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| The Obama rules Wed, 14 May 2008 10:50:07 -0500 If Barack Obama gets his way, the Oxford English Dictionary will have updated its definition of “distraction” by the end of the campaign: “Diversion of the mind, attention, etc., from any object or course that tends to advance the political interests of Barack Obama.” After his blowout win in North Carolina last week, Obama turned to framing the rules of the general election ahead, warning in his victory speech of “efforts to distract us.” The chief distracter happens to be the man standing between Obama and the White House, John McCain, who will “use the very same playbook that his side has used time after time in election after election.” Ah, yes, the famous distractions with which Republicans fool unwitting Americans. Ronald Reagan distracted them with the Iranian hostage crisis, high inflation and unemployment, gas lines and the loss of American prestige abroad. Then, the first George Bush distracted them with the notion of a third Reagan term, as well as the issues of taxes, crime and volunteerism. After a brief interlude of national focus during two Clinton terms, another Bush arrived wielding the dark art of distraction. Forget “bitter”; Obama must believe that most Americans suffer from an attention-deficit disorder so crippling that they can’t concentrate on their own interests or values. Obama has an acute self-interest in so diagnosing the American electorate. His campaign knows he’s vulnerable to the charge of being an elitist liberal. Unable to argue the facts, it wants to argue the law - defining his weaknesses as off-limits. The campaign can succeed in imposing these rules on the race only if the news media cooperate. Newsweek signed up for the effort in a cover story that reads like a 3,400-word elaboration of the “distraction” passage of Obama’s victory speech. “The Republican Party has been successfully scaring voters since 1968,” it says, through “innuendo and code.” McCain “may not be able to resist casting doubt on Obama’s patriotism,” and there’s a question whether he can or wants to “rein in the merchants of slime and sellers of hate.” Here are the Obama rules in detail: He can’t be called a “liberal” (“the same names and labels they pin on everyone,” as Obama puts it); his toughness on the war on terror can’t be questioned (“attempts to play on our fears”); his extreme positions on social issues can’t be exposed (“the same efforts to distract us from the issues that affect our lives” and “turn us against each other”); and his Chicago background too is off-limits (“pouncing on every gaffe and association and fake controversy”). Besides that, it should be a freewheeling and spirited campaign. Democrats always want cultural issues not to matter because they are on the least-popular side of many of them, and want patriotic symbols like the Pledge of Allegiance and flag pins to be irrelevant when they can’t manage to nominate presidential candidates who wholeheartedly embrace them (which shouldn’t be that difficult). As for “fear” and “division,” they are vaporous pejoratives that can be applied to any warning of negative consequences of a given policy or any political position that doesn’t command 100 percent assent. In his North Carolina speech, Obama said the Iraq War “has not made us safer,” and that McCain’s ideas are “out of touch” with “American values.” How fearfully divisive. We could take Obama’s rules in good faith if he never calls John McCain a “conservative” or labels him in any other way. If he never criticizes him for his association with George Bush. If he doesn’t jump on his gaffes (like McCain’s 100-years-in-Iraq comment that Obama distorted and harped on for weeks). And if he never says anything that would tend to make Americans fearful about the future or divide them (i.e., say things that some people agree with and others don’t). This is, of course, an impossible standard. Obama doesn’t expect anyone to live up to it except John McCain. |
| Two judges Tue, 13 May 2008 23:31:00 EST Voters in Jefferson County will find two nonpartisan primaries for the local bench on their ballots. |
| Getting serious about infrastructure Tue, 13 May 2008 23:20:00 EST National media pundits don't play "gotcha" with the presidential candidates over their positions on infrastructure. |
| Sports injuries Tue, 13 May 2008 23:22:00 EST While it is truly tragic that an athlete, in this case a horse, got injured and had to be euthanized, the simple truth is it happens everyday. |
| Praise for former Chief Hyde's achievement Tue, 13 May 2008 23:22:00 EST The death of Columbus James Hyde brings to mind a tumultuous period in the nation and in Louisville as the Vietnam antiwar movement gained ground, and as black residents in Louisville's segregated West End began to heat up because of perceived injustice in the handling of African-American issues. |
