January 11, 2007
In the wake of Foleygate, Pelosi’s repeated references to “the children” and the invitation of her own grandchildren and other kids to the speakers podium was just what the country needed. Sure, it’s a blatant political ploy and obviously polarizing–but undeniably and regrettably heartwarming.
Grandma Pelosi 1, decadent Foley 0.
January 4, 2007
With the convening of the 110th Congress, Senator Barack Obama makes a strong political message:
This past Election Day, the American people sent a clear message to Washington: Clean up your act.
It would be a mistake, however, to conclude that this message was intended for only one party or politician. The votes hadn’t even been counted in November before we heard reports that corporations were already recruiting lobbyists with Democratic connections to carry their water in the next Congress.
That’s why it’s not enough to just change the players. We have to change the game.
What timing: with a newly elected Congress that has pledged to end corruption and special interests, Obama has taken the initiative to resonate the challenge to both parties. Democrats are not impervious to such vices, and they should not fool each other or the public that they are. By maintaining the tough standard that Obama and Speaker Pelosi are promoting, Congress might be on its way to cleaning up its act and restoring faith in our government.
A thought: I couldn’t help but think how appropriate the timing was on this editorial piece. Obama, a staunch supporter of ethics reform in Congress, is leading the way for bipartisan reform with his piece in today’s Washington Post. Is he trying to get his name exposed, attached to the crusade against special interest and the corruption that America found so repugnant this past November? Absolutely, and it’s a wise step towards a possible run towards the White House.
November 9, 2006
What a week for the Democrats, exceeding expectations and taking both sides of Congress (pending an honorable concession from current incumbent George Allen). But then the dessert to an otherwise delectable meal: Donald Rumsfeld resigns after a, to put it mildly, “unpopular” stint as Secretary of Defense.
As much as the adage “all politics is local” remains true, this absoultely was an election predicated on national issues. Foleygate, “staying the course”, and K street corruption remained in the voter’s collective conscience as they marched to the polls. A monumental shift in power hasn’t happened for over a decade; an impetus is usually required to garner such drastic action. A failed war and perverse moral and financial corruption often does that.
The Governator can’t complain about this election. He says he loves sequels, and he got his.
Republicans all over the nation will have to get used to a few things over the next few years. Let’s start with “Madam” Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman in such position, and her “San Francisco” liberalism leading the House of Representatives. Watch the collective “gulp” as thoughts of “universal health care”, “gay marriage”, and “rice-a-roni” speeds through their minds. And how about replacing “Rummy” with “Gates”? People can argue that Rumsfeld was released for his policy of “staying the course” in Iraq, whatever that might mean. Hopefully, Robert Gates can set out do establish what America really wants: tangible results in the preparation for a timetable of withdrawal.
We now have a Black Governor in Massachusetts and a Muslim Congressman from Minnesota. We saw a decisive victory for Hilary Clinton in New York (Clinton v Obama for ‘08?). Joe Lieberman proved that Congress couldn’t get enough of his flavor, even if it is now decidedly more “independent”. But best of all, talks of recounts and personal attacks were put aside. This was a decided Democratic opportunity.
I use this word intentionally because I don’t feel that this is a victory in any means if the party squanders its chance to promote its progressive agenda to help Americans. I’m sure that in our moments of “ass” kissing over these past few days we can forget that Dems are humans as well, just as susceptible to corruption and shallowness as their Republican counterparts. I’m sure I’ll bear the wrath of some passionate Berkeley liberals, but I’m simply trying to be the political pragmatist here.
But all of this news pales in comparison to recent news that Britney Spears filed for divorce from her obviously model husband/citizen/male specimen Kevin Federline amidst rumors of a “sex tape”. Amazing how this story can possibly take a piece of the nation’s attention at this time, but I can sort of see its appeal. Think pigs rolling around in the mud. With Bourbon. Lots of Bourbon.
October 2, 2006
Democratic Strategist Paul Begala and the Rajun’ Cajun came to Clinton’s rescue on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News show. O’Reilly, in his infinite wisdom, decided it would be an excellent idea to maintain Fox News’ newly found objective view of politics. The result: five minutes of quacking by very insistent ducks. Cynicism and doubt coupled with stubbornness usually produces senseless noise. This is probably why the majority of Americans are disgusted with politics: stupid things said by smart people are still stupid.
I’m reminded at this time of a very wise adage: if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, then it’s probably a mother fucking duck.
If I have not made this clear yet, allow me to repeat myself in very simple terms: Fox News is a CONSERVATIVE news station. To those Conservatives in denial, I’ll concede that CNN and the New York Times are liberal news sources. We have ours. You have yours.
