Raising Kaine and the Tale of Two Speeches

I want to comment briefly on the President's State of the Union address and on the Democratic response by Governor Kaine of Virginia. I'm not going to go into great detail. There will be time for that later. I just want to share my initial reaction.

First, with the State of the Union address, I didn't hear much new from the President. He continues to assert that he is the National Security Guru and that anyone who opposes him or questions his judgement is isolationist, out of touch with America's values, and cowardly in the War on Terror--all of this after saying that both parties need to come together and quit criticizing one another. There has been enough written on this President's foreign policy to fill libraries, and I believe that this type of rhetoric will not hold in an election year. Americans believe there is a better way to win this war than what the President is offering, and I sincerely hope that we will reflect that in this midterm election.

On domestic issues, the President was vague and non-committal. He worked hard to paint himself as a fiscally conservative leader, but his record and the federal deficit say otherwise. When talking about issues at home, Bush didn't have his usual swagger and confidence. He knows that he doesn't have the money or the political capital to push through his domestic agenda, so he hopes to ride the "National Security Wave" for a few more years. On education, the President focuses too much on math and science. I'm not saying that this focus is bad, but we need to be well-rounded. American education lacks a focus on the arts and literature, and I would contend that this lack has direct repercussions on the moral fabric and integrity of the nation. Studying the arts and literature makes us take a critical look at ourselves and the world around us. The President's neglect of this branch of education will lead to a moral decline that I don't believe he supports, where people will become success and greed driven instead of being concerned for the common good.

As for the Democratic response that was given by Governor Kaine of Virginia, I was very, very, very impressed. He spoke plainly, did not fear to mention his faith, and he spoke the words of unity and service that are so often lost in Washington. His response put some wind into a Democratic agenda for the elections, saying that Democrats will work together to solve problems for the common people and to work for common sense solutions to the problems facing us as a nation. I thought that Governor Kaine was confident, yet humble; firm, yet compassionate; and resolute, but understanding of the need for compromise. I applaud his response and hope to see more of this type of quality from our Democratic leaders. I hope that we will look to him and others like him to form our platform this year in the elections. If we do, I believe that we will be successful.

I will delve into the particulars in upcoming posts, but these are my initial reactions. Thank God for Governor Kaine and his no-nonsense politics to help us through this politically divided and increasingly radical time.

Cheers,
Jeff

Leaping and Creeping

In Jonathan Swift's classic satire Gulliver's Travels, the protagonist, Gulliver, shipwrecks at the beginning of the novel and ends up on the island of Lilliput, which is inhabited by people who are 1/12 the size of Gulliver. Gulliver finds himself in awe at the sight of these people and spends a considerable amount of time with them, learning their language and customs. One of the Lilliputians' customs that Gulliver finds strange is the selection of political leaders. Gulliver describes it this way:

"The Emperor holds a stick in his hands, both ends parallel to the horizon, while the candidates advancing one by one, sometimes leap over the stick, sometimes creep under it backwards and forwards several times, according as the stick is advanced or depressed. [...] Whoever performs his part with most agility, and holds out the longest in leaping and creeping, is rewarded with the blue coloured silk; the red is given to the next, and the green to the third [...]"

Gulliver later describes how these pieces of silk are marks of political and social power, attained by physical agility and not by true virtue.

After reading the linked article about the Alito nomination, I have to believe that our modern politicians are engaged in a similar type of sport, except they are showing political cunning and dexterity and not the true virtue of convictions.

For example, many Democrats in the Senate who oppose the Alito nomination completely voted for cloture today, virtually assuring that the conservative judge will be confirmed in a vote tomorrow (a closer vote than the cloture vote, I would imagine). Why would these politicians allow a man whom they have labeled dangerous and bad for America onto the highest court of the land? I would suggest that their motivation is to politically leap and creep into the hearts and minds of as many voters as they can in this election year. By voting for cloture and stopping a potential filibuster, these senators have appealed to conservatives and moderates who might see a filibuster as an obstructionist tactic and who might believe the Republican rhetoric that says such a tactic has never happened (although Republicans have blocked their share of nominees in other ways, but that's a different post). However, since these same senators will vote no for the nomination, they hope to appeal to their liberal base. I for one am not buying. They can't have it both ways.

Many Republicans are going through this same type of political stretching contest during this year. For instance, Senator Graham has expressed "deep concern" for the overreaching of the executive branch, yet he had no problem endorsing Judge Alito who seems to agree with the President on the scope of executive power.

