Sometimes after a huge tragedy like the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma there is a sudden vacuum of news, a large blank space, or at least a pregnant pause before the next horror. Yes, even the big stories don't linger for long in America any more. There is always the urge to run something new out there, even if it is so trivial that on normal days no one would even blink at its mention.
Yesterday the President of the United States of America was boarding Marine One, the helicopter that takes him out to Andrews AFB from the White House. The Marine on duty at the bottom of the steps to the chopper saluted and Barak Obama failed to return the salute, something he is not required to do. In fact, if memory serves, the tradition of the Commander in Chief returning military salutes didn't begin until Ronald Reagan took office so it isn't like it has been something presidents have been doing since George, by God Washington, was in office. Be that as it may, Obama realized his "protocol mistake" at the top of the steps, turned, came back down, shook the Marine's hand, and spoke with him for a moment before entering the helicopter.
Oh yes, the horror, the horror. A quick check of the net reveals that media outlets everywhere are all over this outrage. In fact here is a partial list of news organizations who have reported on the incident: MSN, Bing, ABC, Huffington Post, CNN, CBS, Examiner.com, Yahoo, Sodahead.com, Epoch Times, Social News Daily, Weekly Standard, Free Republic.com, AOL, and of course there is video of the dastardly act all ready on You Tube.
Notice anyone missing? How about Fox News? Interestingly, not even the people who loathe Obama the most thought salutegate was worth a mention. Obviously they have bigger fish to fry with the president. Well either that or they are waiting until tomorrow to rail about it on the Sunday news talk shows.
I suppose this nonsense is what you can expect after the Department of Justice has poked into the phone calls of employees of the Associated Press. After all, vengeance is a soup best served, somehow, some way, rather than not at all. It is unclear whether Obama has yet to mutter, "et tu, Anderson Cooper?" I'm betting the odds are the president has other things on his mind. Look for future attempts to catch him in awkward situations, like yawning at an inopportune time.
CBS reported that in congress republican representative, Steve King of Iowa spoke on the floor and did some math for the members of his party. This was during the debate on immigration reform. The numbers were a bit hard to follow because there were a lot of estimates, what ifs, even ifs and one "some of them may have either died or returned to their home country" qualifiers. However, the gist of the message was that Ronald Reagan gave one million immigrants (the congressman was very careful not to use the word Hispanic) amnesty and the right to vote in 1986. Those one million multiplied like gerbils and then fucked the GOP in the last presidential election by voting overwhelmingly for Barak Obama. In other words, it doesn't matter if immigration reform is right or wrong. Republicans should oppose it solely because Hispanics aren't going to vote for them anyway. That is right, screw 'em--build a wall, or another one, or more of them...whatever. If people aren't going to vote for the GOP, out on their arses they go.
The notion that 70% plus of Hispanics voted for Obama because the republican party is chock full of people like, well, Steve King, seems to have eluded the congressman and others on the right. They still cling to that quaint belief they can win elections with white people only. Of course the only way that will happen is if they succeed in making sure no one a shade darker than Ted Nugent can actually cast a ballot. It is a project they currently have in the works and an issue for another day.
Finally NBC reports that this past week the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, confiscated a record 65 firearms from people attempting to enter secure areas in places like airports. Of the 65, 54 were loaded and 19 of those had rounds in the chamber ready for action. One man, in Salt Lake City, even had loaded weapon strapped to his prosthetic leg.
Hey this is America and we love our guns more than we do our children. To hell with the TSA. We have rights--it is in the constitution.
Think not? I have proof. As of today Slate and @GunDeaths reports that at least 4,365 Americans have been shot to death since December 14th, 2012.
Now there is a number we can all be proud of.
Mr. Sulu, you have the con.
5-25-13
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