Friday, March 28, 2008

My Cat Edie, 1993-2008


Little Edie is gone. Born on Easter 1993, and passed away the day after Easter 2008. She was a sweet little cat who kept the house lively, and was a nice companion, even if it meant what could I do for her. Her brother Eddie passed away 2 years ago. They were chosen as kittens by my son and daughter as children, who are both now in their 20s, and have lives of their own. So, Edie was the last connection with their childhoods, in effect.

I still come home with the reflex that I will see her or hear her come to greet me. She is really missed.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Maybe An Adult President Finally?

Obama's brilliant speech in Philadelphia the other day was such a breath of fresh air, and will be regarded years from now as one of the great political speeches in American history! After 7 years of listening to a President who has great difficulty speaking in consecutive complete sentences, and saying nothing intelligent in the process, we just got to hear a politician speaking to racism in this country, as if he were talking to adults. You must listen to the whole speech, as he thoughtfully lays out an historical and complex issue that has mostly been swept under the rug by politicians and white Americans.

Vote for Obama. Let's put a complex, circumspect intelligent adult in the White House!

Friday, March 14, 2008

The Forgotten War in Iraq


While Obama and Hillary waste their time firing barrages at each other, McCain is going around the country touting the success of the "surge". The press has practically stopped covering the war, so there is no opposition to his misinforming the American people. The surge is not working. Read this article from by Adriana Huffington for more sad details.

What brought me over to the Obama side, when it came down to it, was Hillary's vote to go to war. In my view, she used bad judgment, and although she tried to back pedal once she was a Presidential nominee, her explanations have never held water. What is not so well known is that, in the days leading up to the vote to go to war, Senator Levin proposed an amendment that would have put up two further safeguards to check Bush's executive power to declare war on Iraq. It would have required the UN to declare war, and it would have required Bush to go to Congress and explain why diplomacy would no longer work, before declaring war. But Hillary voted AGAINST it. This is damning, in my book.

But now, with our soldiers over-taxed, billions of dollars wasted, the Iraqi government failing to live up to the benchmarks, and McCain talking about being there 100 years, it just can't get more dismal, can it?

Come on, Obama! Wake up and smell the IED fumes !

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Post Texas Primary Thoughts


I worked at my election poll yesterday from 6AM to around 11PM (I caucused afterwards). They combined 2 precincts into our election poll. I closed our vote counting machine. We had 1124 voters that day (10 times the 2006 Primary). Obama won exactly 40 more votes than Clinton, so it was close. In the caucuses afterwards, Obama was apportioned 36 more delegates to Hillary's 24. It was a lot of fun to work, because everyone was so energized. I recommend it sometime. It's a really fun way to get involved in the political process, to see the diversity of people who live here, and get a greater insight on how the country functions (or doesn't).

I'm beginning to get nervous about the election, though. I see that there is a chance that, if Obama wins the nomination, it could end up like McGovern in '72 (my first Presidential election to vote in). We trounced the establishment in the Texas Caucuses, treated the older politicians as if they were worthless, went for the "candidate of change" and the nation ended up electing Richard Nixon. Obama has little real experience, and in the instances where both parties made compromises and passed legislation, it was McCain who was at the center, and Obama was often apart by himself opposing "the center". This is powerful ammunition for the Replicants (my new name for the party).

The one substantive reason for supporting Obama, to me, is the war issue---I think Hillary's vote was political at the time, and not made out of any conscience. This gives the edge to Obama for me. But, we are idealists, and we know the Replicants are social Darwinists. They will use every dirty trick. I heard recently that McCain has gotten support from the "Swift Boat Veterans" group.

I'm also concerned that if Hillary gets the nomination, the Replicants will make a play on "Clinton fatigue". Personally, I myself want someone new in the White House. Hillary is not new, and neither is McCain. Both are old school; both play games; both take money from lobbyists, who already have too much influence in Washington.

For those of you who support Obama, you're going to have to support him all the way to November, if he wins the nomination. He won't be able to coast on the back of the "movement" we now see. So, get ready!