Category Archives: Politics

3 Profiles: Newt, Sarah, and Glenn

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I recently read three lengthy political profiles which I want to recommend. Normally, the best political profiles appear in The New Yorker. But here are three in other publications.

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich: The Indispensable Republican was written by John H. Richardson for the September 2010 edition of Esquire. The profile focuses a lot on Gingrich’s 3 marriages. Central to the profile is a lengthy interview with Gingrich’s second wife, Marianne (right), to whom he was married for 18 years before he took up with a new woman and eventually divorced Marianne.

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All things considered, Marianne is surprisingly reasonable and non-bitter, though nonetheless quite frank. Richardson writes, “You might be inclined to think of what she says as the lament of an abandoned wife, but that would be a mistake. There is shockingly little bitterness in her, and she often speaks with great kindness of her former husband.”

Gingrich proposed to his second and third wives before he had asked for a divorce from his current wife. So Marianne experienced both sides. She says, “He asked me to marry him way too early. And he wasn’t divorced yet. I should have known there was a problem.” She says his proposal came within weeks of them meeting. “It’s not so much a compliment to me. It tells you a little bit about him.”

While his marriages are the continuing thread, the profile ranges way beyond that. We learn about Gingrich’s childhood, and about the insecurities which someone very close–like a wife–would see when Newt is out of the spotlight. We also come to understand, to an extent, why a man of Newt’s brilliance has been saying some really outrageous things (for which Joe Scarborough, on Politico, really took Gingrich to task). In several ways, we’re told that Newt doesn’t feel that his rhetoric must line up with his lifestyle, a fact supported by his attitude toward personal morality.

It’s quite an interesting profile, though Newt did not appreciate it.

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin: The Sound and the Fury appeared in the October 2010 issue of Vanity Fair (which came out in September). Reporter Michael Gross, a self-proclaimed Christian, says he launched into the article with positive feelings toward Palin. But as he followed the story, talking to person after person who knew Palin, a different article emerged.

If you’re a Sarah Palin fan, you won’t like this article. You won’t want to accept what people say about the Sarah Palin they have seen, and the stories they tell behind-the-scenes. Unless you’re willing to accept that we peons constantly get hoodwinked by our political heroes. I’m one of those cynics who has believed in people’s public persona way too many times, and been severely disappointed. So I have no trouble accepting that at least some, maybe most, of this may be true.

However, I’m troubled by the over-use of anonymous sources in the article, people who would talk about Palin only if their names weren’t used. Gross acknowledges that this is a problem, that it damages the credibility of his article. Yet in the end, that’s what he had to go with. Sarah Palin, as he (and unnamed sources) continually point out, can be very vindictive and has a record of destroying people who oppose her. That’s why people preferred to stay off the record.

Gross spent months working on the article, and followed Palin through four states. He talked to lots of people in Alaska who know her (and who say she’s not the outdoorsman she pretends to be). He talked to people in the McCain presidential campaign, who had very few kind words about her and revealed some things I hadn’t heard before (like a Palin daughter who once told her, “You’re so fake. Why are you pretending to be something you’re not?”). Gross also delves deeply into all kinds of financial issues surrounding Palin. We learn about her explosive temper (which stays hidden from public view), her increasing isoloation in Wasilla, and the Bill-and-Hillary nature of her marriage.

Take the article with a grain of salt, or several grains. I did. I don’t like anonymous sources, and the portrait that emerges of Sarah Palin doesn’t always align with my gut reaction. But Gross is a responsible reporter, and I’ve taken the article under advisement. Plenty of negative stuff is said and written about Palin by detractors who have agendas (politicians and the MSNBC prime-time idiots), and I have no reason to trust what they say. But a good reporter like Michael Gross–I can’t write off everything he says. And there is a LOT in this lengthy, in-depth profile to chew on.

Glenn Beck

Being Glenn Beck, by Mark Leibovich, appeared in the September 29 edition of the New York Times. It’s mostly a positive, and somewhat light-hearted, profile of Beck. I found it enlightening, and have had to soften some of my disdain for this man, whose divisiveness I consider very bad for America. The article helped me understand some of his motivations, and that he shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

The article also sheds light on Beck’s sometimes rocky relationship with FoxNews and its other headliners. We learn that his show has an especially high female demographic, that he’s lost a lot of viewers, and that nearly 300 advertisers won’t promote their products on his show. It’s all interesting stuff and, as I said, presented in what I would consider a positive package.

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The Chinese Secret Plan of Conquest

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Christine O’Donnell has seen China’s “carefully thought out and strategic plan to take over America.”

