REACT: Passports from hell.

One of the few efficient government services was the issuance of passports. In my company's frequent duty to obtain passports for our clients, we found the lines short and the turn around time a matter of a day or two (for the expedited service).

Well ... leave to the government to find a way to screw up works. In over response to post 9/11 hysteria, the State Department issued new requirements. Now, you many need a passport just for thinking about leaving the country. Okay ... that is a bit of an exaggeration. However, there are no more friendly-neighbor policies with Canada, Mexico and a few other foreign destinations. These ill-conceived requirements put millions of people on the passport request list. The result is a back log stretching back months. Caught in the snafu are millions of Americans who have missed vacations, weddings (and worse, honeymoons), were no shows at business meetings, etc., etc., etc.

Well, at least the government official in charge accepted full responsibility for the decisions and policies that caused so much heart break and cost a lot of people a lot of money. She is Assistant Secretary of State Maura Harty (pictured).

While it is nice to see a bureaucrat actually take responsibility, it is of little consolation to those who have fallen victim to the new policies. In the fight against terrorism, sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.

I say Maura Harty would receive a gold medal for accepting responsibility. Yes, indeed. She deserves it. Then she should be summarily fired for gross incompetence. Yes, Indeed. She deserves that, too.

REACT: Columnist Greeley can't cannonize Jack Kennedy

Chicago Sun-Times columnist, Rev. Andrew Greeley, is a successful novelist. It is unfortunate he applies his knack for fiction to his editorial writings. He is a man who knows no limit to his rich imagination, whether writing fiction or supposed fact-based commentary.

His latest lapse into creative wishful thinking centers on his July 6 column offering a Catholic influenced revisionist look at President John Kennedy. He uses an off-handed remark by the Kennedy, “All war is stupid,” to suggest that the late President was restrained in his use of the sword of war.

Contrary to Greeley’s wish and opinion, Kennedy was a warrior president of the first magnitude. Rather than shrink from the expansion of American Democracy into the authoritarian world of the day, Kennedy committed the United States to “go anywhere and pay any price” to advance freedom. His Inaugural address was, from beginning to end, a warning of the United States willingness to use military means to defeat the enemies beyond our borders. Like Roosevelt before him, and Bush after him, Kennedy believed that it was better to fight overseas before the enemy arrived on the U.S. shoreline.

Rather than show restraint in the Cuban Missile Crisis, as Greeley proffers, Kennedy was prepared to face nuclear war rather than to appease the advancement of the Communist Kremlin into the Western Hemisphere. He showed a firm willingness to back up the Monroe Doctrine (no Eastern Hemisphere influence in the Western Hemisphere) is military action. It was his resolve, not his restraint, which caused the Soviets to step down. More recent revelations show that Kennedy manipulated events and information to prepare for war as much as Roosevelt and Bush.

The Bay of Pigs fiasco was the result of a president willing to provide American encouragement and resources to a paramilitary invasion of Cuba. Unlike Bush, who sought the approval of Congress, obtained United Nations’ resolutions of authority, and assemble a significant coalition of other nations before invading Iraq, Kennedy authorized the invasion of a sovereign nation without so much as advising Congress in advance.

Kennedy also demonstrated a willingness to play footsie with organized crime to assassinate Fidel Castro. He approved the coup plan that led to the overthrow and assassination of Vietnam’s first president, Ngo Dinh Diem, by a bullet to the head. Speculation that Diem’s murder would place the Kennedy White House in jeopardy ended just days later, when Kennedy, himself, was assassinated by a bullet to the head.

Of course, the most notable example of Kennedy’s militarism was the enormous escalation of the Vietnam conflict. Upon leaving the presidency, Dwight Eisenhower warned against committing American troops to a ground war in Vietnam. Ignoring that warning, Kennedy went head long into the U.S. escalation --- shifting America’s participation from a military advisory role to a full combat engagement.

Most egregious, however, is Greeley’s fraudulent contention that it was Kennedy’s mythological military restraint that brought down the Soviet Union and not “President Reagan’s grandstanding at the Brandenburg Gate” nearly thirty years later. In this, Greeley’s visceral animosity for Reagan appears to exceed his knowledge or his professional integrity – perhaps both.

There is a saying that so aptly applies to Greeley. As a columnist, he “is entitled to his own opinion, but he is not entitled to his own facts.”

REACT: Cindy Sheehan breaks pledge ... arrrrrgh!

Alright! Who removed the wooden spike from Cindy Sheehan’s political heart?

Apparently, those of us who celebrated the self-imposed retirement of the self-appointed and self-destructive numero uno America hater were a bit premature in our revelry. Seems the loony lady’s letter of resignation was just another publicity stunt, or a reversible moment of rationality from an otherwise psychotic personality.

She is currently hoofing it in a "march" from George Bush’s homestead in Crawford, Texas to Washington, D.C. -- yet another anti-war ritual of little significance beyond the world of the ragtag column of marchers and campers.

Before she even hit the Texas border, Sheehan issued a public threat that if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (seen here with Sheehan -- smooch, smooch) does not introduce articles of impeachment against the President by the time Miss Cindy arrives in the nation’s capital, she will run against the Speaker in the next election – and, according to Sheehan’s own assessment, will give Madam Speaker "a run for her money. "

Sheehan is angry at Pelosi, and the whole damn Democrat party, for breaking their campaign promises. (Personally, I am pretty pee oh’d at Sheehan for breaking her promise to retire. So, who is she to talk about breaking promises … eh?)

I doubt Pelosi is breaking into a sweat over the prospect of running against Sheehan. However, I have to lean back and relish the sight of Pelosi being bitten by one of the rabid dogs of peace she and her fellow travelers let loose on the public.

