November 06, 2010

'New Washington' Strikes Back

For those of you unfamiliar with this year's mayoral race in Washington, here is a synopsis:

Vincent Gray, the chair of the city council, decided to run against Adrian Fenty, the incumbent mayor, for the Democratic nomination for mayor. Because of the dominance of the Democratic party in Washington city politics, garnering the Democratic nomination for an office is truly the same as winning the general election. Gray, in my opinion, led a revolt against Fenty by taking advantage of and sometimes flaming the resentments of some older, middle-class and poorer African-American residents, henceforth termed 'Old Washington,' against Fenty because of his purported neglect of and disrespect for this constituency. Fenty was accused of being concerned only with the needs of other citizens of Washington who tended to be younger, better educated, more racially diverse, gayer, more concerned with progressive causes such as livability, henceforth termed 'New Washington.' Vincent Gray defeated Adrian Fenty for the Democratic nomination for mayor and Fenty subsequently endorsed him for the general election. (Ironically, Adrian Fenty actually won the Republican primary for mayor as a write-in candidate, which he did not accept.) However, a movement arose to write in Fenty's name for mayor in the general election (which I myself did), which proved highly effective in sending a message. Write-in candidates (presumably nearly all for Fenty) won several precincts and came close to winning three of the city's eight wards. In total, Fenty (going with the earlier presumption) garnered 23% of the vote compared to 70% for Gray. While this seems like a trouncing of Fenty by Gray, in Washington politics, this was a shocking rebuke to Gray.

Now for pure opinion...

I was waiting to hear the opinion of one Colbert King, a clear proponent of the values and priorities of Old Washington, and today he provided such in his weekly op-ed. While never mentioning Fenty by name, he acknowledged without resentment that Gray had been sent the message that New Washington would be keeping close tabs on him. I, clearly a 'member' of New Washington, will indeed be watching Mr. Gray to make sure that he does not inflate the city's workforce, reverse the improvement in the city's schools, and reverse the city's trend towards livability.

June 29, 2010

Stop Blaming Fannie and Freddie

Paul Krugman supplies the brass tacks about why blaming Fannie and Freddie for the 2008 financial crisis is a bunch of hooey.

May 03, 2010

President Argues for Less Info-segregation

I agree with the President wholeheartedly. That's why I keep Fox News on my channel surf list, why I have an AM button in my car for the station that carries Limbaugh, and why I check out the Drudge Report once in a while.

April 30, 2010

Your Papers, Please

If Duncan Hunter gets his way, I hope you have handy not only your own birth certificate or naturalization paperwork, but your parents' birth certificates or naturalization paperwork, and their parents' birth certificates or naturalization paperwork, and so on, and so on, and so on... I'm sure hoping my great, great, ..., great grandfather who came to Norfolk as an indentured servant in the late 17th century had the right paperwork with him. Otherwise, many of my loved ones and I will soon be loaded up on a boat for merry old England!

April 16, 2010

Thank You, Mr. President

Thank You, Mr. President for doing the right thing. The mean-spiritedness that pervades our times requires firm lines to be drawn between what is right and what is wrong.

March 18, 2010

Our Friend and Ally?

Not everyone in Israel is our friend and ally. Click here to see what Mr. Netanyahu's brother-in-law thinks about us.

March 15, 2010

February 15, 2010

Nothing Sacred

The philosophy of never raising taxes -- on anyone, ever -- leads to strokes of genius like this where a Utah state senator proposes to eliminate 12th grade from schools.

January 26, 2010

Survival of the Fittest

I guess the lieutenant governor of South Carolina is actually a believer in Darwin's theory of Survival of the Fittest. Click here for the quote.

January 25, 2010

Ignorance or Denial?

Why is it that America's ignorance of the facts on the health care debate seems almost to be something more than that? This link shows how mis-informed the electorate is. But I wonder if it is less ignorance than denial. Is it that Americans simply cannot believe that they could have a health-care safety net -- that it must be some sort of deception, too good to be true?

January 14, 2010

What God Does Pat Robertson Worship?

The God of Christianity would never do what Pat Robertson claims.



I'm left with no conclusion except that Pat Robertson worships some other god than God.