Great column by Gloria Borger: gov’t needs to grow up

This CNN article by Gloria Borger is amazing. It describes all of my thoughts exactly on how inefficient the government is due to the public disputes and lack of leadership. This is especially relevant since Obama spoke yesterday about how Congress needs to stick around Washington more since he, the President, has been doing his job non-stop. Yes, agreed, but I’m not going to applaud you for doing your job… you’re the President of the United States. I would expect that you would be doing your job. But I agree that Congress is just like a whiny group of children who never quite get any of their tasks accomplished.

Before I show the article below, I just have one more point to elaborate upon about Obama’s speech yesterday. While complaining about Congress, Obama scolded lawmakers for procrastinating, something that his daughters, Sasha and Malia, apparently never do when it comes to homework. Unfortunately, he got their ages wrong while making this comparison… he said they were 10 and 13, while they are really 10 and 12.

Now, I understand that people will think, “Wow, he really should have gotten that right. Those are his daughters.” But then again, sometimes I accidentally say that I’m 22, when in fact I have already turned 23. And I continually have to check myself whenever I talk about how old my family members are (not often, but still). I honestly don’t think I know a father that I could say with 100% certainty knows all of his children’s exact ages. It’s a number. Obama was one number off. Malia will be 13 in less than a year. Get over it.

But of course yesterday, while working out, I was forced to watch FOX News due to the sad selection of television channels offered by my apartment complex’s workout room. And of course Ann Coulter was invited on the show to talk with Sean Hannity about how Michelle Bachman is a genius, how all liberals are stupid, and so forth. But those two probably spent the majority of their time on-air speaking about how Obama got Malia’a age wrong. There was probably a good 15 minutes of Obama-bashing, where the two of them basically accused him of being a bad father and continually tried to make him out to be an idiot. They even had a special video reel of “Obama Gaffes,” showcasing his biggest mistakes.

Hannity: I don’t know if you are trying to get back at everyone who teased Georgia W. Bush about his endless string of verbal mistakes, but you seriously looked like a fool. Spending your entire segment making fun of the President’s slip-up makes you seem like you are a complete moron who cannot find anything remotely important to talk about. I felt like I was in high school, listening to a clique of insecure teenagers making fun of someone. So, FOX News, here’s the lesson: If you ever want to know why people think your news station is a complete joke, this is a perfect example of why that is so. Next time find something newsworthy to take up the majority of your primetime spot and maybe intelligent humans will begin to take you seriously.

And finally, here is the article, copied below. Thanks for listening to my rambling opinion on this issue

“Where are the adults in Washington?”

Editor’s note: Gloria Borger is chief political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN’s “The Situation Room,” “AC360°,” “John King, USA,” and “State of the Union.”

Washington (CNN) — Call me old-fashioned, but when the president and congressional leaders get into a tussle over who should be “leading” the country in matters of real national consequence, I feel like sending them to their rooms.

“Call me naive,” President Obama said at his news conference today. “But my expectation is that leaders are going to lead.”

Mine, too.

So imagine my surprise when the president came to his own press conference — which he called — without anything much new to say on possible ways get to a deal to raise the national debt ceiling. Plenty of talk about gamesmanship, about deadlines and about how even Sasha and Malia are mature enough to do their schoolwork before it’s due.

Oh, and by the way, the president also told us, Congress isn’t actually here enough to get its homework done. “They are in one week, they are out one week,” he told us helpfully, as if perhaps we should mark our calendars. “You need to be here. I’ve been here. I’ve been doing Afghanistan and Bin Laden and the Greek crisis.”

He is, after all, the president. Good to know that he’s doing his job.

And it’s not that he’s wrong about Congress ducking responsibility; it’s just hard to see how that counts as news.

What might actually have counted as news is if the president, as the nation’s leader, had proposed a definitive way out of the budget mess — or at least drawn some lines in the sand.

Instead, we learned that we need a “balanced approach” to the debt mess. That Obama is willing to “tackle entitlements” (presuming, of course, that nothing is done to touch Medicare beneficiaries). And that taxes — the kinds that affect “millionaires and billionaires,” corporate titans and their personal jets — should be on the table.

Just for the record, getting rid of a tax break for corporate jets may be a fine idea, but it isn’t going to solve the deficit problem since it will amount to only about $3 billion over the next decade. But it’s a good line.

