An Olio
a miscellany of thoughts

October 31, 2006

 

Packers 3 - 4



While I don't expect the Packers to be in the playoffs, they're doing well, beating the Cardinals 31-14 Sunday. The so far unstoppable Bears and Colts also had good games.

 

Little Minds

With all of the office seekers spouting off on televison, I was reminded by an online poster of an Emerson quote that is appropriate for these days:

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh."

October 25, 2006

 

Sen. Paul Wellstone

There are events that touch us in such a way that we will always remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard about them.

One of those for me was the death of Sen, Paul Wellstone, his wife, daughter, three campaign staffers and two pilots in a plane crash, exactly four years ago today. I was in Grand Marais in northern Minnesota, in the section of the state where the crash occurred. I was driving along the street and had to pull over when I heard the news on the radio. After I cried a while, I went into the general store to commiserate with others.

I will never forget that terrible day, not only so sorrowful for those who were his friends and constituents, but also a tragedy for the country, which needs him so much today.

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From The Huffington Post, 10/25/2006:

By Jonathan Tasini

Remembering Paul Wellstone

Four years ago today, Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash, along with his wife, Sheila, daughter Marcia and several campaign staffers — Mary McEvoy, Tom Lapic, and Will McLaughlin. On that day, the progressive movement lost an amazing voice for a decent America. In some ways, I don't think we've ever been the same.

He was the only senator running for re-election who had the courage to vote against the Iraq war resolution. And it wasn't an easy political vote — he was in a tough re-election race but one that I believe he would have won because ultimately Minnesota voters, even those who didn't always agree with him, respected his integrity and authenticity.

Frankly, had he been alive today, I think there would be a huge movement to get him to take up the banner as the progressive candidate for the 2008 Democratic nomination (though, with his typical self-deprecating humor, Paul once dismissed his chances of running for president, saying, "I'm short, I'm Jewish and I'm a liberal") While other senators who want to grab the nomination explain their vote for the war resolution as one that was cast because they were lied to or because of "false intelligence," Paul had the moral compass to understand that attacking Iraq was immoral, unnecessary and would lead to the pointless deaths of tens of thousands of people.

What would an America be like if Sen. Paul Wellstone had still been in the U.S. Senate? Well, for one thing, Republican Norm Coleman would not be a U.S. Senator. You can bet Paul would have led a filibuster fight against the nominations of now-Justices Samuel Alito and John Roberts. My guess is that he would also have stood with Russ Feingold and called for the censure of the president — a position that no other Democrats have the courage to take.

I don't know of any politician today who I think has the moral courage and decency that Paul had — and his integrity stands even starker relief to the people who now run this country and run for political office (Republicans and Democrats). While he was a progressive, he also appealed to voters across the political spectrum because people knew that he was in the political arena to advance the interests of regular people, not the powerful.

Putting aside his policy positions, his vision of politics was so much more than what we see in the unbridled ambitions of the political machines that vie for power: "Politics is not just about power and money games, politics can be about the improvement of peoples lives, about lessening human suffering in our world and bringing about more peace and more justice," he said.

It's one reason that I adopted his slogan during my campaign: Vote For What You Believe In. I often invoked his memory, reminding people what a different country we would be if we had 51 Paul Wellstones in the U.S. Senate.

And he saw how our system was slowly being corrupted by the influence of money: "Money, all to often, determines who runs for office. Should a person have to be a millionaire to run for the U.S. Senate? Money, all too often, determines what both Democrats and Republicans have to say on the issues for fear of offending big contributors. Should a candidate mortgage his or her vision to the wealthy and powerful and privileged? Money, all too often, determines how our elected officials spend their time in Washington. Politics becomes about amassing huge amounts of money. Issues and accountability don't count when it comes to the cozy relationship between a Senator or Representative and the political action committees who contribute the big bucks. They give the money to influence legislation and expect results. But during campaigns and elections most of what the people get is images. Not issues, not accountability. As a result people view politics as phony, irrelevant to their lives, and a game where the rules are rigged for the well healed and powerful interest, not ordinary citizens."

I will always remember exactly where I was when I heard Paul had been killed and who I called immediately to share the pain of the loss of an amazing individual. Even though I didn't live in Minnesota, I thought of him as my senator. And I still cry when I think of what we have lost. But, at the same time, his legacy will remain strongest if we keep on fighting hard.

