Positively Puzzled

I see it’s been nearly three months since I composed a full blog entry. I seem to have lost my voice. I never intended to drop out for so long, but that’s how it turned out. It’s not for lack of an earnest desire to speak out on a myriad of issues and deep concerns, particularly about the state of the union. It has been a difficult period for me, which would have been unbearable without the solace and support, the love and blessings, of my family. I’m so grateful that they’re here for me. I thank them for their patience in dealing with the vagaries of my funk and splenetude. Frankly, just about every day it seems, I’ve felt overwhelmed and depressed by the accumulation of things I hear and read about in the news. So many of my days have seemed joyless, and I’ve come to sorely miss my sense of humor. Also, I’ve been extremely frustrated by the very fact that, despite a sense of urgency, I’ve been unable to write about it. I’ve been backed into a corner, mainly b...

I thought Ted Kennedy's dissenting comments on the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation of Mukasey were very eloquent: SEN. TED KENNEDY: The Department of Justice is in dire need of new leadership to guide our nation back to its constitutional moorings. Under Attorney General Gonzales, the Department lost its way as a genuine force for justice, too often served as a rubber stamp for the White House and as a facilitator and enforcer of political objectives, rather than the rule of law. After a period of such tarnished leadership in the department, we need a clear, decisive, straightforward attorney general who’s not afraid to stand up for the Constitution and the rule of law, even if it means disagreeing with the President of the United States. I had hoped that Judge Mukasey could be that person. He is certainly intelligent and has demonstrated an admirable dedication to public service. As a federal judge for almost nineteen years, he was, by all accounts, fair and conscien...

There has been so much going on in the news lately to utterly exasperate me. Politics. The past several weeks I've been paying more than the usual attention to the news. I feel it is my citizen duty. I worry about the detrimental effects of complacency, but I have to admit, it has taken a serious toll on my peace of mine. The price of vigilance is high anxiety. I am so grateful to alternative news sources like Democracy Now! , a program I wasn't able to listen to in the past because it seemed so dour and radical and mean-spirited and downright impolite and Amy Goodman seemed like the modern Cassandra. But what she was talking about months ago is now mainstream news. The big networks have caught up with her. So have I. And, lest we forget, Cassandra was right. Unfortunately, by the time it becomes mainstream news, we are comfortable sipping our tea and discussing the nuances of U.S.-sanctioned torture without it causing any too much personal distress. There are so man...

Evidently, according to Dennis Kucinich's web site , he was to give a news conference today on a plan to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. ("Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 5 p.m. on the Cannon Terrace, intersection of Independence and New Jersey Avenue".) I'm not finding the coverage at the moment... It got me to thinking about a program I heard on public radio last month. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson was on Tom Ashbrook's program On Point Monday, March 26, 2007. I found it riveting. I decided to transcribe portions of it because I thought it important and worth sharing. (Naturally, I recommend that you listen to the whole program .) Excerpts: Host Tom Ashbrook : Why are you calling for the impeachment of President Bush? Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson (pictured) : I think this president has so badly abused his power, breached his trust in remarkable ways with our Congress, with the American people, has violated so many of our international treaty o...