REACT: No Olympic Gold Medal for Chicago

This is one of those situations where I may have to eat my words, but I will take that risk. Here goes.

There is no way ... nada ... that Chicago will be selected to host the 2016 Olympics. The current "effort" is little more than a well understood charade to stoke a bit of civic pride and divert attention from the increasing ominous clouds of scandal that are gathering over City Hall.

Why no Olympics for Chicago?

First and foremost, the city will not, and cannot, afford it. The mayor's budget is developing more shortfalls in revenue against heightened expenditures. This trend will only get worse in the future. Chicago does not have the facilities for the many Olympic venues. New monstrously expensive arenas will be needed -- including a domed stadium.

(Should I be so rude as to remind the geniuses at City Hall that they approved an open-air renovation of Soldiers' Field? Stupidity tends to catch up with people. And not to mention the monstrosity that Chicago’s icon stadium has become.)

After the cost overruns and financial fiasco that beset Millennium Park, the business community is not likely to write blank checks to underwrite the Olympic project. A few shekels in support of the mayor's public relations is one thing. Tens of millions for actually implementing the plan is quite another.

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is not even sure they will nominate Chicago to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). USOC President Peter Ueberroth has already offered a chilly shoulder in his assessment of Chicago’s bid.

Despite the prestige of the Chicago Olympic booster committee, they have produced an amateurish plan lacking in essential details -- such as just how and where they plan to build the venues. Ueberroth said the Chicago plan would need significant alterations and improvements to even come under serious consideration. The plan did nothing to convince the USOC or the IOC that Chicago even comprehends the task, much less has the human resource skill sets to accomplish it.

Another major factor is stability. The international folks are fully aware that Chicago's leadership is corrupt, and that the future of the mayor is in doubt. Unlike cities that experience leadership transitions as a matter of form, dictatorships tend to fall into chaos when the strongman falls. At the peak of his power, Mayor Daley may have had an outside chance to pull it off. Today, however, the mayor is losing his grip on the reigns of power -- and may eventually have them wrested from his fingers by more than public opinion. In any event, it is not likely Daley will be at the helm of city government ten years from now, but he could be “da mare” for a good portion of the critical planning period. The prospect of some significant level of political instability between now and 2016 is more “when” than “if.”

Finally, Chicago is just not good at attracting top-level world events. The gay games and the restaurant shows are one thing, but an Olympic hosting is quite another. To see the future of this project, you need only review the history of Chicago's most recent bid for Worlds Fair.

Undoubtedly, the work of Daley's Olympic booster committee will create news releases and social events for the months ahead. The press will trumpet every turn of events and announcements. But as the Bard of Avon put it, it is "much ado about nothing."

OBSRVATION: Who Will Die for Political Gain?

I have often said that public opposition to the war in Iraq by the ever present anti war claque, and the politicians who would rather govern a weakened America than allow others to govern over a strong America, will undermine our efforts, create international disunity, embolden the murderous terrorists, and … bottom line … kill a lot more American and allied soldiers, and innocent civilians.

This is not a futuristic view. It is happening. The weakened leadership that America and President Bush deal with in the world today is more the result of homegrown disloyalty than any policies coming out of Washington. We will never know who might have lived had the mass murdering terrorists been seen as the enemy instead of our own leaders. But, we can know for sure that there are many.

One can forgive the well intentioned, albeit misguided, activists, who think Cindy Sheehan is a heroine. There is no reason, however, to forgive the likes of Senators Kennedy, Kerry, Durbin, Schumer, et al, who would advance their career ambitions over the bloodied bodies of so many good people.

REACT: She’s Baaaaaaaack!!

Cindy Sheehan is back in the news.

I was thrilled to have her in Europe selling her unique brand of anti-American drivel to the left-over lefties or the Old World. But alas, she has returned to the United States to the every ready publicity of the Fifth Estate.

The fact that polls show little support for her obsessive antics and extreme rhetoric does not tone down the press reports. Even anti-war activists have turned to critics on the basis of her outrageous statements. They fully understand that the more exposure Sheehan gets, the more the public sees her manifest madness. (I have to confess, I now am all in favor of giving her lots of publicity.)

Of course, those who know her best, her family, have abandoned her. Her husband divorced her, and other family members hardly speak to her at all – and when they speak of her, it is not very complimentary.

Once the mourning of her dead son was seen as an act to gain sympathy and publicity, Sheehan’s popularity plummeted. Even now, polls show an overwhelming percentage of the population find her more of an annoyance. While some say she has created the modern anti-war movement, most seem to think she has made it more unpopular.

In her ego driven need for attention and self worth, Sheehan seeks the public spotlight by standing on the gravestone of her heroic and honorable son, who scarified his life for America’s good cause. She is shameless. She is a civic masochist who finds her justification for being in the punishing derision and criticism of the public.

There is only one true hero in the Sheehan family, and it is not Cindy.

REACT: Mayor Daley: What does he know, and when did he know it?

Recently, Mayor Daley was asked if city services are tied to elections, and if people get more services closer to Election Day – as political favors. He replied, “No. None whatsoever.”

You can now add this to the long list of common, well-known practices of the Democrat machine of which Mayor Daley is clueless. Where did this man grow up? Who is he trying to fool? (Oh yeah, the U.S. Attorney.)

As a young Republican precinct captain in the old 36^th ward, I was once successful in bringing in a GOP majority in an election. That winter, I recall watching the city workers shoveling the front porch of the ward committeemen. When a ploy reached our precinct, the blade was lifted and the truck drove past our homes, leaving only its tire tracks in the snow. When I requested that a curb repair for a neighbor, the alderman bluntly told me that the department (Streets and Sanitation) would not be responsive to requests from our precinct until there was a better election result. My neighbors were unable to get free garbage cans offered through the ward committeeman’s office.

We all knew how city work schedules are arranged to provide maximum service, and minimum disruption, near elections. Street paving is done after elections because it tends to tie up traffic and anger motorists. Free trees for the parkway and new curbs take place closer to elections. The boys at Streets and San laugh about this kind of stuff over brewskis in local taverns.

That mayor of ours sure has a way with good old fashion Irish blarney. He should join the boys from Streets and San at the corner pub. Maybe he would learn something of how the city is run.

REACT: The Chicago Alderman have put themselves in a box … in a BIG box.

So eager to punish Wal-Mart for doing nothing more than being a very successful company that proves the superiority and benefits of our free market system, Democrat alderman passed an incredibly ridiculous ordinance that can only cost the city much need jobs, cause the lose of significant tax revenues, terminate further hope of economic and community improvement is some of the neediest neighborhoods, provide bargain prices for every one, and incur a bunch of legal fees to defend its dubious constitutionality. In passing this ordinance, the majority of the council joined the ranks of anti-capitalists and bashers of corporate America who would lead our nation in the direction of excessive government regulation – a concept that has failed all over the world.

Of course, they knew from the experiences of other communities that a war on Wal-Mart alone is unconstitutional. So, the city legislators crafted the ordinance so that a few more retailers, such as Target and Sears would fall under the living wage scheme. Many observers think this will also fall because of the “equal protection” clause of the Constitution.

It is ironic that the first time the otherwise compliant City Council has defied the strongman mayor, it does so with a sudden burst of stupidity.

So determined are the arch-liberals to bring down Wal-Mart that they will defy the Constitution and common sense. No one better personifies this liberal thinking than 46^th Ward Alderman Helen Shiller. She could not bring herself to even vote on the measure because it did not single out Wal-Mart. And, the ordinance could imperil the Target tentatively scheduled for her ward. Target was not her target. Wal-Mart was her target. That annoying United States Constitution prevented her from singling out the world’s successful retailer. So, the Honorable Shiller ducked and ran. Now Target has dropped plans for two future stores in Chicago, and the store in her district she hoped to protect may join the exodus.

Time for our good municipal legislators to think outside the box.

REACT: The Case of the Paranoid Professor

According to newspaper reports, a University of Wisconsin instructor, Kevin Barrett, has come under criticism from Republican legislators for teaching a course on Islam: Religion and Culture which professes that 9/11 was produced by the U.S. government as a pretext to war. That the accused terrorists did not have sufficient skill to fly the plans (despite the cell phone reports of many on-board victims). That the buildings were felled by pre-planted demolitions. Etc. Etc… Etc.

Several things struck me about that story … apart for the overriding absurdity. His neo-Muslim religious affiliation is not enough to explain his sudden allegiance to lunacy.

How does a person so demented get a job as an instructor? Hmmmmm. (Okay, I think I have answered my own question. Having spent a lot of time on college campuses, the out-of-reality ratio is quite high in academia. And of course, campuses incubate a large share of our low self-esteem antiestablishment feelings. This guy, however, is on the linty edge of the liberal fringe.) Amazingly, WU’s Provost Patrick Farrell defends the hiring. He issues the old clichés about academic freedom, and the course will get students thinking. Personally, I am thinking that Provost Barrett is not.