Sure, the president is probably tired of hearing Republicans rant about his “failed presidency” when one of their congressional leaders walks out of the budget talks. And in going public with his ire — and assigning blame to the GOP — the president all but said that the talks had collapsed. His was a clear and intentional venting of frustration. What was less clear is just how he intends to channel his inner leader.

The president hinted that defense spending would have to take a hit. (On the table, sources tell me, is the possibility of a freeze on defense spending.) And some have argued that the promise of an overhaul of the tax code — real reform that could lower overall rates but take away some sacrosanct deductions — should be a part of this discussion. But we didn’t hear about any of that, because those are tough choices, and they haven’t been made. This was about politics and positioning to get the upper hand in the looming debt limit battle.

We did hear about the possibility of extending the payroll tax cut. (Costly, but not tough.) Or extending the Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class. (Same premise.) But the president had to admit that these things only make sense in the context of an overall — and substantial — deficit-reduction package. And, as he put it, first things first: “What we need to do is to restore business confidence and the confidence of the American people that we are on track.”

Exactly.

This is not to say that the Republicans should be off the hook here. They’ve got a field of presidential candidates who believe that defaulting on the national debt wouldn’t be such a bad thing. (In truth, Obama couldn’t even explain how bad it would really be out of fear of sparking a global meltdown.) And Speaker of the House John Boehner, in response to Obama, refused to buy into even the most popular of tax hikes — including ending tax subsidies for oil companies.

“The new majority in the House is going to stand with the American people,” Boehner bravely declared. “A debt limit increase can only pass the House if it includes spending cuts larger than the debt limit increase; includes reforms to hold down spending in the future; and is free from tax hikes. The longer the president denies these realities, the more difficult he makes this process. “

So, according to Boehner, the president is living in a dream world. And according to Obama, the congressional Republicans “need to do their job. Now’s the time to go ahead and make the tough choices.”

Indeed, adds Obama, “that’s why they’re called leaders.”

Really? I thought that would involve leading.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger.

Chris Hansen, from “To Catch a Predator,” is caught

Well, well, Chris Hansen. My respect for you has diminished exponentially.

Today it is being reported that Hansen, who is best known as the reporter who conducted sting operations on pedophiles with hidden cameras, was caught having an affair. How was he caught? By hidden cameras. Of course.

Apparently The National Enquirer recorded Hansen and his mistress (Kristyn Caddell, a 30-year-old Florida TV reporter) on a romantic dinner date, and they also caught him staying the night at her Palm Beach apartment. Oh and by the way, Hansen is 52. With a wife and two young kids. And this affair has been going on for fourth months.

The irony of this story is just unbelievable, but more than anything, it just makes me mad. This is a guy became well-known because of “To Catch A Predator,” a show in which he, his crew, and Perverted Justice baited alleged pedophiles into meeting an “underaged” girl or boy and then had the police dramatically tackle and arrest them. And of course every minute of it was recorded and aired on TV.

Yes, I have watched plenty of episodes. Yes, I am glad that those guys are off the streets. Yes, I think Perverted Justice, for the most part, is doing a good thing for society. The whole “baiting” thing is controversial, but I do think that these men deserve punishment for their actions.

The show is easy to get sucked into… there are men who take their clothes off before their “meeting” with a child or teen, men who try running away, men who bring their kids along, etc. It’s a disturbing and shocking look at this secret underground world of pedophilia, which has gotten much publicity the last couple of years. But there seems to be a complete disregard for the privacy and respect of these individuals and their families. They were already stung by an undercover task force, and they are already facing charges. Should we really be airing their IM conversations and the hidden camera videos that got them in trouble? I would watch the show and be completely disgusted, yet at the end, when I would watch the police officers being unnecessarily rough and the suspect looking completely shamed, I would almost feel guilty… we are actually watching someone’s life being completely ruined. Their actions were terrible, but did they deserve to be crucified on television, in front of the entire nation? What about their families… did they deserve to be nationally humiliated over something their father or brother or husband did?

In 2006, when a suspected pedophile didn’t show up to the camera-rigged house that he was “supposed to,” camera crews and the police force forced their way into his house. They were hoping that they could tape the arrest and air it to get good ratings — instead, their suspect realized what was going on, he shot himself in the head. This resulted in a major lawsuit, brought on by the deceased man’s sister. She eventually settled with NBC out of court, but the story of her brother was still aired on “To Catch A Predator.”

