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Archive for May, 2010

PC BS!

29 May

It strikes me as an act of absolute silliness for the Kansas City, Missouri City Council to approve a resolution calling on Arizona to rescind its anti-immigration law.  It’s silly for several reasons:  It resolves nothing.  It has no effect or application in law.  It’s none of the council’s business.  It is not a reflection of the Kansas City community’s views.  And, it serves to further antagonize area residents who live outside Kansas City, Missouri, and already have a less than positive opinion of its government.  It’s also silly–to use that word again—that two council members have declined invitations to be on the S&P program to explain the rationale for the measure.  One was a co-author, Beth Gottstein; the other, Mayor Funkhouser.   The mayor’s office reported last Friday that he was “too busy” to join us for a short conversation.  Odd, he’s not short of time when he wants to promote his “Schools First” initiative.  Never short of time to make an hour-long monthly appearance on the program.    The mayor missed a golden opportunity to enhance his re-election hopes by opposing this ludicrous idea.  Funkhouser says that his experience as mayor has made him more responsive to conservative impulses.  This should have been one of those times!

 
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Life saver or “Life Saver”?

22 May
While enjoying Laura Bush’s speech last Friday at Unity Temple on the Plaza, I began a protracted bout of coughing.  Periodically, I suffer these episodes brought on by bronchitis, sinus irritation, allergies or maybe a combination thereof.  Typically, if this happen, I simply leave my seat quietly and step out, get a drink of water and return.  I chose not to this time because I was sitting on the front row (thanks to the kindness of Vivian Jennings at Rainy Day Books who sponsored the event) and my departure and re-entry would have been viewed by Mrs. Bush and the other 849 people in attendance.  I may enjoy the spotlight, but not that much.  It was a stroke of good fortune that former mayor Dick Berkley was seated near me.  During my coughing spasm, he handed me a cough drop.  That solved the problem and I remained cough free for the rest of the presentation.  Later, I thanked Dick and said the cough drop was a lifesaver.  Then, unable to resist a play-on–words, I added, “ Well, actually, it wasn’t a “Life Saver,” it was a cough drop.”
 
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Specter of defeat.

20 May
First, a disclaimer.  I am related to Senator Arlen Specter.  He and I are first cousins.  His mother and my father were brother and sister.  Both are long deceased.  I don’t know Arlen well and have had little contact with him.  When we have spent time together—at family functions, for example–I’ve found him to be intelligent, clever and gracious.  In terms of his political views, I’ve not always agreed with his positions when he was a Republican and less so during his year as a Democrat.  As you well know by now, Arlen lost the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania on Tuesday and so his 30-year tenure in the U.S. Senate will conclude in early 2011.  It’s an unfortunate end for a senate career that began in 1980 when he was part of the Republican “new guard” helping to usher in the “Reagan Revolution” What an irony that the longest-serving senator in Pennsylvania history will leave office not of his own volition, but, instead, at voters’ behest.
 
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One-armed economist!

15 May
President Harry Truman once famously said he wanted to find a one-armed economist.  He was tired of being given economic choices that might produce a good result, but on the other-hand, might not.  I (I suspect we) can easily understand Truman’s frustration.  A week or two ago, I heard a news story claiming economic analysts were fearful that Greece (and Europe’s) lack of commitment to adopting an austere budget were responsible for that day’s decline in the stock market.  Last week, I heard this:  Analysts were concerned that fears of what a commitment by Greece (and Europe) to budget austerity would do to spending triggered the day’s drop on Wall Street.  Would the one-armed economist please raise his hand and explain!
 
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Blue Jay!

02 May

It was painful to watch Jay Leno at last night’s White House Correspondents Dinner.  The master of the one-liners lost his mastery, telling predictable jokes and falling far short of the performance that preceded his—that of President Obama.   I think Leno’s main problem was that he was confined to the area behind a podium, a lectern.  Normally, he roams the stage of the “Tonight Show” and is not working in a limited space.  Also, he was using note cards, visibly flipping one to the other as one joke died and the next prepared to be sacrificed.  Usually, Leno is much better.  He, more than anyone, must be deeply disappointed by his work last evening.  It’s painful to flop! I speak from experience.  Even the best  have an off-day once in a while.   Lest anyone doubt that, watch the video of Leno’s performance!

 
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