A Shame

It is really a shame that it took the deaths of more than 30 people at Virginia Tech to knock Ana Nicole Smith off of the cable news networks.

I hate to do this, but...

I hate to do this, but I'm going to have to turn on the moderation settings for my blog. Somehow spammers have figured out how to post ads for viagra and other pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products and services on my blog.

:(

Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford always held a special place in my heart. He became president before I came of voting age, but he was really the first president I followed through the media. I remember the summer of Watergate and watching the hearings unfold while at my grandmother's house in Tucson. I remember watching Richard Nixon leave and Gerald Ford taking office. Though he was in office a short time I seem to remember his image as a president quite well.

Gerald Ford is the only president I've seen in person. I saw him, and followed him, during the 1977 Tucson Open Pro-Am tournament which took place shortly after he left office. He was paired with Bob Hope and Tom Watson if I remember correctly. I have the negatives of the photographs I took stashed away somewhere.

Today there is a lot of talk about how he was able to compromise and find middle ground between the conservatives and liberals. Today, such talk, I suppose, would mean political death. Nevertheless, I think we could use another leader like Gerald R. Ford today.

Flip Flop

Here is my first attempt at political satire. I had posted this on another blog site just after the 2004 elections. I stumbled across it tonight. I think it's prophetic.

Election Results

The so-called Gay Marriage Amendment failed in Arizona last night. This legislation purported to amend the state constitution so that same sex marriages could not occur. The Arizona constitution already defines a marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

The real purpose of this ballot item was to take benefits away from common law marriages and other domestic partnerships for local government employees. The Center for Arizona Policy, a mouthpiece for Focus on the Family, admitted that if this legislation passed they would use it to move toward outlawing the same benefits in the private sector. The margin was narrow. I suspect those who voted in support of the measure where 1) hard core religious-right voters fearful of God's wrath had they voted no; and 2) uninformed voters who had not researched the real intent of the initiative. To my knowledge, ten of thousands of voters remain unsmitten today.

The news outlets are making a point that Arizona is the only state where a gay marriage ban has been turned down by popular vote. Arizona is also the only state that supported a Martin Luther King Day with a popular vote.

Today I am proud to be an Arizonan.

Surprise! Not!

Why don't I find these kind of things surprising any more?

Evangelical minister faces allegations of gay relationship

Talk radio host fired for insult

In the case of Ted Haggard it is an indication that the flesh is weak for those who are 'called' just like it is for the rest of us. What I find troubling, if the allegations all turn out to be true, is that this went on for three years. I think it's time for all the hypocrites to come clean, let their demons out of the closet, quit condemning others and move toward the 'real' cause of Christ.

The radio host was rightly fired. I've listened to some of these blabocrates in my community and they make me sick. They go after almost everybody with a differing viewpoint and personally attack them; sometimes using childish mockery. One guy named Bruce Jacobs went so far as to imply that a public official with a speech impediment was retarded.

Sickening...

Dirty Campaign Ad Tactics

I remember listening to radio advertisements for local car dealers when I was younger. There were a few dealers that had one or two announcers who had a schtick they'd go through announcing their latest offers, deals, sales, whatever. I thought we had some pretty talented, creative local personalities who did these ads.

Then, I took my first cross-country road trip.

As I drove through northern Virginia, Knoxville, Memphis and Oklahoma City I heard the same announcers and advertisements I heard back home. The only thing that changed was the name of the dealership. I was disappointed that the talent I thought was homegrown was really just a 'fill in the dealership name here' campaign.

This is the first election year that I have really paid attention to what is being shown and said on both the 24/7 cable networks and the local channels. I guess I was naive to think that the ads for local politicians were homegrown and tailored to local conditions and issues. But, after watching many political ads from around the country that the blabocrats on 24/7 cable networks are discussing I understand better now the 'campaign' involved in some of the local races.

The local campaigns and campaigns from around the country have a 'fill in the republican candidate name here' look and feel.

Two recurring themes that appear in republican against democrat ads are accusations of 'tax fraud' and association with something called the Man/Boy Love Association. The viewer with a discerning eye and ear can probably figure out the 'tax fraud' is not really fraud at all, but a candidate/tax-payer using their right to file extensions with the IRS when filing taxes; something I'm sure a lot of republicans and democrats do. Careful observers can also figure out that some ads are unfairly implying democratic candidates who may have the same position as the ACLU on a civil liberties issue have the defacto endorsement of the Man/Boy Love Association. I suppose this is in response to the Mark Foley mess. Nevertheless, it is a dirty campaign tactic.

I find it interesting and disturbing that the ads for my hometown candidates are almost identical to ads for other candidates around the country. This suggests to me that these republicans are not really interested in the issues. I picture a room full of strategist wannabes poring over voting records, tax documents, news clippings, etc., for any piece of information that will substantiate, in their minds, that they have license to smear.

With two weeks to go before the mid-terms it will only get worse.

Hindsite

I know hindsite is 20/20 and I have been and will be criticized for this, but I am not surprised by 1) David Kuo's new book called Tempting Faith, nor 2) the attack on David by the religious right.

I've had many discussions during the past few years with others who firmly believe the Bush administration could do no wrong. They are convinced he is a man of God - ordained if you will - to lead this country.

My argument has been that those who lead under Bush has been using the perception of godliness to gain the non-discerning Christian vote and that some religious leaders are using this to their advantage. As with any leader, Bush will continue to keep the support of many faithful who cannot be swayed under any circumstances. My prayer is that enough people will read Kuo, John Dean, Jim Wallis and others and realize that pleasing the religious right is damaging to politics and the separation of church and state.