Randomness

Item #1: “I view my campaign as the hare and tortoise, and you’re looking at the tortoise,” he said. “But look at the words they use; it tells a great deal.”

I swore that I would never mention that man again, and yet there he is. Mike Gravel is the tortoise of the tortoise and hare analogy. Which suggests that the seven candidates running more likely to get the nomination than he, and the group not running more likely to get the nomination than he — a list that I would have to say includes Jimmy Carter — are going to sit down at some point and wake up to see that Gravel has wandered past them somehow or other. I do not understand the metaphor.

Item #2: Speaking to some 50 people gathered in front of Main Hall at the University of Montana Tuesday, World War II and Korean War veteran Col. Sam A. Roberts called on the crowd to do two things: support the troops and have patience. […]
Speakers read letters from Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester and Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg detailing each lawmaker’s support for America’s troops in Iraq and the veterans in need of health care.

Baucus wrote, “One thing we can all agree on is that our troops deserve 100 percent of our support,” a sentiment echoed by all who spoke at the event.

Roberts ended his remarks with a plea to study history. “Historical facts will give you a basis for your judgments,” he said. “If we knew our history, we’d agree on most things.”[…]


Allie Harrison, president of the UM College Republicans, said the group wished to avoid a “political rally” atmosphere and instead focus on expressing support for America’s military.

However, a press release authored by Selph stated, “We have stood idly by while others offered criticism and no ideas,” and “We want Senators Tester and Baucus to understand that they are going against the wishes of these Montanans if they vote to tuck tail and run.”

This has always been a curious framing technique, and a strange glimpse into the mind of committed non-partisan. “Support the Troops” is an empty phrase — the bumper sticker of which means “I favor this War” — but to use the phrase with both meanings is to believe that Jon Tester and Max Baucus are in league with the folks in Portland the other week who burned an American flag and an effigy of an American soldier.

Item #3:
In that same breath, however, McConnell criticized the Democrats for spending too much time on issues of little consequence in their first two months in control, including House Democrats' early passage of six priority legislative items such as a minimum-wage increase, stem-cell research funding, lower interest rates for college loans and implementing some outstanding recommendations of the 9/11 commission.

Yes. Meaningless issues such as those.

Item #4, from a William Kristol of the Weekly Standard:

In any case, Republican senators up for reelection in 2008 might remember this: The American political system has primaries as well as general elections. In 1978 and 1980, as Reagan conservatives took over the party from detente-establishment types, Reaganite challengers ousted incumbent GOP senators in New Jersey and New York. Surely there are victory-oriented Republicans who might step forward today in Nebraska, Virginia, Oregon, and Maine-and, if necessary, in Tennessee, Minnesota, and New
Hampshire-to seek to vindicate the honor, and brighten the future, of
the party of Reagan.

Yes. Do it. Defeat all of those Republican Senate candidates with fervent Iraq War supporters. Yes. Please. Nothing would make me happier.

He does raise an interesting point about the Republican Party that has always fascinated me. Eisenhower — Nixon (a bit troubling, but go with it) — Ford were more dovish than Truman — Johnson — and yes, Carter (sort of ramped up the Cold War as it was dying down and pushed detente away, Bob Dole believed at the time that our furor over Afghanistan at the Soviet Union had a lot to do with distracting the public from the Iran Hostage Crisis.) Ahh… The wonders of Detente. Had we let it take hold and ran with it, the Soviet Union would have fallen a decade later, and Russia would have either been a little more democratic or roughly as authoritarian as it is now. Get me those Republicans and I might vote for them.  Over Hillary Clinton, who I have no intention of voting for.
Say… Is there a embryonic Nightline “Great Britain: Held Hostage” nightly program on in Great Britain right now?

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