26th Parallel

Signing Out

2009-12-17T12:03:00.002-05:00

For more posts by this author, please visit and bookmark Searching for Signs

I will no longer post on this blog.

Moving On

2009-12-16T19:18:00.002-05:00

To all 26th Parallel readers, old and new:

This, the 1,087th post on this blog since its inception in March 2005, will be its last. Don't fear, however. Your humble correspondent is beginning a new blog called...(drumroll please)...

Searching for Signs

There's no single reason for the switch, but really more of a combination of lack of inspiration, a slight change in focus and perhaps a fresh start of sorts to get me back in the blogging mode. There are some different topics and areas I'd like to explore in further depth that I felt I couldn't or didn't want to do on 26th Parallel for whatever reason. Nonetheless, I will miss posting on this blog. Even after taking into consideration the often sporadic posting schedule, after almost 5 years it becomes a part of you. Because of this, I have decided to leave 26th Parallel up for "posterity" and as an occasional source of reference material for the new blog.

I'd like to thank Jonathan for agreeing to team up with me and contribute many great photos, posts and commentary to 26th Parallel. I would also like to thank Val Prieto for giving me the inspiration to start this blog.

Most of all, I thank everyone reading this post for your readership and participation over the past 4+ years. We've had some interesting comment threads in this most humble blog, and even though some of the discussions were tense, I'd like to think that I tried to give everyone a chance to contribute diverse opinions even if I didn't always succeed in that respect.

The overall content and style of the new blog won't be a lot different than 26th Parallel. In fact, aside from the new blogging platform and URL, you likely won't notice a big difference. It's still me, after all, and I haven't been abducted by aliens. Some of the topics I'll cover with greater frequency include religion, sports and basically different facets of my interests, hobbies and other relatively mundane activities (something I didn't do enough of here). In other words, Searching for Signs will be a bit more personal (including the lifting of whatever anonymity I have left). I already have a few posts in the can and I hope to start rolling them out in the next couple of days.

Once again, thanks to ALL of you for being a part of 26th Parallel. See you at Searching for Signs!

Fruit

2009-12-06T11:37:00.007-05:00

(Click the image to view it at full size.)

Honoring Cuban-American Veterans

2009-11-11T20:11:00.004-05:00

I was going to cross-post this earlier, but got caught up with other things and just got around to it now. Better late than never...

What follows is a revision of a piece I originally wrote in 2005 and re-posted at Babalu in 2007. It's my small way of honoring our veterans on this Veteran's Day 2009.

Veteran's Day has always held a special place in my heart. I'm far from being alone in feeling this way, but please allow me to feel a sense of personal pride on this day. The reason for this is that my father is a veteran of the Vietnam War.

As a youngster, I heard many of my father's Vietnam stories and his frighteningly detailed accounts of combat. The most harrowing account was of the day one of his platoon-mates set off a booby-trap, sending shrapnel flying through the air. My dad was fortunate and blessed to survive that day with relatively minor injuries. I heard about my dad's stay in an Army hospital and hearing the screams of other wounded soldiers writhing in pain. Some of those young men didn't survive the night. I also remember my father recounting our short time in Ft. Hood, Texas where he served the remainder of his time in the United States Army (I was barely a toddler when we lived in Ft. Hood, otherwise the tragedy of last week would have resonated that much more with me).

Our family was blessed to have met other Cuban-American veterans and their families during my dad's service in the U.S. Army. It undoubtedly made our stay in a place far away from Miami much more like home. My memories are also rich with all the stories my dad and his fellow Cuban-American veterans shared years later at picnics, birthdays and long weekends at the beach. Needless to say, I have always felt an immense sense of pride for these men. There is no higher honor than serving your country and being willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

What makes my father and his group of veterans even more special is that they weren't born in the United States. They were born in Cuba and escaped the island prison in the same way that so many did back in the early years of "the revolution". They were teenagers and young adults in their 20s, their futures suspended because of exile. These folks eventually chose to serve their adopted country against a foe much like the one they and their families fled from just a few years before. While many Americans protested and even left the country, these foreign-born men embraced the opportunity to defend freedom.

As I mentioned above, there is no higher honor than serving your country. There is one exception, however: serving your adopted country.

In Miami, there are at least four organizations of Cuban-Americans who have served the United States of America in the Armed Forces. These are:

- Veterans of Foreign War Jose Marti Post 10212
- American Legion Capt. Felix Sosa-Camejo Post 346
- Vietnam Veterans of America Candido Molinet Chapter 620
- Cuban-American Veterans Organization

I'd like to bring special attention to the name Felix Sosa-Camejo. Here's some information on Capt. Sosa-Camejo courtesy of this statement read before the Senate Committee on Armed Services in 2006:

(Felix Sosa-Camejo) came here, to Miami, as a 20 year-old refugee from Castro’s regime and enlisted in the Army in 1963. Serving for five years, Captain Sosa-Camejo earned 12 citations, including the Bronze Star, three Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts. On February 13, 1968, in the heat of the Tet Offensive on the streets of Hue, his platoon was pinned down by enemy fire and unable to reach a wounded comrade. With disregard for his safety, Captain Sosa-Camejo ran through the intense enemy fire and pulled the wounded man to safety. This action would earn Captain Sosa-Camejo his second Bronze Star and would cost him his life.

(Babalu's) Humberto Fontova wrote this about Capt. Sosa-Camejo back in 2006:

“On February 13, 1968, the lead platoon was hit by an enemy bunker complex manned by approximately forty North Vietnamese Regulars. Upon initial contact the point man was wounded and lay approximately 10 meters in front of the center bunker. The platoon was unable to move forward and extract the wounded man due to the heavy volume of fire being laid down from the enemy bunker complex.“Captain Sosa-Camejo immediately moved into the firing line and directed the fire against the enemy bunker. With disregard for his safety, Captain Sosa-Camejo ran through the intense enemy fire and pulled the wounded point man to safety. After ensuring that the wounded man was receiving medical treatment, Captain Sosa-Camejo returned to the fire fight and again exposed himself to the intense enemy fire by single handedly assaulting the center bunker with grenades killing the two NVA soldiers manning the bunker. As he turned to assault the next bunker an NVA machine gun opened up and he was mortally wounded. Captain Sosa-Camejo’s valorous action and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.”

Next time you hear someone complain about Cuban-Americans' alleged (and blatantly false) lack of devotion for their adopted country; next time you hear an immigrant complain about this country, you might want to share these stories with them.

The following link is a copy of a speech by former U.S. Representative Dante Fascell in commemoration of the VFW Jose Marti Post's 20th anniversary back in 1991. It serves as a good reminder of one of the many sacrifices made by Cuban-Americans. Please take the time to read it, it's well worth the time.

To all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, and especially to our Cuban-Americans vets, my deepest gratitude and respect for what you've done and for what you stand for.

Catching The Real Extremists

2009-11-08T20:00:00.002-05:00

Remember the Dept of Homeland Security's report on rightwing extremism released earlier this year? It detailed many "sources" of this type of extremism, including returning military veterans and your typical white racist types. DHS's report on leftwing extremism, on the other hand, focused on more "passive" expressions of extremism.

Too bad that DHS had to pigeon-hole, because I would love to see where they're going to categorize Nadil Hasan and those like him.

Janet Napolitano has responded, however. By warning us to not backlash against American Muslims. Perhaps she and her agency need to worry a little less about our reaction to law-abiding Muslims and a little more about preventing the tragic Ft. Hood indicent from happening again somewhere else.

Bob Parks has more on this here.

Professional Violence

2009-11-07T09:50:00.003-05:00

Wonder what Juanes and Olga Tañon have to say about this:

Famed Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez said Friday she and another blogger were punched and thrown violently into a car by presumed state security agents as they walked to participate in a peaceful march in downtown Havana.
``No blood, but black and blues, punches, pulled hairs, blows to the head, kidneys, knee and chest,'' Sánchez told El Nuevo Herald shortly after she and Orlando Luis Pardo were freed. ``In sum, professional violence.''
``I, being a person of verbal pacifism, am shaken by this violence, because violence silences anyone,'' the blogger declared in a telephone interview.

Sánchez, the best-known Cuban blogger on the island and off, said she and bloggers Pardo and Claudia Cadelo and a woman friend were walking to join a ``march against violence'' organized by several young musicians when they were intercepted by three men in civilian clothes. Cuba's state security service agents frequently operate out of uniform.

Read the rest here.

Mayor Regalado and Health Care

2009-11-04T13:09:00.002-05:00

Two odds and ends stories:

- A nod to Miami's former "just say no" commissioner:

Tomas Regalado did NOT lose the Miami mayoral election held yesterday. NO word on what he did NOT say in his victory speech last night.

- The AP finally learns of a GOP health care bill.

After months spent criticizing Democrats' health overhaul plans, House Republicans have produced a draft proposal of their own. It's much shorter and focuses on bringing down costs rather than extending coverage to nearly all Americans.

To the AP, it's apparently like magic that the GOP comes up with a proposal. Then again, it's not like the GOP hasn't already come up with several proposed bills, but I'm not complaining.

Political Correctness: "Is This What It Feels Like To Die?"

2009-11-01T09:05:00.005-05:00

I'm not a huge Dan LeBatard fan. But I have to admit, when he's on, he's on. His piece published today on Bob Griese's absolutely ridiculous suspension is top shelf stuff. It's also heartbreaking in its depiction of a decent man (Griese) being raked over the coals over a silly and non-offensive remark.

This is what our politically-correct culture has produced. Take a good look at Griese's comments:

"It has been a very tough week. I want to be known for something else. I don't want to continue this. I just want to put this behind me. I've gotten a lot of support -- calls from Keith Jackson, Don Shula. Is this what it feels like to die?''

And this gem from LeBatard pretty much lays it out here:

You know what gets lost there, right? An honest, open conversation -- one in which people, you know, learn and, you know, understand. You can't have those when scared. I wanted to know specifics. How and why, exactly, did he apologize? Because of the action, the reaction or because his bosses simply said he should? Had he heard from anyone in Miami who was offended? How does it feel to be at this storm center, knowing that this whiff of racism is the only thing some people will know of him as they come into sports from outside to see what all this noise is about? I wanted to make him human, not just four words.
But I understand his fear. If I didn't understand all this as the allegedly injured party, how could he? I can say what I want about this, too. I've got minority carte blanche. That dynamic can create resentment among white people, that I get more of a free-speech America than they do when discussing this stuff. I get it. I find myself dancing around land mines any time I want to discuss black issues on the radio or TV. Any sentence can end my career, which doesn't exactly foster healthy communication or confident discussion.

You can read the entire column here.

Foolishly bringing down a good man like Bob Griese just because of the cultural insecurities of a select few elite is just plain unfair and downright disgusting. Thank you very much, Political Correctness and those who support it.

Sunrise on Biscayne Bay

2009-10-30T09:08:00.004-04:00

(Click the photo for a larger view.)

Bob Griese's Politically Incorrect Taco Incident

2009-10-27T17:58:00.004-04:00

Poor Bob Griese. The Hall-of-Famer, former Miami Dolphins QB and long-time ABC college football announcer gets a one-game suspension for stating that Colombian NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya was "out having a taco" during a college football broadcast this past weekend.

I won't bore my readers with all the reasons Griese's suspension is ridiculous. I'll just say that I wish it was me, not Montoya, Griese referenced as the taco-consumer. My public reply would then have been:

"Excuse me, Mr. Griese, but on my time off I choose to eat what any self-respecting Cuban-American would, a big, hearty plate of Cuban black beans and rice".

John Paul II Film Festival

2009-10-26T14:54:00.002-04:00

Starting this weekend, the John Paul II Film Festival will be running in theaters all across Miami-Dade County.

Why I am bringing this up? Aside from the concept, which I think is fantastic, what makes me proud is the fact that the event organizers attend the same church I do. We've been following the progress of the festival since its creation early this year, and their faith, motivation and drive in putting this together has been nothing short of inspirational to me and my fellow parishoners.

The Miami Herald did a nice story on the festival which is included below in its entirety (thanks Herald). Further proof that faith, sacrifice and spirituality is alive and well in Miami:

There's no shortage of film festivals in Miami: Colombian, Black, Brazilian, and Gay and Lesbian, to name a few.

This week, a trio of young Miamians will bring something different to the region's big-screen scene: a religious, interfaith film festival modeled after the life of a popular pope. The John Paul II International Film Festival, which kicks off Thursday and runs through Nov. 7, includes films varying from God in the Streets of NYC, a short on Jesus on the streets of New York City, and God in China, a documentary on religion and politics among the Chinese, to The 13th Day, a feature on the memoirs of a 20th-century Portuguese nun.

``There seemed to be a hunger for films with meaning rather than just sex drugs and rock 'n' roll,'' said Laura Alvarado, a 25-year-old actress who teaches at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Coconut Grove. Alvarado and two friends from a youth group at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Kendall brainstormed the festival nine months ago and were able to raise $40,000 in donations.

``At first, we thought, `Oh man, our name is John Paul II, people are going to get turned off,' '' Alvarado said.

Instead, dozens of people, including rabbis and Protestant ministers, have been promoting the event around South Florida houses of worship. More than 100 films were submitted this summer by directors from Miami to the United Kingdom. Thirty were chosen to be shown at theaters across Miami-Dade, including a Jewish community center in Kendall. Organizers said they came together through their interest in the former pope, who was an actor and playwright as a young Polish man and was known for his interfaith accomplishments.

REACHING OUT

``It didn't matter what your background was for John Paul II. He was the first pope to really try to cross that bridge and reach out to all the faiths,'' said organizer Rafael Anrrich, a 39-year-old therapist from Kendall. ``We're trying to do the same.''

As a pope, John Paul II made strides by improving the Catholic church's relations with the Jewish community -- including his historical visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem -- and was the first pope to visit a mosque. He also met with Buddhist and Anglican leaders.

Festival submissions were not required to be about specific religions but did need to have a spiritual element. Many are about crossing boundaries, faith-related or otherwise. As We Forgive is about Rwandan women who attempt to confront and forgive the men who killed their families during a brutal genocide, while The Boy in the Striped Pajamas portrays a friendship that develops between a Jewish boy in a concentration camp and the son of a Nazi commander.

``People can get into theological arguments, but at the end, we're all human beings. We want to bring that idea to film and show how much love and passion there is in art,'' said Frank Brennan, a 24-year-old English major at Florida International University and an independent filmmaker. Brennan said he grew up in a nominally Catholic family and didn't begin to embrace his faith until three years ago when he attended a religious retreat on a whim. Now, he regularly attends Our Lady of Lourdes and helps organize monthly prayer sessions at the church for the film festival.

`DIFFERENT FAITHS'

``If I had something like this sort of festival when I was younger, I think I would feel more comfortable with learning about different faiths,'' he said.

In 1987, John Paul II made a historical visit to South Florida and spoke to tens of thousands of locals and pilgrims at Tamiami Park near Florida International University, where a handful of the film festival screenings will take place.

``Now,'' said Anrrich, ``he's coming back.''

Obscene Profits Not So Obscene After All

2009-10-26T12:39:00.002-04:00

I'm glad to see this fact-check report come out from AP indicating that the bluster being raised by Democrats regarding the profits cashed in by health insurance companies is much to do about not so much.

Don't believe that the average profit margin for health plans is less than obscene? Check it out here. Of course, this implies that people critical of health insurance company profits actually understand what a profit margin is. When it comes to the Obama administration, they understand perfectly.

I don't have any personal vested interest in any money insurance companies make or don't make, but facts are facts and in the endless health care debate, too many fabrications on both sides have been put out. It's nice for once to see the MSM challenge the administration's rhetoric and falsehoods.

Liberals Take Note of Media Bias

2009-10-24T20:06:00.004-04:00

As a silver lining kind of guy, I see the White House's latest bully-swipe at an independent news organization (Fox News) as being good for one reason (no, it's not Fox's skyrocketing ratings):

Liberals are finally taking notice of bias in the media. Of course, they're totally blind to where the vast majority of the bias lies, but a start is a start. Baby steps...

Reconciliation

2009-10-23T23:30:00.000-04:00

Alberto's post at Babalu yesterday deals with Marifeli Perez-Stable's response letter to the Miami Herald in which she calls for Cubans to "honor the fallen on both sides". Central to this issue is the question of reconciliation. Is it acceptable and desirable to reach out to those on the other side, forgive past transgressions, and work toward a better future for Cuba?