| Clinton will 'stand for you' Tue, 13 May 2008 23:22:00 EST Campaigning in Kentucky and across this country has been an honor and a privilege. Day after day, I've been inspired by the people I've met -- people who embrace opportunity, never waver in the face of adversity, meet hard times with hard work, and never stop believing in the promise of America. |
| Illegal vs. undocumented Tue, 13 May 2008 22:05:00 EST While the signers of Tuesday's column "Illegal is more than a word" do raise legitimate concerns about discrimination against Latinos, they criticize the media for using the word "illegal" without giving due reason for replacing that supposedly offensive word with "undocumented." |
| The post-campaign Hillary Tue, 13 May 2008 23:24:00 EST Hillary Clinton still has a lot to win this year, but not the presidency and not the vice presidency. With Barack Obama having effectively secured the Democratic presidential nomination, it is hard for the Clinton camp to focus on her successes in this contest. |
| Obamites pile on Clinton unwisely Tue, 13 May 2008 23:25:00 EST Many in the Obama camp, having outfoxed the apparently not-so-formidable Clinton machine, can't seem to get the hang of winning gracefully. They feel a need to drive a stake in Hillary Clinton's reputation, then dance. If they were smart, they'd heap praise on Clinton and let her finish out the race, however she chooses to do so. |
| Springtime is our time Tue, 13 May 2008 23:26:00 EST The beauty of May is that the whole country is more or less on the same page, called Spring, and Spring is Spring, in Minnesota or California or Georgia or Vermont. Slightly different birds and flowers, same feeling. April is blowing snow up north, and by June my friends in Georgia will be chained to their air conditioners, but here for a few weeks we are more unum than pluribus. |
| Myanmar Aid Tue, 13 May 2008 22:00:00 EST |
| Rodgers knows, loves city's heart Tue, 13 May 2008 02:03 EDT The Urban County Council District 3 is the future of Lexington. It is the most diverse, eclectic, progressive district in Lexington. District 3 is the city's heart, and our heart deserves a representative who appreciates difference, encourages understanding and works for a healthy tomorrow. I have lived on Aylesford Place almost my entire life, and I know this district. I've worked as a photographer, an organizer, a salesman, a waiter, a woodworker and an artist. I have dealt with every facet of the district. I have worked with the displaced sleeping in Phoenix Park as well as University of Kentucky officials living in gargantuan mansions. I understand the similarities between the veterans living on disability and students living on Pell Grants. I know this district in all its complexity and diversity. I love this district. We deserve a representative who will work to help the environment by creating an accessible and affordable public transportation system. We deserve a representative who will support our artistic heart, who will bring people away from their TVs and into one of the professional live music, theater, art, and dance venues in District 3. We deserve a representative who will be an advocate for the district and a unifier for the city. |
| KCTCS shouldn't cap enrollment Wed, 14 May 2008 02:06 EDT President Michael McCall always makes a passionate case for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. During the legislative session, McCall threatened to padlock 14 new community college buildings if the budget didn't provide money to operate and maintain them. He got the money. Last week, he made a passionate plea for a 13 percent increase in tuition rates. This time, he didn't get what he wanted. The Council on Postsecondary Education approved a tuition increase of 5 percent. McCall warned that the council's action, on top of a 6 percent cut in state funding, would produce a revenue crisis and require reducing enrollment by 6,000 students. We admire McCall's passion, but he should back off this hyperbolic bluff or do a better job of explaining his reasoning. |
| Latest UK recruit Wed, 14 May 2008 08:26 EDT |
| Direct Kick: Can of Corn and a Duck Snort |
