Some thoughts on the more news-worthy items over the past week:
1. House votes ‘yes’ on largest tax increase in history: It was a close vote, to be sure, but Nancy Pelosi and her gang of ultra-left thugs enacted a series of strong-arm tactics (not limited to promising earmarks) and managed a 219-212 vote on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill cap-and-trade.
There were 44 Democrats who understood the gravity of the situation, which, despite Obama’s claim that it’ll create jobs, will involve the greatest tax increase we’ve ever seen. Bravo to them. I would be very surprised if the eight turn-coat Republicans who voted “yes” are reelected.
Harry Reid said this morning he won’t bring the bill to the Senate floor because he doesn’t have the votes, and who knew the Senate would be a bastion of common sense? All I have to say is that if my less-than-conservative (albeit Republican) senator, Kay Bailout Bailey Hutchison, votes ‘yes,’ that’s it for her as far as I’m concerned. It’ll also severely hurt her chances against Rick Perry in the upcoming gubernatorial election, in which the current governor already holds a double-digit lead.
2. Supreme Court overturns Sotomayor: So much for that wise, Latina wisdom. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that a group of white firefighters in Connecticut were unfairly denied promotions due to race, overturning a decision made on the appellate level by nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
I can’t believe it had to go all the way to the top court as it is. It was a ridiculous, highly insulting situation and proves that affirmative action hurts far more than it helps. Promotional and other merits should be based on achievement alone. The white firefighters scored far higher on the test than their black coworkers. Thus they deserved the promotions. Period.
3. Bernie Madoff will die in prison: Somehow I don’t feel sorry that the guy who swindled clients out of a reported $13 billion (which some say is a conservative estimate) was sentenced today to 150 years in prison.
And that’s really all I have to say about that.
4. Sanford’s an ass: I was extremely disappointed when I learned that South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, who has proven to be one of the strong conservative voices we have, has been having an affair with a woman in Argentina. I loathe philanderers, and I feel deeply for Sanford’s wife and four sons. There is never any excuse for cheating. I don’t care that he appears to “love” his mistress, as some female news anchors/commentators now seem to be offering up as a reason for justification. If you decide that the person you promised to love forever is no longer worth loving forever, well, fine. Get a frakking divorce. Don’t betray your spouse and, in doing so, also paint yourself into a corner politically.
That being said, I don’t believe he should be impeached unless it is proven that he committed some sort of crime and/or fraud while carrying on with his clandestine canoodling. Bill Clinton wasn’t brought up on impeachment charges because he had an affair; it was because he lied under oath.
5. Michael Jackson: I was stunned to hear of Michael Jackson’s sudden passing Thursday. However, I have to say, I have a problem with the five straight days of coverage such a passing warrants.
Sure, the guy was a musical genius. A pop icon, even. But he was also most likely a pedophile. There’s some thought out there that we shouldn’t judge him, that we should forgive him, etc. Okay, that’s fine. Of course everyone deserves forgiveness. But should we hold him up as this hero deserving of such inexhaustive debate and media domination? Really?
