Jester's Musings and Missives

Pondering Poverty

On Sunday, I watched Meet the Press with Tim Russert.  While discussing race relations in America, Marian Wright Edelman spoke eloquently about the Martin Luther King, Jr. legacy – how far we’ve come and how much further we have to go. 

In addition to race relations, Ms. Edelman and her fellow guests discussed the issue of poverty in America.  Their all-too-brief conversation stressed how education is critical to changing poor people’s fortunes.  It opens minds and doors.  It wasn’t groundbreaking thinking, but it certainly was refreshing to hear the topic being discussed on national TV. 

Delay Diversion?

I just received an interesting email from my favorite conspiracy theorist, ckntz:

Hmmmm...makes you wonder!

Does anyone think the President's speech on terrorism was hastily scheduled to coincide with the Delay indictment? To crowd the political picture on a bad hair day for the Republicans.

The Fallacy and Fallibility of the Faithful

Terry Schiavo’s autopsy report confirmed what most Americans already knew – she was in a persistent vegetative state.  In fact, “the autopsy found that her brain was so severely damaged that no amount of therapy would have helped to regenerate it…her brain weighed only about half of what a healthy human brain would.” [Reuters]

She was blind, too.  That debunks the myth perpetuated by Terry’s parents and others that she responded to visual stimuli (e.g., balloons moving or loved ones entering the room).  Apparently, movement and noises were, as originally diagnosed by her doctors, reflexive. 

As much as I don’t care for Frist as Senate Majority Leader, I definitely don’t want him as my primary care physician.  Diagnosing a patient you’ve never met?  Contradicting her on-site long-term doctors’ (plural) studied diagnosis?  Politicizing an incredibly sensitive and private family medical decision?

Filibuster Foe is Busted

Poor Senator Frist.  He fought a good fight for a bad cause. 

With public support from influential conservatives and the Administration, Frist drew a line in the sand, crossed his arms, and refused to compromise on the judicial nominee approval process.   It was his time to shine, to exude power and influence like no other Senate Majority Leader before him, and most importantly, to take a large first step towards running for President in 2008.

Convinced of his eventual success, he set a date for the rule change vote and stepped forward to lead his fellow GOP senators into the “Filibuster Must Die” political boxing ring with him.  Unfortunately for Frist, once in the ring, he stood alone, armed and ready for a match that was cancelled at the last minute, without his consent.  Even his chief opponent, Harry Reid, bolted from the ring so he could celebrate the bipartisan compromise.  Frist, feet still planted, petulantly refused to abandon his position (literally – at the Senate podium).  He failed to see the merit in avoiding implementing the “nuclear option”.