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September 29, 2007
Embarassing
We digress from politics for a moment to cry in our beer about the Texas Longhorns' simply awful performance today against Kansas State.
For the second straight year K-State upset Texas, except this time it was in Austin and it wasn't even close. The collar for this loss goes to Colt McCoy, who threw 4 interception - one of which was returned for a touchdown - the offensive line that failed to protect him, and the special teams, which surrendered two kick returns for touchdowns.
Despite the 41-21 margin, the Texas defense was the only unit that played respectably. (As we noted, turnovers and special teams were responsible for most of Kansas State's points.)
So far, the 2007 season has been one to forget for UT. Six players arrested, lackluster wins in the first four games, and a truly embarassing loss today.
As we approach next week's game with OU (who also was upset today), we have a hard time caring.
Posted by houtopia at 10:26 PM | Comments (0)
September 27, 2007
China's Water Problem
About a month ago, we noted a piece in the NY Times about the enormous problem of environmental degradation in China. As the world's most populous country continues to explode with economic growth, pollution of China's air and water is wreaking havoc on its environment.
In an article to be published in tomorrow's Times, Jim Yardley focuses on another water crisis facing China -- dwindling supply.
The North China Plain is a booming area of the country. One of its principal cities, Shijiazhuang, is a center of economic expansion; it has grown from a city of 335,000 in 1950, to 2.3 million today, with an additional 7 million in the surrounding area. While the region's population and water use has exploded, its arid climate produces little rainfall. The area is largely dependent on groundwater, and the wells are drying up.
Similar problems are occurring throughout China's water-poor north. The government has embarked upon a massive $62 billion water-transfer project from the more water-rich south, but it is not scheduled for completion until 2050, and may create separate environmental consequences for the south.
Yardley's excellent piece is the second of a Times series titled "Choking On Growth." As China prepares to host the world in next year's Summer Olympics, we can't help but wonder about how many of these problems the government will be able to hide. What's clear is the country is on an unsustainable course. Unfettered economic growth without regard for the scarcity of natural resources or a livable environment is already causing China tremendous problems -- problems that will at some point become untenable. It is a fascinating (and frightening) situation to watch.
Posted by houtopia at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)
September 26, 2007
Our Thoughts Exactly
We have already written about the irrelevance (in our judgment) of Republicans' attempts to use a controversial recent Move On ad to whip up sentiment against Democrats. Our take is sure, the ad was in poor taste, but most Americans didn't see it, don't care about it, and long ago made up their minds about the Iraq War anyway. Just as General Petraeus' testimony had no impact on public opinion, neither did the Move On ad.
Still, we were simultaneously annoyed and amused by the GOP's attempts to score points off of Move On, led in the U.S. Senate by none other than the junior senator from Texas, John Cornyn. The Senate passed a resolution condemning the ad, and today the House followed suit. Congratulations to these august bodies. They have each managed to waste taxpayers' time and money passing items which have no impact, not just on the untenable situation in Iraq, but on any substantive policy issue at all. On that count, we're annoyed.
We also got a chuckle, however, out of this pathetic attempt from Republicans to divert attention, any attention, from the unmitigated clusterf&*# that is Iraq. Note to Republicans: if this is all you've got, your party is in a world of hurt. Given your crap fundraising numbers over the last year, we're sure you are least hoping to collect a few nickels over the Move On dustup. Good luck with that and the rest of your plans; you're gonna need it.
Beyond annoyed and amused, however, we were also just plain pissed. How dare these self-righteous Republicans, who have made their bones smearing their opponents, all of a sudden scream with holier-than-thou outrage over a single newspaper ad? Don't get us started. But since we are trying to acheive inner harmony these days, rather than carry on with piss and vinegar, we'll leave it to a far more high-profile person to channel the rage. We think he sums it up pretty well.
Posted by houtopia at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)
September 25, 2007
The Coming CHIP Showdown
Tonight the U.S. House passed a $35 billion expansion of the children's health insurance program -- known as CHIP -- which provides coverage to low-income children. The legislation easily passed the House, by a 265-159 margin, with a sizeable number of Republicans supporting it, and it is expected to even more easily pass in the Senate. All good, right?