| Minton will make a fine chief justice Fri, 16 May 2008 10:54:36 -0500 Kentucky Supreme Court Justice John Minton has proven through the years that he is a capable jurist who knows the law to the letter and we can think of no one better to become the next chief justice of the state’s highest court. On Monday, Minton, 56, was chosen by his colleagues to become only the fifth chief justice of the court. He will take the oath of office June 27 to replace current Chief Justice Joseph E. Lambert, who announced his retirement last month. The Bowling Green resident has had quite an impressive career in the legal profession since graduating with honors from Western Kentucky University in 1974 and from the University of Kentucky School of Law in 1977. Minton practiced law for 15 years before becoming a Warren County Circuit Court judge in 1992 and served in that position until 2003, when he was elected to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. While a circuit judge, Minton helped create the Warren County Drug Court and his commitment to these programs continues. In 2003, the Kentucky Bar Association honored him with its outstanding Judge Award. Minton is also a graduate of the National Judicial College. He was appointed to the state’s highest court in July 2006 and was elected to the post in November of that year. On the bench, he has served with distinction and integrity. As chief justice, Minton will be responsible for overseeing the schedule of the Supreme Court and the entire Administrative Office of the Courts. Everyone who knows Minton has nothing but fine things to say about his impeccable character and his integrity. Local attorney Steve Thornton has been close friends with Minton since they became fraternity brothers at Western. Thornton said Minton has been a mentor to him and that he introduced him to the bar when he became a lawyer. “It’s a pretty longstanding relationship,” Thornton said. “He had done a lot of things that I wanted to do.” Thornton says that Minton is a multifaceted person. “He’s so involved with his church, his family and children and his parents. He’s such a humble person and really understands the plight of those who are less fortunate.” Thornton said Minton is on the cutting edge of many things. “When he went on the high court two years ago there were already people speculating that he would be chief justice.” He said he believes that Minton will make a fine chief justice. Thornton also said he could see Minton on a higher court some day. “Judges are remembered for what they do on the bench and I believe John will be remembered for a long time for all he has done,” Thornton said. We agree with Thornton’s assessment and believe that Minton is a man with the integrity, character and judicial temperament to make a fine chief justice of the state’s high court. |
| Spotting an outsider Fri, 16 May 2008 10:54:24 -0500 WASHINGTON — “A full-blooded American.” That’s how 24-year-old Josh Fry of West Virginia described his preference for John McCain over Barack Obama. His feelings aren’t racist, he explained. He would just be more comfortable with “someone who is a full-blooded American as president.” Whether Fry was referring to McCain’s military service or Obama’s Kenyan father isn’t clear, but he may have hit upon something essential in this presidential race. Full-bloodedness is an old coin that’s gaining currency in the new American realm. Meaning: Politics may no longer be so much about race and gender as about heritage, core values, and made-in-America. Just as we once and still have a cultural divide in this country, we now have a patriot divide. Who “gets” America? And who doesn’t? The answer has nothing to do with a flag lapel pin, which Obama donned for a campaign swing through West Virginia, or even military service, though that helps. It’s also not about flagpoles in front yards or magnetic ribbons stuck on tailgates. It’s about blood equity, heritage and commitment to hard-won American values. And roots. Some run deeper than others and therein lies the truth of Josh Fry’s political sense. In a country that is rapidly changing demographically - and where new neighbors may have arrived last year, not last century - there is a very real sense that once-upon-a-time America is getting lost in the dash to diversity. We love to boast that we are a nation of immigrants - and we are. But there’s a different sense of America among those who trace their bloodlines back through generations of sacrifice. Meanwhile, immigration trends have shifted dramatically in the past 40 years, as growing percentages of Americans are foreign-born. In 1970, just 4.7 percent or 9.6 million people of the total population were foreign-born. By 2000, 11.1 percent or 31.1 million individuals were foreign-born, according to the Census. Contributing to the growing unease among yesterday’s Americans is the failure of the federal government to deal with the illegal-immigration fiasco. It isn’t necessarily racist or nativist to worry about what these new demographics mean to the larger American story. Yet, white Americans primarily - and Southerners, rural and small-town folks especially - have been put on the defensive for their throwback concerns with “guns, God and gays,” as Howard Dean put it in 2003. And more recently, for clinging to “guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them,” as Obama described white, working-class Pennsylvanians who preferred his opponent. The “guns, God and gays” trope has haunted Democrats, and Republicans have enjoyed dusting it off when needed to rile the locals. It’s an