Unlike Sheehan, most of us knew that the Democrats were making every imaginable promise to get elected without much consideration to the problem of keeping those promises. The promises were extravagant because most pundits and politicos did not think the Dems would take control of both houses of Congress, anyway. They never expected to be called upon to fulfill the exaggerated campaign pledges. Once in office, however, the Dems were in a bind. There was no way they could, or should, keep the simplistic campaign pledges to end the war immediately. It would take an obsessed maniacal fool to have expected otherwise.

Oh! Well ... that at least explains Sheehan.

OBSERVATION: Obama is a'bombing

Barack Obama, the supernova of political candidates, is starting to look like a “white dwarf.” (Okay, for you who got your education in public schools, a white dwarf is what remains after a star bursts on the scene as a spectacular supernova, and then collapse into a tiny mass. We are not making racists allusions here.)

Just a few short months ago, there was a general public and pundit consensus that Obama was about to trounce the field of Democratic candidates. He was afforded Paris Hilton-level coverage in the press – even more and better coverage than the woman whose name sounds like a French Hotel. Without any discernible positions on issues and a obvious inadequacy of experience, Obama was declared to be the perfect candidate – a compassionate reformer without political baggage. It appears that impression is going up in smoke. (Had to find an excuse for the smoking Obama pic.)

That was the national image – carefully crafted. Those of us closer to the wellspring from whence Obama rose were not so convinced. Perhaps it was our awareness that the political “wellspring” of his advancement is more like a cesspool – arguably the most corrupt political environment in America. If you do not believe that, just start counting the number of public servants and office-holders doing time in the hoosegow. One does not rise from the muck of Illinois politics with pristine garments.

The association with indicted wheeler-dealer Tony Rezko clings to Obama like a Pit Bull with lock jaw. Though Obama once described his relationship with Rezko in distant minimalist terms, it has become increasing clear that the association was long and deep. As the candidate, and his spin meisters, trivialize each newly revealed dealings between Obama and the indicted influence peddler, a new and more damaging revelation appears on the horizon. Most problematic for Obama-the-White-Knight (ß not racial) are the news stories making it appear – almost beyond any defense – that Obama has been … ah …fibbing.

Obama says the purchase of land from his new neighbor (Tony Rezko) was foolish. Just a mistake. Obama ‘fessed up some questionable campaign donations in the few thousand range only to have it revealed that Rezko has funneled hundreds of thousands into the campaign.

Then there is the issue of the real estate development. Obama says he never helped Rezko in any deal. Ooops! The emergence of a letter from then State Senator Obama begging for government assistance for a Rezko real estate project shows that Obama did use his political influence to get Rezko and his partners a lucrative deal – a deal that later lead to accusations of massive taxpayer abuse.

Obama’s self praise as a citizen activist for public housing is not only disputed by the grassroots activists in positions to observe the significance (or in this case the alleged insignificance) of his contributions, but it turns out he was associated the guys accused of being slum landlords and bilking the public. Obama initially confirmed his participation in the business, but claimed ignorance of the abusive and illegal practices. Later evidence indicated that he was much closer to the controversial projects than he would have us believe.

All of this is doubly damaging because of an early decision to make Obama the candidate of reform. He preaches reform. He is the point man on reform in the Senate. This was a strategic mistake. His credibility was immediately compromised by his participation in, benefit from, and the ignoring of the massive home town corruption of the Illinois Democrat machine. He floated his political future on the cesspool of corruption best personified by Rezko. Lacking the ability to turn his reform spotlight on his Illinois buddies, he became a strident partisan, seeing only GOP corruption. This will not fly with an electorate which has a bipartisan disdain for corruption in both parties.

His glowing autobiographical works have come under scrutiny, and it appears he has taken license with some of the facts – even to the point of his carefully crafted transformation from a cultural and social white guy of privilege to a gritty in-the-‘hood African-American activist. Many candidates re-invent themselves, but not usually their ethnic, social and cultural background. Experientially, it was said that Bill Clinton was the first “African American” president. If that is so, then Obama comes to office in the tradition of such Brahmans as Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy and the almost John Kerry.

Obama indignantly deflects questions of his religious background, from his early Islamic schooling to his participation in a strident left-wing Christian church. But like the Mormon affiliation of George Romney, the “beliefs” are causing concern. This is not the type of issue that will be challenged in open public by a society claiming tolerance, but it will have its negative influence in the darker corners of the electorate’s heart. Religious radicalism from the left is canonized in the press, but not so with the grassroots citizenry. (Don't you just love the Saint Obama treatment on the book cover. I mean, really!)

Obama has entered into the “what next” portion of his descent, where the unrevealed future casts ethereal shadows over his candidacy. With federal blood hounds bringing down his closest associates and political patrons, the voters are wondering if there will be more bad news in the future. It is a reasonable suspicion, and one that provides its own drag on the campaign.

Not all of Obama’s problems are sordid. He is the least experienced and most ill-equipped of the national candidates, and it shows. His performance in the debates was not good. Under the glare of national attention, he showed his lack of political credentials. His rise to prominence was on the hot air of empty rhetoric. That can rise only so far. Debates success requires more than slick comforting phraseology. Among his presidential peers, Obama appear like a high school debater who accidentally got put up against the Oxford team.

Some note that even if Obama is not successful this time around, his youth gives him many opportunities in coming presidential years. The theory sounds good, but the history of such candidacies is much drearier. Chuck Percy and Ted Kennedy were presidential contenders in their politically youthful years. Their early near misses, however, where as close as they ever got to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Harold Stassen was a real contender as the youngest governor in America. His subsequent runs were Quixotic.