Well, turns out there's a certain "compassionate conservative" in the White House who thinks otherwise. That's right folks, President George W. Bush has vowed to veto "SCHIP" when it comes to his desk later this year. Denying low-income children health insurance... wow, in the face of such compassion, what can one say?
See, Mr. Bush thinks CHIP is "socialized mediciine", so he favors only a $5 billion increase in the program. He's worried about deficits. Again, we're speechless. This president, who has overseen the most fiscally irresponsible administration in American history suddenly cares about budget deficits? Hey, the CHIP program is a tip compared to what we're spending in Iraq, but we must make economies!
And what do House Republicans think about this? A number of them bucked Bush and voted for CHIP tonight, but what of those GOP members in tough races who the president strong-armed into voting against it? Do they really want to be on the record, possibly multiple times, rejecting a program for kids -- who, after all, don't choose the economic circumstances into which they are born -- which has broad bipartisan and public support?
Then again, Mr. Bush believes he will be an asset to his fellow Republicans on the campaign trail next year, so what do we know?
Facing the prospect of this presidential veto, Democrats received political advice from an unlikely source - Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, who supports the CHIP program. He counseled Democrats to bring the bill to a vote over and over again, forcing GOP members to vote on it and President Bush to veto it again and again. Whether it was real advice offered in good conscience, or a bit of gallows humor from a senior elected leader from a party on the trash heap, it's not a bad suggestion.
Posted by houtopia at 09:45 PM | Comments (0)
September 24, 2007
West Of Center
Matt Bai penned an interesting piece in yesterday's LA Times (hat tip to Greg for the link) about the modern progressive movement's increasingly western center of gravity, and its gradual pull on the Democratic Party.
Bai, who also has a new book out about the "battle to remake Democratic politics", begins the article by noting that while Democrats in 2008 will likely make history by nominating either a woman or an African American for the first time, for the 39th consecutive time they will not nominate a Westerner. Meanwhile, Bai says, the nexus of progressive thought and activism has moved west.
He points out that both Democratic leaders in Congress hail from the West (California in the House and Nevada in the Senate), but more importantly that the activist core has eschewed the Washington Democratic establishment's "compromising, pragmatic impulse" in favor of not so much an ideological agenda, as a more "confrontational, principled and shrewd" approach.
Bai goes on to define Hillary Clinton's principal rub with the Democratic primary electorate as her embodiment of the old-line "go along get along" candidate, and notes that the other candidates in the field are all trying to show themselves in a much less establishment light.
A very interesting read.
Posted by houtopia at 09:49 PM | Comments (0)
September 21, 2007
James Moore On Rathergate
Readers will remember that during the heat of George W. Bush's 2004 reelection campaign, Dan Rather ran a highly controversial piece on 60 Minutes II, questioning the President's milltary service. Criticism surrounding the legitimacy of documents sourced to discredit Bush's National Guard service created an intense backlash against Rather and CBS News from the right wing, and ultimately cost Rather his job as the network's head anchor.
Rather has contended he was scapegoated in the matter, and this week put his money where his mouth is, filing a $70 million lawsuit against his former employer, including $50 million in punitive damages. O.K., this is America, right? While the little guy is increasingly denied access to civil justice in this country (and especially in Texas), rich guys and corporations continue to sue each other willy nilly. Excuse us while we yawn.
We don't have a strong opinion about "Rathergate" or this latest lawsuit. In our view, Rather has always been something of a hot dog, and there were valid questions raised about the legitimacy of the sourcing for the 60 Minutes piece. Whether or not the story was ultimately true, Rather and his producer took some big journalistic risks with it and got burned.
On the other hand, it's pretty obvious that Bush received preferential treatment to get into this "champagne unit" of the Guard, just like a lot of other well-connected young men did at the time. And very serious questions about holes in his Guard service record remain largely unanswered. The Bush team has hardly been forthcoming on the matter, in fact they've obfuscated at every turn. Shocking, no?
