Oh, We Were Just Kidding About That Imperial Presidency Thing

I predict that all the conservatives who have been yammering for years about the need for expanded powers of the president, including the need to spy on Americans, will suddenly see the light about the necessity of a balance of power in a democracy on, oh, let's say Nov. 5.

A Picture's Worth ...

So the feminists over at Fox News - do we call them vixens? - are apparently having a hissy fit over the cover shot of Sarah "You Betcha" Palin. They're saying such an extreme closeup shot should have been touched up to disguise facial blemishes - you know, like your prom picture. So I went back to my Newsweek and checked it out again, searching for those unwanted facial hairs, pores, wrinkles and pimples they were talking about. No moustache, mole, crows' feet nor nary a stray spinach between the teeth could I see. But I think the vixens' complaints are misplaced in any case; small-town real Americans have blemishes. You can't claim to be just one of the folks and then try to get away with sayin' you don't have any faults.
It did strike me as an odd cover photo, though. Why half her face? Why just one eye, a nose, part of a mouth and a cut-off ear? And most of all, why Sarah at all, given what hell's going on in this country?

The Great Debate

What a snorer last night's debate was. I blame Tom Brokaw, who got to pick the lame questions. I think a seventh-grade civics student could have selected better questions. All we got to hear were the same talking points over and over again. And as anyone who has ever interviewed any politician knows, if you're not going to let the questioner ask follow up questions, there's not much point in asking any questions at all.
This was supposed to be a town hall meeting, which only goes to show that the major media have never been in a town hall or been to a town meeting. It's supposed to be an exchange of ideas, guys, not a lecture in Poly Sci 101.
Finally, why the rule stipulating that the audience couldn't respond in any way? Can you imagine going to any other event with such a rule? Okay, audience, remember that no matter how funny the stand-up comedian is, no laughing. It's un-American to go to such an event and sit on your hands. I say let 'em snicker and laugh, boo and groan, or - as I wish I had been doing - snore loudly.

Boo

So what's with all these Halloween cards in the stores? Since when did Halloween become a time when you exchange cards? What's the point, exactly? Who are you supposed to one to? Here, honey, I got you a card that says "Happy Halloween" and has a pumpkin on it to show you how much I care about you. Are you kidding me? What's next, Groundhog Day cards?

A Party Of Whiners

Good grief. Can the Republicans do anything but carp and complain? They boo-hooed because Nancy Pelosi said mean things about them, so they killed the Wall Street bailout out of spite. The cried about how the media wanted to ask Sarah Palin questions. They wail about how unfair all those polls are that show McCain trailing Obama. Gwen Ifill, the moderator for the vice-presidential debate, has written a book about the election - a book that hasn't been published yet so they don't know what it says - and they blubber about how she won't be impartial. What a party of whiners.