September 15, 2006
This is a refreshing and reaffirming study that simply made my day:
The study published in the Journal of Labor Research Thursday concluded that drinkers earn 10 to 14 percent more than teetotalers, and that men who drink socially bring home an additional seven percent in pay.
“Social drinking builds social capital,” said Edward Stringham, an economics professor at San Jose State University and co-author of the study with fellow researcher Bethany Peters.
The researchers said their empirical survey backed up the theory, and said the most likely explanation is that drinkers have a wider range of social contacts that help provide better job and business opportunities.
“Drinkers may be able to socialize more with clients and co-workers, giving drinkers an advantage in important relationships,” the researchers said.
“Drinking may also provide individuals with opportunities to learn people, business, and social skills.”
Ah, but ladies, here’s the rub:
The researchers found some differences in the economic effects of drinking among men and women. They concluded that men who drink earn 10 percent more than abstainers and women drinkers earn 14 percent more than non-drinkers.
I’ve always appreciated the networking aspect of bar rooms; after spending any significant time in Washington, it’s accepted as more than a phenomenon, but implicit truth. Someone much wiser than me once said the big decisions in the nation’s capital aren’t coming from cloakrooms in the Capital Building, but rather by enbriated ambitious staffers down Pennsyvlania Avenue at Capitol Lounge. I’m not trying to be facetious; it’s actually reassuring, and this study simply validates the point further.
So the next time you’re mulling going to the bars on a schoolnight, an “irresponsible” action by academic standards, reassess your priorities and consider the potential for increased earnings. Call it a career investment with suds.
August 11, 2006
A week before I flew out here, US missiles sent Al-Zarqawi shuffling off this mortal coil, creating an uproar in the Middle East and the inevitable retaliatory remarks from Al-Qaeda. Just my luck, airport security was increased, and I had to get to SFO at 3:30 in the morning instead of 4:30 for a 6:15 flight. Wonderful.
How appropriate is it, then, that four days before I’m supposed to fly back, another event of historical significance alters my flight plans? Scotland Yard foiled a planned terrorist attack involving liquid explosives; now I’m not allowed to bring, as Washington Dulles has described on their website, “liquids or gels of any size at the security checkpoint or in the aircraft cabin-including beverages, shampoo, suntan lotion, toothpaste, hair gel, and other items of similar consistency.” I’m not even allowed to bring applesauce on board.
A thought: how is this going to factor into the decision airlines made a year or so ago to stop serving food on flights? If a sandwich can be construed as a weapon (which is scary but possible), is United going to provide me one? I know I get hungry on long flights, and the last thing I consider is buying one of those $8 snack packs with crackers and cheese. Peanuts and ginger ale simply won’t cut it.
What’s rather unsettling about all of this is how airports enact these huge changes after the fact. Terrorist number one tries to blow up a plane with a shoe-bomb, now all passengers need to take their shoes off at security points. Terrorist number two tries to detonate liquid explosives over the Atlantic, now I have to dump out my Nalgene bottle before I go on board. Thankfully none of these plots had unfolded to their fatal end, but it makes you wonder what they’ll come up with next…
July 31, 2006
It’s hot out here.
That could be the greatest understatement I have ever posted here at Delightfully Tacky yet Unrefined, but consider this: tomorrow’s projected forecast is expected to be 101 (112 with humidity). I have never been good with sweltering heat; being from the temperately cool San Francisco Bay Area, I have learned one great truth in life—it’s easy to put layer’s on, but there are only so many layers you can take off.
DC in August has come to expect this hellish sauna-like atmosphere. As for me, I’ve been hopping between air-conditioned stores and using whatever shade I can find. Someone I know once pointed out that human’s have the propensity to point out the obvious, like how nice the weather is, or in this case, how hot it is. Well, to my friend, let me display my human tendencies and reiterate how stupid hot it is out here.
Speaking of August, my summer is almost over. In any case, work is piling up, job applications are beginning, and most importantly, I need to spend more time on myself. I said blogging is a harsh mistress, but I never realized how demanding she really is.
I have therefore decided to make Donkey Punch a weekly rather than bi-weekly column. I think this will do two things: one, give me more time to write and plan out a better piece, and it will also give me time to spend on myself, on whatever whim or endeavor I wish to pursue.
Stay cool everyone. And remember to check in on Thursdays from now on for delightfully tacky yet unrefined insight.
