On Hillary Clinton’s 2012 Political Options

It’s August. Political reporters need something to write about. So why not write about the 2012 election? How else to explain the sudden flurry of articles — with this one from Politics Daily a typical example — speculating on Hillary Clinton’s plans for 2012? Or, this article which suggests that Clinton will stage a primaryContinue reading “On Hillary Clinton’s 2012 Political Options”

On Mid-Week Errata

I’ve had Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train” stuck in my head today. My day actually began with Jethro Tull. My Tull collection is not large — Aqualung, the Christmas album, a greatest hits album. While working this morning, I needed something different to keep me going, and “Locomotive Breath” from Aqualung seemed auspicious. Which made meContinue reading “On Mid-Week Errata”

On South Park, the Prophet Muhammad, and Censorship

This, to the left, is the Prophet Muhammad. He appeared in the 2001 episode of South Park, “Super Best Friends.” He could shoot fire from his hands, and he battled evil alongside fellow religious icons Buddha, Krishna, and Joseph Smith. This, to the right, is also the Prophet Muhammad. He’s wearing a bear suit, likeContinue reading “On South Park, the Prophet Muhammad, and Censorship”

On Health Care Reform, Then and Now

Saturday mornings I have a routine. I get up. I fix coffee. I eat a bowl of cereal. I listen to Weekend Edition Saturday on NPR. This has been my routine for pretty much the past three years; prior to that, I always worked on Saturdays, and thus Weekend Edition wasn’t something I could listenContinue reading “On Health Care Reform, Then and Now”

On Yet Another Heritage Foundation Survey

For reasons unknown, the Heritage Foundation has sent me yet another survey. To whit: “Taxpayer Opinion Poll On The Real Liberal Agenda.” The Heritage Foundation is conducting this Taxpayer Opinion Poll to compile evidence that will refute the claims by President Barack Obama and the liberals in Congress that the American people want bigger governmentContinue reading “On Yet Another Heritage Foundation Survey”

On Health Care Reform and the Republican Party

Are Republicans genuinely interested in governing? Are they genuinely interested in solving society’s problems? I have to wonder. The Republicans have been saying, all along, that they’ve been frozen out of the health care reform process. That the Democrats are ignoring their ideas. And yet, Ezra Klein of the Washington Post points out that theContinue reading “On Health Care Reform and the Republican Party”

On Writing My Congressman

The text of an e-mail I just sent to Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger: Dear Representative Ruppersberger, Like many Americans, I have been following the health care debate the past year. I believe that the health care system we have is broken and badly in need of repair. I find it appalling that in this, one ofContinue reading “On Writing My Congressman”

On the Path to Health Care Reform

So. Where does health care reform go from here? (For those reading at some future date, the context — Martha Coakley lost a special election in Massachusetts, depriving Democrats of the 60 vote majority they had in the Senate). As strange as this sounds, I think that health care reform is in a better positionContinue reading “On the Path to Health Care Reform”

On Rudolph Guiliani, Terrorism, History, and Narrative

Rewind two weeks. Mary Matalin, Republican strategist, said President George Bush “inherited the most tragic attack on our own soil in our nation’s history.” Rewind almost a year, back to March. Bush’s former press secretary, Ari Fleischer, chastises Chris Matthews with a “How dare you” when Matthews presses Fleischer on whether or not 9-11 happenedContinue reading “On Rudolph Guiliani, Terrorism, History, and Narrative”