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My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.

2008-07-07

Quick! Somebody Get Him On The Record 

So, there I was this morning, flipping through the remains of the Sunday paper, when I happen upon the Parade Magazine. This is actually something that rarely interests me, but today, what do I see but giant pictures of McCain and Obama, with the big, bold title "What Is Patriotism?"

Now, I think I know what Sen. McCain's idea of patriotism is all about (see "Biography: McCain, John), but I was curious to see how the junior Senator from Illinois spun this particular question.
And, to his credit, he was his usual, practiced, eloquent self. But there was one gem that just leaped off the page at me.

That is the liberty we defend—the liberty of each of us to follow our dreams. That is the equality we seek—not an equality of results but the chance of every single one of us to make it if we try.

So, here's my question for the Senator: Do you agree with Justice O'Connor's assessment in Gratz that "affirmative action has failed to produce the results for which it was intended?" And, given that, along with your stated belief that we seek the equality "of chance," do you disagree with Justice O'Connor's conclusion that affirmative action should be continued for 25 more years? And, if you disagree, would you appoint Justices to the Supreme Court that would uphold the current "equality of results" regime, or would you stick with Justices who adhere to "equality of opportunity"?

Along the same lines, let me ask this question, as well:

Senator, given your recent push to expand the current administration's Faith-based Initiatives, would it be safe to assume that you would appoint to the Court Justices who DO NOT believe in a strict "Wall of Separation" between Church and State? After all, the type of Justice the ACLU and many of your other supporters expect you to appoint would be very hostile to such a program.

There is much else in the Parade article of interest:

We can say and write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door.

Unless you are a conservative on a college campus . . .

And I remember my grandfather’s funeral at Punchbowl National Cemetery in Hawaii. As I listened to the rifles fire in salute and the long, solemn notes of taps, as I watched the honor guard fold the flag and tenderly present it to my grandmother, . . .

Not to be a cynic, but has anybody bothered to fact-check this story? He's made things up before . . .

the essential American ideal—that our destinies are not written before we are born, that in America we can travel as far as our energy and talents will take us—has defined my life.

While I suppose his own personal story embodies this, How, exactly, does he square that with the completely opposite opinions and beliefs of his "closest spiritual advisor" (Jeremiah Wright) and his closest confidant (Michelle Obama)?

That's the problem with the proverbial "move to the center"--there's usually just way too much evidence that he can't POSSIBLY believe what he's saying. Or, perhaps, that everything he's said to get to this point was just pandering and opportunism. Either way, if the Right has it's collective head anywhere near the orifice into which it has been firmly affixed for the last four years, it will simply make Obama's contradictory words do all the talking for him.

America tends to like authenticity, even if it disagrees with it. And one thing that CANNOT be said about John McCain is that he is inauthentic.

Infuriating and often-wrong . . . but not inauthentic.
Posted by: Michael / 7/07/2008 04:58:00 PM

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