James Moore, a longtime Texas reporter who has been on the Bush Guard service story since GWB ran for Governor of Texas in 1994, offered a very interesting take on Rathergate yesterday at the Huffington Post.
Basically, Moore thinks Rather and his producer Mary Mapes took an undue amount of heat for the piece, though he thinks they made a mistake in trusting a source that turned out to be less than unimpeachable. He points out, however, that certain lines of attack from the right (like the whole superscript typewriter matter) turned out to be pretty weak, and that the basic questions about Bush's service have never been answered.
Moore, who co-wrote Bush's Brain, a fairly critical profile of Karl Rove, also notes that the Bush team could lay the matter to rest by releasing all of Bush's Guard service records (rather than the selective releases done so far), just as John McCain did in 2000 when Rove began ciruclating rumors of McCain's mental health problems stemming from his internment as a prisoner of war. We won't hold our breath.
Posted by houtopia at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)
September 20, 2007
Former DeLay Staffer Under Scrutiny
Most Texans have put former Republican Congressman Tom DeLay out of mind since he exited the political stage after the 2006 general election. Legal inquiries focusing on him and some of those close to him, however, continue.
Back in June, the state's highest criminal court upheld the dismissal of a conspiracy charge against DeLay and two associates. (It should be noted that the all-Republican court upheld the dismissal by only a 5-4 margin -- so much for party loyalty.) Another state charge against DeLay remains intact, and federal investigations continue as well.
Evidence of those continuing federal investigations surfaced today, with the subpoenaing of payroll records from former DeLay Chief of Staff, Ed Buckham. According to Politico's piece, the subpoena "is the first formal notification that Buckham is the focus of a federal corruption probe by the Justice Department." Whoops.
It will be interesting to see where this latest development leads. Buckham is very close to DeLay personally, and it seems the circle continues to close in around the former Congressman. So, lest any of you thought that Mr. DeLay had skipped off into happy retirement, not so. Whether he eventually faces serious further legal jeopardy remains to be seen, but the meter for those highly paid teams of lawyers -- both in Texas and Washington -- continues to run. The bills are piling up, the book didn't sell, no TV network wants him... hardly a recipe for a comfortable retirement. Karma's a bitch, ain't it?
Posted by houtopia at 09:22 PM | Comments (0)
September 19, 2007
Party Hopping
Seasoned observers of Texas politics will recall that during the national Republican ascendency in the 1980s and '90s, a slew of conservative Democratic elected officials in the state followed the macro political trend, switched parties and became Republicans. The GOP claimed electoral dominance over Texas in 1994 when George W. Bush bested Ann Richards for the governorship, and have maintained it ever since.
The last year or two, however, have not been kind to the Republican brand -- even here. A Texas Lyceum poll from earlier in the summer which generated press coverage for its findings on the school voucher issue, was also notable for the tie among respondents on political party self-identification. The 28% surveyed who self-identified as Republicans vs. 27% as Democrats was remarkable not for Democratic gains, but GOP erosion.
The Iraq War, public fatigue with the Bush presidency, and a series of scandals have clearly taken their toll on Republican fortunes nationally. Here in Texas, add in an unpopular GOP governor and state legislature, and Republicans' once huge advantage in the state has slipped noticably -- for how long or to what extent is not yet clear.
Something, however, is clearly going on. Late this afternoon Burnt Orange Report broke the news that Republican State Representative Kirk England of Grand Prairie is leaving the GOP and will run for reelection as a Democrat. That's right folks, you heard correctly -- A Texas Republican officeholder is switching parties to run as a Democrat. Wow.
As a Republican in 2006, England barely squeaked by, defeating Democrat Katy Hubener by 235 votes out of 21,274 cast. Wi th the increased minority vote coming in the 2008 presidential election, England may have figured he was a dead duck running as a Republican.
Whatever England's reasons, we say welcome. Now, he will face Hubener again in the Democratic primary, and who knows what the result will be. But for the moment, we can only consider the magnitude of his action. That an incumbent Texas Republican officeholder would abandon the GOP to run as a Democrat is nothing short of stunning.
