Rice Unsuited

Anyone taking the trouble to read Susan Rice’s bio will be duly impressed with her credentials, experience and scholarship. Still, with all due respect I must disabuse such person of the notion these qualify her to be Secretary of State. Her primary focus/discipline from the start of her career has been African affairs. She gave her several dissertations on this, and has served in various capacities addressing the African...

Dirty Dancing, Politically

For over two months pundits on both sides have queried Benghazi in shallow fashion. On the left, for weeks and weeks we heard how this was a spontaneous riot, very unfortunate but no big deal. They also tried to spin how the right was hell-bent on politicizing it, trying to take momentary advantage on the eve of the election, falsely sullying Obama’s foreign policy image and impugning his effectiveness as...

Dear Ben

I’ve heard you on numerous occasions speak of tax increases and raising the debt ceiling. You’re a nice man and a good conservative, but you just don’t get it. When you describe the Tea Party caucus as being too strident or inflexible, I’d like to remind you how those other republican guys in congress contributed heavily to the mess we’re in, with their affability. The ones who pride themselves on reaching across...

Middle Class

When democrats talk of the middle class they mean grassroots families, mostly blue collar, who earn enough to own a modest home in a safe neighborhood, have a couple of cars, can save for their kids’ college and put something away for retirement. This is an over-simplification, for I’m sure this label means more. Some would say it’s a state of mind, a path or condition leading to better things. It could be a modest...

Akin Still Racin’

A while back Mr. Akin, running for the senate from Missouri against Claire McCaskill, was ostracized/repudiated by the republican establishment for remarks he made at a public event, basically claiming a woman’s physiology enables her to avoid pregnancy during rape. She controls her body, even in this circumstance, he contended, can will it to be unreceptive during criminal assault. The medical community, women’s groups...

Smilin’ Biden

There were many memorable moments during the Vice-President debate the other night, but most agree the main image committed to memory was the grimacing, glaring, smiling facial antics of Vice President Biden. It seemed every time Congressman Ryan tried to make a point, he would immediately begin his routine, adding softly modulated groans and grunts for emphasis. He also rudely interrupted Ryan numerous times, unwilling or...