THE DAILY BLADE: Why Are The Clintons Being So Nice To McCain?
So what’s up with the Clintons?
First, Hillary refuses to attack GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as she stumps for Barack Obama after abandoning her own quest for the White House and resolutely sidesteps the “what if” questions about a spot on the ticket she was never offered (even if rumor has it she may yet become Obama’s running mate).
Now, on the heels of Bill telling CNN's Larry King that “getting up here and hyperventilating about Governor Palin, or Senator McCain for that matter, is a productive use of a former president's time and is not a vote-getter,” he defends John McCain’s decision to postpone first presidential debate to help hammer out the details of the ginormous Wall Street bailout deal in a “Good Morning America” interview with ABC News' Nitya Venkataraman (video):
We know he didn't do it because he's afraid because Sen. McCain wanted more debates.
You can put it off a few days the problem is it's hard to reschedule those things. I presume he did that in good faith since I know he wanted - I remember he asked for more debates to go all around the country and so I don't think we ought to overly parse that.
Bill even had something nice to say about the beleaguered George W. Bush:
I thought it was the clearest statement of why we're in the fix we're in, at least what the nature of it is and why some national action is needed.
With Bill not only sticking up for the so-called “Bush-McCain” administration, but giving his wife’s friend a forum – complete with a warm introduction - at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, Washington Monthly calls him “gracious to a fault.”
But why are the Clintons being so genteel? After Hillary garnered 18 million votes in the primaries, they no doubt regard themselves as party royalty and want to float above the partisan fray. And taking a page from McCain’s playbook by putting country first enhances their stature, as Matt Yglesias notes. Finally, neither Clinton has any incentive to do the dirty work for a party that denied Hillary the nomination by means and methods many of her supporters find questionable (second item).
Or the Clintons could just be hedging their bets as they may privately believe Obama is unelectable.
What Your Décor Says About Your Politics
Even if you never discuss politics with co-workers or friends, your office or bedroom can give away your political orientation, according to a new study by New York University psychologist John Jost that will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Political Psychology, reports LiveScience.com:
The researchers took inventory of five office locations - a commercial real estate agency, an advertising agency, a business school, an architectural firm and a retail bank - all in a large U.S. city. They had observers check out the workspaces of 94 male and female employees. The subjects' average age was 37. The snoopers had no idea of the workers' political orientation. …
Liberals' offices were judged as significantly more distinctive, comfortable, stylish, modern, and colorful and as less conventional and ordinary, in comparison with conservatives' offices, Jost said. …
[I]ndividuals who reported a more conservative ideology also had bedrooms that contained more organizational and cleaning supplies, including calendars, postage stamps, ironing boards and laundry baskets.
Liberals' rooms on the other hand were marked by more clutter, including more CDs, a greater variety of CDs, a greater variety of books and more color in the room in general.
As usual, The Stiletto is the exception that tests the findings of such dopey studies that seem to be devised only to validate the researcher’s pre-existing biases. Yes she is neat and organized (love The Container Store!) but in keeping with her eclectic tastes she is also a fine art collector and a gadget freak, and owns books on a wide variety of subjects from classical literature to science fiction, as well as CDs that span the spectrum from madrigals to electronica.
What Freedom Of Speech Means To Muslims: Part III
Citing freedom of expression, a Turkish court acquitted British artist Michael Dickinson of insulting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan by depicting him as a dog in his satirical artwork, reports The Associated Press:
The court said that although the work by "had some insulting elements ... it is considered within limits of criticism and he has been acquitted."
Turkey's human rights record and the country's ability to respect freedom of expression has been questioned recently. The European Union has made improved rights and freedoms one of its conditions for accepting Turkey into the 27-member group.
Dickinson, who lives in Turkey, was facing a maximum sentence of two years in prison. He tells AP that he is “lucky to be acquitted,” adding “There are still artists in Turkey facing prosecution and being sentenced for their opinions.”
About a year ago, The Stiletto noted (last item) that the Articles of the Turkish Constitution “that define a Western-style democracy are contravened by several blatantly unconstitutional laws” that have never been nullified by the country’s judiciary:
Articles 26, 27 and 28 of the Turkish Constitution, which establish freedom of expression and guarantee freedom of the press, are negated by Turkish Penal Code Article 301 (which makes it a crime to "insult Turkishness" or to "insult Islam") and Article 305 (which makes it a crime to "promote" the Armenian Genocide as settled history).
Dozens of journalists, novelists and playwrights have been charged and, in some cases, prosecuted under Article 301 and/or Article 305. One of these was Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was repeatedly charged and prosecuted under Article 301 – and was convicted in October 2005.
This acquittal is a small step in the right direction, but Turkey will not be a true democracy – nor compliant with EU free speech demands – unless Articles 301 and 301 of the Penal Code are expunged.
Editorial Note: To read other posts in the “What Freedom Of Speech Means Toe Muslims” series, click here, here (last item) and here.
Comments