While waiting for my brother-in-law and checking my accumulated e-mail, I caught this in James Taranto’s Best of the Web:

But we have argued for years against the pernicious practice of falsely imputing racism to one’s opponents in order to discredit them–a practice so common among liberals that entire academic subspecialties are devoted to it.

That does seem to be the main purpose of imputing racism to the Tea Party protesters.  Unwilling to address the concerns they raise, their critics resort to mean-spirited slurs.

Perhaps when I have a moment, I might try to probe their “need” to call their opponents racist, you know, as some would do in an “academic discipline.”

Over the past few weeks, I have become increasingly pessimistic about the prospects for DADT repeal in the coming year.  Earlier in the year, seeing the Administration taking the necessary first steps toward repeal, I had thought they were developing a strategy, first to get the military brass on board, then to push repeal through Congress.

Seemed things were moving in the right direction.

Right now, however, DADT repeal just doesn’t seem it’s a priority for this president.   Part of the problem is that his team wants to use the time his party has such big majorities to push forward their big government initiatives, expanding the power of the state while they have the chance.  DADT repeal doesn’t further that end.  Indeed, it actually limits the power of the state rather than increases it.

Not just that, the president’s party has nothing to gain politically by repeal.  

Democrats know they won’t lose the gay vote if they betray this promise to the gay community.  Joe Solmonese won’t be any less enthusiastic in his support for the Democratic Party or any less obsequious in his obeisance to and admiration of Obama if his fellow partisan continues to offer only lip service and make token gestures (including extending White House invitations to) the gay community.

In her piece on gay conservatives for the Washington Blade, new GOProud board member Jessica Lee pretty much sums it up:

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is the most dramatic and disappointing example of the Democrats’ failure. Despite overwhelming public support for repeal, Congress is at an impasse on the issue and the administration of our “fierce advocate,” despite his promise to repeal, is now urging Congress not to vote for repeal this year.

It is clear the gay community is taken for granted by the Democratic Party. No matter how much money we give them or how many doors we knock on for their candidates our issues are never a priority. And not until we make Democrats compete for our money and our votes will they be.

Early Friday afternoon, after I rounded a bend heading east on I-80 in New Jersey, I looked up and saw the skyline of Manhattan and I smiled, recalling that almost exactly five days earlier — on the preceding Sunday, I had driven past the skyline of downtown Los Angeles as I headed east. 

It was a pretty cool feeling, not diminished by the fact that this is now my eighth such trek across the country (so far three times round-trip and the drive I made when I moved to LA plus this one).

Of course, just a few minutes after looking forward to an early arrival at my sister’s, I encountered bumper-t0-bumper traffic leading up to the George Washington Bridge.  My sister had told me to tune into AM 1010 for traffic updates and I learned that I had a 30-minute wait.  Just about 28 minutes later, I pulled into the tollbooth.  Maybe 20 minutes after that I was with her family.

30 minutes later, my fifth eldest nephew beat me at Ping Pong.

And while I didn’t have the time to stop and see the scenery as I had on past journeys, I did get to see family and friends, including my oldest nephew, now a Lieutenant in the Air Force as well as a friend from my College Republican days and a classmate from grad school.  I liked the combination of family as well as my political and mythological relationships.

Not to mention the chance I had to meet some of our readers in the Windy City.

The first time I did such a drive, I saw fewer friends and more scenery, discovering three national parks, Zion, Sequoia and Yosemite — and going on some pretty amazing hikes. (more…)