My second observation was the comparison to the teaching of a creation theory. If you cannot offer up a creation alternative, then what concept of academic freedom covers Barrett’s outrageously idiotic theories? Whatever you think of evolution vs. creation, there is a lot more scientific validity to the creation theory than Barrett’s paranoid 9/11 creation.

Finally, I was struck by the opposition of “Republican legislators.” Weeeell … I do know that newspapers like to spin anything that would suggest Republicans to be anti intellectual Neanderthals (and some are). Inadvertently, however, the newspaper appears to have made the unmentioned Democrats look bad. I mean, WHO would not be outraged that a major academic institution getting tons of taxpayer dollars should employ this guy. (We do have to cut a little slack since we are speaking of the University of Wisconsin – which institutionally is a bit off kilter anyway.) Is the inference to be drawn that the donkey party legislators support this guy? I would not even believe that of the most die-hard left-wing Dems. Okay… maybe John Kerry and Al Gore. But certainly not the good Democrats of the heartland.

REACT: PETA and the Dog Days of Summer

A local Chinese government has come under criticism for killing more than 50,000 dogs to curb rabies. In the most extreme cases, dogs were taken from owners on the streets and clubbed to death on the spot. Well ... I am not going to defend the method or even the killing of dogs that could have been inoculated. Of course, the People of Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is up in arms ... or up in paws, as the case may be.

It is more than a little hypocritical for the rabid animal extremists to bare their fangs since a goodly amount of PETA's funding comes form their killing off unwanted pets. Yeah! Your reading it right. One of the main "services" of PETA is to roam the back roads of America in mobile Nazi-style gas chambers and kill off thousands of God's lesser creatures.

Of course, PETA spokeshumans say they dispatch the furry four-legged animals in a "humane" fashion. Humane ... like you would, or should, treat humans. The last time we treated humans like that, we called it a holocaust.

PETA got in a bit of trouble for their good work. Seems like some of their killing teams were dumping the lifeless carcasses in private dumpsters and trash cans. Well, can you hardly blame them? How high can you pile up a bunch of dead dogs on the back of a pick-up truck and still have room for a gas chamber.

Speaking of PETA. They have this promotional campaign where activists go naked in public with the claim that they would rather their bare skin that some animals skin. I first wonder why lunatic fringe liberals always seem to think going naked is an effective means of protest for everything from wars to Oreo cookies. (Personally, I think nakedness and Oreo cookies has some real possibilities ... but my thoughts are definitely of civil disobedience.)

I would also suggest to the hard-core PETA activists, "You look much better in a nice floor-length mink than you do in your wrinkled, sagging human skin. They only prove that au naturale can be au nauseous. Naked animal activist, except for the hopelessly blond movie star types, give me doubts about the perfection of God. Putting a naked Pam Anderson next to a bare-it-all PETA regular is just another version of Beauty and the Beast.

OBSERVATION: China myths and the American press

I recently had an Internet chat with a friend in China. He observed that the American press seems to be so negative of his country. I explained to him that a lot of my conservative friends are left over Cold Warriors. They still think of China as the antithesis of American philosophy – enemies of the American way. These are the people who actually believe that war between Mainland China and Taiwan is likely, when it is hardly even possible.

Then you have the religious right, (mostly Christians) who see China as a heathen land of religious oppression. Now, I will grant that the level of religious freedom and expression is not as great as in the United States, but it is getting better. (I took the photo at left in one of the Catholic Churches in Harbin.) Religious influence in the media assures that China will be a constant subject of criticism. Would I be too cynical to suggest that blasting China is good for the collection plate … almost as good as a new church roof?

Then you have the labor unions. They work up workers into a frenzy of fear that China has, or will soon be, taking all their jobs. Of course, this is untrue, but the propaganda campaigns of American unions would be the envy of any old guard Chinese sentimentalist.

Trade unions are the much of blame for the flow of cheap goods into the U.S. When China and Russia were outside our commercial trade sphere, unions used every tactic in the book to create a U.S. economy.(wages AND cost of goods) well above the global free market level. Once China came on line as a producer nation, our cushy wages and benefits were to our own disadvantage. And remember, those union-driven wage increases were accompanied by higher consumer prices. In purchasing power… no gain. Those who complain about the use of low cost labor in China should go there and buy three bushels of corn or 12 cents, and a custom made suit for $60.

The problem for the U.S. was made worse but the fact that the old Communist system of China suppressed wages and benefits. This kept the controlled economy of the Middle Kingdom in check, but at great pain to the working class. The system that was to benefit them actually oppressed them. This meant that the wage difference between the U.S. and China was artificially wide. Ergo, manufacturing flows to low cost. So great is the disparity that even high transportation costs did not overcome the wage advantage of China. But alas, this will gradually even out.

While unions complain about the loss of jobs, they do not take into consideration Chinese-influenced or financed job creation in the U.S.. In addition, the American consumer is reaping in the benefits in terms of lower retail costs. That is a benefit to a lot more Americans than the real number of those unemployed by job shifts to China.

We also have to remember that China is now a much better partner in international relations. From the war on terrorism to the handling of North Korea, U.S. foreign policy benefits from Sino cooperation.

So, for all the troublesome issues between China and the United States, and there are significant ones, it is much better having them export retail goods than anti-American sentiment. Perhaps you need to be old enough to personally recall the Cold War to appreciate just how much better things are today.

OUTRAGE POST SCRIPT: Judging Cancer

I recently wrote of my outrage at a judge who ruled that a 16-year-old cancer victim had to take harsh standard medical treatment against his will, and gave partial custody of the boy to the state. He also threatened the parents, who supported their sons decision (after a miserable round of unsuccessful standard medical treatments) with child abuse charges . Weeeeell ... I am happy to report that a Circuit Court judge reversed all the decisons, restored full custody and set a time for a full trial of the case. Now for those who ae quick to say, "See, the judicial system works." Not so fast. Look what the flawed system has already done to these people, the human misery and the costs. NO! That is not a system that works. That's like telling the guy who spent half his life in prison only to be freed on new DNA evidence that the system works. Bah humbug!

OBSERVATION: Another "View:

Just read the reports about The View's newest panelist Mo'nque showing her hairy legs. Au natural may be ok for female calves, but she admits to shaving her underarms because it is "a different kind of hair" and it stinks. That is the kind of information that is useful every day.

I read a lot in the news about this show, but am I crazy, or what? (No answer needed). Has Barbara (Waa Waa) Walters descended to overseeing a show only slightly less vulgar ... and equally irrelevant ... than Jerry Springer.

Am I too assume that Star Jones lost her minority seat with a "view" because she lost weight? She was literally a star panelist before she shed umpteen pounds. Now she is replaced by Mo'nque, a very chunky black female with the hairy gams (but barren pits). Or maybe Star refused to allow her legs to take on the appearance of a New York nightclub bouncer.

One can only hope that The View quickly slips from ... .

OP ED: Dems Defy the Public

It is said that those the gods would destroy, they first make crazy. That leads me to believe that the gods are about to destroy Chicgo’s Democrat political machine.

In assuming that the Cook County Board presidency is a private political possession, albeit on permanent loan to the black community, the Democrat machine leaders have displayed more arrogance than common sense. In giving the back of the hand to such Democrats as Forrest Claypool, Mike Quigley and others, I suspect they have driven a lot of white ethnics into the GOP camp for this election season. In giving the back of the other hand to such peoples as Danny Davis and Jesse Jackson, Jr., they even may risk losing a chunk of the reliable black vote.

To make matters worse, the machine boys selected Commissioner Bobbie Steele to complete the term of John Stroger. A major blunder. Not because she is so BAD, but because she is so GOOD. For the rest of the campaign, the public will see Todd Stroger, the unqualified, inept candidate of the back-room-boys, running for a job being performed with professionalism and elegance by the truly qualified Bobbie Steele. The comparison can do young Stroger no good.

The only thing that can prevent a voter backlash from ending Democrat control of the county board is the ability of the local Republicans to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They are the Chicago Cubs of politics. It does appear that the Democrat slating committee is counting heavily on GOP ineptness to trump their own arrogance.

OP ED: Daley in Deep Doo Doo?

However the November and next year’s municipal elections go, it appears the old Chicago “machine” is starting to rust and the master mechanic, Mayor Rich Daley, my be having career problems.

Any of the recent scandals would have brought down the “man in charge.” In Chicago, however, there is an unworthy resiliency for old guard Chicago Democrats led by Hizzoner. The latest report on police torture again brings further evidence that Mayor Daley arguably leads the most corrupt and racist major city in America. Yet, the sycophants are quick to absolve Daley – again and again.