easy play. But so-called “ordinary Americans” aren’t so easily manipulated and they don’t need interpreters. They can spot a poser a mile off and they have a hound’s nose for snootiness. They’ve got no truck with people who condescend nor tolerance for that down-the-nose glance from people who don’t know the things they know. What they know is that their forefathers fought and died for an America that has worked pretty well for more than 200 years. What they sense is that their heritage is being swept under the carpet while multiculturalism becomes the new national narrative. And they fear what else might get lost in the remodeling of America. Republicans more than Democrats seem to get this, though Hillary Clinton has figured it out. And, the truth is, Clinton’s own DNA is cobbled with many of the same values that rural and small-town Americans cling to. She understands viscerally what Obama has to study. That God, for instance, isn’t something that comes and goes out of fashion. That clinging to religion isn’t a knee-jerk response to nativist paranoia, but is the hard work of constant faith. Likewise, clinging to guns isn’t some weird obsession so that Bubba can hang Bambi’s head over the mantel. To many gun owners, it’s a constitutional bulwark against government tyranny. As Condi Rice has noted, it wasn’t long ago in this country that blacks needed guns to protect themselves when the police would not. Some Americans do feel antipathy toward “people who aren’t like them,” but that antipathy isn’t about racial or ethnic differences. It is not necessary to repair antipathy appropriately directed toward people who disregard the laws of the land and who dismiss the struggles that resulted in their creation. Full-blooded Americans get this. Those who hope to lead the nation better get it soon. |
| Childhood today is no work and all play Fri, 16 May 2008 10:54:24 -0500 Childhood is an elastic concept, fashioned by parents, fostered by societies, mined by the marketplace, and protected by governments. Well, occasionally and then only by some. For centuries, childhood barely existed. If a child could walk, he could work. A daughter was to be bartered. Today, this remains true in many of the world’s poorest countries and Schleicher County, Texas. Historically, wealth - for the few who possessed it - translated into spending as little time with their progeny as possible. This guaranteed that their lives would be emotionally miserable despite being swaddled in comfort, giving rise to boarding schools, psychotherapy, divorce lawyers and cosmetic surgeons. Today, American children are a mixed breed. They’re culturally sophisticated - if by culture, you mean “Grand Theft Auto IV” and “Gossip Girl” - and transportationally challenged. They text at the speed of sound, spout fluent IMese, yet can’t follow a transit schedule. They’re brilliant and stupid. Just like their parents, who subsidize the flotsam and, as designated Sherpas, drive them everywhere. For nine months every year, children study hard, some very hard so they can apply to the same 27 colleges and have their young souls crushed like beetles for no apparent reason other than unrealistic expectations and pack mentality. Then, for three endless months of summer, adhering to an antiquated agrarian schedule dating back to Little House on the Prairie, they’re released into the wider world, where they’re equipped to do absolutely nothing other than master “Grand Theft Auto IV” or deconstruct “Gossip Girl” because - let’s face it - their greatest skill is hanging while spending other people’s money. Which is brilliant for them, perhaps they can grow up to be lobbyists or state senators, and stupid for the rest of us. Parents expect the same moppets who can’t be bothered to fluff and fold to get into Yale. Our children want to save the Earth, castigating the very same parents who Sherpa them everywhere for not being ecosmart, yet won’t weed. They’re growing up too fast and, then again, too slow. A few weeks ago, for a few hours, the citizenry was troubled by “backless” photos of Miley Cyrus - Shirley Temple wore less - a manufactured crisis where Disney and Conde Nast profited, when the truly troubling images were of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints’ underage brides. Our concern shouldn’t be confined to them, but for pregnant teenagers anywhere, cast away by society, girls confusing motherhood for maturity and some semblance of affection instead of a one-way ticket to poverty and dependence. Our children are more sophisticated, certainly about consumption, yet profoundly naive about responsibility. Libraries are published on parenting, but less on the children. Apparently, parenting is now a career. There are books on how to be a cool mother or a hot mother, which seems like a lot of work while upping the ick factor for the kids. I saw one book about “slacker moms,” an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one. In the end, the advice remains the same. Spend more time with the children. Listen more. Be patient. Hold your breath and try to get through adolescence. You can worry. And then you can worry more. It won’t work as well as spending time with them and listening. It might help if we all drove less, either separately or together. And guided them to be as responsible as they are culturally sophisticated. Weeding would be a good start. |