Politics is full or surprises. If you play the odds, however, Obama could well wind up as a foot note in political history, along with Gary Hart, Jack Kemp, Gene MaCarthy, and all the other early front runners. His one distinction is that he is the first almost African American candidate to be in the senior ranks of contention, and to actually have led the field in polls not taken by his won campaign.

At the early stages, when Obama’s rise to the presidency was spoken of in inevitable terms, I predicted in this very blog that he was foredoomed. The public finds him fascinating as a candidate, but not convincing as the President. He is not the first to be blind to the distinction.

OBSERVATION: Roosevelt in review

Just attended the induction of Franklin Roosevelt into the Radio Hall of Fame founded by my good friend Bruce DuMont. There were many praising commentaries by such notables as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Newsweek magazine’s Jonathan Alter and syndicated columnist David Broder, and a re-enactment of Roosevelt’s 1932 nomination acceptance speech by actor Robert Vaughn. It was also a tribute to the 75th anniversary of that speech.

As with any tribute, there were glowing interpretations of Roosevelt’s presidency – some even true. The somewhat geriatric Rooseveltian liberal audience were in full delight, often interrupting Vaughn’s reading with hearty applause – especially when his attack on Republicans could be construed as having relevancy for their contemporary animosity toward George Bush, modern-day Republicans and evergreen conservative issues. The audience was salted with government workers thanks to a generous donation of 500 tickets to a cadre of teachers and professors (Yes Virginia, teachers ARE government workers). What could be more appropriate, since taxpayer payrollees were the greatest benefactors of Roosevelt’s big government policies and programs? The sentimental journey into the past even came with street vendors hawking the Communist Party newspaper outside the theater.

The audience made no expression when the history modestly exposed Roosevelt’s less noble actions. For the most part, the real Roosevelt was no more evident in the tribute oratory than the real Abraham Lincoln could be divined from the old Raymond Massey classic movie. It was public relations puffery, as tributes are intended to be.

While the audience applauded vigorously at every mention of civil rights contained in Roosevelt’s public remarks, it was largely unnoted that he never proposed or supported any significant civil rights initiative. He even refused to support anti-lynching legislation opposed by his southern Democrat congressional colleagues. Throughout his long tenure as America’s Chief Executive, Jim Crow laws, poll taxes, segregation, lynchings, and the reign of terror of the Klu Klux Klan were unchallenged by the White House. In fact, they reached new heights of virulence on Roosevelt’s watch.

Roosevelt’s executive order that cast Japanese citizens into U.S. concentration camps without due process was minimized. For the those forcibly removed from the homes and relocated to harsh remote camps, he was an American Hitler. No action committed by the Bush administration, so reviled by current day liberals, comes close to the racial insensitivity and contempt for individual rights of Roosevelt, himself. His confinement of innocent Japanese Americans was among the lowest points in American history. There was an irony watching the liberal audience applauding the fiction and turning deaf ears to the awful reality.

David Brody seemed to bring out a collect audience squirm when he fearlessly noted that Roosevelt’s policies had done nothing to end the depression or to avoid war. He united the people by charismatic rhetoric. His only indisputable accomplishment, however, was the establishment of the welfare state. He took a nation of fiercely independent citizens and turned them into subservients of government.

In the tribute, there was no reference to the oft stated belief that Roosevelt was an in satiable power monger, and the closet thing this nation has ever had to a dictator. Fortunately the democracy was stronger than his lust for power. Despite his control of Congress, he was not able to pack the Supreme Court by adding more members. His third and fourth elections violated tradition established by George Washington. However, a man willing to trash the Constitution would have no difficulty violating tradition. His abuse of power, over so many years, lead the Democrat Congress to constitutionally establish the two term limit. This country was not about to suffer another Roosevelt.

It is true that Roosevelt created a new majority in American politics. He pandered to fear to create the welfare state that now threatens the foundation of the American democracy. Like street drugs, welfare at first provided a sense of well being, but prolonged use exposed the destructive nature of the beast. As he seemingly ended one national crisis, Roosevelt planted the seeds of the nest. Ronald Reagan came to power on the promise to end the 50-year Rooseveltian culture – and he did. Of course, there was no mention of the man who dismantled much of the Hyde Parker’s big government legacy.

In terms of war, Roosevelt was determined to bring the significantly pacifistic United States into the global war. He believed that it was better to fight the enemies of America on their soil, rather than ours. The liberal audience did not applaud this particular similarity to current events.

As for his induction to the Radio Hall of Fame, nothing could be more appropriate. For whatever one thinks of Roosevelt, it is indisputable that he used the new technology to remarkable advantages, and proved is skill as a charismatic communicator. Radio was critical to the establishment of the Roosevelt mystique that his “fireside chats” are immortalized in his national monument. He was to radio what John Kennedy was to television.

Much has been written about Roosevelt, and his manifest shortcomings and failures are in the record. But for many, much of the record remains sealed from public expression. Like all dictators – Mao, Stalin – there is a charade that keeps the rapt attention of a decreasing number of zealots. In China and in Russia there are still elements of the old guard who gather together to celebrate, uncritically, the fictional lives of their heroes, offering tributes from their own inexplicably fond memories. Such was the occasion I attended.

REACT: Sheehan exits stage (far) left

Oh happy day! Rather than continue the slide into oblivion, war protester and America hater, Cindy Sheehan, has chosen to announce her own political demise – albeit a bit late. Yes, the media hungry lady with the well rehearsed Emmett Kelly-style “sad face” (right) has officially announced her retirement from the war protest movement. In closing off her dubious public career, she characteristically lashed out in anger in all direction, including her onetime cheerleaders in the anti-war movement.

