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N O T E S F R O M T H E C A F E F I A S C O
Volume 9, Number 2 - September 2004
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REPUBLICAN NATIONALISM CONVENTION - DAYS 1 & 2
COVERAGE
Am I the only one who considers it ironic that the only full coverage of the propaganda event in New York is PBS? PBS, of course, would be smothered in it's bed by almost any of the delegates to the convention if given half a chance. Just another example to the fact that there's real downsides to being fair and balanced even if you're not Fox News.
Peter Jennings was funny on Tuesday. He got on the air at 10pm in just enough time to say: "Now, here's Aaaarrrrrnold!!!" And then, after Laura Bush told us what a great guy her husband was, he got just enough time to say, "That was Laura Bush. She's the First Lady. Right, George?" to which George Stephanopolus said, "Yup" and then they turned it over to the local news.
On the other hand, PBS had their crack team of resident historians trying to put gross simplifications, distortions, and outright lies in historical context. I've learned more about William Howard Taft in those couple of days than I ever wanted to know.
The best part of the coverage was the cutaway to Peter Jennings that Al Michaels did from Monday Night Football during half time. We Americans really have our priorities straight.
LAURA BUSH
There's something about the cock of the head and the way that she looks out at you that belies a stainless steel spine. For all the ballyhoo about W being "resolute," it's clear to me that Laura is the person with the cojones in the family and I, for one, would not want to cross her. Think of that school librarian with the ruler from your you who made your blood run cold when she told you to be quiet in the library.
RANDOM NOTES
- We don't need your molly-coddling, flip-flopping, Saddam-loving, irresolute, weak, lawyer-loving, America-blaming, family-hating, crap. We're the party of compassion.
- Suits. So many suits. Did the guys from Wall Street stumble across town to attend the convention? Well, I guess they did.
- John McCain: "Why am I here? Why am I doing this? This guy tried to kill me politically four years ago. He spread racist rumors about my child. Oh, well ... okay, let's all be afraid about terrorism."
- Rudy Gulliani: A good enough speech to put him up at the head of the line for 2008. Everyone forgets that Gulianni was universally hated in New York before September 11th. Osama Bin Laden was the best thing that ever happened to him. Maybe he'll run with Osama as Vice-President next time up.
- George P. Bush: The young good-looking Mexican American lawyer nephew from Texas. Oh, no. There's another generation of these guys?
- Arnold Schwartzneger: Winner of the Ronald Reagan - Horatio Alger Award for Immigrants Ending up in Strange Positions in the American Society and Claiming that Anyone Can Do It.
- Health Care: It seems that all the problems with the health care system can be fixed if we can just eliminate Personal Injury lawyers. This is like saying that we can solve the high cost of owning your own home by eliminating plumbers.
- Secretary of Education Page on No Child Left Behind: "Teachers and students are beaming with pride." Be sure to bring your shades with you the next time that you drop the kids off at school.
- "There's only one America!" And we run it.
- Tuesday is Compassion Night: And we'd like to welcome all of the African Americans and women in our party to front er ... celebrate this oxymoron.
- The Twins: "Barbara: Hi, we're Barbara and Jenna. We're young, good looking, rich, and totally irrelevant. If you want to be irrelevant too, we're role models. Jenna: "For sure."
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"Notes From the Cafe Fiasco" is sort-of-written, sort-of-edited, and sort-of-published whenever the Muses allow by Marshall T. Spriggs. (Subscribers will probably note that the Muses have been kicking my butt of late.) Misconception, writing, and production are supervised by the spirit of the 13 pound fuzzy Perfect Master - Koji Spriggs and his vocal successor Smudge. Unsubscribing is easy. Send a note to me and I will take you off of the list. No problem. If you wish to continue to be receive this excuse for wisdom, do nothing. But remember: not to decide is to decide.
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