My answer would have to be yes, but only if there is a conversion and the conversion is sincere and complete. Read that last part again. Sincere and complete. Granted, few people are going to have a Paul-like conversion and by the sheer grace of God turn from fierce foe to "Apostle of the Gentiles" over the course of a long weekend, but complete conversions can and do happen and we need to recognize and accept those individuals who have managed to accomplish this.

Where the Perez-Stables of the world are misguided is in their desire to automatically excuse the so-called good intentioned people who fought on the side of and/or defended the regime. This mentality seems to misunderstand a key component of reconciliation, which is that forgiveness has to be asked for, not automatically granted. Besides, would an intransigent and unrepentant supporter of the regime even WANT our forgiveness after his side goes down in defeat? Probably not. Only those who see the error of their ways and take strides to work for positive change are deserving of forgiveness for past acts.

Folks who passively support the regime and refuse or fail to support those who seek positive change don't deserve our forgiveness, either. BTW, this group does NOT include those who are undoubtedly against the regime but do not fall under the exile hard-liner category because of their differing views on how to achieve change in Cuba. While I may have my sharp differences with these individuals, never would I turn my back on them if their hearts are in the right place.

Is there a bit of gray area we're dealing with here? Absolutely, but in the end we have to trust our well formed conscience and know who we feel is genuine and who isn't.

Cyclists on Rickenbacker Causeway

2009-10-21T16:37:00.003-04:00

(Click the photo for a larger view.)

Shared Assumptions

2009-10-15T21:20:00.002-04:00

Reader Steve left this excellent comment to my "crazy letter" post the other day:

I think what some people (like the letter writer) forget is that the basis of a deal is a set of shared assumptions and objectives. For example the negotiation of a real estate purchase has a presupposition that the buyer wants to buy and the seller wants to sell!

"Negotiating" with the Taliban to "cut a deal" is a joke. What are we going to offer the Taliban? What are they going to offer us? In reality, we can either stay and fight or we leave with our tail between our legs. We know that and they know that. Does the writer believe we can negotiate with them so they support Democracy when we leave? Or that they will support women's rights when we leave? If we leave it is their show, they can do what they want.

Reading this comment made me immediately think of the debate regarding negotiations with those who don't share the same views we do. Case in point: Cuba. It would not be an impossible task if the parties involved were honest and decent, with any differences merely rooted in ideology. Sure, it still wouldn't be easy, but at least you know there is a "shared objective" that can be considered to be desirable for the common good. However, this is certainly not the case when dealing with Cuba. Time and time again, overtures have been rejected because of "meddling" over human rights and other pesky issues which Cuba (and many of the regime's supporters) claims is the right of a sovereign state to follow or reject without outside interference. Unfortunately, there are too many folks like the letter writer in the original post who live in the world of moral equivalence who fail or simply refuse to see that when you're dealing with rogue states like Cuba or the Taliban, one side is infinitely superior to the other.

Defending Rush

2009-10-15T11:03:00.002-04:00

Once again, I feel compelled to defend Rush Limbaugh, despite the fact that I'm not a big fan of his, I don't listen to him regularly and I don't think what he says represents the entire vast "right-wing conspiracy" (sarcasm).

Why, then? 1) Because it smacks of extreme bias and hypocrisy, and 2) It shows how completely laughable journalism is today. Also, it sucks to be called a racist for no real reason.

This blog post by Toby Harnden at the Daily Telegraph contains ample information an honest person needs to refute or at least put in serious doubt any and all of the racist comments attributed to Rush Limbaugh over the years. With all the attention given to Rush on a daily basis, wouldn't you think that something, anything, concrete and undeniable would have been unearthed by now? The smoking gun, if you will? Of course, but we're talking about folks who have no problem using conjecture (at best) to trash the man.

The only comment that's well publicized and 100% verifiable which bothered people was Rush's comment in 2003 about Donovan McNabb being overrated because he's black. A poor, inaccurate statement? Sure! Does that make him a racist? No. To use that comment as a springboard for the Limbaugh-is-a-racist accusations shows the extreme dishonesty and hypocrisy that exemplifies too many people on the left.

While you peruse Toby Harnden's post, please make sure to click on the video link to Rick Sanchez's comments/interview. If you need an example why journalism isn't trusted these days, Hialeah Rick is a prime example.

A Classic Miami Story

2009-10-12T10:48:00.002-04:00

For those of you who are tired of reading the same old "Miami sucks" stories, here's an classic example of a story which could (and should) be heard every day in Miami if we just put aside our preconceived notions and start to get to know our neighbors better:

BY GEMMA SANTOS

When I arrived in Miami in the early 1970s, I never could imagine that I would end up calling Miami home.
Nor could I imagine that, years later, I would be one of eight individuals in this great nation tapped to create a new examination for immigrants applying to become U.S. citizens.
We came to Miami after a short stay in Spain. I came with my parents, Isabel and Ramon Santos, and my younger sister, Ana. Like many young children, we were excited about moving into a new place, learning a new language and making new friends.

We did not understand that my mother's quiet cries and my dad's despondency at the lack of jobs meant we were in exile. As we left Cuba, my dad had prohibited us from looking back to wave goodbye to our grandmothers and aunt as we walked through the tarmac. He knew it was the point of no return.
Miami was difficult for my parents, who had to learn English and work in fields outside of their expertise. My mother worked at the employees' cafeteria at Mercy Hospital in Coconut Grove, while my dad, who had worked in the furniture business in Cuba, worked at many jobs before starting his interior design business. He is still active today at 75.
My mother was another story.
Even though she had a university degree and she had been a school principal for 21 years in her native Cuba, she was the silent sacrificial lamb. She worked at Mercy for more than 15 years while attending night school to revalidate her university studies. She did this so we had health insurance.
Once she finished school, she secured a teaching position at Westview Elementary. From there, she taught at South Hialeah Elementary, until she retired in 2000.
My mother's resiliency must have worn off because I firmly believe education is the stepping stone to improve my community. A product of Miami-Dade public schools, I attended the University of Miami, where I graduated with a bachelor's degree in arts and science and a master's of science in education. I graduated from Florida State University with a juris doctorate and I am attending Nova University to complete my doctoral degree in education.
Originally, I wanted to practice law, but when I found a part-time teaching position to supplement my income as a paralegal at the Miami-Dade State Attorney's office, I fell in love with teaching. I returned to school to get my credentials and have been teaching for more than 20 years.
I got my start at Brownsville Middle. Today, I work in the communications department of Miami-Dade Schools and teach part-time at Miami High's adult education center. It was in my adult education classroom, where I was preparing immigrants to become American citizens, that I got the call to join a think tank of experts who would be charged with creating a standardized test for citizenship applicants in 2006. It was the first such test.
I live in Kendall with my husband Carlos Catire and our 13-year-old son Francis. My parents and sister still live in the same home that I grew up in West Miami.
I am a volunteer with United Way, Hands on Miami, the Junior League of Miami, Hearing and Speech Center and other professional organizations.
It is my way of saying, ``Thank you, Miami,'' for opening your arms to us many years ago.

They Get (Crazy) Letters

2009-10-12T10:37:00.003-04:00

...like this one:

Leave Afghanistan

The only way out of Afghanistan for the United States is to send a diplomat with significant negotiating skills there to negotiate a coalition of major Taliban sects.
The Taliban must run the country. There will never be a ``representative'' government. Afghanistan will be an Islamic republic like Iran, and that's OK. We just need to cut a deal that they will no longer harbor world-class terrorists. The Karzai government should be removed before we leave. Don't send any more U.S. troops.
CLAYTON WILLIAMS, Coral Gables

Have some of us already forgotten what the Taliban helped do to us after years of planning? "Just cutting a deal" is just insane.

Latest Healthcare Polling

2009-10-08T09:14:00.002-04:00

A cursory look at the results of a recent poll according to this AP article reveals some contradictory signals. While I'm perfectly aware that polls can often indicate mixed signals, it's still noteworthy to point these out.

Months of Republican attacks on President Barack Obama’s health-care proposals appear to have hurt the party, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.
The survey found 64 percent of voters disapproving of the way Republicans in Congress are doing their jobs, with 25 percent approving. Also, 53 percent had an unfavorable opinion of the party in general, while 25 percent rated it favorably.

The performance of Democratic lawmakers was disapproved of by 56 percent, with 33 expressing approval. For the party in general, 46 percent expressed disapproval, 38 percent approval.

Asked who they trusted to do a better job on the health-care issue, 47 percent said Obama, 31 percent said the Republicans. The president’s overall approval rating was 50 percent, unchanged from a similar survey in late July and early August.

So basically, neither party is popular these days (no surprise there). Obama's approval ratings have stopped falling and are hovering around 50 percent. Honestly, that's a good sign for the president. What that means for us may be a different story. Stay tuned.

Here's where the contradictions come in:

At the same time, voters disapproved of the way Obama was handling health care, 51 percent to 41 percent. His health-care plan was opposed by 47 percent, supported by 40 percent.

The poll found voters support a government-run plan to compete with private insurers 61 percent to 34 percent. Obama backs creating such a program, which has been the focus of much of the health-care debate in Congress. House and Senate Democrats are divided over the proposal, known as the public option, while most Republicans oppose it.
...
The survey found voters support having businesses pay for employee health insurance, 73 percent to 23 percent. The poll respondents were more closely divided on whether Americans should be required to buy health insurance, as Obama wants. The proposal was backed by 50 percent, opposed by 45 percent.

Obama has said he won’t sign a health-care bill if it is projected to add to the federal budget deficit. In the poll, 71 percent said they expect any measure that emerges from Congress would increase the deficit, while 19 percent said they believe it wouldn’t.
...
The survey of 2,630 voters was conducted Sept. 29-Oct. 5 and has an error margin of plus-or-minus 1.9 percentage points.

A majority (51 percent) disapprove of Obama's handling of healthcare, and a plurality (47 percent) are flatly opposed to Obama's plan, but a larger majority (61 percent) support a government-run plan. Since this is a centerpiece of Obama's overall plan, the disparity is a little surprising.

Most telling (and confusing) is the overwhelming number (71 percent) that expects the deficit to increase as a result of a healthcare bill. Assuming everyone thinks an increasing deficit is a negative, one would expect overall support of a healthcare bill, Obama's plan in general and his overall handling of the issue to be more in line with the 71 percent figure above. A lot of this depends on exactly what was asked and the choices given, so unless we read into that closer it's impossible to pin down the reasons for the disparity. Nevertheless, interesting stuff.

No Time For Hardball

2009-10-05T17:27:00.004-04:00

This quote jumped at me regarding the Obama/McChrystal situation:

An adviser to the administration said: "People aren't sure whether McChrystal is being naïve or an upstart. To my mind he doesn't seem ready for this Washington hard-ball and is just speaking his mind too plainly."

I understand President Obama being upset at General McChrystal for not following the chain of command and taking his complaints directly to his superiors. But now is definitely not the time for "Washington hard-ball". Not when we're involved in a war where Americans are being killed in record numbers. Perhaps McChrystal wanted a little one-on-one with Obama, any way he could get it (since he can't seem to get it otherwise). Or perhaps he's seeing what's happening on the ground and realizes that we need more troops, not less, and he's getting nothing but hard-ball from Washington.

Obama never had a problem with the war in Afghanistan, so he told us during the campaign. That was the just war, we were told. OK, Mr. President. Your general in Afghanistan, perhaps in a moment of understandable human frustration, misspoke. But, surely, you understand what it's like to be under pressure and have the lives of countless numbers of men in your hands, right? Leadership means you sometimes have to "step in it" every once in a while for the sake of your cause. Unfortunately, our president only steps in it to defend his indefensible friends, but that's another story.

Give the man what our troops need for victory. Now.

(Via Drudge)

Fredi Did Good

2009-10-04T21:54:00.003-04:00

The Florida Marlins concluded its 2009 season today, finishing the season in 2nd place in the National League East with a record of 87-75. If you're the Yankees, Red Sox or Mets, that record would not be acceptable. However, for the Marlins of 2009, I say that's a pretty good record, all things considered.

I mention this because the latest rumor is that Manager Fredi Gonzalez's job may be on shaky ground. Several news reports, including this one by the Herald's Clark Spencer, indicate that Marlins ownership is considering replacing the entire coaching staff. One possibility mentioned: Ex-Met manager Bobby Valentine. Oh boy.

This would be a bad move by Loria/Samson. Fredi Gonzalez took a team with the lowest payroll in the majors and they ended up winning only 4 games less than the 2003 World Champion Marlins team won. That's right. Only 4 games less (the 1997 WS champ Marlins won 92 games). Gonzalez had a team with a good bats, but limited speed, a limited defense (to say the least) and a mediocre closer. The Marlins don't have a catcher (Baker/Paulino) who can regularly throw people out on the bases, their second baseman (Dan Uggla) is average on a good day, a third baseman (Emilio Bonifacio) playing out of position and who couldn't get on base as a leadoff hitter, and an infielder playing left field (Chris Coughlan - who was a revelation in 2009).

With all that and despite injuries and some poor performances in the strength of the team - starting pitching, the Marlins finished 6 games behind the defending world champs. As former Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Gary Stevens was famously quoted as saying upon his firing after the 1997 season for the sub-par running attacks of the early and mid 1990s: You can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

(An aside: wouldn't he and Dan Marino have killed to have a Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in their backfield?).

Not that the 2009 Marlins were necessarily fowl excrement, but there's little doubt that Gonzalez squeezed out just about every drop he could from the team. His strategic decisions are usually solid and he rarely gets "out-managed", IMO.

Perhaps the Marlins front office needs to look at other coaches to replace, but these days coaching staffs seem to come in packages. Or perhaps, Loria/Samson need to loosen the purse strings just a little and invest in a good catcher and second baseman.

Early-Morning Storm on Biscayne Bay

2009-10-04T05:22:00.004-04:00

(Click the photo to see it bigger.)

FOX Rising

2009-10-01T08:41:00.001-04:00

All of you Olbermann and Maddow fans out there: better enjoy them while their shows last.

Here's Glenn Garvin with the latest Nielsen ratings for cable news.

Thank You, Rep. Grayson

2009-09-30T09:59:00.002-04:00

This is a sincere message of thanks for Democrat Rep. Alan Grayson, who represents the fine folks of central Florida. Thank you for bringing to light the fact that there indeed are Republican health care bills (35 in all) out there. It would have been even better if you would have singled one of them out, but hey...beggars can't be choosers.

I'll willfully ignore the political grandstanding and blatant dishonesty of your remarks about the Republican plan. I recognize the immense pressure of standing there under the intense gaze of your House speaker and deliver a tough message that will make you and your friends look good at the expense of your adversaries, facts be damned.

I understand. Once again, thank you, Rep. Grayson.

Speaking of Republican Bills, here a good summary of one by the Republican Study Committee led by Rep. Tom Price of Georgia. It's HR 3400, Empowering Patients First Act.

Dialing Up Above

2009-09-27T21:13:00.002-04:00

My man Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich has this to say following the Dolphins' 0-3 start this season:

Now there's another long flight across country. The last time this happened Tony Sparano had a divine moment. Word came from on high for some kind of reinvention, and the Wildcat was born. Perhaps he'll get some inspiration for innovation on the way back to South Florida because we need some God-like intervention.

Amen.

The Road to Change Is A Two-Way Street

2009-09-25T10:45:00.002-04:00

Following is a letter to the Miami Herald written by Carlos Saladrigas in reaction to the Juanes concert this past weekend. Saladrigas is chairman of the Cuba Study Group, a Cuban-American organization widely regarded to be moderate. Mr. Saladrigas words are in italics with my comments in regular font interspersed.

After watching the much talked-about Juanes concert on Sunday, I was left with a feeling that something transcendental had taken place.
Almost 10 percent of Cuba's population showed up -- about 30 percent of Cuba's youth. Considering the lack of available transportation, it became clear the Cuban people voted with their feet.
For a people used to speaking in code, things were said that, except during the Pope's visit, have never been said in Cuba in a public forum. The joy in their faces said it all, in sharp contrast to the taciturn faces normally seen during the interminable political gatherings of the past.

I'm not sure what Cuba's youth "voted on", other than showing up at a rare major international event for a good time.

Meanwhile in Miami, at the Versailles Restaurant, Miguel Saavedra and his Vigilia Mambisa had a steamroller crush dozens of blank CDs in yet another of their usual, but detestable, demonstrations largely aimed at intimidating dissenters from the hard line of exile politics. Unexpectedly, a spontaneous gathering of young people, fed up with a 50-year-old failed policy, outnumbered them, and gave Saavedra a dose of his own medicine. A recent poll showed that the vast majority of Cuban Americans believe his actions severely damage the hard-earned image of our community.

