Politics: March 2008 Archives

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.