FIRST THE RAIN, THEN THE FLOOD

Are You Who You Hire?

Has there ever been a Democratic presidential campaign as vitriolic and ugly as this one is? Yesterday, former vice presidential nominee (and Clinton campaign staffer) Geraldine Ferraro told the Torrance, CA Daily Breeze that much of Senator Obama's success in this campaign is because of his race because, as she put it, "a black woman...with [Senator Clinton's] credentials would never be subjected to this kind of media criticism...nor would she get a 'free pass' from the media the way Obama has."

Okay...there's a point in there somewhere and as a politically aware African-American male I'll even concede that White guilt may have had a role in the media's somewhat softer approach to Senator Obama earlier in the campaign. But to me the real point of this whole controversy is that is at least the third time the Clinton campaign has gone out of its way to inject some element of racial politics into this campaign. Why? What do they have to gain at this point? (The devil on my shoulder whispers softly, "Dummy, what have they got to LOSE?!") Is this the leadership and experience that Hillary Clinton likes to trump in her commercials and campaign speeches? I hate to keep dumping on a person who has had my admiration for years, but I can't help but feel that 2008 campaign has brought out the worst in Clinton at a time when we needed her best. Is she a better, more politically savvy candidate than Senator Obama? In many ways, yes. But it takes more to be the president. We should demand more. Right now, Clinton and her flunkies are playing the race card and flunking the job interview.

Beli-Cheat

Put simply, if Bill Belicheck, coach of the New England Patriots, really did secretly tape the practices of New England's three Super Bowl opponents (or even if he only taped the Rams), the Pats must be stripped of the Super Bowl championship(s) that were affected by the taping. Why? Because it is a clear violation of the rules, it is cheating and it goes against the integrity of the game, regardless of whether or not the act made a difference in the final result. Why people have such a hard time with this is a mystery to me. If you allow Belicheck to go unpunished, where does it end? How can any football fan have confidence in the integrity of what's happening on the field?

Beware the Garden Gnome!

This is some weird shit--check out this link to a Fox News story (video included) of a real life "gnome" who is terrorizing people in an Argentinian suburb. If this isn't a potential sign of the apocalypse, I don't know what is. (Although I don't know why the "victims" don't just run up to his guy and tip him over. Oh well, discussions for another time.)

Peace...