| It's about the kids Thu, 15 May 2008 22:41:00 EST Brent McKim, president of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, has a big job: to protect teachers. He's a union guy, and that's what union guys do: protect the interests of their members. |
| Knife show Thu, 15 May 2008 22:43:00 EST Next weekend, May 23-25, the National Knife Collectors Association will hold its biannual knife show in your area. Our association was established in 1972 and has held two shows a year in Louisville and/or the surrounding area since 1975, with even Louisville's former police chief, the late Col. C.J. Hyde, officiating as our president in the late 1980s. |
| Voting is a moral obligation Thu, 15 May 2008 22:43:00 EST It's that time of year again – the time when politicians try to get the backing of this denomination or that religious group. I, for one, am glad that the Catholic Church doesn't allow political candidates to speak in our churches or allow voting guides to be passed out. |
| Obama campaign confronts racism Thu, 15 May 2008 22:44:00 EST Danielle Ross was alone in an empty room at the Obama campaign headquarters in Kokomo, Ind., a cell phone in one hand, a voter call list in the other. She was stretched out on the carpeted floor wearing laceless sky-blue Converses, stories from the trail on her mind. |
| Lunch With...Jafar Hadizadeh Thu, 15 May 2008 22:51:00 EST Each seismic region has got several geologic fault zones in it. When we talk about the New Madrid seismic zone, Southern California zone, Northern California zone, you're always talking about the major fault zone at the heart of the region. These fault zones are not the same at all. Each has its own signature "return time" and signature behavior. |
| Is that a relative? Thu, 15 May 2008 21:42:00 EST |
| Vote Baber in 72nd District Fri, 16 May 2008 02:05 EDT The voters in the 72nd District are fortunate to have three qualified candidates. Beyond that, the differences among us are staggering. I am the only candidate who has managed a government entity and has done so successfully as county judge-executive and mayor for 10 years, bringing millions of dollars to the community. I am the only candidate who has managed large corporations as CEO and administrator in the health care industry for 15 years managing the health issues of thousands of patients, managing hundreds of employees, directing multimillion dollar budgets and negotiated health insurance contracts for my employees. I am a socially and fiscally conservative candidate. I am not a tax-and-spend candidate, but the state legislature must look for acceptable ways of funding state government. The process should be more proactive, as opposed to reactive. As to casino gambling, the issue was rushed and not studied enough. Most voters I talk with want to see specific line-item expenditures before deciding how to vote on the issue. |
| We have too little voice in our form of democracy Thu, 15 May 2008 02:04 EDT In a recent interview on ABC, Vice President Dick Cheney was presented with the fact that two-thirds of Americans think the Iraq war is not worth fighting. Cheney responded, "So?" It is shocking that he does not care about the will of the people, but the truth is that he does not have to care. This is a representative democracy, and the people have no say except on Election Day. The problem is that for the last 200 years, we have been hoodwinked under the soft tyranny of representative democracy, and very few of us consider whether there is an alternative. There is: participatory democracy. Most Americans think "participatory democracy" means getting involved in politics, writing to elected officials or running for office. But participating actively in representative democracy does not make that form of government less limited. |
| Democrats should choose Obama Fri, 16 May 2008 02:05 EDT Voters are feeling bruised and conflicted as a long, grueling battle for the Democratic presidential nomination comes down to the wire. So, before Kentuckians go to the polls Tuesday in one of the last primaries, let's just pause to savor this moment in history: For the first time in 232 years of nationhood, an African-American or a woman will lead a presidential ticket. That alone makes this election a hopeful turning point. The opportunity for national renewal will be even greater if, as appears almost certain, Sen. Barack Obama is the nominee. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has waged a tough campaign. Her experience and mastery of the challenges facing the next president are impressive. So is her ability to connect with voters. She has emerged as a political force in her own right, outside the orbit of her husband, former President Bill Clinton. |
