Lawd hep me, I took notes during three Sunday news shows.
Based on my earlier proclaimed disinterest in the 2008 presidential campaign, I ALMOST blew off Meet the Press’s hour-long slog with New Mexico’s Governor Bill Richardson. But I’m partial to the name, so I decided to sit a spell. Bill is my brother’s name, and another Bill Richardson was a friend of my brother in the mid 60s when we were still groan up, pun intended. And Bill Richardson was a brother of my good friend Jim Richardson who shared my passion for aviation. So I watched for 20 minutes before blowing it off. What drove me to switch to Fox was a flash of NewMex Bill’s black hole where his integrity should be.
Tim Russert asked him about a protest by the mother of a soldier named Austin who was KIA in Iraq. (I wasn’t taking notes yet, otherwise I could tell you first names. Richardson has been making campaign speeches which described how his conversation with and sympathy for the demised serviceman’s mother led him to increase New Mexico’s compensation for citizens of that state who have died in war. Mrs. Austin denies Richardson had such a conversation as BR describes it in his speeches, demanded he stop using her name and her son’s name in his campaign and demanded an apology for his lies regarding their conversation. Russert asked him if he would apologize.
What should have been a 15 second statement of apology and contrition became two minutes of telling TV viewers how hard he has fought to increase veterans’ death compensation and how he’s fighting for families of veterans today. Russert pressed him, asking if he had mis-represented his conversation with Mrs. Austin. Again he sidestepped the issue and talked about his efforts on behalf of dead servicepersons’ families. Russert asked him if he would apologize as Austin had demanded. Richardson explained he and Mrs. Austin’s memories of the conversation were different. Russert asked if he was sorry that he had said what he had said about the Austins in his speeches. Richardson said he would stop using the Austins’ names in his speeches and that he was sorry. Russert pressed, “Are you apologizing to the Austin family in saying you’re sorry?” (or words to that effect) Richardson said he was sorry that Austin feels badly about her conversation with him! He DID NOT APOLOGIZE to Mrs. Austin! . . . . I had to catch my breath. How hard a heart must this third-rate equivocator have to be so dense and bereft of human empathy and honesty? Who the heck does he think he is? #43?
That was when I began taking notes. Then I switched to Fox and Chris Wallace’s excellent round table discussion with Juan Williams, Britt Hume and a new face whose name I should have noted because she is a first class conversationalist/reporter/analyst.
And at 11 to This Week With George the Greek — ALWAYS a great show; I just can’t spell Stephanopolous.
Jim Gilmore, Republican Party candidate for the nomination to run for president . . . . of the United States of America. I wrote recently how I believe serious attention to the contenders at this time is like predicting the outcome of a basketball contest five minutes after the starting buzzer. Based on what I learned from his interview with George, Mr. Gilmore is not even the fellow who brings towels to the team on the bench. He’s the guy who picks up the used ones and puts them into the dirty towel bin. That’s how much of a player he is in the presidential game. I KNOW Paul Reubens (who played Pee Wee Herman) so believe me when I tell you, Mister GIlmore; you are NO Paul Reubens.
Boxers and briefs are in a wad over the immigration bill. The gutless wonders are shreiking “You can’t deport 11 million illegals back to Guadalacaca!,” so to speak. (Don’t blame me; the name is part of a Firesign Theater comedy routine from the late 60s) To this I recall a Readers Digest anecdote from the 60s when my family subscribed and I consumed every issue as though it was manna. True story: a fellow was pulled over for speeding on the freeway, and as the officer was writing out his speeding ticket, the fellow politely asked him (words to the effect) “Why did you pick on me? There must be a thousand drivers going faster than I was, all breaking the law.” The officer asked him if he’d ever walked into his kitchen at home and discovered five or six flies buzzing around? You take your swatter and you go after them, not to swat every one of them into fly heaven because you know you probably won’t be able to get them all. But you try anyway. And you get what you can.
I wish the priestly politicians would consider the following. SEND THE ILLEGALS BACK BECAUSE THEY HAVE BROKEN THE LAW of the country in which they have chosen to live. It doesn’t matter if it’s legal in MEXICO for its citizens to cross the border into the USA without legal protocol. It is illegal to enter the USA without obeying the law. We passed a law that says drivers may not exceed 65 miles per hour on the highway, and even though people drive faster, our dedicated law enforcement officers do what they can to encourage drivers to obey the law. So what?
So, if we can’t send 11 million law breakers back to the country where they are citizens, let’s send eight million back. Returning eight million is better than returning none.If we can’t return eight million illegal aliens, let us return five million. It will be better than returning none. If we can’t return five million, let us return two million. It will be getter than returning none. If we fail in returning two million, let us return 800,000. It will be better than returning none. If we cannot teturn 800,000 to their homeland, let us return 5,000. It will be better than returning none. If we cannot return 5,000 to the land from which they illegally entered the USA, let us return 47 and the pregnant, unregistered cocker spaniel they call “Family.” It will be better than returning none.And finally, a new low in television advertising.
Toward the end of This Week, viewers were “treated” to a commercial for a “stool softener” which is ingested like an aspirin,, perhaps ideally with a tall snifter of prune juice. I don’t remember the name of the product, but I did take note of its slogan. “It doesn’t make you go. It lets you go.” I wonder if the drug industry, in cooperation with the US Congress could produce an “exit softener” for the president of the USA. Take one of these, your #43-ship. It doesn’t MAKE you bring our brave men and women home. It LETS you bring them home.”
Live long . . . . . and proper.
