The Justice Department sent a letter to Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner Thursday evening demanding the state cease purging its voting rolls because the process it is using has not been cleared under the Voting Rights Act, TPM has learned.
DOJ also said that Florida’s voter roll purge violated the National Voter Registration Act, which stipulates that voter roll maintenance should have ceased 90 days before an election, which given Florida’s August 14 primary, meant May 16.
This is a big deal.
Scott had undertaken these measures as a brazen attempt to dampen Democratic turnout and help deliver Florida to Romney. After all, let's remember what I like to call the Steve Schale statistic:
Add up 32 million Florida votes over the 5 Presidentials from 1992-2008 and less than 60,000 votes separate the two major political parties.
Scott knows that as well as any of us. And he was going to use the illegal purge and his horrible election law to his advantage.
A federal appeals court panel in Boston declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional on Thursday, but said that only the Supreme Court will be able to settle the question of whether the federal government must recognize same-sex marriages from states where such unions are legal.
A unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit said the act, which was signed by President Clinton and denies federal economic and other benefits for married people from same-sex couples married in states where it is legal, could not be justified under current precedents that protect minorities and other groups from discrimination.
Johnny Reid Edwards, a honey-voiced North Carolina lawyer who parlayed his boyish good looks and inspiring personal history as the son of a mill-worker into a meteoric political rise, was acquitted of one count Thursday in a corruption case, as the judge declared a mistrial on five other charges on which the jury was deadlocked.
The mixed result in a trial that laid bare Edwards’s sexual indiscretions and serial deceptions came after nine days of jury deliberations.
Wow.
What a mess.
Good for Edwards. I guess. If this outcome means the whole thing goes away faster, then I'm for it.
In a much-anticipated decision, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle on Thursday struck down some provisions of a Florida elections law that imposed new restrictions on third-party groups that register voters.
Well, there likely goes at least part of the hospital grifter Governor's plan to keep people from registering to vote -- those yucky "community organizers!". Of course, he's still managed to purge hundreds and hudreds of eligible voters, so he's got that going for him.
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) has made a huge $4 million airtime reservation for the fall campaign, according to a memo circulated by his campaign.
The reservation is a sign that Buchanan, a wealthy auto dealer, is willing to spend huge amounts of his own money to stay in Congress. His campaign had just shy of $1.5 million in the bank as of the end of March, a total that includes a nearly $500,000 contribution from the candidate.
This is a big, big ad buy, and it's telling: Vern wants to keep that seat.
Of course, this isn't the first sign from the Buchanan Campaign that they were worried about Keith. 435 Members of the House of Representatives, and guess who the top spender on mass mailings is? That's right: thug Vern Buchanan:
The Longboat Key Republican spent $142,000 in the first three months of 2011 to get 3.6 million mail pieces, emails and automated phone calls to people in the 13th Congressional District.
No one else in Congress spent more than $80,000 on mailers in that period. On average, members spent about $7,400 on such communications.
That's an awful lot of money -- ahem, your money, by the way (where's a tea party weirdo when you need one?) -- just to let people know you're there. I guess if I was being investigated by more than one entity, I'd want to use your money to talk myself up, too.
...Mr. Obama embraced a disputed method for counting civilian casualties that did little to box him in. It in effect counts all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants, according to several administration officials, unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent.
In other words, if you happen to be an innocent but in the company of a target and a Predator drone blows you up, well, sorry 'bout that. We'll just make a note of it here in the after-action report. The good news is, we have the capacity to count the number of innocent civilians we kill with drone strikes. The bad news is we haven't yet invented a drone that can bring you back to life.
From a political point of view, I am sure the Obama folks would love to talk about foreign policy, international affairs and national security all day and night between now and November, especially against a guy who called Russia "our number one geopolitical foe."
In-depth pieces like this set up an interesting -- and, I think, slanted in Obama's political favor -- discussion about those issues of national security.
So is it going to score points for Obama politically? Maybe. Quite probably.
However, I'd like to go on the record as saying I hate it. I hate the idea of the President of the United States sitting in the Oval Office with secretive men looking at -- goddam -- "baseball cards" of terrorists or suspected terrorists and determining whether they live or die.
I think what bothers me most is not so much the drone -- I get that these drones are a technological tour de force, a "new and improved" way of going to war. As a father, I can appreciate that it is better to send an unmanned aerial vehicle into a danger zone instead of armies of young men and women who fight and die on bloody battlefields.
