Archive for January, 2009

My Interview With Governor Christie Whitman

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

At the 2008 Republican Convention in Minnesota, I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing former New Jersey Governor Christie Todd Whitman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Todd_Whitman

http://www.ontheissues.org/Christie_Todd_Whitman.htm

While she is considered by many to be a “moderate” republican, there was nothing moderate about her 30% tax cut that allowed her to throw her opponent out on his tax raising liberal keister.

She is a conservative in the truest sense of the word, in addition to being an incredibly nice human being. She is warm, funny, and just pleasant to be around. Her staff had very kind words about her behind her back, but my impression was that Governor Whitman is a sincere person. There was not a hint of any airs about her.

After asking her about the standard boilerplate issues that I cover in most of my interviews, there was one thing I really wanted to know about.

When she was a guest on the Late Show With David Letterman, a bizarre thing happened. He asked her to dance the waltz. I remember just watching television as he took her by the hand, and next thing you know they are slow dancing on camera. It was just…different. She handled herself with class and dignity.

As far as being a Governor, she showed that the key to republicans succeeding in states that are liberal is to focus on economics and crime. She did not spend time fighting the culture wars. She cut taxes, and was tough on crime. She was a Governor before the War on Terror began, but her crime policies were largely successful.

While we are now in 2009, the 2008 interview was a joy.

With that, I bring my interview with Governor Whitman.

1) What are the most important issues of 2008?

CW: “The economy, the war, and the environment. The environment also includes our energy policy.”

2) Who are your 3 favorite political heroes?

CW: “My heroes are Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, and my father.”

3) How would you like to be remembered 100 years from now? What would you want people to say about Christie Whitman the person?

CW: “I would like to be seen as somebody that put policy above partisanship. I worked with people to get things done.”

4) Was there any fallout from your dancing on the Late Show with David Letterman? Does anything need to be done about Dave, and should the Government intervene?

CW: “It was fine but it was not wild dancing with Letterman. He doesn’t get wild on the dance floor like I like to do. With him it was tame, calm dancing.”

As much as she laughed at my question, I laughed at her answer. As I said, she is funny and good natured.

One other memory I have of her, which I did not share with her, came in 1996. When Bob Dole was the Presidential nominee, the letter “W” was prominent in the moderate wing of the party. While our current “W” is a conservative, the “W Group” in 1996 consisted of Pete Wilson, William Weld, and Christie Whitman.

I bring this up because when 12 potential Vice Presidential Candidates were asked about being Vice President on a ticket with Dole, they all pretended not to want the job. The media then asked a tough question. If the job of Vice President were to be offered to them, how many of them would refuse?

Only Governor Whitman raised her hand. For whatever her reasons, she stood apart at that moment, refusing to join the other pandering 11. She was not interested in playing the game. Her lighthearted manner did not prevent her from being very serious about what she wanted, which was to turn New Jersey around from an outrageously high tax state to a more livable state.

I wish Governor Whitman an enjoyable quality of life, because as a New Yorker with many friends living in New Jersey, I can attest that a better quality of life is what she brought to New Jersey.

eric

New Year, Same old Los Angeles Times Anti-Semitism

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

On Monday, July 5th, 2009, I will declare a ceasefire in my coverage of Israel. I will stop recommending that Israel take its enemies and destroy them militarily, and recommend that Israel sit down and talk to the Palestinian leadership. I will then step back and promise to refuse to comment further.

Then on Tuesday, July 6th, I will break my word, and continue hammering Palestinians with justified verbal ferocity in the same way I believe the Israeli military should hammer them on the battlefield. I will not only break my word, but I will take great pride in doing so.

Oh I’m sorry. I was just doing my impersonation of Palestinian culture, where agreements, integrity, decency, and human life mean absolutely nothing. These cultural savages will lie, cheat, steal, and murder for sport, and for that I will make sure the world knows about it.

Some people and institutions love to claim that criticism of Israel does not mean being anti-Israel, and that being anti-Israel does not mean being anti-Semitic. Some of those people are decent human beings speaking truth. Many other of the speakers of these cliches are simply seeking cover for rabid anti-Semitism. One such disgusting organization is the Los Angeles Times.

In the same way murdering 10 people is not as bad as murdering 20 people, the Los Angeles Times is not as bad as the Jayson Blair Times. Nevertheless, being slightly less vile is not the same as actually doing good. I have often compared the Los Angeles Times to Palestinians because one has to dig deep down to possibly find anything that can remotely be considered positive.

The year 2009 began with the dropping of the screwball. A Jayson Blair Times columnist was thrown over the ocean, and New York celebrated one less wretched journalist (no, not really, getting permits for this ritual was difficult given zoning laws). The ritual in Los Angeles began with the dropping of the screwball column by Rosa Brooks.

