In a week when I find it tough to focus on the world of politics, much is happening in that realm. A decision is expected imminently in the latest Prop 8 trial, this one held in a San Francisco federal court. Should Judge Vaughn Walker decide that the courts can impose social change, watch for the legal drama to continue until this reaches the U.S. Supreme Court. Expect further social divisions on gay marriage and further whining from gay activists, with little discussion of the meaning of the institution and why its benefits and responsibilities are good for married couples in general and gay people in particular.
With the Senator who stole Christmas now signed up to vote for the Democrats’ financial overhaul legislation, this 2,000-plus page bill is set for passage, further regulating the banking industry, providing additional paperwork responsibilities on small banks, is all but certain to pass. This will discourage rather than encourage small banks from making loans to small businesses, the enterprises the most net new jobs, thus further delaying a real economic recovery.
(Take note of the bias in the AP article on Senator Nelson’s switch; they dub the liberal Nebraska Senator a “conservative Democrat“!)
Democratic Senate candidates traveled to Canada for political fundraisers while one poll shows my gal Carly Fiorina surging ahead of Barbara Boxer in the race for the U.S. Senate seat that that 28-year Washington veteran has held since the last days of the George H.W. Bush Administration.
Log Cabin’s suit to overturn Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell (DADT) gets a hearing in federal court. This lawsuit causes us to question whether that ostensibly Republican organization understands conservative ideas and constitutional principles. A conservative organization should be wary of setting precedents that would allow courts to second guess the executive and legislature on matters military. (They are basically compounding the problem begun by Bill Clinton who, when trying to save his political skin back in 1993 (shortly after Mrs. Boxer first won election to the Senate), allowed the legislature to intervene on a matter the constitution clearly delegated to the president.)
A new poll shows that 6 in 10 Americans Lack Faith in Obama.
And with scant evidence and many dubious (if not discredited anecdote), “the NAACP will vote on a resolution condemning Tea Partiers for the fact that there are racists in their midst.” No word yet on whether they’ll repudiate their own racist comments about an African-American Tea Party activist, caught on tape.
I doubt they’ll provide similar evidence to justify their charges. Or note the number of Tea Party activists and leaders who have repudiated the racist statements of a few nutcases on the fringe of the movement.
When it comes to identity politics, guess there’s really no need to provide facts to support your narrative, self-evident to the purveyors of conventional wisdom.
UPDATE: And a new Pew poll shows Obamacare less popular now than just after passed: In April, 40% of Americans approved of the overhaul, now just 35% do while the number disapproving jumping from 44 to 47%. Wonder what Ezra Klein has to say about that.
Please note the sounds-of-silence emanating from the White House. This President who appealed to a wide-cross section of voters only two years ago, should be acting more Presidential in strongly telling the NAACP this is not right and counter productive. His silence toward the NAACP provides yet more narrative on Mr. Obama, a narrative that more and more Americans are disliking by the day.
Apparently, the leadership of the NAACP and those in the Obama political war room want the country to be of days-gone-by ignoring the advances and realities of today with no better evidence than the man occupying the White House.
Do we still have race issues? Of course, however, I firmly believe that in an attempt to rally the base for Obama and Democrats, the NAACP is dealing a blow to race relations because non-minority Americans get tired of the race card being played like the Sheppard that cried wolf too often.
Ultimately, this is only going to fire up the tea party base in the upcoming elections and have no impact on minority turnout. Our society is more diverse and folks are much more independent in their thoughts. The days of Catholic voting blocks or union voting blocks or black voting blocks are passe. The era of instant communication has broken those old walls down and folks have various sources to get information and there by draw their own conclusions.
It’s absolutely one of the worst forms of racism when “racism” is thrown about like the NAACP is now doing. It’s also the worst form of “racism” against those they purport to being trying to help. Minorities are NOT some monolithic group with one group-think.
In America, we are a collection of nationalities, backgrounds, religious beliefs or non-beliefs, men and women who have worts but also have the keys to the world’s most amazing country. A country that has grown from it’s early beginnings when the slave issue was tossed aside to get the Constitution approved; later fought the bloodiest war in our history to bring freedom to those enslaved; had an incredible man called Martin Luther King help open our eyes and moved us down the path to fulfilling the equal rights as outlined in the Constitution and ultimately elect a man as President in 2008 that just happened to be black.
That you call this a post about what’s going on ‘around the world’ and then to only mention things going on in America, says LOADS about your lack of ‘need to provide facts to support your narrative, self-evident to the purveyors of conventional wisdom.’ Naval-gazing cracker.
The Presbyterian Church PCUSA voted to no longer bar committed gay couples from ordination–this now needs to be approved by local churches.
My, my, my, Armitage, we do need engage in name-calling, don’t we? Do hope it made you feel better.
“Naval gazing cracker”.
Lots of people like to watch the Blue Angels while eating snack foods. What’s your point?