What bothers me is the secrecy. At least when our armies -- the actual human soldiers and sailors -- go to war, we know where they're going. We know, more or less, who they're going to fight.
The "kill list" is secret, hidden. A few names have been given, after the fact, but they were mentioned in the Times story almost incidentally.
Making the decision to go to war with a country is one thing. When we go to war in the conventional way, we attack not just the army of the other country, we attack their economy, their infrastructure, and yes, even their people.
Singling out individuals for killing alleviates vast collateral damage -- that, and saving the lives of our own warriors, is a very good thing. But who are we killing? Why? We're told these are "imminent threats" but... what does that even mean?
I don't know what drones mean for the future of warfare. I'm not an expert on warfare, or the legal questions surrounding war and international affairs.
I do know something about politics, and I know that if the American people feel safer, they will reward politicians who make them feel that way. President Obama and this plan will almost assuredly make us feel safer. And in a macabre way, maybe it should. That's just cold political truth.
Like I said, I don't know a lot about making war. But I suspect that what these drones do will make the truth around war itself even colder.
Notice anything about it? Notice anything in the video? Notice anything... missing?
Sure, aside from not really explaining how he'll do anything or really even what he'll do to make America (or, heh, "Amercia") "better", his "better" America is, as Jed says, awfully white.
Now, I will note that if you can stomach the video to about 1:27, there does appear to be a person of color. Granted, it's the back of his head. But still.
Of course, as Romney himself said yesterday raising big cash with Birther Trump, he only needs 50.1%. Why be inclusive of all Americans when you're only looking for half.
Sure, the GOP presidential nominating process has been fun to watch. Romney initially claimed the Iowa Caucus win, but as the votes were counted and re-counted, his campaign had to concede that it was really Santorum who won the day. The only real winners that day were bloggers like me who reveled in the slo-mo train-wreck of the GOP nominating process.
But it should become official on Tuesday, when Texas voters are expected to push Romney over the finish line in the delegate race. And with that, the Republican Party will have selected an unlikely standard-bearer for 2012: a New Englander in a party rooted in the South; a man of moderate temperament in a party fueled by hot rhetoric; a Mormon in a party guided by evangelical Christians; a flip-flopper in a party that demands ideological purity.
So it was that nobody anointed Romney. There was the humbling tumult of South Carolina, where a resurgent Gingrich threw him off balance; where he stammered on the debate stage trying to explain his taxes; where one rally crowd was so meager, about 80 people in a cavernous convention hall, that he reached for excuses — “Gosh, this is a workday, right?”
Ah, no, Governor Romney. I suspect you will learn the real meaning of the word work -- most especially as it relates to being worked over on the campaign trail by an Obama Campaign I strongly suspect has only been toying with you to this point.
“I never really changed — nothing’s changed my mind,” Trump told CNBC, reassuring that his birtherism is as rock solid as it was last year when he briefly led Republican primary polling.
Well. Always good to have the support of former poll leaders, right? sure.
While Romney and his aides have insisted that the candidate believes Obama was born in the United States and that the issue is a sideshow, Trump made clear that it remains paramount in his mind.
Romney told reporters on Monday that he has no regrets about his close association with Trump.
“You know, I don’t agree with all the people who support me, and my guess is they don’t all agree with everything I believe in,” Romney said, according to CNN. “But I need to get 50.1 percent or more and I’m appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people.”
"I need to get 50.1 percent..."
That shitty quote right there tells you just about everything you need to know about Mitt Romney. And why he's going to lose in November. It has a lot less to do with birtherism -- which is itself nutty and ridiculous and insane -- and a lot more to do with wanting to be the President of the United States for all the people, not just the people who can get you elected.
Yes, the real campaign began weeks ago when Santorum dropped out just before the Pennsylvania primary, and no real threat -- not Gingrich, certainly not Ron Paul -- appeared before Romney and the Convention in Tampa in a few months. But tonight in Texas it becomes official.
Although I took the point Mr. Hayes was trying to make -- if men and women who fight and die in any of the wars we start are always described as "heroes," without exception, then it gets easier to justify those wars -- I, too, was uncomfortable with how he got to his point. The timing was pretty bad as well, obviously. Really, Chris? Memorial Day?
It is all an unfortunate distraction on a day when we should be remembering just what those soldiers, sailors and air men and women have fought and died for -- whether we agreed with the premise of the war or wars or not.