Chris Hansen used hidden cameras to do a good deed — get pedophiles off the street — but he used the stories to create a television show that was more concerned about entertainment value than the suspects’ actual rights. He ruined people’s lives by taping them doing something illegal and publically shaming them on national television. In the process, he hurt all of the family members associated with these suspects. He used hidden cameras to make people feel bad and get them in trouble, and used hidden cameras to get himself a hit on television. That is why, more than anything, this story just makes me angry… Hansen apparently thought he was above everyone else, and he focused on others’ indiscretions, though he had his own immoral secrets as well. All I can say is that karma’s a bitch.

Ooops…

I actually was listening to “Morning Joe” on XM Radio this morning on my way to work…

Apparently Mark Halperin, who called Obama a “dick” in the above video, is now suspended from MSNBC. The thing is, as this HuffPo article states, many other news reporters and hosts have made mistakes like these, and their lives go on. Plus, Helperin actually asked if he could be brutally honest and even made sure that there was a seven-second delay… Joe Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski told him to go for it. I honestly don’t understand why Halperin is in such big trouble — the mistake of airing the word “dick” is a culmination of several errors between several people. You probably shouldn’t call the President names like that, but still… I think it’s a bit much.

Really??

Check out this sexy shot of Joe Stagni, taken of himself by himself… by the way, he’s a Louisiana politician. And he texted the photograph to a female employee.

Wow, I bet she was just flattered. What a beautiful picture. Looks like a real keeper to me!

And again, a politician with an ego that is too big and a brain that is too small…

Thank you, Mr. Stagni, for pretty much confirming all of my negative views about politicians. You and Anthony Weiner should get together sometime.

TIME to fill in your brackets!

I just found this Presidential campaign bracket on TIME’s website, which I think is pretty clever. I’ll definitely be keeping this around as the race heats up. I feel like the GOP candidates are all over the map and I honestly have no idea who will become the presidential candidate for the Republican party… so I guess this won’t be the first time I’ll be filling out a bracket with absolutely no idea what I’m doing.

Violence vs. sex: the free speech debate

I came across this really interesting article on the TIME website today, and I really liked it because of how thought-provoking it was. “A Supreme Double Standard” essentially talks about how, earlier this week, a ban on violent video games was overruled by the Supreme Court; this, of course, was because such a ban would be hindering free speech. I usually have pretty strong opinions in matters such as these, but this article really got me thinking.

Now, I think that in an ideal world, violent video games would not exist. But realistically, I understand that they exist and probably will continue to do so. If someone wants to sit on their couch and pretend to gun down a computerized person on their TV, then fine. I personally have better things to do with my time, but that is not the point… The point is, these video games are considered to be free speech. However, this article brings up some good arguing points.

To start, what happens when these video games become more realistic (which they inevitably will be)? As described in the article, future video games will probably include more sensory components; a gamer in the future will probably have the ability to “kill” someone and virtually “feel” the blood splatter. Disgusting, but possible. We have already gotten to the point where some video games include torture, murder, rape, and so forth… In fact,

“In the game Postal II, players (you guessed it) “go postal” by, among other things, attacking schoolgirls with shovels and decapitating them.”

Absolutely deplorable. Only someone with serious issues would think that a game like that was fun.

 

But then the article states this:

“It is no great surprise that the court refused to accept a state ban on violent video games — even one limited to minors. Last year, in the case of United States v. Stevens, the court had a chance to rule that videos showing extreme cruelty to animals — including ones showing puppies being crushed to death by women in stiletto heels — are not protected by the First Amendment. Instead, the court struck down a federal law banning animal-cruelty videos.”

I feel absolutely sick reading that paragraph. It is beyond me how animal cruelty videos are not banned… animal cruelty is illegal, soooo why should you be able to produce videos depicting those acts? I know, this is a whole different topic. But my point is that I believe this is way too much leniency when it comes to violence.

 

So then the question is, when does violence cross the line?

On to the second arguing point — the one which I really did not spend much time thinking about until today. Why are we so accepting of violence in our society, but so opposed to anything too overtly sexual?

You could argue that our society is over-sexualized, which I agree with. Our children are being pressured to grow up faster than ever and are encouraged to become “sexy” at young ages (Abercrombie selling push-up bikini tops to elementary schoolers?!)… just read “The Lolita Effect” if you don’t believe me (It’s actually a really good book, so you should also read it even if you do believe me). But this article is pointing out something entirely different.