Wallowing in self-pity and whining about the price she has paid -- divorce, bankruptcy, physical exhaustion, and disappointment in the new Democrat majority in Congress – Sheehan released her own political obituary. She failed to include the extinguished limelight, lack of credibility and the eventual exposure of her loony anti-everything American views, as additional reasons for her withdrawal from the anti-war war. According to one report, Sheehan read her completed farewell letter, then cried – right on queue I assume.

She signed off as she signed on – abusing the memory of her fallen son. By all measure a patriotic counterbalance to Sheehan’s hateful views, her son died a hero in service to his country. After spending months abusing his views and deeds, Sheehan finally declares he died in vain. In her "retirement" letter she readily admits that she does not love this country. That has always been obvious.

Her exit announcement is anticlimactic. Judging from her disappearance from the tabloids and news shows this past year (even I forget about her), she was terminated as “old news” long before she decided to quit. Without her public letter, she would have simply remained forgotten. It was her last shot at publicity, and she was not about to miss it.

Well … of all the times I bristled at her public coverage, I must admit, this is the best news she has produced so far. And, who said they never print good news?

Adieu dear Cindy. You fared not too well, but certainly too long.

OBSERVATION: New Jersey governor gives wrong apology

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has apologized profusely for not wearing his seat belt -- and even cut public service safety ad on the importance of buckling up. Somewhere in all this, I missed an even more important apology. His vehicle was cruising at more than 90 miles per hour for the convenience of the governor.

I think this is a much more important apology. In the seat belt infraction, he was risking his own life. For the self-taken privilege of violating the speed laws, he was risking the lives of others in his car, and on the road.

I know he was not driving, but there is no way the trooper-chauffer would have been zipping along at that speed without the tacit approval of his boss.

REACT: More environmental bees wax … royal bees wax.

A recent news item reported that the new wax figure of Prince Charles in Madam Tussauds’ London museum was developed in an environmental-friendly manner … green, as they say. This meant recycled wax from his old figure, new bees wax, workers laboring without power machinery. They rode bicycles to work, and worked only in natural daylight. A lot of symbolism … without much substance, I should add.

However, the item that caught my attention was the planting of three trees to compensate for the minimal carbon dioxide they did release into our communal atmosphere.

I recalled representing Motorola (my employer at the time) at an Arbor Day tree planting ceremony where Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, the First, officiated. He waxed on (no pun intended) about the contribution this humble tree (about 12 feet tall at the time) would make to our world’s environment. “Today,” he said, “we add one more tree to our world.”

Well, my mind drifted in wonderment to the question: From whence did this tree come? As surely as we were planting this future mighty Oak, it was brutally extracted from its former resting place. I failed to see the “addition,” the mayor so highly touted.

Since my early experience on that long-ago Arbor Day to the contemporary do-goodiness of Madam Tussauds’ wax artisans, innumerable trees have been ceremoniously planted to make their contribution to the atmosphere. In truth, not once was there a contribution, only a reallocation.

The only meaningful addition of trees to our world is the tree farming work of the lumber industry. Yikes!!! Think about that all you green genes. Driven by the profit motive of ruthless capitalism, more trees are being planted by industry than by all those green activists who so hate the loggers.

Just another little something to think about. You too, Al Gore.

SIDEBAR: You gotta have heart

I recently heard the nicest words. “You had a heart attack.”

Its true, just returned from the hospital Intensive Care Unit contemplating a future by-pass surgery.

Why do I say those were such nice words? Well … now think about it for a moment. I am sure some of you figured it out by now, but for those of you still scratching your head, here is the “duh.” A lot of people with who suffer a heart attack do not have the good fortune to hear those words because they are … D-E-A-D. So, consistent with my philosophy that my life is perfect at any moment, I found it comforting to be able to hear the doctor’s report and to be around to even contemplate my future medical needs.

There are four things that make my life -- maybe any life -- worth living. Belief in an afterlife (though my belief is not always in line with contemporary religious teachings). The belief that our earthly life has meaning and purpose (not always easy to find). No fear of death. (Why should we?) And a realization that our life on earth is perfect at almost every moment (even when you have a heart attack).

REACT: Radler wears the Black hat.

David Rat-ler … ooops … I mean Radler, the former friend and business partner of media mogal Sir Conrad Black has finally made it to the stand. He confirmed my opinion of him as a slimy, scheming, lying good for nothing.

Thanks to the generosity of the federal prosecutors, Rat-ler … ooops, there I go again … RADLER has paid off some of the money he stole, will face a short term in jail, and retire a very free and rich man. All he had to do was hang his long time friend, and the guy who made him rich, with the best lies he could conjour.

Not knowing if Black has tripped over some legal land mines, or not, I still hope the jury finds him innocent. This was not my first desire. In fact, I originally was hoping the s.o.b. would be locked up for good. But, as the trial progressed, many of the “crimes” seemed to be technical interpretations. Then there was the testimony of former Illinois Governor Jim Thompson, who, as head of the audit committee, admitted he never read any of the relevant documents. Then enter Radler. After hearing his testimony, I figure if that scumbag can get a light sentence and re-enter life a rich man, the Black should walk.

Radler has lied all his life to save or advantage himself. He lied in business deals. He lied at editorial matters at the Sun-Times. (I know this because he lied to me personally, and I still have the letter to prove it). He lied to the prosecutors. He lied to his OWN attorney. It does not take much more to conclude that he is lying on the stand. As is often the case with “plea bargains,” I think the feds bought his lies, not his testimony.