Of course if you believe the Mayor, he knew none of it. Not about political work for cushy jobs. Not about the donations for contracts. Not about the mobbed up backgrounds of his close pals. Not about airport contracts for his wife’s luncheon ladies. Not about the insider casino deals. Not about his brothers’ clout activities. Not about the pay-for-no-work jobs program. Not about police brutality against minorities. Not about prosecutorial abuse, even as state’s attorney. Not about the courts fixing everything from parking tickets to murder cases. Not about the unseemly handling of the Stroger situation, including the anointment of Stroger the Lesser as the party standard bearer. He knew none of it. So sayeth the mayor and his minions.

Born in Chicago, and being involved in its social and civic life, I can say with assurance that virtually EVERYONE knew of these things. We knew how the system worked. Police abuse against minorities and prosecutorial persecution was common knowledge – winked at by public officials from the precinct captain to the mayor. The democratic machine is much like the Democrat leaders of the old south – operated ruthlessly by a click of white pols for their own benefit. Sure, some blacks got rich playing “window dressing,” just as long as they did not get too uppity about the suppression of the black community in general.

It is to the credit of the people of Chicago that a recent poll indicated that more than 70 percent of the citizens (friends and foes alike) simply do not believe the Mayor. And that was taken before the latest round of professed mayoral ignorances. Is there anyone left who DOES believe the mayor?

REACT: Three Cheers for Israel

Judging from the evening news spin and the morning talk show hosts, the Israeli government is an aggressor in attacking Hezbollah, the nation of Lebanon is being invaded and destroyed, scores of civilians are being needlessly killed, and President Bush refuses to call for a cease fire because he is secretly in cahoots with Israel. That is the media take.

Fortunately, the American public is not stupid … and least not to the point the national newsmakers would like. Even from afar, we grassroots citizens know enough to be spin-proof.

I am very sure Israel consulted with its allies, especially the U.S., before embarking on its military assault on Hezbollah. I suspect we have a clear green signal. The attack on Hezbollah is long overdue. It is a good thing. We do not want a cease fire, giving the internationally recognized terrorist group a chance to regroup and rearm. Our position is to destroy their capability to reign terror on the world.

This is a far cry from an invasion of Lebanon. The Lebanese government, itself, is at war with Hezbollah. They blame Hezbollah for this recent outbreak of warfare. They see Hezbollah as agents of Iran and Syria. The Lebanese military are ready to move in to area cleared by Israel in order to establish control of the Hezbollah region. Having just kicked out the Syrian overlords, the Lebanese government has every desire to see the insurrectionists of Hezbollah wiped out.

The deaths in warfare are always a human tragedy – civilian deaths even more so. In modern military engagements, the civilized world makes every effort to limit the injury and death of civilians. It is not always possible. On the other hand, terrorists groups, such as Hezbollah, actually target innocent civilians, slitting their throats and beheading them.

We also need to keep in mind that the fight against terrorism is not a military engagement. Terrorists ARE civilians. They are combatants masquerading as civilians. Rather than set up their operations away from civilian populations, they purposely place installations nears homes, hospitals and schools to both discourage attack and to make public relations hay out of any attack.

Unlike a civilized military, the terrorist ARE civilian women and even children. Children are taught to hate and kill from early on. Many suicide bombers are poor women and young teenagers.

While we cannot determine the culpability of any single victim, we know that not all the civilian casualties were innocents. Many were active supporters – the ones seen celebrating in the streets as the New York Trade Center collapsed or praising the deadly work of suicide bombers. They are the ones teaching their children to be the next generation of terrorists. Those who serve as a shield shall also die by the sword.

The attack on Hezbollah should not end until we are satisfied that they are destroyed – rendered incapable to serve as Iran’s and Syria’s surrogates of terrorism. To destroy Hezbollah is to partially disarm Iran and Syria.

We have a chance to show the world that terrorists cannot incubate where ever they please. They cannot lay claim to the lands of legitimate governments. They cannot engage in terrorism without paying the highest costs.

A cease-fire is not the answer. Unconditional surrender is the only acceptable outcome. We should not only NOT pressure Israel for a cease-fire, but also should support their military effort without hesitation. The only acceptable “cease fire” is when there is not a single terrorist left to pull the trigger.

LATEST OUTRAGES

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OBSERVATION: No Reason For Treason

There are a number of websites that invite readers to invent new needed words. It is so much fun that my wife submitted her own … for collectors … it is “acrapulate.” (If you want to know more about it, check out the website, www.acrapulate.com). However, I am unable to find a procedure to delete unused words. (I mean, have you seen the size of the hernia-producing unabridged dictionary?)

And the first word I propose we delete from the American lexicon is “treason.”

It is clearly an anachronistic word with little or no meaning in modern society. Government officials give up military secrets. Newspapers publish sensitive data. Names of our undercover agents are put on the Internet. Soldiers propagandize against the war on terrorism. Despite it all, the word “treason” is hardly ever mentioned – and when it is those who raise its scepter are trashed in the public media.

Many of the disclosures sure look like the law book definitions of treason. However, no betrayal of oath or action against the interests of the United States is now brought before the tribunals of justice.

Perhaps it was the Pentagon Papers disclosure of the Vietnam War era that placed treason under the protection of the First Amendment. Maybe we do have the right to scream fire in a crowded theater.

REACT: Stroger: No Stroke of Genius

While both the concerned and the critics eagerly await some sign that Cook County Board President John Stroger will soon life a finger on his own behalf, the people's business is grinding to a halt. Stroger wannabes, including son Todd, are performing a political ballet as they attempt to jockey for position while pretending not to be -- and providing minimal details while pretending to be keeping the public informed.

Recently, the Board of Commissioners passed on the opportunity to force the hand of the Stroger inner circle but rejecting a resolution that would force the fallen prince of Cook County to either silently relinquish his throne, or prevent forced abdication by rising in his own defense. In his current condition, however, Stroger is incapable of rising in his own defense. While his name remains on the door, the public has now way of knowing whether there is a function and competent executive operating behind the medical curtain, or whether unelected henchmen have usurped the power of the prince to manipulate events to their short term and long term benefits for as long as possible.

The Commissioners made the right political decision for themselves in rejecting the effort to bring clarity and conclusion to the Stroger melodrama. It just was a very bad decision for the public for whom they ostensibly serve.

He's baaaaaack!

Whew!!! That was a long time between blog thoughts. Seems a trip to China, moving home and office, and an unbelievable load of work took me off blog duty for several weeks. This is no way to treat my readers … so a sincere apology to both of you.

OBSERVATION: What a country America is.

You have to admit that this is one great country. Sure, we are having a spat of bad publicity at the hands of foreigners who are hatefully jealous, competitor nations eager to gain global market share and a bunch of local liberal whiners. However, the carping of critics, left and right, cannot negate the implication of hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens within our national embrace demonstrating their desire to become part of America.

Many of my conservative colleagues are offended by televisions images of foreign nationals protesting efforts to deport them. I was not offended. In fact, I found the coast-to-coast demonstrations a reaffirmation of the meaning of America. The demonstrators not only represented themselves, but the millions of people from all over the world who want to be in America … work in America … and become American citizens.

You tell me what country on earth has millions of foreigners risking life and limb to gain entry every year. Cubans drowning at sea and Mexicans suffocating in sealed trucks? Where else on earth have you witnessed so many non-citizens assembled to protest against a government only prospectively their own. In what other country would they have been allowed to exercise their right to assemble and speak freely? “Right?,” you may ask. How can they have a right if they are not citizens – worse yet, here illegally?

It is very simple. The United States Constitution does not grant our citizens the right of free speech or the right to peacefully assembly. It is an inalienable right, some believe granted by God, that is only recognized and protected by the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence makes that very point. The rights are inherent to the person … each and every person. You and me. AND the illegal alien on the streets of Los Angeles. The rights they exercise are not the possession of government to be granted or withdrawn by legislation, adjudication or edict. Government has no right to suspend or limit our inalienable rights.

However those demonstrators arrived in America, they brought with them their basic human rights – and they brought them to one of the few places on earth were they could exercise them freely and openly. That is the attraction of America.

Of course, there is no inherent right of citizenship. Our government has the rightful power to bestow or strip citizenship. That is a whole ‘nother issue. More about that later. For now I prefer to ponder the uncomplicated truth of human rights.

REACT: The passing of a great American: Cap Weinberger

He has been described as "the best Cabinet member ever." While there is no way to prove such a subjective observation, an honest history will most certainly determine that Casper Weinberger was certainly in the first rank of not only Cabinet members, but also of patriots, in the very best sense of the word, and of human beings.

He was a combination of enormous intellect and compassion. He was determinedly persuasive and yet gently tolerant. He negotiated with the power of the rightness and justice of his causes. He had the ability of being comfortable among the powerful, and of making the less exalted comfortable in his presence.

