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I’ve tried to steer this blog real clear of politics, and this post isn’t meant to be an exception to that policy.
Barak Obama’s choice of Joe Biden as his running mate has reminded me, though, of one of the most glorious pieces of political satire ever written. I refer to Dave Barry’s column on the Clarence Thomas hearings, in which Sen. Biden had a starring role. Since it is equally merciless toward both Democrats and Republicans (poor Orrin! poor Strom!), I feel that offering a link to Barry’s article is within the apolitical bounds of this blog.
It’s been 17 years now, but try as I might – and to tell the truth, I don’t try very hard – I still cannot see Sen. Biden’s face or hear his voice without recalling immortal phrases like these:
“Soamwhoan ben cudrin mheah widm tan’ bfust drang.”
(Click on the link below for translation!)
“May I just add that the top of my own personal head appears to be an unsuccessful attempt to grow okra…”
“This has been very, very painful, and believe me I know what pain is, because at one time in my career I was the son of a Welsh coal miner, and let me just say…”
“And believe me, no one is more disgusted than I am!”
And – in the spirit of things – MAY I JUST ADD that I am more than a little puzzled by Sen. Obama’s choice of a man who is surely going to be raw meat for the late-night comics: plagiarism on the campaign trail (who, I wonder, will be the first jokester to trumpet “Obama’s Surprise VP Pick: Neil Kinnock!”?); plagiarism in law school; an abymsal academic record (especially in light of Sen. Obama’s very public sneer at the rather impressive intellectual credentials of Clarence Thomas); politically incorrect remarks about African-Americans and Indians; swipes at Sen. Obama’s own inexperience… what more could the comedians ask for?
But that’s not our problem… here’s the link:
http://www.davebarry.com/natterings_files/clarencethomasall.htm
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Yes very amusing…. especially when Mr. Biden has “watched Barak Obama very carefully in the past 18months”..
His own words…
but still is unable to get HIS NAME right…
Let’s just hope for Barak Obama’s sake that Mr. McCain does not quote Margaret Thatcher’s thought’s on Neil Kinnock and his “defence polices”
>> “And Labour leaders who should know better have produced a defence policy which is utterly incredible.[fo 23]
We are to get rid of our own nuclear weapons and simply hope that the Russians will play fair and not use theirs. We are to tell the Americans to take their nuclear weapons out of Britain. Labour’s determination to give up our own nuclear weapons and expel those of the Americans would leave us helpless [applause].
The present [ Neil Kinnock] Labour leader admits as much.
Asked this weekend how his non-nuclear defence policy would work, he said, and I quote, “You’ve got to make the occupation totally untenable” [laughter].
A Soviet occupation, I presume.[fo 24]
So now we know that Labour’s non-nuclear defence policy is a policy for defeat, surrender, occupation, and finally, prolonged guerilla fighting.
The Labour leader has abandoned all his claims that conventional forces can provide an effective defence against nuclear weapons.
He has conceded that, once this country has renounced its independent deterrent, it has no alternative but to surrender to a nuclear threat [applause].
He has left himself no policy but to yield to invasion and occupation and to trust in the forlorn hope that a guerilla struggle would eventually persuade the army of occupation to withdraw.[fo 25]
Mr Chairman, I do not understand how anyone who aspires to Government can treat the defence of our country so lightly [applause].
And that is the third and possibly the most important reason why Labour must be rejected.[fo 26] ”
Margaret Thatcher went on to win the election for a another term…
Events have a strange way of ‘repeating’ themselves… This time it is the positioning of American weapons in Poland…. The British now have their own…..
At least Mr. Biden is a Catholic…. !!!
Needless to say that,I still,do not agree with war,nor with the use of such weapons.. !!
Thank you, thank you for posting this. I remember reading the original Dave Barry column years ago and having been trying to find it, but my googling was thwarted by not remembering the correct spelling of “bfust drang”.
Baroness Thatcher’s (former british Prime Minister) views on Religion in Politics…
>>>> “Regarding religion in the schools:
Recently there have been great debates about religious education. I believe politicians must see that religious education has a proper place in the school curriculum. The Christian religion – which, of course, embodies many of the great spiritual and moral truths of Judaism – is a fundamental part of our national heritage. For centuries it has been our very lifeblood.
