The American people are demanding a public option. What's so wrong about taxing the wealthiest 2 percent to help pay for it? What's so wrong about levying a "sin tax" on soda, booze, and cigarettes? Aren't those options better than raising taxes on those who can least afford it? How about a little karmic justice on the brokers, bankers, CEOs and politicians whose greed wreaked havoc on the economy in the first place? It's Main Street, not Wall Street, who is paying the price. 

In the "I can't believe my ears" department... Pat Buchanan on MSNBC was busy trashing Sonia Sotomayor being helped by affirmative action, implying that she didn't pull herself up by her own bootstraps like Sarah Palin. In addition to hard work and sacrifice, affirmative action gave an equally-qualified poor Latina woman the opportunity to compete on a level playing field. The woman has a solid, impeccable legal resume. A white male nominee for the Supreme Court would not be treated the same way (they would be treated more respectfully).

And I would not hold Sarah Palin up as a model of intelligence, industriousness, and integrity. Her continued popularity rather baffles me, but I guess she (and Rod Blagoevich) are considered by some to be outwardly charismatic and attractive no matter what they say, and are entertaining in a Paris-Hilton-sort-of-way.

Imagine the media reaction if Joe Biden suddenly resigned the vice presidency and went crabbing in Delaware.

While some of David Letterman's jokes about Sarah Palin's family were no doubt in poor taste and open to misinterpretation (i.e., which daughter he was talking about), he was not the first comedian (or politician) to make such comments. I never thought I would actually feel a little sorry for David Letterman-poor taste or not, we all have an off day and generally he's a pretty funny and entertaining guy. He's apologized twice, and he doesn't deserve to be fired. And I have to admit, I find the sight and sound of Sarah Palin to be a true irritant. I feel sorry for her kids (and Alaskan wildlife) in general.

And for the people who complain that Stephen Colbert was a comedic apologist for our presence in Iraq, LIGHTEN UP! He's an entertainer/comedian, not a politician. When Obama ordered General Odierno to "shave that man's head," it was absolutely hilarious. The basic training sequence was also funny-I don't know how the drill sergeant managed to keep a straight face. I would love to see the outtakes. Colbert has stepped into Bob Hope's shoes-entertaining the troops through the USO. It's not the troops' fault that they are in Iraq-blame BushCheneyCo. for that one. At least Obama appears to be working on getting them home. I honestly don't know if it would be prudent to instantaneously cut off all funding, as some progressives in Congress would like to do, and let the chips fall where they may. I have a feeling that, unfortunately, we have to gradually dig ourselves out of this hole.

Watched a PBS documentary last night about "don't ask, don't tell" (Independent Lens). Seems that Obama could issue an executive order rescinding any prohibition against gays serving openly, much like Truman (I think?) did rescinding the policy of blacks serving separately in the military. The documentary effectively made the point that keeping gays who wish to serve out of the military is a civil rights issue-it is discrimination, plain and simple. The documentary also made the point that, in the last few years, the military has lowered its standards for admission to address a shortage of recruits. (Maybe it wouldn't be such a problem if we weren't at "war" in Iraq and Afghanistan.)

My biggest complaint so far about Obama is that some things are not moving as fast as I would like, but then he has a full plate (health care reform, the economy, the Middle East) and real change takes time. Dick Cheney should shut up and go back to his underground bunker. In an ideal world, the media would not publicize his comments so much (i.e., you had your chance, you blew it, the American people voted for a change). He talks about how the U.S. was kept safe for eight years-hello, who was in charge when 9/11 happened?

I do think that eventually we will have a public option/single payer health care and that equal rights for gays will also happen (marriage equality, serving in the military, etc.) We've started down those paths and I don't think the American people as a majority want to turn back. Congress needs to get its collective head out of its behind, grow a spine, and listen to its constituency (remember us, the people who pay your salary).

As for Iran, it's too bad people didn't take to the streets like that in this country and demand a new election back in 2000.

