New Year Inanity

PERSON OF THE YEAR
In some ways Ronald Reagan is the man of the year for the GOP, each candidate is trying to gain the mantle of the Great Communicator and re-attach themselves to the Reagan Democrats and lunch pail conservatives that led Ronnie to landslides in the early eighties.

The end of the year is always the time for reflection on the year and time annually chooses a person, thing, or group that they feel reflects what the past year had to offer. There have been positive and negative "awardees" including Hitler and Stalin. The intent of course is not the person who did the most for the world, not the guy who pays his taxes, tithes, and gives blood six times a year, or team that won the Little League World Series. Mitt, of course didn't understand this either, calling the choice of Vladimir Putin as "disgusting". Mitt makes a habit of being the most inane candidate on his side of the ledger, some might call him a master of the obvious, captain of the ship Non-Sensical.

No one thought it was the selection was for a babysitter for the twins and certainly it gave Americans an opportunity to learn more about the world's second greatest nuclear power and international energy powerhouse. But, of course, Mitt same guy who for no apparent reason wanted to double the size of Gitmo, unsure about the data on this, but if they need more room, they just need to let someone know.

Not to be left behind, the Angry Middle has made a selection of his men of the year. And actually selected who Williard likely would have preferred, General David Petraeus and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. I'm not sure I selected them for the same reasons that the GOP candidates would have. I selected them mainly as a "way too late" effort by the Bush administration to look at skills, knowledge, effort and quality of leadership over misguided loyalty, arrogance and monolithic thinking. Over the last several years, the administration surrounded itself with sycophants, fueled by post 9/11 anger and fear of the public, to paraphrase Sinclair Lewis bringing their leadership "wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross."

Certainly there have been a multitude of mistakes in the Global War on Terror. A reaction to the attacks was necessary but the policy implementation, particularly the failure of the civilian leadership, has been terrible, with the failure of the administration nearly matched by the failure of Congress to meet it's Constitutional and patriotic duty to provide oversight of the executive branch, on both sides of the aisle.

I can't pretend to be a supporter or cheerleader for the surge, the necessary evil of not being able to withdraw, not being able to leave Pottery Barn without paying for what we broke certainly rips most Americans who never supported the idea of the war in half. So rather than select "Collective Arrogance" as the person of the year, I have chosen those who may be able to make a difference today for both the future of America and Iraq. This choice is made in defiance to those who either refused or rejected counsel in those days leading up to the war in Iraq.

Hunting for Varmints

OK, one more little attack at the former boss, Mitt, a lifelong hunter who likely doesn't know a 12 gauge from a TOW missile. Huckabee in a sign that he means business, took to a well orchestrated and covered pheasant hunt as a sign of his support of the 2nd amendment, hanging out with other dudes in the woods and a general hatred of our feathered enemies.

As someone who lives in the northeast, now in an urban area, I have little understanding of the hunting phenomenon. I've been hunting, I have family members who hunt but I'd rather have a hobby I can have a couple cocktails with, hey I may get a hook in my hand, but I ain't ducking every time I think of buckshot. I like hunters, generally they understand conservation and have a real view of environmentalism that urban liberals could never comprehend.

I have nothing either way about the hunting and a candidacy. If it relaxes you so you make better decisions, or if the Governor needs to feed his family, I got no quarrel. I guess the hunting is a way to show yourself as a regular guy. A regular republican guy, I don't know if Rudy's going to be out there with a .410 trying to get himself some quail for example, so maybe he fails the test.

For Democrats, it doesn't seem like there are many in the field that would be out on a hunt. Hillary, well that would just be the Dukakis in a tank nail in the coffin, I don't see Obama or the Breck Girl out there either, and Kucinich as a vegan, would probably be out there with a Nikon.

Again, I'm not sure how these hobbies, photo-ops and pastimes make you a better President. Is it time that would be better spent learning more about Vlad Putin, education reform, energy policy, the IMF or the foreclosure crisis? Should Hillary, Obama and Edwards participate in a game of scrabble? a spelling or geography bee? pie eating contest? What is the Democratic equivalent of the pheasant hunt.

Ah, things get stupider and stupider. When Huckabee hunting leads the news broadcast, insipidity rules.

My Christmas Endorsements

FELIZ NAVIDAD

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

I love Christmas. I remember the Christmas of my youth, further blessed by Three Kings Day, where we would leave food for the Magi; Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar, always saying, "which one was the Black one?" and dog food for the camels, which I guess was the urban equivalent of grass or hay.

As a kid and maybe even a teen and young adult, I always waited, hoping for what I was going to get, only to become an adult and actually enjoy the giving more. I don't really appreciate the blatant consumerism of it, of people spending more then they can afford, to compete; although it is likely the only time of the year that I really splurge and even waste money myself, although I must say the best part is enjoying food and cocktails with my friends and family.

I love days where no one has to work, for us we are always rushing around and finally we stop, to enjoy each other's company, to remember why we rush around, so we can make this time special.

This year I look at Xmas, mixed, blessed with the first birthday of my daughter Elena, two days before Xmas, remembering how they barely let us leave on Christmas Eve last year, at which point I probably would have blown a gasket, with the answer to the statement, "she looks a little yellow", being, "well, just put her near a window." So that's why we would have spent another grand in the hospital, well that explains it. The health care crisis I mean. We are blessed by the safe return of my sister's family as well. At the same time, I am perplexed, befuddled, even questioning my faith on the death of my young stepmother in this holiday season.

The alpha, the omega, the questions. The trials and tribulations of that refugee family on one Christmas thousands of years ago.

Merry Christmas! Enjoy every moment.

ON TO THE ENDORSEMENTS!!!

First, my general caveat or disclaimer, I don't want anyone who is running to be President. Regular readers may also note that the guys that I've selected, yup guys, are also the guys that I think will eventually get the nomination when all is said and done, current noise, polls and nonsense aside.

I would love to see Bloomberg ride in with his deep pockets and buy himself right into the race, selecting a team of folks, a vice president with authentic foreign policy/national defense/military credentials or a reasonable facsimile of a dedicated patriot with the best interest of the country at hand and not just some weird ego trip.

SERIOUSLY, WHY IS THIS EVEN A RACE?
OK, now I kissed the President's ass even after he disgraced me and my family, I piloted the Straight Talk Express, I have authentic conservative credentials, I can work across the aisle, oh yeah and I'm a real, fricking war hero and POW. I was strapped up in the Hanoi Hilton, while the dodgy New Yorker was chasing NYU skirt and motionless Mitt was trying to gain converts along the Seine.

McCain is an American classic. Class clown, athlete, born with epaulets in his mouth, became a hero in a war many in his generation with his connections could have avoided, came back, built himself back up not without some sliding back. Outspoken maverick, occasionally overspeaking and to complete the American male story, married into a huge beer bottling company.

