Password's Delight

The past few days I've been driving myself nuts. I expect the same thing driving me nuts is driving lot's of other people nuts -- it has to do with usernames and passwords. Now for a long time I always used the same username and password -- and I know, I know you are not supposed to do that, but for crying out loud these are not important to me if someone gets in -- and since no one ever has (as far as I know -- what the hell!) But anyway, what's happening now is that sites are getting fussy about passwords -- they have to be so long and have a capital letter and numbers, etc. So of course I have to keep a record, somewhere safe, for all these numbers, codes and usernames. Which I do. But sometimes I forget or haven't gotten round to it yet. The worst is when for one reason or another I have to clear away my 'cookies'. Which is why I've been having a problem with blogger lately. Today I also had a problem with my bank! But I fixed the problem with the bank and now I've managed to stumble on the right username and password for my blogger account!!!

So things being in order for me again, what was I going to blog about. Something to do with being old and grumpy, I think. About living with grandchildren and getting used to new surroundings and smaller spaces. I am utterly shocked to discover there are children who are homeless living in Olympia, Washington, or anywhere else in the USA. Living here is not for the faint-hearted. We are constantly amazed how good America can be for some people and how dreadful for many others.

The Democrats are running amock -- or maybe a-muck is better. I'm really disappointed with Hillary Clinton's campaign. Although I have believed she is the more qualified for the high office, I have been seriously disillusioned with her tactics -- she has come across to me as hypocritical, dishonest and ruthless. Obama isn't without campaign faults himself, but I can expect flaws in any political race and live with his. Hillary's campaign has an ugly face and I am now very uncomfortable with her as a candidate. I'd still vote for her if she gets the nomination, but I'm not now giving money to anybody.

Chris Dodd for President

Universal Medical Care, Ending the War in Iraq, Education, Energy are just four of the issues that are of great importance to me and Chris Dodd has some inspired thinking that would make him the most worthy Democratic presidential candidate.

But there are other issues that he has thought deeply about, issues that show leadership and ability: He intends to restore Habeas Corpus to the Constitution and to give Seniors retirement security. In addition, his agenda calls for national service that would give a new sense of American community. Chris Dodd was himself inspired by John F. Kennedy -- he joined the Peace Corps and served in the Dominican Republic.

Senator Dodd first came to my attention at one of the early debates last Spring. I was liked his answers during the debate and when he was interviewed afterward. Of all the candidates, he was the only one who did not sound 'rehearsed' -- he did not 'soundbite-speak'. Rather avuncular and serious, there was about him a steadfastness and straightforwardness that impressed me.

It seems to me that rather too much in this pre-primary turmoil has been spin and 'spit and polish'. Too much attention is being paid to not saying the ' wrong' thing, instead of saying the 'right' thing -- the honest and believable thing. Too much attention is being paid to 'image' and not enough to substance. Too much is being said without anything being said. There has not been enough 'heart' -- except for Chris Dodd.

This is the time when Democrats can take control of the spin doctors. This is the time when we can listen for the real meaning and dispense with the rhetoric. I hope the voters in Iowa will live up to their reputation as free thinkers and give their votes and the national spotlight to Senator Chris Dodd.

Enter Gordon Brown Who Reminds me of …

I have mixed feelings about the Prime Minister to be. I was put off the first time I ever saw him by how much he reminded me physically of Richard Nixon – the jowly face, the body language, even the way he had of speaking. That was a long time ago, but makeovers later and the Nixonian aura still persists for me

Gordon Brown is a hard fellow to warm to, as was the disgraced President. But one must try to give the man a chance. But I do think he’s a bit of a “strange” one, though that does not mean he won’t be a great leader. I wish him well and I hope we find him to be a leader of wisdom and depth who can rise to the challenge of a country suspicious of its leadership and worried about the future and the direction we seem to be heading.

It is a strange system that can simply change Prime Ministers at the whim, or not, of one man. Doesn’t seem very democratic. I really do wonder if Gordon Brown is ‘electable’ without becoming Prime Minister first. The United Kingdom, like the United States does not elect it’s political leader directly. The United Kingdom is, however, electing a government. Americans really don’t think that way. First of all, it’s complicated because the Head of State in the UK is a sovereign born to the role for life. The closest we have to a Prime Minister is the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the Senate.

It is very valuable for Americans to study how politics in the UK works. It explains why our own government is the way it is. Our government was created to correct what were deemed to be the faults of Parliamentary Sovereign Britain. The most evident method of doing this was the system we have of ‘checks and balances’. This is an important concept to have developed, but there is a price to pay – government stagnation.

For example, in Britain, the government of the day can raise taxes within hours! (Un-American!!) In Britain the government of the day is elected for 5 years – in the U.S. the government can change dramatically every two years. The Queen has an interesting way of putting things to a new Prime Minister when she asks him if he or she can ‘form a government’. In Britain ‘government’ means do you have enough of a consensus to do the job? A Government is 'of the day'.

I love the concept here of the ‘loyal opposition’. For every ‘government’ there is a ‘shadow government’ and every minister in the government must stand up and defend the policies of the day and is answerable directly to his ‘shadow minister’ in particular and must also be able to respond to questions from other honourable parliamentarians. The most striking thing to me about Parliament is its intimacy and almost informality amidst all the tradition and politeness of the ‘honourable friends’.

Most Americans believe that ours is the greatest democracy in the world and our Constitution is the best in the world. I don’t believe this – other countries do have democracies that can rival ours. Somehow all the safeguards that the founding fathers came up with didn’t stop big government. It is a fact that when the Constitution was written , it was assumed there would be Constitutional Conventions held that would bring forth Constitutional reform – when the amendments to the Constitution are longer than the original document, it seems to me perhaps it is about time to start over again.

