Recently in Politics Category

What to make of the Pennsylvannia Democratic primary, eh? Let's see, Hillary was the projected winner by CNN with less than double-digit numbers over our own Barack Obama. Does The Hound see a brokered convention in Denver come August?

You betchum, Red Ryder!

Which would be the best thing to happen to the body politic and the Democratic Party. Caucuses, committee meetings, floor fights over Michigan and Florida delegates. It might make for the most interesting Dem convention since Chicago in '68 --- sans the riots.

And, it would be great TV --- not that "American Idol", "Dancing with the Stars" and "Axmen" --- aren't worthy of watching. A Democratic convention fight might actually ignite the electorate to pay attention to the future of the republic.

So, for all you Democratic leaders sputtering about "End the drama, vote Obama" --- let the cards fall where they may. Onward to Indiana and North Carolina and, to paraphrase the cry at the Battle of Mobile: Damn the superdelegates, full speed ahead!

Once upon a time, a Democrat presidential candidate squared off against a military hero put up by the Republican Party. The Democrat was from Illinois. There was a war going on.

By the time of the November election, the Republican won --- against all odds. That was because Adlai Stevenson was dubbed an "egghead" --- the 1952 equivalent of being "elitist". Or at least that's what The Hound has been told.

Which is what Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is being labeled by both his Democratic rival, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, and Republican standard bearer, Arizona Sen. John McCain, a Navy pilot and Vietnam War POW.

What touched off this latest name calling, was Obama's pronouncement in San Francisco, of all places for a son of the Illinois prairie to fess up his liberal elitism, that small-town America was "bitter" because of the economy and what we can expect in 2009, once President Bush leaves office.

The freshman Illinois senator noted that because of what's happening with the economy --- is it really the economy, stupid? --- small-town Americans shrink back into an isolationist shell and rally around their religion, guns and xenophobia.

Talk like that won't get one re-elected to the Senate in some parts of Illinois, let alone the rest of the nation.

Which is what happened to Stevenson --- the man from Libertyville, as some dubbed him. Or at least that's what The Hound was told by somebody who knows a lot about stuff like this. The Stevenson mansion, which the County of Lake owns, is just south of Route 60 in Mettawa and Vernon Township --- not even Libertyville Township.

In the end, Stevenson was dubbed an egghead, because he complained his message couldn't get across to American voters. Political advertising in TV spots just didn't fit his message. He tried again four years later, with the same result.

The lesson here? Once an egghead, always an egghead.

The Hound was snoozing through the games of Sunday's "Road to the Final Four" when the TV news came on and there was the report of the Iraq war protesters arrested during Easter Mass in Chicago. What's that about?

The six yahoos --- three men, three women --- interrupted Cardinal Francis George's homily, standing up, yelling and spraying fake blood on themselves and parishoners. They're lucky they were in church or some of those parishoners might have given them a bit of "shock and awe." Too bad.

After they were escorted out , the cardinal noted that we're all for peace, but the protesters shouldn't have broken into the church "interrupting the worship of God." As far as The Hound can tell, the cardinal and most of the church, including the pope, oppose the war in Iraq. Why these mopes decided to disrupt Easter Mass is beyond The Hound's pecan-sized brain.

But it goes to show that in our anything-goes society in these early years of the new millennium, nothing is sacred. Not even Easter Mass. Too bad.

That's one more thing people like the protesters --- who call themselves members of a group called Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War (now isn't that precious) --- have invaded. While the rest of us in church on Easter are quietly listening about salvation and resurrection, these folks are telling us we're stoopids for not opposing the war.

How do they know parishoners at Holy Family don't oppose the war? Did they ask them?
Was this just a publicity stunt? A moral lesson --- like the cardinal needs one of those. They are on moral high ground because they vocalize their opposition to Bush's war in a house of worship?

At least they didn't strap C-4 to their bodies and take parishoners with them to show them the true path to righteousness. That's what happens in houses of worship in certain parts of the world. That, too, is too bad.

Barely 2,000 protesters opposed to the war in Iraq marshaled to march through Chicago's Loop on Wednesday marking the fifth year of U.S. involvement in the Mideast country. That just about sums up what America thinks of us being there. We're so bored, we won't even protest.

Every day the U.S. is in Iraq means another $720 million to its cost which according to one study currently totals more than $1 trillion in war debt interest, care for 60,000 wounded veterans and replenishing equipment. You, your kids and grandkids will be footing the bill for this misadventure, let alone the cost to the naton of oil prices, interest rates and inflation. The Hound also has to pay his fair share.

Let's not forget the nearly 4,000 U.S. troops killed.

If John McCain thinks the way to get elected is to "stay the course" of the Bush administration's now-recognized folly, he better find new advisers or expect the Republican Party to become the next party, like the Whigs, to become extinct.

The American people, except for the Bush apologists are tired of the killing, tired of the expense and more interested in voting somebody off "American Idol". They could care less if the Sunnis or Shiites run the country.

That may be a short-sighted view of geopolitics, but the realization is nobody cares anymore. And as the economy gets worse, the electorate will be looking for a scapegoat.

George W. Bush is not on the ballot. John McCain is.

Another American political career came to a screeching and humiliating end Wednesday. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer became former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer after his resignation in the wake of getting caught dallying with prostitutes and spending $80,000 on illicit sex.

What was he thinking? Besides, The Hound thinks the wife of Client 9 is pretty hot. And, she's a lawyer.

How long Spitzer, 48, thought he could get away with paying for sex only he and his arrogance knew. The once Democratic crime fighter and trustbuster who basked in the nickname "Eliot Ness" seemed oblivious to the harm that by bringing the woman across state lines he was violating the Mann Act, an offense that would endanger him, his family and his political future.

Plus, he shelled out $80,000 for sex. Was this guy horny or what? The professional escort he escorted to the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., alone cost $4,300 for the night.

And, once again we find the dutiful wife standing beside her alley cattin' husband while he apologizes for getting caught. What's with that? Most non-political wives would be looking for the butcher knife if this happened to them.

We're a nation of second acts. We'll see if Spitzer can make a comeback after being this week's laughingstock of the nation.

How come Illinois pols never get embroiled in any sex scandals. All we get is run-of-the-mill governmental corruption cases to report on. Nothing steamy. Guess our pols like money and power over whatever is in third place in their minds.

While America is going through the winnowing process to select a new president, Zogby International has conducted it's annual "Presidential Greatness" survey. From what The Hound can tell, the trio left in the race to their parties' nomination have a long road to travel. For starters, the man they'll be replacing is No. 9 of the top dozen. President Bush is just above Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon, who round out the bottom feeders. And Dubya is a war president. Go figure.

As you curl up and listen to President Bush's last State of the Union Address, see if Republican congressmen are sporting "I’m a Bush Republican” buttons, especially Rep. Mark Kirk of Highland Park.

I know I'm sleeping better at night knowing that Sylvester Stallone has endorsed Arizona Sen. John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination. But don't you think Sly's a little old (61) to be playing Rambo for the umpteenth time on the big screen?

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, apparently is having the problem his father had 40 years ago. Looks like he might have been brainwashed.

The Hound hears Waukegan Township is offering anger management classes on Jan. 24 and 31, along with Feb. 7 and 14 at the Staben Center on South Avenue. Think Township Supervisor Pat Jones and People's Voice Publisher Elroy Reed should attend?