Posted by houtopia at 11:18 PM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2007
Newsflash: Traffic's Bad
Late this afternoon Rad Sallee posted a piece in the Chron on Houston's worsening traffic problem. Texas A&M's Transportation Institute has just released its annual Urban Mobility Report, which shows Houston had the 7th-most rush hour freeway delay hours in the country in 2005, up from 8th-most in 2004.
Apparently, after dropping out of the 20 worst-congested cities in the 1995 study, Houston has been steadily climbing the list again. With an area population of six million or so and growing, the problem figures to worsen in the coming years. And Robin Holzer, of the Citizen's Transportation Coalition, contends that since the study only tracks freeway congestion during rush hour, it doesn't tell the whole congestion story.
The story is timely as plans for the expansion of METRO rail remain up in the air, plans which have caused a great deal of controversy among local residents. The proposed University Corridor, with its possible line down Richmond, has been particularly contentious.
While suburban growth has continued in the Houston area, density in the city's urban core has exploded in recent years, exacerbating traffic problems on surface streets there. As Holzer points out, the study does not address that issue, but for many of us driving those streets on a daily basis it is a big one.
NIMBYism has been in full force during the rail expansion debate, but should a few people be allowed to stand in the way of improved mobility for all Houstonians? In a word, no. As new highrises, townhouses and apartment complexes explode inside the 610 Loop, traffic congestion gets worse and worse. Whether it's LRT, BRT or whatever, we need to take action to deal with ever-increasing density.
Posted by houtopia at 08:11 PM | Comments (1)
September 17, 2007
Mukasey Gets The Nod
Few may have noticed (probably by design) that last Friday was U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' last day at the office in the Department of Justice. Controversial would be a charitable way to describe Al's term as the federal government's top lawyer. Condoning torture, denying American citizens their legal rights, and a politicization of the Justice Department which resulted in the purging of U.S. Attorneys and the exodus of many of the department's career professionals are just a few hallmarks of Gonzales' time at the helm.
Gonzales, who stayed too long at the job despite the political damage his continuing presence did to his boss (who loyally stood by him), leaves a department in tatters. President Bush, a prematurely lame duck, simply doesn't have enough political stroke anymore to get into a bruising nomination fight for Gonzo's replacement. Bush needed a qualified, relatively uncontroversial nominee for AG, and looks like he chose one.
Michael Mukasey, 66, is a retired federal judge with solidly conservative credentials, and a reputation for expertise on national security issues and judicial independence. Reception from key Senate Democrats has been cautious but positive so far, as opposed to the hackles and threats the floating of former Solicitor General Ted Olson's name provoked.
Glenn Greenwald, at Salon, a staunch critic of the Bush Administration's behavior on legal and judicial matters, gives Mukasey a thumbs-up, citing his handling of the Jose Padilla case as evidence of his independence. It would be hard to do worse than Gonzales, but the country desperately needs someone who will begin restoring credibility and professionalism at DOJ.
At first glance, Mukasey looks solid, but we will wait to see what, if anything, the vetting of his nomination yields. We are struck that Bush's selection of Mukasey signals just how politically weak he has become and that he knows it. Guess Cheney got vetoed on this one.
Posted by houtopia at 06:12 PM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2007
Residency Rears Its Head
Wow, that didn't take long. Just two days after Matt Stiles wrote a story in the Chronicle questioning whether two candidates for the Houston City Council At-Large #5 seat actually live in the city, one of those candidates has dropped out of the race.
Jack Christie ended his Council bid today after questions about whether he resides in Bunker Hill Village, where he has his homestead property tax exemption, or in a rental house inside the Memorial area, which was just cited by the City of Houston for stagnant water in his swimming pool.
The other candidate in question, Zafir "Zaf" Tahir, who faces similar questions about whether he resides in a comfortable home in Fort Bend County or a condo in a crime-plagued southwest Houston neighborhood, so far isn't budging from the race, and told Stiles today that he was ready to change the subject. Gee, wonder why?