The only people who truly believe that the image of the Cuban-American community is severely damaged by the actions of Miguel Saavedra and Vigilia Mambisa (a small group, something Saladrigas himself would acknowledge) are those who fit one of two categories: those are already predisposed to disagree with and demonize anything and everything the hardliners put out, and those who don't have the strength and courage of their convictions to let their opinions and beliefs stand on their own. It is blatantly misguided to pin the image of an entire Cuban-American community on the actions and words of a few, just as it's wrong to think of Mr. Saladrigas and others of similar thought as comunistas or castro sympathizers. A little honest thought can go a long way, and Mr. Saladrigas as a so-called moderate should be moderate enough to realize this. However, we've been down this road before, haven't we?

There are many messages in the tea leaves of the concert. For hardliners in the Cuban government, the message is clear. The immense crowd wanted a moment of fun and relaxation, but, in a way, they were also there for a silent protest against a system that has wrought fear, poverty, hatred, bitterness, division and hopelessness. A desire for change was in the air.
Interestingly, tensions during the negotiations and words spoken by literally all of the Cuban performers gave us a glimpse of the debates and tensions that exist within the Cuban system. With a sense of déja vu, reminiscent of our own generational divide in Miami, we saw moderate and progressive voices prevail over the forces of inertia.

I certainly hope Saladrigas is right in that the concert served as a form of silent protest. But much more than that is needed. Only Cubans on the island can decide what to do with this spirit of peace and unity. Speaking of unity, perhaps it's not the "forces of inertia" in Miami that need to practice this, but the forces of oppression in Cuba. Just a thought. As far as life in Cuba after the concert, perhaps Yoani can put it in better perspective.

The tea leaves also portend a wake-up call for the Cuban-American community. After all, the hardliners failed to derail this concert. There are still those who will never change, but their numbers are rapidly dwindling. Although we at the Cuba Study Group have for years been saying that Miami is changing, it took Juanes' courageous and bold initiative to let us see it, feel it and to rid ourselves of the fear to say it that has gripped us for so long.
The massive attendance highlighted the large and growing disconnect between the exiled hardliners and the Cuban people. More Cuban Americans have come to the realization that we cannot afford to continue with failed policies to meet the challenges of the future. We need to engage. It is not reasonable to expect to partake in a new Cuba if we don't partake in the process that creates it.

Saladrigas sure sounds confident, doesn't he? I understand his desire to engage. After all, that's how humans of good faith typically function. However, when Saladrigas puts away his rose-colored glasses, it must be obvious that there's only one side willing to engage for what's RIGHT. If the other party refuses to acknowledge this, there can be no engagement. It's all hot air and dashed hopes. Ask Barack Obama and Bill Richardson how their attempts at engagement have progressed. Every time we see the castro regime time and time again thwart attempts at honest engagement, it proves most hardliners right. Every single time. This is something Saladrigas surely recognizes but seemingly can't bring himself to admit. He's hardly alone.

Juanes showed us the euphoria and effectiveness that comes from tearing down walls. The old policies of hurting the regime with collateral damage to the people need to give way to policies that help the people even when they may provide a collateral benefit to the regime. It needs to be all about the people.

Saladrigas appears to be invoking the Reagan-at-Berlin moment here. Walls are torn down when one speaks bravely and sides with the forces of right, but also and just as importantly, AGAINST the forces of wrong. Reagan did this. Juanes and his troupe did not. All the tourists, free trade and unfettered travel to Cuba do more than simply provide a "collateral benefit" to the regime. It legitimizes oppression and the denial of basic human rights endowed to us by our Creator. Unintended consequences, perhaps. But you know what they say about good intentions and the road to Hell...

During his visit to Cuba, Pope John Paul II asked the world to open up to Cuba, as he asked Cuba to open up to the world. This man knew that it takes openness -- he lived it. With his visit to Poland he nearly single-handedly brought the whole Soviet bloc to transition.
Juanes echoed his voice. Totalitarianism requires closeness. Fighting it requires openness. It is time to give openness, reconciliation and dialogue the chance they deserve. Let us all stand up to fear; it's time to change.

I'm not sure why Saladrigas concluded his letter with a comparison of the message delivered by Pope John Paul II to that of Juanes and company at a concert. Maybe he wants to lift up Juanes' message to the same righteous level as the Pontiff's in order to make it appear more significant. I don't know. Regarding openness, here's what Pope John Paul II said in his homily in that very same plaza 11 years ago (scroll down past the green text to get to the Pope's homily at the plaza on January 25, 1998):

As everyone knows, Cuba has a Christian soul and this has brought her a universal vocation.. Called to overcome isolation, she needs to open herself to the world and the world needs to draw close to Cuba, her people, her sons and her daughters who are surely her greatest wealth. This is the time to start out on the new paths called for by the times of renewal which we are experiencing at the approach of the Third Millennium of the Christian era!

Yes, openness is needed. But it's a two-part deal, which the Pontiff made very clear. The two parts are indispensable and inseparable. We've seen how our previous attempts, as well as those of others, at reaching out have resulted. A willingness to reach out should never be exclusive from a demand that wrongs be righted. In fact, it's our obligation as moral people to identify and root out the source of the wrong so that openness can take fruit. A new path cannot be taken with obstacles in the way, but only when both sides contribute to the removal of the obstacles. Our official policy to Cuba has always left this door open. Unfortunately, it's the Cuban regime that continues to block the path, much to the detriment and suffering of their people.

Juanes' Concert For Peace

2009-09-21T08:25:00.000-04:00

The Concert for Peace in Cuba is over. As the workers clean off the stage and sweep up the debris at the Plaza de la Revolución under the intense glare of El Che coming off the adjacent building façade, the obvious question is this: did the concert make a real difference? One hopes that Juanes' vague and abstract mentions of freedom for Cuba reached the hearts of the multitude at the plaza. But if Pope John Paul II's not-so-abstract message of freedom in that very same plaza 11 years ago couldn't deliver, why think any differently of this event today?

Yes, I'm glad that the Cuban people got to participate in something different today, a genuine "event". The fact that this is the most we can expect and realistically hope from the concert clearly illustrates that despite Cuba being 90 short miles from Key West, it might as well be in another galaxy. A galaxy where freedom for its own people can only be spoken in the vaguest of terms by a foreigner on the best of days, while expressing freedom for foreigners in a far-away jungle comes through as clear as day.

One of Juanes' concluding chants was "One Cuban Family". Nice sentiment, but it sounds hollow when part of that family is excluded. Hollow just like the event itself.

I have heard lots of passionate opinions on the concert, both pro and con. Some have been well expressed, some not so much. However, this column published in the Herald yesterday by Damian Pardo represents at least 95% of my feelings about the concert expressed in a way I only wish I could:

I find it striking that the one event closely associated with the fall of another arcane and dysfunctional system -- the East German government -- was Ronald Reagan's speech at the Berlin Wall demanding Mr. Gorbachev ``tear down this wall.''
It was an indignant message calling for greater morality and justice, as well as a decisive call to action. It was not a concert with government-endorsed artists joining hands in Red Square.
Unfortunately, the only victims here, as usual, are the Cuban people. They will have one or two nights of anticipation, excitement and possible hope, only to return to the same oppressive, hostile world where they spend every day trying to survive or escape.

Please read Pardo's entire column. It's short and well worth your time if you want a greater understanding of the conflicting emotions ~~many~~, I dare say, most Cuban-Americans feel.

Obama Criticism Flow Chart

2009-09-20T14:57:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of loyal reader Aymee comes a handy flow chart courtesy of Missourah.com that assesses criticism or agreement of Obama's policies and points you to where your heart really lies. Mine was pretty short.

Obama Wasn't Aware ACORN Received A Whole Lot of Federal Money

2009-09-20T13:08:00.004-04:00

I want to give President Obama the benefit of the doubt. I really do. Really. The office he holds demands that we do so. However, this doesn't mean we should blindly accept every thing he says and does.

Case in point, his comments on This Week With George Stephanopoulos on ABC this morning regarding the cutting off of ACORN funding. Obama claimed ignorance to the amount of federal funding ACORN has received, as well as downplayed the significance of public money funding a corrupt organization.

Really, Mr. President? Are we to believe your ignorance? I'm sorry, but this fool isn't buying it. Not only that, but your credibility deserves to suffer for claiming the fifth on this one.

(H/T: Rick Moore and Michelle Malkin)

Personal Responsibility

2009-09-18T14:35:00.002-04:00

Below is some uncommon Miami Herald-columnist sense today courtesy of James Burnett. I wish more journalists were this honest when it comes to distributing the blame around for the real estate downturn.

Yanira Doyle could easily be a prophetic figure in the South Florida real estate market, and all because she didn't let her eyes get bigger than her stomach.
Before the housing market began to slide sharply downward two years ago, Doyle, then a 26-year-old prospective home buyer who is not psychic, saw the future and weighed her options accordingly:
Buy a gleaming condo in a shiny tower on the beach and fit snugly into the sometimes skewed impressions distant friends and relatives have of South Florida, based on Travel Channel shows -- or buy a place where monthly expenses weren't so high that Doyle couldn't maintain it, pay her other bills, and continue to build a savings account.

`A NO-BRAINER'
Doyle, featured recently on the WLRN FM 91.3 radio show Under the Sun for her uncommon sense, opted for the latter. ``It was a no-brainer to me,'' she says. ``You buy what you can afford.''
Don't scoff at the simplicity of Doyle's logic. Unless you've had your head in the sand for the past couple of years, you know that there are plenty of South Floridians and prospecting interlopers who did just the opposite of Doyle and now find themselves in trouble.
For all the academic and government studies on what went wrong, it can be summed up like this: There is an anti-Doyle attitude pervasive in South Florida, an attitude that says, I can only achieve the American Dream by keeping up with the Joneses . . . even if the Joneses earn more money than me.
The irony is that when it comes to neighborhood trouble, we've had no end to politicians, activists and even clergy urging the public to save our neighborhoods from violent crime because of the harm one violent act can cause to everyone living nearby. But the honest pundits also tell their constituents that government alone isn't the solution. The hearts and minds of perpetrators have to change, too.
So those same authorities should be treating that keeping-up-with-the-Joneses mentality like crime, too. And why not? When homeowners with beer tastes and tap-water budgets stop maintaining and paying for their property, their neighbors' quality of life suffers and property values dive.
SHE STAYED AND FOUGHT
Doyle knows this firsthand. A year into being a home owner in the northern end of Miami Beach, she began to notice that maintenance on her building had slipped and garbage wasn't being picked up.
She learned that she alone, among her condo association's eight units, had been paying both her mortgage and association fees.
Doyle could've thrown in the towel, walked away from her condo and fairly blamed that decision on the deadbeats around her. But she decided to stay and fight. And after more than six months of justified nagging, she got her building back in shape by forcing its developer and negligent neighbors to pick up their slack.
``I want the American Dream, too,'' Doyle says. ``But if I try to force something I'm not ready for, then that dream can easily become a nightmare.''
OMINOUS OR GOOD SIGNS?
The Miami Herald reported recently that South Florida's real-estate market is showing glimmers of hope. Mortgage rates are lower by more than a point than they were a year ago. Home sales are rising. And home values could begin to creep back up within a year.
That's great news. But unless more would-be homeowners try to keep up with the Doyles, rather than the Joneses, the current, fading cycle of shortsales and foreclosures will repeat itself in a few years.

Enough About Race!! (UPDATED)

2009-09-18T10:50:00.004-04:00

Let's get the minutiae out of the way: Rush Limbaugh's "we need segregated buses" remark was not meant as a true desire to segregate blacks and whites. It wasn't racist. It was a sarcastic comment within a long, sarcastic and cynical rant. The full transcript of his remarks during the 9/15 show is here. See for yourself.

Rush Limbaugh's rant points at something which has been brewing for much of the past year or so. Rush's rant is Exhibit A of the toxic environment liberal and media elites have helped to create, and I believe is representative of the way many decent Americans are feeling. Like I said before, average people are just plain fed up with all the "racist" accusations and insinuations. The result of this is a backlash of anger and cynicism, clearly obvious in the transcript of Rush's show 3 days ago.

We've seen people like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Jeremiah Wright use their race as a way to bully others around. We've seen and heard the diatribes of the likes of Van Jones. From the media we've read Leonard Pitts, Eugene Robinson, Maureen Dowd, etc and ad infinitum. We've seen Hollywood and ex-presidents put down those who disagree with Obama. Even Bill Cosby, whom I have great respect for. There are many others, both black and white, who are too numerous to list. Americans are a tolerant and accepting people, and because of this and many other events that have happened in the past 40 years, we've mostly overcome the stigma of slavery and injustice. Can there be better proof of this than the man sitting in the Oval Office? After a while, though, even patient and tolerant people reach a limit. That explains a lot of what we're seeing today.

This is not an excuse for responding with racist and disgusting comments, signs and blog posts. Let's make this totally and 100% clear. There have always been and will always be racists among us. I'm referring to the vast majority of folks who trusted Obama, perhaps even gave him their vote, and now feel betrayed by the lack of positive change which was promised to all of us. Our so-called post-racial president has let them down. Instead of seeing progress, we're going backwards.

Bringing up race and racism in every important issue today is a conversation stopper, plain and simple. It prevents us from moving forward. It prevents us from disagreeing amicably and respectfully because, like I said above, Americans don't like to be called racists, especially when they're clearly not (the small minority that is racist can be excused from this group). Playing the race card is a cop out, an excuse if you will, for not wanting to address the issues honestly and openly. Playing the race card is a surefire way to muddy the waters and obscure the real issues.

While I don't think Obama is a racist or overtly supports those who make racist comments, he hasn't helped the situation, either. His race speech last year was grossly overrated, but he could be doing something right now to end all this racist accusation BS that's poisoning our culture. He could come out and, without any reservations or doubt, state that he will no longer accept the use of race or racism as a method of argument and debate from the right and ESPECIALLY FROM THE LEFT. If he's indeed previously expressed this, he needs to do it again. As our eloquent "post-racial" president, he has the ability and power to stop this insanity.

Let's hope he does. It's not too late, yet.

UPDATED 9/19 645 AM: President Obama states on Meet the Press to air tomorrow that his opposition is not race driven. According to the MSNBC report, Obama also told CBS news that the media is partly to blame for the current atmosphere. Sounds sort of familiar, doesn't it? Good for the president, although I feel he needs to come out forcefully with this.

"No" and "Present"

2009-09-17T15:52:00.002-04:00

Of the 75 Democrats who voted "no" on the House Bill to cut off ACORN funding, one of them was South Florida's own Robert Wexler. Voting "present" was another South Floridian, Alcee Hastings.

What can I say? At least most of our local Democrat representatives voted the right way (Klein, Wasserman-Schultz and Meek).

On a related note, Hannah Giles, the 20-year-old journalism student who acted as the prostitute in the videos which exposed ACORN employees, attends FIU. Cool.

Tragedy At Gables High

2009-09-16T09:43:00.002-04:00

Just awful what transpired yesterday morning at Coral Gables High School. My prayers go out to the family of the victim and the perpetrator, as well as the students, parents and staff at the school. This is one of parents' worst nightmares come true, especially when it happens in a good school in a good area.

Could schools be doing a better job of protecting their students from these type of attacks? That's a highly debatable question. I think the answer is most definitely YES, but even if we bolster security measures, it's likely that isolated and random incidents like these could still happen. I'm glad that this last article accurately points out that schools are still safer than the community at large, although it only takes one or two isolated incidents to shape a perception and understandably worry parents.

Lefties Lecture on Race

2009-09-15T19:25:00.000-04:00

Next time someone insinuates that you're a racist, or straight out calls you a racist for disagreeing, even vehemently or perhaps rudely, with President Obama, remember the words of these mental midgets who...as hard-core leftists...should be the last people on Earth to lecture ANYONE about race and racism:

- Maureen Dowd. Silly girl.

- Eugene Robinson (You have to wait until the second half of the column, but it's worth the wait).

- The One and Only Bill Maher (courtesy of Drudge). When leftists use sarcasm and "wit" as an excuse for making racial remarks, even they must realize how incredibly stupid and disingenuous it sounds.

Actually, we should be really be listening to people like Bob Parks. But that's just me talking.

