Politics of Love - Part Deux

Over the course of a weekend, I watch Real Time with Bill Maher (that was fun watching John Mellencamp defend naivete), Washington Week (Gwen Ifil rocks!), The McLaughlin Group (I watch this show because of two things: an old Berke Breathed Bloom County strip that featured Opus and company doing a hilarious re-enactment and my friend Glen who likes Pat Buchanan and boy have I just tarred him with that statement! Buchanan cracks me up, though. I admit it.), This Week with George Stephanopoulos (Thanks for turning me onto this one, Priscilla. It's also the hub's favorite), Meet the Press, and Chris Matthews' Sunday night roundtable. Oh yes, and Rock of Love.

All this might lead you to believe that I have no life and you might be right but I also managed to buy some nail polish and eat a fancy meal over the last couple of days so you know... I stay active ::sniff::.

It's been a busy week in current events and I'm yearning to pontificate...

Yesterday, the toe-tapping senator from Idaho, Larry Craig, announced his intent to resign at the end of the month. This comes after Mitt Romney said his behavior was "disgusting" and, as mentioned, Mitch McConnell called his actions "unforgivable." Politicians sure are loyal! I guess we won't mention Craig's long relationship with Romney. Craig held himself up as your standard family values Republican butthead so actually, to me it's no surprise that he was getting his kicks George Michael style. All that repression just isn't good for you! I make light but I really do find it sad that anyone, no matter where they fit in the ideological spectrum, can't just openly be who they are. However, it's hard to have a lot of sympathy when it's someone who so vocally wanted to deny rights to the very segment of the population he's a part of.

And speaking of toe-tapping, Craig once belonged to a vocal group called The Singing Senators. Oof. It's Barbershop gone bad and please do click on the link to hear them butchering the classic "Elvira". Singing along with Craig were John Ashcroft (who lost his recent Senate bid to a dead guy), Trent Lott (who announced that this country would be in better shape if Strom Thurmond and his band of racists had won the Presidency a hundred years ago) and Jim Jeffords (who left the Republican party and is apparently the only smart singing senator given how things turned out for the rest).

In other news, I was struck by Alberto Gonzalez' outgoing remarks, particularly when he said that his worst days in office were still better than his father's best days and that he'd lived the American Dream. If this is the American Dream, I say, "No thanks." Also, his father's life must have been pretty crappy and I'm sure he's thrilled that's how he'll be remembered (even though he's been dead for 20 years) Guess I should say, way to sully his name! As for Michael Chertoff taking over as Attorney General... Out of the frying pan and into the fire!

I won't even go into Karl Rove's sendoff other than to say, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Our grandkids will still be suffering from the Rove effect. Well, your grandkids will. I can barely handle a dog and a cat so little people... not in the cards.

General David Petraeus is set to give his much anticipated report on the War in Iraq on Sept 10. I'm interested to hear what he has to say but doubt it will make much of a difference. We're sort of damned either way. If he says things are better, more smugness from Bush and we're never getting out. If he says things are worse, more smugness from Bush and we're never getting out. For me, supporting the troops means wanting them to come home.

I heard on The McLaughlin Group that there are 70 million blogs with 120,000 new ones started every day with the theory being that we are all journalists now. If telling you what I ate for breakfast makes me a journalist then yee-haw! A bowl of Fiber One with peaches and Horizon Organic skim milk. Now where's my Pulitzer?!

One last note (to Mary Matalin) before we move on to Rock of Love. I'm glad to see you weren't botoxed to within an inch of your life on Meet the Press. Maybe just six inches this week. I like MTP and Carville is pretty funny but I must say that Stephanopolous' meeting of the minds that more often than not has Fareed Zakaria (who, like Gwen Ifil, rocks!) and George Will is much better. Bob Shrum (aka Peter Pettigrew) does nothing for the Democratic cause.

Not sure what else to say regarding Rock of Love. Lacey shed some crocodile tears, I thought it was hilarious that Bret's "superfans" had only been Poison lovers for 4 and 5 years, I was disappointed to hear that Jes gets collagen injections, and as mentioned it was Sam's turn to go. Oh yes, how could I forget, Heather the stripper got Bret's name tattooed on the back of her neck. How unbelievably stupid is that? I won't even get my husband's name tattooed anywhere! Seriously, she couldn't have signaled the death knell on their relationship any faster than if she'd slept with his best friend (although he seems like such a sleaze he would probably be into that).

Oh yes, Entourage had its season finale tonight. They had people doing the Macarena for God's sake. Boy that show makes me glad I left Los Angeles.

Alright fair readers, Happy Labor Day and until tomorrow...

It's Greenie time!
Ms. P

ps. I took this photo of the Austin, TX capitol building the night I went to see EJ Dionne speak. Dionne is an op-ed writer for The Washington Post. He gave a great talk and I actually felt rather hopeful after hearing him.