Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Problems We Like To Have
In one of the wonderful ironies that history loves to deliver, a son of Strom Thurmond -- the man who defined South Carolina hardball racial politics for decades -- lost a GOP primary runoff to an African-American Republican called Tim Scott. The district is a Republican one, so Scott should be the first black House GOP member since J.C. Watts left a decade ago. And, yeah, Scott is the real deal: He's been endorsed by the local Tea Party organization.
So, come November, South Carolina may elect a governor of Sikh descent and a black Republican.
The times, they are a-changing.
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So, come November, South Carolina may elect a governor of Sikh descent and a black Republican.
The times, they are a-changing.
Labels: race, South Carolina, Strom Thurmond
Adieu, Les Bleus!
Apparently even in world football, Karma est une bee-yotch! After cheating to qualify for the World Cup, the French national team goes through a meltdown, curses and embarrasses their coach (who, frankly, is something of a jerk in his own right) and exits the tournament without winning a match -- or scoring a goal.
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Couldn't happen to nicer guys.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
General Insanity
With the Afghanistan effort not going quite as well as planned, President Obama's commander in the field, Gen. Stanley McChrystal permits a mindblowing interview/profile with Rolling Stone. He and aides trash Obama, Biden, Richard Holbrooke and a few others. Result: The general is being summoned to Washington, DC, for a chat with the commander-in-chief. Considering that this is the second time McChrystal has breached the political/military protocols with this president, it's tough to see how Obama can keep him (unless it's determined that sacking him would be worse for Afghan strategy).
Meanwhile, news also breaks that Obama's budget director Peter Orszag is quitting next month. Considering the debate within the administration between the "more stimulus" crowd and the "deficit reduction" group, this departure is occurring at a difficult time.
In full, this combination of stories suggests an administration in chaos with as the leaders of both its primary foreign policy effort and its domestic economic agenda possibly gone months before the midterm elections.
UPDATE: The Rolling Stone article in PDF format.
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Meanwhile, news also breaks that Obama's budget director Peter Orszag is quitting next month. Considering the debate within the administration between the "more stimulus" crowd and the "deficit reduction" group, this departure is occurring at a difficult time.
In full, this combination of stories suggests an administration in chaos with as the leaders of both its primary foreign policy effort and its domestic economic agenda possibly gone months before the midterm elections.
UPDATE: The Rolling Stone article in PDF format.
Labels: Stanley McChrystal