Obama - Just Another "Liberal"

2009-09-14T20:29:00.003-04:00

A very good column by Michael Gerson which nails Obama pretty much to a tee:

Elected on the promise to transcend old arguments of left and right, Obama has systematically reinforced them on domestic issues. A pork-laden stimulus. A highly centralized health reform.
Eight months into Obama's term, American politics is covered in the cobwebs of past controversies. Obama has supporters, but he has ceased trying for converts.
This should surprise no one. Obama did not rise on Bill Clinton's political path -- the path of a New Democrat, forced to win and govern in a red state. Obama was a conventional, congressional liberal in every way -- except in his extraordinary abilities. His great talent was talent itself, not ideological innovation.
And given the general Republican collapse of 2006 to 2008 -- rooted in the initial unraveling of Iraq, the corruption of the Republican congressional majority and the financial meltdown -- Obama did not need innovation to win. Only ability and the proper tone.

...

Obama, once again, relies on his political virtuosity to prevail. But he lacks the ideological tools to win unexpected allies and poach support in the middle. His main argument remains: ``I won.'' That may be enough to muscle through a comprehensive health reform bill (though I doubt Obama has changed the challenging political dynamic in Congress). It is not enough to realign American politics or change its tone.

Gerson ist's exactly 100% supportive of the current GOP either, so it's not just mindless hyper-partisan GOP blabber.

Check the column out here.

Politics...

2009-09-13T20:36:00.004-04:00

Funny how politics can turn on a dime (or an election):

- The folks who reminded America that dissent was patriotic are having a hard time when they're now the "dissentees".

- Those same folks who used to go nuts at the mere sound of one of George W. Bush's "tough guy" speeches now swoon over Obama saying things such as "punch back twice as hard" and "I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill (his health care plan) than improve it”.

- The folks who used to sneer at the dissenters referenced to above a few years ago are now the ones organizing and marching and being sneered at.

- Because of two years of being thumped at the voting booth, the once-moribund GOP seems to have found some direction - being led by the people, not any one politico.

9-11: Let's Not Forget

2009-09-11T09:00:00.002-04:00

As we arrive at the eighth anniversary of 9-11, I struggle to find the right words or the appropriate tribute. I've never been good at commemorating anniversaries and things of that nature. Nevertheless, it's only fitting to at least type a few words of tribute to those who lost their lives, as well as to the families whose suffering continues to this very day and beyond.

For me, as with so many others, 9-11 was a turning point. Whatever innocence remained, whatever lingering carefree attitude toward politics and current events all disappeared on that day. The mixture of fear, sorrow and anger I felt on that day is something I will never forget, and likely will never totally leave me. I can't even begin to imagine what the loved ones of those who perished that day must feel. My heart goes out to those poor but brave souls who find a way to press on despite the crushing sorrow in their hearts.

As far as our nation is concerned, I agree with George in that perhaps we've forgotten a little. Time has a way of doing that, but we need to resist the tendency to forget what happened and why. There's a definite feeling that our nation is more divided than it has been in a very long time. Right vs left, Left vs right...this isn't the time or space to point fingers or assign blame for the state we're in as a country. What I think we all should focus on today and for the rest of our days is something basic but essential: The terrorists attacked us on 9-11 (and previously) not because we're left or right, or because Clinton or Bush was president. They attacked us because we're AMERICANS. Plain and simple. They hate us not because we lean one way or the other, they hate us because we believe in freedom and rights. As we justly and responsibly discuss and even argue the important issues of the day, let's not forget that all we have can crumble in a few minutes, just like it did on 9-11, if we don't safeguard what we have. Let's not forget that despite our differences, we're AMERICANS. Our safety and well-being depends on that.

Obama's Health Care Speech - Wishes vs Reality

2009-09-09T22:23:00.004-04:00

Lots of contradictions and hard-to-believe statements in Obama's health care speech to Congress tonight. Here are the ones I considered to be most obvious:

Obama said his plan will not add a dime more to the deficit. That's not exactly what the CBO concluded, and it flies in the face of common sense and logic.

The president also said that costs would be mostly covered by eliminating waste in Medicare/Medicaid. That would be great if the federal government actually had skill in eliminating the billions in waste and inefficiencies, which we know is not exactly the case. Besides, If Obama could accomplish that feat, why doesn't he tackle it first, then go for more comprehensive health care reform? Or maybe he just needs to invoke the elimination of waste as a main selling point for his health care plan?

The rest of the plan would be paid off by revenues from drug and insurance companies. Hmmm.

Obama spoke eloquently and passionately about protecting Medicare. That's great. But if his plan is supposed to CUT Medicare costs, how is this exactly going to help keep Medicare solvent? Perhaps someone can enlighten me.

Regarding a public plan, Obama said less than 5% of Americans would have to join a government-run plan, and that the premiums collected from this small percentage would cover the costs. Does anyone really believe this, including the president himself? He did say that eliminating much of the overhead that "gets eaten up at private companies by profits, excessive administrative costs and executive salaries" would do the trick. Well, when the industry average profit margin for health plans is barely over 3%, that's not much of an overhead.

Finally, I go back to picking on the president's message of bipartisanship. He stated that his door is open to Republicans who have "serious proposals". As the post right below this one suggests, that door hasn't been as ajar as Obama would like us to believe. Perhaps the only proposals he deems serious are the ones considered as such by his advisors who absolutely, positively have no skin in this game (sarcasm).

Obama Healthcare Plan Still Unpopular

2009-09-09T13:30:00.005-04:00

Via Drudge:

Obama hasn't invited GOP leaders to discuss health care in 5 months, according to John Boehner. This pretty much goes in line with this post.

Also, ObamaCare support numbers continue to fall. According to an AP poll, it's 49-34 against Congressional health care plans.

It will be interesting to see how the president responds tonight.

Obama's School Speech Released

2009-09-07T21:55:00.003-04:00

A copy of the president's speech to schools has been made available by the White House.

A solid, if unspectacular message, which is fine by me.

Further Evidence That The MSM Is Biased

2009-09-06T12:43:00.005-04:00

Courtesy of the Washington Examiner:

From a Nexis search a few moments ago:

Total words about the Van Jones controversy in the New York Times: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy in the Washington Post: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy on NBC Nightly News: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy on ABC World News: 0.
Total words about the Van Jones controversy on CBS Evening News: 0.

If you were to receive all your news from any one of these outlets, or even all of them together, and you heard about some sort of controversy involving President Obama's Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, your response would be, "Huh?" If you heard that that adviser, Van Jones, had apologized for a number of remarks and positions in the recent past, your response would be, "What?" And if you were in the Obama White House monitoring the Jones situation, you would be hoping that the news organizations listed above continue to hold the line -- otherwise, Jones, who is quite well thought of in Obama circles, would be history.

9/5/09 UPDATE: The New York Times, ABC and NBC hold the line

After the Jones controversy reached a boiling point on Friday, the Washington Post published a story, "White House Says Little on Embattled Jones," on page A-3 of its Saturday edition. But the New York Times remained silent on the story.
Likewise, on Friday night the "CBS Evening News" reported the Jones matter, but ABC's "World News" and "NBC Nightly News" again failed to report the story.

Somewhere in the greater New York area, Glenn Beck is smiling.

Poor "embattled" Van Jones. He just couldn't withstand those GOP "attacks".

Silly Is As Silly Says

2009-09-06T08:55:00.002-04:00

Say that 5 times fast.

Jorge finds an interesting, if not annoying, trend by Team O to dismiss any type of controversy or discord as mere silliness.

Goes in line with their arrogance and condescension, silly me guesses.

No Leader? No Problem?

2009-09-05T10:19:00.001-04:00

Much has been said about the GOP's supposed lack of leadership. In other words, there's no single person the GOP can point to as their "leader". OK. That's caused many on the right to scratch their heads and bemoan the wayward path the party has taken over the past several years. I'm one of those people.

Then again, is a lack of a single leader such a bad thing, especially at this stage?

Paul Ibrahim has some excellent points that made me reconsider the importance of a GOP figurehead in 2009. Go over to his blog and follow the link to his latest column.

Team Obama's Version of Compromise

2009-09-04T12:40:00.003-04:00

Word is that the "Gang of Six" negotiating a health care deal is on the verge of collapse because two of its members, Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Mike Enzi, are against Obamacare.

Shocking! The nerve of Sens. Grassley and Enzi to oppose Obamacare! I thought the reason for the negotiations was to reach a compromise, not merely to settle on Obama's plan. Compromise involves members of totally opposite sides coming together to try to reach a solution. This is common sense, something Team O unfortunately lacks and/or blatantly ignores.

Here are comments made by Robert Gibbs at a press briefing on August 31:

...The President is firmly committed to working with Democrats, Republicans, independents, anybody that wants to see progress on health care reform. I will say this. I haven't seen the contents of that letter. Certainly, I think the radio address over the weekend by Senator Enzi repeating many of the generic Republican talking points that Republicans are using that have bragged about being opposed to health care are tremendously unfortunate but in some ways illuminating. It appears that at least in Senator Enzi's case, he doesn't believe there's a pathway to get bipartisan support, and the President thinks that's wrong. I think that Senator Enzi has clearly turned over his cards on bipartisanship, and decided that it's time to walk away from the table.

Gibbs thinks bipartisanship only works when you agree with Obama. Considering Team O's record on bipartisanship, his comments should be taken with a chunk of salt. Hope and Change.

Here's the offending address by Sen. Enzi, courtesy of Healthcare Horserace.

Obama Like Icarus

2009-09-04T11:03:00.002-04:00

Charles Krauthammer lays it down like only "The Hammer" can:

What happened to President Obama? His wax wings having melted, he is the man who fell to earth. What happened to bring his popularity down further than that of any new president in polling history save Gerald Ford (post-Nixon pardon)?
The conventional wisdom is that Obama made a tactical mistake by farming out his agenda to Congress and allowing himself to be pulled left by the doctrinaire liberals of the Democratic congressional leadership. But the idea of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi pulling Obama left is quite ridiculous. Where do you think he came from, this friend of Chávista ex-terrorist William Ayers, of PLO apologist Rashid Khalidi, of racialist inciter Jeremiah Wright?

But forget the character witnesses. Just look at Obama's behavior as president, beginning with his first address to Congress. Unbidden, unforced and unpushed by the congressional leadership, Obama gave his most deeply felt vision of America, delivering the boldest social democratic manifesto ever issued by a U.S. president. In American politics, you can't get more left than that speech and still be on the playing field.

Read the entire column here.

Also, make sure you go to the link in the excerpt above and read Obama's address to Congress back in February. It's long, but it serves as excellent background to the column and shows precisely why so many Americans are disappointed with Obama.

Cry Me A River

2009-09-04T08:13:00.002-04:00

As a reminder to those who feel that poor Team Obama and the Democrats in Congress haven't had a fair chance to explain their health care plan because of those "incessant, intolerant, racist mobs" (sarcasm) at town halls screaming them down, don't feel too bad for them.

Remember this from last month?

Top White House aides gave Senate Democrats a recess battle plan on Thursday, arming the lawmakers with tips for avoiding disastrous town hall meetings while showing them polling on popular aspects of the reform effort.

Senior White House adviser David Axelrod and deputy chief of staff Jim Messina told senators to focus on the insured and how they would benefit from “consumer protections" in the overhaul, such as ending the practice of denying insurance based on preexisting conditions and ensuring the continuity of coverage between jobs.

They showed video clips of the confrontational town halls that have dominated the media coverage, and told senators to do more prep work than usual for their public meetings by making sure their own supporters turn out, senators and aides said.

And they screened TV ads and reviewed the various campaigns by critics of the Democratic plan.

“If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard,” Messina said, according to an official who attended the meeting.

Doesn't say much for an honest attempt to listen to the American people, does it?

The Failed Experiment?

2009-09-03T17:41:00.002-04:00

The Obama administration sure has had trouble keeping their word lately. First, they roll back the snitch program flag@whitehouse.gov. Then they vacillate on the near-dead "public option". Now, Team O (the letter, not the number, if that's what you were thinking...) is re-writing their hopelessly clumsy lesson plan to teachers to use with the president's address to schoolchildren next week.

(An aside: speaking of Obama's address to schools, I have no problem with a president speaking to our kids about the value of education. That's great. Unfortunately, the lesson plan drawn up by the administration and the Department of Education was too much about Obama and not enough about the kids. Hmmm. Must be that cult of personality thing...)

Committed liberals must be going nuts right now at the lack of follow-through in these initiatives. Naturally, the conservative "mob", which I'm happy to be a part of, is a big reason for this, but the guy got 53% of the vote a mere 10 months ago, not to mention a nice, cushy majority in Congress to work with. What past presidents would have done to attain that much influence!

Most probably, much like the case with the lesson plans, the Obama administration has demonstrated an staggering lack of competence. The president himself hasn't helped, as demonstrated by his reliance on an absolutely inept Congress to carry the ball for him on health care. How can someone so smart make so many bad decisions in so many areas (Hmmm. Must be that lack of good judgment thing...)?

Perhaps I'm not properly considering the possibility that Team O knows exactly what they're doing. An experiment, if you will, in how far they can take their agenda before they feel pushback. This is just sheer speculation on my part, no doubt. And I certainly hope it's not this at all.

Juanes' Useless Quest For Peace

2009-09-02T18:09:00.002-04:00

Courtesy El Nuevo Herald

Miguel Perez, writing at Capitol Hill Cubans, absolutely crushes one out of the atmosphere with this post.

Would Juanes have performed in the right-wing Chile of Augusto Pinochet? Would he and his fellow concert headliners, Puerto Rico's Olga Tanon and Spain's Miguel Bose, have gone to South Africa to perform during apartheid? Do they know that the Nelson Mandelas of Cuba are still in prison? Didn't Juanes recently cancel a "Peace Without Borders" concert in Honduras because he didn't want to legitimize the temporary government there? Doesn't the 50-year-long dictatorship in Cuba exude enough illegitimacy? Does Juanes really want to help legitimize the same evil force that drives the FARC guerrillas in his homeland?

What About the Embargo?

2009-08-31T09:33:00.002-04:00

The Miami Herald embarked on a five-part series on the "embargo" with part one yesterday (comprised of two article). I know what some of you are thinking.

"The Herald writing a story on Cuba must be some kind of castro love-fest" and/or exile-bashing contest".

Neither of the above would apply to the articles referenced here. It's actually a rather nuanced and surprisingly analytical and realistic view of the "embargo". Those who are dead set against the embargo because it prevents some sort of opening will likely squirm in their chairs in certain parts of the article, while those of us who favor sanctions will find good material to support our arguments but at the same time some thought-provoking stuff as well.

The best of the two articles is this one.

Lost in the argument over what the United States might do is the fact that change is a two-way street. Cuba can say thank you, but no, we don't want to do business with you.
``What the Cuban government wants is more American tourists,'' said Mauricio Claver-Carone, board member with the politically influential U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC, a pro-embargo group that contributed $452,000 to Democrats and $308,500 to Republicans in 2008. ``It's an easy source of financing, and they control that commodity.''

The other article focuses on American products sold in Cuba at prices that are out of the reach of most Cubans.

While U.S. consumer goods may be readily available on the island, they are not always within reach of average Cubans.
Take the Wilson baseball cap, for example. With a price tag of 11.20 convertible pesos, that makes it about $14. Now consider that base minimum wage on the island is about $10 a month. If the same cap were adjusted for the U.S. minimum wage, it would cost $1,624. (The comparison is not entirely accurate, though, for a nation where housing, food and medical treatment are either free or subsidized.)

The best quote from either article, however, is this one from a typically surname-less Cuban:

``The embargo is not between America and Cuba,'' said Manuel, 46, a Havana cab driver. ``It's between Cubans -- those who can afford things and those who can't.''

An Inspiration

2009-08-30T14:05:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, reading the Sunday Herald can yield some nice surprises. Like this story by Dan LeBatard on former University of Miami basketball star, Miami Heat first-round pick, Miami native and all-around class act Tim James' service in Iraq.

A more inspiring story is very difficult to find, IMO.

James hasn't shared his past with fellow soldiers. Quiet, remember? Humble, too. He wanted to be just another teammate. So none of James' fellow soldiers knew he used to play pro basketball, though they all said he should have after he scorched those younger soldiers in a pickup game one day during training. He didn't tell them after that, either.