For example, why are movies so quick to get the NC-17 rating when they have explicit sex scenes, but not when there are scenes of torture, gore, and violence? Why was there such an uproar over the Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” at the Super Bowl a few years back, but there is such an abundance of graphic violence on virtually every TV station? According to a Parents Television Council article, between the years of 1998 and 2006, violence increased in every time slot on TV. Specifically:

• Violence during the 8:00 p.m. Family Hour has increased by 45%
• Violence during the 9:00 p.m. hour has increased by 92%
• Violence during the 10:00 p.m. hour has increased by 167%

And yes, there has undoubtably been an increase is sexuality on television. But in general, violence seems to be much more widely accepted in the media than sexuality is. The TIME article states:

“Justice Stephen Breyer, one of the two dissenters in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, pointed out the court’s double standard. “What sense does it make,” he asked, “to forbid selling to a 13-year-old boy a magazine with an image of a nude woman, while protecting a sale to that 13-year-old of an interactive video game in which he actively, but virtually, binds and gags the woman, then tortures and kills her?”"

“What sense, indeed. Breyer went further: “What kind of First Amendment would permit the government to protect children by restricting sales of that extremely violent video game only when the woman — bound, gagged, tortured, and killed — is also topless?”"

 Great point, Mr. Breyer. I am 100% following you.

I know that you could spend a lifetime debating if violence and/or sex should be banned in certain media, but it is truly hard for someone to argue that there is not a double standard when it comes to the legality of the two topics. Do we, as a society, need to become more tolerant of sexuality? Or should we tone down the violence that is so rampant among us? The two topics are not treated equally, so it’s interesting to think about what a double standard it is.

Raising our children to become nerds…

Today I found this really great blog on CNN, which was written by LZ Granderson, who also writes for ESPN. It is about how, as a father, Granderson sees that the majority of kids are pushed to excel in athletics more than they are pushed to excel in, say, the spelling bee. He writes:

“But one thing I’ve noticed over the years is that while everyone from his coaches to other parents and even family members are quick to point out his potential to earn a college scholarship, they do so with all of the emphasis on his athletic prowess. No one — and I mean, no one — ever brings up his grades, a shame considering he has a 3.86 in an international baccalaureate program, studies Chinese, currently is in debate camp and has wanted to go to Stanford since the fifth grade.”

He emphasizes that our society plans Super Bowl parties and worships athletes who have multi-million dollar contracts. And our nation’s teachers? They get paid practically nothing and aren’t living the “good life” that their students’ favorite basketball players are enjoying.

And I love this portion of the blog:

“At times, my son gets concerned that his bookish qualities may interfere with his social life. I just remind him that in the heart of hard economic times, 33 of 50 states increased the amount spent on prisons while decreasing dollars spent on K-12 and higher education. So while he’s worrying about being cool, the job market is getting smaller and more competitive and our government is preparing to send more people to jail.”

Additionally, Granderson writes:

“I finally figured out that if I wanted my son to really embrace education, I had to take the lead. Not by downplaying his accomplishments on the field but by elevating the importance of his work in the classroom. So I smile in the doorway when I walk into a room to see him reading for fun the same way I smile when I look out into the backyard to see him working on his dribbling.”

It’s a short blog entry, but it’s simple and to-the-point. I think most parents in our country would learn something from reading this brief opinion article!

Bristol Palin’s “adult eyes”

Ohhhh, Bristol.

Our favorite abstinence-preaching single mother is now on the road promoting her new book, “Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far,” and I can only assume that she is wrapping up her oh-so-anticipated reality TV show at this point as well. “Not Afaid” is an autobiography about the 20-year-old single mom, who analyzes her life with “adult eyes” and tells stories of her youth… since she is so grown up now, of course.

This “Good Morning America” clip highlights portions of the book, such as Bristol having her virginity “stolen” by her then-boyfriend/later-fiance/now-enemy Levi Johnston, and Bristol slamming the McCain family, essentially calling them spoiled, stuck-up fame-seekers.