Among his many great services to America, nothing could be more notable than his alliance with President Ronald Reagan in strategizing and implementing the downfall of the old Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. This was not something that just happened on their watch. It was with intent and foresight that these two men hatched the remarkable plan to bring down half the Communist world. (The Asian half of the Communist world was brought down less dramatically, but no less effectively, by an infectious dose of free market capitalism first administered by President Richard Nixon. Cap played his role in that, too.)

Without his role in ending the Cold War, Weinberger's accomplishments would have been extraordinary. In world affairs he was the Michael Jordan, the Tiger Woods -- a person of singular accomplishments so unique that words cannot adequately describe them.

His books should be re-read, not for their delineation of accomplishment, but for the humble tone and simple language that so well reflected his human side.

It was my great honor to have known him even a little bit. I am thankful for the times we spent together when he visited Chicago. The last time I saw Cap, his slightly hunched and noticeably fragile body was negated by the steadiness in his baritone voice, the clarity of his recollections and the infallibility of his wisdom.

In today's cynical world, Cap Weinberger will not be given the eulogy he so well deserves. Ironically, he would not have sought such post mortem praise, anyway. So, to Cap Weinberger, I say thank you for changing the course of history and for taking time out to spend some of your precious hours with me and my family.

REACT: Machine vs. Machine

The election is over and the ancient Chicago political machine, tuned up by Mayor Daley, is still purring along. The most contested race pitted old-time machine candidate John Stroger against the young whipper-snapper machine candidate Forrest Claypool. Last minute sympathy, the possibility of committeemen hand picking the next county board president and low turnout seem to have combined to deny Claypool the victory.

Of course, on the eve of the election, Stroger supporters and hangers-on made it sound like the incumbent would be bounding out of bed at any moment. That is not only not the case, but Stroger is not likely to be seen sitting in the presidents chair for some time – maybe never again. If he is as seriously ill as rumor has it, a resignation could come sooner than later.

There has been understandable whispered speculation regarding a successor. However, that eventuality can be affected by the person who will serve as interim president. With or without Stroger at the helm, there WILL be a person making all those contract and patronage decisions. Who will that be? If scandal does not zap his shillelagh, it could be the Daley Dynasty sibling, Commissioner John Daley, the board’s current finance guy. In that case, the absent Stroger may be kept in office regardless of his condition for as long as the public will allow. Or maybe the narrowly defeated Claypool is elevated by the mayor – sort of like the runner up getting the Miss America title if the winner cannot serve. Either way, the machine prevails.

In all the other races, the machine carried the day – without the faux drama that ultimately meant so little. Difference is not reform, and only “difference” was on the Democrat ballot.

Even as the dark clouds of scandal may be gathering over City Hall, the recent election results must have put a wry smile on the face of Mayor Daley, the Mechanic-in-Chief.

REACT: Stroger stroke creates inevitability

The election eve stroke suffered by Cook County Board President John Stroger may turn out to be a stroke of good luck for Forrest Claypool and Mayor Richard Daley.

Why Daley? After all, isn’t he backing Stroger over his former Chief of Staff? The answer is “yes” … and “no.” Officially, Daley has endorsed his long time African American ally. He had little choice in that. Switching to his close colleague, Claypool, would have set off a “blacklash” that the mayor can ill afford given his increasing scandal-caused vulnerability.

Let there be no mistake. Claypool would not have entered the race without a behind-the-scenes understanding. The optimum situation for Daley is a Stroger defeat without blame. That has been the strategy from day one.

The fact that a number of Daley loyalists have joined the Claypool “insurgency,” including Rahm Emanuel, indicates the tepidity of the mayor’s formal endorsement. The fact that Daley’s favorite campaign consultant, David Axelrod, is managing the Claypool campaign is more than a hint of the mayor's real sentiment. Daley “captains” in the precincts have not been ordered to push to the limit for Stroger. Expect Daley’s white precincts and wards to “defy” the mayor and cast a ballot for Claypool.

The understanding is that IF Stroger entered the final stretch with a insurmountable lead, Daley would stand tall for the incumbent, and take credit for the victory. On the other hand, IF Stroger is looking vulnerable – say less than a ten point lead – the mayor will pay lip service loyalty to Stroger while releasing the trap door under the county board president’s seat. As the race shaped up, Stroger was looking weak, and the trap door creaking.

This idea of supporting, and then undermining at the last minute (if the climate is right), is not a new trick. Candidates on both sides of the aisle have experienced it -- usually resulting in concession speeches.

The mayor talked the talk for Dan Rostenkowski, but his “machine” precinct captains did not walk the walk in Rosty’s district. (They were too busy scuttling the campaing of Glenn Poshard over Daely bud George Ryan). In Rosty’s case, it was not Daley’s opposition to re-election, but a realization that The Chairman was beyond salvation. Though they knew “the numbers” well, the Democrat mouthpieces kept spewing out optimistic predictions to the very end. The compliant Chicago Tribune kindly refrained from publishing earlier polling results that would have foretold the Rostenkowski defeat.

For a GOP example, we only need to recall a visibly shaken and shocked States Attorney Jack O’Malley conceding his election. Three months before, a top Daley “machinist” told me they intended to “take out” O’Malley despite the mayor’s private assurances that they were giving the gullible Republican a pass. I had two meetings with O’Malley’s top campaign aide where I passed along the less than secret information. He scoffed at my report. O’Malley campaigned so confident of victory that he actually slowed down is spending based on bogus polling numbers printed in the Chicago Tribune – a poll my machinist friend claimed they planted “to put O’Malley to sleep.”

The Stroger lead in the recent Tribune poll is no more predictive of the outcome than that old 18 point lead O’Malley trusted. The Stroger stroke will only give the newspaper a more credible explanation for the last minute shift in voter preference.

Now, with Stroger too infirmed to campaign, and likely to debilitated to serve in office, more of the mayor’s clout can surreptitiously tilt the election to Claypool – an election I personally believe he was poised to win anyway – only now it will not be such and upset.

REACT: Fox Death Both Tragic and Ironic

It is right for every American to mourn the death of Tom Fox, the man kidnapped and executed by Muslim terrorists. It is wrong for those who cannot know his heart to disparage his motives, sincerity and faith. I am willing to believe he was a well meaning good man. It is appropriate, however, to point out the tragic irony of his death and the fundamental wrongness of his cause. The news reports say much about the captors. Fox was “executed,” “shot in the head,” and there were “signs of torture.” He was “dumped on a roadside” to amplify the horror – for the world to see the contempt of the executioners.

Fox is dead and his fellow captives remain imperiled because they joined in unholy communion with terrorist elements who have declared “holy” war on the world’s “infidels”, with the United States as the most publicized enemy. The Christian Peacemaker Teams has parroted the terrorist language to cast America as the international villain. Perhaps they expected some protection from the terrorists for they willingness to promote anti-American propaganda. In this, they were terribly and tragically misguided.

In a previous blog, I hoped and prayed for their safe return – reformed of their misaligned views, to be sure. After serving the terrorist cause, they found themselves brutally kidnapped and mistreated by the very people with whom the declared common cause. Rather than receiving the hospitality of their “friends,” they were treated like no less an infidel than our soldiers in Baghdad.

The death of Fox at the hands of his Iraqi captors makes three very important statements. First: The Christian Peacemaker Teams is wrong. For whatever their beliefs, they are on the side of evil in opposition to good. Dupes, at best.

Also, it should be clear to the world that the infractions of jailer/prisoner etiquette that had produced such international outrage against the United States pales in comparison to the atrocities against captives committed by the murderous enemies we face in Iraq and around the world. Naked pics and cartoons should not horrify the world as much as the ubiquitous torture and curbside executions that are carried out on a daily basis by the international terrorist network.

Finally, we should understand that the righteous are not always right. Belief and zeal do not automatically confer morality and justification. In fact, it is misguided belief and maniacal zeal that are at the very root of what can be oxymoronically referred to as “religious terrorism.”

It is most ironic that the kidnapping, torture and now death has come from a common cause between “terrorists” and “peacemakers.” Both the terrorist and the Christian Peacemaker Teams have produced this tragedy by their respective zealous belief in their own mistaken and unworthy causes.

REACT: Organs for Sale

This is not about the kind you play on (and don’t go THERE, either). We are talking human internal organs of the type we take from the unfortunate deceased and install in needy human beings. Not much different than when we go to the auto salvage yard for a whachamacallit from a totaled car to replace the defective whachamacallit in our own car. The “vehicle” is quite different but the concept is the same.

Recently, there was yet another story of how eBay rejects individuals who want to sell their body parts online. Of course, the idea of a market in human body parts is shocking ... awful … horrifying … repugnant … and otherwise distasteful to our human sensibilities. It is also illegal. We are not about to let such practice compromise the sanctity of our human bodies, and violate some ancient medical oath.