...
Word on the base is now spreading that James was an NBA player, so during the hottest and dirtiest days, fellow soldiers will ask: What the hell are you doing here? You chose this?
You ever doubt your decision, Tim?
``Absolutely not,'' he says. ``To be able to support and defend freedom gives me great joy. A lot of people have died for something many Americans take for granted. I wake up every day knowing I'm doing something important with my life. This is so fulfilling. Keeping our country safe gives me great purpose.''

Do yourself a favor and read the whole thing here.

Government Control of the Internet

2009-08-29T09:42:00.002-04:00

To be honest, I don't think there's anything wrong with the federal government taking measures to protect us from cyber-attacks. After all, it falls within their job description of protecting our national interests in cases of imminent threats to our safety and well-being.

As always, though, the devil is in the details. There are legitimate concerns about privacy and undue access to private records, not to mention the federal government's less than stellar record on cybersecurity. Thus, it would behoove all of us to closely watch the progress of the Rockefeller bill. This shouldn't preclude us from wanting or even expecting the government to step in during critical emergencies, however.

This article addresses some of these issues.

Raises and Taxes

2009-08-28T18:24:00.002-04:00

In the wake of the news that Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez gave significant raises to 12 of his employees weeks after instituting a 5% across-the-board pay cut for county employees, I received my property tax notice in the mail yesterday. Here are the results:

- Assessed value of my home plummeted - predictably.

- Taxable value remained virtually the same, predictably, thanks to Save Our Homes.

- Property taxes will INCREASE by at least $200 over last year. Whoa!

Mayor Alvarez is going to have a hard time explaining this in light of his select pay raises while the rest of the county workforce swallows a cut in pay. I've always liked Mayor Alvarez and he's pretty much a straight-up guy, but on this issue he's totally blown it. Hugely disappointing.

EU Diplomats Visit Cuban Dissidents

2009-08-28T07:22:00.002-04:00

Keep this up, EU, and you can kiss your "warmer relations with Cuba" goodbye. You see, the Cuban regime considers warm relations to be akin to the relationship between a drill sergeant and his troops. Don't even try to stray and investigate suspicious regime activity.

What's Good for the Goose...

2009-08-25T22:38:00.005-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Glenn Garvin.

...anybody who stops buying Puffins at Whole Foods over John Mackey's theories on Obamacare has no right to criticize Cuban Americans for burning the singer Juanes' CDs over his affection for Fidel Castro. And if you want Fox News to kick Glenn Beck off the air, you can't complain about Clear Channel doing the same to the Dixie Chicks. That shut-up-and-sing stuff goes both ways.

The Catholic Church and Cuba

2009-08-25T17:55:00.003-04:00

As a practicing Catholic, I can say with total honesty that I've often been disappointed by the U.S and Cuban Catholic Church's lack of strong denunciation of human rights violations in Cuba. I don't agree with their stance on the embargo, but it would be much more palatable for me if they were even stronger in their criticism of the utter lack of human rights in Cuba, not to mention open and frequent acknowledgment of the imprisoned dissidents on the island.

Nevertheless, I can't deny the good the Catholic Church has done for Cuba. This letter by Rev. Thomas Wenski, Bishop of the Diocese of Orlando, highlights some of their accomplishments in bringing direct aid to Cuba.

Did the help sent through the church after last year's hurricanes reach its intended destination? The answer to that question was Yes -- and part of our visit was actually to see where and how the help sent from the United States made a difference last year. Caritas Cuba (the Cuban equivalent of Catholic Charities) coordinated and supervised the distribution of tons of relief supplies sent from Miami in an effort mounted on this side by Catholic Relief Services and the Archdiocese of Miami's Catholic Charities.

There's one other very important thing I'd like to point out from Rev. Wenski's letter. People frequently wonder why we don't see big changes in Cuba. Most Cubans are undoubtedly fed up with the situation in Cuba, so what's going on? There are many plausible reasons and it's not something that can be answered in a quick sound byte. One reason is the stripping of faith and religion from the Cuban society over the past several decades, courtesy of castro, Inc. There's a direct correlation between faith, hope and seeking change, IMO. This fact isn't lost on Rev. Wenski:

In Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict wrote: ``A world without God is a world without hope.'' When a society closes the door to the Infinite, to transcendence -- whether by adherence to ideological materialism (as in the case of Marxist-Leninism) or by adherence to practical materialism (as is increasingly the case in our Western democracies) hope is exiled. While Cuba is no longer an officially ``atheistic'' state, 50 years of communism during which religious practice was actively discouraged has had its effect on Cuban society.

Yoani Sanchez and Juanes (UPDATED)

2009-08-23T11:08:00.004-04:00

The Herald published a front-page Sunday article on Yoani Sanchez today, spanning a total of three pages (not something they do very often, BTW). For anyone familiar with Yoani and her work on Generation Y, most of the article is standard "who is Yoani and why does she do it". An interesting section in the third page addresses the Juanes concert controversy. Lydia Martin quotes part of a recent Generation Y post:

"(Juanes) will raise his voice before a people who have been divided, classified according to a political color and compelled to confront any who think differently,'' (Yoani Sanchez) recently posted. ``We need his voice, but only if he comes to sing without forgetting any Cuban, without rejecting any difference.''

Sounds fairly innocent and pro-Juanes sounding, doesn't it? It appears, however, that Lydia Martin was just showing her thinly-veiled attempt to show support for the Juanes concert by taking a small part of Yoani's post which portrays the concert in a rather favorable light.

If you want to get the full picture of Yoani's thoughts, here's the entire post titled Juanes and the Plaza:

A grey place, of concrete and marble, that makes people feel tiny and insignificant. I pass near the Plaza of the Revolution every day on my way home and cannot stop feeling overwhelmed, seeing myself crushed before that architecture so reminiscent of fascist megalomania. I was there once with a white and yellow banner shouting “freedom,” in front of a dove-shaped altar designed for the Pope. I’m not Catholic, but I wouldn’t have missed the chance for anything in the world to say another kind of slogan in that Plaza.

It appears that on the September 20th, Juanes will try to put a human face on an architectural ensemble where no one is going to go and sit placidly. I have never seen a couple or a Cuban family there who—without being called—find a corner to talk or laugh. A space without trees, designed to gather, overcrowded, for the leader to shout at us from his height, some meters above the pavement, and wait for us to respond with some repetitive slogan of, “We shall conquer!” “To the wall!” or “Viva!”

I think that Juanes should come and sing. If his subject is peace, he will have to know that this Island is not immersed in bellicose conflict, but neither does it know concord. He will raise his voice before a people who have been divided, classified according to a political color and compelled to confront any who think differently. A population that for years has not heard talk of harmony and that knows the punishment given to those who dare to voice their criticisms. We need his voice, but only if he comes to sing without forgetting any Cuban, without rejecting any difference.

We would like him to accompany his song with the cadence of Willy Chirino, the trumpet of Arturo Sandoval, the rhythm of Albita Rodríguez or the sensual sax of Paquito D´ Rivera… but none of them will be allowed to be there. Juanes will enjoy the privilege of the foreigner, who on this Island is worth much more than the natives. Everything he says between songs—if he says anything—will be interpreted as his support for a system that ebbs away, as the accolade to a group in power.

It was not an innocent decision to choose the Plaza of the Revolution as a stage for his music and he will not be able to shake the political weight that it carries. But if it has to be so, if there is no space in the poor neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city, in my birthplace of Central Havana, on the brink of collapse, if he’s not allowed to immerse himself in San Miguel or Marianao, or even to use the Latin American Stadium, then let him sing under the statue of Martí, facing the image of Che Guevara, but at least let him sing for everyone.

*I wonder if the same thing will happen as at the last two concerts of Pedro Luís Ferrer, where they didn’t let some bloggers in.

A totally different picture is painted when the entire post is included. Yoani knows that Juanes won't be able to fulfill her request, that is, to "sing for everyone". It's a classic set-up, and exactly the reason why this concert will end up being just like all the ones that have preceded it: nothing to see here. Move on.

Bravo, Yoani!

If Juanes wants to play in Cuba, go right ahead. I don't agree with it, but I would rather use this opportunity to remind people of the truth in Cuba and the people Juanes is "buddying up" with who have either directly or indirectly imposed the five-decade long suffering on the Cuban people, not to mention the hypocrisy of the whole "concert for peace" thing. It's much more effective than smashing a pile of Juanes CDs in Little Havana or tweeting death threats. The former approach makes people think. The latter approach doesn't.

UPDATE: Carlos Miller writes an piece at the pathetic NBCMiami.com site that does absolutely nothing to advance the dialogue one bit (including a shout out to a local lefty Miami blogger). And I thought journalists were at least supposed to give the impression of being impartial, even if they're really not.

Forgive Me, Father

2009-08-20T22:45:00.000-04:00

Watching and hearing Obama reach out to Christians and appealing that his health care plan is a "moral obligation", I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, or both. On the one hand, I kind of feel sorry for the guy. It's obvious he's reaching. Not necessarily reaching out, just reaching desperately for anything that might stick. But on the other...

Before I tackle the moral obligation aspect of public/universal health care, didn't anyone find it rather offensive that Obama called out those against his plan as "bearing false witness"? He's my president, not my pastor or spiritual leader (gotta wonder if the anti-religion loons on the far-left were similarly bothered by that remark, but for a totally different reason). Besides, who exactly is Barack Obama to call me a liar in light of what we know and don't know about his plan?

I agree that as a moral and just society, we must provide and care for those who can't help themselves (notice I said can't...not won't). Everyone should have access to health care, and for those that need assistance, government should step in. Sound familiar? It should. It's mainly what we have now in the form of Medicare, Medicaid, and free ER visits for the uninsured. Is this good enough? What about those who don't meet the criteria for government assistance yet run into trouble with health care? Those are valid questions worth pondering.

Here's something else to ponder: if we have a moral obligation to provide access to health care for everyone, then we also have the moral responsibility to ensure that we don't unnecessarily burden our neighbors by selfish, personal actions and/or misguided priorities. If I am a 25-year-old with a perfect medical history who has decided to chance it and not purchase adequate medical insurance, then I suddenly come down with a catastrophic illness and can't pay the medical bills, is it your responsibility to cover me? Hmmm.

Many on Obama's side use that very scenario to justify mandating health care for everyone, just like automobile insurance. They have a good point here. The problem is, of course, that they want to run the show and not let individuals and the private sector take the lead. Former senator Rick Santorum nailed the moral obligation argument when he stated the following on Greta Van Susteren's On The Record last night:

...But the question is, is it's (sic) our obligation to provide. I mean, the reason the Catholic church, for example, has hospitals all over the country is because the Catholic church felt it was an obligation for them and for the community to provide. It isn't the obligation for the government to do it. Then you're really taking the obligation from you and from the family and from the community and from -- from each of us individually and -- and to do -- and giving it to some, you know, rather feckless organization, the federal government, to provide care for us.

I certainly hope this is good enough for Pastor Obama. Otherwise, Reconciliation on Saturday between 3 and 4 PM in the Oval Office.

Being Nice Versus Being Honest

2009-08-17T16:21:00.003-04:00

Speaking of "death panels", a fascinating piece by David Warren in Real Clear Politics addresses being blunt and honest versus being "nice".

Candour is when you tell a truth that is disturbing, in language so unambiguous that persons in polite company will not want to hear you. It is a way to lose the respect of the genteel -- of those who are "respectable" in the shallowest sense. Rude language is quite unnecessary to this end: the hard truth itself, spoken plainly and publicly, will give sufficient offence.
Thuggery is unrelated to this. It consists not of candid argument but of naked intimidation. It may be done crassly -- for instance, by the union thugs who have begun to appear at U.S. townhall meetings, to confront opponents of the Democrats' health-care agenda. Or it may be done smoothly, with the politically correct gesture, that conveys the threat of later reprisal against anyone who utters the contrary, "incorrect" thought. A good example would be the "flag@whitehouse.gov" e-mail address that was set up on the official White House website, to which Obama supporters across the country were invited to report "fishy" opposition to that health-care agenda.
And "niceness" is something else again, usually allied with hypocrisy. For one can be very selectively nice -- outraged, scandalized, breathtaken with surprise, when Richard Nixon was caught compiling an "enemies list." Yet perfectly indifferent when Barack Obama advertises for input to compile his.

How many "nice" people I know, who casually asserted that a certain George W. Bush was mentally retarded, resembled a monkey, and was guilty of war crimes. Suddenly the same people have "had it up to here" with squalid personal attacks on his successor.
...
Needless to say the proposals themselves had been couched in "feelgood" language, with public relations campaigns at the ready in case someone like Palin called a spade a spade. She did so in full knowledge of how that publicity machine would respond.
It is assumed she will be running for president on the redneck ticket. But as we saw last week, she does not need any office to get results. For after many nice legislators had condemned her for her "unreasonable" criticisms, the U.S. Senate finance committee this week dropped a key provision to which she had referred, from the House health-care bill before them. According to the ranking Republican member, it was dropped "because it could be misinterpreted or implemented incorrectly."

That's a very nice way of saying that Sarah Palin had a point. And it is a point that would have passed unnoticed, had she confined herself to "nice" language.

I wasn't a fan of the "death panel" terminology used by Palin. But can one argue that it wasn't effective? That it wasn't rooted in some semblance of reality? The answer to those are clear. And that speaks volumes.

Thank You, Mr. President

2009-08-16T17:50:00.003-04:00

Thank you, Mr. President, for being ready to admit that the "public option" was a mistake and to strike it from your health care bill. Maybe it's the pragmatist in Obama, or maybe he knows a sinking ship when he's in one. Regardless, the media will most likely play this out as a "victory" for Obama because he will be seen as having reached out and compromised (how much remains to be seen). Remember, just a few days ago he was in full "bravado" mode telling Republicans to "get out of the way". Of course, waking up on a Sunday morning and realizing that your side is taking a beating kind of makes one reconsider, eh? Perhaps a lot of mainstream Democrats will love Obama even more for this, but I wonder if most independents and centrists will forgive him for taking it this far. The far-left, ironically enough, will have an even harder time forgiving Obama for abandoning the public option, but where else are they going to turn to?

Despite a media-based perception of an Obama rescue, what does this say about the power of the American people? I mean, Obama is less than a year removed from a huge political victory and has a overwhelming majority Democrat Congress that he could have and will still use to drive home his policies. Yet, the people spoke out and not even a super-majority in Congress was enough. If there's one thing conservatives have learned, and I hope this is only the start, is that speaking out and sticking with a theme despite the inevitable cries of "mob" and "racist" pays dividends.

Now, Mr. President, it's YOUR turn to get out of the way and let BOTH sides of Congress sit down and work out a deal. Despite the lack of reporting in most of the media, there is a reasonable alternative health care plan presented by Republicans that can serve as a starting point for discussion. It's the Patients' Choice Act and it's currently going through committee in Congress. Republicans and conservatives have much to gain from this, so let's see if they take advantage.

Ohio Survey Ranks Hispanics Low - Right-Wing To Blame

2009-08-12T18:15:00.004-04:00

This piece in Time on a survey conducted in Ohio on stereotypes of immigrants in the U.S. should be subtitled:

Lou Dobbs, Glenn Beck and all of FOX News hates Hispanics. Here's proof.

By reading this terrible excuse for an objective article and study, you get the clear impression that Ohioans who supposedly live in a "no-immigrant" bubble get their views that Hispanic Americans are crime-ridden, anti-assimilating and poorly-educated people (compared to other immigrants), from the above-mentioned sources.

One of the study's authors, Jeffrey Timberlake of the University of Cincinnati, says as much:

The extremely low marks for Latinos, on the other hand, are of more recent vintage. Immigrants from south of the border may never have enjoyed the same cultural cachet as, say, those from France or England, but the cratering of their numbers is almost surely the result of more than two years of campaign-trail rhetoric and cable fulminations on the issue of illegal Mexican immigrants. "I can't say for certain how the data would have been different in the pre–Lou Dobbs or Glenn Beck era," says Timberlake, "but it seems we're seeing the reflection of the general debate."

OK. And this:

"(Cable TV personalities) are entertainers seeking attention." I don't see the value of ginning up hatred of a particular group. All that does is diminish our chance to solve the problem."

I don't know how accurate the poll really is in reflecting the true tendency of immigrant groups in the United States. I don't believe the results are representative. Do the feelings of 2,000 relatively homogeneous Ohioans speak for folks in many areas of the country where Hispanics are more diverse, both ethnically and economically? I would hazard a guess as to say no.

