The Pope’s Still Here, The Pope’s Still Here
Good morning, y’all. Look out the window, folks. The rain I wished for is still coming down. My position of rainman is firmly solidified and the only downside I see is if the wet conditions will effect my Dawgs today. I’m not expecting another record setting passing performance, particularly with a wet ball, but I would like for us to sling the rock a few more times before Bama gets here. I’m expecting a shutdown on defense, final score 55-0.
Speaking of shutdowns, the king of shutdowns is retiring. While I expected there was going to be some positive results of the pope’s visit to America, I didn’t expect anything this quick. I also didn’t expect a seismic shake like John Boehner deciding to give up his number three spot on the ascendancy chart to someone else. I guess Big John figures that if the powers that be can trot a known Papist Socialist onto the floor of the House for a speech, then the times, they are a changin’. The fact that the pope got a standing ovation from a speech delivered in broken English didn’t make The Boner feel any more secure in his position, I guess. In fact, Boehner wept though much of the pope’s speech. Public weeping is kind of Boehner’s thing. Another thing Boehner is know for is knowing which side of his bread gets buttered. Boehner was once sanctioned for an incident related in this snippet from Wikipedia,“In June 1995, Boehner distributed campaign contributions from tobacco industry lobbyists on the House floor as House members were weighing how to vote on tobacco subsidies.custom.” As we can see, impropriety would not get in the way of Boehner carrying the mail for the people who kept him in tanning beds and golf trips. It’s the American way. Speculation abounds as to who Boehner’s replacement will be. My guess is a right wing fundamentalist who believes in his religion more than he believes in democracy. I’m giving 100 to 1 odds, if you’re interested.
Speaking of fundamentalists, the pope also visited the 9/11 memorial and gave a stirring speech to the gathered throngs. Now, as I have recorded here, I’m not sure who did what to whom on 9/11. While watching the service, I remarked to Mulva that I was afraid that by the pope being there that it might somehow legitimize the idea that America was attacked by Muslim fanatics who, “Hate us for our way of life”. I feel like there’s already way too much knee-jerk reactionism to the Islamic question, and by throwing a billion plus Catholics into the fray it will not make things better. I continued on for a while, as is my way, before Mulva caught me short.
“Maybe he’s just there praying for the three thousand innocent souls who lost their lives that day, no matter who is at fault.” Well, if there’s anything I hate worse than a rational, cogent, well thought out argument to one of my rants, I don’t know what it is. Game, set, and match to Mulva. After Mulva’s rejoinder, I reflected on the people who went to work that day and never came home. Who ever was at fault, it is still a tragedy. I just hope justice will be served in my lifetime to the conspirators in the U.S. We’ve already bombed everybody else we can think of. I leave you today with a funny from the Keystone Progress Daily Funnies:
Go Dawgs!