I knew of no actual blue-collar types who agreed with my take on the world, but like some present- day pundit pondering the majesty of the red states, I could deduce their existence as well. For example, there was a viaduct in a poor neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas, on which someone had spray-painted “Russia Iran Disco Suck.” Driving underneath it on my way to and from a debate tournament one day, I gloried in the succint eloquence of this bit of proletarian wisdom. The logic was flawless. As sucked disco, so sucked communism. So sucked Iran. Even more inspiring was the unspoken corollary: as rocked Van Halen, so rocked Ronald Reagan.

— Thomas Frank, Page 148-149, What’s the Matter With Kansas?

I mention George Bush, and get this back at me: “I wish we could have a president like Martin Luther King, Jr. He had some really good ideas.”

“That’s why he had to be killed.”

“Riiight.”

This is that period of time where I become a bit loopy. Somewhere or other, she goes onto the subject of the recently passed Bankruptcy Reform Act — a bill whose passing tends to reinforce the idea of a one-party state in my mind (Republican Senators all voted for it, Democratic Senators half and half). The idea being that the Democratic Party gets to duck behind having “saved Social Security” while still having paid their dues to the Insurance and Banking Industries, and on and on.

“You know, the Senator that effectively killed and stalled that bill throughout the entire decade of the 1990s was Paul Wellstone, and…”

Before I could finish that thought (a loopy conspiranoid one to be sure), a third party derails the whole thing to a point of no return… how he would, on the first day of his presidency, declare “ALL CORRUPTION IS NOW STOPPED!”

Wouldn’t happen of course. Look what they did to Robert Kennedy.

5 years later, I have come to the conclusion that this odd movie snippet I saw was based on an Ayn Rand novel:

This is the final confrontation between the optimistic and rejuvenated architect and the worn out, depressed developer. They are having a meeting in the the developer’s office. The developer tells the architect that he has won, and that he will receive full credit for his architectural masterpiece. Apparently, much legal scuffling has gone on through the movie- the main crux being who will receive credit for the archetectural masterpiece- the architect (an artist in a true sense, apparently) or the beauracratic development company (to put it simplistically). The developer says to the architect that this building will be the final great accomplishment of mankind, and from here on out it is all downhill. The architect says something to the effect of “I’m sorry you feel that way, but I believe mankind is just getting started and will always accomplish great feats.” They then cordially depart.

I can’t say if this is a happy ending or a sad ending. I mean- a guy committed suicide and the only thing we see afterward is the architect standing next to his wife proudly atop his masterful creation, having gotten to the top of the building by a glass elevator btw. It’s all very confusing.

Atlas Shrugged. So do I at this precise moment.

I hereby remove either the photograph of Rick Santorum or the photograph of Hal Turner and replace it with a photograph of Senator from Texas, John Cornyn.

Like so:

“I wonder whether there may be the some connection in some quarters on some occasions where judges are making political decisions but are unaccountable to the public that it builds up and builds up to the point where some people engage in violence.”

An interesting enough question. We all know the frustration people have over activist judges who view the Constitution as a breathing document and aren’t “Strict Constructionists”, use this judicial philosophy to levy a penalty to a deadbeat dad or side with one party over the other over another in a divorce proceeding. It’s Judicial Tyranny, I tell you!

Someone needs to write a new edition of Blowback, or perhaps On the Justice of Roosting Chickens : Reflections on the Consequences of U.S. Judicial Arrogance and Criminality.

John Cornyn’s back-track goes like this:

“I regret it that my remarks have been taken out of context to create a wrong impression about my position, and possibly be construed to contribute to the problem rather than to a solution.”

Bill Frist, you’ll be happy to note, has come out full-fledged in opposition to killing judges:

“I believe we have a fair and independent judiciary today. I respect that.”

Personally, I’m struck by my complete lack of comprehension on the politics of the moment and emenating from the Republican Party. I go to sleep one night feeling relatively normal. I wake up the next morning and Tom DeLay is complaining about the Judicial Radicalism of a batch of largely Republican — appointed judges.

POINT:
COUNTERPOINT:
Well, the counterpoint would make sense if National Review Magazine offered up its covers in some form online, which shows a picture of Chavez and Castro and the infamous (and incredibly wacky) words “Axis of Evil”.

The emerging axis of subversion forming between Cuba and Venezuela must be confronted before it can undermine democracy in Colombia, Nicaragua, Bolivia, or another vulnerable neighbour.

The Nation article isn’t quite haliographical in nature… taking time to suggest that Chavez’s programs can cynically be viewed as pure political machine building, and showing a sympathetic portrait of his opposition. It’s fair to say that the National Review article doesn’t deviate any from a storyline of unmitigated evil and power-lust.

I don’t have a whole lot to say on the matter… (1- Where do you stand on Venezuela politics? 2– Why do you even have an opinion?) It’s curious to note that Chavez attempted to take control of Venezuela through a coup in the early 1990s. He then apologized and took complete responsibility for it. He was elected president a number of years later. There’s a bit of Jerry Springer in that story, ie: after his sex scandal where he purchased hookers off of tax-payers’ money, Springer simply apologized for it and was promptly re-elected mayor of Cincinnatti.

The US backed a coup against Chavez — which failed, and bolstered his popularity and has provided Chavez with a grand whipping boy. I’ve always thought attempt #2 was just around the corner.

“The Pope Is Dead! Long live the new Pope!”

So blasts my loud Boston-accented neighbor. Repeatedly. I could shout back “He died yesterday, and there isn’t a new Pope yet!”, or controversially, “Fight the Real Enemy!” (the Sinnead O’Connor reflex), but I don’t. (Later on, I have a creepy encounter with his friend, and some things are a little bit unsettled here.)

“The Pope Is Dead! Long live the new Pope!”

I asked Danny Howe whether the Pope was in Hell or not. He said that he was. (More details of that meeting found here.)

“The Pope Is Dead! Long live the new Pope!”

I’m confused. He forgave his would-be-assassin. People love him for that. Were people expecting him to throw out a clarion call for the flock to carry out Vigilante Revenge?

“The Pope Is Dead! Long live the new Pope!”

I’m guessing probably not as long as the old pope.