Saturday, June 21, 2014

I Get Published (Twice)

Yeah, it's just letters to the editor.

Congrats to candidates Matt Doheny and Elise Stefanik on the AQ ratings from the NRA. Highest rating! The NRA recently affirmed support for a group called Open Carry Texas. OCT was in the news for showing up at restaurants with assault rifles slung across their backs. It would be interesting to know if there are any questions on the test pertaining to open carry laws.

All the candidates running for representative have expressed support for the rights of hunters. I don’t believe that is where the argument is joined, though. Anyone short of a PETA member is good with that. Me? I like living in a state where I can stop for a burger and not have to worry about the posse walking in. Gives me indigestion. Paradoxically, six with guns is better than one, though.

The NRA has become nothing more than a mouthpiece for the gun industry. I can’t see why anyone running for office still seeks their approval.

Pretty sure more people see it in the Post Star than do here, though. And that's OK because influencing the opinions of people who live in my area are is more important to me than those who stumble across my bon mots here. A little further back:

No yellow ribbons round the oak tree for Bowe Bergdahl in Monday’s “Street-Wise.” Four out of five have him convicted of desertion and are willing to outsource the punishment to the Taliban. Bergdahl may be guilty of desertion, but if he is, he should be convicted in a court martial and serve his time in Leavenworth. I’d like to speculate if you asked these five people to name the greatest president of the past 100 years, at least three of them would say Ronald Reagan.

Here’s a history lesson for the young folks: Reagan traded arms for hostages numerous times with the Iranians. And while that was going on, Donald Rumsfeld was palling around in Iraq with Saddam Hussein.
And did I mention his administration was also supplying weapons to a group in Afghanistan led by Osama bin Laden? And for good measure, in violation of Congress, they were funding a group of “freedom fighters” in Nicaragua called the Contras. The scare quotes are there because most sentient beings would consider the Contras to have been terrorists. The hypocrisy of Oliver North to criticize the Bergdahl deal is off the charts.

Do yourself a favor and read up on the Iran-Contra affair. Fascinating stuff. Better than le Carre.
After that, you can look at the events in Beirut during those years and contrast it with Benghazi.
You’ll see why the Republican-led Congress is more interested in ginning up scandals concerning President Barack Obama and the Clintons.

By the way, Israel, not exactly a wuss in dealing with violent adversaries, trades hostages on a fairly regular basis.



Zephyr Teachout News: I had written Teachout off perhaps prematurely. The dream is still alive.

Zephyr Teachout, the Fordham law professor considering a Democratic primary challenge to Governor Andrew Cuomo, said she still hasn't made a final decision about running but is preparing to circulate petitions just in case.

No comments: