Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Hagels and Bagels

       When the President nominated former Senator Chuck Hagel to be Secretary of Defense, it was revealed that he had said that many people were intimidated by the 'Israeli lobby.'  I know he said 'Jewish' lobby but he's from Nebraska. Jews, blacks, transgenders, New Yorkers...all the same. He meant 'Israeli.'
       Anyway, so is there an Israeli lobby? 
                                                                          ***
       Washington, D.C. - May 24, 2011 - 1:00 P.M. : Congressman remains seated during
                  24th standing ovation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he
                  delivers historic address to joint session of Congress. 
        Washington, D.C. - May 24, 2011 - 1:01 P.M. : Primary challenge rumored for
                  'sleeping Congressman.'
                                                                         ***
       Of course there's an Israeli lobby! And of course there's also a Black lobby, a gay lobby,  a General Electric lobby, a Screen Actors Guild lobby, an AFL-CIO lobby...There's even rumored to be a 'lobby' lobby for tenants living in pre-WWII apartments and whose landlords won't paint...the lobby. Washington is a lobby town.      

Friday, January 4, 2013

Woe, Roe

      
       Most people who get a gift will say, simply, "Thanks" or maybe, "Hey, what a great Chia pet. Just what I always wanted."
       Rarely will it be, "You're what?!!!"
       So, referring to every pregnancy, whether wanted or not, as a 'gift from G-d' is probably not a great idea, especially if you're a Republican. It could make it difficult for ANY Republican to get elected to anything, even the Presidency. I know, hard to believe, but still...
      And forced sonograms, 'personhood' laws, etc. are not going to change anything either.
      Any state with a Republican Governor and a Republican legislature that passes a law requiring transvaginal sonograms for any woman wanting to have an abortion (and, regrettably, the states trying to pass these laws are all 'red' states) will assure only one thing.
      It will assure that at the exact moment that any woman is forced to submit to such an indignity, at the exact moment, at the exact nano-milli-microsecond that that probe is inserted, it will assure that one more woman's name will add itself to the list of voters who will never, ever, under any circumstances, never ever never never ever vote for a Republican again for the rest of her natural life...no matter what he or she is running for. Can Republicans afford that? Is it worth it?
      And, remember, it's not just one vote we're talking about here. Men 'hang out, shoot a few hoops, talk stupid, whatever...'  Women...flock. What you do to one, you did to a whole lot of others.
      And forget that 'personhood' business, trying to get a fertilized egg declared a person. It'll never work and will do nothing except tie up in knots a lot of busy courts and make a lot of overworked judges very angry. Ever notice that the only ones who really like this idea are all those nice trial lawyer fellows who missed out on the tobacco and asbestos feeding troughs and are not going to make the same mistake again? By the way, ever notice which political party they all belong to? Hint: it's not yours. 
      And to our friends on the other side of the aisle, you won. Roe is the law of the land and it's not going to change. You got an 'unconditional surrender'. Be gracious. 
      The many people who get heartsick over this whole business are not a bunch of country bumpkin, hard right, hypocrite, Fox News watchers. They're just regular folks who get sick every time a fetus is 'extracted' and they're hurting...and a fair number of them are women who went thru it.