Of Politicians and Parrots

“Blood Toil Tears and Sweat”

Originally said by TR in 1897: Let’s begin with a history lesson. The phrase above is most often associated with a speech given by Winston Churchill. It began, “We are in the preliminary stage of one of the greatest battles in history.” The phrase that followed, originally used by then Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt in an address to the Naval War College is “I have nothing to offer but blood toil tears and sweat.” The phrase was co-opted in 1968 by a singing group who named themselves “Blood, Sweat, and Tears.” That is your brief history lesson for the day but it relates to an economic crisis in this country that has worsened over the weekend.

We ARE in the preliminary stage of battle: Since we are quoting various authorities today, let’s quote the notorious former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ when he said, “The chickens are coming home to roost.” A few months ago one of the largest global investment banking and securities trading companies, Bear Sterns, collapsed, and with the help of your federal government, was bought at a windfall $ 2.00 per share by JP Morgan Chase. The five remaining companies on Wall Street that provided the same services of the defunct Bear Sterns began shaking in their collective boots. Last weekend the other boot fell on two of the remaining five. The 158-year old Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy as Bank of America is in negotiations to take over Merrill Lynch. Remember, this fiasco happened on the coattails of the Feds bailing out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Wonder if it had anything to do with the $ 2 million in PAC money that was contributed by the two. Oh, and don’t forget that the heads of these bankrupt and teetering companies are earning in the tens of millions of dollars annually.

While our country’s banking industry teeters: Sleezeball ads by the McCain camp that even Karl Rove, the inventor and father of such ads decries as over the top continue. The media continues to focus on lipstick on a pig while our country teeters on the brink of bankruptcy. Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, taxes, energy, health care, global warming, and immigration, are among the issues that fester along with our national economy. Yet the McCain campaign and their right wing-nut surrogates continue to release ads, flood emails and raise issues of pig lips, lapel pins, Obama’s former pastor, Obama’s religion, Sara’s daughter’s pregnancy, and the host of other non-issues that successfully take the eye of many Americans off the ball. It is working. It has worked in American history. Lies, repeated often enough become believable. Nero fiddles as Rome burns.

Don’t confuse satire with slime: The slime that is cranked out by the right wing of the Republican Party surrogates is just that - slime. I have received dozens of emails with right wing Republican talking points that attacked Obama personally and I have fact checked every one. 100% have been outright lies and distortions. But they keep coming like kudzu in Mississippi. They get sent onto others who don’t bother fact checking and the lies become believable. Perhaps “Truth, justice, and the American way” only exists in fantasy comic books. Satire on the other hand is tongue in cheek. The SNL skit with actors representing Sarah and Hillary was hilarious. What this country needs is more satire, less slime.

Have you quit beating your wife: Some questions are damning because they are trick questions. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey got caught in one of those moments. She has been accused of boycotting Sarah Palin by not allowing her on the show. It is true, just as the Right Wing-nuts stated in their attack email. What they neglected to mention is that Oprah has an established policy of not interviewing ANY candidate during the elections. No Obama, no McCain, no Biden, no Palin. Despite that non story the media has picked it up and reported it on umteen outlets. Just one more way to take the voting public’s collective eye off the ball and away from the issues. And if it works AGAIN, America will get exactly the political leadership they deserve AGAIN.

Now we know what he’s been praying for: An old joke tells of a parrot, formerly owned by a sailor and purchased by a little old lady. The parrot was foul and full of sexual innuendo. The old lady’s priest also had a parrot that he’d taught to pray so he suggested they put the two together and see if his could teach the other parrot some manners. Once the two birds were put together priest’s whistled and said, “Ahhh, at last my prayers have been answered.” Such must have been the case of some sinners who were parishioners at a Catholic church on the University of Illinois campus. The priest at the church has been charged with selling cocaine from his church office and rectory. There is no word as to whether or not the buyers had given confession but the priest is now a former priest.

A little blogging music Maestro... “Listen to me Lie” by Gene Simmons.

Dr. Forgot

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