To top it off, the Chronicle ran an editorial on the subject today, which took current City Council Member MJ Khan to task for similar behavior. Ouch.
The current candidate for the At-Large #5 seat who would seem to benefit from what's transpired over the last few days would be Tom Nixon, who is now the lone Republican in a multi-candidate field. If he can consolidate the GOP citywide vote, he would be in a strong position to make a runoff, likely against Jolanda Jones, who is hoping to take the lion's share of the African American vote.
We are far from "pollyannish", but requiring a candidate for City Council to actually reside inside the city limits strikes us as completely reasonable. Way to go Matt. Once again, you've distinguished yourself as one of the best things going at the Chronicle.
Posted by houtopia at 06:33 PM | Comments (0)
September 13, 2007
Move On Ad... Who Cares?
We read with some amusement yesterday this piece over at Politico, detailing the "uniting" effect on Republicans of Move On-dot-org's latest controversial ad, which suggests General David Petraeus may have betrayed the American public by "cooking the books" on the status of the Iraq War for the Bush administration. Our good friends over at Professors R-Squared had also chimed in on the subject earlier in the week.
Um... are we missing something? OK, we agree the ad was in poor taste. While we think General Petraeus' report is being misused to validate a failed policy in Iraq, we also know he's a highly respected career officer who is ultimately following orders. But the ad wasn't purchased by a presidential candidate, a member of Congress, or the Democratic Party. It was created by Move On, an outside organization that frankly has been lambasting Democrats for months now for not doing enough to get out of Iraq. No Democratic elected officials that we've seen have embraced the ad, in fact most have distanced themselves from it. This is just a group with money expressing itself, however undiplomatically.
And sorry my conservative friends, but contrary to all the hype, the whole Petraeus affair has caused nary a blip in polling about the Iraq War. The fact is, the American public has made up its mind about President Bush and the war, and has essentially stopped paying attention. Larry Craig and Brittany Spears' MTV Awards train wreck are apparently far more captivating stories for average Americans. Hey, we wish folks would stay attuned on this vitally important issue (the war, not Brittany), but what can you do?
So, we're guessing most folks don't even know what Move On is, much less that an offensive ad was created. We realize that the GOP would welcome a distraction, any distraction, from the disastrous press it has endured in recent months, but this ain't it.
Posted by houtopia at 10:03 PM | Comments (1)
September 12, 2007
Rudy Returns To Reality
It was just a matter of time. Rudy Giuliani's gravity-defying run at the top of the lackluster GOP presidential field seems to be coming to an end. Three new polls -- in the Washington Post, the LA Times, and the NY Times -- confirm substantial erosion in Giuliani's support among Republicans, nationally as well as in key early primary states. (Hat tip to Greg Sargent over at TPM on this one.)
No doubt, Fred Thompson's recent official entry into the race, and Mitt Romney's concentrated efforts in Iowa and New Hampshire have taken a bite out of Rudy's numbers. But we can't help thinking that, as we suspected all along, the more folks found out about "America's Mayor" the less they would like. Whether it's his unsavory personal behavior, testy disposition, his serial distortion and exaggeration of his record as mayor of New York (coupled with intensifying scrutiny and criticism of that record by the press and his many enemies), or increased knowledge among GOP primary voters of his positions on social issues, positions which are out of step (to put it mildly) with today's Republican primary electorate, the bloom is, shall we say, off Rudy's rose a bit.
Romney's numbers are perhaps the most interesting to watch. As the LA Times poll notes, Mitt is strongest in the two states that matter most right now -- Iowa and New Hampshire -- where he leads the field. Spending millions on advertising and field efforts there certainly has moved the needle, but his campaign (correctly in our judgment) decided early on to establish an early primary beachhead, calculating that wins or very strong finishes in those two states would give his candidacy needed momentum going forward. So far, that's looking like a wise bet, though it's early yet. Romney is in a strong position for the moment, but let's see what Thompson does, and whether or not McCain, who has stopped the bleeding, can nurse his candidacy back to heath. The GOP nomination remains totally up for grabs.