Then again, why not? I once shared the knee jerk disgust at the idea. Then my logical brain kicked in. What’s the big wuss??

Taking a “spare” human organ from a healthy person is not something new. In fact, we often read heart rendering (no pun intended) stories about people who have donated a kidney or liver to a loved one heading to Gods’ embrace without the healthy organ. We call those donors heroes. But let a person offer that same non-critical part of their own body for much needed money, and we go nuts.

A kidney is a lot more “my” body than a fetus, since there are three claims to life for a fetus – mom, dad and self. Clearly, the Kidney is mine. I own it. No controversy on that point. So, if I want to sell it, why should society care? Donate or sell, the organ is still a gift of life. We are told over and over of the many who die waiting for a new organ.

I am not sure of the moral soundness of a society that promotes the destruction of a human fetal life at the willy nilly will of a woman, and finds the sale of an extraneous body part to save a life so darn horrific.

If a doctor's oath to “do no harm” was a real consideration, the donated organs would be no less a problem.

For eons, we have allowed people to sell their blood, even for enough money to produce a good drunken binge. We beg them to come into the local blood dealer out of the highest of humanitarian modtives. But suggest selling a kidney and we lose the rational line of thought.

Some argue that the wealthy would be able to buy up the organs, and the poor would be left to those that come on the market by conventional means – tragic death. In actuality, the poor would benefit by getting all the wealthy folks out of line ahead of them. Those with less income are more likely to get the organ they need. And keep in mind, those now getting them are above average in income. Like in all things, we just have to get over the fact that the wealthy enjoy the benefits of wealth – and communist-like notions of redistribution are doomed to failure.

Further more, that sale of organs would produce a much larger number. More lives saved – rich and poor. Apart from the humanitarian good, such practice would reduce the cost of organs (that old free-market supply and demand stuff).

It would also reduce the incentive for the black market in organs. “Stealing” organs from healthy people, and occasionally killing them in the process, is much more common that we would like to admit. Organ commerce has a seedy underside not unlike the days of prohibition. Just witness the scandal over purloined body parts in New England. Granted, a lot of those parts are not available from the living, but a lot are.

Outside of some primitive emotional taboo-like irrationality, what is so wrong with letting people sell an organ or two in a non-life threatening manner. I am not proposing direct sales over the counter. The system of organ transfer would have to be within the rules and regulations. Certainly, we would have to establish some legal guidelines, but that is a no brainer for legislators. They have done far worse with little effort and minimal guilt.

If you had a young child … a spouse … a mother … dying for lack of an organ, would you find it repugnant to put out some cash to save them?

DUH! Milosevic avoids death penality

I had to create a new category. Some news just has a person wondering where sanity has gone for vacation. This first item will show the need for "DUH!"

AOL announced the death of the "Beast of the Balkins," Slobodan Milosevic, who has been on trial in the Hague for crimes against humanity. That is a euphmisim for a mass-murdering blood-thirsty miscreant. The AOL headline read; "Milosevic death ends trial." DUH! (See how that works?) Anyway, I guess there is no value in speniding millions of dollars to convict a person beyond the reach of the death penality. Maybe they would havehad to give him credit for "time served" -- in the grave. Of course he was accused of "grave" offenses. Okay ... slap my hand and make me stop making up puns over the death of another human being. I shall just stop here with a big happy grin on my face -- wishing that we could find such a swift and happy solution to the Saddam Hussein circus.

OP ED: Dan Webb, a Desperate Man

Former Governor George Ryan’s freebie lawyer, Dan Webb, is one smart attorney. He is smart enough to be desperate. The use of character witnesses, such as the doorman and out of state individuals who hardly know Ryan, is desperation. Sending the ex guv’s wife on a round of television appearances to promote the “angel of death row” defense in the public press is an extremely desperate ploy. Using the accused to “accidentally” leak to the press with sealed information about a problem juror … that is desperation.

The proverbial bloody sweat was on Webb’s brow when he used his closing argument to … encourage … beg … plead … grovel … for any juror, or two, to not change their minds in deliberation. His eyes roamed for any juror who would hold out against all evidence and closed-door arguments … who would hang the jury instead of his client.

This is not a man who expects an acquittal. This is a man who now sees no decision as his best hope. A new trial or an appeal is foremost in Webb’s mind. It is dangerous to predict the outcome of jury deliberations, but as the betting man he is, I am sure Webb would not wager his last farthing on an acquittal.

His plea for a holdout is more desperate than honest. Webb well knows that without jurors changing their minds, through deliberation, a fresh look at the evidence or fatigue, at least half the trials in the nation would end in hung juries. The entire idea of jury deliberation is to take divergent viewpoints and reach consensus – a consensus that requires any number of jurors to change their minds.

OBSERVATION: Jesse tops black popularity poll -- but it is not good news.

In a recent poll, African Americans were asked to name their most respected leaders.

It comes as no surprise that the ubiquitous Jesse Jackson topped the poll. It was very surprising, however, that he only garnered 15 percent of the vote – this despite his perma presence in press. Instead of Jackson as the anticipated dominant leader, votes were scattered more evenly over a larger group. It appears that the black community is less enamored with The Reverend than is the news industry.

Equally surprising was the number two and three spots. Of the top three leaders, as selected by the black community, two are Republicans, Condi Rice and Colin Powell. This suggests some loosening of the Democrat grip on the black populace.

Of course, the press cannot quite grasp the significance of information not aligned to its bias. There was no mention of the significance of the two GOP stars near the Jackson level. Ponder this for a moment. Rice and Powell breathing down the neck of Jackson as the most respected leaders in the black community. Hell….given the margin of error, Rice could actually be MORE respected among blacks than Jackson -- and she's not a minister of the cloth.

In some ways, this is not so surprising. Jackson has never been the beneficiary of universal black adulation. In a way, he is like China’s Mao Tse-Tung. There is a lot of official respect, -- picture on the Great Wall and all -- but behind the scenes, he is not a very popular guy. The killing millions of his own people does not rest easy on the Sino soul.

Regarding Jackson, he has never been particularly popular among the Chicago black community. Those who know him best, or were there to witness his sometimes sleazy rise to prominence, prefer to ignore him. Conversely, Jackson involves himself in surprisingly few hometown causes. His Chicago activities generally center around long harangues at convocations behind the fortress-like wall of his Rainbow Coalition headquarters – and opportunistic speak-and-run press conferences with at least two cameras.

Then there is the Martin Luther King family. Attempting to steal the national limelight while Reverend King’s body was hardly cold has been the publicly forgotten, but privately unforgiven, event that severed the cordiality and cooperation between the Jacksons and the Kings. The fact the he was denied the stage (ooops… I mean microphone) at the Coreta Scott King funeral is a pretty good indication of the family’s contempt for Jackson. This was not an oversight.

REACT: Polling puts Mayor Daley in big trouble … despite Chicago Tribune spin.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says he is pleased with a recent poll that shows he has a 56 percent approval rating. So sayeth a BIG banner headline atop the Chicago Tribune. It also said that 70 percent of the people do not, for one moment, believe Daley when he says that he was clueless of the criminal activities that have taken down scores of bureaucrats, including the top people in his administration.

The Trib front page article is riddled with opinions and supposition, putting a significant “spin” on the story. Their “spin” is that the public thinks Daley IS a crook (although The Trib did not say so in so many words, but to believe he knew of the misdeeds is to believe he is culpable in the illegal activities. Prima fascia, as the lawyers say) BUT the public does not care. They conclude that the Mayor’s accomplishments outweigh his transgressions.

This is the old thinking, when the City Hall transgressions were a few loafing Streets and Sanitation workers, the public demurred. The Trib polling numbers, however, suggest a public getting weary of financially supporting multi million dollar rib offs, and the pervasiveness of the theft of taxpayer money.

Anyone in politics knows that an incumbent with barely more than a 50 percent approval rating is potentially in trouble. It would only take 3 percent of the public to switch from favorable to unfavorable to sink Daley’s rating into the dangerous lower half.

The Trib’s poll analysis does not take into consideration the firmness of the 56 percent approval rating. The fact that it is perilously close to the 50 percent fulcrum, and that 70 percent belief that the Mayor is a liar would suggest a likely weakness in the approval rating.

Despite the Trib’s historic practice of spinning polling data in City Hall’s favor, there are facts that cannot be denied. In this case, the big story is the weakness of Hizzoner. Buried near the end of the article is the biggest news of all. According to the poll, if the election were today, the Mayor would be in a dead heat with none other than Jesse Jackson, Jr. The poll gave Daley only 41 percent of the vote against 38 percent for Jackson, with 21 percent undecided. THAT is phenomenally bad news for the incumbent, and it shows why “approval ratings have to be put into context. They do not indicate how people will vote. In a three-way race, adding Congressman Louis Guttierrez, the Mayor would be forced into a runoff. Again, the all powerful Oz-like Mayor appears very weak, indeed.

