military options are no solution and that violence, wherever it comes from and whatever form it takes, must be firmly condemned.'' Curious about how American Catholics would react to the Vatican's stand , TWN sought out Jeff Holloway, a prishoner at St. Agnes of the Sweetest Pain and Suffering in New Hempstead NY. According to Jeff, " Basically its a non issue for me. I mean, is anyone having sex - no; is anyone having an abortion -no; is anyone gay -no; is anyone trying to mess with some stem cells-no. So really, I do not see how its a Catholic issue. I mean, war happens. What are we supposed to do, go around saying 'stop killing people...?'"

This week, Barak Obama indicated that he would likely not puruse any investigation or prosceution of former US officials for crimes related to torture, illegal wiretaps, war profiteering or the selling of the Iraq invasion. Obama emphasized that he was "focused on the future." This was good news to at least one resident of the Upper East side in Manhattan. Contacted at his penthouse home, where he is serving under house arrest, disgraced investor Bernie Madoff said, ' I need to hire some of the Obama people for my defense team. That's precisely the message I need. Why focus on the past. Don't cry over spilled milk. Nothing we can do now to recover that $30 billion. So let's just put this whole thing behind us and focus on the future. I mean accountability is just so negative... "

Quote of the Day

When I look at those double-page New York Times spreads of all the individual pictures of people who have been killed [in Iraq], I got to think, 'Maybe there wouldn't have been a war if I hadn't gone to Miami-Dade. Maybe there hadn't have been, in my view, an unjustified war if Bush hadn't become president.' It's very disturbing to me."
-- Roger Stone, the GOP consultant who led the "Brooks Brothers Riot" against the Miami-Dade County election board during the 2000 Florida recount

Probably Nice Big Closets

According to the radio this morning, the President's new home in Dallas is about 8,100 square feet and sold for about $3.2 million. This complements the Bush's "ranch" in Crawford Texas, which I believe to be about 40 acres and allows lots of opportunity to play pretend cowboy. The President will be able to rest comfortably in either location. His successor has all but announced that he will not seek to hold Mr. Bush accountable for torture, lies, and other sundry illegalities.

It really does induce cyncism of the worse sort. There are many men and women and who have done much less harm to our nation, but are now taking up space in our prisons. You can tell me that it was always thus, but I won't believe you. And even if I did, I would not agree with it.

Bill O'Reilly/Jack Bauer

Last night on his show, Bill O'Reilly got in a short kerfuffle with Christopher Hitchens about torture. O'Reilly approves, Hitchens disapproves. What was interesting is that O'Reilly began the segment with a clip from Fox' other uber patriot and preeminent torturer, Jack Bauer.

Now, I realize this may have been one of Fox' attempts to cross market its shows -- Fox does that better than anyone -- however at the same time, is there a significant segment of the population who don't get that "24" is a TV show and that the ticking time bomb scenarios is spins out aren't real?

I am not naive about O'Reilly. I realize his demographic is not the cream of the crop. (Like talk radio, his home base is high school educated white men making under $50k a year, with a secondary bump in the 60+ crowd.) However, I think his show is a barometer as to how a certain segment of the population thinks. And its scary.

"Grateful Gratitude"????

I just got an e-mail from Mike Dunca, the current RNC Chair. He was soliciting a donation to show President Bush our "Grateful Gratitude." As opposed to showing our ungrateful gratitude. Here is his opening paragraph with my additions:

For the last eight years, President Bush has led our country with firm determination [to let V.P. Cheney run the show] and a steady hand [at clearing brush] in the face of numerous challenges and crises [mostly of his own creation]. He restored honor and integrity to the White House [as long as you do not view, torture, lying, unauthorized spying and preemeptive war as somehow dishonorable] and protected America from another terrorist attack [after he failed to stop the first terrorist attack even though he was warned about it about a month earlier.]

Play it Stanley

Stanley Crouch has an awesome piece in today's Dailybeast.com about the recent Oakland riots. I stand in solidarity.

Oh Geez

These two excerpts, courtesy of Salon's Glenn Greenwald:

Robert Jackson, U.S. Attorney General and Chief Prosecutor at Nuremberg, Closing Address:

One of the chief reasons the defendants say there was no conspiracy is the argument that conspiracy was impossible with a dictator. The argument runs that they all had to obey Hitler's orders, which had the force of law in the German State, and hence obedience could not be made the basis of an original charge. In this way it is explained that while there have been wholesale killings, there have been no murderers.

This argument is an effort to evade Article 8 of the Charter, which provides that the order of the Government or of a superior shall not free a defendant from responsibility but can only be considered in mitigation.

Mort Kondracke, Editor of Roll Call, yesterday:

I think one of the most important statements that Barack Obama has got to make right soon is that there will be no punishments or purges or witch hunts of people in the intelligence community for what was done during the Bush administration.

As Charles [Krauthammer] said, the country was kept safe ever since 9/11. There has not been an attack. These people did what they did under orders and with patriotism. And Obama should make it clear that none of them is going to be held to account for what they did.

When did we become this country? When did we decide that if you work for us, you are not accountable? When did we decide that we can violate human right but no one else?

It's true. Some of the President Elect's people have said they are not interested in prosecuting intelligence officials for acts of torture and kidnapping. They say they are "focused on the future." That's a fine argument as long as you apply it consistently. I suspect there are numerous people sitting in jail cells now, awaiting trial , wishing the prosecutor would just focus on the future and not the nasty murder or burglary of the past.

Enough Already

I really don't know enough to render any opinion as to whether Roland Burris can or should be seated as the junior Senator from Illinois. I do know this though. Burris needs to stop all the god talk as in:

We are hoping and praying that they will not be able to deny what the Lord has ordained.

I propose a moratorium on any public figure claiming any of their actions are ordained, inspired or sanctioned by god, claiming they sought god's advice, or claiming that any situation is the work of god. All of this is just a cute way to avoid taking responsibility for anything, is just egotistical, and effectively bastes even half baked ideas in a divinity infusion.

After eight years of the goddiest President ever, I think we all need a rest ... including god. (But s/he did not tell me that.)

Stimulus Obama Style

Today the President Elect announced that up to 40% of his economic stimulus plan will consist of tax cuts. The good news is that the tax cuts will not target merely the wealthy as in the past. The bad news is that the 40% number is just too high and sacrifices direct government spending. Paul Krugman and others have offered some salient criticism. I think two points are worth mentioning.

First, the whole idea that tax cutting stimulates the economy is a Republican holdover that has turned out not to be true. For example, most economists agree that our last round of tax cuts did little to forestall an economic crisis. Further, whatever economic growth comes from tax cuts tends to be highly segmented and does not devolve to the general economy. That is, it benefits only those whose taxes are cut.

Second, direct government spending -- the Keynesian mode-- has another benefit tax cuts can't offer: it leaves something behind. You don't have to look far to realize that America is in an infrastraucture crisis. Witness Katrina. Witness the Bridges of Hennepin County, Witness our airport fiascoses and crumbling roads. Our house is not in order. Spending money on these types of problems would not only put money in consumer's pockets. It would have a tangible effect on our national life.

It may well be that Obama is talking tax cuts to garner the few votes he needs in the Senate to make his plan filibuster proof. Or worse, he may have drank some GOP Kool Aide. Time will tell.