Sunday, October 26, 2008

It's ubiquitous, alas.

The Palm Springs Public Library, Dear Gentle Reader(s), recently sponsored a panel discussion about issues in the upcoming election.  A little review of the second hour of the proceedings indicates that the Democratic speakers are still polite enough to silence themselves when interrupted rudely and that Republican speakers (at least on the local level) are ill-informed on some issues and alarmingly naive on others. 

What to do?

The most glaring problem arose in the discussion about immigration reform.  The Republicans took the bait and ran with it.  Finally, though, this caused some consternation:  "They're not allowed to inspect more than 1 truck in 3 because of NAFTA!"  That's a fib.  Perhaps an outright lie, except that it was spoken in the self-generated heat of the moment, and perhaps the speaker didn't really know it wasn't true.  But, Dear(s), the Constitution and its subsequent laws are not suicide pacts.

Here's a quote from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, given to a House committee, dated March 13, 2007:

All commercial truck cross-border traffic must stop at a designated border crossing. As required by statute and regulation, each truck will be processed at the border, using automated systems to assist in determining whether the cargo, truck, and driver are admissible and whether any of the elements pose a security, immigration, agriculture, or smuggling risk.

That means all trucks must stop and be inspected, not 1, all.

Another moment which gave pause came when the Republican woman, responding to an inquiry as to why the name Hussein has been used at some McCain campaign venues, said that those people scared her to death. 

Let's see.  History tells us of JOHN Wilkes Booth, JOHN Hinckley, so, does JOHN McCain also scare her?  Perhaps he should.

There is one sign of hope from the Republicans, they both indicated that Congress should be fired.  One wonders if they are true to their word and are willing to "fire" our representative, Mrs. Mary Bono Mack.  If so, from their lips to...

Republican partisans this year are not doing well in selling their message. 

The rest of us should trust, but verify.

No on 8.

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The courage of your conviction virtually demands your name, if we don't know you.