So, I don't get it. I'm not a republican so I don't really understand. He's well liked by many moderates in this country, possibly able to reach out to independents in a country where independents control who go to the White House. It may be because he's too old? Is it his occasional rebuking of Republican orthodoxy? His occasional strange carnards, like "it was the hippies who lost Vietnam?" It's unclear to me.

I do have some fear with McCain, his service to his country, his age, and his cancer bouts would make his choice of a vice president very important and there are times, well, where he seems a little unstable. I think that many in the throes of the Bush presidency are looking for someone thoughtful, more pensive, more stable. A valid move, but also one that can lead to mediocrity. For often it is the bold, but well thought out idea that makes history.

I am endorsing McCain because he appears to me to be the most authentic of the candidates. The one that understand public service as more than public management, saving 3 cents over a length of pipe, but as leadership, a stewardship over America. That understanding that public service and leadership is more important than ego fulfillment. The Presidency is not just another line on a resume, it is an entire stamp on human history.

GO GREASED LIGHTNING

The Democratic field is ugly. Not physically ugly, I mean it's not like Nixon has come back from the dead. Just so damn unelectable. Hillary Clinton? Barack Hussein Obama? What five day crack binge did I just wake up from? It's hard to believe that with this opening available for the Democratic party that this is the best we can do. After nearly 8 years of the mad captain with all his rats jumping ship, we come up with this.

Let's be clear about the current front runners. My politics are probably close to Senator Clinton's, Bill Clinton is a political hero of mine who revolutionized politics only to have the DLC demonized so we could go back to the party of McGovern/Mondale/Dukakis, that is the lovable losing of identity politics. Did you see the numbers I got from the lesbian vote in Alabama? Barack Obama, one of the amazing rhetoricians of our generation with stories that can bring you to tears. A great opportunity for a senator that "looks like America"

So when all else fails, run to the good looking, southern white male populist. I think it's great that this millionaire trial lawyer likes poor and working class people. You know as much as everybody likes a tax cut, when you don't make any money in the first place you ain't paying much in taxes. My sister, who is unemployed is tax phobic, I just don't get that.

Anyway, there is something likable about this young man's story, as he will often remind you he is the son of mill workers. Regardless of how you feel about trial lawyers, he made his own money. He has some tragedy in his life, his son passed away in an auto accident and his wife is fighting terminal cancer. He also has young children which can be quite helpful on the campaign trail.

I think that Edwards main selling points well be a. he's not a republican tainted by eight years of a bad presidency b. he's a white guy in a country that is still tainted by racism and sexism c. he's good looking with a nice family that eats at Wendy's and Shoney's just like me and you d. he actually shows concern for working people beyond flag burning and gay marriage and a $300 deficit increasing tax rebate just for being you.

I'm not sold on Edwards, but he's the guy we got. That would be a hell of a campaign sign.

Things Get Interestinger

OH MY DARLING
Hope's Second Son has made a serious run in the polls lately as Romney and Giuliani battle it out for the "sole" of the Republican party, not so heavy Huckabee is aiming for the soul.

Certainly, among Mitt the Mormon and Rudy Cafeteria Catholic, there is room for the Evangelicals to make a little noise with Mike. A honest to goodness Southern Baptist evangelical sporting family values and some compassion for the poor and working class, folks who seem to be ignored by the Massachusetts Millionaire and the Wizard of 9/11. So there's a surge, particularly in Iowa and perhaps more importantly a real state, South Carolina.

On the surface, there is certainly somethings to like about Huckabee and as long as his candidacy was a joke, no one wanted to touch the rock and roll playing weight loss champ with a heart of gold. Now certainly Rudy is looking in his rear view mirror ready to unleash his attack dogs and rush Huckabee off into the Pat Robertson bin of Presidential campaign history. As the pendulum begins to swing towards the middle of the Republican party, his support of creationism and his other fundamentalist views may darken his chances. In addition, the requisite "willie hortoning" of any Governor that has had to make a difficult decision looms towards his ultimate and early defeat.

It's an interesting play for the other front runners in this campaign, hard to run to the right on family values issues, need to knock out the uprising without making the supporters of the uprising stay home in November, willing to sit out when a northeastern candidate "beats up on the bumpkin". Both of the Yankee candidates will be a tough sale in the southern primaries against a military veteran like McCain, an upstart celebrity from Tennessee and a Southern Baptist preacher in the race together splintering the vote.

The Republican establishment is in an uproar. With some pundits comparing him to Howard Dean in his ill-fated surge in 2004 and others saying a Huckabee nomination is political suicide. The National Review, the standard bearer of the somewhat reasonable right has gone as far as to endorse Mitt Romney, in hopes of gathering another CEO/MBA presidential candidate, outside of the more populist campaign of Huckabee, wacky tornado money machine Ron Paul or urban yahoo Rudy Giuliani. Mitt then attacks Huckabee for breaking Ronald Reagan's eleventh commandment, criticizing another Republican. C'mon he was attacking President Bush's Iraq policy, haven't we come to grips with that yet?

The die is cast. This is one strange rodeo.
SANCTUARY MANSION
I have just become morbidly interested in politics. It's like watching a car wreck or bar fight, you just can help it even if it's embarrassing to be that voyeuristic. As a student of history, I venerate the great American leaders such as Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, and Lincoln. Great users of language like Paine, FDR, King, and Sorenson have helped to fuel the energy of leadership in our land and create the country we have to day. This list is certainly not comprehensive but we certainly have an embarrassing poverty of leadership and language today, restricted to the bumper sticker, slogan, and soundbite of the 24 hour news cycle.

Occasionally, a very witty phrase will come out, the "great right wing conspiracy' is certainly an example and recently what I feel is a powerful attack, Mayor Giuliani asserted that the work done on Governor Romney's home by undocumented workers made it a "sanctuary mansion." In two words, Rudy managed to play the class card and the race card simultaneously, creating an image of dozens of brown skinned employees scaling the fence of a multi-millionaire's mansion with the owner of the manse showing little concern for his own security. Certainly how could the security of the nation be entrusted to a man who hires a company that hires Guatemalan immigrants to rake and leaf blow his property?

The mansion piece is a bit more interesting, especially coming from someone who lives in a multimillion dollar apartment in Manhattan himself, certainly the hard working voters who rake their own lawns and paint their own homes wince at the well groomed CEO who can afford to pay low wages at the expense of jobs for legal residents. The class card deftly played by Ridiculous Rudy.

