4.08.2005

Maybe Everything Is Political

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe everything is political. I have always been under the impression that all politics is local, but not all is political. My apologies to Tip O’Neil, that's just how I've always viewed things.

I will be finishing up my bipartisan work with the borderline neocons this week. They are a good group of guys. It's too bad that the self-proclaimed moral saviors are hijacking their Party. I just don't think the neocons are the savior we need.

Of course this week the Schiavo matter can't be laid to rest. I bet a thousand different blogs will link to the link I'm about to. It's the Republican Talking Points Memo written by one of Sen. Martinez's staffers, and it always outlines a good debate.

If I do say so myself, I'm an expert in writing talking points memos. I've been doing it for years now. Anyone who has ever been on any sort of political staff has done it numerous times. Thankfully right now I don't have to write them anymore, but I'm sure my days of talking points hasn't ended.

These memos, however, are usually never meant to be made public. They are intra-office, and sometimes VIP only. Though, these memos do give great insight as to how politicians want to define an issue. And that is exactly what this memo does.

There is no doubt that Schiavo is political. For some reason, Republicans and neocons saw it upon themselves to make it a national crisis. Somewhere in this huge mess, though, the real debate has been lost. If this isn't about abortion, then why is the "pro-life base" so concerned with it?

Abortion isn't just the termination of a pregnancy.

Apparently, Sen. Martinez has accepted the resignation of the staffer responsible for writing it. And, apparently, it is point number three that has caused all the ruckus:

This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue.

I don't see anything moral about any of this, including how the press has handled it.

I’m so bored with lazy politics. It makes me wish I was an accountant.

3 comments:

Chris said...

Hymer:

Yeah, I do think Schiavo is about abortion. It's about life and death and choices. Essentially that is what abortion is.

Abortion isn't just the termination of a pregnancy.

I'm not sure how else to phrase that. I'm not trying to be coy or confusing, I just get so tired of lazy labels in politics.

Abortion, whatever your stance may be, is-at it's very lowest denominator- about tough personal decisions (choices actually). And that is exactly what Schiavo is about. Tough, personal choices, and none of it is about other peoples preferences.

I do think the media has overblown it. And certainly Republicans way overstepped their limits of governing. Bush didn't back off until his poll numbers dropped dramatically. Now he hasn't said a word about it.

Bush presided over 152 executions. Now that confuses me.

Anonymous said...

Hey

since we've been trading posts and comments for some time now I included you in a bit I just wrote about blogs I read on a daily basis and linked to both your sites.

On this subject all one can say is that politics makes sumbags of us all, unfortunately. Not good, but not entirely surprising either.

Snave said...

Maybe everything is political... I have noticed here in rural NE Oregon that people still blame the Clintons for just about everything, from welfare to inadequate armor on military vehicles in Iraq to our local high school not winning the state boy's basketball championship to the entire decline of Western Civilzation... so I guess that in the minds of some folks around here at least... everything is political.