| Exert control over development plans Thu, 15 May 2008 02:04 EDT The careful language of management consultants can be hard to translate. So it is refreshing, although alarming, that the consultants who produced a mammoth review of Lexington's city government were crystal clear on one topic. The way we handle engineering plans for new development is "unique," they said last week in a meeting with the Urban County Council. It's uniquely bad. In simplest terms: We've outsourced oversight of those plans to the developers themselves. |
| Swift boat Fri, 16 May 2008 08:16 EDT |
| Direct Kick: Two more Laurel athletes college bound |
| Heartbreak Hotel lookin’ good While we sit in our crumbling castle, pale-faced, we wonder. How long will it be before the next thing goes wrong? |
| Publisher’s Notebook: Smoking bans gain momentum, except here Seventeen communities ban smoking in public places or workplaces, and the list is growing every day. |
| Move makes head ache Is there anything more frustrating than moving? |
| YOUR VIEW: It’s time to take action and vote Kentucky’s, and in turn Glasgow’s, time is now. |
| CHEERS and JEERS: Relay was bright again This year’s Relay for Life of Barren County was again a success. |
| Calendar flaunts its wares As I type this, I’m drooling. |
| On Tuesday, please get out and vote Sat, 17 May 2008 21:56:48 -0500 While it appears that the presidential matchups are all but wrapped up, it is still important that residents get out to the polls Tuesday. Besides a heated Democratic presidential race, the ballot includes a U.S. Senate race, a Democratic primary for the 2nd District congressional seat, a primary for the 9th state Senate district, a primary for Logan County state representative seat and a Bowling Green mayoral primary. These should all be very interesting races to follow; after Tuesday, there will be fewer candidates for the general election in November. Seven Democratic candidates are vying to become the nominee to take on U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in the general election. State Sen. Brett Guthrie, R-Bowling Green, is running unopposed for the 2nd District congressional seat, but he will face one of two opponents, David Boswell or Reid Haire, on the Democratic ticket in November. There are three Republicans and three Democrats running for the seat being vacated by Guthrie. Only one from each party will remain to face off in the general election. The race to replace State Rep. Sheldon Baugh, R-Logan/Todd, who is retiring, has two Republicans and two Democrats vying to become the nominee from their respective parties. On the Republican side, the candidates are Tim Thompson and William “Billy” Hall; on the Democratic side, the candidates are Kent Knight and Martha Jane King. And of course, three people are currently vying for Bowling Green’s mayoral position: incumbent Elaine Walker, commissioner Brian Strow and retired interim police chief Jerry Wells. After Tuesday, however, only the top two vote-getters will remain. It is every American’s civic duty to get out and cast an informed vote for the candidates they believe will best represent their beliefs and ideals. Regardless of what you are doing Tuesday, set aside some time to go to the polls and exercise your constitutional right. If you fail to vote and want to whine later about the outcome, don’t expect any sympathy from those of us who voted. |
| The Lebanon crisis Sat, 17 May 2008 21:56:31 -0500 The timing couldn’t be worse. President Bush’s last trip to the Middle East comes at a time when his Mideast policy is in tatters. He will visit Israel, where the Annapolis peace process is virtually dead. He will visit Egypt, a symbol of Mideast autocracies that reject his democracy agenda: Egypt’s leading democracy campaigner Ayman Nour sits in jail. He will not visit Iraq, which teeters along, with nothing certain except that Iran’s clout there keeps rising. Nor will he visit Lebanon. Yet nothing better illustrates the extent of his Mideast failures than events in Lebanon in recent days. Last week, the Iranian-trained and -armed forces of the radical Shiite group Hezbollah took over much of Beirut. Their thugs attacked political offices and burned down media outlets of groups supporting the government, including the Future Movement. Lebanon’s pro-Western government grew out of the much-touted 2005 “Cedar Revolution” that effectively drove Syrian troops out of Lebanon. It became the poster child for Bush’s push to spread democracy in the Middle East. Hezbollah has mostly pulled back, but