It a brilliant piece of political theater, these mediocre leaders biting at each other over trivial issues, creating personal attacks that seem to manifest themselves as metaphor for future greater evil. The mental picture of the White House becoming the final scene of Scarface, with a slobbering, freaked out Mitt Romney firing automatic weapons, OK that's just silly.

GRUMPIER OLD MEN
Wow, so the lefty netroots really had to go and piss Lieberman off. Today, in a Joementum building extravaganza, Lieberman endorsed John McCain for President of the United States. Wait, 2000 Democratic VP candidate endorses a Republican, OK not so weird. Let me say this, I don't agree with Joe alot but I respect him. He is not beholden to anyone and will drive right off the reservation to prove it.

McCain quickly picked up the endorsement, stating, "wow, compared to this guy I look like Bruce Jenner!" (okay he didn't but that would have been awesome). McCain also picked up the Des Moines Register and Boston Globe endorsements, so those reading Republicans supporting the maverick senator suddenly got a blast of good news.

Now, I like McCain and Lieberman, both a little conservative for my blood, but at least they have conviction unlike many of the stay and sway members of both parties. Lieberman for all his saber rattling around the Global War on Terror and Operation Iraqi Freedom, is generally fairly liberal around guns and gays, two issues that would make him a liberal freak in many of the Red States.

Endorsements like this make the Angry Middle a little giddy, for a lifelong Democrat who wishes that both parties would crumble into ash, allowing real leadership to rise from the ashes.

NEXT WEEK: In No Real Surprise, the Angry Middle endorses a Republican and Democratic Candidate!

December Mourning

DECEMBER MOURNING

More Erica’s Less Dick Cheney’s

I usually don’t write about the personal but this is different. Erica never got to see the end of the error.

Today, my stepmother died, she died very young, fifty years old from the combination of a brain tumor and a stroke, complicated by Multiple Sclerosis. It’s difficult to lose anyone especially someone so young, so full of life, and with so much to live for.

I saw her alive for the last time last night, unconscious, aided by oxygen, prayed with her and said my goodbyes. She had been generally non-communicative for a couple of weeks as she moved to her eternal rest. She did have a chance to tell her sister her words of advice for all of her kids and grandkids. Three things that all of us should think about.

“Graduate from High School”
Erica and one of my sisters both dropped out of high school for a while and ended up going back for a diploma. This initial step is an amount part of any life journey.

“Feed the Birds”
Erica was notorious for her birdfeeders, it was part of her daily routine, and birds would return the favor with their visual beauty and song.

“Have a Garden”
Flowers, vegetables, herbs, the dirty work, the patience, the maintenance and the reward, all parts of life. Whenever I see a tulip, I’ll think of Erica.

More Erica’s, less Cheney’s. America would be a better place.

Election '07 ehrrh '08

RUDY'S THE ONE!
Yup, the ole wacky, corrupt, 2000 pound leg pressing, proSTEALizer has endorsed Rudy Giuliani. So I guess that Pat's become a little pragmatic in his later years as he hustles a way to get a Republican in the White House. Odd,though to see this televangelist endorse the gay rights, pro-choice republican from New York City.

Wow, what's next, Grover Norquist coming out for Dennis Kucinich?

It's seems like the ridiculous wing of the religious right, facing some competition from reality based Christians like Rick Warren and some pushback from Enviro-friendly Christian (stewards of the Earth), Christians with an interest in social justice issues and wait for it, progressive Christians, have decided to become more practical. With Huckabee, authentically Baptist and even a minister still in the running, the founder of the distorted Moral Majority has put his stamp on the cross dressing Manhattenite.

His fear, is that his own organization become irrelevant for endorsing a somewhat viable Huckabee (at least early) or a really kooky Alan Keyes. So he hitches himself to the candidate that is most opposite to the views of the general religious right, to regain some relevance, to slowly move Rudy to the right on some social issues, providing cover through Iowa and South Carolina.

MISSING IN ACTION
It's been a while since I posted, Thanksgiving, my sister coming back from Germany, etc. Busy times. But today I was somewhat inspired by learning that Trent Lott would resign by the end of the year. Now I'm not one to throw epithets around, but thank God the cracker is finally done.

Representing a state that is 37% African American, somehow Trent was re-elected after suggesting old friend, segragationist, and America's favorite miscegenist Strom Thurmond would have been able to solve America's problems if he had been elected President. I'm sorry it's nice to tell an old man nice things, but you represent all the people of your state. It's been time for lotsa of Republicans to start jumping ship, seeing the corruption of the private/public sector to be much more lucrative than the troublesome ethics rules and red tape that gets in the way of some real old school public corruption.

THE NOT SO ANGRY MIDDLE
If I had my druthers and was independently wealthy I'd probably do mostly the same things, the scotch would be better and I wouldn't work, I could pay for my baby daughter to get into an Ivy League school instead of her actually having to do work and I could truly chase my dream of being the Ed Anger of moderate political blogging.

Like most self-proclaimed moderates, I lean a particular way politically, mostly left in my case and libertarian and fiscally conservative in others. Mike Bloomberg is somewhat the same way. He ran as a Republican for mayor of New York in only the way a nice Jewish boy Red Sox fan from Medford could do so, tongue in cheek, I'm a billionaire so I have to be a Republican. No one can be elected the mayor of the capital of the world without some cosmopolitan sensibilities that many around the country would define as "liberal".

Mike Bloomberg continues to be an interesting third party candidate. He says he doesn't desire the job, but is this the year, a year without any breakaway candidates, no Eisenhower, Reagan, Kennedy or even William Jefferson Clinton coming out of the woodwork that an independent may be able to make a move? By truly independent in Bloomberg's case, I of course mean that this is a man that would not be beholden to anyone. No special interest, bundler, Hillraiser or ranger would be able to match even a fraction of Mike's tremendous wealth. Hell, as a patriot, shouldn't he get in the race, with his own coin to drive the discussion towards things that really matter, health care, real immigration reform, real homeland security that the fractious nature of political finance in a two party system don't allow us to address outside of soundbites or well manicured press releases produced by the very special interests that should be under the microscope.

The potential for Bloomberg's run is supported by a recent puff piece in Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/68113 The media would applaud anything that breaks the monotony of the banality of this race towards mediocrity. Imagine an independent Bloomberg, even if he was frozen out of the debate process being able to buy all the media he wanted. Imagine a Bloomberg as part of the Unity '08 ticket partnered with a running mate such as Colin Powell or another leader with national security/defense/foreign affairs credibility and a willingness to declare a potential cabinet long before he hits the polls.

Fall Classic

REMEMBER THOU ART MORTAL
"Congress is not getting it's work done," President Bush said, flanked by members of the Republican House leadership. "Bush blasted the Democratic-controlled Congress on Tuesday for having "the worst record in 20 years."The House of Representatives has wasted valuable time on a constant stream of investigations, and the Senate has wasted valuable time on an endless series of failed votes to pull our troops out of Iraq."

I'm starting to look at the President in a whole different way, he has gone from being simply goofy to a hysterical cartoon version of a bad leader. I mean you can't make this stuff up. Is he so shameless that he can actually say things like this? Chastising Congress for choosing to question the President? To exercise some of it's Constitutional authority in a balance of powers.

Hey, I'm the first one to say that this entire government is a mess. Unable to show any fiscal responsibility or leadership in any venue, whether it be foreign or domestic. There is a lack of any statemanship and every effort to get the nation's work done is politicized to the point of paralysis.

Perhaps if the Republican controlled Congress and the Democratic minority had showed any backbone in the first six years of the Bush administration we would not have as "much to investigate" and wouldn't be concerned with pulling our troops out of Iraq. Surveys generally show that the American people are frustrated with Congress yet we continue to send back over 90% of the incumbents. Rarely is there a "throw the bums" out movement afoot. Usually voters feel their congressman is OK and it's the others that are filled with pork barrel politicking and mucking up the process.

The lack of effort by Congress in looking at real change and the lack of effort in reining in the President as he led us on the road to war and the road to ruin in fiscal responsibility is nearly criminal. To act as inactive observers bloviating in the press to raise money to ensure their re-election, rubber stamping or simply complaining about the President's inanity and/or insanity.

Certainly there will be some small change in Congress in the next election, some shifting of the deck chairs, some back benchers trying to make some noise, but soon begin carrying the water of the leadership in Congress or from Pennsylvania Avenue, forgetting the power, the Demos, the power that comes from the people and from the Constitution.

Certainly, the Imperial Presidency, retooled after the shame of Watergate and in a time of incessant and perhaps non-ending war has become the center of power in the world, with the City on the Hill and our soft power of the greatest nation on earth has become tarnished.

Where does the next great leader, or in fact group of leaders come from once the Bush nightmare is over?

Sammy, We Hardly Knew Ye

Sam has narrowed the field on the GOP side. Dropping out in the face of his lack of funds and a sensibility amongst most Republicans that the country may not be prepared to make a rapid run further to the right wing. So Huckabee may pick up some of those who see abortion as their one issue, but outside of that small percentage this is just a historical footnote. Opus Dei doesn't get their guy in the White House and the lead warrior against Janet Jackson's nipple gets ready to fight other battles. It remains to be seen who makes an effort to pick up these votes, will it Huckabee, or is he not loony enough? Apparently, Alan Keyes now picks up the mantle of the religious right. Another story for another day.

WOW!
How sweet it is, Red Sox world champions. Now, nothing will ever be as incredible as that run in 2004. But we know that this victory will not be tarnished a week later by the re-election of George W. Bush. Baseball to me is a passion, certainly populated by over priced, sometimes obnoxious athletes, and over commercialized but the beauty of a baseball season is the metronome of my life. For years the Red Sox were the laughing stock, often competitive but predictably always faltering at the end usually at the hands of our fantastically evil older brother, New York. While many will accuse our team of outspending our rival AL and NL teams alike and simply emulating the Yankee success, the stories of our squad will warm my heart through the winter months. Game 4 winner Jon Lester a cancer survivor, the rookies who set the table, the veterans who had seen it all, and our Latino and Asian players who brought the "World" in World Series. Red Sox nation, it wasn't a fluke.

October Surprise

Living La Vida Loca

As I was taking some notes in a meeting I looked down at my pen which is from the W.J. Clinton Presidential library, I started to think, where would President Hillary Clinton build her library? Certainly it would have more interesting stuff than the mechanical bull at the George W. Bush Presidential Magazine rack, but would it be in Illinois?, Arkansas? or her carpetbagger's destination of New York? Who knows. First of all, I don't think it's going to happen.

Here's the rub, I like Hillary. She's a great intellect, has been a great senator and actually tried to figure out health care. You put that early 90's health care bill in front of the US Chamber of Commerce and the automakers today and they'd be on it like me on a pork chop.

Yup, I'm the guy who still thinks it's going to be Edwards/McCain in the general election. Now I like my data, and all the polls shows Hillary beating any of the Republicans in the general election and some national polls have her up over 30 points over her closest challenger. It's just hard for me to imagine Hillary Clinton as President, first just the image of these two royal families controlling the Presidency for at least 24 years is just bizarre. It's not like this is like Lichtenstein or something, we're a country of over 300 million people with the best universities in the world, the largest number of Nobel laureates, and shall we not forget, Hollywood! You would think that some other cream would rise to the top that had not been a Clinton or Bush.

Oh yeah, and this is Hillary, "that woman" is probably the most divisive politician in recent American history. She's the ogre that the right uses to raise money now that Ted Kennedy has become more of an elder statesman in American politics. It's hard to make hay at the foot of a grandfather. She has been branded as a socialist, a communist, a feminist, an abortionist and is a leftist demon to the dittoheads.

I often will ask people why they hate Hillary so much, and often folks will mention the arrogance, like she is the sole owner of arrogance in politics. The other reason is that she is tied to the "corruption" both real and perceived of the first 8 years of a Clinton presidency. Those that see her with a smoking gun in the Vince Foster case or having half of Communist China spend the night in the Lincoln Bedroom. The "vast right wing conspiracy" has haunted Hillary from the beginning years of her husband's presidency, while she has huge leads in the democratic polls, she will unintentionally energize a Republican party reeling from war and scandal against the Democratic nominee in a way that Emily's List could not compete with. It makes the possibility of a more moderate Republican candidate to feast on the center enough to get towards the White House. OK, suffice to say all of the leading Republican candidates are more moderate than the current administration.

Oh yeah, and she's a Yankee's fan. And to make it even worse, a carpet bagging Yankee's fan.

The Queen of Yankee Nation

Gotta hand it to Rudy, the guy plays dressup more than any seven year old girl I've ever met. Rudy is the ultimate opportunist going for the ultimate political prize and the keys to the US treasury. The other day, my friend Bob accused me of "having a Giuliani blindspot". He's probably right, it's the same blindspot I have for my own mortality, the thing that keeps me struggling and striving and not living in a drunken stupor.

I think a Giuliani presidency is just a dangerous thought but frankly I think we have some of the same politics, the urban law and order issues may play well in urban areas if anyone in the Republican party ever owns up to the fact that there are American cities outside of Washington, DC, Davenport, Iowa or Manchester, NH. I think as a big city mayor he does understand the issues facing our cities, even if he was blessed with a Clinton presidency and huge Wall St. tax surpluses during his reign over NYC.

