Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Today is Ben Franklin's 300th birthday.

Benjamin Franklin, a wise and steadfast founding father of our country, would not think that President Bush has overreached his Constitutional authority in using wiretaps on phone calls between people in America and people overseas suspected of links to terrorism. In 1776 he and 4 colleagues on the Continental Congress's foreign affairs committee said it was not possible to tell the American congress about help France was giving to the American Revolution. The committee was concerned about leaks, yes, even back then, and knew that Congress was too large to be free of the leaks. Franklin viewed the leaks as a fatal experience for the country.

In yet another example of why The New York Times no longer is deserving of the trust of the American people, a photo appeared on its website, which has since been taken down, showing among the ruins of a home, a sad faced little boy and a turbaned man, in Afghanistan, with a long cylindrical part with a conical tip. The caption references the failed attempt to take out al-Qadea's number two man, al Zawahiri. Bad American soldiers not getting the job done. Problem is that the picture was outted as a posed picture. The military artillery put in the photo is not what would have come from the drone that launched the attack. I love the blogosphere.

So, now that the opinions disguising as news stories have been noticed by the country, the newspaper moves to staging photos. Freedom of the press? And this is the same newspaper that claims the Bush administration promotes propaganda. All righty.

This is the same newspaper that published the "secret" wiretapping by the administration. They claim it is in violation of the FISA law. The newspaper was asked by the administration to not publish their report as it endangers American lives. They sat on it for a year and then went public, again while the administration asked them not to, so that one of the newspaper's reporters could publicize his new book about the program. That's some kind of ethics, I'll tell you.

As I have said before, Senator Leahy's staff is known for dirty tricks. Now the agreement he and Senator Spector, the Chairman of the Senate Judicial Committee,had has been broken as to when the committee vote on Samuel Alito will take place. The democrats, according to committee rules, had the option of delaying the vote for one week. They chose to take the week's delay before the hearings began to postpone the beginnings of the hearings. This was done. Now, however, they have decided to not honor this agreement and demand another week's delay. The vote will not take place as scheduled this week and it will now occur next week. Again, new lows in behavior.

Senator Hilary Clinton said in a speech at a African American church yesterday, during a MLK tribute, that the Bush administration treats the citizens of this country as if it were running a plantation, "and you know what I mean". Gee, think that would be lauded as a fine speech if Trent Lott had said it? Low even for a Clinton. But, hey, it's an election year. Anything for Hilary's career. And Harry Belafonte was a speaker at this tribute/rally, too.

Son is in a new session of acting classes. He is excited about this production. It is "Victor Hugo In Rehearsal". He plays a bishop. It's good to see his enthusiasm.


"Condoleezza Rice is a very cruel, offended woman who lacks men's attention, " he added. "Such women are very rough. They can be happy only when they are talked and written about everywhere." - Vladimir, leader of Russia's Liberal and Democratic Party.

3 comments:

Jennifer said...

RNC spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said: "On a day when Americans are focused on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Hillary Clinton is focused on the legacy of Hillary Clinton."

I *loved* this response.

And by the way, if you haven't read 'Benjamin Franklin : An American Life' by Walter Isaacson, you truly must.

Jennifer
Open Book

srp said...

Naquin and now Hillary. I wonder who wants stick their foot in their mouth and swallow it next. Stupidity runs rampant and the Democrats run amuck again.

Jess said...

Happy Birthday indeed. Did you know it was Ben who introduced the idea of the Turkey as the national bird?

Can you imagine? Would have made for very dull Thanksgivings dontcha think?