I think Hayes would have been better served had he pointed out that the men and women who have died in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, the jungles of Vietnam, the European Theater, the Pacific Theater, Korea, and all over the world have always died for an idea -- the idea of America. We can agree or disagree all day about whether America is a perfect idea, or even always a good or just idea.
But men and women who wear the uniform, as Hayes pointed out in his apology, do a lot more in service of that idea than TV pundits like him.
Or half-assed bloggers like me.
Indeed, Hayes would have been even better served had he noted that the very freedoms -- the pillars supporting that idea of America soldiers fight and die for -- are under attack.
A TV pundit saying something out of line about men and women who serve in uniform on Memorial Day. A Governor abusing his power to try and manipulate electoral outcomes in a presidential election year on Memorial Day. They're both pretty disrespectful, and I am glad Hayes, who seemed to understand the gravity of his mistake on Memorial day, offered a sincere apology.
I wonder when we'll get a similar apology from Governor Scott.
Not only do people with disabilities have a significantly higher unemployment rate than the general population, they also have a much lower labor force participation rate. According to the most recent data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (April 2012), people with disabilities had a 20.3% labor force participation rate compared to 69.1% for their non-disabled peers, and people with disabilities had an unemployment rate of 12.5% compared to 7.6% for their non-disabled peers. For minorities with disabilities, these disparities are even greater. This represents a significant loss of willing and able talent to the American workforce, a loss of income for people without jobs, and an economic loss to the American economy.
I didn't. That's fairly shocking, don't you think?
I'm not an economist, but in a recession of this magnitude, shouldn't we be trying to get everyone back to work? And as a political guy, wouldn't you think that the administration would be trying everything they could to make sure everyone who could work -- whether they're disabled, or minority, or anything?
Here's more about this interesting, innovative challenge:
Your challenge is to use publicly available information, tools, resources, and employment data to build tools that promote the employment of people with disabilities.
Each submission should achieve at least one of the following goals:
Promote Recruitment Resources for Employers: These features should provide recruitment resources for employers to identify individuals with disabilities to hire by using tools such as Career One-Stops Centers, state Vocational Rehabilitation agencies, employment networks, educational institutions and programs, non-profit organizations, and private recruitment resources.
Develop Job Training and Skill-Building Tools for Job Seekers: These features should include vocational and workforce training resources, apprenticeship, internship, and mentorship resources, resume tips, as well as resources and tools related to “soft skills” (e.g., interview skills, etc.).
Facilitate Employment-Related Transportation Options: These features should use publically available resources to expand individuals with disabilities access to and knowledge of accessible employment-related transportation options.
Expand Web and Information Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility: These features should use publicly available tools regarding website and ICT accessibility that will help employers improve their systems to be accessible to applicants with disabilities, as well as current employees.
Now, I'm a political hack. I only wish I had the technical expertise to develop the kind of app they're looking for. So go ahead, tech friends -- work on this. You could win $5,000.
He was the guy who found me in the middle of the Clinton/Gore Campaign in 1992 and put me to work in the transition office. If it wasn't for Seth -- um, the Deputy Secretary, I should say -- none of this would exist. Not my political background, not where I am and what I'm doing today, probably not the college degree, not the communications expertise. Nothing. None of it. It's really not an exaggeration to say I owe him everything.
I doubt you can count posting his video on my blog as payback. But it's a start.
I know the content has been slow around here for the last few days, and even weeks. For that I'm sorry. And for those who still bother to come by, thank you so much. It means the world to me.
It has been a tough few months for my personal blogosphere.
Of course, change isn't always a bad thing (no offense to the above listed friends). You know, I started this blog because I was disgusted with the idea of a second George W. Bush term. There was a lot to say -- and during that second term, Bush didn't disappoint.
Then in 2008, Obama won. I was worried about how I'd pivot from a small-time loudmouth with a Typepad account and a penchant for forgetting spell-check calling out a criminally incompetent administration to a small-time loudmouth blogger talking up one of the good guys.
Turns out it was easier than I thought. Still hard, but not really that hard.
I know a lot of Democrats and progressives are turned off to Obama. Not me. I've never felt more like a Democrat than I do today. Maybe part of that is that the other side is so nuts. I don't know. But I do feel pretty strongly that re-electing Obama is just about our last hope to retain whatever shreds of sanity are left for us as a nation.
But as it relates to this blog, how many times can you hear me talk about how great Obama is? How many times can I write about Ann Romney's dressage? How many times can I talk about how bad a grifter Rick Scott really is?