What's truly pathetic about this study is the foolish attempt to try to blame conservative and anti-illegal immigration people for supposed Hispanic ills. Unfortunately, some people - too many and almost exclusively from the left and academia - continue to insist that people who are against illegal immigration are automatically anti-Hispanic. Chances are these people have never viewed an entire Glenn Beck or Lou Dobbs program, which makes their accusations even more pathetic.

And I thought professors were supposed to be smart. Silly me.

The Height of Hypocrisy

2009-08-10T12:45:00.002-04:00

The Miami Herald Editorial Board blasts the protests which have erupted all across the country at various recent town hall meetings on health care. While I share their concern that shouting down and yelling at your congressperson isn't a constructive way to have your voice heard and for those in power to hear our voices, guess what? It happens from time to time in a representative democracy, especially when big issues are at stake. For the Herald to take the high road here is at best naive, but more likely disingenuous and hypocritical.

Nowhere in the editorial does it mention the union thugs who beat up a conservative protester in St. Louis last week. Nowhere does it mention similar, if not worse, tactics performed by leftist agitators over the past several years. It does, however, mention that many of the health care protesters are part of an organized right-wing opposition movement, thereby making it easier to dismiss the legitimate concerns of average citizens. Do the esteemed Herald editors recall the organizations on the LEFT who have disrupted many a demonstration in the past? Conveniently, no. Also, please note the comparison of the town hall protesters to Cuba's goon squads. Rich.

As a rule, giving politicians a piece of your mind now and then is a good idea. Occasionally, elected officials need to be reminded who's in charge. But don't confuse the rowdy protests in the healthcare reform forums with the fine American tradition of talking back to those who wield political power.
In forum after forum around the country, including Florida, members of Congress have been shouted down, cursed out and forced to cancel town hall meetings on healthcare reform because of bully tactics by opponents of healthcare proposals.
This doesn't promote debate and the exchange of ideas. Rather, it promotes fear and intimidation -- similar to the Cuban government's goon squads, the so-called repudiation brigades.

I'm also waiting for the editors to opine on the White House "e-snitch" account, a topic the Herald hasn't even bothered bringing up almost a full week after it was rolled out by Team Obama. If you want to draw a better parallel to Cuba's repressive forces, this may be a better place to start.

The editorial can be read in its entirety here.

Flag This

2009-08-10T11:05:00.000-04:00

My wife, who's not typically the activist type, was outraged enough at Obama's e-snitch program to write a note to our friends at flag@whitehouse.gov. I guess we're now doomed to be on "the list":

To whom it may concern,

I am quite concerned over this request of sending questionable e-mails or conversations relating to the Health Care Reform Plan.

Are you asking us to be watchdogs, to turn people in for expressing their personal opinion and/or feeling about the reform if they are in disagreement?

I am an American citizen. My parents fled their homeland(Cuba), along with my sister and I, because of such practices by the government of their country.

I am fearful this request is a step in the wrong direction. The First Amendment protects American citizens from government restriction on free speech. Where do we draw the line? If we continue down this bumpy road and government intrudes on our right to express whatever opinion, as fishy or valid as it may be, where are we to flee?

On Sweeps and Bill O'Reilly

2009-08-09T19:37:00.004-04:00

This is kind of a strange post, but I'm in a strange mood today.

First off, our unpredictable Florida Marlins...fresh off a demoralizing and near knockout butt-whipping at the hands of the last-place Washington Nationals, do nothing less than bounce back and sweep the world champs in their own ballpark. Talk about saving a season!

One of the most misunderstood people in America today is Bill O'Reilly. Demonized by many on the left as some sort of species slightly below Satan, feelings about Mr. O'Reilly are extremely polarized. However, for anyone that has read any of his books or watches his show more than just every once in a while, it becomes apparent that there's more to the man than his bloviating, sometimes curmudgeon presence suggests.

Case in point: an article in this week's Parade Magazine. For all the things I disagree with President Obama about, I can't and won't deny the fact that his rise to the top is an inspirational story. This is not lost on Bill O'Reilly and he lays it out right here. Also, Parade discovers the nice guy in O'Reilly. There's more than one reason why The O'Reilly Factor is #1 in the ratings and his books are best-sellers.

More on That Pesky Dissent

2009-08-08T23:34:00.002-04:00

A sort-of follow up on a previous post courtesy of Glenn Reynolds:

When handfuls of Code Pink ladies disrupted congressional hearings or speeches by Bush administration officials, it was taken as evidence that the administration's policies were unpopular, and that the thinking parts of the populace were rising up in true democratic fashion.

Even disruptive tactics aimed at blocking President Bush's Social Security reform program were merely seen as evidence of boisterous high spirits and robust, wide-open debate. On May 23, 2005, the Savannah Morning News reported:

“By now, Jack Kingston is used to shouted questions, interruptions and boos. Republican congressmen expect such responses these days when they meet with constituents about President Bush's proposal to overhaul Social Security.

“Tinkering with the system is always controversial. To make Bush's plan even more so -- political foes are sending people to Social Security forums armed with hostile questions.

By now, Kingston, a Savannah lawmaker and part of the GOP House leadership, has held 10 such sessions and plans at least seven more.”

On March 16, USA Today reported that Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum "was among dozens of members of Congress who ran gantlets of demonstrators and shouted over hecklers at Social Security events last month. Many who showed up to protest were alerted by e-mails and bused in by anti-Bush organizations such as MoveOn.org and USAction, a liberal advocacy group. They came with prepared questions and instructions on how to confront lawmakers."

This was just good, boisterous politics: "Robust, wide-open debate." But when it happens to Democrats, it's something different: A threat to democracy, a sign of incipient fascism, and an opportunity to set up a (possibly illegal) White House "snitch line" where people are encouraged to report "fishy" statements to the authorities.

...

It's true, of course, that conservative and libertarian organizations -- ranging from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's American Solutions to FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity -- are getting involved and providing advice and support, just as numerous lefty groups have always done with left-leaning movements.

But, as I noted in an April 15 column in The Wall Street Journal, those groups were playing catch-up to a movement that was already rolling on its own.

The truth is that for my adult lifetime, "protest" has been a kind of Kabuki engaged in by organized groups on the Left with help from the press -- as in the recent bus tour of AIG executives that was organized and paid for by an ACORN affiliate and in which the protesters were heavily outnumbered by the media, who nonetheless generally treated it as an "authentic" expression of populist discontent.

Read it all here.

Hispanics Get Sicker in U.S.

2009-08-07T17:11:00.002-04:00

Interesting article in the New York Times and Atlanta Journal Constitution on a study done right here at the University of Miami which indicates that first-generation Hispanics have a greater incidence of developing cancer than their countrymen in their native countries.

From the NY Times:

Researchers speculate that one reason for the increase in cancer risk is that immigrants quickly adopt new, less healthy dietary and lifestyle habits, such as increased alcohol consumption, after moving to the United States. It is also possible that some of the increase may be due to more aggressive diagnostic measures in the United States that result in greater cancer detection compared to other countries.
...
Researchers found that after moving to Florida, Cuban-Americans experienced the most dramatic increase in cancer rates, while Mexican-Americans experienced the least. Overall, Puerto Ricans who had moved to Florida had the highest cancer rates, followed by Cuban-Americans, while Mexican-Americans had the lowest.
The differences among the Hispanic groups were somewhat surprising to the researchers. A possible explanation is that “Mexicans in Florida are very recent arrivals. They have had less exposure to the U.S. environment,” said Dr. Paulo Pinheiro, deputy director of the Global Research and Evaluation Center at the university and the study’s lead researcher.
Cubans who had moved to Florida faced the biggest increases in rates of colorectal, endometrial and prostate cancers compared to those who remained in Cuba. These cancers may be influenced in part by diet, the researchers noted.
Men in all the Hispanic subgroups in the United States were also more likely than the men who remained in their native countries to develop tobacco related cancers like lung cancer. The highest incident of lung cancer among Hispanic men in Florida was observed in Cuban-Americans.

There's no doubt that the largely sedentary American lifestyle and easy access to fatty fast foods, combined with a high level of stress that many first-generation immigrants who are battling to stay above water have to deal with, could very well be a factor here. But are other factors being overlooked? I found a possible one by doing a simple search on smoking rates by country, and found that Cuba leads the world with 40% according to a Gallup poll back in 2007, compared to the United States' 24%. It's logical to think that first-generation Cuban immigrants are more likely to already have been smokers upon arrival in the U.S., which correlates quite well with the higher lung cancer rate among Hispanics in Florida. Makes you wonder what else they may be missing.

The Times' mention of more aggressive diagnostic methods in the U.S. can't be overstated, either. Also, what are the rates of other diseases in Latin countries such as heart disease and diabetes that claim lives before cancer has a chance to set in? Are they comparable to the United States?

Summer of Desperation

2009-08-05T22:40:00.001-04:00

I've been following the whole ObamaCare situation rather closely the past few days, especially news coverage and reaction to the several town hall meetings which have featured lots of venting and outrage from Americans from Texas to Wisconsin to Pennsylvania.

What's my take on this? I'll take my cues from Jorge.

Leading Democrats in Congress (that's YOU, Nancy Pelosi), the Obama administration, the DNC and surely countless lefty bloggers are categorizing the angry Americans at the town halls as "mobs" and "anti-Obama operatives", and their reactions as "manufactured anger". Not surprising. Remember their reaction to the tea parties this past spring? Why would one expect fair and lucid thought from these folks now that the heat is really on in August?

The party that turned dissent and grass-roots mobilization into an art form the past few years is now seeing a little dose of their own medicine. This time around, the average folks that the Democratic Party is supposed to represent are turning against them, not because the opposition is making them, but because they see the raw numbers and connecting the dots. Perhaps it's this simple fact that's making the Democrats sweat.

It therefore must be an act of desperation for the White House to look for "informants" to pass along any communication critical of ObamaCare. I mean, why else would they do something that is a trademark of communist, totalitarian regimes? Never mind that throughout history, leftists have often resorted to similar tactics to intimidate and harrass. They're in charge now. They're supposed to be our leaders. This is America. Remember back in the halcyon days of 2003, 2004 when the GOP ruled the land and the Democrats were the dissenters? "Dissent is patriotic" was their mantra. Where's that spirit now? This time, it's not men in black holding billy clubs in front of polling precincts, universities being hostile to opposing points of view or comparing a sitting American president to Adolf Hitler. It's ridiculing and calling out ordinary Americans. It's delusional. Then again, who can blame them? The dog days are here, and it's only getting hotter in Washington.

From the Mouths of Babes

2009-08-01T16:47:00.002-04:00

My 7-year-old daughter Natalie: "Dad, where are going for work tomorrow?"

Dad: "Hollywood".

Natalie: "Really? Are you going to see any movie stars"?

Dad: "No. Hollywood, Florida".

Natalie: "Oh".

It's All About the Beer

2009-07-30T22:10:00.002-04:00

Since today's much-ballyhooed beer summit was nothing more than a photo-op for President Obama and couldn't be taken seriously by this blogger, I figured I'd join in the levity and critique the participants' choice of beer.

Biden drank a non-alcoholic beer. Whatever.

Gates drank Sam Adams Light. Not bad, but figures an "elite" wouldn't stoop low enough to drink the high octane version.

Crowley drank Blue Moon (with an orange slice). Very good choice.

Obama drank Bud Light. Figures.

True Lessons

2009-07-28T19:41:00.005-04:00

I don't care how many lessons African-American elites tell us we need to learn from Gatesgate. I don't care about the educational background of said elites. What I do care about are people's words and actions. Watching the video below really brought it home for me because, in the end, I believe the vast majority of decent Americans judge and treat someone based on their character, not their color.

Seeing Jim Crowley's fellow officers stick up for him the way they have teaches more of a lesson about basic human dignity and respect than anything uttered recently by the likes of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Henry Gates, Leonard Pitts, and, yes, Barack Obama.

(Video courtesy of Drudge)

Saving a Sinking Ship

2009-07-27T17:15:00.001-04:00

I thought of this while sweating my brains out doing yard work this morning, so take it for what it's worth:

As polls come out showing Barack Obama's approval numbers continuing to tank (it's not a free-fall yet, so too early to cue up Tom Petty), no doubt due in large part to the Cap and Trade and ObamaCare fiascoes stalled in Congress, conservatives naturally see blood in the water.

To those conservatives I would say: not so fast.

Sure, Obama's wish to jam the aforementioned bills down our throats as soon as possible isn't playing too well. What happens from here on forward will depend on whether we see "Obama The Post-Partisan Pragmatist" or "Obama The Statist Ideologue". So far it's been mostly the latter. No surprise there. But don't underestimate Obama's ability to play the polls...remember, he's a politician first and foremost. Politicians, especially Obama, love power. Therefore, don't be surprised if Team Obama takes the foot off the pedal, waits until after recess and comes swooping in to save the day with some sort of compromise. Remember, Pelosi and Reid are politicians, too. Exactly what kind of compromise, who knows? It's irrelevant because as long as the trusting media portrays it as Obama saving the day, he comes out ahead regardless of how little is actually compromised and how much we'll still end up getting screwed. It's all about the image. Approval ratings go back up. End of crisis. Better yet, another crisis put to good use.

My advice to fellow conservatives and conservatives in Congress: watch your back.

Pulling Together For the Marlins

2009-07-26T12:36:00.002-04:00

Following is a very good letter to the Miami Herald by Cutler Bay resident Paul Czekanski that touches on several important aspects of the whole Florida Marlins ballpark deal and what it can mean for South Florida if people are willing to get behind the team.

There was a song back in the '60s called Give Peace a Chance. How about giving the Florida Marlins a chance, too. Let's have a fresh start for our team, two-time World Series champions. Let's get behind and support them. Enough already with bashing the team and stadium deal. It's tiresome.
The stadium deal was done in a public forum. Whether or not you agree with the final decision, the pro side won, and it's time for opponents to stop whining like spoiled children who did not get their way. Move on, and support something positive in our community. Would you rather the Orange Bowl site sit unused, rather than be the site of a tax-generating facility?
Those who blame attendance on having minor-league players should know that Major League Baseball payroll very often does not produce. Look at the Mets now, and the Yankees are not doing much better with their bloated payrolls. And yet our lower paid ``minor league'' players won two World Series championships.

To our Broward and Palm Beach fans: We want you and need you. But please, enough griping about where the stadium is located and having to ``drive all the way down there to see a game.''
Mets and Yankees fans who live in New Jersey, upstate New York and Connecticut often travel up to an hour or more to watch their teams play, as my family did when I was growing up. Not every Red Sox fan lives in or near Boston.
The Marlins stadium site is not that far from Fort Lauderdale, or even West Palm Beach. Eventually a rail link or other transit options might make it easier.
Get behind our Marlins and give the team a chance.
Don't be annoyed at the team changing its name to the Miami Marlins. Let's be honest, not one public entity from either Broward County or Palm Beach County ever stepped up to try to forge a partnership with the team, or with Miami-Dade County to build a permanent home. From the get-go, it has been the city of Miami and Miami-Dade that have stepped up to the plate and have gone through this painstaking process. Therefore, this community has every right to rename the team.
Let's pull together for a fresh start. Get behind our Marlins and give the team a chance. You might actually enjoy the national pastime again in South Florida -- and in a comfortable setting devoid of rain delays or postponed games.
PAUL E. CZEKANSKI, Cutler Bay

Turtle Skeleton, Aerojet Road, Everglades

2009-07-25T06:54:00.001-04:00

With Leaders Like That...

2009-07-24T20:29:00.002-04:00

President Obama, apologized...kinda sorta maybe...to Sgt. Crowley and the Cambridge, MA Police Department for calling the officer's actions stupid.

I don't know what's more disturbing: the fact that an educated man such as Henry Louis Gates, a professor, immediately and unjustly plays the race card...

...or that the President of the United States jumped to conclusions in publicly and without hesitation criticizing the actions of an officer of the law.

Weather Forecast

2009-07-21T10:59:00.003-04:00

The Miami Herald's editorial board recently wrote an editorial very critical of Obama's proposed healthcare plan, in particular the tax on small businesses.

In other news....

A strong cold front just swept through Hell.

They Get Letters

2009-07-20T18:13:00.002-04:00

And we review them. It's been a while since I've done a "Herald letter to the editor" post. There are a few good ones today so here goes:

As a Miami Senior High School teacher, I find Sarah Palin's July 16 Other Views commentary, We can control our energy, to be articulate and eloquent -- I don't believe that she could have written it.
However, Palin (and her ghost writer) miss the point of Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan. Alaska and its leaders profit from our nation's reliance on dirty fossil fuels because their state happens to have a lot of the stuff. They have everything to gain by preventing a green-energy economy from emerging.
Cap-and-trade's main objective is not economic stimulus. Its main goal is to curb greenhouse gas emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels. It will accomplish this by rewarding nonpolluting energy sources (solar, wind, geothermal) and by penalizing dirty fuels (natural gas, oil, coal).

