The Emerging Majority

No Logic in the Corner Office

...just politics. The poor logic surrounding Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's veto of the Emergency Contraception Bill clearly indicates he is a man intent on running for president and the Commonwealth be damned. In both his public statements and an op-ed piece in today's Boston Globe he decries being in a minority position in the country and Massachusetts on abortion, then says he will try to impose his will on Massachusetts...at the same time he is encouraging a democratic process to iron out differences.

How does this make sense?  If the public opinion is a solid majority in favor of choice, and the legislature votes overwhelmingly in favor of the bill, what is the value of a democratic discussion if it results in him trying to impose his individual will on the people? How does that separate him from the judges that rule by "judicial mandate" (to use his inelegant phrase)? Romney claims that the constitution allows the state the settle controversial issues...apparently he missed the history of the civil war, civil rights and the Bill of Rights.

The legislature will overturn his veto and the bill will become law. Oddly enough it was the will of one man, former Speaker Tom Finneran, that prevented the bill from passing the legislature last year. The will of the public...through their elected representatives will make sure the bill becomes law this year. If Romney was sincerely interested in reducing abortions he would have enthusiastically grasped this opportunity to put this resource forward. Sadly, once again the Commonwealth falls victim to the ambitions of a Republican Governor who shows nothing but contempt for the lives and opinions of the residents. Can't he just be an ambassador somewhere?

Happily there are things we can do about this. Work with ProChoice Massachusetts to make sure the legislature stands firm. Here are two other solutions to the problem. Reilly and Patrick. Let's elect someone who cares about Massachusetts as Governor next year.

Bad News for Roberts

Unfortunately for Judge Roberts as I looked at his resume it appears there is a serious problem. Not for me...I respect education...but it appears that Roberts attended Harvard. For six years. That's six years in Massachusetts. And as we know from PA Senator Rick Santorum...Massachusetts implies well...pedophilia.

No wonder Santorum is known as Senator Less than Zero by Jim over at The Rittenhouse Review. But wait didn't George W. Bush spend that much time in Massachusetts? Three years in High School, then back for graduate school. Has Santorum checked him out? Since six years is longer than some of the priests spent in Mass before they raped and molested children.

But then Santorum could have checked crime statistics for PA and Mass and found them virtually identical for recorded history. But that's what we do in the reality based community.

Breaking Training

I want to make sure that an important story regarding Iraq is not lost in the coverage of the latest attacks in London and important interviews of the best man at Judge Roberts' wedding (seriously Barbara Walters did that one). The Pentagon announced that few Iraqi police and military personnel are up to the task of engaging in efforts against the insurgents.

Some responsible members of Congress are demanding an accounting. Two years after the start of the reconstruction there is not dependable Iraqi security presence? Senator Kennedy was right a few weeks ago when he asked how many strikes Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld gets before he is out. This is another case of mistakes costing us dearly.

George Packer wrote a moving piece in The New Yorker recently about a father's anguish over the loss of his son in Iraq. A young man who turned to the military to give him the missing discipline in his school days. He found himself in bootcamp in February and Iraq in October and a casualty in November. Why can our young people get sent into battle so quick and it is taking years for the Iraqis to protect themselves?

The House voted against the "early" withdrawal of forces from Iraq this week. Early? I think it is late. I think motivated Iraqis would quickly find a way to end their civil war. Can we get them to vote on the late withdrawal of forces now?

Horror in London

London holds a special place in the hearts of my wife and myself. The small photo album attached to the weblog is a few shots of a trip we took there in 2004. It was our honeymoon. We walked through Trafalgar and joined the protest of the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. We had dinner with a friend, an Irishwoman who has lived in Britain for many years. We walked mile after mile through neighborhoods of central London. Just like thousands of others this very day. Joining the millions travelling to work today.

This cycle of violence is maddening. I was not surprised that the most moving and satisfying words came from Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London.  The point he makes is that London is among the most cosmopolitan places on Earth. This violence will strike at people who were just trying to get through another day...find a little joy...get back to their families. Most of whom think the military intervention in Iraq is wrong. Just like the victims of the madness of September 11, 2001.

Our hearts go out to the victims and their families and friends. We will be back soon. The world should go there soon. London's Calling.