REACT: Governor Blago in denial

I have to admit. Heading into the last Illinois gubernatorial election, I could not see how Rod Blagojevich could possibly be re-elected. Of course, I had to accept the fact that the dysfunctional GOP in the Land of Lincoln could blow the Catholic vote if the had nominated Jesus Christ, himself.

So it is, even one of the arguably worse governors in Illinois history won a second chance at incompetent leadership. Not only is the man called Blago a terrible administrator, he does not appear to be a very nice person – turning on long time friends, engaging in an unseemly family feud with the father-in-law political mentor, hiding behind his children in tough political venues, etc., etc., etc. Not much to like about the guy.

As we start to see the second term take shape, we might consider the possibility that the man has totally taken leave of his senses.

Several months ago, he proposed a business tax increase so huge that it was almost incomprehensible. He hoped for success by taking advantage of a strain of anti-business sentiment in the body politic. “Make those corporate fat cats pay their share,” was his mantra. “It’s about time.” Like a pugnacious little punk, that he apears to be, the Governor said he looked forward to duking it out with the titans of commerce. He was offering nothing less than class warfare.

In an odd way, however, the Guv united the people. From the skyscrapers of Chicago to the rippling streams of southern Illinois, the people rose in opposition to his tax plan. Seems like the public’s angst with the corporate giants did not reach the level of hatred Blagojevich had expected. Like a good liberal, we does not believe in the common sense of the common man.

The Governor failed to explain to the public that you cannot tax a corporation. For them it is a cost of business that is passed on to the consumer. The people pay the tax in the form of increased prices. House Speaker Michael Madigan (pictured with appropriate response to the tax plan) understood that and said his own leader’s tax plan was regressive and would hit hardest on the people who least could afford it.

The Governor’s disturbing immaturity came fully unfurled when the General Assembly was about to vote on a non-binding resolution on the Governor’s tax plan – sort of an official poll in advance of the real vote.

Recognizing that the resolution had overwhelming support, and he was on the cusp of humiliating defeat, the smarmy Guv came up with a childish spin. He called on all legislators to vote “no” on the resolution, proclaiming that a “no” vote only meant that there should be no resolution ahead of a real vote. In other words, he tried to make the utter defeat of his tax plan look like some sort of back-handed victory.

Well he got his “victory.” The general assembly, in rare solidarity opposed Blago’s tax scheme 107 to nothing. That’s right. Not a single legislator voted in favor of the plan – and it was not about the resolution, it was about the plan.

The Governor is probably too arrogant to be humiliated, or at least to recognize humiliation when it is delivered. Will be interesting to see how he responds when the General Assemble trounces his idiotic tax plan. Is this man in denial, what?

OBSERVATION: Give that man a hug!!

I saw something really nice the other day. It was at a track meet, watching my 13-year-old son competing.

I noticed one of the other coaches working with his teams. In addition to the obvious pep talk, or post-race congratulations, he hugged his players affectionately – boys and girls alike. Occasionally, he patted a player on the butt as they sped by him.

Why did I say this was something nice?

Well, because it shows that even in these days of anal retentive, hyper-sensitive nut cases, there is still a society that can express caring and encouragement with an supportive embrace. Happily, no parent or student seemed offended by the coach’s actions – in fact, they hardly seemed to be phased at all. Contrary to politically correct paranoia, these were not sexual expressions. They were a way of showing affection and appreciation. They were self-esteem builders. There was a feeling of something really special between coach and athlete, and it was not salacious.

I would like to give personal credit here to this great coach, but I fear revealing his name and school would only sic the sick self-appointed safeguarders of society on him. He would likely be tracked down and made to “stand accused” for transgressions he did not commit outside the midget minds of the moral militia.

POST SCRIPT: I suddenly am reminded of Marva Collins, the founder of Chicago’s Westside Prep school. She was so successful in turning round hardcore inner city kids that they made a movie about her school. Contrary to all the scary warnings of the legal eagles of the school industry, Marva was an on-campus hugger and a kisser.

POST POST SCRIPT: Oh yeah! My son. He came in first in shot put and 4-man relay. Thanks for asking. However, as far as I know, he was not hugged by anyone other than his parents that day.

REACT: Kansas judge overrules God.

As part of our continuing effort to understand why judges need armed protection, we have yet another example of our judiciary out of control. In this case, we are dealing with judicial malfeasance by virtue of stupidity.

Seems like an unnamed young Kansas woman wanted to be a mother, but was not interested in intimacy with someone of the necessary opposite sex. So, she finds a good male specimen among her friends and they informally agree (no written contract) to a bit of sperm bank virtual intercourse. The result is a set of twins.

Ms. Penisphobe says she never intended for the guy to have any daddy involvement. Sort of like fish. The male sprays the egg nest …then swims off into anonymity. Mr. Ricochetromance says he always wanted to be a real daddy to his kids.

Oh! Did is say “his” kids. Not so, according to a Kanas judge.

The court ruled that the sperm donor is in no way the father. He has no more relationship to the twins “than does the taxi driver who rushed their mother to the hospital …” Here we have some a judge overruling science … and God.

If, in a night of drunken abandon, the good lady had suspended her penis anxiety and allowed her equally drunken friend of moment of foolish romping, they still might have had twins, and the courts would be declaring visiting rights --- and hold the guy responsible for 18 years of support payments. Same people. Same egg and sperm. Same twins. The only difference was the proximity of the penis to the birthing chamber.

Hopefully, there remains some sanity at the appellate level, where this case is heading.

Farewell to my Chinese friend.

Time flies. It seems like only a short time ago that Xu Jinzhong was posted in Chicago as the new Chinese Consul General. Not so.

I recently had two occasions to say good-by to my dear friend. One was at a private dinner to which he invited me and a couple of my friends. The other was a more formal farewell reception attended by a larger number of well-deserved friends. He not only leaves Chicago, but his public duties. He is retiring from active duty, as they say.

