Attitude and Perspective
April 8th, 2006American Democrats today would categorize George W. Bush as the Second Coming of Nixon, and Republicans would call him Reagan’s Revenge. Might you be surprised to hear someone compare him to FDR, and not only compare the two men but say that they might be, quote, “the most alike of any two American presidents ever.” My first reaction to this was, “At least he’s not comparing Bush to Truman.” But then there was laughter. And finally, I thought, “He’s not completely off the mark. Bush is somewhat similar to FDR. They are both human beings, after all.”
Actually, he draws some parallels I’d never thought of before, but given that they’re of a, “George W. Bush is a rich white guy whose views developed over time unexpectedly and who was saved by his wife, which was similar to FDR’s life story” nature, I don’t particularly buy them. Similar life experiences don’t make men similar. Adolf Hitler and Bill Clinton both faced rejection from women at some point in their respective lives, I’m sure, but Clinton’s answer to this wasn’t like Hitler’s. Bush and FDR are very different men because they decided on very different choices throughout their Presidencies and lifetimes.
Surprisingly, that’s not the oddest article I’ve read today. Kathleen Parker weighs in today with “The Million Dollar Fetus,” an article so bizarre it makes my head spin. Apparently, a woman was pregnant and got into a car accident. Her body was damaged and she was given the choice between aborting the baby and having surgery to heal herself; wait twelve weeks, then have all her bones broken for X-Rays and maybe never have fixed bones again; or have an operation now but risk having a damaged baby. She opted for the operation and abortion, but is suing the guy she got into an accident with. For one million dollars.
And, you know, it raises awkward questions. Should the man have to carry a million dollar albatross over a tragic accident? Should the woman get nothing at all because it was an accident? Should we allow judges the discretion to award millions of dollars after an accident like this? Is money motivating her more than the loss of her unborn child? Should the Courts rule for her or against? A lower judge ruled against her, and now she’s appealed. If you’d like to share your attitude and perspective on this, feel free.
Frank Newport, who edits the Gallup Poll, has an article titled “Is Iraq Worth It?” in the LA Times, except that it isn’t a detailed analysis of the war’s worth — just a documentation of public opinion’s various shifts on Iraq. Either way, it’s a very interesting article, but it makes supporters of the War appreciative of the fact that Bush isn’t a poll-reading President. (Well, that’s an oversimplification. Bush is a poll watcher in regard to Harriet Miers, Dubai Ports and the Department of Homeland Security. My point is that he is, rightly, standing pat on Iraq in the face of a fickle public.)
You know who else is fickle? The Republicans. They’re spending so much time fighting the War Against Other Forms of Conservatism that they’re ignoring the War in Afghanistan — not to mention their own legislative goals. Chuck Grassley has killed a Congressional tax cut extension because, apparently, he dislikes a House member.
Speaking of House members and dislike, I’ve avoided the recent story out of Congresswoman McKinney’s House Offices because it hasn’t been particularly important to me, and in the long run doesn’t matter. Today, though, the Salt Lake Tribune has a funny article called “McKinney Flap Unleashes a Flood of Stupid.” McKinney wasn’t wearing her ID and was entering the House. The Security Guard, who was white (while she’s black) tried to stop her. She punched him, and then claimed he was a racist.
Are you the kind of person who sees racism in water and a police officer as someone to throw a punch at? Everything comes out to your outlook in life, and I think that question’s a better gauge of character than the old adage about half empty glasses.