By contrast, in our view, if there is to be any race at all on the Democratic side, somebody has to beat Hillary Clinton in either Iowa or New Hampshire. She is comfortably ahead in the national polls at the moment, though early primary state numbers are much tighter. If she is able to win Iowa, what should be a tough state for her, and New Hampshire, she will run the table. A win by another candidate in one of those states will solidify that person as the viable alternative to Clinton, and create what is effectively a two-candidate race from there on. Obama seems best positioned to be that alternative because he has a large, dedicated volunteer base, and more money than anyone else (including Hillary.) You can't totally exclude Edwards or Richardson at this point, but they are real longshots. This likely reality explains Team Clinton's strategy of trying to make her nomination a foregone conclusion. They want this over early, for obvious reasons.
But back to the GOP, Giuliani is on the rocks. His early support is turning out to have been as thin as it was widespread. Can Rudy regain his mojo? We wouldn't bet on it. At this point, our money would be on Romney.
Posted by houtopia at 07:06 PM | Comments (0)
September 11, 2007
More Inconvenient Truth For John Edwards
What is the deal with John Edwards' campaign? His second run at the presidency has adopted a decidedly populist tone -- think Al Gore's last 2000 campaign reinvention of himself, the whole "people vs. the powerful" schtick. This game plan hasn't brought much success for Edwards so far (though it is early.) He runs a distant third in most polls and his fundraising seems to have largely dried up.
To date, Edwards' common-man message just isn't resonating with Democratic primary voters. The American public, which is pretty good at spotting a phony, may be on to John Edwards this time around. Wonder why? In our judgment, the tenor of his campaign is simply not in tune with the electorate. Oh, and certain pesky facts keep getting in the way of his everyman appeal.
Remember the $6 million 28,000 square-foot mansion? How about allegations that he basically used his poverty center as a front to fund his campaign trips? And of course, who could forget the $400 haircuts? All of these stories poked holes in Edwards' populist message, and made him come off as less than genuine. After all, how can a multi-millionaire really relate to everyday folks struggling to pay their bills?
Well, more trouble for Johnny Boy. Turns out one of Edwards' recent employers and a firm in which he has invested millions, the Fortress Investment Group, is involved in foreclosing on a number of homes in his native South Carolina, homes that were financed with subprime mortgage loans. Whoops.
This latest story is yet another that undermines his "I'm on the side of average working families" campaign theme. Note to Team Edwards: it may be time to look for a new angle, Hey, it's not like this one's worked anyway.
Posted by houtopia at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)
September 10, 2007
Petraeus Speaks
Today came the long-awaited appearance by General David Petraeus, the lead U.S. commander in Iraq, to report on the progress of the American troop "surge", which began in February and added five brigades to U.S. forces in Iraq. Petraeus is a highly respected officer, but early indications are that his report will do little to influence lawmakers' opinions on the Iraq War.
Supporters of President Bush's Iraq strategy view Petraeus' declaration that the surge's objectives "are in large measure being met" as confirmation that the policy is on the right track, while detractors contend the general's report is nothing more than a rubber stamp of the administration's failed policy in the region. A U.S. Government Accountability Office report released several days ago painted a bleak picture on the ground there.
The American public, for its part, is dubious of the surge's success, and a solid majority believes the overall Iraq War is a failure. Herein lies the political rub for GOP elected officials headed into the 2008 election cycle.
Remember back in May, when 11 GOP House members, led by House Minority Leader John Boehner went to the White House for a "candid" discussion of the political realities surrounding continued support for the war? They told the president he had until September to demonstrate success on the ground in Iraq, or would risk losing Republican Congressional support.
Well, here we are -- it's September, Petraeus is delivering his report, but clearly defined success (at least in the public at-large's eyes) isn't there. Do GOP House members in tough districts start bailing on Iraq? And while the Republican presidential candidates largely remain fully committed to the Iraq War (as do most GOP primary voters), how does the eventual nominee pivot on this issue for a general electorate that is far less supportive of the policy, and wants to begin bringing U.S. forces home?
