near wild heaven

This is now, this is here, this is me, this is what I wanted you to see.

Here are some things I've seen and heard recently:

Last night, Senate majority leader Bill Frist, who as you might have heard is a medical doctor, and he treated sick people in New Orleans last week, was on Larry King. I watched for only a few minutes, but long enough for Frist to be asked three questions: one by a caller and two by King himself. He was asked questions like, "Isn't the government investigating itself like a pitcher calling his own balls and strikes?" and "where will the money come from?" I watched Frist brazenly refuse to answer the questions, but instead return to his talking points, time and again. He often made no sincere attempt to connect his talking points to the actual question, so this man who wants to be our next president was, for all intents and purposes, speaking in non-sequitirs. What's worse, KIng asked no follow-up questions, demanded no real answers. I wonder: is the press spooked by the president's catchy phrase "Let's not play the blame game"? Has their righteous (and right) indignation at the sight of starving Americans already abated, so that cooler heads might prevail? Where are you, Anderson Cooper? Why aren't you on TV 24 hours a day?

Also, I saw a press conference--another press conference--where Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, both Republican Congressional leaders, announced a bi-partisan investigation. There were no Democrats to be seen because, I imagine, Democrats weren't included in the meeting where Frist and Hastert decided to hold this press conference to make this bogus announcement.

Last Saturday the Chief Justice died. This man--a notable man, I'll give you that--was lavished with attention. His body lie in repose at the Supreme Court where he worked. Meanwhile, thugs mutilated corpses outside the New Orlean Convention Center.  

As the flood waters were rising--the circumstance apparently unforseen by evey politician in America--the president flew west from his ranch, to San Diego, where he commemorated V-J day by comparing the sacrifice of World War II veterans, many of whom were in the audience, to the sacrifice of Iraqi war veterans. He did this by comparing the similarities between, say, HItler and a bunch of extremists who line Iraqi roadsides with improvised explosives.

Then, when it came time to mean business--because there was a political toll--the president arrived back in Washington. He came storming out of Air Force One, toting his black terrier.

posted by: zithereen at September 09, 2005 11:49 | link | comments (1) |