Rudy was a Democrat before he got better in the seventies, likely because that's what urban Catholics did, he seemed to be an early adopter of the Reagan Revolution and benefited his way into a fine job as a US attorney, getting himself and mafiosi in front of the television cameras, beginning his life long love affair with the media, culminating in 9/11 and his brief reign as America's Mayor and a shot of confidence in wary times that he is trying to ride all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue. This opportunism led to the birth of his lobbying firm Giuliani Partners which grew Rudy into a very wealthy man and grown an increasing web of potential ethical entanglements if he is elected President.

I find it hard to believe that he is the best that the Republicans have to offer, certainly there is a certain amount of fame involved and the non-cuckoo GOP'ers that is the more socially moderate but still law and order and fiscal conservatives have someone they can attach too as one of their own, rather than a candidate that is just trying to carry the religious right's water.

Despite that I think that Rudy, if President, well have scandals that make the Teapot Dome Scandal look like a penny flinch from a church collection plate, and what's worse, another Yankees fan.

WHAT, ME WORRY?

THE RABBIT

I'll give Fred this, he was the only one in the debate whose answer to the future of social security wasn't "yeah, we gotta do something about that", which is the equivalent of saying the back 40's on fire and I better get some buckets. (sorry that's about as folksy as it gets around here). Fast Freddie argued that future Social Security recipients may not get the level of benefits that they are expecting. I'm not sure many of the other candidates want to go there, because being very vague and enigmatic is a very important part of retirement planning, along with sound investing and having kids that are going to make a whole ton of money.

So even though Fred is not ahead in the polls, he may see himself as the rabbit in the race, that one or two guys who gets way ahead in the Boston Marathon running 4 and half minute miles only to burn himself out after a few miles, tiring of setting the pace, in some ways having the rabbit is great, it gives you something to talk about for an hour or so. If this helps him to save what he feels is the heart and soul of the Republican party, true conservatism, whatever that is, all power to him. Hell, I think it's kind of humorous in a dark way that the Republican Party has become the party of drunken sailorism, from the free spending ways to the brothels to the toilet stall rendezvous's. Get me a picture of Ted Kennedy riding an elephant and we're off to Minneapolis in 2008, I can't imagine that Larry Craig will make an appearance in his old stomping grounds.

THE JENA DISTRACTION

What do we need, y'all?l think we need a new leader. We ain't had a black leader in a while. In a long time. Somebody that moves you. You know, we had Martin Luther King,Malcolm X... and ever since then, a bunch of substitute teachers. We ain't had the real thing.l want a mf'er to move me. CHRIS ROCK

First things first, one of the hardest things to talk about honestly in this country is race. Frequently you hear stuff like, "I don't care if he's brown, black, white, blue or polka dotted." And we all know that's dumb and if you see someone blue or polka dotted get him a damn doctor or something. There is a myth of colorblindness, like a few years of affirmative action, a diversity training, dancing with a black guy at the club and a Black friend at work can clear everything up. In fact, most Americans appear to self-segregate, I'm not sure if it's intentional, just the nature of years of economic, religious and racial segregation that has manifested itself in the culture of today, I actually think things are getting better, but it's going to take a lot of time. But I digress.

Recently thousand of activists, largely African American descended on the small town of Jena, Louisiana, where three idiot kids had hung nooses from a tree. These kids were given the "boys will be boys" slap on the wrist in a severe lack of judgment of idiotic school officials who somehow missed the symbolism and fear of one of these country's greatest collective crimes of lynching. In the "if I close my eyes this will go away strategy" that seems to be so big a part of how we address race in this country, the town didn't appear to address the problem which grew into greater racial strife, that ended up with a white boy being beaten by 6 black boys in a schoolyard fight which gave us the illustrious heroes of the Jena Six.

The Jena Six in normal times would be seen as common thugs beating on a single boy, but these common thugs were charged with crimes likely far beyond what would have happened if it was a intraracial crime or if it were in normal circumstances say like fighting over a girl or a football game. Once again the authorities overreached and added fuel to the fire.

But let's get real here for a second. I'm am outraged at the outrage. Where is the outrage at underperforming schools? Where is the outrage at overwhelming unemployment rates, particularly for young, Black males? Institutional racism is just not a sexy enough issue for folks. Where are the thousands that could be marching on their local city halls demanding a quality education for all children?

Where is the outrage on the part of poverty pimps such as the Rev.'s Sharpton and Jackson when it comes to the near genocidal levels of Black on Black crime. Over 50% of murder victims in the United States are African American, it seem like on a weekly basis in our own City of Boston, another child is killed by senseless violence? Where is the outrage? When a Haitian woman is gang raped and assaulted by up to 12 youth in Palm Beach, where is the outrage at this heinous assault?

This, is not part of the conversation, certainly because the Jena Six case will become one of many of the left's cause's celebre's, something you did during college that becomes a great story at the reunion, but no real change or anything.

FAITH AND FREEDOM

One of the most annoying words used by politicians that I hear is "freedom". Most of us have no real concept of freedom as to most of us as Americans, it is like the air that we breathe or the water that comes out of our faucets, expected, clear and most clean of contamination. As an administration official will claim that we are fighting a war for freedom while ignoring other cries for freedom, you have to become a bit jaded. When you see thousands of monks lining the street, you hope this Saffron Revolution can turn the tide towards democracy and end the military dictatorship in Burma but alas this is not the movies and a vicious crackdown of guns and batons and a closing off of information appears to have nipped this move towards freedom in the bud. I got nothing really to say about this other than a deep admiration for those who have risked their lives unarmed in the hopes of lighting a fire of freedom across their country, hopefully their faith can help us to have that same faith and support freedom at home and abroad.

Beautiful Day

Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. Adlai E. Stevenson

Patriotism is a strange animal, balanced between extreme, scary, jingoistic, ethnocentric nationalism and America hating, pinko wacko insanity. The wife and I gave blood at Fenway and 9/11 and you were stirred by the number of fireman, policeman and other civil servants who chose that day to give along with the "normal folks" like us that calculated this day into our giving as part of our remembrance of the day.

Everyone of us was greatly effected by 9/11, my mother was at the Javits center in Manhattan when it happen, my brother in law in a sequence of events ended up doing 4 combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. The feelings we all had that day and the months of followed were mixed with anger, sorrow, fear and wanting of retribution. But for many of us, and especially for me, it was the first day that I really felt like I was an American.

There was little most of could do as Americans, American flags became popular everywhere as a virtual competition of outward symbolism of patriotism. This patriotism was not very well thought out. It was that combination of pride and fear, a reaction to an attack. Not necessarily, a dedication to the Constitution or the frameworks that make this nation great, those of infrastructure, resources, both human and natural and the ability of our government despite it's weaknesses, to continue a democratic tradition for over 200 years; but rather a childlike dedication to symbols and slogans.