You know what? A lot.
The world of politics is often a narrow one. But it's my world, and it is often a stubborn one, one not ready to accept much change.
So I'll evolve in this new blog world, a world a little less for not having some of my friends in it with me. Who knows. Maybe I'll come up with something amazing.
# # # #
Part of me coming unmoored a bit has everything to do with what's going on at the home front.
His mother continues to serve as an inspiration to me, which has always been the case, but with our kids, she is particularly amazing.
Emeline is doing great as a big sister, but I am already noticing the difference between sons and daughters. Or maybe it's just second children, I don't know.
Anyway, my parents were here this week, and that meant a lot of pool time and beach time with Emmy, which is always a good way for me to recharge my batteries. The weather was perfect, and the water at St. Pete Beach was outstanding. I think my folks had fun.
Finn is a great baby. He fusses and cries, yeah, but he's already a good sleeper. I almost feel guilty when people ask us if we're getting sleep. Yes, kind of, we are. Sure, Duncan much less so than me -- remember, "particularly amazing" -- because of the feedings, though I've gotten up for a few middle-of-the-night diaper changes (and oh, by the way, there's apparently no hard and fast rule that says two year-olds sleep soundly through the night all the time, either).
But the point is, we're doing okay.
Actually, we're doing great. And because I believe the universe just works this way, thank you for all your good thoughts and wishes for us -- it has come around to us and done good. We really appreciate it.
1. Polls right now are meaningless. At this point in the 2008 cycle, the Real Clear Politics average had McCain up 8 over Obama, and about a month ago, another poll showed Obama up 5 over Romney. They will ebb and flow, but in the end don't really matter now, because...
2. We know Florida is going to come down to a few points. Add up 32 million Florida votes over the 5 Presidentials from 1992-2008 and less than 60,000 votes separate the two major political parties.
Bingo.
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There's a train wreck going on over in Hillsborough, and I am not sure I get it. Any of it.
It's finally Friday, and for your patience with me, it's a double-shot edition. Pretty amazing.
If that video -- shot in the beautiful town of St. Johnsbury, Vermont -- makes you feel old (is it wrong that my first thought was, "Hey, they're not wearing helmets!"), then put your feet on the foot rest, grab a root beer and think about country roads. That's what I'm doing.
I contributed fairly irregularly to the FPC. I am proud that two of my posts -- one from 2008 and one from 2009 -- are still two of the five most viewed FPC posts.
I thought the FPC blog served a great function, and I'm sorry to see that it will likely fade away after the 2012 Netroots Awards (which will likely fade away as well; at this point, I hope I don't win one, to maintain the purity of my winless streak).
I doubt he'll get the recognition he deserves, but someone more important than me should thank Kenneth Quinnell for creating and running the whole thing. It was a full-time job with no recognition and pretty much no pay. For whatever it's worth to you, thanks, Kenneth.
When I listen to President Obama speak to and about women, he sometimes sounds too paternalistic for my taste. In numerous appearances over the years — most recently at the Barnard graduation — he has made reference to how women are smarter than men. It’s all so tired, the kind of fake praise showered upon those one views as easy to impress. As I listen, I am always bracing for the old go-to cliché: “Behind every great man is a great woman.”
Some women are smarter than men and some aren’t. But to suggest to women that they deserve dominance instead of equality is at best a cheap applause line.
Ah, yes. Cheap applause line.
Of course, sometimes when I listen to Campbell Brown she sounds like an underhanded, disingenuous liar. From President Obama's speech:
We know that we’re better off when there are rules that stop big banks from making bad bets with other people’s money and -- (applause) -- when insurance companies aren’t allowed to drop your coverage when you need it most or charge women differently from men. (Applause.) Indeed, we know we are better off when women are treated fairly and equally in every aspect of American life -- whether it’s the salary you earn or the health decisions you make. (Applause.)
We know these things to be true. We know that our challenges are eminently solvable. The question is whether together, we can muster the will -- in our own lives, in our common institutions, in our politics -- to bring about the changes we need. And I’m convinced your generation possesses that will. And I believe that the women of this generation -- that all of you will help lead the way. (Applause.)
Now, I recognize that’s a cheap applause line when you're giving a commencement at Barnard. (Laughter.) It’s the easy thing to say. But it’s true. It is -- in part, it is simple math. Today, women are not just half this country; you’re half its workforce. (Applause.) More and more women are out-earning their husbands. You’re more than half of our college graduates, and master’s graduates, and PhDs. (Applause.) So you’ve got us outnumbered. (Laughter.)
