Two piles of do-do with pretty ribbons on them...

left on the doorsteps of the Republican Party.
Delivered with love from “Joe” the Plumber and Arlen Specter.
“I found a way to quit you!” the notes read.
As always,
BB
P.S. Sarah Palin a bit constipated at this time.

‘Joe’ the ‘Plumber’ Leaves the GOP
By Jeff Fecke | May 7, 2009
http://moderateleft.com/?p=5390

And
Specter Leaves GOP, Shifting Senate Balance - washingtonpost.com
By Paul Kane, Chris Cillizza and Shailagh Murray Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Sharpton, Gingrich, Bloomberg and my Hiney Shiney

My Hiney Shiney has been acting up lately ever since I heard about a certain meeting at the White House. As stated in the opening paragraphs of the enclosed article, President Obama called together “..the unlikely political trio..” of social activist Rev. Al Sharpton, Conservative Republican Newt Gingrich and N.Y. Mayor Bloomberg to talk about education.

My Hiney Shiney is urging me to note that this “..unlikely trio” not only went to the White House soon after the announced retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Souter was made public, but the invitation was in all likelihood issued hours after the announcement was made. Those guys stay busy!

In my opinion and looking carefully at the trio, anyone of them could become a meaningful addition to the United States Supreme Court or at best make noteworthy suggestions. Those guys are not your run of the mill “nobodies” the pedestrian mind would have you believe, so saith my venerable, honorable and sometimes trusty Hiney Shiney.
As always,
BB

Obama meets with Sharpton, Gingrich, Bloomberg
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Thursday discussed ways to improve the education system with the unlikely political trio of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Rev. Al Sharpton and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

And
What the President wants in a Supreme Court justice
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/01/obama-souter-replacement/

More SCOTUS judges should consider joys of retirement. (Update)

I have so much respect for Justice O’Connor and now Justice Sueter.
Most of the remaining justices can pat themselves on the back saying, “Well done!” and ready themselves to go into the glorious world of retirement. In my opinion, many people retire due to the fact they want to spend more time with their secondary passion now they have the time and resources to do so. It is further my opinion those who do not retire are spending their later years in a monochromatic existence froth with “King of the world” egos or its equivalence. I am sure it is easy to get into that frame of mind but just like the character Sportin’ Life sang in the folk opera Porgy’n Bess, “It ain’t necessarily so!”

If some of those older Justices really know how much the world has changed since taking the bench and how much their views have been collecting dust in the cobwebs on Father Time's sickle, they would wet their Pampers. There is a fresh group of clerks who have graduated with newer textbooks and theories and social contacts in their lives. More people skills than we old timers could ever imagine. More life, more vigor and more contemporary “Save the world!” personal mandates. Those guys would come on the scene with an equally fresh and younger court Justice.

All, and I say all of the Justices now occupying the benches on the Supreme Court of the United State have a chance to go down in history to a degree well beyond their wildest imagination by retiring under this administration. Think about it! Guaranteed immortality! A clean break from the nasty and mean ol’ previous administration. If I were one of the older members on the court, I would not let Death scribe my life on the Supreme Court but rather tell him what to say……after I retire with fishing rod in hand.
Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-Span and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB
P.S. (Joke)
- (Politician) I’m home, dear. Did you see me on television this morning? Yeah, I did it. Finally decided to retire. Boy, were they surprised. Hey, what’s all these bags doing here at the door? Are we going somewhere? Honey, honey where are you?
- (Comes out of library. Hands him divorce papers.) I married you for better or worse; not for lunch.

(Update)
Scalia Owned by Students, Flips Out!
by scimitar
Excerpt: (Author) Lawyer: “I rest my case, your honor.”

This is a story of conservative hypocrisy, unjustified anger, and hilarity. It begins with a law school class project, and it ends with an epic FAIL on behalf of (72 yr.old) Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/5/6/721853/-Scalia-Owned-by-Students,-Flips-Out!

Sen. Specter and Rep. Joe Sestak

We learn something new every day, so the saying goes. Today I learned through the diary of *UpstateDem a politician can create a problem trying to move from the House to the Senate and does not make it. You could lose both seats. In other words, you could lose the seat you are coming from as well as the one you are trying to go to. I never knew that. I think I thought you could hold onto your old seat while aspiring for the other. As I said, you learn something new everyday.

I listened to both Sen. Arlen Specter and Rep. Joe Sestak this past Sunday and formed some impressions. First of all, I had not heard Sen. Specter to the depths I did when he made his formal announcement to switch from Republican to Democrat and then on the Sunday talk circuit. My impressions was Mr. Specter is an “I, I, me, me person.” During both time I saw him I was wondering, “Why aren’t you saying you will do what your constituents want?”

