My Email to Senator Claire McCaskill

This blog appears to be just a recounting of the emails I send to Washington. Here's my latest:

Hello,

First I want to say thanks for your early support of Barack Obama. Second I want to say that it's good to have at least one Democratic representative in Washington. Things can feel a little cold for the few lone lefties here in Cape Girardeau and with Emerson and Bond as my other elected leaders I often feel like my interests are not being represented.

But that's not why I'm contacting you.

I don't know the rules that dictate this sort of thing but I would very much like to see Harry Reid removed as the Senate Majority leader. I understand that the Democrats are dealing with the thinnest of majorities but he has squandered even that by bowing to the Republicans at every threat of a filibuster. The idea that we need a "filibuster proof majority" in order to get anything done is just ridiculous.

When the Republicans were in power the merest hint of a Democratic filibuster led to their threat of the "nuclear option" of changing the rules to disallow any filibusters. Reid could learn something from their tactics.

I'm certainly not suggesting that we adopt their barbaric behavior. But imagine the political theater if Reid had actually made them filibuster every time they threatened to do so. Instead of seeing the Democratic congress as useless and ineffective as many Americans seem to the Republicans' obstructionism would be clear to all by now.

For this reason and others I and many other interested liberals are supremely disappointed with Reid's leadership. I request that you and the other Democrats in the Senate replace him as leader as soon as possible.

I have the feeling that anyone of Senate Democrats would do a much better job but Hillary Clinton seems like a particularly good choose. She is smart, knows the system and has the spine that Harry Reid seems to lack.

Thanks,
Bryce Eddings

John McCain Should be Ashamed

From the AP: Analysis: Palin's words may backfire on McCain

Even though I know that it's tossing a teaspoon of water in the ocean I submitted this note at McCain's campaign website.

Dear Mr. McCain,

Sir, you should be ashamed of the campaign that is being run in your name. Through the years I have admired you and appreciated your outspoken positions on many issues even when I disagreed with them. But the campaign that is now being run in your name is disgraceful and you should feel personally ashamed.

This weekend your running mate claimed that Obama is "palling around with terrorists." The attack is baseless and not worthy of your heretofore honorable career as a public servant.

Regain a shred of honor and renounce this statement NOW! It's time to start regaining Americans' respect that you have lost thanks to your scurrilous campaign.

Best,
Bryce Eddings

Hillary's Reply

Now, I didn't expect the big H herself to respond to my little rant but I hoped that perhaps at least some staffer would look at it and add it to the "drop out now" pile. But, no. Not even that happened. Instead I got a form autoresponse with "some suggestions for how you get involved in the national campaign today."

That's not likely!

My note to Hillary

Not that she's going to listen but here's the note that I sent to Hillary today. Why?

It is absolutely disgraceful what you are doing to the Democratic party and our chance to defeat McCain this autumn. Stop fighting over Michigan and Florida and let us have a nominee! I have never been an adamant supporter of either you or Obama but the more that you fight this embarrassing and harmful battle the less I will be able to support you should you get the nomination

But worse, you are polarizing the party and hardening your supporters to the point that they are increasingly saying they will not support Obama if he gets the nomination.

PLEASE, accept the party's ruling today and let us have a nominee already! We must start fighting McCain NOW and the longer that you drag this in-party fighting out the harder it will be for ANY Democrat to win this autumn.

Please, Hilllary, Please! It's up to you!!! Stop the fighting!

With God on Our Side

Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.

I've learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.

But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.

In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.

- Bob Dylan
Lifted from BobDylan.com

Sins of the Brother

At a recent football game Tim Cahill scored a goal. As part of his post goal celebration he crossed his outstretched fists in an international pantomime for handcuffs. Later he apologized for it.

What?

Here’s the back story. His brother Sean is in a bit of trouble. He managed to land himself in jail with a six year sentence. Tim wanted to dedicate the goal to Sean and this is how he chose to do it. That should have been the end of that.

But no. The cop who investigated Sean’s crime isn’t content to have caught him and put him away. He doesn’t want any public acknowledgement of the fact that Tim has a jailed brother. It is “grossly irresponsible” and “seemingly endorses” Sean’s actions.

You already won, officer! Sean’s behind bars. How about you move on to your next case and stop calling the press as you try to coattail on the coincidentally public personality of your latest conquest?

This Is Not Spam

I just had to request a human review of this blog because Google has determined that it has the characteristics of splog.

OK, so I haven't really maintained much of a coherent thread through my little blog's bumpy existence and I only post infrequently but spam? Really?

Let's review - all unique content, one measely little line of Adsense links apologeticly garnishing the top, a few pitiful links and that's about it. What's spammy about that? If this reads like I'm offended; I'm not. I'm just puzzled.

I'd Rather Beat Dairy Queen

This is what I read on a passing car. The bumper sticker actually read, using the company's logo, "I'd rather be at Dairy Queen." But "be" and "at" were oddly squished together and even when I realized how it was meant to be read it still looked like "I'd rather beat Dairy Queen" and I have to admit that I really prefer that version. I mean, what the hell's up with soft-serve anyway?