Indeed we are a nation whose ideals are founded on the Bible. Also, it is quite impossible to understand our history or literature without grasping this fact.
That is the strong practical case for ensuring that children at school are given adequate instruction in the part which the Judaic-Christian tradition has played in molding our laws, manners, and institution. How can you make sense of Shakespeare and Sir Walter Scott, or of the constitutional conflicts of the seventeenth century in both Scotland and England, without some such knowledge? But I go further than this. The truths of the Judaic-Christian tradition are infinitely precious, not only, as I believe because they are true, but also because they provide the moral impulse which alone can lead to that peace, in the true meaning of the word, for which we all long”.
Here a very good part on;-
>> “Regarding democracy:
When Abraham Lincoln spoke in his famous Gettysburg speech of 1863 of ‘government of the people, by the people, and for the people,’ he gave the world a neat definition of democracy which has since been widely and enthusiastically adopted. But what he enunciated as a form of government was not in itself especially Christian, for nowhere in the Bible is the word democracy mentioned.
Ideally, when Christians meet, as Christians, to take counsel together, their purpose is not (or should not be) to ascertain what is the mind of the majority but what is the mind of the Holy Spirit – something which may be quite different.
Nevertheless I am an enthusiast for democracy. And I take that position, not because I believe majority opinion is inevitably right or true – indeed no majority can take away God-given human rights – but because I believe it most effectively safeguards the value of the individual, and, more than any other system, restrains the abuse of power by the few. And that is a Christian concept.”
The above quote is from a transcript of Mrs. Thatcher’s speech reprinted in Biblical Economics Today by the Institute for Christian Economics
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1988thatcher.html
http://www.davebarry.com/natterings_files/clarencethomasall.htm
In case you have trouble with the link in the post.
Maybe not Quite in line with topic,but interesting never the less…
JERUSALEM — A three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew that scholars believe dates from the decades just before the birth of Jesus is causing a quiet stir in biblical and archaeological circles, especially because it may speak of a messiah who will rise from the dead after three days.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/world/middleeast/06stone.html?ex=1231214400&en=34af8657af5449c5&ei=5087&excamp=NYT-E-I-NYT-E-AT-0709-L1&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=%20NYT-E-I-NYT-E-AT-0709-L1
I am surprised he did not choose Hillary. But, he doesn’t want someone smarter than he is for VP. Thus, Biden.
I can’t recall his name, but today was a funeral for an Opus Dei priest here in Chicago. First day of school for the little girl today. Pelosi in the news again, as telling everyone how catholic she is, and stating she agrees with Augustine and Thomas on the matter of not accepting life begins at conception, in spite of the scientfic evidence we have now they did not have way back then. How she gets away with this time after time, I dunno.
Helen I wish your daughter all the very best for the coming years in school
I know how very stressfull that can be for both perents and children… But with a little help and understanding (cann’t allways be *A’s* ) they DO get through it…. just look at us
I got a ‘degree’ even with my TERRIBLE typing (spelling)
note, +perents+ = parents
So right Sandra. The stress is more for us. One of the boys did not make any points with the teacher from the start. He called her Ms. Furball. Her name starts with an F, but beyond that- not even close. She is divorced. I tried to teach her how to say it correctly, stressing the Z sound in Ms. She wanted to say Miss.
She also raised her hand to be a teacher’s helper and was elected to be in charge of insuring the doors would be left closed wherever they may go. Don’t ask me why bingo volunteers get a tution discount, but my husband who counts the $$ does not.;( Hey, she was the only child that brought her teacher and the principal shiny red apples. She taught a child the Hail Mary at a kid’s amusement park today. The girl was from Brazil. She ended up knowing it by heart also.
Prayers for the people of New Orleans and all in the path of ‘Gustave’ May God keep them safe.
Well Biden is passe now with McCain running with Governor Palin. Now she’s some lady. I ould vote for her no matter what they want to bring up from her past. She’s one gutsy gal.
I’m with you there Dianne….
Also nice move from Obama… “private (family) lives are OFF Limmits”
and that very soon
But the question is….. was this a ‘nice move’ on the part of McCain (wooing Hillary supporters)… or, does he REALLY mean to let HER have a ‘look-in’ ????? As they say, “all’s fair in love and WAR”
Really ‘crafty’ of McCain
Who will crack first?? My guess…. 50/50
Have a nice day all..
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