Not easy questions to answer, but of course, there are no easy or good answers to the whole situation in Iraq either. All the options are bad, and come with huge costs in both human and financial terms. And that, sadly, is not likely to change. It doesn't take an expert report to see that one.
Posted by houtopia at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)
September 08, 2007
Victory!
After a lackluster first half against a tenacious TCU team, our Texas Longhorns stepped on the gas in the second half and won handily.
TCU has an excellent defense, and they totally shut the Longhorns offense down in the first half. They also intercepted two Colt McCoy passes, returning one for a touchdown and setting up a field goal with the other. As a result, the Horned Frogs led 10-0 at halftime. The second half, however, was a different story. Texas outscored TCU 34-3 and dominated in the half.
Count us among the Longhorn fans breathing a big sigh of relief. After an uninspiring first-week performance against Arkansas State, Texas seemed at great risk against a talented and highly motivated TCU team. The victory was hardly a thing of beauty, but a win's a win, and we'll take it.
Posted by houtopia at 11:34 PM | Comments (0)
September 07, 2007
Mutable Mitt
Don't like GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's position on an issue? Just wait a few minutes.
The former Republican governor of one of the most liberal states in the U.S. -- Massachusetts -- Romney has undergone a total transformation on a number of his issue positions since making his decision to seek the presidency. Michael Luo hones in on one of Romney's major policy about-faces -- gay rights -- in Saturday's NY Times.
Once upon a time, in 2002, when Romney was running for governor of Massachusetts, he reassured a meeting of Log Cabin Republicans that while he did not support same-sex marriage, he did favor civil unions and promised to be friendly on a number of other gay rights issues.
A year after he was elected, a Massachusetts court legalized gay marriage, and what did Romney do? Rather than "keep his head low" on the issue and obey the law, as he promised the Log Cabin group he would, instead he decided to back a constitutional amendment (which failed) to ban it.
Whatever your position on gay rights, abortion, or a host of other controversial issues, chances are Mitt Romney has espoused it at one time or another, depending on his audience and the office he was seeking at the time. And if you don't like what he's currently saying, stay tuned, he'll probably change it again in a few weeks.
Mitt Romney: he looks presidential, and talks a great game. Too bad he's a spineless opportunist, who will say anything to get elected. Beware.
Posted by houtopia at 10:22 PM | Comments (2)
September 06, 2007
Addio, Luciano Pavarotti
We pause for a moment from the usual political offerings to say goodbye to Luciano Pavarotti, probably the biggest opera star in history. Pavarotti died early today in his hometown of Modena, Italy after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 71.
For many only casually familiar with opera, Pavarotti was its face. With a friendly, outsized personality (and physique to match), Pavarotti made the art form accessible to millions, particularly with his numerous collaborations with pop stars like Bono and Sting.
For those more devoted to opera, Pavarotti's later years as a performer are those we would most like to forget. While his voice remained remarkably preserved, the deterioration of his physical health (much of it due to his obesity) and his artistic standards were painful to watch and hear. But in his prime, oh, how good he was.
Consider, for example, this excerpt from Verdi's Requiem, conducted in 1967 by the legendary Herbert Von Karajan. The 32 year-old Pavarotti, with an actual waistline and no beard, displays not only the simply magnificent natural voice, but also beautiful lyricism in his singing.
Or how about this recording of Rodolfo in Puccini's La Boheme (one of his signature roles) from 1979. Spectacular range and control.
Finally, there is this offering from 1980 of "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot. This aria is perhaps most often associated with Pavarotti in his later years, though the role of Calaf was a bit heavy for his lyric tenor voice, and not a mainstay part during his career. Still, it's nice to hear him sing this in his prime, and bear in mind that these are live recordings, not canned in the studio, which makes them all the more impressive.
On a personal note, 20 years ago, as a high school kid who was beginning a serious pursuit of classical singing that continues today, Pavarotti was an inspiration. The bright, warm and natural voice, the easy top notes, and the elegant lyricism of Pavarotti in his prime were and are standards for great singing. Rather than the bloated, sloppy caricature that he became in his later years, it is this Pavarotti we will remember.
