Go Ahead…Make My Day…Again…Again…

It’s like Clint Eastwood has come to town and all the bad guys are hiding under the tables or in closets. President Obama is striking down one stupid rule after another his predecessor left behind. It’s a martial arts level kung fu pen-fest, signing (or consigning) the detritus of ignorance from the last eight years into the dustbin of… Well, he's overturned the international gag rule concerning abortion information. He’s undoing the restrictions on stem cell research. He has ordered Gitmo shut down within a year and a panel to look into what to do with the detainees. Before the vacillations of moral outrage erupt over the gag rule overturn, it should be considered how absurd and cowardly a ban on talking about something actually is. And I don’t mean from a national security perspective. Clearly, some information is sensitive in that sense and should not be publicly disseminated. But in the case of the gag rule, we’re talking about something that is, for all intents and purposes, Public Knowledge. If you know what to look for, anyone can find this information and not be arrested for having it. Yet grown men and women have been constrained from talking about it in the performance of their duties as doctors and nurses. What part of “choice” do the enemies of choice not understand?

Continue ReadingGo Ahead…Make My Day…Again…Again…

One more thing about Bush. (He’s not so dumb).

I promise I won't muse any more about Bush for quite a while- unless something really juicy happens. Right now, though, I can't resist. After a year or more of Bush keeping himself entirely mum and dull, his demise has sparked a mini-flurry of consideration- for me, anyway.  Has everyone seen Bush's…

Continue ReadingOne more thing about Bush. (He’s not so dumb).

To avoid conspiracy kook-ery, Obama retakes oath.

After Tuesday's Inaugural oopsie- now obviously Justice Roberts' fault- Obama decided to retake the oath of office. I love the term that Greg Craig used when explaining the redo.  "Abundance of caution".  Read: to keep the conspiracy wingnuts from trying to oust the President on the basis of minutiae. Read:…

Continue ReadingTo avoid conspiracy kook-ery, Obama retakes oath.

In by the hair on our chinny chin chins

Yes, the Bush Administration is now gone, with Bush himself finally helicoptered out.  And just look at this exquisite satellite photo of yesterday's crowd for the swearing in! We'd like to think that the American people have now seen the light, and that we can now rationally approach solutions to…

Continue ReadingIn by the hair on our chinny chin chins