I am amazed that environmentalists actually allow trees to be killed for such ridiculously imbecilic words. The column “Israel can’t bomb its way to peace” should be mandatory reading for anybody that wants to learn absolutely nothing, and do so badly.

In the great tradition of liberal columnists, I shall cherry pick the worst of the comments. The difference is that unlike these liberal journalists, they will be perfectly in context.

“As long as President Bush was in the White House, Israel could count on a U.S. administration that wasn’t merely ‘supportive’ of Israel but blindly, mindlessly so.”

Yes, the obligatory smug cheap shot at President George W. Bush has to be part of any liberal article. After all, the geniuses at the Los Angeles Palestiniant Times (LAPT) cannot just disagree with the current policy. They need to call it “mindless.” In their world, the President has no mind. He cannot think clearly, which is ironic given that on issues of right and wrong, he seems crystal clear. Israelis defending themselves are the good guys. Hamas murderers are the bad guys. Nothing about this requires nuance.

“Obama may be less willing to offer Israel blank checks. Thus this New Year’s military offensive, timed for the crucial window before Israeli elections and Obama’s swearing-in.”

In the words of a salty teenager, which I was once, “Well, duh.” The United States has had a President that puts principles before polls. He has allowed Israel to defend itself against murderers without restrictions. Mr. Obama is a blank slate. Nobody knows what he will do, perhaps not even him. It is not just reaosnable for Israel to act now. It is the only course of action. Perhaps Rosa Brooks wants an entire democratic nation to roll the dice on its very future existence, but thankfully this nation of Israel is not going to rely on a 50/50 proposition. Perhaps Ms. Brooks might want Israel to rely on the United Nations to save it. Maybe if the town Ms. Brooks lives in were denied any kind of police protection, she would be willing to trust that the criminals would just voluntarily leave her neighborhood alone. I suspect otherwise.

“For all its threats and bravado, Hamas is weak, and its weapons — terrorism, homemade rockets — are the weapons of the weak. Since 2001, Hamas has fired thousands of unguided Kassam rockets at Israel, but the rockets have killed only a handful of Israelis.”

This is an outright lie, or as the LAPT would describe it, a typical day at the office. The rockets are getting more and more accurate, and traveling further distances. They are not as crudely made as they were several years ago.Besides, given that this might be the only thing taught in Palestinian classrooms, they had better be good at it at some point.

More importantly, the fact that “only” a few Jews have been murdered is pure nonsense. One innocent murdered Jew is too many. I do not know if Ms. Brook shas children, but if she had 10, and she had one murdered, she would not be so cavalier with her numbers. I do not wish that on her or any parent.

Some may ask about Palestinian civilian casualties, but there is a major difference. Israelis deliberately try to avoid civilian casualties. Palestinians use their women and children as shields. Therefore, any Palestinian deaths are solely the fault of the Palestinians. Are innocent deaths problematic? Absolutely. Does this absolve the Palestinians of 100% culpability in the suicidal nature of their own culture that gets their own people killed? Absolutely not. Israel is blameless not because they are Jews, but because they are right.

For those that disagree, ask yourself why Israeli hospitals accept wounded Palestinians. Try finding an Arab country that would save Jewish lives, unless murdering and sending to heaven is considered saving.

“Israel’s military, in contrast, is one of the most modern and effective in the world (thanks in part to an annual $3 billion in U.S. aid).”

That is a thinly veiled threat, and another reason liberal Jews might wish to rethink their support of democrats. After all, we would not want them to be blind and mindless, to paraphrase Ms. Brooks.

“Destruction of Hamas’ infrastructure may temporarily slow Hamas rocket attacks, but sooner or later they’ll resume.”

The reason why the attacks resume is not because of the Israeli bombings, but because of the phony “cease fires.” Palestinians promise to stop firing rockets at Israel. They agree to a “truce” only when they are getting pulverized. Then, like little children on a homicidal playground, they have their fingers crossed behind their backs. The Palestinians use the cease fires to rebuild their capabilities, and then start up again.

The only way to get Palestinian terrorists is to keep their words is to keep destroying their weapons and their capabilities to fire them. Ms. Brooks believes the nonsensical notion that killing terrorists breeds more terrorists. Apparently in her world subtraction truly is addition. Her mathematical skills are truly Congressional. Killing terrorists is the death penalty. It prevents repeat offender. Does anybody believe that more cockroaches show up out of anger that the original cockroaches were exterminated? The additional cockroaches were there the entire time, hiding behind the first layer. The goal is to remove the entire infestation, in as many waves as it takes.

“Arab and Islamic anger over Palestine continues to fuel anti-Western and anti-U.S. terrorism around the globe.”

There is no Palestine! It does not exist. Decent people understand this, which excludes the LAPT. Perhaps they look at the same globes found in Arab schools that do not have Israel on them.