What science has shown us is that we are toying with our climate in an unprecedented way. We may be threatening our own survival and that of countless other species if we continue on this course.
NATANIELA GEORGIADIS, Miami

Perhaps it's the science you want to see, Ms. Georgiadis. When your utility bills skyrocket, as so many people say it will if cap and trade passes, you can come back and complain about how smart and articulate Ms. Palin's ghost writer is (sheesh). One more thing: I hope you're presenting both sides of the issue to your Miami High students.

Nix Zelaya, embargo
I agree with the 17 Republican senators who sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking her and the Obama administration to support the removal of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.
They point out that ``we should at least ask ourselves if we are right when we find ourselves on the side of Chávez, Castro and Ortega''.
We should ask ourselves if we are right when later this year the United Nations General Assembly votes for the umpteenth time on the U.S. embargo on Cuba. Will we again find ourselves alone or on the side of Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands (with all due respect for these loyal allies)? Or will we go against the good sense of many of our most valued partners in the world?
JOSE MANUEL PALLI, Coral Gables

Next time, Mr. Palli, please try to use a little more moral equivalence to make your argument, OK?

Peering Into Sotomayor's Soul

2009-07-19T14:02:00.003-04:00

Myriam Marquez tells us crazy white (Hispanic) male Republicans that we have it all wrong when it comes to Sonia Sotomayor's controversial comment about being a wise Latina. You see, Marquez looks into Sotomayor's soul and tells us what the soon-to-be Supreme Court justice really meant:

Wisdom imparted by Cuba-born U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, who backs Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor -- despite her controversial ''wise Latina'' quip attacked by GOP conservatives, particularly white male senators, as a huffy proclamation of prejudiced superiority:
''For someone who is of Latin background, personally, I understand what she is trying to say, which is, the richness of her experience forms who she is,'' said the Orlando Republican, who left his homeland alone as a Pedro Pan kid and lived in Catholic foster homes for four years before reuniting with his family in Florida.
``It forms who I am.''

Each one of us creates from our individual experiences a tapestry of who we become -- for good or ill -- filled with joyous colors and pocked by messy indiscretions.
So it is that a Puerto Rican legal whiz kid, who grew up watching Perry Mason on her way out of the projects, can say from her heart that she would hope as a Latina her experiences would matter, perhaps making her wiser than white men.

That's no different than Justice Samuel Alito telling Congress during his confirmation hearing that he could relate to prejudice and discrimination because of his family's Italian immigrant background or Chief Justice John Roberts connecting to working class America by talking about his summer job at a steel mill.
Lost in the political posturing over Sotomayor are all the white American male influences that shaped her, too -- and have shaped all of us.

Excuse me, Ms. Marquez (and Senator Martinez by extension), but I missed the part where Justices Alito and Roberts used their background to imply some sort of superiority over others. To compare their remarks to Sotomayor's "wise Latina" quip that smacked of ethnic superiority is to severely suspend any sense of reason on this particular issue, IMO.

Ballpark Groundbreaking Reactions

2009-07-19T13:43:00.002-04:00

Two interesting columns following the groundbreaking ceremony for the Marlins' new ballpark:

The Miami Herald's Dan LeBatard touches on the emotional side of the event:

It is a beautiful thing, really, that all those kids holding hands with their parents Saturday morning were making their way toward a lifetime of new memories. And that all those sons, all grown up now, were pushing fathers in wheelchairs over the dirt where progress will be built and tomorrows will be remembered.
That is priceless . . . even as it will cost our city either hundreds of millions or billions, depending on whom you believe. So I kept making U-turns in Abuelita's old neighborhood Saturday until I could finally follow the crowds and the noise toward the big party on the burial ground meant to celebrate tomorrow.
It is hard to make a sound argument for our broke city spending these kinds of dollars to build a new palace for a bunch of rich guys to play games, but that argument is emotional, not logical, and it certainly felt good on this morning.

The Sun-Sentinel's Ethan Skolnick has a spot-on request for David Samson and the Marlins:

Let's hope (the Marlins) understand the stadium deal is a beginning, not an end, and that the burden is on them, not the public, since the latter entity has already contributed more than enough. Let's hope team President David Samson reconsiders his recently-stated position that they'll show players the money only after fans show their support at the gate. Let's hope that, at the very least, he keeps similarly buzz-killing declarations to himself from here forward.

Storm

2009-07-18T19:07:00.002-04:00

More On Cubans and Fraud

2009-07-17T14:31:00.003-04:00

I realize this post accomplishes or says absolutely nothing noteworthy, but I just couldn't help myself.

Re my previous post taking Herald columnist Jackie Bueno Sousa to task for her broad-brush accusation that Cuban-Americans are accepting of fraudulent behavior: three Miami-Dade residents were arrested on Wednesday and charged with taking part in a locally-based interstate drug prescription ring.

The surnames of the arrested: Hernandez, Gonzalez, Alejo. Odds are at least one of them is Cuban.

OK, Jackie. They were arrested. They deserve to spend a long time in jail if convicted. Is that good enough for you? Or will you continue to insist that we constantly apologize for behavior that we have absolutely nothing to do with?

Marlins Ballpark Groundbreaking Tomorrow!

2009-07-17T09:53:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow at 10 AM, the Florida Marlins will conduct the "official" groundbreaking for the new ballpark at the Orange Bowl site.

Ballpark opponents, irked that the stadium plans are rushing forward, are apparently grasping at air to find anything...anything to make the decision to build the stadium look foolish. The latest attempt is a link to the recent cuts imposed by Miami-Dade government.

Random Pixels has the dirty details here , discovered at the NBC Miami site that has become little more than a gossip/opinion rag (BTW, nice bananas, Carlos. Next time, tell us how you really feel about Miami).

All I can say is, nice try guys.

While I've pointed out here several times that it's perfectly legitimate to criticize the principle behind this deal between the Marlins, Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami, making tenuous connections or even connections that don't exist don't help advance the argument. The county is using hotel "bed" tax revenue to fund their part of the deal. If Miami-Dade County (and every other county, city and federal entity) misspent their windfall 3-4 years ago and now sees a need to cut across the board, it has little to nothing to do with the stadium deal based on the way the deal was structured and the fact that bed tax revenue can't be used to help offset losses in other areas. If bed tax revenues end up being less than forecast in the coming years, then we have a real, legitimate beef.

Are Random Pixels and Carlos Miller clairvoyants? There's a slight chance, but based on their arguments, I wouldn't bet on it.

Florida Marlins: Congratulations. May you dig deep and often.

Garvin Nails OAS

2009-07-16T12:46:00.003-04:00

The column is two days old, but it's never too late to point out how ridiculous and utterly useless organizations like the OAS are:

Ladies and gentlemen: Glenn Garvin.

There's been no formal announcement yet, but I think Woody Allen must be remaking Bananas, his old comedy about Latin American politics. Really: When Argentine president Cristina Fernandez tells the Organization of American States that the miliary coup in Honduras amounted to ''kidnapping the democratic restoration in Latin America,'' how could it be anything but a punch line? And the joke -- a very sad and expensive one -- is the OAS.
An organization that can, with a straight face, expel Honduras as a threat to democracy barely a month after inviting Cuba (50 years without elections and still counting) to join, has lost any claim to serious consideration, much less the funding of American taxpayers.
Founded in 1948, the OAS is an artifact of the Cold War, originally intended to resist Soviet mischief in Latin America. How much it really accomplished in that regard, and at what cost, are open to debate. But what isn't arguable is that for the past 30 years, the OAS has devolved into a pack of circus clowns who perform political somersaults for the amusement of the region's leftists -- all on the nickel of U.S. taxpayers, who put up more than 60 percent of the OAS budget.

The OAS double standard on democracy dates at least to the late 1970s, when it worked to oust Nicaragua's anti-communist Somoza dynasty while breathing not a word about Omar Torrijos, the vicious left-wing military dictator just over the hill in Panama.
But in the past decade, the organization has outdone itself. If the OAS were a sports team, its official mascot would be a pipe cleaner, its motto Capable of bending around any corner.
The rule of law? That's very important for a centrist government in Honduras -- so much so that the OAS has appointed itself the ultimate arbiter of the country's constitution, overruling the Honduran supreme court. Not so much in Venezuela, where leftist strongman Hugo Chávez sent mobs to Caracas city hall to keep a victorious opposition candidate from taking office after he won election last year.
The sanctity of elections? Absolutely crucial in Honduras, where the OAS insists that Chávez's sock-puppet Manuel Zelaya be returned to power to serve out the final six months of his term even though practically every political force in the country opposes him. But much less so for Nicaragua, where President Daniel Ortega's Sandinista party was so obvious in its theft of 40 mayoral elections last fall that even the ordinarily sympathetic European Union cut off aid.
Toppling elected governments? That's an authoritarian affront to the hemisphere if it's done by the army in Honduras and participatory democracy when it happens at the hands of leftist mobs in Ecuador, where Jamil Mahuad was forced out in 2000. (Pssst! Don't tell the OAS, but the Ecuadoran army helped, too!) Or in Bolivia, where two presidents in two years were driven from office by machete-wielding gangs loyal to cocaine socialist Evo Morales -- who, in an amazing coincidence, was elected president right afterward.
Literally nothing -- not even captured documents showing that he was supplying money, oil and weapons (including anti-aircraft missiles) to Marxist guerrillas in neighboring Colombia -- can prod the OAS into breathing a word against Chávez and his left-wing cronies.
The organization's left-eye-blindness reached terminal levels in the wake of last month's coup, when the OAS ignored Chávez's ranting threats to invade, then blandly cited ''the principle of nonintervention in the internal affairs of other states'' as its justification for expelling Honduras and threatening the broke little country with economic sanctions. As Woody Allen said in Bananas, ``It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.''

Judging Equally

2009-07-16T09:48:00.005-04:00

To all those people who think that a "no" vote on Sonia Sotomayor is a vote against Hispanics and other majorities, and implies some sort of racism:

Get off your faux moral high horse and realize that equality means equal justice for ALL, and that the reason people like Martin Luther King, Jr. risked their lives day in and day out was to ensure that ALL people had that right to be treated and judged on the same plane, not just a select group of minorities.

This also includes the right to be passed up for a job based on merit, qualifications and past actions.

Thanks for listening.

Jackie Bueno Sousa's Cuban Problem

2009-07-13T15:40:00.000-04:00

Been catching up to the latest musings of our favorite Miami Herald columnists, and not one, but two of Jackie Bueno Sousa's columns perked my interest. The first one, back on June 28th, served as a good reminder not to draw conclusions about minorities based on the actions of some. The second one, written exactly one week later, implores us to admit that Cuban-Americans have a knack for looking the other way when some of their own scam the government or other big business, whether it's Medicare, the mortgage/real estate industry, or anything else.

If you would have told me that Sousa wrote the first column and Carl Hiaasen the second, I wouldn't have batted an eye. The fact that Sousa wrote both is puzzling, not to mention amazingly contradictory, for a major newspaper columnist to pen exactly one week apart. Oh, and that Sousa is Cuban-American.

Somehow, the Cuban-bashers that wrote to Sousa in the wake of her first column made an impression on her. She basically admits as much. These folks apparently managed to convince Sousa in the span of one week that there is more than just a kernel of truth in the perception that Cuban-Americans as a whole have a bad tendency to "accept" dishonesty and fraud.

Good Jackie circa June 28th, 2009:

Certainly many Cubans have been involved in the recent strings of Medicare fraud arrests, and I wouldn't even be surprised if, as some believe, the Cuban government were benefiting from a scam that totals hundreds of millions of dollars. But the notion that Cubans are primarily responsible for such a popular criminal scheme highlights a myopic mentality in vogue these days.

Not-so-good Jackie circa July 6th, 2009:

While the overwhelming majority of Miami's Cuban community consists of honest, hard-working people, there's a certain passivity and acceptance in how we react to those who do engage in such fraudulent acts.

Yes, there are Cuban-Americans that take advantage of the system and commit all sorts of fraud, major and minor. I know some. Is it enough to categorize as a broad "acceptance" issue for Cuban-Americans as a whole? Of course not. A columnist with basic smarts and common-sense principles such as Sousa should know that. If I'm wrong or just simply naive, prove it to me (and no, distant relatives in Cuba don't count as broad anecdotal evidence).

Whenever Cubans pound their chest and proclaim that they turned Miami from a small meaningless town in the swamp to a major metropolis, I cringe. Whenever non-Cubans blame Cubans for South Florida's problems, I cringe. Whenever one generalizes the bad of their own group, I cringe.

I play no favorites here. If our local history has taught us something, it's that each and every ethnic group that has set up camp in South Florida has its share of successes and downfalls that we can point to. Just like the rest of the world. In the end, we all put our pants on the same way and have to deal in the real world with both good and not-so-good individuals.

The main underlying problem we DO have as a community is this: we have a tendency to see the worst in our neighbors, especially if they're from "somewhere else" (which they almost inevitably are). It's largely because we don't see ourselves as being from Miami, but from "somewhere else", with the invariable "where I'm from, we don't do things this way" attitude that comes attached with the misplaced sense of ethnic/regional/national pride. It's therefore no surprise that Sousa got the type of letters she did in response to her spot-on first column (why her knees turned to jelly afterward remains a mystery). With all of our diverse groups serving as experts in pointing out each other's flaws, you would think our problems would have been resolved a long time ago, right? Yeah.

When You Have No Solid Argument...

2009-07-13T09:49:00.003-04:00

you can always fall back on the good ol' trusted war horse.

This article posted at Babalu the other day reminded me of the silly arguments and name-calling people on both sides of the Cuba issue often fall back on when solid, factual arguments aren't enough or don't exist. My grievance is mostly with the pro-engagement-with-Cuba crowd who often finds itself resorting to cries of "Batistianos" and "Mafiosos" in reference to the hardline right, but some on my side of the fence fall into a similar trap as well, calling anyone and everyone who doesn't agree with them "comunistas", whether it's warranted or not.

I don't have a suggestion for our friends on the left...they can use their allegedly superior intellect to figure it out on their own. I will, however, remind those on the RIGHT side (in more ways than one) that when one stops using facts and logic and resorts to similar tactics employed by the other side, it's we who lose the argument every single time.

Instead, we should take to heart the immortal words the immortal Mr. Miyagi once said:

"Focus".

Not All Presidential Ousters Are Made Equal

2009-07-12T15:46:00.003-04:00

Back from a week of dodging thunderstorms up in Northeast Florida (meanwhile, the weather in South Florida made a turn for the better). Just my luck. Nevertheless, it was good to do a little body surfing in the nice 4-5 foot swells (sorry, I don't have any pictures).

I left last week with a note on the situation in Honduras, and I return with another one. Andres Oppenheimer opined early last week about how the U.S. made the right decision by not supporting the ouster of Zelaya in Honduras. I understand the general sentiment, but the problem I have with it is this: the ouster was driven by Zelaya's thoroughly un-democratic actions. I think responsible people can make a distinction between what happened in Honduras and what's occurred in places such as Venezuela, for example. Perhaps there was a better way of deposing Zelaya. But if the goal of the overthrow in Honduras was to re-establish a semblance of democracy, shouldn't that also be noted and supported by the U.S. and other democracy-supporting states?

This was Oppenheimer's only flaw in what was a dead-on article which rightly took the OAS to task for its hypocrisy and double-standards.

Happy Independence Day

2009-07-04T15:14:00.005-04:00

Pinecrest Today

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-04T08:40:00.003-04:00

Peeking my head in for just a second to wish everyone a happy and SAFE Fourth of July. Remember, nature's fireworks can be deadly, too.

I am retreating just as quick as I came in, since I will be out of town and with zero computer access for a week. Feel free to look around, throw a few parties...but just make sure everything is back in its place, OK?

Before I leave, I just want to say one small thing to Rick Sanchez:

Shut up already. You're embarrassing us.

Honduras to OAS: Get Lost

2009-07-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

Honduras' governmental body has guts. That's all I can say in the wake of what's happened over the past couple of weeks, including their most recent decision to get out of the useless Organization of American States.

