October 3, 2003 - The “There is Just Too Much To Rant About” Rant Volume 2
OK - this week's rant is a lot like last weeks' - there is just so much stuff to rant about. So, here are a few more random thoughts about some of the issues and people currently swirling about in my twisted little mind.
To Absentee Ballots: Thank You, whoever thought up the idea. I have a rule of thumb: I try to vote a week before the election date. That way, last minute smear pieces or "discoveries" are irrelevant. I tend to discount any information that is sprung on the public just before an election. It just seems to planted and politically motivated in nature. In most instances, if it was relevant, it would have been disclosed earlier.
To the LA Times: Yeah, you have no agenda, and it took you 7 weeks to come up with a smear piece on Arnold Schwarzenegger five days before the election that is nothing more than a retread of something done a few years ago . . . It is surprising that you have failed to report on Gray Davis' alleged physical assaults on some of his female employees which occurred while he held public office: http://www.jillstewart.net. Which is more relevant to the California voters - behavior that occurs while one is a private citizen, or while one holds public office? Me thinks your bias is showing. I wish there was another viable daily newspaper in LA that delivered to my home. I would cancel the LA Times in a heartbeat.
To Susan Estrich: I sure do miss your political voice of reason. You also had one hell of a commentary piece in today's LA Times slamming it for their "October Surprise" against Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is pretty interesting reading. Here is the link: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-oe-estrich3oct03,1,3789965.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california. To its credit, the LA Times at least ran the piece. Susan, will you please run for office? Pretty please? You will get my vote.
To Richard Riordan: What happened to you idea of starting a new newspaper in the LA area? Publish it, and they will subscribe. I still wish you were running for Governor.
To ABC News: Shame on you for not double-checking your sources before you smear someone with allegations that they are a Nazi sympathizer. Get ready for the libel suit. If all Nazi sympathizer's donated as much money to the Simon Weisenthal Center as Arnold has, the world would be a better and more tolerant place. Here is a good discussion of the whole libelous matter and quote in its complete context: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/03/national/03BOOK.html?pagewanted=1&hp
To Gray Davis: You just don't understand. All of your campaigning is just getting you into more and more trouble. If you had just showed one iota of leadership, a teeny bit of backbone, and not signed every bill presented to you that pandered to some faction of the far left, you would probably be winning this recall election. You have no leadership skills and are a disgrace to the office.
To The California Democratic Party: Will you stop the smearing already, we are all sick of "Puke Politics." And will someone muzzle "Baghdad" Bob Muhullond - he is getting me so disgusted that I am think of registering as anything other than a Democrat just so I don't have to have someone like that affiliated with my political party. Believe it or not, some of us want to hear about the issues, and not the smear attacks launched this last week. The Republican National Committee may be a disgusting group of far right extremists, but the California Democratic Party is not too far behind.
To Arianna Huffington: My admiration for you is diminishing day by day as your partisan nature and attacks on Arnold continue unabated. I guess all Republicans look alike to you - call me naïve, but I do not think Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to be the Bush Administration incarnate. You have become caught up in the fight, and have ignored the underlying issues. You are quickly turning from a political gadfly to a knee-jerk henchwoman ala Gloria Allred. One of Gloria Allred is more than enough thank you.
To Robert Novak: You are a hypocrite and should be prosecuted for aiding and abetting a criminal act. For those of you not familiar with the current situation, Bob Novak, a far right, conservative columnist, acted as messenger for the Bush Administration in outing a CIA operative. Joe Wilson, a former US Ambassador, had the audacity to challenge the Administrations version of how and why the reference to Saddam Hussein trying to purchase materials for a nuclear bomb was included in the State of the Union Address. The Bush Brown Shirts did not like this, and to retaliate, someone from the Administration leaked to Bob Novak that Joe Wilson's wife was an undercover CIA Operative (who was working on issues related to weapons of mass destruction). It is a felony to disclose the identity of a CIA Operative, and the CIA specifically asked Novak not to print the information. He did so anyway - 5 or 6 other reporters refused to do so. If a Democratic or left leaning columnist had done what you had done, Bob Novak would be the first one pointing and demanding retribution. Bob Novak, you are a disgusting, petty man, whose face should be forever banned from the airwaves. You belong in jail for what you did, and for assisting the Bush Administration in attacking those who dare to criticize their policies. I will not watch CNN's Capital Gang so long as you are on it, and will change any channel your face appears on. You deserve to be a pariah for what you have done.
To The Bush Administration: A continuation of last week's theme - Liar Liar Pants on Fire. Y7ou are all a bunch of self-serving hypocrites. I want someone to do a real investigation of what is going on in that White House and prosecute those who have broken the law. Oh I forgot, we only investigate Democratic administrations and focus on those important issues of travel and sex. Where is the outrage at what this Administration has done - and where is the special prosecutor? Since Watergate, we give a pass to all of the illegal actions of Republican Administration, since they only involve such thing as manufactured wars, drug trafficking, and the outing of CIA agents. No biggie.
To Cruz Bustamante -Why don't you disgorge your illegal Indian gaming money before you start casting stones at other candidates? Go back to the Lt. Governor's position - it is the last elected office you will hold. Oh, and by the way, while you hold up the California Penal Code and point to Arnold and his alleged sexual misconduct of the past, why don't you also look at the US Immigration laws and look in the mirror. I guess some laws are important to enforce, and others are not.
To Arnold Schwarzenegger: Didn't anyone tell you not to touch the merchandise? Alan Alda you are not. But, you will probably be our next governor, so we will have to see what it brings. You have a huge responsibility ahead of you - please do not disappoint the California public. We need some true leadership and courage from the Governor's office. Let's hope you are up to the task.
To MoveOn.Org: I am not sending you anymore money. While I agree with your attacks and questions on the Bush Administration, the whole anti-Arnold anti-Recall thing is getting to be a little much. Look at the polls - this is not just a Republican sponsored movement. Almost 30% of those folks supporting the recall are registered Democrats.
To Rush Limbaugh: I knew you had to be high to hold some of the political views that you have, I just did not know how high . . .
To ESPN: You knew what you were getting when you hired Rush Limbaugh - were you really surprised that he had some insensitive things to say Donovan McNabb? Isn't that why you hired him in the first place - for what he might say?
To The Media In General: Can someone please just report the facts and not editorialize throughout the story. Between the LA Times and Fox News, I am getting whiplash going back and forth between the left and the right.
To Sears - You Rock. I was informed by a fellow rantee that Sears is doing something by its military reservist employees who have been called up to serve. By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, when reservists are called up, they take a big pay cut and lose benefits. But not at Sears. Sears, (along with many other companies) is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years. I have not shopped at Sears in a while, but am going to start to. I encourage you all to do so. Regardless of your opinion of the War in Iraq and the Bush Administration, those who are fighting deserve our respect and support. And, just so you know, I even double-checked this against the "Urban Legends" Internet site, and confirmed that Sears is in fact doing this: http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/sears.asp. Like I said SEARS - YOU ROCK!
To All Registered Voters in California: Vote this Tuesday. I don't care whether you agree to disagree with my politics - you need to participate in the process for things to get any better. Voting is a privilege that we often take for granted. Exercise that privilege and become part of the solution, rather than part of the apathetic problem.