That statement, according to James Fallows of the Atlantic, came in 2006 during a Senate primary debate. She was criticizing one of her opponents–a man of Chinese ancestry, Jan Ting, a law school prof–of appeasement for suggesting that China and the US were economically dependent and should work together.

Yes, she looked across the platform, saw a Chinese-American, and assumed he must be in bed with Mainland China. Just like all those Japanese-Americans during WW2 were actually beholden to Emperor Hirohito.

Said O’Donnell: “We have to look at our history and realize that if they pretend to be our friend, it’s because they’ve got something up their sleeve.”

She said she was privy to classified information which, when pressed, she said came from nonprofit groups that send missionaries to China. So the Chinese are not too protective of their masterplan to conquer the US.

O’Donnell was pulling the same stunt Dick Cheney regularly pulled in justifying torture by saying that torture had uncovered big terrorist plots. But when questioned, he would claim access to classified information which he couldn’t divulge. “If you could see what I’ve seen, you would agree with me.” So how can you disprove it?

Anyway, Sarah and the Tea Party picked an excellent candidate. Anyone who can uncover an enemy’s masterplan for conquest–I want that person on our side. Besides, I can’t wait to hear all the interesting things she’ll say as a sitting Senator.

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Who Cares about Sex Scandals Anymore?

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Is the sex scandal dead? That’s what Louise Roug wonders on The Daily Beast.

She points to Mark Sanford’s 55% approval rating, and the rebounds of John Ensign, David Vitter, Eliot Spitzer, and Bill Clinton. Many, many others could be mentioned, including Newt Gingrich, who proposed to 2 of his 3 wives before he had asked for a divorce from his current wife. Perhaps if Gary Hart had messed around with Donna Rice today, it’d be no big deal.

(Roug does cite as an exception John Edwards, whom she says “bedded his way to oblivion and doesn’t appear in danger of emerging anytime soon”.)

Roug mentions how Ronald Reagan ended the taboo against divorce, and that fooling around with drugs in college days is now practically a badge of honor. Nobody cares if you smoked marijuana in college. She says Barack Obama may have actually exaggerated his drug use, to gain political points with his left-leaning, young constituency.

Roug suggests that while pundits and preachers still fuss over sex scandals, voters have moved on. They just don’t care anymore. There have been so many scandals that it’s become somewhat ho-hum. Such is the state of America’s moral fibre.

I found Roug’s conclusions sad, but probably spot-on.

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Beck Lie Busted by the National Archives

I don’t believe anything Glenn Beck says because of the little lies he gets caught telling. If he lies about little things, how can I believe him about big things? I take that approach toward most people, so why would I omit Beck?

The best-known example is when Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg busted Beck for making up a story which cast them in a negative light. I was almost, but not quite, embarrassed for him as the ladies had him absolutely cornered.

During his 8/28 rally, he said, “I went to the National Archives, and I held the first inaugural address written in his own hand by George Washington.”

The Archives spokesperson says Beck didn’t lay a finger on any precious documents. “Those kinds of treasures are only handled by specially trained archival staff.”

And Glenn ain’t one.

Makes you wonder about those endearing stories he tells about his kids.

Do you think those conversations actually take place? I kinda doubt it.

He didn’t need to make that story up about the National Archives. It wasn’t necessary. But he can’t resist exaggerating for dramatic effect. My personal feeling is that the truth is always good enough.

The only remaining question is: why am I so doggone obsessed with this guy?

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God, Country, and Idolatry

Greg Boyd, a pastor in St. Paul, Minn., wrote an excellent piece in the online Relevant Magazine about Christians and patriotism. The article is called “For (Too Much) Love of Country.”

I love my country, but my country’s agenda is not God’s agenda. As Boyd points out, our eternal citizenship is in the Kingdom of God, and we are ambassadors of that Kingdom. When I try to look at the world through God’s eyes, what I see is different from what I see when I merely look at the world through the eyes of an American.

I’ve read a lot of Boyd’s writings regarding patriotism, and find that he cuts right through a whole lot of my deeply-ingrained cultural baggage. Here are some excerpts from Boyd’s article in Relevant Magazine.

I see no problem with an American Christian being patriotic. At the same time, followers of Jesus need to be very careful. History shows us how easy it is for Christians to forget that the Kingdom Jesus came to establish is “not of this world.” And it’s to His Kingdom we are to pledge our sole allegiance.

Throughout history we find Christians buying the age-old pagan lie that God uniquely favors their country, and their national enemies are God’s enemies. Believing that lie, patriotic Christians have tragically followed the orders of earthly rulers and marched into battle “for God and country,” rather than following the example of Jesus–who gave His life for the people who persecuted Him….