After decades of slow, steady, extraordinary progress, you are now poised to make this the century where women shape not only their own destiny but the destiny of this nation and of this world.
The bold is mine, but just so you get the idea. The notion that the man courted a cheap applause line was not an original thought from Campbell Brown. It was from President Obama.
But for me, this is a bit more than just a speech to women graduating from college, or a pretty poorly argued set of ideas from a news has-been. This is about women and the role of women in our society -- and what the role of women in our society will be in the future.
We can talk about the economic picture, jobs, or even international affairs all day and night with respect to this race and politics in this country. But the hard truth is, issues facing women -- indeed, women themselves -- face a stark choice this election cycle.
It is also the party of Dan Senor, a neo-con war-monger who helped cheer-lead us into Iraq during the disastrous W. years. Now he's a Romney adviser.
Oh, and he's also married to Campbell Brown. Though I suppose we should take some small comfort that Campbell thought to disclose this bit of news four paragraphs from the end of her piece:
(I should disclose here that my husband is an adviser to Mr. Romney; I have no involvement with any campaign, and have been an independent journalist throughout my career.)
If you think the spouse of a senior adviser to a presidential campaign has "no involvement with any campaign," then you've sadly bought the most cynical piece they're selling.
"I don't know whether Barack Obama was born in the United States of America. I don't know that," Coffman said. "But I do know this, that in his heart, he's not an American. He's just not an American."
This is getting to be less funny and more just sad and weird.
The man in charge of running Arizona’s elections has gone to the birthers. Secretary of State Ken Bennett now says he’s not convinced Barack Obama was really born in the United States and so he is threatening to keep the president off the ballot in November.
What makes it so sad and weird is that you'd kind of just wish these guys would come out and say what's really bugging them: they don't want a black man inthe White House. Suggesting that he's "not a real American," or "not an American in his heart," are cheap ways to tap dance around saying anything directly racist.
Too often, karma doesn't work directly enough for my tastes. That's okay. At least maybe these guys will pay a price at the voting booth.
Late Thursday night, Americans Elect, a much-ballyhooed group dedicated to securing ballot access for a serious third-party presidential candidate in 2012, issued a statement acknowledging failure.
“As of this week, no candidate achieved the national support threshold required to enter the Americans Elect online convention in June,” the statement read. “The primary process for the Americans Elect nomination has come to an end.”
Everyone knows the system is broken. It's not sustainable. So I'm open to new ideas, sure. We'll see where the Americans Elect folks end up.
I dunno. The system's broken, but I forgot one thing: it still works for a lot of people. That said, in hindsight, it seems like a weird idea to build this online space first, and then hope the movement follows.
One Media General paper they didn't buy up? The Tampa Tribune.
Now, I figure most folks wouldn't normally think that much about it, except that it's been pretty obvious -- starting with the name change -- that the former St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times) is eyeing a move across the Bay.
And it's not just the name change.
This tweet from Times political chief Adam Smith caught my eye:
I know you're not supposed to laugh at the misfortune of others, but here I am. It seems that Republican Senator Jack Latvala is considering getting into the State Senate race in the newly redrawn South Pinellas district, instead of the northern district. The problem? State Representative Jim Frishe, also a Republican, is already running for State Senate there. And...
...[d]espite speculation about Frishe switching to the North Pinellas district, he has little interest in that. "I don't have any plans to move. My wife has lived in her home, I guess, 40 years now," said Frishe. "I'm certainly not making any plans to do anything at this point other than run for the office I'm already running for."
So, why would Latvala set himself up for such a bruising primary?
Because it's pretty clear that Representative Jeff Brandes (an independently wealthy Republican) is going to jump into the Senate race to challenge Frishe.
Of course, the game you're watching is not really the game being played. This is all about the Senate Leadership post, which Latvala is currently vying for against Senator John Thrasher. From the article linked at the top:
Latvala is competing for the Senate presidency with state Sen. John Thrasher, R-Jacksonville.
If enough Thrasher allies win in 2012 — and Brandes is widely seen as one — Latvala could be out of luck for the leadership post. And Latvala, a popular and high-profile leader, would appear to be a stronger contender than the low-profile Frishe against Brandes, a member of the Cox Lumber family who could easily spend at least $1 million of his money on his campaign. Brandes is already airing TV ads for his state House re-election campaign. The deadline to qualify is June 8.