its military thrust shocked Lebanon and the entire region. Inside Lebanon, many fear the end of the Cedar Revolution and of their cosmopolitan way of life. “The problem is that Hezbollah has a vision that is anathema to many to many Lebanese, including Shiites, Sunnis, Druze and Christians,” said Lebanese journalist Hisham Melhem, speaking in Washington at the New America Foundation. “We are dealing with two contradictory visions of Lebanon, one Mediterranean and open, or a vision that says we are in an eternal war with Israel and the West.” What’s so scary about the Hezbollah attack is that no one knows exactly why the Shiite movement launched it; nor are they certain of Hezbollah’s goals or the intent of its Iranian sponsors. The nominal excuse for the attack was a clumsy move by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora to shut down a communications network run by Hezbollah. But many observers think Saniora’s move only gave Hezbollah a pretext for an attack that had been long and well planned. Equally unnerving, the Lebanese army, which has received $400 million in U.S. aid, stood by while Hezbollah acted, perhaps fearful that its Shiite troops wouldn’t fight. So what does Hezbollah want? The movement has opposed the government for months over the choice of a Lebanese president. It is also demanding veto power over government decisions. And it refuses to give up its enormous quantities of arms. Melhem, one of the smartest Mideast commentators around, says the government “would have been more forthcoming” if Hezbollah’s goal was political reforms. He means giving Lebanese Shiites more parliamentary seats, in line with their percentage of the population. But, he says, the government fears Hezbollah’s long-term goal “is the radical transformation of the Lebanese polity and the end of Lebanon’s western orientation.” Melhem adds: “No Lebanese faction in the previous civil war had such a deep and complex relationship with a foreign patron” - meaning Iran. The uncertainty about Iran’s goal in this affair is sending shock waves through the entire region. The U.S. ouster of Saddam Hussein and the Afghan Taliban greatly boosted Iran’s prominence in the region by removing Tehran’s two greatest enemies. Sunni Arab states have been fearful of Shiite Iran’s growing influence inside Iraq - now governed by Shiite religious parties close to Tehran. Arab Gulf states worry that Shiite-Sunni tensions inside Iraq may spill over into the entire oil-producing region. Those tensions have calmed somewhat inside Iraq, but the Lebanon battles could reignite them. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Saud al-Faisal, just accused Iran of backing “a coup” in Lebanon. “No doubt the schism in the region is deepening,” I was told by Vali Nasr, author of “The Shiite Awakening.” “When something like Lebanon happens, Sunnis see this as a Shiite power play.” If no compromise is found soon between the government and Hezbollah, the danger of a new civil war rises. Lebanese Sunnis may feel compelled to accept support from radical Sunni Islamists, as Sunni tribes did in Iraq when threatened by radical Shiite militias. “We’ll have the same situation as Iraq, without the American forces,” says Ibrahim Nasser, senior advisor to the Future Movement. In other words, al-Qaida offshoots plowing fertile territory in Lebanon. Is there any way to avoid this dire scenario? The Lebanese army won’t confront Hezbollah, nor is another Israeli attack likely or wise. Conceivably Hezbollah might be contained if relations improved between Iran and the United States. But that must wait on the next administration. As Bush’s trip will show, his many mistakes in the region leave him with little leverage to help Lebanon. |
| Hurting schools Sat, 17 May 2008 22:19:00 EST When the General Assembly passed the state budget last month, the public schools -- like everything else -- took a hit. |
| Election Checklist Sat, 17 May 2008 22:22:00 EST Here are candidates in Jefferson County primary election races Tuesday in which The Courier-Journal has made endorsements. The names of those we recommend are in bold (also capitalized) . An (asterisk) designates an incumbent. Unopposed candidates and races in which we made no endorsement are not listed. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES [Democratic Primary] BARACK OBAMA Hillary Rodham Clinton U.S. SENATE [Democratic Primary] BRUCE LUNSFORD Greg Fischer Michael Cassaro Kenneth Stepp David L. Williams David Wylie James E. Rice JEFFERSON CIRCUIT COURT Division 4 W. Douglas Kemper CHARLIE CUNNINGHAM ' Robert "Bob" Silverthorn (withdrawn) Louie Gunthner JEFFERSON DISTRICT COURT Division 16 Allyson Cox Shelley Santry Laura Prater Russell DAVID LARRY HOLTON II ' Ann Bailey Smith Sheila Berman Aaron J. Silletto Katie King Jan Firkins Brightwell David P. Bowles |
