Boring Boorish Behavior

I do so love alliteration! It's Friday, what the heck. I'm sipping a little Pinot Grigio and smelling the enticing aroma of the beef stew in the slow cooker. We have some fresh French bread to warm up when it's time to serve the stew. I'm good.

The wind that blew in the frigid air yesterday is gone and clothing is not flying about any longer. It is Dec. 1, which means hurricane season is officially history for another year. It is feeling like the holiday season now. I have broken out the Christmas cds and am getting into the swing of things. I treasure the vast array of Christmas music in this house. Every kind of music is covered and something can be found to get even the grinchiest human in the mood.

Politicans behaving badly is nothing new. Yesterday brought out two examples of men obviously compensating for something in their lives. Seems to me when men feel the need to be all macho and big guy sounding, they are covering for something inadequate in their lives, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

Not even sworn into office yet, the incoming Senator-elect from Virginia, James Webb, is well known from boorish behavior. He was let go from the Reagan administration as the Secretary of the Navy after 7 months on the job and has been trying to prove what a man he is ever since. He has no love of women, as proven by his behavior during the whole Tailhook scandal and then in his later novels. So, he decided to run for the Senate. He changed over to the Democratic party and put on his son's military boots to strut his stuff. At a reception at the White House with the President for incoming freshmen, he tried to avoid President Bush. He didn't go thru the reception line. He said he didn't want a picture of him and the President on his office wall. He said he is showing his leadership by his actions. Ok. His actions are boorish, juvenile and not in the best interests of his bosses, the people whom he represents. The President inquired about his son in the military when he saw him and Webb was an ass. "That's between me and my boy", he said. Nice. Then he tells the reporter he looks forward to working with the President to get work done. Good luck.

"Leaders do symbolic things to try to convey who they are and what the message is", he told a Washington Post reporter. Yeah, we know exactly who he is now, don't we? Such delusions of grandeur. The whole symbolic thing came to a head during the Clinton days. They were masters at it. Covers up the fact that only little things are done, not the big issues of the day. Webb will learn the hard way, I suppose.

Last night I saw a report that Howard Dean was the invited keynote speaker of the Canadian Liberal party's convention. His speech, spoken partly in French, was the usual stuff until he made a remark and then said "Fox News wouldn't like that." Yeah, that's a funny line, Howard. Then it was noted by the reporter of the piece that Fox News was the only news coverage of the speech. And then the reporter spoke in French to wrap up the piece. Priceless. Howard continues to prove why he is so not an important person anymore.

And lastly, I finish with a quote from Dana Priest, Washington Post National Security Correspondent: "Publishing secrets is essential in a democracy". She calls is essential, I call it sedition during a time of war.

C'est la vie, mes amis.