Israel is not the cause of Arab anger. Arab anger has existed for centuries, long before Israel existed in 1948. Besides, so what if Arabs in the Middle East are angry? That does not make their anger justifed.

Does anybody sane really believe that if Israel ceased to exist, Arab anger would not be channeled somewhere else decadent, say Los Angeles? America is the Great Satan. Israel is only Little Satan.

“It’s time for the United States to wake up from its long slumber and reengage — forcefully — with the Middle East peace process.”

In the real world, forcefully means an actual solution. Only in a world run by liberals could the world forcefully be synthesized with diplomatic engagement. Perhaps the plan is to speak in a tough sounding voice, accomplishing nothing but looking spectacular while doing it.

“In January 2001, the Taba talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority came achingly close to a final settlement, but talks broke down after Likud’s Ariel Sharon was elected prime minister on Feb. 6, 2001.”

Even by LAPT standards, this is a disgusting lie. Talks broke down in 2000 while Bill Clinton was still President of America and Ehud Barak was Prime Minister of Israel. Ariel Sharon did visit the Temple Mount, but that visit was arranged in advance and authorized by Yassir Arafat. The second Initfada that broke out was not a spontaneous reaction to this visit. It was planned months in advance by Yassir Arafat, who had no intention of reaching an agreement.

Again, Yassir Arafat did not negotiate in good faith because he wanted bloodshed. He was the Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton of the Middle East. The worst thing that happens to political agitators is peace and contentment. This renders the agitator irrelevant. The conflict is not the means. It is the ends.

“Sharon refused to meet with Yasser Arafat, and newly inaugurated President George W. Bush had no interest in pushing Israel toward peace.”

Ariel Sharon had no interest in negotiating with a lying, murdering, sub-human animal derivative. George W. Bush had no interest in siding with this deranged Palestinian terrorist. He sided with the law abiding and democratically elected Israeli leader. Again, everywhere except the LAPT, this is reasonable.

“When he takes office, Obama needs to push both Israelis and Palestinians to sit back down, with the abandoned Taba agreements as the starting point.”

No. He does not need to do this. He also does not need to dictate what the starting points are. An agreement is null and void once it is violated. There is no Taba, Oslo, or any other type of agreement.

So until anything takes place, here are some questions for Rosa Brooks and the rest of the LAPT ilk.

What if Palestinians do not stop firing rockets at Israel for good? What happens if Israel makes concessions, but the Palestinains violate their end of the bargain? Then what?

That has already happened.

What if Palestinains continue to teach their children Jewish blood libel?

That happens.

What if Palestinian leaders take aid that is supposed to be used for food and medical servies for their own people, and instead spend it on guns and other munitions?

They already do this.

What happens if an agreement is reached, and Palestinians violate the agreement?

That is their entire history.

No, Ms. Brooks. Israel does need to make tough and painful decisions, but not the ones you recommend.

Israel needs to tell their doctors to stop treating wounded Palestinians until Arab doctors treat Jewish patients with equal care.

Israel needs to deny the Palestinians food, water, electricity, and anything else needed to survive. Israel is at war. In war the purpose is to take the enemy and choke the life out of it, not feed and shelter an enemy that will use that nourishment and sustenance to wage more war.

What is the downside for Israel? Bad public relations? They already have that from places like the LAPT and the JBT.

Israel should make sure that Palestinian suffering is so brutal and so thorough that Palestinians decide that the only solution is to make sure that Hamas stops firing rockets. Palestinians must fight for their freedom internally the same way oppressed peoples in other nations do. It is bloody, but in the end, it works.

Palestinians need to blame their own leaders, and stop blaming Israel.

The rockets need to stop.

There is no need to dialogue with the Palestinian murderers just because the LAPT says so.

Israel needs to make their enemies bleed blood red, as if they were the LAPT financial bottom line.

Perhaps when the LAPT, the JBT and the rest of their illiterate newspaper cousins stop adopting the Palestinian method of journalism, they might survive as well.

I hope not. Some Palestinians may be redeemable, but these newspapers deserve to be put down for good.

eric

We…can…do…this…zzzzz

Thursday, January 1st, 2009

We…can…do…this.

What the heck is that beeping sound?

(knocks the phone off the hook, keeps banging the snooze alarm)

A voice tells me it’s my pager. My pager is black, so finding it in the dark is the needle haystack equivalent. A lucky smack knocks it against the wall, where it may or may not have shattered. The beeping continues.

Who the heck is texting me at this ungodly hour of…1pm?

Great, happy new year wishes. Thanks. Whoever you are, I hate you.

I remember once being awakened by somebody who insisted it was 1PM. I explained to them that they were on the East Coast, and that 1pm EST is 10AM in Los Angeles. The person explained that they knew how to tell time, and that it was 4PM EST, hence 1PM where I was.

Sure, I could get up and write my column. It’s a new year, and starting the year off with a flurry of brilliance might be helpful. Forget it. I wrote the column last night.

