The one woman in the mission is probably neglected from mention because she stayed inside the shuttle, and didn't venture outdoors, though she did capture the Hubble with a robotic arm. Nonetheless, the point of this column is to juxtapose real, tough, American hombres and wimpy, whiny, bureaucratic politicians, primarily that witch Nancy Pelosi. This is another one of those in the stable of the Journal's right-wingers.
The news inundates us now with daily battle reports from the low-grade war that is America's politics. One cost is a national preoccupation with failure.
National preoccupation? Some people focus on success.
Politics always and forever is about the failure of others. President Obama appears before us daily, and that ensures we will hear again about "the failed policies of the past." The laws of political physics then require that his opponents crack back at his manifest failures. To spend all one's time with politics is to marinate in failure.
Well, the policies of Bush and Cheney were failures, did fail.
It becomes easy to forget that most people go to work each day to succeed, not fail. Still, it was startling last week to catch sight on TV of men floating in space. This was Servicing Mission 4, NASA's long-scheduled flight to fix the space-based Hubble telescope. It was pure success. Anyone able to avert their eyes the past week from Speaker of the House Pelosi swimming in her own marinade of failure could have watched a team of Americans doing miracles in space for days.
Many people didn't avert their eyes, nor give much time to focusing on the Speaker, or on Republicans attacking her, wallowing in their own marinade of failure. We have jobs to do, and success to pursue.
On the first long spacewalk last Thursday -- and just about the time federal employee Nancy Pelosi was wrestling with the press over the meaning of "briefing" -- Astronauts Grunsfeld and Feustel installed a new camera and data-handling unit to beam images back here. On Friday, Massimino and Mike Good replaced six gyroscopes. That took eight hours. The next day Grunsfeld and Feustel fixed a camera not designed for repairs in space. After Massimino's Sunday battle with the bolt, Monday was kind of a Home-Depot day, installing new insulation.
Thursday? Let me see? Was that the day that federal employee John Boehner and former federal employee Newt Gingrich, along with other federal employees, were attacking Pelosi, wrestling with the meaning of the word lying?
Lessons abound in what one witnessed during the 11-day mission to restore the legendary Hubble, which ends tomorrow when the astronauts land in Florida. Here's one: Like the Hubble team, try to be lucky enough once in life to be part of a great project worked by great people -- the early Microsoft or Genentech, the Manhattan Project, the 1927 New York Yankees, many now-gone Wall Street financial "shops" at the top of their game, or the Iraq surge.
Opposed to the '27 Yankees might be such enterprises as the remains of now-gone Wall Street "shops" brought to failure (there's that word again) by incompetents, Ronald Reagan's ignominious retreat after the 1982 the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon, and Gingrich's contract with America.
Depends how you look at it.
Showing posts with label Nancy Pelosi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nancy Pelosi. Show all posts
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
First Lady’s Guests Reflect Speech Themes
Michelle Obama, center, flanked by, from left, Dina Leach, Ty’Sheoma Bethea, Officer Richard DeCoatsworth of the Philadelphia police and Jill Biden.
More Photos >
February 25, 2009
First Lady’s Guests Reflect Speech Themes
By MICHAEL FALCONE
WASHINGTON — Seated in Michelle Obama’s box on Tuesday night were living symbols of the ideas in President Obama’s first speech to a joint session of Congress, including a bank executive, Leonard Abess, who shared a vast fortune with his employees, and an eighth-grade student from South Carolina, Ty’Sheoma Bethea, who in a letter had urged Congress not to neglect education financing.
Mr. Obama used a line in Ty’Sheoma’s letter, “We are not quitters,” as one of his closing themes.
Mr. Abess split $60 million among several hundred current and former workers at his bank.
Other guests sitting with Mrs. Obama included Lilly M. Ledbetter, whose Supreme Court case resulted in Congressional action to prevent wage discrimination, and Jonathon N. James, an Army veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan.
Bob Dixson, the mayor of Greensburg, Kan., which was destroyed by a tornado in May 2008, was also invited. Mr. Obama praised the spirit of that community, which is being redeveloped as an energy-efficient “green town.”
Two other guests were sophomores at Washington high schools, Akrem Muzemil and Francisco Rodriguez. Both plan on attending college and are interested in studying engineering.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger III, the pilot who safely landed a jetliner in the Hudson River last month, saving 150 passengers and four other crew members. Mr. Sullenberger’s first officer and a flight attendant also sat in the speaker’s box.
Ms. Pelosi also chose to give two of the prime seats to labor leaders, John J. Sweeney, president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., and Anna Burger, secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union.
More Photos >
February 25, 2009
First Lady’s Guests Reflect Speech Themes
By MICHAEL FALCONE
WASHINGTON — Seated in Michelle Obama’s box on Tuesday night were living symbols of the ideas in President Obama’s first speech to a joint session of Congress, including a bank executive, Leonard Abess, who shared a vast fortune with his employees, and an eighth-grade student from South Carolina, Ty’Sheoma Bethea, who in a letter had urged Congress not to neglect education financing.
Mr. Obama used a line in Ty’Sheoma’s letter, “We are not quitters,” as one of his closing themes.
Mr. Abess split $60 million among several hundred current and former workers at his bank.
Other guests sitting with Mrs. Obama included Lilly M. Ledbetter, whose Supreme Court case resulted in Congressional action to prevent wage discrimination, and Jonathon N. James, an Army veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan.
Bob Dixson, the mayor of Greensburg, Kan., which was destroyed by a tornado in May 2008, was also invited. Mr. Obama praised the spirit of that community, which is being redeveloped as an energy-efficient “green town.”