Ironically, in some cases the “enemies” Christians have slaughtered have been other patriotic Christians who happened to be born in other countries, or other parts of the same country. Few things have done more to discredit Christianity than the patriotic zeal with which Christians have participated in violence….

If we become too invested in our nation, we can forget our real citizenship is in heaven and our job is to live as ambassadors of Christ. Rather than manifesting the distinctive values of the Kingdom of God, we can begin to assume the ideals of our culture are Kingdom values.

I appreciate that America recognizes my rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” but there is nothing distinctly Kingdom about these rights. They’re nowhere to be found in the Bible. To the contrary, as a follower of Jesus I’m called to surrender my rights to life, liberty and happiness, and instead submit to the will of God. These rights are noble on a political level, but they can get in the way of my call to seek first the Kingdom.

I’m grateful America extends these rights to people, for most countries throughout history have not. But my sole allegiance is to the heavenly Kingdom that calls me to surrender my rights. If I get too concerned with an earthly country that frees me to pursue my rights, my healthy patriotism becomes idolatrous. I’ve put my country’s ideals before God.

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Ignorance. Lack of Curiosity. Decisiveness.

James Fallows, the famed writer for The Atlantic, once wrote that George Bush brought a “truly toxic combination of traits” to presidential decision-making.

1. Ignorance. He was not broadly informed to begin with.
2. Lack of curiosity. He did not seek out new information.
3. Decisiveness. He prided himself on making broad, bold decisions quickly, and then sticking to them to show resoluteness.

I think there may be some pastors like this. And corporate execs, and coaches, and parents, and generals, and fill in the blank. Certainly tons of other politicians. You make a decision without really thinking it through, and then refuse to admit that you may have made a mistake. Just a matter of scale.

A denominational communications director may even be guilty of this occasionally.

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MSNBC (and Morning Joe!) Return to XM Radio

morning-joe-250.jpgMSNBC is back on XM Satellite Radio, finally! I used to listen to it all the time going to work, when Don Imus hosted the morning show. Everybody who was anybody in politics clamored to be on his show. He made them put away the talking points and give honest opinions, and they complied (or were blacklisted by Imus). I loved it. It was the most enlightening, and fun, political show on TV or radio (though Imus constantly strayed over “the line”).

But in 2006, XM Radio dropped MSNBC from the line-up. As a result, for the past four years I’ve been listening to ESPN’s Mike&Mike show on my way to work–and, in fact, have become a huge, huge fan. Even prior to 2006, I frequently listened to it if Imus didn’t interest me.

Sure, I could still listen to CNN or FoxNews, both of which are on XM Radio. But the CNN morning show is terribly boring, with no star-power and generic hosts. And the Fox&Friends show is intolerably partisan, one of my all-time least-favorite shows, one for which there is a special place in Hell far from the drinking fountain.

After the Great Imus Fall in 2007, MSNBC replaced Imus with Joe Scarborough. The show started slowly, but now attracts an impressive array of guests of all stripes, much like the old Imus program did (but without the juvenile elements). All the political power players from both parties eagerly agree to be guests. The political wattage is astounding.

Scarborough is a conservative Republican, but he’s a very fair host. When people come on with opposing views, he doesn’t feel like he must win an argument like Sean Hannity and other purely partisan pundits do (if they even bother to bring on guests with opposing views). Nor will he let a partisan come on and rant unchallenged (like the Fox shows allow Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin and others to do). Rather, Joe presides over a discussion which can be extremely enlightening. You learn something, without the shouting (though Joe and Lawrence O’Donnell tend to mix it up).

It’s actually somewhat of an ensemble news show, with regulars like Mika Brzezinski (who is basically a co-host), Mike Barnacle, Patrick Buchanan, and Willie Geist. Morning Joe is in the tradition of the This Week with David Brinkley. Brinkley always treated guests with respect, and when they left the set and the show moved on, he refused to talk about them; he considered it rude, unclassy. Of course, Brinkley was a journalist by profession, whereas Scarborough is a politician-turned-TV-host. Brinkley rarely showed his opinions, even during the pioneering roundtable at the end of each program (he left that to Sam Donaldson and George Will). Joe has no such conniptions, but he holds back, letting us learn from his guests rather than feel like he must pummel views which don’t agree with his own.

Anyway, this morning I listened to Morning Joe on the way to work. What a pleasure! I know I’ll be switching back and forth between Morning Joe and Mike&Mike. But at least now I’ve got a valid news option.

