Casual Observation

11 Comments

1. 

   karl pearson on January 20, 2015 at 1:21 am

   How can anyone feel good since the 2014 midterms? And what do we have to look forward to? (1) 2 years of obnoxious legislation from the Repubs, who will be playing all kinds of nasty games that will hurt the less fortunate Americans (2) Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee? (3) awful legislation in states controlled by Republicans.  I’ve decided to concentrate on good Progressive accomplishments in certain states and hope like hell it’s not going to be as bad as I think it will be. It’s been a bit depressing lately and one is justified in feeling this way.

2. 

   Neildsmith on January 20, 2015 at 6:53 am

   The few sites I have time to read every day before and after work (BooMan, Mother Jones, Washington Monthly, The Atlantic, New York Times) are all saying the same thing.  Romney, Bush, Clinton.  It really is quite dreary to consider that this is going to go on for the next two years.  

   These past few days we’ve had the minor distraction of the state of the union nonsense, but I don’t even bother to watch that silliness anymore.  What would be the point?

   The fact is that nothing changes from day to day in america.  Stuff happens like the murders in Paris or the wars half way around the world, but practically nothing happens in america that is worth even thinking about for more than a few moments.  Certainly nothing in the political world matters at all.  Perhaps it is time to stop pretending otherwise.  

   • 

     BooMan on January 20, 2015 at 8:23 am

     The best reason to watch the SOTU is to see the theatrics of if all.  I’ve had the speech since Thursday.  

3. 

   Oscar In Dallas on January 20, 2015 at 9:19 am

   No apology needed – stuff sucks, it’s OK to say so.

4. 

   blindtrust9 on January 20, 2015 at 9:45 am

   Go see Selma.

   • 

     on January 20, 2015 at 11:40 am

     Intend to this week.  Meanwhile, to follow up on a point re the movie Selma we’d briefly addressed last week but somewhat unsatisfactorily, fair.org has a good piece which sets the record straight on whether Johnson wanted his friend Hoover to disseminate the private dirt Edgar’s boys had found about MLK:

     For example, Dowd writes that
     LBJ loyalists…said that the president did not…let J. Edgar Hoover send a sex tape of her husband to Mrs. King. (Bobby Kennedy, as JFK’s attorney general, is the one who allowed Hoover to tap Dr. King.)
     Dowd appears not to know that when Hoover passed along evidence of King’s infidelities, the Johnson White House’s actual response (as conveyed by Walter Jenkins, Johnson’s No. 1 aide), was that
     the FBI could perform a good service to the country if this matter could somehow be confidentially given to members of the press.

     So it would seem the filmmaker might not have been off the mark in depicting LBJ, contrary to her critics.

     Btw, Walter Jenkins would soon be caught by the FBI on what used to be called a “morals charge” in a YMCA restroom and he was forced to resign.

     • 

       on January 20, 2015 at 11:59 am

       cite to the fair.org piece quoted from above

5. 

   TarheelDem on January 20, 2015 at 9:59 am

   It’s not just you.  The national mood right now is grumpy.

   • 

     BooMan on January 20, 2015 at 10:27 am

     Albeit, not when it comes to Obama’s polling numbers, which are up sharply.

6. 

   on January 20, 2015 at 11:07 am

   I’d like to see Obama get a little grumpy.  You know, take Alice Cooper’s advice — No More Mr Nice Guy.

7. 

   boran2 on January 20, 2015 at 3:03 pm

   We’re all grumpy at this point.  Hopefully we’ll get a few chuckles from Joni Ernst tonight.