Category: News and Opinion

Sarah Eagleton (Updated again)

|

At dinner tonight to celebrate my son’s 5½ birthday and his start of kindergarten in the morning (the Dybbuk asked to be taken for sushi), I came up with this title, but the onslaught of upcoming events, including the dreaded return to work, prevented me from posting the idea before someone else already had.

So, "Sarah Eagleton", the numbers:

299 google entries

generating 61, once similar entries are eliminated

Number related to the Governor’s current condition: 4

Today’s interesting stories: once having belonged to a group advocating Alaskan independence (apparently now disputed) and lawyering up for the Troopergate investigation (please no jokes about whether Client #9 is the daddy!).

The Case for Re-Electing Congressman Ed Towns

|

About two months ago, Ed Towns stood before a congregation of about three hundred people to deliver a Sunday morning sermon. Ed is also an ordained minister beyond his day job as congressman for the 10th Congressional district (Brooklyn). The pastor of the congregation had spoken before Ed, telling the congregants that they would be let out early that morning, since another major event was planned for later that afternoon. The congregation met that news with obvious elation. Ed seized on that glee when he said (as a preface): “I am going to tell you the same thing that Elizabeth Taylor told her eight husbands: I won’t keep you long”. The crowd went wild.  

You Don’t Want to Miss This One: Writing About Politicians On Eastern Parkway (Labor Day 2008); With Denver Still On My Mind

|

It’s 4:00p.m. I just got back home from walking the West Indian Day Parade. There are still many hours left before the parade ends. For those who don’t know, it is the one day in the year where Caribbean-Americans come out in droves (over three million strong) and play mas, party, eat, drink, play their music, sing, dance and celebrate their cultural and other heritages. It is always spectacular. This year was no different.

I marched with the Ed Towns contingent. The congressman always brings an entourage to the parade, out of his love and respect for the Caribbean-American community. Poor Ed; it appears that he can hardly dance to the calypso, reggae and soca music. He needs to stay in his day job, because he wouldn’t be able to cut it as a calypsonian or a dancer. So please vote to re-elect him to Congress. I am going to endorse him later this week.

Convention Leftover #4: Anniversaries

|

 

The night of Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at Invesco appropriately coincided with both the 45 anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech and the 100th birthday of former President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

As it should have, King’s anniversary got a full bore salute, featuring two of King’s children, as well as Civil Rights pioneer John Lewis.

Johnson’s birth got a two minute voice-over in the early afternoon.

Given the tragedy of the war in Vietnam, echoed as it is today by our War in Iraq, I suppose fans of Johnson should feel thankful he got even that.

Convention Leftover #3: An Alternative Model

|

Before the convention, I wrote in favor of allowing Hillary Clinton to have her name put into nomination, saying “Letting her speak and take that bow before honorably rallying the troops seems the smart move. Those who fear it misunderstand that the only way Clinton can serve her own interests is to do the job well. It’s win-win for everyone.”

And it was.

One morning at the NY Delegation breakfast, I was in a discussion at with Brooklyn Assemblyman Nick Perry, a man of boundless generosity–when Nick has an opinion he always makes sure to share it with everyone.

Convention Leftover #2: A Chuckle

|

Watching everyday the irrepressible Chuck Schumer hog every spotlight and get his face in every picture put me in mind of a famous story, perhaps apocryphal.

As a rule, elected officials politicians, even those of irascible nature, do not generally go out of their way to pick fights with others similarly situated. They’ll fuck with them 16 ways from Sunday, but barring some sort of war, rarely, if ever, publicly stick their necks out against an incumbent office holder of the same party in a primary.

Convention Leftover #1: Youn Never Know (A Math Lesson)

|

“The new Obama delegates, who had arrived wearing well-practiced expressions of graciousness, looked bewildered, deprived of their chance to gloat. As delegation leadership roles and other boondoggles continued to flow to Clinton supporters, one Obama supporter was heard whispering, "Whatever happened to: To the victors go the spoils?"–NY Obama Delegate Monica Youn on Slate–8/29/08

Total for the State of New York

HILLARY CLINTON 1,068,496 (56.50%)

BILL RICHARDSON 8,227

JOE BIDEN 4,321

JOHN EDWARDS 21,924

BARACK OBAMA 751,019 (39.71%)

Whines of Long Island

|

Dateline: Begun Somewhere in the Air between Denver International Airport and LaGuardia–8/29/08 Mid-Afternoon; finished back at home in Brooklyn USA 9/1/08

At the end of the first chapter of this epic journey, one may recall that I was awaken from a sound sleep and a fine dream by that eternal harbinger of unnecessary calamity, Rockwell Hermon Hackshaw.

The chapter ended with Rock explaining that because the Residence Inn had no two-bedrooms units for us at $199 (the DNC rate) they had given us each a one-bedroom for $99 instead, and that therefore he would have no need to awaken me like he just had. This was one of the few pieces of good news Rock managed to deliver during the week’s course, although those pieces of news were still greater in number than his efforts at political commentary (but why was everyone complaining?)

The Naughty Bits

|

Rushing Friday morning to catch a plane, I’m not sure that the article I churned out in five minutes adequately expressed my revulsion towards the momentous event of Sarah Palin’s selection as John McCain’s choice to be one heartbeat away from the most powerful position in the world, although perhaps that was because that, at that point, I knew so little about her (albeit, enough so I was well aware that there was a problem).

Anyway, my problem with Ms. Palin is not that McCain is playing the "gender card" (which would seem irresistible), but that's he's playing it with a deuce.

Like a Fish Out of Water: Reflecting on the Democrats convention

|

Maybe I am just like my father, since he was hardly ever satisfied. He held a lot of standards, sometimes they were outrageously high. He was a frustrated political activist and so am I. One time -way long ago- the government of Trinidad and Tobago convened a Commission of Inquiry into possible subversive political activities (and elements) on both islands; my dad was one of many targets. In the end they deemed him a “clever intriguer” amongst many things; but he wasn’t incarcerated; thank God. I thought of my dad on the first day of my first trip to Denver, Colorado -for the Democrat’s convention. He could always see through political phonies. It has always been tough for me to attend conventions -both here and back there- and that’s why I am never really excited about going. But I go nonetheless; I often wonder why: especially when I am like a fish out of water whenever I go. 

© Room Eight