Probably not the last word on this topic

I'd be interested to hear what all the die-hard McCain supporters have to say about the soon-to-be-former Gov. Sarah Palin these days.

Not those at the national level. I want to hear from the locals, from people in my town or yours who were quick to back her up, to say they liked her, that McCain had made such a fantastic choice of a "maverick" to help him run the country.


Upon playing her latest hand, she showed exactly what she is made of. Which, bottom line, is not much. She lacks substance; she lacks stamina. She can be an anti-intellectual all she likes. But the fact is, I — and most other Americans — in fact, want an intellectual to run the country. We want someone smarter and more experienced than we are. John McCain actually embodied those characteristics; Sarah Palin did not and never will.

And I think it's a fact beyond notice at this point. Take a look at the Wall Street Journal
— their take is absolutely right.

Palin is delusional. She will never see herself as others see her. But lucky for us, enough of the rest of the country does that we are safe from her lack of experience, lack of vision, lack of thoughtfulness.

But we never know what lies ahead, do we?

Throwback

It is 2009. Of this fact, I am quite sure.

Then I read the headlines in the news. And for a moment, it feels as if we've gone back in time about 40 years.

It's funny. We claim to be such a great nation - liberty and opportunity for all, a place where anyone's dreams can come true. But apparently, we are still not above looking at a group of black children and deciding we don't want to associate with *their* kind.

So far, my children are being taught better. They support the rights of women, of minorities, of gays and lesbians.

But why must we wait until they are in charge before things change?

A Festooned Fourth

Of all the things I missed while living abroad, the Fourth of July is the one I always come back to.

Nothing is quite like Independence Day in the USA. Perhaps I'm just nostalgic, longing for the idea of a holiday steeped in vintage Americana - the feel of small-town America circa 1910. Or maybe it is truly an appreciation of everything this less-than-perfect but still promising country has to offer.

In any event, I felt strangely empty not celebrating July 4th. I missed the parades and the fireworks, the rousing patriotic tunes and the red, white & blue.

This year, for the first time, we are part of the Ninth Street Hill Festooned Fourth, a display of flags and colors. Up and down our street - a fairly busy, main thoroughfare through the city and just south of downtown - the houses are decorated with flags. Over 600 flags - and yards and yards of red, white, and blue bunting - adorn houses and porches of the neighborhood, a true Victorians statement of patriotism.


Small flags line the sidewalks up down the six blocks of Ninth Street Hill.


One of my favorite flags is the Bicentennial Flag - I have very fond memories of the summer of 1976.


On our own house hangs the flag of The Bucks of America, the only all-African-American regiment of the Revolutionary War.

There are so many reasons I am proud of my country. I am in absolute awe of our Constitution and the way it was so brilliantly crafted. I admire our founding fathers and mothers and all they gave for our freedom, their wisdom and they established this fledgling nation and lived through many years of unrest to realize their dream. And though others would challenge it, I still believe in the principles on which this country was founded: freedom of speech, separation of church and state, and the right of all to pursue their individual beliefs and dreams of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

And every four years, I am reminded that we have a peaceful transition of power, something not all countries can claim. We have the right to vote for our leaders, and we have the right to voice our dissent. These are rights not to be taken for granted.

So each time I see those flags flying, I am reminded of what my life here means and how very fortunate we are. Which is probably why I became nostalgic on those holidays spent on foreign soil. And why I appreciate where I came from even more.

Long may it wave.

Filibusters

A mere eight months after the November elections, and the Senate is full.

Democratic challenger Al Franken has been declared the winner in the Minnesota Senate race, defeating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled him the winner Wednesday after a protracted recount battle.

The margin of victory was razor-thin, with a mere 312 votes separating Coleman and Franken, out of nearly 2.9 million votes cast. It's hard to blame Coleman for challenging the outcome of the election. However, the results should have been decided in a speedier manner - eight months is a long time to wait for the outcome of an election.

Franken has said he will work hard to represent all the people of Minnesota. As he should - he received only 43 percent of the vote. There was a third-party candidate, and Franken would be wise to remember that 57 percent of voters wanted someone else in the Senate.

Much has been made of the Democrats' new filibuster-proof majority. People are up in arms about the power the party now has and how it can be abused. But there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

First of all, there is no guarantee that all Democrats will agree on everything. Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter may be a Democrat now, but there are no guarantees he will vote with them all the time. Nor will Joe Lieberman, or Jim Webb, or Bernard Saunders, or Evan Bayh, or any number of other fairly moderate Democrats.

Secondly, the filibuster is in the Senate rules. There is no reason for either party to not use it. Democrats would use it against Republicans, and the Republicans have every right to try and use it against the Democrats. This isn't something modern-day Repubs. or Dems. came up with just to get under the skin of the opposition - it was written into the rules of order years ago; the modern filibuster practices go back to around 1917, though it has been around in some form since the 1780s.

And the 60 votes needed to end the filibuster? Also in the rules. (Though 67 votes were needed until that rule was changed in 1975.) To argue that one party or the other is abusing power is absurd - they are only using the power that has already been established.

Al Franken brings no guarantees to the U.S. Senate. But he does bring the much-needed 100th vote to the chamber. A chamber that needs to get busy taking care of business.

Cheers for the United Way

Attended the Vanguard Reception for the United Way earlier this week.

It was a lovely, albeit low-key event. I enjoyed having a couple (or three) glasses of wine, chatting with friends, gazing at the art at Westwood.

But mostly, it was gratifying to be in the company of so many people who give so much of their time, talent, and money to support the United Way and the work it does for the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette.

I was humbled to be a part of it.