Meanwhile, the Herald thinks the new government's actions and statements in deposing Zelaya to exile hurts the cause of democracy in Honduras. Sure, the government could have been a little "cleaner" in its removal of Zelaya. But to make that the centerpiece of Honduras' problems and not the fact that Zelaya was using overtly anti-democratic means (with assistance from his friends Chavez and Ortega) to take over his country speaks volumes for where some people's priorities lie.

Bravo, Honduras!

Pitts-Slapping

2009-06-28T20:26:00.003-04:00

I've stopped reading Leonard Pitts' columns. Frankly, I don't have the time, energy and will to sit through another one of that man's articles and read another lie about how racist and nasty Republicans (read: conservatives) are.

Fortunately, there are still activists out there who can stomach Pitts and give him a little dose of his own medicine.

In his June 21 Issues & Ideas column, GOP blind to its race problem Leonard Pitts Jr. unfairly condemns the entire Republican Party as racist based on the actions of a few. In reality, the Republican Party, since its inception in 1854 as the antislavery party until today, has been the party of freedom and equality for blacks. A better case can be made that the Democratic Party is a racist party.
As author Michael Scheuer stated, the Democratic Party is the party of the four S's: slavery, secession, segregation and now socialism. Democrats have been running black communities for the past 40 years, and their policies have turned those communities into economic and social wastelands.
Democrats fought to expand slavery, while Republicans fought to ban it. After the Civil War, Republicans amended the Constitution to grant blacks freedom, citizenship and the right to vote. Republicans then passed the civil-rights laws of the 1860s that, sadly, were over turned by the Democrats with the Repeal Act of 1894 after they took over Congress in 1892.

Republican Sen. Everett Dirksen was instrumental to the passage of civil-rights legislation in 1957, 1960, 1964, 1965 and 1968. He wrote the language for the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which prohibited discrimination in housing. President Lyndon Johnson could not have achieved passage of the civil-rights legislation without the support of Republicans. Johnson's statement about losing the South was not made out of a concern that racist Democrats would suddenly join the Republican Party. Instead, Johnson feared that the racist Democrats would again form a third party, such as the short-lived States Rights Democratic Party.
Democrats readily demean black professionals who do not toe the Democratic Party's liberal line, denigrating them as ''sellouts'' and ''Uncle Toms.'' A Democrat blogger depicted RNC Chairman Michael Steele as a ''Simple Sambo'' with a blackened minstrel-style face, nappy hair and big, thick red lips.
Condoleezza Rice was demeaned by a Democratic cartoonist as an ignorant, barefoot ''mammy.'' Democrats Al Sharpton and Harry Belafonte denigrated Gen. Colin Powell and Rice as ``house Negroes.''
Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy called some black judicial nominees, including Judge Janice Rogers Brown, ''Neanderthals.'' Democratic Senator Harry Reid slurred Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as an ''embarrassment'' who could not write properly.
Has Pitts condemned racism in the Democratic Party?
FRANCES RICE, chairman, National Black Republican Association, Sarasota

I don't believe the Democratic Party itself is racist. Nor do I believe most Democrats and liberals are racist, either. But Frances Rice puts the finger on something many Democrats don't want to admit to: their party's own dark history as well as their largely failed policies towards minorities.

Another Celebrity Death - Billy Mays RIP

2009-06-28T13:19:00.005-04:00

Whoever came up with the theory that celebrity deaths come in threes is unfortunately correct these days.

Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died on Thursday. Today we have reports that pitchman Billy Mays has died at the age of 50. On my flight to Texas this past Monday I read an article in American Way magazine on Billy Mays and how he got his start in the TV salesman/pitchman business. Seemed like a nice guy who truly earned his path to success; too bad to hear about his death at a much-too-young age.

The recent celebrity deaths just serves as a sobering reminder of how short and fickle life can be, no matter how famous or ordinary you are. Enjoy it to your fullest, folks.

Odds and Ends

2009-06-27T09:12:00.004-04:00

I'm back from a combination of work travel and just plain work, and I apologize for the lack of blogging (of course, our dedicated readers are used to this by now). We appreciate your patience.

Here's some of what's been on my mind lately:

- Cap and Trade makes no sense to me. It's based on, at best, highly disputable science; it's undoubtedly going to raise energy costs across the board and more jobs will be lost than created. Look at the Kyoto Protocol for a hint of what this would be like if passed. Let's hope the Senate kills this awful bill.

- Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett: R.I.P.

- Don't let anyone tell you that "dry heat" is more comfortable than humidity. An oven is dry heat, too.

- I'm glad President Obama finally said something in support of Cuban dissidents. Now all he has to do is to stop trying to be nice to the castros, who despise him.

- I'm glad President Obama is finally standing up to the thugs in Iran. Too bad it took 2 weeks for him to do so. So much for a kinder and gentler relationship with our enemies.

- Seeing how Iranians are bravely expressing their outrage at their dictatorship makes me sad that Cubans can't seem to muster up enough courage to do the same. Yes, there are differences between Iran and Cuba, but lots of similarities, too.

- Far-left and even some mainstream-left reaction to Mark Sanford's dalliances in Tangoland reminds me of this paradox: if some Republicans and conservatives caught literally with their pants down are accused (justly) by lefties of being hypocrites, while the same lefties mostly shrug when a Spitzer or an Edwards gets caught, does this mean that the finger-pointing lefties don't hold their own up to a higher standard?

- Very quietly, the Florida Marlins are in the hunt for the division lead midway through the season.

- Speaking of the Marlins, everything's still on track for the new ballpark's groundbreaking in July.

Bush Bashing "Comical"

2009-06-14T18:01:00.003-04:00

Perhaps the neatest thing about the Herald's new BlogNet is that you can peruse all sorts of local blogs without having to go into the sites themselves. That way, if you see a post that looks to be a stinker right off the bat, especially at some of our "favorite" blogs, all you have to do is keep scrolling down and it's gone, c ya.

It's through the Herald's BlogNet that I discovered this post by Reid Blog on the difference between Obama Derangement Syndrome (how original) and Bush Derangement Syndrome. It's not necessarily the fact that there are a few deranged and sick individuals out there who want to do real harm to Obama, but Reid's assertion that personal criticism of Bush "tended to lean more toward the comical" was the real eye-popper. You see, the harshest criticism of Bush was actualy targeted at his policies.

Brace yourselves:

In other words: "Bush Derangement" if you want to call it that, was based on a loathing of Bush administration policies. Attitudes toward Bush himself, if you have to characterize them broadly, tend to lean more toward the comical. And while derision of Bush as a dunce bugs those on the right, it's hardly the same chilling talk that derides our current president as tantamount to a Marxist, Socialist, anti-American Muslim terrorist. [Left: a leaflet distributed in Dallas on the day of JFK's assassination. Courtesy of Prose]

Ahhhh, so that's what it was all along. Too bad this dunce of a conservative missed it. After all, calling Bush a Nazi, a murderer and a war criminal was indeed funny to many liberals, especially when it was comedians and skilled entertainers delivering the punch lines. The fact that many average folks I know freely participated in this type of ridiculous defamation makes it even more legitimate, Reid would probably make you believe. It's all about the policies, not the person, remember?

This is truly a bizarre era we're living in, folks.

Liberal MSM Does It Again

2009-06-13T19:28:00.004-04:00

Liberal columnist Eugene Robinson of the liberal Washington Post could have saved all of us a lot of time by condensing his latest column into these few words:

Right-wingers really ARE responsible, whether directly or indirectly, for the killing of the guard at the Holocaust Museum.

So then, Mr. Robinson, who's to blame for the shooting of Private William Long 2 weeks ago? Keith Olbermann? Rick Sanchez? Chris Matthews? Mike Wallace?

Give me a break. And to think this guy writes for our nation's capital's largest newspaper.

Joecito's Moral Relativism (And One Other Topic)

2009-06-11T16:31:00.003-04:00

Just got back from a business trip to St. Maarten (yes, it is possible to go to a Caribbean island just for business - ask me how it's done). Stayed mostly on the Dutch side and got to see jumbo jets coming in for landing no more than 50 feet over the beach at the Juliana Airport (check out this YouTube video for an idea of how incredibly low these planes get to the beach).

At the hotel there was none other than the Miami Herald's International Edition available for reading. BTW, the Herald is cutting back the International Edition from two sections to 16 pages and eliminating Sundays. One of the articles I read which almost made me shoot blood out of my eyes was this one, which was already covered by Babalu. To think that Joe Garcia equates American operatives with the "Cuban Five". I'm just glad Joe Garcia got beat last fall, and with comments like that, I don't see him winning any time soon. I'd love to see his supporters try to defend his totally ridiculous assertion that we can draw an equal comparison between the two.

Also on my mind is the reaction to the tragedy at the Holocaust Museum. An extremist nutcase killing a guard is most certainly worthy of top news of the day and should be thoroughly and properly analyzed. We had another tragedy not too long ago involving the killing of an U.S. Army soldier at a Little Rock recruiting center by another extremist nutcase. Too bad the latter got nowhere near the amount of press and immediate attention drawn to the killer and his probable motives as the guard killing did.

School Accountability and Civic Pride

2009-06-07T14:01:00.003-04:00

I'll be out of town and with no internet access for much of the upcoming week, so this is it until Thursday or Friday at the earliest.

Two stories of local interest I'd like to share:

- I realize the FCAT is far from perfect, but this is what can happen when schools are held accountable for the performance of their students, and a principal who works extra hard and cares takes over an inner-city public high school on the brink of complete failure. It's no coincidence the turnaround at Miami Central came in the FCAT era and not in the 1990s when kids were able to pass from grade to grade without learning anything.

- Miami needs more people like Rosa Sugranes.

Obama Zigs and Zags in Cairo

2009-06-04T22:01:00.002-04:00

Obama's speech in Cairo today was OK...that's about the best grade I can give it. I admire his attempt to reach out to Muslims and try to reach common ground, even if it can seem like an odd marriage of arrogance and naivete to try to do such a thing. Reminding the Muslim world of America's values was a good move, but do enough of the right people care to do anything about it?

Where I found Obama's speech somewhat maddening was when he got to some of his "issues". For example, the second one on Israeli-Palestinian relations. It was tilted too much to the sympathetic side toward the Palestinians - regardless of Obama's audience. While Obama's sympathy toward Jews is largely based on history (Holocaust), his sympathy for Palestinians is exclusively based on the "occupation" of a land that has never truly belonged solely to Palestinians to begin with. Obama points out Gaza as an example. Does anyone remember what happened when Israel abandoned Gaza? That's right...bombs started heading north. A two-state solution is fine, but who's doing more to prevent this from happening, and what are the Palestinian people doing to change it? Those are fair questions to ask.

From the speech:

America will align our policies with those who pursue peace, and we will say in public what we say in private to Israelis and Palestinians and Arabs. (Applause.) We cannot impose peace. But privately, many Muslims recognize that Israel will not go away. Likewise, many Israelis recognize the need for a Palestinian state. It is time for us to act on what everyone knows to be true.

Darn it, that Israel won't go away. Amazing. BTW, what's wrong with imposing peace? Just asking.

The next issue -nuclear weapons:

I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons that others do not. No single nation should pick and choose which nation holds nuclear weapons. And that's why I strongly reaffirmed America's commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons. (Applause.) And any nation — including Iran — should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That commitment is at the core of the treaty, and it must be kept for all who fully abide by it. And I'm hopeful that all countries in the region can share in this goal.

No further comment required.

Next issue - Democracy:

I know — I know there has been controversy about the promotion of democracy in recent years, and much of this controversy is connected to the war in Iraq. So let me be clear: No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation by any other.
That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people. Each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election. But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas; they are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere. (Applause.)

Mr. President, you began by stating that no nation should impose a system of government on another. Then you go on to state that people yearn for freedom and democracy and that America should support these rights everywhere. Did I miss something? You can't have it both ways. Either you support human rights (Obama was good in stating that) or you don't. It's that simple.

Next issue - Religion

Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it. For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation. That's why I'm committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat.
Likewise, it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit — for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear. We can't disguise hostility toward any religion behind the pretence of liberalism.

What exactly is he talking about here? If anything, it's the opposite that's occurring. When threatened with something so hideous and oppressive as Sharia law, for example, the logical and right thing to do is to impede it. Faith should serve as a unifying force when it serves the common good, not because it sounds politically correct and "noble".

In the end, it was Obama trying to please both sides. Problem is, you can't speak out of both sides of your mouth, ignore certain inconvenient facts about Muslims and Muslim culture and expect problems to go away. Right-minded people know the underpinning issue here: the West versus a significant minority of Muslims that not only do not believe in unity and freedom, but are hell-bent on fighting it to the death, literally. The sooner we realize who we're really fighting here (as opposed to a religion), the sooner we can end this mess. All the best outreach in the world won't accomplish much if people aren't told the truth.

One last thing, Mr. President: it's perfectly OK to refer to "extremists" by their real description: terrorists. Even in Cairo.

Ethnicity Colors Law

2009-06-02T21:25:00.003-04:00

Due to lack of time to do much of anything except catch a column or blog post here and there, I haven't had a chance to comment on the selection of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. However, the Herald's right-wing of Jackie Bueno Sousa and Glenn Garvin have.

Sousa hits a double:

What worries me is when that pride turns into feelings of superiority, which is the insinuation in Sotomayor's now famous counter to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's well-known assertion that wise old men and wise old women ultimately reach the same conclusions when deciding cases.
In disagreeing with O'Connor, the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, Sotomayor said: ``I would hope a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.''
The statement implies that the lives of one group of people are richer than those of another group, when in reality we're all limited by the bounds of our existence. We can certainly enrich our lives by being exposed to different cultures, listening to diverse ways of thinking and learning from the experiences of others.
But, in the end, we each have our own unique experiences; one as real as the other. A Latina's life, in general, is no richer than the life of a white male, or a black woman, or an Asian man; it's just different.

Garvin hits it out of the park:

Sotomayor's claim that ''a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life'' wasn't some blundering parenthetical reference. It was part of a full-scale repudiation of the idea that the law, or the judges who interpret it, should be color-blind. It even questions whether judicial objectivity is a desirable goal.

Sotomayor may very well be qualified enough. But her not-so-disguised feelings about her ethnicity (one that I broadly share with her, by the way) making her superior to a member of a "less ethnically-rich" group really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It shouldn't sit well with any good-intentioned American, either.

Watch Out Father Alberto!!

2009-05-31T21:58:00.004-04:00

Myriam Marquez delivers serious verbal haymakers to Alberto Cutié, his girlfriend and Episcopal Bishop Leo Frade. Although Marquez was, in my opinion, quite heavy-handed in her approach, I agree with most of the underlying sentiments.

A sample from her column:

What irks isn't so much Cutié's struggle to reconcile his desires as a man and his vows of celibacy as a priest or that he chose carnal knowledge over celestial approval, it's the way this sordid affair came down. The scandal not only damaged the Catholic church, it diminished Cutié's reputation among many of his followers who are true-blue Catholics. He hurt them.

And, yes, I know that there have been worse scandals in the church involving sexual abuse of boys and decades of denial by church leaders -- a disgrace that hurt Catholics, even bad ones like me, much more. But to excuse Cutié's lies for two years because he was in love -- lust? -- with a gal gives him a pass on his responsibility as a spiritual leader. He had choices to make and he sure took his sweet time to make them.

Padre Alberto Moves On

2009-05-29T06:59:00.002-04:00

I've been insanely busy the past few days and will be for a few days more, so this will be rather brief.

I'm glad that Father Alberto has decided to remain in the Christian community as a minister, but feel saddened that he has chosen to leave the church he committed to many years ago. As I've stated in previous posts on the topic, I can go either way with Catholic priests being married, but what's gotten kind of lost in this case is that Padre Alberto broke his vows, whether you agree with them or not.

Also, and most importantly in the grand scheme of things; as influential and charismatic as Alberto was with Catholics in South Florida, he's only one man. I'm sure the many other young priests in the Archdiocese and around the world who struggle with temptation and other issues, just like Alberto did, and manage to keep their vows intact would appreciate a little credit on their part for doing what Alberto couldn't do. That's not to say that they should be awarded for "doing their job". But the outcry to allow Catholic priests to get married is overshadowing the simple but important fact that for every Father Alberto, there are many others who are rock solid with their vows and probably just as charismatic and influential on a smaller but still critical scale. No one is truly irreplaceable. The Episcopal Church has gained a talented clergyman. But the Catholic Church will surely survive.