July 26, 2006
Today I attended a townhall meeting in downtown Washington DC put on by the Partnership for Public Service featuring Tim Russert and Senator Barack Obama. A private showing of “Meet the Press” exclusively for interns, we were welcomed and inspired by both men, prominent figures in the nation’s capital. Obama’s address was of particular significance, appropriate for the venue but resonating even further in my own life. As he said, “the happiest people I have seen are those who devote their lives to something greater than themselves.”
I am still searching for that higher cause, whatever that might be. What an event: I was inspired and captivated by Obama’s eloquence and Russert’s great insight, two of my personal heroes. I hope to someday achieve a fraction of what they have accomplished.
(Editor’s Note: This week’s column has been pushed to Thursday)
July 5, 2006
I think the DC weather is personally out to get to me.
Case and point, on the 4th of July, my buddies and I went to a pub to watch the Germany-Italy football game (remember I do not call it soccer). Scoreless regulation. Scoreless first half of overtime. Ten minutes to go in the second overtime half. Tension already so thick you can cut it with a knife. People screaming their heads off at a crisp pass. Others slamming the table at the very mention of the winning goal. This is the World Cup, and this is why I think all people, despite skin color or religion, are capable of absolute insanity. Luckily for mankind, it only occurs once every four years.
And then it happened: the satellite service cut out with seven minutes left. Yes, instead of watching the thrilling conclusion to the game, I saw the nice screen-saver that comes with the satellite service. Oh, but its OK, everyone else in the downtown DC area lost reception too, so nobody saw the two goals scored in the last three or so minutes. If there is a God, he has a sick and twisted sense of irony.
As completely unsatisfying as it is, here is the last three minutes…keep in mind, the last three minutes I did not see.
(Editors Note: It’s towards the early quarter of the way down on the page)
Football is about ecstatic moments sprinkled into hours of strategy and planning. Wonderful how all I got was a shovel full of strategy and planning and no ecstatic moment.
June 21, 2006
Yesterday saw the release of Democracy: A Journal of Ideas, a progressive political journal and the publication that I currently work for. Amidst the cameras and hors d'oeuvres came a media buzz and excitement of the potential contribution that this new journal can provide.
The Washington Post covered the story this morning:
Their goal is do for the Democrats what journals such as Public Interest did for conservatives and Republicans decades ago, which is to bring forward big ideas to challenge what they regard as the tired thinking that grips Democratic politicians.
Read the rest here.
The Hill also had a story about the release:
“We think that the party is rich in tactics and poor in ideas,” said (Ken) Baer, who worked as a speechwriter for former Vice President Al Gore. “What we really need for long-term success is deep, serious thinking about how we’re going to apply long-held progressive values to new challenges.”
Read the rest here.
Finally, from The American Prospect blog:
As a result, Democracy will "not seek to publish policy papers or political plans; we’ll leave the budget line items and electoral strategies to others. Rather, Democracy will serve as a place where ideas can be developed and important debates can be spurred. We see our role as upsetting accepted assumptions and pushing the boundaries of what is accepted by, and expected from, progressives."
More to come as the days develop, including pictures from the conference and the release party. And be sure to check out the website.
June 13, 2006
To the delight of my beloved friends and supporters, I prepare to depart to Washington tomorrow. Because of this, today's column had to be put on hold and will be published next week. In the meantime, I will try to work the tweaks out of this website.
What adventures will befall your favorite unsuspecting journalist/intern/student/friend this summer in the nation's capital? I cannot imagine, but I know that I will approach every situation, good or bad, with my head on my shoulder and my composure in tact. Stay tuned for updates, information, and best of all, delightfully tacky yet unrefined insight.
May 30, 2006
On the thought of another summer in DC, I couldn't help but think about the concept of an intern: not quite an employee, but nevertheless essential to the overall operation. Yet many college students, despite accumulating school debt, are sacrificing their summers to work for a letter of recommendation and a three sentence blurb on their resume (translation: free).
For those of you ready to take the orange/blue line to Capitol South or the red line to union station every day this summer, realize that, considering the transportation, living expenses, and inevitable incidentals, this summer will probably come out to one sobering fact: you are paying to work this summer. Fubar is right.
What are the economic implications of such actions? According to Anya Kamenetz of the New York Times:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not identify interns or track the economic impact of unpaid internships. But we can do a quick-and-dirty calculation: according to Princeton Review's "Internship Bible," there were 100,000 internship positions in 2005. Let's assume that out of those, 50,000 unpaid interns are employed full time for 12 weeks each summer at an average minimum wage of $5.15 an hour. That's a nearly $124 million yearly contribution to the welfare of corporate America.