During that GMA interview, Bristol was asked about what her son will think about this book when he grows older; what will his reaction be when he finds out his mom called his dad a “gnat” in her autobiography? Bristol said she’s not worried about it, but honestly I don’t think she had even thought about that before. This girl is obviously obsessed with the limelight and wants to milk her celebrity status for as long as she can… she’s not thinking about the repercussions at all. This poor little boy will realize when he’s older that his mom sold out his dad for money (and his dad essentially did the same thing… great role models) and essentially took no responsibility for any of her own actions. She claims that her virginity was “stolen,” but is quick to say that she is not accusing Levi of rape. It wasn’t her idea to have sex, she was on birth control at the time… the explanations and excuses go on and on.

Bristol needs to stop doing these interviews because she is continually digging herself a deeper and deeper hole… but then, what would I write about?

Package-free groceries?

At first it sounded odd, but now I am completely in love with the idea. This TIME article is about the first package-free grocery store, called in.gredients, that will be opening in Austin, TX this coming fall.

We all know that recycling and waste management is something that has been in the spotlight for a while… we are (hopefully) all trying to leave less of a carbon footprint and be more eco-friendly. A few years ago, grocery stores began selling reusable grocery bags as an alternative to customers who wanted to stop collecting plastic bags. Now, consumers in Austin who shop at in.gredients will be able to bring their own containers to pick up groceries, so there is virtually no packaging whatsoever. No boxes, no bags, no plastic, no trash.

I just moved last week and had to throw out trash bags full of packaging from purchasing new furniture: tiny plastic bags that contained knuts and bolts, big cardboard boxes, etc. I felt so guilty that I was just chucking all this waste away. If I could shop at a package-less store, I would feel much better about not leaving as much waste behind.

The ideal world would be package-free I guess (sorry marketing people… I know that packaging is a big part of your life), but until we reach that point, this new package-free grocery idea is a step in the right direction. Check out the video:

The Weiner debacle

Just a couple of months ago I wrote about Rep. Anthony Weiner and his arguments on Fox News. Well, well, well. He’s made it into the news again. I won’t bore you with the details, since this news is weeks old, but Weiner-gate? Yeah, what a joke. I only wish I had been in the States when this whole story broke — you bet I would have been sarcastically posting on this blog 24/7.

So my question now is, are all government politicians complete perverts, or is this a national trend and somehow just the politicians are getting caught? You would think that if taking pictures of your junk was commonplace for everyone, that the high-ups in the business world would be publically humiliated just as often. But you don’t see pictures of the CEO of Johnson & Johnson looking smolderingly into a cell phone camera screen with no clothes on (just an example, I have no idea who he/she is). It’s just Weiner and other government workers like Rep. Chris Lee, R-N.Y, who resigned after being caught sending shirtless photos of himself over Craigslist.

Now, I’m not saying that inappropriate “sexting” doesn’t happen everywhere else. There are idiots everywhere who think that posting nude pictures on “private” Internet sites won’t turn into a scandal. Like celebrities. What the hell are they thinking?? Just like politicians, they seem to think that making sex tapes, sending inappropriate pictures, etc. is completely okay and then they are mortified and shocked when the video/picture leaks. Kim Kardashian? Paris Hilton? Vanessa Hudgens? etc.. etc.. etc..

I’m thinking that maybe this is an “I’m in the public eye and have quite the large ego” thing… or maybe us peons are continually getting caught doing the same things, but no one really seems to care. Who knows. But all I’m saying is this: If you are in the public spotlight and part of the national government, keep it in your pants and turn the cameras off. And while you’re at it, maybe cool off when it comes to the extramarital affairs (Ahem, Gov. Mark Sanford… thank you for embarassing my state. Oh and Arnold? This goes for you too.), cut back on the whole prostitution thing (What’s that you say, Elliot Spitzer? Oh, yeah, as a result of the scandal you now have your own television show. Nice.), and try not to come on to people of the same sex in airport bathrooms (Remember Larry Craig?).

And we cannot forget the other greats, such as Mark Foley, the Florida Congressman who sent illicit e-mails and messages to his congressional pages (FYI: Pages are HIGH SCHOOL KIDS who run errands for the congress members). Or Jim McGreevey, the Democrat from New Jersey who was caught having an extramarital affair… with a man. Oh, and John Edwards. Yeah, Mr. Edwards isn’t doing too well after fathering a secret lovechild and using campaign contributions to take care of his mistress (while his wife suffered from terminal cancer).

I could keep going, but you get the point. And the more I continue to write, the more my confidence in the government plunges.

But I just want to say farewell to Mr. Weiner… I’m sure we’ll see you sometime soon, hosting your own TV show or something.