South Carolina has a long history of dingbat politicians, the kind that have sought to arbitrarily nullify federal power (1828-1833; anti-civil rights) and the kind who led the Secession movement kindling the American Civil War; so it's no wonder its current governor (Mark Sanford) is trying to play similarly incendiary games in 2009. Other clowns in the arena are the governors of Texas (Rick Perry), Louisiana (Piyush "Bobby" Jindal), and of Jefferson Davis' Mississippi (Haley Barbour). These people are so transparently angling for power yet also so equally stupid, I hope they all run for president in 2012. Compare their nullification stance with the governor of California's approach:
Fresh off a grueling budget battle in his state, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Saturday that if fellow Republican governors threatening to turn down stimulus funds follow through on their pledge, he'd be happy to have their share. (Source: Andy Barr, "Arnold: I'll take govs' money," 2/21-22/2009, http://www.politico.com/)
Time may keep on slippin,' slippin,' slippin' into the future, but what goes around comes around -- over and over again, with a twist. See, for example, Howard Fineman, The Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates that Define and Inspire Our Country [i.e. the USA] (2009).
Today's Rune: Initiation.
Today's Rune:
5 comments:
Jindal used to be a pretty smart cookie until he let power and the Republican party go to his head.
A snippet from Bobby Jindal's article, "Beating a Demon: Physical Dimensions of Spiritual Warfare" (12/1994). Wild stuff, mentioned by Bill Maher this very night, Friday the 13th:
Then Susan started saying words like "visions" instead of nightmares, and I began to get worried and scared. I had always known that Susan was a charismatic Christian, but had thought little of what such labels meant. She had told me of speaking in tongues during certain prayers and even seeing visions in her dreams as a child, but I had never pushed her to talk about such things. I figured that what I did not know could not hurt me. How wrong I was!
Susan started describing various odors (which others would later ascribe to the sulfur that supposedly accompanies the devil), sounds, and appearances that both she and her roommate had witnessed. They had even called maintenance, which had found the odors but not the cause. Her roommate, neither charismatic nor Christian, had seen, heard, and smelled the same things, but had not known how to interpret the events. I was about to hear Susan's understanding of her visions and the accompanying disturbances.
(goes on to describe helping out with an exorcism -- awesome!)
. . . While Alice and Louise held Susan, her sister continued holding the Bible to her face. Almost taunting the evil spirit that had almost beaten us minutes before, the students dared Susan to read biblical passages. She choked on certain passages and could not finish the sentence "Jesus is Lord." Over and over, she repeated "Jesus is L..L..LL," often ending in profanities. In between her futile attempts, Susan pleaded with us to continue trying and often smiled between the grimaces that accompanied her readings of Scripture. Just as suddenly as she went into the trance, Susan suddenly reappeared and claimed "Jesus is Lord.".
Man, this guy would be a handy president during an outbreak of demon attacks ;->
All bankers and politicians can go straight back to the hell they came from.
I've secretly wanted to be a banker or politician ever since I was wee high to a grasshopper. Then again, being a convict teacher ain't so bad -- at least I'm honest.
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