The 2010 elections? The first candidate to call me gets blistered on my blog…tomorrow.

The Bowl games? I have Tivo. Besides, does anybody care who wins the Poulan Weed Eater Bowl, the Lack of Insight.com Bowl, the Fishbowl, the RU486 Morning After Bowl, or any other game that I may or may not have made up?

Speaking of the morning after, does anybody remember the David Byrne Talking Heads song from the movie “Less than Zero? (which the temperature feels like right now, even in LA)” The song is called “Once in a lifetime.”

“This is not my beautiful house. This is not my beautiful wife. What have I done? How did I get here?”

I then realize that the beeping sounds are the voices in my head telling me I am too old, even at 35, to stay out this late. I do not even drink alcohol, yet I remain exhausted.

I should get out of bed, but at 1pm, I have to be at work in 20 hours. I had better rest up.

Besides, if I get up now, and somehow stagger to the shower, and get dressed, I can make it out of my condo to go…nowhere, the stores are closed.

My birthday is in just over a week, I should pace myself.

Heck, I could work on my website. All that takes is staggering to my couch. Oh, no. My IT guy finished it already months ago. Touching anything would only screw it up.

I could go on Jdate and search for women. Not a bad idea, except that I am too exhausted to check their adams apples. I do not want a boyfriend, and am not sure that my eyes can tell the difference right now. Also, the Chicago Cannonball and I are in a relationship, and getting shot to death is not the way to start the year. She arrives in town next week. She likes to do things in the morning, so I had better save up sleep now before she forces me up before 11am.

Perhaps I can shop on Ebay. No, bad idea. Buying stuff when not at full capacity is problematic. Do I really need another mountain goat? I think not. D@mn creature gets his horns in my hide. Not a comfy way to wake up. Calm down boy, I’ll get you some straw to graze on when I wake up.

I could work on my record album, although I keep telling the world that just because my hair is long, that does not mean I am in a band. The only instrument I like is the triangle, because that tells me lunch is ready. I could work on my book, except it is in the hands of the editors. In March it had better be an instant classic, or at least the subject of some book burnings by Arabs and feminists.

I could get up and eat something. Ahh, yes, lunch. My microwave is slow, and a 5 minute tv dinner takes almost 15 minutes. I could read the paper, but it is cold outside my building where the stand is, and I can’t find any coins. Reading the paper online is tiring, and my printer is not working. I really could use the lifestyle section. It makes a great placemat for when I am eating.

If I stay in bed for only a couple more hours until 3PM, that would allow me to stay up all night so I am totally exhausted for work tomorrow. The boss might not like that plan.

Running errands…not gonna happen.

Every morning, I say a 4 word prayer to start my day. I use my elbows to try and leverage them against my bed to prop me up. I used to place my alarm clock on the other side of the room, but ripping the cord out of the wall solved that problem.

As for the Jewish brunette, aka the Chicago Cannonball, she not only steals my heart, but the covers as well. Her political liberalism is not a problem last night, although if she or anyone else opens their trap today I will be more caustic than usual because I should be sleeping right now.

Oh wait, she already left in October. Here is the note. “I tried to wake you, but that was a losing battle. By the way, you have nothing but soda in your fridge. Talk to you soon.”

She is a liar. I have potato chips in my fridge as well. Why they are there, I am not sure, but it saves having to remember which cabinet they are in. One stop shopping, I tell you, is the way to go.

Besides, I combed my hair for her last month in North Carolina. I am not doing it this morning. I am a “retrosexual (Thank you Laree for teaching me a new first vocab word.).”

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=retrosexual

I should at least have the decency to say some morning prayers.

“Hey God…those people I pray for every night…yeah those people, the same ones…look after them again.”

I briefly go back to sleep, despite every attempt to wake up. The home phone is turned off, the cell is off as well, and the pager is still shattered, in addition to being disconnected over a year ago.

There may have been a car crash outside my building followed by 911 calls and sirens, but telling everybody to “keep it down,” solved that problem. A brief nightmare of me being late for work was averted when I realized they would find me if needed.

Four tvs in the living room, and none in the bedroom. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, a tv in the bedroom would promote laziness. Besides, trying to figure out which remote to use would cause me to break them all as if they were my pager.

Ok, 3PM it is. Come on, elbows, do your stuff. Rise, young lad, rise! Awaken thy exhausted tired eyes!

Why is God shouting? Oh wait, that is my overdramatization of God.

I had better set the alarm now so I do not miss work tomorrow. I wonder where I threw it. Threw it? Oh, screw it.

Ok, time for my 4 word prayer. It has gotten me this incredibly terribly far. Time to contemplate getting out of bed.

“We…can…do…this.”

Happy 2009 all. Except for the person that woke me up earlier. Whoever you are, I still can’t stand you.

eric