Consul General Xu leaves behind a large number of true friends and a record of accomplishment in representing the diverse, and often complicated, issues between the United States and China.

More important than his professional accomplishments has been his great integrity, openness and warm friendly personality.

It has been a pleasure to have worked with him over the past few years. But I am confident that the friendship will endure, and we look forward to seeing citizen Xu and his family in Beijing on our frequent trips to the Middle Kingdom.

Jill and I wish him and his wife great happiness in the future years.

REACT: Good kid a felon for an essay?

Well, I certainly did not take long for the Gestapo in Cary, Illinois to make fools of themselves. Let me be clear, I am NOT associating them with the real Gestapo … more like the guys in Mel Brooks’ movies, like The Producers and To Be or Not To Be.

Base on the news stories, they have brought their sleepy little community to the fore of national attention – and none of it good. They managed to take a high school incident and give it more media attention than the debate between the Democrat presidential candidates. THAT is one hell of an accomplishment. They have added a new level of meaning to the word “overreaction.”

What’s the deal?

Well … seems like a young Asian student, Allen Lee, as part of a class assignment, wrote something violent. No argument there. The teacher freaked. With visions of Virginia Tech dancing through her head, she took what she deemed a dangerous document to her superior, and from there it went to the principal. He, in turn, sends Lee’s creative writing to Police. Of course, no one tells the kid’s dad about this.

Now here is the rub, as Shakespeare would say.

According to the LAW, they were not allowed to contact the parents. According to the LAW, they were REQUIRED to bring in the police. This is just the kind of thing that helps you to understand how liberal zealots, lawyers and legislators are screwing up America. But, that’s another issue.

In Cary, we have two fault points. Knowing the idiotic law, the teacher should never have done the equivalent of smashing the fire alarm glass. By all standards, this was a kid well within the range of normal. I think a little teacher-student conversation would have done the trick. By all reports, Lee is a reasonably popular student – not given to dark moody weirdness of past mass killers. He is an honor student. Good family. Okay, so he is a bit quiet.

However, the greater blame belongs to the police. They did not have to arrest the kid and charge him with multiple felonies. A little common sense and an informal visit with the dad and the school officials would have prevented the national outrage. And yes, the police can go to the parents.

Why DID the police arrest him? Because he committed a crime? Way no. They arrested him FOR THE PUBLICITY. Yeah! They, like the comic Gestapo, not only arrested the poor kid, they sent out a press release to make sure the world knew it. A press release, for God’s sake!!! I think this is where the Internet chatterers add … lmao.

Of course, all the officials involved did not seem to care about Lee at all. What will all this false accusation do to his career? What if he is actually convicted of a felony? Will his arrect record follow him through life? (And yes, arrest records are still public information even if you are not prosecuted or acquitted. But that's another issue, too.)

It is very likely that some of Lee’s career options have already dropped dramatically. No matter what happens next, there will always be a shadow over his reputation. They have damaged him significantly --- and undeservedly. It is possible his scheduled entrance into the Marines could be nixed. If that happens, the kid will be elevated to national hero status, and the folks in Cary will be the villans.

My question is: What are the leaders of Cary going to do about the police? Maybe suspension … public scolding and a bad mark in their permanent record?

Oh! Did I forget to mention the obvious racism? Would this have happened if Lee was not Asian – Chinese to be precise? I am betting not. Thanks to the Virginia Tech shooter, Asians are under special scrutiny.

One can only hope that some level of sanity will descend on the little town of Cary, and Lee will be set free, get profuse apologies and be the guest of honor at a school assembly. In a funny sort of way, Lee is a hero for making us aware of how ineptly dangerous are our new laws regarding parental notification and how overzealous school officials can do their own version of damage. It is an example of zero tolerance and mandatory action run amok.

REACT: Guiliani is right about a Dem in White House

Have you ever had one of those situations were the truth should never be said out loud? Former New York Mayor and now presidential aspirant Rudy Giuliani recently said that the election of a Democrat president is more likely to result in a terrorist attack on the United States that the election of a Republican. Sounds pretty self-serving (which it is), and pretty outrageous (which it is not). Despite the whining of the Donkey presidential wannabes, Rudy-pa-tootie is right.

Before the last election, this blog offered a similar version – that the pending success of the congressional Dems would increase terrorist violence all around the world, but especially in the war torn countries of Afghanistan and Iraq. That prediction has come to pass, although I don’t see any of the new leaders of the Senate and House taking responsibility for it.

The logic is simple, and persuasive. Anything that suggests the United States lacks full resolve and commitment to the defeat of terrorism aids and abets the enemy. In the appeasement and surrender mentality of the liberal Democrat, the terrorists find hope, confidence and renewed determination. Perceiving America as a “house divided,” they naturally fight harder.

It is common sense that they will test the new and weaker America with provocative attacks. They we test the limits with increased carnage. They will find propaganda benefits from the public pronouncement by Senate Leader Harry Reid that the war is “lost.” He is certainly entitled to his opinion, but as the leader of the Senate, he has used his position to betray our fighting men and women. The recruitment efforts of the maniacal mass murders will benenfit from the belief in a possible victory– hence more young men and women volunteering for martyrdom through death and destruction as human bombs.

The election of a surrender at all cost Dem president will be celebrated in terrorist-ville with more bullets and bombs – and the United States will NOT be spared. That is just a fact.

OBSERVATION: Of course crime pays.

David Radler, former Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Sunk-Times (Ooops, that should be SUN-Times) is living proof that crime pays. He has just reached a settlement with the SEC to pay more than $28 million to avoid further prosecution. He buys himself a “Get of Jail Free” card.