The Mayor is not up for election until 2007. In the meantime, it is more than likely that additional scandals will rock the administration. There will be trials of some of his closest aides. There will be additional indictments among his inner circle – maybe even his family. The Mayor, himself, may become a “target’ of the investigation, a “person of interest,” “official #1,” or even an indicted official. No one is making any public predictions. But, no one is privately discounting any possibility.

OP ED: Ryan's character defense proves he is the bad guy we all have known

Everyone agrees that defense attorney Dan Webb is among the best of the best – a really smart guy. There is only one conclusion to draw from his strategy in the trial of former Illinois Governor George Ryan. He is desperate.

Lawyers like to win on the merits of a case. If that is not possible, they try to win on technicalities of the law. If that is not possible, they try to win on emotional appeal. And if THAT does not work, they try to win on at all cost – the equivalent of kicking the television after all rationale repairs and adjustments have failed. Webb knows when he cannot win on the merits … the technicalities… the emotions of the jury … because he is a smart guy.

During the prosecution phase, Webb employed an extremely aggressive and high-risk strategy to try to break down witness. He engaged in a number of squabbles with the prosecutors. His cross examinations seemed more emotional than thoughtful and logical.

His first defense witness was offered up to show how it was that Ryan could walk around with wads of cash he never withdrew from his bank account. The defense argument was that a portion of the money came from “gifts” Ryan received from his minions, including the janitor (who got the gift money form the Ryan campaign fund). While a sleazy practice, Webb argued it was all very legal. To mount his defense, Webb had to admit Ryan was a greedy scumbag in order to counter the prosecution’s contention that he was a CROOKED greedy scumbag. Of course, having all but stipulated that Ryan is a greedy scumbag, a jury might find it easier to believe he is crooked as well. That’s the risk.

To counter Ryan’s image problem, Webb is now resorting to a tried and usually failed tactic. Character witnesses. After months of punishing testimony on Ryan’s lack of character, the defense hopes that a few people outside the issues of the case can polish the tarnished image.

The problem is, none of the character witnesses have an ounce of knowledge of Ryan’s character outside of very limited and narrow settings. His church pastor. This is like those priests who used to bless mobsters for coming to church regularly and being generous when the collection plate was passed.

Next cometh the doorman at his Chicago apartment. Yeah. The doorman, whose only knowledge of Ryan was an occasional nod and the passing of a folded bill instead of a handshake. Then there is that actor from the old M.A.S.H. series and author of “Dead Man Walking,” who only have had a limited association with Ryan over the death penalty issue.

(At the time of the pardons, it was speculated Ryan only granted them to establish an image for the upcoming trial. The defense use of character witnesses suggests validity to that supposition. Adding to the cynicism is the fact that Ryan was NEVER seen as a humanitarian – more of a ruthless autocrat.)

It appears form the character witness list that Ryan does not have anyone how knows him really well who will stand up for his character. Either his closest friends do not think much of his character, or they are in, or on their way, to prison.

Webb’s character witness strategy is a “Hail Mary pass.” You cannot fault Webb. Of course, it is a weak defense. Of course, it is risky. But when the merits of the case are stacked against you … nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Webb is a smart lawyer. So, I suspect he and his high-priced defense team (giving millions of dollars of free legal services to Ryan, however) is spending more nights on an appeal strategy than the ebbing proceedings in the district court. If Ryan takes the stand, you can rest assured that Webb sees a conviction on the horizon -- because Webb is a smart guy.

REACT: The Saddam Insane … ooops … Hussein Circus

Okay … the Saddam “Insane” bit i a bit hooky, but I could not resist. I guess you can be a mysginist, misologist, misoneist, miso-whatever and still be technically sane.

In fact, watching the trial of the bad cad from Bagdad, you start to appreciate the sanity in the middle – you know the one that covers the heart of a phychopathic killer, but is clever and rational enough to perfectly play out the mad defendant.

As each day bring another example of Hussein’s trial-disrupting, message-sending outbursts, you have to question who is in control – and who is sane.

In an apparent attempt to show the world the new order(ly) judicial process in Iraq, the Iraqi leaders, under the guidance of the United States overseers, have made a terrific blunder. The highly publicized and televised trial is just what the middle east did not need. Forgive the Iraqis, but did the American advisors never hear of O. J. Simpson. They have made Hussein a catalyst for the terrorists and the recently disenfranchised followers of the Hussein’s Baath party. His whining about food, mistreatment and potty breaks are getting more sympathy than the victims of his Nazi like brutality.

At the time of his capture, I did not expect Hussein to make it to the jail alive. Well … maybe to the jail, where he would be severely “debriefed” and then fall victim of a jail house accident or an "official" suicide from a dozen shots to the head. But, nooooo. He survives all that only to be given the his biggest audience ever. Each day he is allowed to show his defiance and call his troops into terrorist action. He makes one political speech after another. The only difference between now and when he was in power is that he now gets more media attention when he speaks. Hussein is looking more like the head-of-state than the accused-of-state.

Of course, the many witnesses who attest to Hussein’s murderous ways get almost no attention in the press. He comes across more as the victim than the villain – especially among the Arabs and Muslims, who are quick to accept any accusation against the United States.

And what is the end game here? After a long and fair trail, the general anticipation is that Hussein will be executed. The way this is going, the dispatching Hussein to his 100 virgins will only create another event to stir the pot of lethal discontent. For growing numbers, his execution will not be the just consequence for an evil man, but the martyrdom of an Islamic hero. Even those who hated him in power will see Hussein as the personification of their own oppression.

Can you believe that sane people would have not foreseen this outcome? Is it possible to have full use of one’s faculties and still script such a counter productive scenario as this Hussein et al trail? And most importantly, is it too late for a credible … even modestly incredible … jail house accident?

My suggestions is to put Hussein and his co-defendants in a remote controlled U.S. military vehicle, festooned with reproductions of the famous Danish cartoons, and run the damn thing up and down the airport road a few times a day – until the inevitable happens.

REACT: More Gore Bore

There are no political depravities that can dissuade former Vice President Al Gore from trying to get public attention in the hope of giving his post-White House existence on earth some measure of relevancy. This time he finds a receptive audience in Saudi Arabia. As you may recall, the liberals has often criticized the Bush administration (and previous Republican administrations) for being too cozy with the Saudis. This did not stop Gore from offering his anti-American opinions to the leaders of the sheikdom.

Often members of the loyal opposition travel to international trouble spots to reaffirm American policy. (Did I say “loyal?”) It was once the rule that “politics end at the waters edge.” However, liberal Democrats will break any rule if it can give them hope of regaining power – or at least being taken seriously. Gore’s blabbermouthous in Riyadh is not likely to achieve either for the left wingers. Quite the opposite. I suspect his Arab antics will simply further convince the public of the incompetence of the liberal Demorest – and their unsuitability for public office.

You see … Gore decided to tell the Arabs, in a nation that has a significant terrorist presence among its population, that America is torturing Arabs. The there is a pogrom against Arab citizens throughout the United States.

While there may be some marginal anecdotal examples of abuse perpetrated at the local level, there is no national policy of abuse and discrimination. In making his false charges, Gore incites the extremists in the Arab populace. He undermines our national mission, and therefore our troops. In generations gone by, his action would have been treasonous. In fact, it IS treasonous – just that we do not punish treason any more.

When one ponders just how low the extreme left will go to pander for approval, you discover a new low. Well to Al Gore, I give the “Cindy Sheehan Award.” Or … do I give Cindy Sheehan the “Al Gore Award.” Or do they both get the “John Kerry Award.” In case you are not familiar with these honors, the trophies come in the shape of a boot (Texas style, Of course).

So … however we do it, I am all for giving Sheehan, Kerry and now Al Gore the boot.

OP ED: Cheney should step aside.

It is clear that Vice President Dick Cheney has become something between a distraction and a liability for the Bush administration. Much of the reason has to do with the constant, and often specious, criticism of the “bashers,” but some is due to his own style and issues.

Since the Vice President is not totally blameless in drawing the adverse attention of critics, and the painful winces of supporters, this is a reasonable time to suggest he step down.

There are many good reasons to do so. He has pretty much served out his utility. Any good advice he can provide the President can be given from outside the office. The Scooter Libby issue will only attract more clouds. He is not likely to be the most sought after campaigner for his party’s congressional candidates. His health is compromised, and he could spend more time with the family. Etc. Etc. Etc.