At the end of my campaign, I quoted Paul to the many people who had worked so hard: "The future will not belong to those who sit on the sidelines. The future will not belong to the cynics. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Tasini concludes: "I'd like people to post their own recollections of Paul Wellstone and what he meant to you."

October 24, 2006

 

Packers Win #2




Considering the Packers' less than great prospects this year, any win is welcome.


By Steven Wine, AP Sports Writer
October 22, 2006

Miami (AP) — The Green Bay Packers' defenders were more sure-handed than the Miami Dolphins' receivers.

Ranked last in the NFL in pass defense, Green Bay intercepted Joey Harrington three times and benefited from half a dozen dropped passes by the woeful Dolphins to win 34-24 Sunday.

Brett Favre threw two touchdown passes, including the clincher to David Martin with six minutes left, and Ahman Green scored on a 70-yard run.

But it was big plays by Green Bay's beleaguered defense that made the difference. The Packers doubled their season interception total, and the takeaways led to 13 points.

Charles Woodson made his first interception with Green Bay and returned it 23 yards for a score. Interceptions by linebackers Brady Poppinga and Nick Barnett set up a pair of field goals.

"Today we got our hands on some balls, and we were able to give it back to the offense or take it in for a score," Woodson said. "Any time you can do that, you've got a good chance to win."

Green Bay (2-4) beat the Dolphins in Miami for the first time in seven tries, battling fatigue and cramps in steamy, 86-degree weather to finish strong.

"We were dropping like flies, but we fought through it," Green said.

The last time the Packers won in South Florida was in Vince Lombardi's final game as their coach in the 1968 Super Bowl against Oakland.

 

Bush Retiement Plan

By Bill Ferguson
Knight Ridder Newspapers

Every great career eventually comes to an end, and when you're the president of these United States, you only get eight years (at most) to accomplish everything you set out to do. Then you're an ex-president for the rest of your life.

I'll bet that ex-presidents, like most retired people, find it to be something of a shock to have all that time on their hands when they leave the working world.

So they find things to do. They work on their memoirs. They build libraries. They give speeches. They support their favorite charitable causes.

But what about our current president? His term will be up before he knows it, and then it's back to private life. I'm afraid the transition will be especially difficult for Dubya. He is a man of action, and I worry about how he'll adjust to a life out of the spotlight.

I think that we, as a nation, owe Bush more than the customary parting gifts of an enormous pension and round-the-clock Secret Service protection when he leaves office. I think we can do better for him. I think we should put him to work, and I know just where he ought to go. Iraq.

There is no question that Iraq will be the legacy of President Bush's tenure, and there is also no doubt that there will still be a lot of work to do there when he leaves office. I believe we should allow Bush an opportunity to stick with the job even after his term expires.

The next president should appoint George W. Bush to be a special envoy to Iraq and charge him with the responsibility to oversee all American interests there, advise the new Iraqi government, and maintain the morale of American troops who are carrying out the war effort.

The position should be a permanent one, and he would not leave until the "hard work" of helping Iraq to establish a working democratic government has been accomplished. Or until he leaves this mortal coil. Whichever comes first.

But I do not believe Bush should go to Iraq alone. He needs some trusted advisors by his side at all times, and the first two names that immediately spring to mind are Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld. These men have been instrumental in the planning and execution of the Iraq campaign from the beginning, and I can only imagine how much more effective their work could be if they were onsite 24/7 right where the action is, getting their hands dirty in the cause of spreading freedom to that dark corner of the world.

I know this assignment would be dangerous. The three senior freedom fighters would be huge targets for the forces of evil in Iraq, and there is a real possibility that one or more of them might meet with an untimely demise in that chaotic environment. But as Bush has reminded us time and again, the price is high but our cause is just and sacrifices must be made. Freedom is not free.

I expect that all three men would be ready and willing to undertake their assignments in the battle zone despite the extreme danger they would face. This would be a chance to show the world that they are willing to put their own lives, and not just the lives of others, on the line for what they know to be right.

So let's start a campaign to send the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld team to Iraq in 2008. They deserve the opportunity to "finish the job" in Iraq, and I think that the sight of the three of them tooling around the streets of Baghdad in a lightly armored Humvee would do a lot to improve the morale of all Americans.