Access To Democracy

MICHAEL STEELE — Everyone has the right to be stupid, and unfortunately, people can be irresponsible, but Steele combines the two traits so effectively that you wonder how long the GOP can continue to tolerate his ranting gaffes, such as the July 1 speech in which he called Afghanistan “Obama’s war.”  Excuse me, Michael, but when did it start, and who was President at the time?

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T-PAW AND FORESIGHT…Last evening, on a light rail train headed for Target Field and jammed so tight with riders that you had to take turns inhaling and exhaling, I though back to conversations I had on Access with then-House Legislative Leader Pawlenty, and his steadfast opposition to the planned light rail.  It was just a boondoogle he thought, a way to waste hundreds of millions of dollars.  Of course, the proof is in the commuter pudding — light rail has been tremendously successful, profitable, a solution to chaos on the roads, and new corridors are on the horizon.  This didn’t stop Tim from cutting the ribbon with his million-dollar (but not raise taxes) smile, and taking the first ride.  Did he pay the fare?  Call Bachmann!  Like some many of T-Paw’s money-saving solutions, he could not have been more wrong.  Again and again!

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THE KAGAN HEARINGS…The right-wing will go out of their way to attempt a disqualification.  In her first day, Kagan said she would take a measured approach to reviewing cases.  Wouldn’t it have been great to hear Sen. Sessions of Alabama reply, “Yes, but that’s what Roberts and Alito said, and they both lied through their teeth”?

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THE POPE… is enraged by the conduct of authorities in Belgium who raided church files, detained bishops and opened a crypt in their sexual abuse investigation.  The Pope described the conduct as “deplorable.”  Too bad he didn’t use such strong language when speaking of the priests who preyed on young boys for sexual gratification.

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PROTESTS AND ANARCHY…Even Canada recognizes the right of free speech, but when the G-20 world leaders met there in June, met by the usual protestors, the opposition turned violent (as it inevitably seems to do these days) and ended up with police cars being burned, store windows smashed and generalized bedlam.  That is not protest — that is anarchy, and has no place on a civilized society;  it’s certainly to way to may your point as a protestor because it’s counter-productive and only results in those who might be sympathetic to your cause against your methods.