There are enough issues to make a resignation credible -- not seeming to be a political ploy to annoint a successor, and yet not enough scandal to have him depart in disgrace. Any more disclosures and he may have to depart by a much greater public clamor.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the resignation would be to allow the Bush administration an opportunity to rewrite the future with a fresh face -- to zap the malaise that grips the White House. To do this, Bush would nominate Condi Rice as Vice President.

Instantly, the entire perception of the Bush presidency would change. The first woman and the first African-American to hold the second highest office in the land would dramatically reconfigure the political landscape for both Bush and the Republican Party. This would place Rice in the lead for the 2008 presidential nomination.

Her competency for the office is without question, despite anticipated criticism of faux civil rights leaders such as Jesse Jackson. It would instantly open the GOP’s historic ties to the black community.

A Rice vice presidency would totally befuddle all the current Democrat strategists pondering the 2006 elections and the 2008 nominations. The GOP could save their majorities in Congress, and even produce some gains.

Resigning is something Cheney should do for the good of the country and the cause … and that never hurt a person’s reputation.

Note to Condi: If you are nominated in 2008, I recommend you name outsider Steve Forbes as Vice President. His strength on the domestic/financial side coupled with your foreign policy background is a winning combo. Rice/Forbes sounds like a winner. Finally, a team America could really love.

REACT: Italian Prime Minister takes "no nookey" pledge

Politics is said to make strange bedfellows. It appears to have an opposite effect in Italy, where Prime Minister Silvio Berusconi has pledged no sex until after the April 9 elections -- and its not even Lent. This reaffirms that Italy is a country where sex and politics are very important -- and very strange.

Still … I am dumbfounded. What public policy issues … what matters of governance … would make a head of state candidate pledge to refrain from martial sex as a campaign promise to the citizens. This is doubly confusing when you consider that Berlusconi is married to a very hot former actress, Veronica Lario.

On the other hand, America might have been a much happier place if Bill Clinton had promise to ONLY have sex with his wife – before and after any one of a number of election days. If I were Berlusconi, I would not have Bill Clinton as a house guest while imposing abstinence on my sexy wife.

The article reporting the PM’s promise noted the couple have three children. So, we can assume that his withdrawal to the drawing room is a sincere sacrifice.

How will the Italian electorate know if he is keeping his promise? Are there any watch-dog groups willing to monitor the Prime Minister’s bedroom? I know a lot of scandal rags would volunteer, but only if they thought there was a good chance of catching him in a lie … or better yet, catching her with another.

Well… this is more attention than the subject deserves, but it was too weird to pass up without comment.

REACT: Cindy sells out America

Once the public spotlight has passed you by, it is not easy to get the ego boosting limelight back. This is obvious in the case of Cindy Sheehan. Her protest over the death of her war hero son seems to have brought her long-standing left wing kookiness into full public view.

Oh sure! At first, she gained natural sympathy for her sobbing appearances in the press. We were all hoodwinked into thinking she was merely overcome with grief. That was until it became apparent that she was using her son’s death rather than mourning it. Whatever were the tears of real grief, they gave way to cry-for-the-camera tactics -- and a nation took note.

It would appear now that her insatiable craving for media attention has driven her to the extreme of disloyalty to the troops she shames to acclaim. In the name of their well-being, she endangers them further by aiding and abetting their would-be killers. Sheehan is no longer a misguided grieving parent, but a traitor to both her son’s memory and this nation’s cause. She has become the international spokesperson for the murderous terrorists of the world.

Why such a harsh assessment? It is not the silly threat of taking on California Senator Dianne Feinstein in the next election. That is merely an ego-feeding publicity stunt that only adds to Sheehan’s publicity-seeking reputation. It is not even her hateful, anti-Bush remarks that only prove that free-speech is equally the right of the intelligent and articulate and those challenged in both categories.

The real offense is her recent overseas adventure that brought her mania to the edge of treason. It is that image of her in Venezuela (left – of course), smiling broadly and embraced, figuratively and literally, by President Hugo Chavez as he reiterated his pervasive enmity for the United States and his allegiance to the world anti-American alliance. She gave a “thumbs up” as he condemned the United States action in Iraq, and as he promised to help finance Sheehan’s anti war petition drives. He offered to set up a tent next to hers outside the Bush Ranch in Texas.

For her part, Sheehan endorsed and supported has-been singer/actor Harry Belafonte’s claim, perhaps senility inspired, that George Bush is “the greatest terrorist in the world.” (Perhaps his signature recording, “Yellow Bird” was more his autobiographical anthem than the charming island ditty we all thought it to be). Sheehan is not a war hater. She has now proven herself to be an America hater. Is she could find Ben Ladin, I would not be surprised to see her issuing taped threats from a cave on the Pakistani border.

I guess Sheehan noticed that meeting heads of state is a boilerplate publicity stunt for virtually all ambitious senate candidates. Someone forgot to tell her however that you are still supposed to be a loyal America. World War II’s Tokyo Rose (unbowed and incarcerated) and Vietnam’s Hanoi Jane (repentant and rich) were not seeking high office.

However, it is good to know that no matter how badly things go for Bush, he can always count on the loony left to make him look good.

Postscript: As I again looked at the Sheehan/Chavez photo, I wonder if I have totally missed something. Is that a “thumbs up?” Or is she doing a line of South American snow off her hand? Is she supporting or snorting? Now THAT would make a lot more sense than any other explanation for both her bizarre emergence from well-deserved obscurity and her goofier public antics.

REACT: Yea! For Kennedy and Kerry

I am one happy conservative today. For awhile, I feared that the dreadful duo from Massachusetts, Senators Kennedy and Kerry, would not succumb to the temptation of filibustering the nomination of Judge Alito.

While a smooth victory would be nice, the idea of watching Kennedy/Kerry lead a political suicide squad, with the almost assured limelight-grabbing support of Senators Schumer, Durbin and Biden, is like snatching the golden ring. National Democrat Chairman Howard Dean will undoubtedly be the obnoxious cheerleader screeching on the sidelines, and the team owner, Senate Minority Leader Reid will puff up with pride for his team -- at least until their field performance produces a route. I love it.

What could be better than to see the liberals take on the role of obstructionist? In one bold, and rather inept action, they will divert public attention from the political weak points of President Bush. Suddenly, the beleaguered President will have the moral and popular high ground. That's right. Despite the whining of partisans and pundits, the public is not buying the argument that Alito is a dangerous extremist -- especially since the vast majority of the public shares most of his views, and he has come across as a pretty nice guy, to boot (and I suppose that is why the liberal extremists like to boot him).

The high visibility tactic will also bring more needed attention to the usurping role of the modern courts. The more the public understands the difference between interpreting laws and making laws from the judicial bench, the better off we will all be.

I certainly hope that Alito survives a filibuster, and I suspect he will if there remain enough sane Democrats in the Senate to override the wind bags. If not, there is another wonderful outcome. K/K and company will provide the political foundation for a change in the rules -- the nuclear options as it is misnamed. It is not only NOT a nuclear option, it is a pretty good reform. Had the Democrats, in the thralls of power madness, not decided to upend 200 years of tradition on Presidential appointments, no rules change would be necessary.

Once again, the Dems will be the party lacking integrity. It was not so long ago that they pledged no filibuster except in extremely rare situations. (In previous writings, I predicted “soon” would overcome “rare.”) This nomination, supported by most of the legal community and many even liberal democrats, does not come close to warranting a filibuster. The only motivation for a filibuster is personal arrogance, playing to the provincial outdated liberalism of their hometown constituencies, and a desire to "control" the courts by rear guard actions and anachronistic rules.

Another benefit for the Grand Old Party will be a significant decline in the election stock of the Dem team. Behind the headlines trumpeting Bush's popular descent is the reality of Democrat unpopularity. As Bush's rating fell, the ratings of the Dem leadership remained in the toilet. This makes it easier for Bush to ascend in the popularity polls, since there has not been a shift in loyalty. The Dems may hold sway with the press, but that does not mean much on election day. The last time the Dems (and press) hopefully predicted great gains for the donkey team, they actually lost seats. In 2004, the press even called the election a Kerry win. Within hours, the votes produced a strong win for the President and the GOP all across the nation. One cannot underestimate the blinding power of wishful thinking.

Even if the K/K team can convince enough Senate Democrats to commit cult-like mass suicide, and if, perchance, the nomination is blocked by brutal imposition of once-honored minority protections, is there any doubt that the next nominee will be just as much a strict constructionist as Alito?

The problem with the Dem game plan to keep the left lean in the Supreme Court is that the game is over. Bush will pick the next Supreme Court justice, and it will be a strict constructionist. The Court will shift to the right. Roe v. Wade will be imperiled -- as will a lot of other stuff. In fact, the rejection of succeeding Bush appointments is not likely to result in the nomination of a pseudo-centrist. No! No! No! Growing frustration with the blockers on the Dem team will give Bush ample opportunity to see more open space on the right flank. It is not often that the final outcome is known while one of the teams is playing on the field.

