Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Enough of Rick Santorum’s sermons - The Washington Post

Enough of Rick Santorum’s sermons - The Washington Post

I seldom agree with Mr. Cohen. He's firmly established as a Washington courtier, and inside-the-beltway cruiser and opportunist. For him to speak so truthfully and openly about a national party's candidate for President of the United States of America is refreshing. Casting aside all pretentions at currying favor with anyone, he writes today:
Oddly, the assurances that Kennedy offered that day are ones that I would like to hear from Santorum. He, too, is a Catholic, although not of the Kennedy variety. Santorum is severe and unamusing about his faith, and that is his prerogative. But he has shoved his beliefs in our faces, leaving no doubt that his presidency would be informed by his extremely conservative Catholicism. Santorum’s views are too conservative even for most Catholics.

This is a perilous and divisive approach. We have all of world history to warn us about what happens when religion takes too prominent a role. The public square gets used for beheadings and the like. While that is not likely to happen now — zoning rules and such forbid it — we do know that layering religion over politics is dangerous. Santorum cannot impose — and should not argue — that his political beliefs come from God. That closes all debate and often infuriates those who differ.

It's not often that Mr. Cohen writes so plainly.  Is this simply an indication of desperation from the Washington faux royalty that Mr. Santorum has gone on too long and it's time to send him back to K Street?  Piling on is beginning.  The problem of the willing peasants who support Mr. Santorum is proving difficult to deal with.  Those inside the beltway who are so caught up in the politics of power that they are getting their heads handed to them by a group of folks who are just to stubborn to listen and only too willing to follow Mr. Santorum to the slaughter....

Mr. Cohen rails at the peasants for all their "quaint" beliefs and excoriates Mr. Santorum for getting so much, so  wrong.
But for nutty ideas, Santorum is a one-man band. His intellectually abhorrent defense of what might be called blue-collar culture — no education past high school — is a prescription for failure. What he calls their “desires and dreams” is a sucker’s game: Welcome to an economy that can provide few, if any, jobs for the minimally educated. And his jibe at Obama for wanting to do something about it is not politics as usual — it’s just plain irresponsible.

Will the Washington insiders get their way? Will Mr. Romney prevail? Maybe Mr. Santorum really is the candidate that today's Republican Party really wants and needs. What will Mr. Santorum say to Mr. Obama? Indeed, what can he say?

More work to do.....

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

DNRonline : We Can Limit Abortions But Not Guns?

DNRonline : We Can Limit Abortions But Not Guns?

So government is allowed to probe a woman's body without her consent or her doctor's, but is not allowed to find out who is buying a lethal weapon. Whose rights are being protected and whose are not?

The Commonwealth of Virginia is suing the federal government because it's citizens should not be mandated to purchase health care coverage, but the same Commonwealth of Virginia is mandating the abuse of the privacy of women? Again, whose rights are being protected and whose rights are being denied?

The same Commonwealth of Virginia is mandating that there are first class citizens and their are second class citizens. Some are allowed to marry and some aren't, some are allowed to vote and some aren't, some are allowed to adopt and some aren't, yet anyone can buy a lethal weapon and carry it around hidden beneath their coat? Whose rights are being protected?

This same Commonwealth of Virginia builds prisons and incarcerates it's citizens at a cost that is astronomical in comparison to the cost of educating or re-training them to become constructive citizens. The Commonwealth of Virginia has charged its peace officers with probing the identity of anyone suspicious of being an illegal immigrant. Whose rights are being threatened?

Is the Commonwealth of Virginia becoming a country club where only the deserving, the wealthy, the white, the connected have the rights and privileges granted by the constitutions of Virgina and the United States of America? Whose rights are being protected?