Addio, Luciano Pavarotti e mille grazie.
Posted by houtopia at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
September 05, 2007
Not All Coverage Is Good Coverage
We have largely refrained so far from commenting on the upcoming U.S. Senate Democratic primary here in Texas to win the right to take on John Cornyn next fall. We support Rick Noriega, but don't have anything against Mikal Watts, the other principal contender.
R.G. Ratcliffe's story in today's Chronicle, however, gave us pause. In an obviously severe lapse in judgment, Watts, a successful plaintiff's attorney, boasted to opposing counsel in a letter that his "heavy" financial support of judges on the 13th Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi would likely result in them ruling his way on the case in question. Wow.
It's one thing to try and intimidate an opponent with a little bravado -- you know, maybe an offhand comment in the men's room -- but writing it down in a letter? Perhaps just the error of a young lawyer (Watts was in his early 30s at the time, and is now 40), but it strikes us a pretty big error.
These days, plaintiff's attorneys in Texas have a tough enough hill to climb in the court of public opinion without lobbing a softball like this to their opponents. (Note: not sure where this story came from, but it almost certainly was not Team Cornyn. Their timing for such a piece would have been September 2008, not 2007.)
It is quite early yet in the Senate campaign, but the Watts camp has taken its second big hit. The first was its initial statewide story, the takeaway of which was that Watts is anti-choice and opposed to embryonic stem cell research -- not big sellers in the Democratic primary. What will be their next misstep?
Posted by houtopia at 11:00 PM | Comments (1)
September 04, 2007
Bet On America?
We're getting back into the flow after a light-blogging holiday weekend.
One interesting piece from Sunday's Washington Post that caught our eye was Bet on America, by Joel Achenbach.
In it, Achenbach takes on the oft-made argument these days that the United States is an empire in decline. He cites a number of recent books and essays on the subject (though he omits two thoughtful ones we've read, by Kevin Phillips and Clyde Prestowitz) that say America's glory days are behind it and darker days lie ahead.
Not so fast, according to Achenbach. Yes, he concedes, the U.S. faces myriad problems that threaten its long-term hegemony -- growing income inequality and environmental degradation among them -- but his conclusion is that America is likely to remain dominant because it is, relatively speaking, in far better overall shape than any potential usurper on the global stage. China, Japan, Russia, and the major EU countries have a long way to go to catch the U.S. economically, and are beset by their own problems that make claiming the superpower mantle difficult at best.
Achenbach's admonition is to stop the gloom and doom, and "double down" on betting America will remain the world's top dog for decades to come. Time will tell, but it's an interesting argument.
Posted by houtopia at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)
September 01, 2007
Two Exits
In the last two days, two long-serving Republican United States Senators have announced their upcoming departure from the august body, but each under very different circumstances.
John Warner, the senior senator from Virginia, announced yesterday that he will not stand for reelection in 2008. A 28-year veteran of the Senate and now age 80, Warner decided against staying too long at the fair, and is stepping aside for someone else to take his place -- quite possibly another Warner, though not a relation and not a Republican.
Warner distinguished himself as a principled, independent and honest public servant in a town where such adjectives apply to very few. Quite simply, John Warner is a class act, and he will be missed on Capitol Hill.
The same cannot be said of the other departing GOP Senator. Idaho's Larry Craig, he of recent airport bathroom difficulties, announced his resignation from the Senate, effective at the end of this month. Rather than gracefully exiting the political stage like his Virginia colleague, Craig is crawling away in shame at the behest of his party leaders.
After recent revelations that Craig solicited sex from an undercover male police officer in a Minneapolis airport lavatory, GOP political leaders quickly decided that the party couldn't stand another lengthy scandal and determined he should quickly resign. Resign Craig did, and the spectacle was a far cry from the moralizing family values routine the public had come to expect from the Idaho lawmaker.
Two U.S. Senators are leaving the scene. One an honorable man retiring on his own terms. The other shamefully bowing to political reality. Quite a contrast.
Posted by houtopia at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)