This type of political weaseling shows a lack of conviction that will hurt both parties in the coming election. Republicans are trying to distance themselves from the President and at the same time support Bush's efforts to "win" the War on Terror. I would propose that they can't have it both ways, and I believe that for Republicans to maintain control in congress, they need to make a conscious effort to distance themselves from the overreaching of this President.

Democrats, on the other hand, seem to be in a worse position, trying to appear moderate and hawkish to the independents and conservatives, but also trying to appear as the strong opposition to the President that their base wants them to be. It seems to me that those are two completely conflicting views.

I want to see some politicians stand up and speak their mind, without the fear of how they will appear to the voters or what the latest polls have said. I want them to show conviction. Maybe that conviction is that I need to do more research and think about it more. That's an honest answer. But, this continued insistence by both sides to speak in generalities, double speak, and platitudes needs to stop; they need to be honest and forthright. I'm sick of the leaping and creeping, and I think that the American people are too.

Cheers,
Jeff

Why I'm proud to be a Mormon

I couldn't just leave my first post without dedicating sometime to the other side of my screen name. As a Mormon (member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), I am greatly influenced by my religion and my faith. While there is no way that I can list all the virtues of the church in this post, I will list some that make me very proud to stand up and say that I am LDS:

1- The LDS faith teaches that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that his teachings set standards that we should live by. Jesus was the ultimate peacemaker. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, blessed the poor, taught the lowliest in society about love and self respect, encouraged all people to be generous, promoted a love of God and of all men, and established a moral code that stands as a powerful example of how men should be. His commandment in The Book of Mormon is clear: "Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27). How great the world would be if we would all look to His wonderful example.

2- The LDS faith has a powerful regard for the United States and our democratic government. Repeatedly, the Book of Mormon speaks of how special this great land is. I echo that sentiment and believe that America needs to return to its core values in order to survive in these troubled times.

3- One of the greatest beliefs in the Church, at least for me, is that we are all children of a loving God and that we can return to live with him one day WITH our families. The Church's focus on the family is wonderful. We are encouraged to spend quality time each day with our families and to work together to improve our lives. If every family will do this, regardless of religion, the quality of living in the world will improve.

4- The Church teaches that the age of the prophets did not end with the coming of Christ. We do not believe that God has ceased to make His will known to the people of the world. I would struggle to think that in biblical times God talked to man, but now he doesn't. I love to listen to the words of our prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, and he is in my prayers as he faces health problems now. His teachings focus on integrity, love, charity, character, and faith along with many other virtues that he encourages in all of us. His message is one the world needs.

5- The Church believes that we should be "anxiously engaged in a good cause" (D&C 58:27). To go around doing good is a very noble goal and one that I hope to be able to achieve.

While this list falls far short of showing the virtues of the Church, it shows some of the things that I believe are especially wonderful. I hope and pray that we will all find a spiritual peace in our hearts and be able to pour that peace over into the world around us.

God Bless,
Jeff

PS- If you would like more information on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, visit www.mormon.org or contact a member or missionary in your area.

Why I'm proud to be a liberal

As my first post on my blog, I would like this to serve as an introduction as to why I feel that this blog is important. For the last several years I have noticed the word "liberal" being used more and more as a pejorative. Many people in my state (Utah) seem to believe that "liberal" means baby-killing, terrorist-loving, tree-hugging, Christian-hating, pot smoking creep who lives on welfare and wants to raise taxes. I'm not sure why this attitude has become so prevalent, but I do know that it is an attitude that is moving mainstream politics to the right of center and threatening to erode protections set in place for peaceful dissent, minority rights, and proper care for the poor.

I consider myself a liberal and am very proud of it. To me, liberal values echo many of my core beliefs as a Christian: love thy neighbor, take care of the poor, be a peacemaker, and lift up the hands that hang down. I believe that the family is central to the success of our great nation and that in order for families to succeed, they need to have the financial stability to spend time together. For this reason, I support the labor movements of this country and believe that the only true "family values" economic policy is to empower the middle class and to give them the support that they need to be self-sufficient. During the 90s, America enjoyed great prosperity, mostly because of policies that were geared toward strengthening the middle class. This idea is liberal. Conservatives would rather strengthen the upper classes and hope that eventually prosperity will "trickle down" the economic scale. To me, these types of policies spell disaster for those who struggle financially.

John F. Kennedy said this about being a liberal:

"What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

Later in the same speech, JFK reminded us of what the true driving force of this great nation is. He reminded us of why we fight for the preservation of our civil liberties:

"I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, in human liberty as the source of national action, in the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas. "

I echo his sentiments, and I hope and pray (yes, liberals pray too) that this blog will serve as a place where human dignity, human liberty, the human heart, and the human mind can all come together in a spirit of free thinking and understanding.

Welcome,
Jeff