It was a beautiful day out, that 9/11/01 and all of us have different memories. The following Global War on Terror has taken us to a bizarre place as Americans. WWII as a conflict was a much more terrible, and horrific war, there were days were hundreds and even thousands of Americans lost their lives, not to mention the millions of combatants and non-combatants that lost their lives, this was total war. The entire investment of all the nation's resources towards defeating the Axis. As I and many others so frequently muse, there is no sense of this sacrifice today, only by our soldiers and their families and perhaps our grandchildren who will have to pay for this war.

That beautiful, sunny day has brought us to a new America. I'm unsure if the fear and anguish of 9/11 has played itself out yet. Even in the darkest days of WWII, I think most Americans could visualize what victory was. The methodical turning back of the Axis tide, the proverbial jumping on Berlin would exhibit victory and peace. What does victory look like today? Is it the evangelical spread of participatory democracy?, of a full franchise for entire populations?, freemarkets of the Friedman variety in every nation across the Globe? I've never heard anyone try to articulate it in any reasonable matter? What does victory in the Global War on Terror looks like.

The smarter Generals, leaders and academics have defined it as a multi-generational process. A multiple generational winning of hearts and minds. The question is, if the United States is to show the leadership across the world, it seems we need to be a much better role model. Our own rule of law, which is likely unparallelled in world history is being riddled by corruption, lies, and even more insidious an eroding of civil liberties in the name of national security.

Somewhere between the fearmongering that benefits some politicians in the United States as being "more patriotic than thou" and the home grown America haters, many of whom have greatly benefited from its largess, there is a need to be a new generation of American patriots, willing to have the introspection necessary for a democratic resurgence so our leadership is moral as well as military and economic.

I see few current politicians who can provide this leadership. Where is this generation's Lincoln, Roosevelt, Wilson who rises above the pedestrian nonsense of a national campaign to provide true leadership?

Laborious Lobotomy

OK, this is more of a history discussion than a political post. Labor... For individuals, it is celebrated, man's battle against nature, taking the American frontier, building the railroads, digging the Erie Canal, clearing brush from the Crawford ranch. Now wouldn't you have people to do that?

Collectively labor is now frowned upon if not reviled by many. Yes, the bumper sticker says, the union brought you the weekend, but fewer and fewer non-government jobs are unionized and many unions are dying, faced by foreign competition, new technologies and the growth of non-union shops and small business. There was a time that a high school graduate could stay in his hometown, get a job at a factory and be set for life, those times were actually pretty short and came out of the post-WWII economic boom.


POWER IN THE UNION
You can't treat the working man this way. One day, we'll form a union and get the fair and equitable treatment we deserve! Then we'll go too far, and get corrupt and shiftless, and the Japanese will eat us alive!-The Simpsons

Unions to many, are seen as anachronistic, not needed in these modern times, with government protection and a reasonably educated working class. In fact, they are often seen as protectionist and even anti-American, big business and government alike have played this card for years. Unions fighting for decent treatment brought many of the things that we take for granted these days, fair pay, holidays, regards for safety, workman's compensation and all of that great commie crap. Gradually American manufacturing while still strong, began to whittled away by globalization and unions began to be less able to negotiate from a position of strength. Unions simultaneously began to mimics the bureaucracy of government and corporations and began to seek survival just to feed itself and not necessarily it's membership.

THE RISE OF THE INVESTOR CLASS
Along with globalization, perhaps one of the greatest changes against trade unionism is the rise of the investor class. Now, a young McDonald's employee or Wal-Mart worker can sit at a table formerly inhabited by robber barons and captains of industry. The rise of 401K's, electronic trading and relatively low brokerage fees have put the stock market in the hands of college students, retirees, daytraders and anyone who want to take a chance at the great scratch ticket of capitalism. Even my 5 year old niece and 10 year old nephew have a reason to peek at the Wall St. Journal everyday.

An investor class sees the need for corporate boards and overcompensated corporate heads to look out for it's interests and has little class consciousness when the needs of their retirement nest eggs come into question. While it's not that 401K owners sit at home twisting their mustache hoping for the demise of union labor, there is a certain sympathy for corporatism and the need for corporations to protect their personal interest. Part of the appeal of private accounts in Social Security is that workers feel a need to collect more than their T-bills and the Tech Boom of the late 90's is greatly in the minds of many people who have some amnesia of the resulting bubble bust. In the long run, it's hard to tell if middle class people would benefit more from unionism and collective bargaining than the "individual responsibility" of retirement planning, but it looks like that die is cast.

On the Public Dime
So at some points I have to be a little introspective. I am a government bureaucrat. The term bureaucrat is much maligned nowadays. The actual function of a bureaucrat is designed to prevent corruption. Provide a fair wage and benefits to take the politics and logrolling and backscratching out of the governing process. Max Weber describes bureaucracy in the most positive of terms. Many of us take public service very seriously. We appreciate the fact that we have decent compensation, great benefits including a pension, and relative job security and take pride in protecting the taxpayers' money and providing the best services that we can to our constituencies, in our case the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

As a modern day apparatchik, I have benefited greatly from one of the few places that unionism grows strong, government and education unions. As a union member, it can be frustrating at times to see the negotiations, negotiations that neglect career ladders, professional development, quality of life and a commitment to public service for shortsighted bargaining over welcomed, moderate but unsustainable pay raises that have no respect for job effectiveness or commitment but are based on grade and seniority.

I am unsure of what the future of government unions is. Faced with the looming costs of pension obligations and medical costs but also armed with powerful political friends it is difficult to understand this aging workforce, many of who may lack the technical, managerial or leadership skills to complete the tasks of modern governing. Surely, the one growing (both government and educational) and constant union will adapt and retrain, or whither.

The Memory Hole

In 1984, the memory hole was a function of the government that allowed them to make mistakes disappear. This Orwellian dystopic fantasy was intended to show how control of information can quite easily control history and control the present and future. The more simplistic explanation of course is just BizarroWorld.

Misdirection, if not a synonym of politics is at its very least an essential component. Plan on short memories and very little critical thinking and analysis. Speak emphatically, loudly and clearly and it becomes THE TRUTH. The master of this was the Great Communicator himself, however to give Ronnie credit, I truly think that he believed what he was saying and if not he believed that his stories resonated with American people and would lead America to greater things. Today of course misdirection, what has traditionally been called fibbing, exaggeration, hyperbole or down right lying goes all the way to the top of the political food chain.