I fear the K/K foolishness will be short lived. There must be enough Democrats in the Senate to salvage their party from the ruinous tactics of the real extremists in America -- the ideological Siamese twins of elitist liberalism, the not-so-honorable Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry. They are truly out of touch with reality, But then again, the do hail from Massachusetts.

TIDBITS: Picking up on events while I was gone.

I am not sure if it is the effect of Chinese culture during my visit there, or the fact that America has gotten to be a stranger place in my short absence. The new year seems to be off to a good start of us right-wingers, however. For example:

Alito gets the Teflon Prize. I left with virtually every observer predicting a crushing senate inquisition of Supreme Court nominee Joseph Alito. The predicted thunderous clouds of war that, themselves, ended the bid by Harriet Miers, turned out to be nothing more than a light overcast. I assumed that the holiday season might have diminished the strident mood of the political left for the moment, but the post-season hearings fell remarkably short of their billing. In fact, the long awaited muddy-ing up of Alito not only did not happen, but the muddy missles appear to have splatted in the launcher’s own faces. Senators Biden, Kennedy, Durbin and Schummer (if vaudeville were alive today, that would be a song) appear to have made fools of themselves. Pompous, strident scurrilous and down-right dishonest, the four horsemen of the liberal apocalypse overplayed their parts, and a critical public collectively “boo’ed their performance.

Hypocracy award to Ted Kennedy. I cannot believe it. It is just to scumptiously funny. You understand that I think liberal ideologues are basically anti-democratic elitist hypocritics (and I think that only when I am in a good mood.) Occasionally, the fang of the wolf glints outside the concealing fur of the lamb. Rarely does it provoke more this-is-too-good-to-be-true laughter, however, than the recent discovery that Mr. Women’s Lib … the honorary “queen” of the lady leftists … belongs to … prepare to gasp in disbelief … belongs to … and can hardly believe it … belongs to AN ALL-MALE SOCIAL CLUB. Into the 21st Century, Teddy has kept up a 52-year membership and financial support in Harvard’s Owl Club. This did not prevent him from lambasting Judge Alito for a POSSIBLE long ago membership in Concerned Alumni for Princeton -- a group Kennedy charges with being anti-women and anti-minority. Alito does not recall the organization, and a search of the group’s files reveal no mention of the Supreme Court designee. Kennedy spokesperson says there is a big difference since the Senator’s membership is in a “social” club, and Alito’s dubious membership is in an “activist” group. To the senior senator from Massachusetts, it is less egregious to CURRENTLY AND PROVABLY belong to and support a sexist college alumni club than to be ACCUSED (by Kennedy, with no proof ) of belonging LONG AGO to another college (non-sexist) alumni club. In oxymoronic Kennedy logic, it is less of a crime to becaught today shoplifting than to be accused without evidence of shoplifting forty years ago.

If you ever doubt the vacuousness of liberal thinking, or the inherent intellectual dishonesty of its spokespersons, such examples bring the argument to closure. I suspect that what is left of the late-20th Century liberal feminists movement will rally to his defense, as they did for sexual predator-in-chief Bill Clinton -- reminding us again just how foolishly irrelevant the ladies of the left have become. (Hmmmmm. Should Bill Clinton be required to register as a sex offender? I can’t help thinking. If Hillary should ever become President, would 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue be on the national sex offender registry? Just kidding … but these days the funniest stuff is happening in real life.)

The Knock on the Noggin Award to Mayor Nagin. The liberal partisans and pundits never lose an opportunity to trash Preacher Pat Robertson when he places God’s intercessions on earthly events such as hurricanes that ravage the world or strokes that bring down Israeli prime ministers. Actually, I would not argue in Robertson’s favor. Even though we share substantial elements of political philosophy, I think he is a bit of a nut case. I am not about to take on his more messianic postulations. It is fair, however, to see if liberals dare distance themselves from the loonies in their bin. Which bring up the issue of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. You will recall many blogs ago, that I raised questions of his political sanity. I described his gang-bangeresque language on a talk show at the height of the Katrina finger pointing era as inappropriate of a person in his position. Weeeeell … seems like the Mayor is out to prove my case. In a King Day speech, and in a pandering or mocking oratorical style of a Black television minister, the Big Easy tough guy not only said that Katrina et al were God’s punishment for the war in Iraq and the low moral and ethical standards of the Black community, but that God intended … intended … that New Orleans should be a “chocolate city.” Only in liberal land, one can actually say that God intends an American city to be predominantly Black. (SIDEBAR: That reminds me of a time Mayor Daley was reported to say that Chicago needed a “white mayor.” Since I launched that bit of campaign controversy when serving as former Mayor Eugene Sawyer’s campaign spokesperson [and yes, I do like a lot of democrats], I got the inside dope on that one. Maybe someday I will write about it.) So there you have it. Mayor Daley making his city whiter and whiter, and Mayor Nagin promising to turn New Orleans to the “chocolate” (his word, not mine) capital of America. This can only happen in real life since no fiction writer would pen anything so absurd.


An Honest Abe Honorable Mention goes to television personality Stephen Colbert. A new word has entered the lexicon as the creation of Comedy Central’s jokester Stephen Colbert. “Truthiness.” As best I can tell, it defines statements, opinions, non-fiction books and resumes that claim an underlying truth regardless of the falsity of the facts. You have to understand that for liberal lies to be more widely accepted, we have to redefine truth. Like Clinton claiming that his genital hobbies were not sex. Or liberal educators creating “social promotions” as a euphemism for pushing kids from grade to grade without bothering to teach them anything. James Frey’s recent book, “A Million Little Pieces,” chronicling his recovery from crime and drug addiction, had a lamentable number of “pieces” (characters and events) that were created for heightened effect. Instead of humiliation and banishment from the ethical sanctuary, he is defended by the likes of Oprah Winfrey for what is termed “creative non-fiction.”

A newspaper columnist suggested that the “emotional” truth was as important at the “facts.” I am not even sure what an “emotional” truth is. If a guy in the padded room thinks he is Napoleon, is that an emotional truth that should be granted full parity with the fact that he is cork-screwed accountant from Pensacola? In recent years, many high visibility journalists were caught or confessed to invention in their news and feature writing. Most were ostracized from the community of scribes, as they should have been. But, methinks the standard of ethical expression is now being lowered by those who believe their opinions are more important that facts. Perhaps it is one reason such programs as The Daily Show are presented as news of the day instead of plan old fashion satirical comedy. The news feature of Saturday Night Live was offered as creative jest. Sadly, it seems to have fostered mutant programs that imply a … “truthiness.”

The lowered regard for truthFULness is seen when New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has to explain the fact that he was never recruited by the Kansas City Athletics, as his resume claimed. Does he apologize for his false claim? Nope? He said he THOUGHT he had been recruited, but was mistaken. I understand since last year I THOUGHT I was elected pope, but I was only mistaken. Is that truthiness … or delusion … our just a bald face lie?

“Truthiness” is just a more contemporary term for a long existing word to explain truths within lies. It is “apocryphal.” When we describe a statement or anecdote as “apocryphal” we simply mean that the point may be well taken, but the story is … to use the precise term … bullshit. In fact, “bullshit” is the perfect word to describe the entire controversy over the redefining of “truth.” I offer this closing thought. There is no truth in truthiness. (SIDEBAR: In terms of creating new words, I am both an advocate and practitioner. Check out http://www.acrapulate.com).

Slip of the Tongue Award to Mayor Daley (again): Chicago’s Mayor Daley follows in his father’s footsteps in terms of malapropisms and creative verbage. Daddy Daley was famous for saying that the Chicago police were not there (at the 1968 Democrat convention) to create chaos, they were there to maintain it. Well in responding to the indictment of the Chicago City clerk, Daley the Second was asked if the scandal would further tarnish the already sullied image of his political machine. He replied “Its (sic) and individual. He’s subject to his own conduct. I’M NOT.” (emphasis added). If you have heard Daley responded in the indictments of his own senior staff last year, you would know that Daley truly does not believe he is subject to his own conduct. In fact, his apologists defend him by claiming the mayor is far too busy to know what is going on around him. Of course, this is not the first time public officials have used the “ignorant” defense to ward of complicity in corruption.

SIDEBAR: Back from China

Since I do little to promote this blog (seeing it as more or less my archives of contemporary thinking, and maybe notes for a future book) I do not presume that I have been “conspicuous by my absence.” However, for those souls whose travels have brought you here by aimless Internet exploration, a click of a mislocated “arrow” or one of those inexplicable reasons a search engine delivers you to a site totally unrelated to your inquiry, let me explain my current absence from the keyboard. I have been in China, and you can read more about that if you explore www.harbex.com. It was a great trip, but now I am back. Nothing more to say.