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England’s Road to Healthcare

I previously wrote about Atul Gawande’s article in the New Yorker, which told about the path various countries have taken to reach national healthcare (that was actually only the beginning part of a lengthy article). The most fascinating case is England, which Gawande describes as the world’s most socialized system. England’s story is unique, and in no way applies to the United States. And that’s part of the point–no two countries start at the same place.

It all began when England declared war on Germany in 1939. In preparing for air attacks, British leaders relocated 3.5 million people to the countryside. They had to ensure that those people were taken care of–food, lodging, schooling…and medical care.

The government also began upgrading and expanding local hospitals, getting ready for the influx of large numbers of wounded civilians and soldiers. No way could private hospitals handle it on their own.

During the war, the government basically had to assume the costs for civilian and military casualties. The 1940 Battle of Britain destroyed large numbers of private hospitals and clinics. Private hospitals were overloaded with non-paying casualties. It was obviously an extraordinary situation.

World War 2 destroyed England’s existing system, but the British government, through good planning, managed to maintain a good level of healthcare throughout the war (considering that it was a WAR). Interestingly, the new system ended up being better than the old. The population’s health improved, and infant and adult mortality rates declined. Even dental care improved.

The wartime medical service began demobilizing in 1944, but citizens didn’t want it to end. Neither did private hospitals, which now relied on government payments. So the government began looking at a permanent national system–which was already pretty much in place. National healthcare was officially instituted in 1948 with barely a whimper of protest.

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Utah Wants Its Land Back

Interesting case out of Utah. The federal government owns 60% of Utah. The state is going to court, declaring imminent domain to get back some of the land, including a coal-rich plateau; they intend to sell coal rights to fund education. It’s probably a hopeless battle, but I’m cheering them on. Because, why does the federal government need to own 60% of Utah?

Or, for that matter:

  • 85% of Nevada
  • 70% of Alaska
  • 53% of Oregon
  • 50% of Idaho
  • 48% of Arizona
  • 45% of California
  • 42% of Wyoming and New Mexico

Meanwhile, the feds own less than 1% of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York.

I know that big chunks of Arizona are actually Indian reservations, and that comes under the “federal” heading, which skews it. I imagine the same is true of many of these other western states. Then there are military bases, testing grounds, national parks, and areas leased for forestry and mining. But still, there’s a states’ rights issue here, with land and local economies in need of development.

So…Go Utah!

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Different Paths to National Healthcare

An article I’ve referred to often is “Getting There from Here,” by Atul Gawande, a cancer surgeon in Massachusetts. The article appeared in the January 26, 2009, issue of The New Yorker. Now, don’t go hating on me and calling me a socialist. I’m just conveying information I found interesting.

Gawande discusses how universal healthcare came about in various countries. He says that in every country, the idea is initially derided as “a Bolshevik fantasy.” Sounds familiar.

On both sides are idealists. Hardcore reformers insist that the best thing to do is start from scratch–scrape away the existing system and build the “perfect” system in its place. On the other side are the free market folks, who want to end all public and employer-based insurance, and let people fend for themselves in an open market. If you can afford it–fine; if not–tough.

In the middle are the pragmatists–and in every country, they prevail over the ideologues. Their vision is to start with the existing system, and build from there. It still involves major change, but it’s less traumatic than starting from scratch.

Gawande gives three examples–France, Switzerland, and England. All had a healthcare system in place, and rather than dismantling it, they used it as the starting point. That is pretty much what we’re doing in the US.

England’s system emerged from World War 2, when private hospitals and clinics were overloaded with casualties (or destroyed). The government had to take over…and people liked the result. Their system grew from that point. Their road to national healthcare has absolutely no correlation to the US.

In France, the only organized healthcare involved collective insurance funds financed through payroll deductions by unions and major manufacturers. The French government was too busy with post-war rebuilding to spend much time on healthcare, so they just expanded the system already in place. Now they have more doctors, higher life expectancy, lower infant mortality, and lower costs than the US. The World Health Organization ranks it as the best healthcare system in the world (the US is 37th). And they didn’t even put much effort into it. Not that the French put much effort into anything they do.

In Switzerland, people relied on private insurance. When they passed a universal coverage law in 1994, they required every resident to buy private insurance, and government subsidies restricted the cost to no more than 10% of the person’s income. Some similarities to what we’re doing…or not. Hard to tell what Congress will do, as they keep tweaking the thing to death.

The point is, each country starts at a different place, and each country’s system is a bit different. The wise route is to build on what already exists, rather than start over. That seems to be the route we’re taking.

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