More Alaska Drama

[Beavah]

Yah, sometimes politics and law are like watchin' a train wreck, eh? Yeh just can't quite look away.

 

So after write-ins in Alaska have apparently thumped Tea-Party favorite Joe Miller in da Senate race, yeh have to love Miller for filing a federal suit before the countin' is even finished.

 

At issue? He wants to make sure that ballots like "Murkowsky" are not counted. It's a federal suit because a good states-rights, keep-the-feds-hands-off fellow like Miller naturally runs immediately to the federal courts before even botherin' with the Alaska courts, where everybody from the Supreme Court to da fellow who sweeps up the magistrate's office in Inuit agrees the standard is the intent of the voter.

 

Politics is just so rich with irony and hypocrisy, eh? But sometimes, it can surprise yeh by goin' the extra mile.

 

What's most amusin' is that by recent reports the good people of Alaska, anticipatin' such shenanigans (no doubt through long experience) have mostly spelled Murkowski correctly, so Miller is quite probably thumped no matter what da court does.

 

This is one area where I see absolutely no downside to "loser pays" rules for suits. Anyone want to suggest to Joe Miller that he voluntarily adhere to that conservative credo?

 

Beavah

 

[83Eagle]

"Honest politician" is an oxymoron regardless of party. It's no wonder we're all so cynical these days.

 

Oh BTW, loser pays is a great idea. Good luck ever getting it though.

[packsaddle]

83Eagle, it isn't constructive to paint whole groups of persons in the way that you have done.

I have heard similar statements with regard to attorneys, automobile dealers, bankers, and anyone involved with Wall Street or marketing. The problem is that your statement is cynical in itself and while I understand that cynicism does often contribute to more cynicism, it isn't the CAUSE of cynicism. More directly, the doubtful claim at the root of a cynical statement can't be considered seriously as the cause of the doubtful claim. I hope you understand this logical fallacy.

Moreover, I remind you of the reputed statement by Lincoln that "you can't dip clear water from a muddy stream". Those 'dishonest' politicians are representative of their constituents.

 

I have known and I know politicians whom I consider to be honest and thoughtful persons. For example, in spite of his complicity in the Bush era lies, I still believe that Colin Powell is basically an honest person and that he deeply regrets the way he allowed himself to be used by the Bush administration. Likewise, I consider Richard Riley to be an honest politician, first as a governor and later as Secretary of Education. There are numerous such examples.

 

Your statement rings with a little more truth if you restrict it to politicians who are agenda-driven rather than those who try to thoughtfully consider their decisions without allowing an agenda to determine the outcome. The prominence of the public presence of agenda-driven politicans does seem to dominate politics but I still believe that, as with attorneys, auto dealers, and yes, perhaps even a banker or stock broker...there are individuals who while fallible, attempt to conduct their lives and professions in an honest manner.

 

Back to topic. Yes, I am greatly enjoying the same ironies that you have noticed, Beavah.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[John-in-KC]

From the musical 1776:

 

One useless man is called a DISGRACE.

 

Two are called a LAW FIRM.

 

Three or more become a CONNNNNGRESSSS...

 

ergo, Miller and Murkowski are useless.

[83Eagle]

packsaddle, in my experience I have found that the more intelligent a person tries to make him or herself sound, the less true intelligence said person actually has. Your attempt at erudition is...enlightening, in many ways.

 

 

 

 

[packsaddle]

Then you think I am wrong about Powell and Riley?(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[CalicoPenn]

Erudition? That's not a word people use in everyday conversation. Indeed, in my experience, that's a word used by Ivy League folks that don't have the sense that God gave the common sand flea.

 

Just saying is all...

 

 

[JoeBob]

83 Eagle - It usually doesn't get down to the level of personal attackes so quickly. The name calling often waits until the 2nd page.

 

Beavah - I support the fiscal elements of the Tea-Party, but I must agree that Miller's behaviour is a disappointment. He lost - rather substantually. Get over it.

Now he'll be remembered as a cry-baby and have no political future.

 

Oops, did I offend the cry-baby group?

 

JoeBob

[packsaddle]

Calico, why are you picking on small organisms with narrowly circumscribed life experiences and limited intellects?

And come to think of it, why are you comparing them to sand fleas?

 

OK, erudition is different from logic. Erudition is something that is gained from books (this means reading them not eating them). What I was applying was logic. Evidently those two concepts are confusing to some.

 

The latest I've heard is that of about 50% of the write-ins done, they are about 98% Murkovwoskie (whatever ). It's interesting that Floyd Brown of Willie Horton fame is has just started working for Miller. This will get the dirt flowing.

 

Edited to add: JoeBob, no skin off my back. He can think whatever he wants about me and I'm OK with it. I'd like to know if I'm mistaken about those politicians though.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[skeptic]

Are we so dependent on 4 letter words now that we cannot use vocabulary at even a moderate level of intelligence? Just asking.

[CalicoPenn]

Pack - I don't think you're mistaken about those politicians, but then I also believe that there are degrees of honesty and that no one is 100% honest (except maybe Christine O'Donnell who answered a question that suggests she wouldn't have lied if there were some Jews hiding in her house during WW2 and someone came to round them up). Let's be honest here and admit that there are times we all lie about something (and think about this - how long do you think Man would have survived if we could never lie and wives and girlfriends asked "do these jeans make my butt look fat?). I know there have been a few times in my life when I complimented someone on their hair while wondering about the accident they must have had with an industrial blender.

 

In fact, I think I would add Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois to that list. Can we find a couple of unimportant things he may have not been 100% truthful about? Probably. But consider that since he first became Governor, he has been telling the people of Illinois that we need to raise the income tax from 3 to 4.5% to help get us out of our deficits and debt, that he didn't repudiate that (or is that refudiate? J/K)during the campaign, and still managed to get re-elected.

 

Calico

 

ps - to those Ivy League folks who were offended by my putting sand fleas ahead of them in the line-up of common sense, I apologize. You're far from the level of sand flea. I meant to say Sea Cucumbers - you know, the creature that vomits up it's own internal organs when it feels threatened.

 

pps - my apologies to any sea cucumbers out there. I know it's bad enough that sand fleas have more common sense than you, but comparing you to Ivy League folks is just beyond the pale. I hope you'll at least take comfort that you still have more common sense than them.

[OldGreyEagle]

I got to tell you all, I feel a whole lot of love in this room right now!

[packsaddle]

OGE, which one are you comparing yourself to, the Arthropod or the Echinoderm...or are you telling us you are about to regurgitate?

[83Eagle]

Wow, I wander away from this forum for a few hours and a whole page of stuff is posted out here, yet still nothing intelligent has been said.

 

Of course, that's just my opinion, and I'm just a (relatively) new poster who went to a state school in flyover country, so what would I know?

[SR540Beaver]

gazing into the campfire......kum-by-yah my lord, kum-by-yah.....