Both my husband and I threw out our backs the weekend before last lifting too much heavy luggage at once on our way home from Gettysburg, instead of making two trips to the car. Felt kinda miserable for a couple of days, now (a week later) just about back to normal. It was hard to bend down/get up from a sitting position for a day or two. I really have to be careful about that.

When I spell-checked this post, the spellchecker suggested "obscenely" for "BushCheneyCo." How ironically appropriate.

I can't do it. I just can't help myself. For the last eight years, on whatever blog I've had, I can't refrain from complaining about BushCheneyCo. I'm sorry, but I still haven't gotten it out of my system. Big Harrumph indeed. And it appears that they're just passing the torch (an appropriate metephor) to John McCain.

So McCain is suspending his campaign and wants to postpone Friday's presidential debate so he can rush back to Washington, DC to solve the current financial crisis. In the last eight years the Bush-Cheney administration squandered the budget surplus left them by Bill Clinton and ran up the largest deficit in history, mostly through spending American tax dollars on an illegitimate and illegal war. On their watch they relaxed financial oversight and regulation, which contributed to the sub-prime mortgage fiasco and the meltdown of multiple financial giants. Now they expect Main Street to bail out Wall Street to the tune of $700 billion (from the taxpayer's pocket!) with little or no oversight, and they want Congress to pass their bailout plan in the next week. It took eight years of avarice, prevarication and incompetence for the economy to go down the toilet... it's not going to be fixed in a week. The corrupt corporate whoredom whose egocentric mismanagement and unrestrained greed precipitated this disaster should be held accountable. Why not garnish the CEOs' fat salaries? Why give them a golden parachute when they deserve lifetime solitary confinement? That might be just enough to stimulate the economy and restore the pensions of all those unsuspecting employees who played by the rules and got punished for it. According to McLobbyist.com, John McCain has had at least 177 lobbyists running his campaign and raising money for him. That sounds less like "change" and more like insider politics and "business as usual" to me. I fear that the cost of both this war and this bailout will be passed along to the next seven generations. 

Now John McCain wants to help "fix" the economy after spending the last 20-odd years formulating deregulation policies that contributed to the current economic disaster and voting against legislation that would have benefitted both the economy and the middle class. What's really happening is, he's done a 180-degree-turn because he's running for president. Publicly, he says he wants to postpone the presidential debate so he can fulfill his senatorial responsibility. Privately, I think he's pulling out because he's afraid Barack Obama will kick his butt across 13 cars and seven rooftops.

I used to have more respect for John McCain. No longer. He has conducted a sleazy presidential campaign and has not hesitated to lie to get ahead. His poor choice of an inexperienced Vice Presidential candidate, who would be un-ready and un-unqualified to step into the President's shoes should something happen to McCain, only highlights his lack of judgement. Some have said he is too hot-tempered to have his "finger on the button" (e.g., when he immediately called for the firing of the SEC commissioner). Even conservatives within his own party, such as George Will, are questioning his ability to lead, and wondering if Barack Obama might be more qualified for the highest office in the land. I can understand, however, why McCain has had to french-kiss-and-make-nice with GWB, the "token" head of the Republican party. (Leading a party presumes the ability to lead.) Right now I have more respect for George Will than either of them--whether I agree with him or not, George Will is articulate and thoughtful.

As for Sarah Palin, she is perky and photogenic and probably the perfect Republican "soccer-mom," "moose-chip throwing mom" (or whatever Alaskan kiddie sport is popular nowadays), but being able to see Russia from Alaska and having photo-ops with dignitaries does not give her foreign policy experience. I can see the Marianist fathers' residence from my parking lot, but that doesn't make me a priest. On the other hand, voting for another four years of failure makes anyone an idiot.

P.S. Interesting how Sarah Palin comments that we might be headed for a recession and John McCain thinks that the fundamentals of the economy are sound. Such a fine example of tag team leadership that we can all look up to!