Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter,  the 39th President of the United States and the first to live to 100, died today after a long illness. 

Carter is the first President I personally remember, although my memories are largely negative and intertwined with his sucesssor: the Iran hostage crisis,  a 1980 Reagan commercial featuring an aircraft carrier, and watching Reagan's inauguration and hearing how Iran smited Carter by delaying the hostage release.

My Dad, a lifelong Democrat,  told me he abandoned Carter in 1980. Pop's opinion of Carter's Presidency was not kind. 

As with most of America, my own views of Carter softened with four decades of post-Presidental service.  I remember him here in Milwaukee,  building homes with Habitat for Humanity, and being protested by the local idiot Alderman, Michael McGee. 

I don't doubt Carter's worth as a human.

I do however, think history has reassessed his term too favorably,  just by nature of him being alive so long.  It was not,  by any objective measure, a successful four years for this country.

Even so, he was our President and gave this nation his all, and for that,  he deserves the respect of every American. 

RIP

Jimmy Carter Turns 100 Today!

 

Today Jimmy Carter became the first US President to become a centenarian, celebrating his 100th birthday - despite spending the last 19 months in hospice. Once again, Carter defied the odds.  

Sto Lot indeed!

Whatever your opinions on his Presidency, whatever your opinion on his politics and his opinions, put it aside. Today is a day to celebrate a life long, and well, lived. 

Happy Birthday Mr. President! 

End the Honeymoon

 It's been twelve days since Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 election, and about 11.75 days since Kamala Harris was anointed the Democratic nominee..

I'm not saying she wouldn't have been the pick if Joe had withdrawn sooner: she's the sitting VP, she checks all  the right age/sex/race boxes, etc. 

I'm also not saying she shouldn't be the pick. 

But . . 

More than sixty years ago the parties stopped deciding Presidential candidates internally - supposedly - and turned to the primaries to give the voters a nominal voice in the process. 

Nominal, because the primaries are rigged for one or two favorites each cycle, and the nominee is all but chosen by the time some states have their primary. 

But my goodness, what have we done in 2024? We've - well, the DNC - has crowned a candidate without input from a single primary. They've even done it while skirting the traditional nomination process at the convention. Apparently, not only the public is excluded from deciding, but so are the delegates at the convention. 

In those 12 days Harris has given zero press conferences, and has been exposed to no serious journalistic questions. The media has gone mum on all of their criticism of her, which, while benign, existed prior to a few weeks ago. 

Again, this isn't an anti-Harris post. It isn't the person that bothers me, it's the sleight of hand behind the scenes. 

This is the same media that denied up and down that Joe Biden was physically unfit for office, that covered it up for months at the risk of an election loss, or worse. Then, when it was on display for the world at the debate, and they couldn't pull off the lie, they turned on him like a pack of wolves.

Now, 100% of coverage is about Kamala Harris, and how wonderful she is. No discussion. No questioning. No dissension.

I am not a conspiracy guy. I don't think humans are dependable enough to keep mum and pull off a national or international scam. But by all I hold dear, the belief in my head that this republic can't be bought outright . . well, it's fading fast. 

The media should not crown a King, or a Queen. Neither should a party chairman and high dollar donors.

 So far, all 3 have tried their best to do so in 2024, and I think they'll succeed. 

I was Just Thinking

I was just thinking about this: outside of Trump, there are very few people who have ever ran for President, as a major party nominee, three times. Nixon (1960,'68', '72), FDR (1932, '36, '40, '44), and Cleveland (1884, '88, '92).  

Anyone else I've missed?

Henry Kissinger

Henry Kissinger, the influential Secretary of State for two Presidents and arguably the most impactful Cabinet member of the 20th century, has died at age 100.

Kissinger helped define American policy in the final third of the last century, playing major roles in "opening" China to the West, solidifying our ties to Israel, and negotiating the end of the American war in Vietnam. 

He was, in my childhood, the unquestioned Dean of foreign policy, whether you looked at him as friend or foe.

Kissinger's polices were anethema to the Left during the Vietnam War, and some of the latest generation - separated by decades from both Kissinger's tenure and the stresses and demands that dominated it - have gone a step further. They are cheering and applauding his death, a display I find both distateful and telling. 

RIP

Rosalynn Carter

Rosalynn Carter, 1/2 of the longest married Presidential couple in American history, died today at the age of 96. 

The Carter Administration was the first that I have memories of, and I think it's telling that it even as a child of a democratic household the bits and pieces that came down to me at the time were negatives: the Iran hostage situation, a troubled economy , and the defeat to Reagan in 1980.In the histories I've read, she was often far more attuned to what was needed, and what consequences were to follow, than her husband. 

I have of course watched Mrs Carter spend the last 42 years alongside her husband as he salvaged his personal reputation through personal service to communities across the nation. I've always been impressed by her stature and her obvious intelligence. 

With her death the 77 year marriage comes to an end, and I can't help but fear that Jimmy himself will long to meet her again soon.

RIP

This isn't the kind of history you want to see created

 Let’s be clear about one thing: the unprecedented – literally – ousting of sitting Speaker of the House by a maverick group of extreme-right Republicans yesterday?