Not so “free,” you say? Just think of it this way. He is paying his “fine” with a portion of the money he stole. It is like getting caught robbing the bank, and being let go after paying some of the money back. Just think how much the guy stole to be able to pay a fine of $28 million … geez.

Couple this "buy out" and his plea bargain on the other charges, and Radler still winds up a very rich and free man for all his misdeeds. That is not justice.

REACT: In Defense of the Penny ... or boo to you Neil Steinberg

Chicago Sun-Times columnist, Neil Steinberg, has come out against the preservation of the penny. He employs the usual arguments. It’s worth less than the cost of production. It is not used in commerce—at least not necessary. No vending machines use it any more. They just wind up collecting in jars.

True, it costs more than a penny to make one. No longer used in commerce? Why do I always wind up with pennies in my change from the store? And, there ARE still penny gumball machines here and about. One major grocery chain features a penny mechanical horse ride near the check out counter.

All this aside, our buddy Neil misses the true value of the penny.

First of all, it is the only coin with the image of the most revered President, Abraham Lincoln. As the 16th Chief Executive might say, “it is altogether fitting and proper” that his image should be on the most humble of coins, to symbolize his own humble nature. It was the first U.S. coin to feature a President.



Northerners complained that such a great President should be honored with a coin of greater value. Southerners complained that such tributes were for tyrants -- which they viewed Lincoln to be. Still, when introduced in 1909, the Lincoln penny was so popular that long lines formed at the mint, and citizens were limited to one dollars’ worth. People were immediately selling them on the street – three pennies for a nickel. Compare that to the recent releases of the highly touted dollar coins. The face of the penny is said to be “the most reproduced piece of art in the history of the world.” Originally minted in pure copper, it was the most unique U.S. coin.

Should we do away with the penny, what do we do with Lincoln? The absence of a Lincoln on our coinage would be a disgrace. So who goes? Washington booted oft the newly designed quarter? Jefferson off the nickel? Roosevelt off the dime? No larger coin would do. Any Lincoln coin must be in widespread use. Perhaps the most appropriate option would be to replace slave-owning Jefferson with the Great Emancipator. Jefferson still has the two dollar bill. To completely remove Lincoln from coinage of common circulation is unthinkable.

It is true. The penny does wind up in the family coin jar more often than any other coins. In our case, all pennies are put into a coffee tin in my son’s room. Pennies add up. For my son, the can is usually worth up to $10 by the time the copper coins are redeemed at the bank. Alex can then buy something special, or save up for a more expensive item. So, try convincing kids like Alex that pennies are worthless.

And pennies do not add up just for Alex. Did you ever notice all those pennies in the charity jars at the Seven-Eleven counters? If Neil has his way, the needy will have to do without the benefit of a ton (literally) of pennies.

Think about all those kids who start their coin collecting careers with a penny book. They meticulously look through hundreds of pennies to find a 1943 “steel” or those old “wheat” backs. Many kids cannot afford to set aside nickels and dimes for their collections.

I have been told that in some parts of America, “pitching pennies” is still a pastime. And what about all those machines at amusement parks that let you elongate a penny, or “stamp” it into a new inscription of one sort or another. These “elongated” pennies (pictured) are a big business and sought after by avid collectors. (Check out http://www.pressapenny.com/ or http://www.squashedpenny.com/).

I suspect that the inventor of the penny-stretching machine was a kid, like me, who occasionally placed a penny on the railroad track in anticipation of the train that would turn it into a misshaped piece of copper. Not a pastime of which my parents would have approved, although I suspect they knew from whence came those pancaked pennies in my dresser drawer.

Without the penny, compulsive gambling would escalate. I am satisfied playing our nation’s favorite card game, penny-ante poker. Suddenly buying into the game would increase more than two-fold, a minimum nickel replacing the traditional two-penny ante. This is the beginning of serious gaming. And don’t try to sell me on the idea of chips. No friendly poker game is worth a bust hand without real money on the table. That “clink” of the coin hitting the Formica is music. And speaking of gambling. In many bingo halls, the penny is still the preferred card marker --- over plastic chips, corn kernels and ink blotches.

Think of the loss to the language. How can one demand to get back “every penny you owe me?” And what can you do with the money when it is paid back? Why, invest it in “penny stocks.” Some things “won’t cost you a penny.” When I buy something, I want it to be worth “every penny I spent.” What is a better word for a miser than a “penny pincher?” We refer to financial subjects simply as “a matter of dollars and cents.” Lost would be Ben Franklin’s sage advice that “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Borrowing from the Brits, you may think of some people as “penny wise, pound foolish.” What is the compliment to be if not telling that little girl she is as “pretty as a penny?” Or course, some desired item could cost a “pretty penny.” How will the gentle lady announce going to the bathroom if not by say she is going to”spend a penny?” If we are nosey, would be no longer able to “stick in our two cents?” Gone is the relevance of Gene Kelly swirling around a lamp post singing, “every time it rains, it rains … pennies from heaven.”




What well dressed man would be without at least one pair of penny loafers, althoughI rarely see the penny imbedded in the front flap any more. Tons of women’s jewelry has been made from pennies.


How about all those penny websites? Want to know how many pennies to re-create the Empire State building? Check out the mega penny project at http://www2.blogger.com/at%20http:/www.kokogiak.com/megapenny.

The penny is the good luck coin. Sacks of pennies have been good luck gifts at graduations, religious holidays and birthdays. Even when I was 18, Grandma Bessie taped pennies to my card – no nickels or dimes, just 18 shiny pennies. Finding a penny on the street is traditionally followed by a self declaration of good luck. Devotion to the penny reaches theological proportions in the Penny Catechism, where the adoration of the Penny God is explained. (See http://nasw.org/users/twoharts/pennycatechism.html.)

