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Lest anyone think I only ever post about women's issues in the news, here are some random things that jumped out at me today:
Obama rolls out his new budget proposal to criticism from Republicans. Big surprise. Is this angle unusual enough to warrant the "news" appellation? How about something like "Lone Republican Doesn't Automatically Bitch About Something a Democrat Suggests"? (Of course, that would be difficult to write, but surely not impossible?) If Obama proposed a law that everybody got to keep both feet, Boehner would immediately jump up, demand that everybody cut off three toes ... and then probably start crying, I don't know (I swear I've never seen a more emo public figure; Jim Bakker didn't sob that much during his Jessica Hahn confessions). Anyway, to the meat of this news, Obama is proposing more money for education but less for Pell grants, a cut to summer classes spending for college students, and less defense spending on new equipment. That's what I gleaned from the article, anyway.
Speaking of politics, more pre-election year WTFery with one unsuitable GOP candidate sniping about another unsuitable campaigner. I haven't seen anyone in the GOP camp I'd vote for if Beezlebub were standing over me with a pitchfork, and I'm actually looking. Believe it or not, I think our political process works better when each camp puts forth a reasonably good candidate with reasonable flaws and strengths, but for the last 30 years the GOP has been playing "Can You Spot the Sane One?" like an extended game of "Where's Waldo?" *headshake*
(And before you Republicans in the audience start waving a finger at me for being disingenous, I can think of at least ONE candidate who would fit this bill, is a woman reasonably close to Sarah Palin's age, and doesn't seem to have lost all her marbles just yet - Sarah Steelman from Missouri. I might not vote for her, but neither would I throw myself headlong into the Ohio River if someone lost to her.)
The USDA employee who was fired last year over racial remarks taken out of context is suing the blogger who did the uncontexting. Good for her, says I. If you're telling a story about how you used to hold a particular predjudice in the attempt to explain how and why you changed your outlook, that's A GOOD THING. Especially when you do it in a public forum where you know you can be scrutinized and questioned further on your change of heart. The woman was never unwilling to explain her remarks further; she was just penalized for them before she could, which is a black mark (no pun meant) on Obama and Vilsack.
Finally, anyone else remember Chandra Levy? She disappeared while working as an intern in D.C. and Rep. Gary Condit (a Democrat, I'll note, so people understand I don't randomly play favorites) was investigated because he'd had an affair with her. It looked for a while, too, like he'd killed her (and he might've, who knows? Circumstances against him were pretty bad). The reason I remember this - and I'll wager a lot of other Americans who remember it remember for the same reason - is it was THE biggest U.S. news story in 2001 on Sept. 10, and had been all summer. Life, news, and politics have changed radically since then. Just an observation.
Obama rolls out his new budget proposal to criticism from Republicans. Big surprise. Is this angle unusual enough to warrant the "news" appellation? How about something like "Lone Republican Doesn't Automatically Bitch About Something a Democrat Suggests"? (Of course, that would be difficult to write, but surely not impossible?) If Obama proposed a law that everybody got to keep both feet, Boehner would immediately jump up, demand that everybody cut off three toes ... and then probably start crying, I don't know (I swear I've never seen a more emo public figure; Jim Bakker didn't sob that much during his Jessica Hahn confessions). Anyway, to the meat of this news, Obama is proposing more money for education but less for Pell grants, a cut to summer classes spending for college students, and less defense spending on new equipment. That's what I gleaned from the article, anyway.
Speaking of politics, more pre-election year WTFery with one unsuitable GOP candidate sniping about another unsuitable campaigner. I haven't seen anyone in the GOP camp I'd vote for if Beezlebub were standing over me with a pitchfork, and I'm actually looking. Believe it or not, I think our political process works better when each camp puts forth a reasonably good candidate with reasonable flaws and strengths, but for the last 30 years the GOP has been playing "Can You Spot the Sane One?" like an extended game of "Where's Waldo?" *headshake*
(And before you Republicans in the audience start waving a finger at me for being disingenous, I can think of at least ONE candidate who would fit this bill, is a woman reasonably close to Sarah Palin's age, and doesn't seem to have lost all her marbles just yet - Sarah Steelman from Missouri. I might not vote for her, but neither would I throw myself headlong into the Ohio River if someone lost to her.)
The USDA employee who was fired last year over racial remarks taken out of context is suing the blogger who did the uncontexting. Good for her, says I. If you're telling a story about how you used to hold a particular predjudice in the attempt to explain how and why you changed your outlook, that's A GOOD THING. Especially when you do it in a public forum where you know you can be scrutinized and questioned further on your change of heart. The woman was never unwilling to explain her remarks further; she was just penalized for them before she could, which is a black mark (no pun meant) on Obama and Vilsack.
Finally, anyone else remember Chandra Levy? She disappeared while working as an intern in D.C. and Rep. Gary Condit (a Democrat, I'll note, so people understand I don't randomly play favorites) was investigated because he'd had an affair with her. It looked for a while, too, like he'd killed her (and he might've, who knows? Circumstances against him were pretty bad). The reason I remember this - and I'll wager a lot of other Americans who remember it remember for the same reason - is it was THE biggest U.S. news story in 2001 on Sept. 10, and had been all summer. Life, news, and politics have changed radically since then. Just an observation.
