Blogblah!!!

A couple days ago, I wrote that I thought the stage was being set for another scandal about voting irregularities.

I learned today the Diebold election machines can be opened with the round mini-bar keys you can steal from any motel/hotel.

You have been taken into custody by unknown ruffians, blindfolded and drugged and whisked away.  You believe you have been transported by airplane a long distance, but your memory is failing you right now.

Your memory fails at present because you’ve been stripped, doused repeatedly with water and kept standing in a 50-degree (F) room where the lights are always on and there are no windows, only bars on the door.

It is impossible to know when you last slept because it is unclear when the drugs wore off.

There is constant shouting at you and there are wails heard from elsewhere in the building where you are kept.  If you tire or slump, batons straighten you.

You are roughed into a room where you are blindfolded and strapped to a 12 inch wide board.  A plastic bag is put over your head and water is poured into the bag as your feet are elevated.

You are alone and completely isolated.  There are no questions you may ask — THEY ask the questions.

This is what the present administration believes is Constitutional and is arguing for in Congress.

Now, picture something altogether different.

Picture two pairs of lips greeting in sweet kiss.  More than a peck but less than the full throated, wet tonguing of the throes of passion.

The kind of kiss you can kiss in front of your mother and 13 year old cousin, but still convey deep affection.

The kiss at the end of a marriage vow, before the happy couple parade together back down the aisle.

Imagine the lips belong to two women or two men becoming married.

This is a travesty and the present administration is adamantly and rabid opposed to such behavior and so argues in Congress.

Why, do tell, do we call these men and women Christians?

What is there about these two things that get such different reactions from the committed religious right?

How do we explain the fact that Jerry Fallwell and Pat Robertson and James Dodson and all the rest are not waving the New Testament at our Born-Again president and demand that he treat our prisoners better than Pontius Pilate treated Jesus?

Upon what theological underpinning does a Christian stand when he/she condones torture?  Of any kind on any one at any time?

I don’t think Jesus said that one must break a few eggs to make an omlette.  Or that the ends justify the means. 

Have we truly become the beast we oppose?

About a month ago, the news out of Afghanistan was that the U.N. estimated that opium crops were 75% larger than last year and that opium production would reach records this harvest season.

Today, the Thai military executed a coup d’etat while the prime minister was in New York at the U.N.

Are these two news stories connected?

Beuller?

Beuller?

Anyone?

OK.  Three hints:  1.  Ancient trade route from Afghanistan through south China into Burma, Thailand.  2.  Myanmar (formerly Burma), under narco trafficking military government.  3. Lawless drug warlord territory in Burma and northern Thailand called “The Golden Triangle” since at least the late 18th Century when the British successfully addicted Chinese to opium in order to get trade advantages in silk and tea.

I’ll make this brief.

there’s been only one nationally recognized as reliable poll published about Oklahoma politics since the Runoff Election on Aug. 25.  Rasmusson Poll shows Gov. Henry at 55% and Rep. Istook at 33%.

This contrasts with their Aug. 28 poll when it was 60-34 Henry over Istook.

Polls are not all that good at predicting, in my opinion, but they are wonderful tools for seeing trends and identifying “hot button” issues that can then be manipulated. 

Here, it seems clear that Istook was farther behind on Aug. 28 because he had no primary or runoff opponent and had not been on the TV while Brad Henry, although facing only nominal opposition, had been visible both as an incumbent and with some small TV exposure.  Now, some of Henry’s drop can be seen as apathy growing between elections, the effect of Istook looking for and pointing out “negatives”, and other reasons can be imagined.  What seems less likely to me is that Istook’s numbers are unchanged.  No growth despite Henry’s fall. 

As an interesting subtext, Istook must be pretty careful about putting out “negatives” about Henry because the response will be all corruption-Ambramoff-scandal-dirty-money all the time.  Ole’ Ernie can lose to Brad and still be in the running in the U.S. Senate race in two years.  But, if he’s discredited as corrupt, it’s a career killer.  Ernie is also facing a candidate who can use his incumbency to set the agenda — how about a proposal to bring the Legislature into special session to pass ethics rules?

What would you tell Ernest to do about his campaign if you were a “downballot” candidate?  How about if you’re Mary Fallin? 

I think I’d tell him to take his whippin’ like a man and work just to get out the Repub vote along with the other candidates and even if he loses, that we’ll stand up for him in a Senate showdown within the party and everyone knows Inhofe is on a path to retire.

I said short and then wrote more than anyone cares about.  C U Soon