| Too solemn for her generation? Sat, 17 May 2008 22:35:00 EST The YouTube clip is hard to hear at first, but thankfully, the main character is clutching a microphone. In the 90-second video entitled "Madison audience Defend Chelsea Clinton," a crowd member asserts that the former first daughter's phone calls to superdelegates on behalf of her mother's presidential campaign are somehow "unethical." And then Chelsea launches into what, to my ear, sounds like one of those perfume-scented, floral-patterned Mother's Day greeting cards: |
| Conversation about Founding Mothers Sat, 17 May 2008 22:05:00 EST Last week, I wrote about Bonnie Angelo, journalist and author of First Mothers, and her thoughts about the women who raised the 10 presidents of the modern era, from Franklin D. Roosevelt through George W. Bush. |
| Rescuing endangered children Sat, 17 May 2008 22:36:00 EST During the Vietnam War there was a phrase that came to symbolize the entire misbegotten adventure: "It became necessary to destroy the village in order to save it." It was said at first with sincerity, then repeated with irony, and finally with despair. |
| Polk's example: a one-term pledge Sat, 17 May 2008 22:38:00 EST History suggests that a one-term presidency should not be rejected out of hand. For starters, the record of recent two-term presidents is far from heartening. In their last two years in office, Bill Clinton was impeached, Ronald Reagan weathered Iran-contra, and Richard Nixon likely would have been impeached and convicted had he not resigned. Even the popularity of dear old Ike suffered from an economic downturn and a yearning to change the guard. |
| America's transportation crossroads Sat, 17 May 2008 22:39:00 EST All the gas tax talk has stirred up a storm. Whatever you think about the candidates' proposals, however, their debate has illuminated an urgent reality: If the U.S. government continues with its current transportation policies, it will undermine the social and economic security of our workforce and accelerate global climate change. We must chart a new course, rebuilding America's overburdened and, in many cases, obsolete transportation infrastructure while addressing these two 21st Century imperatives. |
| Misogyny of the Democratic race won't be missed Sat, 17 May 2008 22:19:00 EST Some readers may find language in this commentary offensive. -- Editor. As the Democratic nomination contest slouches toward a close, it's time to take stock of what I will not miss. |
| With Kentucky in the spotlight, what does it show? Sat, 17 May 2008 22:06:00 EST For the first time ever in a Democratic race for president, Kentucky will take center stage Tuesday night, as our polls close and the nation watches. But the stagehands are already taking down the lights, and the players are moving on to the main event. The day's results will say more about who we are than who the president will be. |
| Ad Watch - Greg Fischer Sat, 17 May 2008 22:13:00 EST |
| Cartoon a cheap shot Sun, 18 May 2008 02:05 EDT The May 4 political cartoon by Joel Pett was a cheap shot at oil companies, wealthy people and President Bush. It also portrayed American workers in an incorrect light. Many American workers are covered by 401K and pension plans. These plans often invest in mutual funds, which invest in oil companies. Thus, profits produced by these companies accrue directly to the benefit of U.S. workers. As for rich folks benefiting from the war, it is well known that the rich in this country pay a much larger share of taxes than any other group. These taxes are used in the war effort. Finally, Pett created a category called "war profiteers." Could this perhaps refer to his own employers, who sell papers and advertising based in part on their news coverage of the war? Pett's cartoon displays a profound lack of knowledge about the way things actually operate in this country. |
| Cover stories for Obama opponents Sun, 18 May 2008 02:05 EDT My wife, Cheryl, and I once landed at a Zimbabwe airport only to find great hubbub and celebration. When we asked what was going on we learned that then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, were arriving, too. We wondered why they were there, and for years Cheryl claimed that every spring break, Hillary Clinton took her daughter somewhere overseas on tax money. That was when we saw through a glass darkly. But now it is clear that Hillary Clinton went to Harare to learn political exit tactics from Robert Mugabe. He is having his opponents beaten. It is already fairly legal in America to beat a black person, so Clinton still has that option. It is easy for her to keep running since the only cost to the country is driving races apart. Kentuckians love losers and will flock to her on Tuesday. We waited to see who lost the Civil War and got on that side. We grew hemp. We bet on tobacco. We love coal even as it starts cyclones. |
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