But I cannot in my wildest imagination come up with who we find to perform such a task and how we would ever be able to get 50 states to agree to its adoption. And so comes some more wisdom from the British! They have an ‘Unwritten Constitution’. I used to joke about this as an instance of British arrogance. Now I think it a mark of genius!

What a Difference a Year Makes

Two days ago I returned from a trip to visit my mother in Connecticut. As it happens, my last trip was almost exactly one year ago and it seems to me, as a non-resident, that there have been a lot of changes in that time.

Shortly after returning home last year – about a month later – I became aware of The Daily Kos and as a result there have also been big changes in my own awareness of how things stand in the US. But it is also true that my affiliation with DK has made me see things from a perspective that isn’t entirely reflective of how things appeared to me when I was actually there on this most recent trip.

The 2006 mid-term election seems to have brought the media up short and coverage now seems to be much more balanced and honest than it was on my last visit. In my own Congressional District (CT-5) a talented “youngster”, Chris Murphy, trounced the “unbeatable” Nancy Johnson. Murphy ran an excellent campaign and won despite the scepticism of many local Democratic Committees. Thank you Howard Dean and your grass-roots legacy – you have proved that the Democratic Party is still electable.

Back to the media – suddenly Wolf Blitzer sounds even-handed and not the pawn of a Republican media baron. He sounded absolutely companionable with Jack McCafferty. Even Chris Matthews seemed a tad thoughtful! Charles Gibson, disappointingly seems to be upholding the more Republican view – but in ever such a nice Charles Gibson kind of way! However, almost everybody seems to be biding time and fervently hoping that somehow the President can be stopped in his tracks and that Congress will do what it has to get the troops home. Some in the media are held hostage by the dilemma of the US having caused the debacle in Iraq, we have an obligation to stay until it’s sorted out – but I have the sense that most people see it as a never-ending quagmire that we will never be able to solve and so better to cut our losses and get out now. It’s really important that Congress steps up to the mark and the sooner the better. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid seem to be maintaining their popularity to the consternation of the Republican mafia – one just hopes the rest of Congress has the balls to see this thing through and do what they’ve been elected to do. They will be out next time if they don’t. Unless one is particularly interested in politics most Americans would rather ignore the Presidential Hopefuls – except for Barack Obama who attracts enthusiastic crowds wherever he goes.

I also noticed a big change in attitudes toward Green Issues. Possibly this is due to the violent and unpredictable weather the US has been suffering. But most likely this is due to the work Al Gore has done and his film An Inconvenient Truth. Even so, it doesn’t seem to have dented the American enthusiasm for the SUV – loads of those still creeping up behind me! I was surprised that the price of gas was so high – but why should I be – no election this year. Still one ‘helluva’ lot cheaper than Europe – half the price.

The country is holding its collective breath and seems to want some real change. Its good to see ads on TV promoting single-payer health care. There is a lot of momentum building in the political arena, but I hope that by the time its time to vote again that the masses aren’t so numbed by boredom with it all that it will be impossible for them to become politically engaged.

I missed the debate between the Democratic hopefuls, but saw the Republican efforts. All the political pundits I saw seemed to think that both debates were similar in terms of effectiveness. No one really blew it. Rudy Guilliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney came out on top. Of them all I agree most with the former mayor of New York, but I also liked the Governor of Wisconsin, whose name I can’t recall. He’s the only candidate of both parties who has actually outlined a plan for getting us out of Iraq – and no one I read or heard commented on that let alone discussed it. So much for someone who offers more than sound bites. And so it will go on, I’m sure.

For Hillary Clinton's Blog

I believe you have all the qualities that are important for the President of the United States to have. You are smart enough, have the experience and the insight and political skills that are necessary to do the job. But I am concerned about the 'knives' that will come out should you become the Democratic candidate. On the one hand I am mightily impressed with your political success in New York State -- success that is well-deserved and with merit: you are a damned good Senator. Period.

On the other hand, nationally, you have a lot of political baggage that will make you vulnerable to unjustified, but damaging and extremely personal attack. Old and worn scandals and suspicions will no doubt re-surface and I fear for you, I fear for the party and for the nation.

It may not be deemed politial smart to address this issue. But as a proud member of the Democratic Party, I know that these are concerns shared by many others and that if you do not talk about them, not only will they not go away, it will be to your detriment.

No Blues Election Musings

Three cheers for the people! Finally some sense. And -- Happy Birthday Howard Dean. The old party officianados are trying to reassert their old authority -- but we are having NONE of it. The Democratic Leadership Council can go suck a lemon. They still can't/won't admit they were wrong, wrong, WRONG. You can't have a party of the people and then not be there for them. James Carville, shame on you.

The media has not come out at all well. The Fourth Estate has failed us and is still failing for the most part. Election night I watched Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews. Don't think much of the latter, but I'm in love with Keith Olberman -- completely KO'd!! For those who don't know him he has picked up the mantle of Edward R. Murrow and you can find him on MSNBC. (CNBC -- at least for election night coverage as broadcast in the UK.)

Been reading a lot about Nancy Pelosi. The things the media will say about a woman they would never say about a man! Segolene Royale in France is another instance of female-phobia. Anyway, good luck to you Nancy Pelosi. Gosh, if we could rid ourselves of our current executive branch she could become President!! What would that do to Hillary and all her careful planning. Rest assured, I'm sure there will be no due process to put that spanner in the works!

Most of all I am so relieved that the election happened, that there wasn't a diabolical coup d'etat. Another reason for having a healthy political landscape throughout 50 states -- much harder to rig an election without swing states.

Christmas next month. (Scream, Scream, Scream)