And what about the endless practical uses for the penny?

If my screen door will not stay open with the sliding retainer, a wedged penny restores functionality. I have been known to level off bookcases and electronic devices with pennies. They are ideal for scratching off contest cards. They have served as “shims” behind a door lock plate that did not properly catch the bolt. Handicrafters have turned pennies into hot pads, paperweights. Pennies can even be used to make an AM radio. They can be used to replace a burnt our fuse (ok… bad idea. But they can.).

They are a safety tool. Experts tell us the simplest way to check the tread wear of your tire is to stick a penny in the groove, and if you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, you need to replace the tire.

Our friend Neil would cast a side one of retailers’ most honored traditions -- the “almost” price tag. You know $4.98 for this, or $9.99 for that. Of course prices would be rounded off to the next highest non-penny amount. Multiply this by the billions of penny-change purchases and the elimination of the cent adds millions, maybe billions, of real dollars to the cost of goods. Abolishing the penny is a step toward inflation.

Far from being useless, the penny is among the most useful of coins. It is also the only coin that has survived the degradation of the folks at the mint. It is still a real coin – not the “play money” mintings of recent years. It is our most charming coin. It is part of our American culture. So Neil. A penny for your thoughts?

OP ED: What are those congressional Dems thinking?

I tend to be a pretty go-along guy. Sure, I fully expected to be disappointed by the agenda of the new leadership in Congress. But ... that's part of life. Win some, lose some. What I was not prepared for was the utter abandonment of common sense, decency and good judgment.

In a funny sort of way, I could not be more pleased. At the rate they are going, I am looking forward to the self destruction of the liberal Democrats before the next round of elections. Who could have presaged the craziness coming from Capitol Hill these days?

Of course, the situation in Iraq is a major issue. So far, the Dems have waved the white flag of surrender to the murderous terrorists while declaring partisan political war on the Bush administration. Pelosi, Reid, Durbin et al slipped into leadership by promising to end the war that Bush botched. Now they are faced with the ugly reality or responsibility. Instead of advancing their oft promised "new direction, however, they are running around like Keystone Kops trying to find a political solution to the growing insurrection with the ranks of their own party. Peace at any cost is not sitting well with the public, and these vitriolic schemes to take over the duties of the Commander-in-Chief are down right dangerous. The proposed “delayed surrender” in 2008 is nothing short of insane. It tells the terrorist that time and the Democrat majority is on there side.

Maybe the collapse of the Democrats strategy has placed too much pressure on Speaker Pelosi. She seems to be losing it. First, she was on there verge of appointing a disgraced and impeached judge, now congressman, Alcee Hastings, as chairman of the Intelligence Committee. That was so nutty, that she had to back down or face a vote of “no confidence” in the form of her candidate's rejection by the House membership.

Now she taps Representative William Jefferson (D-LA) for a place on the cloak-and-dagger Home Security Committee. You may recall him as the fellow arrested by the FBI with $90,000 in marked bills wrapped in tinfoil in his freezer -- the proceeds from a bribery sting operation. When they legally raided his office to find more evidence, Pelosi screamed foul, essentially admitting what we all suspected -- that congress is a rule-of-law free-zone. Corruption is officially protected by congressional privilege, implies Pelosi.

Now under the leadership of the liberal left, Congress has tossed out one of the most important and fundamental concepts of a free society -- the secret ballot. In this case it applies to Union elections. In the name of protecting workers, unions will not be able to hold elections with each working having to publicly declare his or her voice. This is such a hideous piece of legislation that I think every member who voted in favor should be impeached and lynched. Ooops. Sorry, we don't lynch any more. Pity. (<-- Now for all you uptight hyper lefties. I was not serious about lynching the Democrat leadership. This was just a joke ... a bit of exaggeration. I find this disclaimer necessary so you do not go around saying conservatives want to kill everyone.) Lighten up, for God sake.)

What the Congress is doing these days under the new leadership is about as extreme as you can get. Oh no. I am not talking extreme liberalism. I am referring to extreme stupidity. I am confident, however, in the (almost) unfailing good judgment of the American people to correct the mistakes of their elected officials. Perhaps 2008 is a better time to defeat both the terrorists and the appeasement-minded Democrat leadership in Congress.

REACT: Senator Kerry gives up yet another piece of his mind

Not long ago, presidential wishful-thinker John Kerry made a widely reported bad joke – suggesting that only the dregs of our society wind up in the military.

More recently, Kerry make it clear that he IS a bad joke.

Finally discovering what everyone in America already new, Kerry came to his own belated conclusion that any continued effort to secure the White House was delusional. Rather than saying he is honestly disappointed by his failure to attain his highest ambition (if that indeed was his highest ambition), Kerry referred to his withdrawal from the race as “liberating.” That is akin to not being invited to your school pals birthday party and saying “I didn’t want to go anyway.”

As if that was not enough, Kerry went on to enthusiastically tell the world that he can now speak his mind and say what he really thinks. WHAT? Is he blurting out an inconvenient truth? Were the constraints of ambition keeping him from honest expression?

Well … as if THAT was not bad enough, Kerry, suddenly realizing his faux pax, made an inept attempt to recover by spinning that he would, of course, say the same things, but they would be heard differently? Now what in Hell does that mean?

Like a fish on dry land, Kerry was flopping in vain hope of somehow landing back in the water, but to no avail.

The next time Kerry offers up what is on his mind, we should recognize that he apparently has already given more than he has retained.