Power to the People

Capitalism works. This week has seen two of the most prominent news anchors of my generation leave the professional careers that made them famous. I suspect we all find the latter resignation the more interesting one. Apparently, CBS and Dan Rather agreed last summer that the best time for his resignation would be after the November 2 election of W. Bush. While I find it doubtful that a Bush election was an explicit term of the resignation agreement, I'd like to imagine Mr. Rather throwing his weight and trying to convince top CBS execs that his little snafu earlier this year really worked in Kerry's favor, and trying to convince them to let him stay on as anchor if Kerry won the election. I guess he'd also then need to explain why his subtle and not-so-subtle biases over the years have placed CBS convincingly in the bottom slot of the ratings race among non-cable news organizations, and why young voters seem to have much more confidence in the honesty of Comedy Central host Jon Stewart than in Dan Rather.

What I find intriguing is that Rather is going to stick around as a 60 Minutes correspondent. Hey Dan, take a hint, it's time to get out of the business. Cut your losses and run. Go hang out with your buddy Michael Moore. I guess CBS finally mustered enough chutzpah to push him out of the anchor role, but didn't have the heart to fire him altogether. After several decades as a news anchor, I guess Rather has earned enough professional capital to pretty much go or stay where he chooses.

Yet, not even several decades of professional capital were enough to overcome the will of the people. Capitalism rules.

P.S. For fair and balanced reporting . . . you already know where to go.

Much Ado About Nothing

Well, last night I attended my first Shakespearean play, presented by the Patrick Henry College students in Purcelville, Virginia. Aside from being incredibly amused by the actors' seeming inability to suppress half-cracked smiles that may or may not have been part of the performance, I was very impressed with the quality of the presentation. It's interesting that such passive pleasure as I experienced could be derived from much ado about nothing. Or, for that matter, that such gleefulness as was exhibited all around last night could be derived from such tragedy. Ahh, the perverse society we live in!

Beltway Boy

This morning, as I passed by the Pentagon in my red rental car, I experienced a very surreal feeling. You know, the "I've gotta pinch myself" feeling. After 17 years as a politically active American citizen (my first bumpersticker was a Bush/Quayle sticker in 1987, which I put on my bicycle), I finally made my first pilgrimage to the epicenter of American politics, and in a very real way, the epicenter of world evolution. Appropriately enough, this pilgrimage is closely associated with the Mayflower. The Mayflower hotel, that is.

As I sit here at Starbucks, about three blocks from the White House, I feel strangely drawn to this city, like a homing pigeon at the end of its journey. Maybe it's the novelty of the experience, or it could be the politically and intellectually stimulating nature of the Federalist Society convention I am attending, yet, the lure seems almost tangible - like a magnetic power beyond my control.

Like the Pilgrims of 1620, only a few survive the brutal social and politcal environment of this city. But those who will succeed cannot be deterred by failure. If pulled as hard as it is pushed, the great saw of change will eventually make its cut into even the toughest wood. Whether from an office just south of Sacramento, California, or from a ranch in Texas, or from a home in downtown D.C., may I have the courage of conviction to pull the saw of truth as hard as I push.

A scary Specter

According to recent news releases, the recently re-elected Senator for Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter, may be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Such a selection could well undo much of the progress that was made, and cripple the efforts of those who seek a strict constructionist judiciary, however.

Personally, I don't think it's unreasonable to ask that Justices appointed to our highest court to interpret our nation's constitution, do just that: interpret it, and interpret it as it is written, not as they may wish it was written.

Senator Specter, on the other hand, has indicated by his past words and actions that he will impose a litmus test to prevent conservative nominees, such as Robert Bork, from being ever getting past the judiciary committee. In describing himself, Specter said: "I would characterize myself as moderate; I'm in the political swim. I would look for justices who would interpret the Constitution, as Cardozo has said, reflecting the values of the people."

Whatever does that mean? "Reflecting the values of the people" - wait a sec, Arlen, didn't you just say you would look for justices who would interpret the Constitution? Does that mean the Constitution is a "living" document, which easily warps to appease the will of the majority?

If men like Arlen Specter continue to get their way, as they have for much of the past century, our Constitution will soon be little more than a hollow document, echoing the whims of whomever it is currently manipulated by. The ramifications of diluting our seminal document like this are scary.

Hopefully the Senate Republicans not be bullied by one of the leftist members of the party, will stand up for those who laid down their lives for this nation, and will choose a judiciary chairman who supports the constitution, and will not denigrate its authority.

Au revoir, Mr. Daschle

This election season, voters across America voiced their desire for change in no uncertain terms. While many, including myself, were predicting a so-so election result for Republicans, the outcome of this election rivals the Congressional take-over of 1994 as one of the greatest Republican victories of the last century. True, Republicans didn't pick up that many seats, and merely held on to the White House. Yet, in an election where Democrats were supposedly going to take the White House and possibly retake the Senate, the victories are huge.

One of the most thrilling victories of this election cycle to me personally, is that in the South Dakota Senate race. Tom Daschle, the outspoken Senate Minority Leader was tried in the balance by South Dakotan voters, who finally found him wanting. This victory for the Republicans is much bigger than a victory for one Senate seat. It's a defeat of one of the most prolific instigators of political faction in Washington. In hard numbers, it's just one seat, but in practicality, it's a victory that will likely give at least a few Democrats more freedom to vote freely, particularly on some of the qualified judicial nominees selected by the President.

Thanks, Tom, for your service, but it is with great glee that I bid thee au revoir.