Idiotic.

Last week Speaker Kevin McCarthy orchestrated a bi-partisan effort to avoid a government shutdown. Whatever the merits of the act, and your opinion of it, it was mundane. It was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a grand betrayal of the Republic.

Enter Rep. Matt Gaetz, who as part of the deal McCarthy made to secure his leadership, had pushed for a rule change to allow any single lawmaker the ability to file a motion to vacate the Speakership.

He did so.

Gaetz and seven Republicans voted to oust; they were joined, ironically, by 208 Democrats.

No Speaker had ever been ordered to vacate the post. Until yesterday.

Don’t try and tell me that this was some triumph of principle over tradition. That’s a lie, both for the extremist cadre of Republicans and their newfound Democratic allies. The former are content to scorch the earth, as governance seems a secondary desire to them. And the Democrats? A petty, partisan pile-on. Unless you think they voted to oust McCarthy because he worked with them last week, which seems like a good way to ensure no olive branches are extended in the future.

Chaos rules the House today. There is no Speaker. There is no easy *path* to Speakership, as any candidate would have to concede points to the fringe to get the votes, and after yesterday, who will trust them?

If Gaetz and company wanted to demonstrate to the world that the party is in turmoil, mission accomplished. If they wanted to handcuff a third of the government, the mission was accomplished.  Beyond that . . .

Shameful.

Dianne Feinstein

 

Diane Feinstein, the longest serving Senator from California and the oldest member of the Senate, has died. She was 90. 

A centrist by her state's standards, in 1992 she became the first California woman to be elected to the Senate, after previously serving as Mayor of San Francisco. 

That centrist reputation served her well through the first three decades of her Senate career, but put her at odds with her constituents as California moved further Left in recent years. 

You might remember recent questions about her mental acuity - even from party members - as her age began to affect her work. Partly if not fully in response to that criticism, she had announced she would not seek re-election after her current term, which was to end next year. 

RIP 

RIP Walter Mondale

RIP to former VP and Presidential candidate Walter "Fritz" Mondale, age 93. I remember my Grandma comforting me the night he lost in '84, as I cried in my bed. 

The Centennial of the Harding Presidency

100 years ago today, Warren Harding was inaugurated as President. Even after a century his reputation is largely that of an incompetent surrounded by crooks, but that is a falsehood historians have been trying to rectify for years.

The "Tea Pot Dome scandal" seems to have been partially a frame up, as in retrospect it turned on the word of a now- known perjurist. And many of the "truths" about the era, from a distance, appear as blatant political attacks. Harding was an adulterer and Prohibition wasn't exactly taken seriously under his Justice Dept, but c'est la vie. 

Here's what is not in dispute: Harding spoke out for Civil Rights and vigorously, if unsuccessfully, pursued a federal anti-lynching law (FDR, for the record, opposed one as President.) He negotiated a successful naval treaty, released political prisoners taken under Wilson, expanded the nation's use of radio, was the first President to visit Canada, established the Budget Office that is still in use today, and got the country out of a Recession through the use of said Budget Office. 

Not a great President. But not a bad one either. 

Happy Anniversary President Harding!

George Schultz

 

I'm very sad to hear of the passing of former Sec'y of State George Schultz. RIP sir.

LOL - or is it?

Evelyn Wood don't fail me now.

You Don't Say

Network (CBS iirc) shows crowds of thousands in Times Square celebrating Biden's media coronation

Anchor: There's a lot of masks, but no social distancing . . . But I guess the pandemic doesn't matter anymore. 

***

I can't tell if that was snark or a confession.

What changed?

 Democrats in 2016: "Russia rigged the election!"

Democrats in 2020: "How DARE you question the validity of this election!!? The process is pure!"

Uh-Oh

Huckleberry sheds a tear as Biden pulls ahead . . . #RedKingdom

Election Day is Finally Here

Am I anxious? Sure. I've probably taken in 4k calories so far today. But I've seen my candidates win, and I've seen them lose, and life will go on. I'll be PO'd, but I'll live. The girls tho are real nervous. YaYa showed up this morning with candidate cookies and ham and rolls, and Junie and her friends are sometimes cheerful, sometimes morose or fearful. But like I told them - 100 years ago, someone's daughter started the day distraught over the thought that Harding might lose to Cox, and her fears were every bit as heartfelt and genuine. The calendar page turns, and life goes on.

In retrospect, an ominous boast

Remember that decency is on the ballot.

Also, remember to board up your stores in case the party of decency doesn’t get their way. - me

Yeah, sure, they’ll be no issue if potus doesn’t get his way lmao - Lisa

Republicans don't burn and loot. Period pooh  - me

Too Accurate

Enough with the Ads

Honestly, no one is unaware of the election. No one. If you need 10k reminders from the media, your Hollywood elite, and politicians to go out and vote . . . Well, I won't interfere with your right to do so, but I seriously doubt your contribution to the process is a plus for anyone.

The President has Covid

My prayers are with you Mr. President, and with FLOTUS.