In this way, unpaid interns are like illegal immigrants. They create an oversupply of people willing to work for low wages, or in the case of interns, literally nothing. Moreover, a recent survey by Britain's National Union of Journalists found that an influx of unpaid graduates kept wages down and patched up the gaps left by job cuts.
Fascinating and frightening at the same time…take a moment to read the rest of her article.
May 30, 2006
I will be in our nation's captial again this summer, this time working for Democracy: A Journal of Ideas. While there is little I can say about the journal at this point, I speculate that it will be a great asset to not only the moderately liberal community, but the greater political and academic community as well. More to come, naturally, as it develops.
What adventures will befall upon me in the upcoming months?
Last summer I endured the swealtering humidity, tabulated data and filed angry constitutent mail in a Congressional office, and did my best Ted Kennedy impression at numerous…social outlets? I made friends with chums named Adams Morgan, Captain Morgan, Mr. Smith, Garret (not to be confused with the prodigal roommate), and Julie, and was introduced to such wonderful companions like Yuengling and jumbo slice. Potbellies was great; Cosi's was better.
I'll say this: they definietly do their fireworks right in DC.
I cheered for the home team, not because I was forcebly coerced, but because, for 10 weeks, I felt like a geniune Washingtonian. Except when they played the A's, then they were the enemy in red.
While I have enough pictures, postcards, phone numbers, and memories to last anyone a lifetime, its just not enough for me.
So I begin anew, amidst a new endeavor, new friends, and new hopes. What kind of adventures will I find myself in this time around? Rather unsettling, but I find a certain comfort in knowing that it is still the same city, same newspaper, same coat and tie, same $1.35 metro ticket, and same god-awful heat that made my summer all the more enjoyable last year.
January 23, 2006
OK, I have heard enough…I can’t stand listening and reading about religious zealots who think the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court spells the end of Roe Vs. Wade. These people are demented. Take Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio), who commented on the gloomy Washington DC day by exclaiming that he thought that it was “God’s way of cleansing the world”. I have never been a fan of religious people, and its because of statements like this.
While Alito and newly appointed Chief Justice John Roberts have not explicitly stated they intended to overturn the past decision, they have expressed their reservations of its ruling in the past. With the nomination of Alito to the Supreme Court, many anti-abortionists believe that the Conservative majority will finally have enough votes to overturn the case that legalized abortion in the United States. Many anti-abortionists are given a renewed sense of hope that God has given them their moment of vindication.
Excuse my French, but this is fucking ludicrous, and I have two words to justify why: stare decisis, the legal principle that states that past legal decisions become precedent in the future. There is a reason why the Supreme Court ruled in favor of legalizing abortion in the mid-1970s. To remove this right, guaranteed by the Constitution, is another attempt by the Bush administration to bring old American values back to this country and bring America back to righteous bliss, when it was unadulterated and pure. President Bush gave a statement in Kansas today, saying that we should strive to fight for “the unborn child without a voice”. His argument is that of every other anti-abortionist: the right to live, under every circumstance, is the right and indirect obligation of every human being.
Interesting, I smell the Terri Schiavo case right now…wasn’t this the same argument Terri Schiavo’s family was making while she was enjoying her tasty IV from her hospital bed in her vegetative state (I was about to say extreme vegetative state until I realized that you can’t get much more vegetative than vegetative). This is something I dealt with in a past post, check it out here.
The anti-abortionist’s pro-life conservative religious extremist view is narrow, shallow, and uncompromising. Its downfall is that it is based on religious dogma and not the knowledge of modern science, society, and conscience. It simply does not follow the changes of modern thinking and the dynamics of modern time. Justice Blackmun, who wrote the opinion for Roe Vs Wade cited that anti-abortion laws were “the restrictive criminal abortion laws in effect in a majority of States today are of relatively recent vintage” with criminalization of abortion mostly occurring from law enacted in the latter half of the 19th century.
This archaic mindset simply does not account for dire circumstances that can arise. For every teenage girl who wants to erase a past mistake, there is a rape victim or a person who is in such physical pain that life simply is not worth living anymore.
But even this rationale is irrelevant. This might not even be an issue about morality but about liberty. This would not be a victory for God and the righteous; this would be a victory for the ever-growing government and their desire to intrude upon our everyday lives. The way I see it, by removing a woman’s right to choose, the government is taking another step toward domination and direction of our everyday lives, instructing us on what our morality is, defining our priorities, and explaining what are limited options are for the future.
