We had only a jumble of disconnected phrases from which to discern Sarah Palin's plans for the future and a possible reason for her abandonment of the governorship of Alaska. We have a few more complete and coherent sentences from Florida Republican Senator Mel Martinez but probably no better idea of why he's walking away and where he's going. "Feeding the birds" is the clearest hint he's given us of his plans.
I wouldn't blame anyone for not being aware that a US senator from a large state spontaneously resigned yesterday. The press has been otherwise occupied with trying to make it less obvious that Big Pharma and the Republicans are trying to disrupt any rational discussion of health care reform using violence and intimidation and symbols and tactics of the Third Reich. Martinez tries hard to emphasize however that it is indeed spontaneous and of his "own free will" and nobody is pressuring him. That he brings up that strange notion, rather suggests that someone is.
It will be up to Governor Charlie Crist to replace Mr. Martinez, but Crist will be leaving the Governorship to run for Senator himself and so isn't going to be motivated to replace him with anyone unbeatable -- which is a nice, but unavoidable conflict of interest.
On a more local level my State Representative Ken Pruitt recently resigned "for family and financial reasons." As Pruitt wasn't shy about endorsing the fundamentalist agenda, I'm not sorry to see him go, even though I have to wonder what the family and financial problems were and what improprieties might be involved. Of course his replacement is no less fond of government support of Christian institutions and the first thing one notices about him is his striking lack of intelligence, but one has to expect that in Florida.
But something is happening here and neither I nor Mr. Jones knows what the hell it is.
Something tells me -- a well-fed little birdy, perhaps? -- that some of these blokes don't want to be around to look culpable if and when things go from bad to worse. Can't say I blame them if that's the case... This occurs to me only because some of the nonsense we've been watching unfold is deeply shameful and, frankly, ominous with regard to our civic traditions and our institutions.
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ReplyDeleteMy hope is that President Obama will start giving his opponents the callings-out they richly deserve, and not just natter about the need for bipartisanship. Cruel people invariably take kindness and civility for weakness, and at some point their assumption becomes true, if you let it. The only thing that will shut the morons up is to pass a good healthcare bill – when even they enjoy its benefits and realize there's no "death panel" coming to slip granny some sodium pentathol, things ought to settle down.
I agree, Dino, about Obama needing to come out swinging more. With respect to health care - it seems that he is once again falling too much into conciliatory-speak rather than calling the health insurance industry out for its profit-driven gross indecency with respect to profiting on the backs of people's health. He;s trying to appease fears rather than pointing out the incredible cost to this country of maintaining the health care status quo.
ReplyDeleteAs for this Florida bloke, Fogg, is it me or is getting harder and harder to NOT stumble across political murkiness on a daily basis in this country?
It is tempting to think that the resignations are like rats and the metaphorical sinking ship, but things are so bizarre nowadays, it wouldn't surprise me to hear they're planning to take the cyanide trip to the mother ship.
ReplyDeleteYes, I wish Obama would get mad too but I don't know if it would help in a country where people like Palin can invent "Death Panels" and be believed. I'm sure we'd never hear the end of the accusations against him if he finally called the Republicans the saboteurs and revolutionaries they are, but I dream about God's own Death Panel sending them off to eternal agony -- and damn soon.
I remain convinced that the US is too crazy and too stupid and too angry to survive long.
Mel Martinez stayed in the senate long enough to cast a vote in favor of confirming Sotomayor. This is good.
ReplyDeleteThen Mel martinez announced his resignation from the Senate. This is good.
Town hall hooliganism plus Sarah Palin? Not good at all.
See? We all laughed, but it turns out that Sarah Palin is the leader of the Republican party.
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