“I will not be a cookie cutter for the Democrats” he said while also telling us he will vote HIS conscience on bills that come before him. That statement requires no translation. No “What he meant to say was...” defenses. It is what it is; seasoned, strong arm Senatorial talk that was accepted by the majority of the Democratic Party. In my opinion, that kind of language is typical of the “FU” language we have learned to accept from our representatives in the Congress and most especially from the Republican side of the isle.

While listening to Rep. Sestak on Sunday I did not get the impression he was enough of a thug to be a Senator. He was almost apologetic in his language and it was obvious he was hurt at the decisions and concessions the party made to woo Sen. Specter. There was no “FU!” No “KMA!” No “MFU!” Just mild, gentle and calm memorized talking points befitting a Congressman. I was surprised to see Mr. Sestak with that kind of personality going up to a veteran like Arlen Specter. David and Goliath comes to mind.

Mind you Mr. Sestak would be going up to Arlen in the primaries and (gasp!) Tom Ridge in the general. Now at this time, “The mouse that roared” comes to mind and after also dismissing that thought, I realized the only realistic thoughts befitting this situation are the ones that appear to be on the minds of the Democratic Party members: “Sometimes you have to lose a battle to win a war,” taking the path of least resistance. I can live with that.
As always,
BB

*Joe Sestak should stay in PA-07
by UpstateDem
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/5/4/727843/-Joe-Sestak-should-stay-in-PA-07
Excerpt and opening paragraph:
Many people on here are positively giddy at the fact that Congressman Joe Sestak may run against Arlen Specter in the 2010 Democratic primary. I think it is a very bad idea. One reason is that PA-07 is a district that we would probably lose as an open seat if the political environment turns south for Democrats(which it will if unemployment doesnt peak around November of 2009). The second reason is that there is a pretty good chance that popular former governor Tom Ridge will be the Republican nominee. If he is the nominee, he is exactly the type of "moderate" Republican that many independents in Pennsylvania are comfortable with as a "check" on Democrats.

Fareed Zakaria is free on CNN

I smiled this morning around 11:45 AM due to the fact I found something I wanted to write about. It was a comment made by Dr. Charles Olglebee, a teacher at Harvard who taught both Pres. Obama and his wife Michelle. And there was the presentation of Sec. Sebilius et al also on Meet The Press and the crowning glory of Fareed Zakaria’s interview with Sec. Gates. During the interview, it occurred to me I was seeing this powerful interview for free. The interview was not via a newspaper, a magazine subscription nor a by-product from a contribution made to an organization. Most definitely not from attending a Town Hall Meeting, a lecture series or purchasing a book. It was free.

There is so much “good stuff” going on today I honestly find it hard to concentrate on what to write. The blogs, diaries and news report I am reading now make more sense than ever before. Knowledge connects. So does the bull shit. There is beginning to become a clear delineation between the two and it makes me smile.

I note in the political field when the canvassers and strong supporters of then Sen. Obama came on stage, brilliantly doing their thing and have gone away. They have gone away but not out of ear-shot of what is going on. They have gone away “until needed” again on stage. I find the way they conduct themselves fascinating! No “Look at me!”, or “I am so important!” or books or movie deals that I am aware of. Fascinating! I think of them often.

And now I see the next progressive step with the likes of David Gregory and Fareed Zakaria carrying the touch for serious enlightenments on the political front, even with their different styles of presentations. I see newspapers, prize winning newspapers mind you, biting the dust due mostly and in my opinion to their worshiping and catering to their misdirected, manipulative and greedy mythical god, Oligarchy. Of course this is a god of their own creation that to this very day, some are worshiping and vainly trying to convene others to do the same.

On the web sites I visit, I see a slow down of the brilliant and informative post we all became accustomed to especially during the primary presidential season of 2008 and the only thing I can contribute it to is the character of our President. We put him in place and people are adjusting to a person who has character with the extra bonus of having class to which they can proudly identify. I can not say enough good things than that. President Obama and now with his cabinet have already changed the world as we once knew it. With Sibelius, Gates, Nepoliano et al, my Lord! President Obama has already out-done himself and he has only begun and we are all the benefactors.
As always,
BB
P.S. I was also mesmerized the other night: Post scriptum: Also worth watching is the latest Bill Moyers Journal, and the web exclusive. in which Bruce Fein, legal scholar, and Mark Danner,
P.P.S. Secretary Gates is one of a very few people in the public sector who can drop their voice and still be clearly heard.
P.P.P.S. Chris Wallace is also good as a moderator. In my opinion, he would be more productive and respected if he could abandon having to do new episodes of D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a nation” with his panel every week. Sad.