Certainly Bill Clinton engaged in this same type of misdirection, relying on his arrogance and self-absorbed intellectual superiority to avoid being questioned about his intern issues, eventually leading to his impeachment on perjury charges. Which makes you think, what if he had told the truth about his dalliances, there would be scandal and embarrassment but what would have happened to the last two years of what had potential for greatness but ended in shame. The shame that began a series of political events that obscured the continuing war on terror and began the machinations of continuing dirty politics with no substance and lack of leadership.

PHO HISTORY AND A FAKE TURKEY

So after about 4 and a half years of denying it, suddenly the administration has begun to invoke Vietnam and Iraq in the same sentence. Certainly this comparison would not be made between looking for WMD's, yellowcake and the Tonkin Gulf incident that essentially were the cases for both conflicts; or the extended battle of insurgency against a seemingly hidden foe whether it be the winning of hearts and minds or fighting against "a few deadenders"; the continued bleeding both of American blood and treasure, or the lack of a defined mission or road to victory. All these would likely be decent comparisons, and as armchair historians and political scientists, could lead to long discussions, debates and arguments. But these are the people in charge of the whole game.

The argument used now is that pulling out of Iraq would cause terrible human rights damage, similar to the killing fields of Pol Pot or the re-education camps of Vietnam. These are likely valid arguments, it is unknown what type of hell Iraq may become without some type of American or coalition forces to engage potential genocidal action and slaughter. That being said and necessity of the issue of troop withdrawal being addressed by more than a "pull them all out" or "surge to victory" leaves the American people in fear of facing an increasingly withdrawn and troubled presidency of almost Nixonian proportions.

It seems we must hope that there are greater forces, Bush 41, a council of elders, Laura, a really clinical psychiatrist, a bottle of Booker's that can pull the President back from the precipice, to show the strength that he showed in mid-September 2001 or at least do no more harm. The joking, folksy, gambling President Bush is gone, a more sober, serious Bush, willing to take advice from all sides must emerge. There will be no enormous mea culpa, but the President must rise above the partisan politics to lead.

BEDTIME FOR GONZO!
On a lighter note, the Alberto Gonzalez error is done. Better known as the world's highest ranking mob lawyer, Gonzo was the administration's excuse maker, leading into the axiom, it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission, especially when you're the one in charge of giving forgiveness. Gonzo felt he didn't have to answer to anyone and like Clinton, likely could have benefited from just being honest from the get-go, in Alberto's case, around the issue of the fired prosecutors. In this case, Al, just tell the truth, if only because it is the easiest thing to remember. This case would have blown over quickly, but the arrogance of secrecy is that this is our knowledge, our Constitution and we'll use it like we want to. Where there is a vacancy, there is opportunity and certainly this opens up a spot for a talented law enforcement and legal leader who can get the support of both parties and rise above the fray of politics.

CRUISING MINNESOTA

Larry Craig, Republican from Idaho wants your family values vote, especially if that family values vote include cruising the men's room of airports. Which I believe is one of the party planks that James Dobson is trying to add to the party platform. Hey, you're an adult, do whatever you want to do as a consenting adult but it's the hypocrisy people. Craig has been the target of groups trying to "out" him for several years and recently pled guilty to "lewdness" in the airport in Minneapolis. The Romney campaign in a quick separation began to move away from it's co-senate liasion although the five brothers have yet to completely scrub the website. Ah, it just keeps getting better and better.

How Red is Your Herring

Ah, the politics of misdirection. Build your supporters by anointing them with a sense of moral superiority. "The other side just doesn't get it", "they don't love freedom", "they're free riders", "they're stealing American jobs." I don't know when politics just got weird. Or people just got really stupid and gullible. Maybe they always have been but when you look at them in a historical context, you just get a filtered version.

The latest Giuliani-Romney feud as the temporary front runners until a long overdue Republican tide of commonsense takes hold is over immigration, and who has let more Mexicans in the door. Of course, what many Americans should really be concerned about is crumbling infrastructure, an unsustainable Social Security/Medicare system, an overstretched military, nuclear proliferation, etc but those things are really hard to explain or but in a bumper sticker that may say something like, "why should I press one for English."


I know that there were dirty campaigns in the past. But the level of vapid discussion could never have been this great. Certainly racial and ethnic politics have played a part in American politics, from the fear of slave rebellions to the Civil War and reconstruction on through integration, the thinly veiled Nixonian law and order campaign to Willie Horton and on to the current immigration debate. Of course, the immigration argument is not all about race but suffice to say if the majority of immigrants were 6 foot tall Norwegian bikini models rather than persons of Mestizo descent, the discussion may be quite different.


BUILDING A FENCE
Much of the discussion is economic wrapped up in a certain American fear of change and outsiders, immigrants are "stealing our jobs". Immigrants are taking spots in public schools, in hospitals (particularly the use of emergency rooms for primary care) and other social services. Illegal immigrants are These are valid arguments in my mind, but arguments should have discourse. For me, it is my secular and Christian feelings of the need for social justice battling the feeling and belief that while America is built on immigrants and the great majority of us are the descendants of immigrants, what makes America great in my mind and separates us from many others is the rule of law. And undocumented folks/illegal immigrants flaunt that rule of law. It certainly is a dilemma.

However, in the same manner that many thought we would go into Iraq with the mightiest military, best trained soldiers and best equipment and dispatch our enemies is the logic that such simple things as building a multi-billion dollar fence will "secure our borders." Any discussion of immigration reform is painted as amnesty or surrender analogous to the idea of pulling our troops out of Iraq before final victory. As a subject it is an anathema to the new target of Republican candidates, those Reagan democrats and independents whose conservative populism drove them away from an out of touch Democratic party of the 1970's and 1980's.

The misdirection of course is to find a scapegoat for the problems of America. To build a nostalgic image of a better past where Americans had life long job security at good wages. And the enemy of course is not a rapidly evolving global economy or the corporations that pump money into all campaigns both Republicans and Democrats but the guys who's washing dishes, picking fruit, and cutting up chicken parts. And what does a mass deportation of millions of immigrants look like? Should I anglicize my name?


SANCTUARY
The sanctuary
I'm sure in her you'll find
The sanctuary
And the world and the world
The world turns around
And the world and the world
The world drags me down-THE CULT

The latest Giuliani-Romney "Real World" battle is over the idea of Sanctuary cities. Now sanctuary cities is something that "holier than thou" liberal cities usually declare. The reasoning of course outside of political correctness and a "we are the world" coca-cola moment is that undocumented immigrants are more likely to report crimes including domestic abuse, get treatment for diseases that may be communicable, and otherwise participate in activities that support the common good. The argument against is that it encourages illegal immigrants to move to these communities, as if making 5 bucks a day shoveling gravel in Chiapas, running away from machetes in Sierra Leone, or escaping countryside gangs in El Salvador is enough to make you want to take that gamble on Wal-Mart, clean water and the American dream.