I don't think whether Brandes gets into the race is in question. Just look at his latest TV ad:
Nice spot.
Now, quick: find somewhere in the 30 seconds where he says he's running for State House. Except for the required small-print legal language at the end near the bottom of the screen, you can't.
That's no mistake.
Smarter political watchers than me could argue that Senator Latvala is one of the most popular politicians in this area. Representative Frishe is no slouch in this department, either, actually. Jeff Brandes is something of a newcomer, but he's got a ton of cash in which to make up for any lacking name recognition in a larger district.
So what happens?
I don't know. Quite frankly, I don't see Republicans as usually this ugly and public in their battles... at least not usually. In a three-way race, I think you have to give the edge to the long-serving Latvala. But I don't think it would be too pretty.
As a sort of aside, I'm not sure there's a Democrat in the race in the South Pinellas State Senate race. If there is, I have no idea who it might be, and that's pretty depressing. Worse, if Latvala flees the North District to run in the south, I'm not sure who might represent Democrats there, either (to be fair, I'm not sure I know who the Republican would be, either).
Brandes will be leaving a race where a Democrat named Dwight Dudley just jumped in. I don't doubt that Dudley would give him a tough fight. Latvala will be tougher.
Whether or not Brandes gets in, whether or not Latvala runs in the south, these are very ugly and very public spats we're witnessing. June 8 is the deadline to file in this race. We'll see if the ugliness extends beyond that.
There's a pizza place I've always wanted to try on 1st Avenue North in St. Petersburg -- Cappy's Pizza. I'm a pizza nut, and though I am loyal to my neighbors at Fazio's, I'm not above trying something new when it comes to pizza.
As it happens, my friends Tony and Robin at Fazio's might not have anything to worry about now.
It seems the owner of Cappy's put a sign up that said: "For the comfort and safety of everybody, if you allow your child to run, scream or misbehave, you will be asked to leave."
We don't go out a lot because, well, we have two kids -- one of them virtually brand-new. And even before Finn was born, it's not easy taking a toddler out to eat. It requires a lot of prep time, and no matter how prepared you might be, there's no guaranteeing she'll be in a good mood. Besides, it's cheaper and usually more healthy for us to eat and home. And Duncan, a great cook, likes making dinner.
That being said, when we have gone out, Emmy is quite well-behaved. Sure, she gets impatient and squirmy sometimes, but she's two. It's going to happen. There's never been any running, screaming, or "misbehaving," whatever that is.
Here's the deal: Scooter Gabel, the owner, could have said something very different. He could have said, "For the comfort and safety of everybody, unruly customers will be asked to leave."
Or customers who are loud, or disruptive. They serve beer and wine there. What if some annoying drunk guy ruins my meal because he's "misbehaving". Where's his sign? [There may be one there, I don't know.]
He deliberately singled out children.
Look, I don't think the guy actually meant to be divisive. I think his sign is just worded really poorly.
Seems like a bad business decision -- especially since the place has toys everwhere. I get it, the vintage toys are "art" or something (hasn't this guy seen the Toy Storytrilogy? Toys aren't meant to be played with... by children.). Whatever.
Okay, so why is this political? It's not, really, except for the part about division.
Oh yeah, I hate 'em. I hate them and I'm sitting there, wishing with all my might that something terrible will happen to them. That's about as far as I'm taking my hatred though. Maybe I won't throw them into a deep fryer myself but if they happen to fall in there somehow, I'm not running to get help. Hey, my meal is ruined; I should be allowed to at least fantasize about something that I would enjoy. Remember the old saying about giving someone something to scream about? Doing an impression of a corndog qualifies.
More importantly, if they're your kids (biologically or otherwise), I hate you and I am sitting there hoping that something really bad happens to you. Because ultimately, it's not really their fault, is it? No, it's yours. So mostly you.
Well, that got him going.
What's funny is, I don't disagree with Clark. It's the kids who are genuine terrors who ruin the dining out experience for the rest of us. Look, I hate the annoying, screaming kid as much as the next guy.
But signs like the one at Cappy's has a chilling effect on all parents (it certainly has for me and Duncan).
We're about to be subjected to an entire summer of political division and probably a lot of hatred, mostly communicated through TV and radio ads. There'll be a lot of us versus them, and this is reminiscent of that. I don't think we need any more division than we'll already be having, thanks.