Two other guests were sophomores at Washington high schools, Akrem Muzemil and Francisco Rodriguez. Both plan on attending college and are interested in studying engineering.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger III, the pilot who safely landed a jetliner in the Hudson River last month, saving 150 passengers and four other crew members. Mr. Sullenberger’s first officer and a flight attendant also sat in the speaker’s box.
Ms. Pelosi also chose to give two of the prime seats to labor leaders, John J. Sweeney, president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., and Anna Burger, secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Bush's Influence in Final Days
This caught my attention: In an article about the Detroit bailout bill being negotiated between the White House and Congress, Bush's influence is discussed. The phrasing is particular.
The White House has outmaneuvered Congress many times, on topics including the war in Iraq and surveillance powers. But this was a rare instance of the speaker backtracking on an issue of significance, something that has happened rarely since she rose to power in 2006.
The White House has outmaneuvered Congress many times, on topics including the war in Iraq and surveillance powers. But this was a rare instance of the speaker backtracking on an issue of significance, something that has happened rarely since she rose to power in 2006.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Trick or Treat
Top 10 Ways the G.O.P. Plans to Celebrate Halloween
Frank Santopadre - October 30, 2008
Frank Santopadre - October 30, 2008
10. Assure President Bush that the shamrock and leprechaun decorations look great
9. Add fun “apple bobbing feature” to water-boarding procedures
8. Claim Obama supporter attacked trick-or-treater and carved letter “B” in her pumpkin
7. Arrange photo-op of McCain giving out candy at each of his 9 houses
6. Prank call Barney Frank's house; ask if he has “some guy named Albert in his can”
5. Take Cindy McCain trick-or-treating at Merck and Pfizer factories
4. Dress unqualified Alaska governor in funny Vice President costume
3. Set fire to Bill of Rights, leave on Pelosi's doorstep, ring bell, run
2. Station Klan members in black voting districts; insist they're just trick-or-treaters dressed as ghosts
1. Wait until dark, watch Cheney turn into a bat
Photo illustration by Hamish Robertson.
Friday, May 30, 2008
The Trap: Clinton's "Briarpatch" Strategy For The DNC Rules Committee Meeting
Bloggers, as a rule, know it all. And at the Huffington Post the self-righteousness is raised to an art form. Yet this is an intriguing post.
Barack Obama and Howard Dean are about to walk into Harold Ickes' trap tomorrow, and they aren't likely to even realize their mistake until Hillary Clinton cries "foul!" next week and announces that "justice" and "voters' rights" are forcing her to carry her campaign all the way to the Democratic Convention next August.
Even if they are that simple-minded, Speaker Pelosi is waiting to end this thing.
By leaning toward implementing a compromise "split the baby" decision tomorrow on how to allocate the Michigan and Florida delegates ... will actually be ... are giving her exactly the excuse she wants to continue her Quixotic campaign.
Remains to be seen. Still, this blogger is sure: The rules meeting is a trap. It's a trap, and the Obama campaign and the Democratic Party are about to walk blindly into it.
Are they that naive? If they can't parry with Ickes, the GOP will annihilate them.
Barack Obama and Howard Dean are about to walk into Harold Ickes' trap tomorrow, and they aren't likely to even realize their mistake until Hillary Clinton cries "foul!" next week and announces that "justice" and "voters' rights" are forcing her to carry her campaign all the way to the Democratic Convention next August.
Even if they are that simple-minded, Speaker Pelosi is waiting to end this thing.
By leaning toward implementing a compromise "split the baby" decision tomorrow on how to allocate the Michigan and Florida delegates ... will actually be ... are giving her exactly the excuse she wants to continue her Quixotic campaign.
Remains to be seen. Still, this blogger is sure: The rules meeting is a trap. It's a trap, and the Obama campaign and the Democratic Party are about to walk blindly into it.
Are they that naive? If they can't parry with Ickes, the GOP will annihilate them.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Pelosi vows to prevent fight at Dem convention
Finally somebody speaks sensibly, and with some force. It's past due. And Speaker Pelosi will do it, without a doubt; she took on Bush, when he tried to force Congress to vote on the Free Trade agreement with Colombia: she changed the rules, and that was that.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she will step in if necessary to make sure the presidential nomination fight between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama does not reach the Democratic National Convention – though she believes it could be resolved as early as next week.
To make sure; that needed to be said.
Addressing the question of Michigan and Florida: She said the party committee will come up with a formula that is "fair and accepted by both campaigns," perhaps allowing the states 50 percent of their delegates. But "if the resolution is not appropriate, then it remains for the (Democratic National Convention) credentials committee to resolve it," she said. Then, "it will have to happen by the end of June" or she will intervene, she said.
At least somebody has the guts to take on the tough issues.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she will step in if necessary to make sure the presidential nomination fight between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama does not reach the Democratic National Convention – though she believes it could be resolved as early as next week.
To make sure; that needed to be said.
Addressing the question of Michigan and Florida: She said the party committee will come up with a formula that is "fair and accepted by both campaigns," perhaps allowing the states 50 percent of their delegates. But "if the resolution is not appropriate, then it remains for the (Democratic National Convention) credentials committee to resolve it," she said. Then, "it will have to happen by the end of June" or she will intervene, she said.
At least somebody has the guts to take on the tough issues.
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The ones that didn't make the list: Make Sarah Palin wear a Dan Quayle costume in hopes of creating a more intelligent image. All trick or treaters visiting the Vice-Presidential residence get a list of the names of CIA operatives dropped in their goody bags.