Mayor Giuliani of course was the leader of the city with the most immigrants in America, (ok, likely, LA but work with me here) and they're all not here on H-1B visas making microchips, and as Romney governed Massachusetts, the People's Republic of Cambridge among others led the movement to provide "protection" to undocumented residents. Of course, most public servants, police and fire included have little desire to become immigration agents, there's a lot other work to do, then ask everyone "paper's please." The key to this type of politicking is it really part of what sells easy to Americans, not any sense of large scale policy or realistic change. And the image that some crazy liberal cities are offering backrubs and jacuzzi's and limo rides to people who are flaunting the law while they're punching the clock really roils them in Peoria.


ED ANGER, WE HARDLY KNEW YA
This week's Washington Post weekly reported sad news. The Weekly World News would cease to be published. For a guy like myself, who neglects research and kinda writes off the top of my head, mostly based on some weird picture, this loss is of huge historic significance. The Weekly World News brought me though some tough times, the end of the Reagan years, the Bush years,even to Clinton's first administration. It was not often a week would come without reading it, to find out what was happening in the alien world, what old friend and early right wing crazy adopter Ed Anger was "pig biting mad" about, and finally the evolution and chase of the Bat Child around the country by the FBI.

The Internet was the death of the Weekly World News as the profound collection of idiocy and strangeness in the world collected itself around one nexus. Ah but that bat child, hopefully he'll rise again.

Presidential Updates

Wow, wedding season, busy work and gardening and summer illnesses are kicking my @ss. I think about stuff all the time to write about, the summer doldrums are upon me and I just don't write that well right now, but things are heating up and thinning out. I continue with my Romney and Giuliani obsession, wondering how the hell the Republican party ended up with these two insignificant, self-absorbed political bottom dwellers as front runners and waiting for the Democratic field to implode under its own weight.

Romney Picks Up Some Straws
In the cavalcade of events that leads up to the Iowa caucus, the Republican Ames straw poll is the kickoff. It is not without irony that the pretty boy of the field wins this beauty contest. John McCain and Rudy sat this dance out. The straw poll is mostly a fundraiser for the Iowa Republican party but for some it can be a graceful exit or a way to make a little noise in the campaign if your organization can stand the cost and the wear and tear of your candidate constantly eating fair food and trying to find clever aprons.

As the frontrunner, ole flip flop Mitt begins to open himself up to the sniping of the media and our old friend, history and the truth. Mitt is a helluva manager, looks at data, talks to experts makes a decision but as a leader is an empty shirt. Mitt had the occasion to misspeak this week when asking about his 5 sons and their (lack of) military service, Mitt said that different people serve in different ways, and that his sons were serving the country by supporting him as a Presidential candidate. Thus indirectly and likely unintentionally comparing his son driving a Winnebago from county to county in Iowa to a soldier or marine serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. As if there were IED's and snipers on the way from Sioux Falls to Ames. This disconnect that the candidate has from reality is likely to be his downfall. His fake folksiness and concern for the common man is trumped by his arrogance and pursuit for power.

I'll give Romney this, he is a much more trustworthy and honest man than the one licking at his heels, Rudy Giuliani. Romney would do well and place himself in the general election to be true to himself and true to his beliefs rather than flowing with the prevailing wind. It is sad to say that we may look for a Presidential candidate as the one who would do the least harm.

A Pandering We Will Go

The early campaign season is a time to pander to special interests. Candidates uncomfortably go on hunting and fishing trips, find jeans to wear uncomfortably to county fairs, and the diners in Iowa and New Hampshire apparently filled with people who have the time to spend their days not at work and drinking coffee are haunted by both major and minor applicants for the most important job in the world. Both sides generally will say whatever the group they are talking to wants to hear. No matter the cost to the federal taxpayer, or the the cost to America at large. Republicans generally will be seen with farmers and "regular people", gunowners, the evangelicals and big pumpkin growers.

Democrats run to the unions. The biggest target of the Democratic candidates attention is the NEA, the umbrella union that represents teachers and other educators. Some polls say that over 85% of teachers will vote Democratic, so this becomes a valuable ground for donations, field workers, and of course the votes needed to get the nomination.

So what you do is attack standardized tests, accountability, and NCLB in general while clamoring for higher teacher pay and more federal money for education without any kind of accountability for the money spent. Little of the argument is spent in reality, talking about student learning is done only in the abstract, reduce class size which of course means increasing the number of teachers in the union and educate the whole child, generally a codeword for no high stakes testing. Good teachers are among the hardest working people in the world, but changes such as merit pay, more pay for mathematics, science and special education teachers, and greater accountability and standards for high school graduation are essential for success and to suggest that no change is necessary is insanity. There is little research that will tell you that across the board higher pay for teachers leads to student achievement.

Obama seemed to deviate a bit from the formula, suggesting merit pay as a potential solution to the dismay of the crowd. I generally choose not to write about education but to see any candidate without the courage to deviate from the party line is terrifying. Certainly there are issues with NCLB and Ed Reform has seemed to falter and stall in many ways. But these are the days of big promises and asking for little in return but their votes. And this is not only for the educators but the corn farmers, the gun toters, and others who think that their issue is bigger and more important than anyone elses. Again where is the courage, where is the courage to look at the disastrous educational experience that many students face. This is not to place the blame at the feet of America's educators, but to say that American education needs more than platitudes for teachers and placing the blame on a standardized testing system.

Tommy Gun Calls it a Campaign
Struck by his failure to gain any traction in the Ames straw poll and flattened by his own irrelevance Tommy Thompson dropped out of the 2008 presidential race. I'm unsure why Tommy decided to run in the first place. Not enough white guys?, a lack of ex-governors? Free haircuts? Likes Iowa barbecue?

So now builds "Huckmentum". Mike Huckabee called out the Republican party, defying it not to become the "party of plutocrats." Thus starting the class war from the right hand side. The Republican party has done well for itself, working on the politics of fear, both internal and external, the myth of the destruction of the family and the fear that the Democrats want to take all your money. Thus the Halliburtons, Enrons and Big Oil and Pharma of the world have managed to get aligned with the blue collar worker who often begins to vote against his own financial interest. Huckabee has made an interesting comment and a very strong tactical move, he knows he has little to lose by going the populist route.

The early races in Nevada, South Carolina, Iowa and New Hampshire are filled with those Republicans who feel they've been screwed, screwed by immigration, by free traders, by big corporate America. So skinny Mike moves up slightly in this oddsmakers book. Rolling the dice on working Republicans who fear the half million dollar speech giving of a Rudy Giuliani or the slice and dice capitalism of Bain Capital's Mitt Romney and sketching the "Two America's" is fair play for the John Edwards of the right.