So this diary really would have fit better on last night's WYFP but effing problems don't alway arrive on cue. I woke up to a miserable allergy attack. No headache or pain, just a constant running nose and constant sneezing, and watery eyes. What am I allergic to? Bring in the Twilight Zone music. The answer: the barometer. When it starts to fall or rise rapidly, it triggers these things. I have been to an allergist and have no allergies according to the tests. But this still happens.
Anyway, so this allergic morning already had me in a scowling mood, and Will and Brokaw add to it.
More to follow...
So George Will is on This Week. It is the "round table" with Cokie Roberts, George Will and Sam Donaldson. It gets to the political discussion of the candidates: the usual pandering and pouncing.
Then George Will says this in response to someone (maybe Donaldson) saying Hillary has a mind like a computer:
(not an actual quote but this is the gist and is close).
Well if she gets to the WH we may have someone with a computer chip mind but with no soul.
(Please folks, do not get into the debate over Hillary's character flaws. Think what you want about her...this is about George Will). Also, understand I am an agnostic and the notion of a soul is one of those "I really do not know" answers for. But as far as I know, George Will remains a neocon Christian (though he may not be a part of that right wing Christian group). However his calling ANYONE "soulless" is in the context of someone who believes in the soul as the ultimate gift and the essential need if one is to be "saved (if your soul goes to heaven on the basis of believing in Jesus as a GOD, wouldn't being soulless be a condemnation of your very being, especially if you are a Christian?). Anyway that struck me as the height of hypocrisy and the essence of Will; a person who mocks, insults and looks down upon those not like himself.
How the heck does a man whose column today contains not one word of regret of his open support of his neocon buddies and all they do, including war. For years, Will has promoted the notion of plutocracy because it benefits him. He got his, and dammit he does not want to share. He HATES, ABHORS the notion that "it takes a village." The idea of community to him is more in line with the French aristocracy than it is with democracy. Will would be comfortable sipping wine and dining extravagantly while uttering, "Let them eat cake."
So I just wanted to do more than yell at the TV. So I commented in the WaPo comments section and then decided to insult him here.
Afterward I had on Russert's show. Not MTP but the interview show. His guest was Tom Brokaw, who was pimping his new book about the Baby Boomers. So Russert, all grinning that he is (I would say "like the Cheshire Cat of Alice fame", but I love that cat and don't want to insult him with a comparsison to Tim Russert),starts off with the famous boomers.
The conversation gets on Clinton and other famous boomers and Vietnam. So Brokaw goes "well of course Clinton was a draft dodger which posed a problem." And then from there goes on to other famous boomers like Newt. Never once mentions that Newt "dodged the draft." And then he goes into talking about Cheney. To Russert's credit (ooh, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth from saying something nice about Russert) he brought up Cheney's five deferments. So how does Brokaw respond: "You know, I don't think Vietnam was ever in Cheney's radar. He was married, pursuing careers,........yadayadaya."
So we have "Clinton as the draft dodger" mentioned by Brokaw; Newt's two deferrments not worth a mention; and defense of Dick (it just wasn't on his mind)! What the h*ll?
They got to George W and his stint in the national guard. What does Brokaw say? "Well, most dems don't mention it because they didn't serve either or they had rich families that got them out of it too." Huh????
So, all these years, I never thought of Brokaw as biased. Never saw him as shilling (maybe I wasn't paying attention?????). And now, that he is not working on the networks he feels free to come out and show his right wing leanings. Cheney, the innocent one, who just didn't think about serving.....Cinton the draft dodger.
And yes, he also talked kindly about "Karl."
Fill me in folks. Has Brokaw always leaned right? Granted I did not watch his show as I preferred Jennings. But I never got this bad feeling from Brokaw.
So while I am writing, I was also thinking I should mention this. Mostly I believe we are a "centrist" country and like it or not, I do not believe any candidate on any side will get a landslide. This is why I do not get as upset about a candidate that panders to the center (even though I persnonally lean way left). I believe that is how one gets elected these days. However, I believe our center moved to the right a lot when Reagan came in. But then, it struck me. For most of the history of civilizations, governments whether tribal leaderships or monarchies, have always been "to the right." Even America, despite the dreams of the founders, started out espousing rightists issues in terms of minorities, women and control of power and money.
Is it any wonder that it is hard to keep things moving to the left.
End of rambling....benadryl setting in...