2009-22 GEORGETOWN

Craven interest attaches to all corners of American politics, though sanctimonious liberals would have us believe that such was invented and practiced solely by conservatives. In 2006 Massachusetts liberals, led by Senator Ted Kennedy, in acute peptic distress over the possibility that Republican Governor Mitt Romney would appoint a Republican to fill President (sic) Kerry’s Senate seat after his glorious victory over the reviled Bush, moved to block such a dastardly move by changing the succession rules in place since that state’s inception.

Now in a teaching moment illustrative of “what goes around comes around,” the ailing Senator is pleading for the reversal to be reversed to insure that upon his demise a suitable liberal replacement can be instantly installed to insure critical votes on Health Care “Reform” and other issues.

Similar concern surrounds the health of West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd. A recent C-SPAN televised Budget Committee hearing showed him slumped over, appearing comatose. Recognizing that he controls (if he is in fact in control) his own fate, simple human compassion suggests that the longest serving Senator be allowed to retire in dignity and peace. The state’s democrat Governor will surely appoint a like-minded replacement, resulting in no change in the final Senate vote on critical issues.

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I recently saw a sign that taunted “My cash bought your clunker.” Lost in the euphoria over this cosmically successful program is that it is in truth a wealth distribution mechanism. I think it not a stretch to suggest that most of those who drive clunkers are at the low end of the economic scale and fact certain that those who pay the highest tax rates are at the other end.

Ergo, despite what you may think of the program, and others that are surely destined to come, moving money from one end of the socioeconomic scale to the other is a result in certitude of the wealth re-distribution process. Something the radical left has been promoting for decades. More than one way to skin a rat. (No cats ever have been or will be skinned in this BLOG).

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The Town Hall brouhaha is as interesting as it is loud. When Code Pink disrupts Congressional hearings this is democracy in action. When citizens all over the country display their anger at Town Hall meetings they are bands of unruly thugs orchestrated by Republican cynics.

Yes, there is massive mis-information being bandied about, and deplorable displays ala the Massachusetts woman who showed up at Barney Frank’s Town Hall with a picture of our President made to resemble Hitler (though I do recall a young man with whom I was sparring (verbally) who seemed quite proud of his equation of Bush to Hitler).

I have previously suggested that liberals who dismiss anger over Health “Reform” as orchestrated conservative thuggary are hopelessly out of touch. My take is that many in this country are angry and simply do not trust their elected officials at all points along the political spectrum. Though absent the media coverage of liberal politicians being pilloried at their Town Hall gatherings, conservative Republicans have not escaped citizen outrage.

I believe that Americans are slowly twigging to the reality that multi-thousand page legislation voted on in less than 24 hours (which even accomplished speedreaders could not wade through no less master), and more important, replete with vague language that anoints unelected officials (to wit: the Secretary of HHS) with astounding power to fashion policy and programs of their own liking, transmits truly scary authority to shape the most contentious issue of our time (save abortion) in ways inimical to the will of the electorate.

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Scotland has shown compassion to the murderer of 270 innocent souls aboard Pan Am 103. And of course he was treated as a hero by throngs of Libyans who met his charter plane at Tripoli airport. Did anyone in the world doubt that his reception would be any different? Well, apparently the U. S. State Department.

Peppered with questions as to why our diplomats exerted no significant pressure on our closest ally to deny his release, the official Department spokesman said he believed the return would be “low key.” “Let’s wait and see,” he cautioned. We did and we see. Reminiscent of women and children dancing in Palestinian streets after 911. And radicals would have us believe this is somehow our fault. Showing compassion to savage murderers reaps exactly what one might expect, and casts doubt on the sensibility of bureaucrats who make such calls.

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Hype often seems to drive our news-oriented culture, and while Cable is routinely flogged because of its need to maintain a 24/7 news cycle, the networks, at least here in Denver, seem in a mad scramble to collect viewers at any cost. As hurricane Bill meanders north in the mid-Atlantic, missing Bermuda and apparently a threat only to Port des Basques in the far eastern Canadian Maritimes, promos for network news scream about “the latest killer hurricane heading for New England – details at 5,” or 6, 9, 10, or whenever the talking heads gear up to amuse and amaze us. There may be some fish at risk and the occasional seagoing vessel, but Bill seems of little concern to the rest of the planet. But I guess it is forever true that if it bleeds it leads, and if it kills it thrills.

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Availability on the railroad varies wildly as (a) the season winds down and (b) folks who planned getaways in May realize they better giddiup lest the season expire with aspirations unfulfilled.

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Many Brits have the annoying habit of punctuating virtually every declarative sentence with “Isn’t it?” Sometimes repeated multiple times as they get closer to your face, depending on the degree of passion attached to their statement. Some years ago after interminable suffering, I found an effective antidote. After every “Isn’t it?” I injected a simple “No!” attempting to match the vehemence of the question with my own reply.

Americans now appear to have devised their own version of this annoyance by appending each sentence with ‘Ya know what I’m saying?” “No!” works equally well here, and no matter on which side of the Atlantic you apply this remedy it appears destined to bring the speaker up short, mouth open but no sound emanating therefrom, quizzical look spread upon the visage. Try it yourself.

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M. Nature is acting benign at the moment, but be careful lest you be lulled. After the disastrous Katrina/Rita/Wilma year of 2005 there were dire predictions of a decade of carnage, while in truth 2006 and 07 were as quiet as had been seen in decades. Just when you think it’s safe to venture outside…. The Adventure remains close to the phone.
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