Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Tidbits

I love Condoleezza Rice. I just do. She has risen to the highest ranking American woman in politics and shows grace and dignity daily. She's an accomplished musician, scholar, sports fan, and civil servant. What a life.

But, you know, Condoleezza Rice was not good enough for about 50 Boston University grads yesterday during the commencement ceremony. They felt entitled to stand and turn their backs on her speech and to hang a banner to show disrespect. So much for open minds in academia. I think once these self-indulgent children enter the real working world, something called manners and decorum will enter into their lives.

Madeleine Albright, the woman holding the position currently held by Dr. Rice during the Clinton administration could take a page from an etiquette book, too. Albright, speaking in England, decided to voice her opinion of President Bush's religious beliefs. She is pushing her book, of course, so a few obnoxious comments were certain to make the wires.

Did you know Albright's father was a respected professor at the University of Denver when Dr. Rice was an undergrad and became her mentor in her Russian studies and political philosophy? Small world. I prefer the way Dr. Rice turned out, but that's just me.

Congressman William Jefferson, D-LA, has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Finally. He is caught on tape by the FBI taking $100,000 in cash and $90,000 of it was found in his home's freezer. Talk about hard, cold cash.

This is no surprise, the shadiness of Rep. Jefferson. His wife was relieved of her duties from Dillard University in New Orleans after "misappropriating funds". Yeah, like into her bank account. The FBI searched his office, an action by them not previously used on a sitting member of Congress, and they had a search warrant signed by a Federal judge to justify their action. An aide to Jefferson has already confessed and there is more to come.

Congressman Jefferson, you may remember, was the politican immediately after Hurricane Katrina who used the National Guard to take him to his home for inspection and retrieving what he could from it. While others were stuck on their roofs and at the Convention Center and Superdome. Let's get our priorities straight.

Jefferson gave a little press statement Monday afternoon and whined about the "9 months he and his family have had to endure the hell of a Federal investigation". Hmm. OK. Poor guy. Does the name Tom DeLay ring a bell?

And we're in countdown mode for hurricane season.

Good times.

"We have a choice: to plow new ground or let the weeds grow." - Jonathan Westover

4 comments:

srp said...

I saw on Fox where another group of intellectual but stupid graduates did the same to Senator McCain. How shameful! It is becoming ever more clear and rapidly so that our next generation of Americans will be completely spineless and worthless human beings.

I personally feel that the success of a nation is in direct relationship to the moral values of it's citizens. You only have to look at Rome and others in history to see this truth. Frankly, I am pretty pessimistic about the future of the US in this regard. I almost hope my daughter doesn't marry and have children as I know it is only getting worse. I'm not sure this country can survive another 200 years if that long.

AC said...

I'm with you on Dr. Rice. She is fascinating. The rudeness of the students, the one-way street of freedom of speech is mind boggling. Don't get me started.

And did you hear the Dixie chick's re-utterance of disrespect? Good Lord. I'd at least keep my mouth shut for the money.

And William Jefferson (D-Louisana)! It would be funny if it weren't so disgusting. I remember him from Katrina - wasn't he trying to gather some "sensitive" documents then and a laptop or something?

My girlfriend gets together with co-workers every Friday for lunch with a question of the day. One was to name the 5 folks you would like to have over for dinner. She emails me the weekly questions for my absentee input.

Mine were Condoleeza Rice, Charles Krauthammer, Judge Judy, Bill Murray and Tom Wolfe. I guess I would be afraid to say a word myself.

I worry like srp about the choice pool for my daughter but Karen I'm counting on you and mothers and fathers like you to raise boys into real men. Too bad yours is a bit young for ours!

Me said...

I don't know how you do it, but almost every day I learn from you. LOL.

OK so of course I did NOT know that Condoleeza's mentor was Mr. Albright! How ironic yet so cool.

Beverly said...

I often stop by your blog but have never commmented. I come to you by way of SRP...I so admire Dr. Rice as well...and thank you for your post about Lloyd Bentsen...and your quote at the end of your post.