Eliot has to go?

I’m saddened to see that Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York had to resign his office. I don’t know much about the Governor even though I’m a New York resident. There have been lots of scandals it seems in recent years. It seems that public figures are just as fallible as any of us. Too often public figures are held up as role models and truth be told everyone has feet of clay. I really don’t know why it was necessary for him to resign. It seems a bit extreme. He did violate the law, but was it necessary to resign. Senator Craig got in a lot of hot water six months ago when it was revealed that he had been soliciting for sexual activity in an airport mens room. Senator Vitter’s phone number was found in the phone records of the D.C. madam and he’s stayed on in the Senate. No one was killed nor were any lives threatened by Elliott’s impropriety. What is the standard?

Our president, vice-president and many senior administration officials got us into a horrible war in Iraq where thousands of lives have been lost and they’re not resigning. A recently completed study done by the Pentagon itself reveals that there were no connections between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. These guys may not have thought they were fabricating a story, but they were and now we’re stuck there and it’s costing us $330 million a day. Elliott spent $80,000 of his own money on prostitutes and he resigns. Something is wrong with that picture.

We are choosing hope..

I love this particular video of Senator Obama. I’m supporting his candidacy because I think he can bring this country back together and that is something we sorely need.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLVN3Trs5VQ]

The people groan

The following prophetic words came from Sojourners today. I get a regular mail from Sojourners and many days like today the quotes really speak to what is going on in my life or in our national political dialog. Today was no exception.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.- Proverbs 29:2-2

Recently I heard one party describing themselves as pro-life and another as pro-choice. The pro-life party seems to be unconcerned with life after birth. As long as your unborn you have rights, but after that your rights quickly fade. You’re not entitled to health care. It’s okay for ten million children to have no health care. It’s okay to forget about the health care of war veterans. Funding for more wars is all that occupies these pro-lifers. There is a well written piece at Just Plain Foolish that talks about some of these problems in more detail.These pro-lifers are pro-capital punishment, pro-war, pro-greed. The pro-choice seems perfectly willing to talk about choice but not really provide one. They use euphemisms like “veto proof” majority to evade their responsibility both under the United States Constitution and common morality.

Colbert for President

I called Stephen Colbert with a dare: if he thought it was so easy to be a Times Op-Ed pundit, he should try it. He came right over. I had staged a coup d’moi.

read more | digg story

It’s been reported that Stephen Colbert is running for President though only in his native South Carolina. I congratulate Mr. Colbert and wish him well, his candidacy is nearly as serious as any of the other and there can be no doubt that what he says is about as likely to happen as any of the other candidates.

it’s clear that the voters are desperate for a white, male, middle-aged, Jesus-trumpeting alternative.–Stephen Colbert

No communion for you..

The Archbishop of St. Louis has stooped to a new low in threatening Rudy Giuliani with “no communion,” because of his stance on abortion. That really doesn’t strike me as something Jesus would do. Communion for most Christians even nominal ones is a sacramental rite and it was never meant as a reward and or punishment. I guess this just goes to show that even bishops can do dumb things. I’m not a supporter of Mr. Giuliani either but I think it shows some real shortsighted thinking on the part of the church and the archbishop. If communion really is the body of Christ and I believe it is, doesn’t that hold some hope as a change agent in Mr. Giuliani’s life? I think it does. In the first Eucharist even Judas receives communion and I think that’s the standard that Jesus set.

The old shell game

Be sure to read Sy Hersh’s latest on the growing threat of war with Iran. The Bush administration has been ramping up the threat and just last week the Senate gave its tacit approval to an encounter with Iran.

In a series of public statements in recent months, President Bush and members of his Administration have redefined the war in Iraq, to an increasing degree, as a strategic battle between the United States and Iran.–Seymour Hersh

Read more here.