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Obama on Scripture

2012-02-03T04:25:00.000-08:00

Oh, if only Jesus could have a little sit-down with Michele Bachmann and some of those who spew out Christian judgment of President Obama!
by Charlie Leck

"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother." Deuteronomy 15:7

The President made a STATEMENT yesterday when he appeared at the National Prayer Breakfast gathering in Washington, D.C.. He clearly wanted to send a message that the fundamental and ultraconservative Christians out on the far right do NOT have exclusivity when it comes to spouting scripture.

In his comments, President Obama, made clear that he is influenced by the Judeo-Christian concepts of caring for those who are in need. Very casually he threw out verses from scripture that motivate him.

“For unto whom much is given, much is required!” [Luke 12:48]

“I am my brother’s keeper!” [Genesis 4:38-8]

“Care for the least of these!” [Matthew 25:40)

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves!” [Proverbs 31:8]

“They are values,” he said, “that have made this country great when we live up to them.”

I am not being simplistic here. Yesterday’s remarks were carefully planned. I think the President is tired of fundamental Christians speaking ill of him but not really defending their dislike of his health care innovations and his programs to serve the elderly and needy in relation to their scriptural beliefs.

You know, it is interesting to imagine what it would be like if Jesus were the chief advisor to the President of the United States. Fundamentalists ought to think about this! We would not, I guaranty you, reduce entitlement spending. We would not be cutting our financial aid to needy foreign nations. We would have American technicians working in those places that need to improve their water supplies and their ability to establish a sustainable agricultural system. No American would be turned away from proper health care assistance. All children would be enrolled in outstanding educational environments and teachers would be among the most highly paid workers in the nation.

Oh, my! The high and mighty would be brought low and those of low esteem would be lifted up! Those who pray on the street corners just to show off their religion would be chased away and the meek and fully faithful would be rewarded with God’s blessings.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ [Mathew 25: 35-40]

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What Does the Lord Require of You?

2012-02-02T04:03:00.000-08:00

I am struggling with my conscience lately. I argue with it that I have done enough over the years and now I am tired and retired from the battles for justice; but my conscience stares me down, mocks me and decries my excuses!
by Charlie Leck

I’m moving through troubling days. This community I live in is very conservative. For instance, President Obama got very few votes here in the 2008 election. It went by about 75 percent for his opponent.

Now, this state I live in is going to face an incredibly significant decision in the election this November. In that election, my little town will again, I am sure, reject President Obama. However, it will also need to vote on the marriage amendment to our Minnesota State Constitution – an amendment that will define marriage as between only a man and a woman.

I stand on the other side of this issue and oppose the amendment with all my heart. As my wife said to me today, as we were pouring our morning coffee: “This amendment will actually legislate and give protection to discrimination! This has never happened before, has it?”

Well, actually yes, it has. The U.S. Constitution did not allow women to vote until it was amended. That amendment was an injustice corrected.

But, now, in our age, to think that we might very well create a clear and terrible, constitutionally endorsed policy of discrimination against those who cannot possibly define their lives and their sexually as many others of us do.

I am really and deeply troubled and saddened by this possibility. It shouldn’t be! It shouldn’t happen! Here in the quiet of my study I interrogate myself.

“Do you have any energy left in this old system of yours, sir? Are you both willing and able to wage a battle against such injustice and unfairness? There are people you care about, old fella, who will be hurt deeply by this proposed constitutional amendment! What can you do?”

“Contributing money, you know, is too easy! Are you courageous enough to talk to neighbors and people in the community about your feelings? Can you handle the cruel things they might say about you? It is time you know, to decide – to act!”

And, God seems to interrogate me also!

“And what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I command you this day for your good?” [Deuteronomy 10:12]

“He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” [Micah 6:8]

The God of Creation could not have put these children upon the earth, as he did, to be unhappy and unfulfilled and unable to take partners in commitments of love. Don’t all knowing, and caring, and thinking people realize this?

So, trembling and in the presence of my Creator, I filled out the volunteer form for Minnesotans United for All Families and sent it in. What can I do but “do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with my God?

You, too, wherever you live, if this proposed amendment to Minnesota’s constitution troubles you, can contribute to the cause at Minnesotans United for All Families! You can give funds or you can volunteer. Think! “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice and to love kindness?…”

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Freedom is what’s GREAT about America!

2012-02-01T04:08:00.000-08:00

I wanna be free! I wanna be free! It isn’t just me… we all wanna be free!
by Charlie Leck

Watch this video and be wowed like I was – as my wife was! You will not be sorry for the three and a half minutes of your day that you gave up to watch this clip. It has been viewed by millions and millions of people and more and more people are finding out about it every day because their neighbors and friends and members of their families are telling them: “You’ve got to watch this kid!”

What a spokesman this kid is! And, how proud his two parents must be of him.

I stand four-square against a constitutional amendment that is on our ballot this November. It will be a sad day here if it passes. We’ve got to educate people and somehow reach into their hearts and open them up to other possibilities of love and devotion. If you can help, please do. You can contribute to the cause at Minnesotans United for All Families! I’m afraid you’re going to hear more and more about his issue from me as election day draws near because this amendment is cruel and unfair in a land of free people.

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A Good Morning Laugh

2012-01-31T04:26:00.000-08:00

There’s nothing like beginning the day with a big, hearty laugh. I’ve gotten going that way two mornings in a row now and I give appropriate thanks!
by Charlie Leck

A reader of our local newspaper (The StarTribune of the Twin Cities) recently sent in a note that was posted on Tuesday morning as “The Letter of the day.” Martin Urberg, of Minneapolis, seems to be warning the Republicans:

“The Republican nomination race,” Mr. Urberg writes, “reminds me of an old nursery rhyme…”

There once were two cats of Kilkenny
Each though there was one cat too many
So they fought and they fit
and they scratched and they bit
‘til except for their nails
and the tips of their tails
instead of two cats there weren’t any

Kudos and thanks to Mr. Urberg. I loved it. Nothing like beginning the morning with a big laugh!

I got yesterday off to a rolling start as well, when I read an email from my old, old friend Rich (Little River, SC) who sent this along (he said he’s seen it in a number of places and can’t attribute it to anyone)…

Grandad [sic] remembering the good old days…

When I was a boy, my Momma would send me down to a corner store with $1, and I’d come back with 5 bags of potatoes, 2 loaves of bread, 3 bottles of milk, a hunk of cheese, a box of tea, and 6 eggs.

You can’t do that now. Too many f---in’ security cameras!

After Florida’s votes are in tonight (a winner-take-all primary) Mitt Romney will probably have 87 delegates in the bank. Sorry to tell you this, but he needs 1,144 to secure the nomination, so this process will go on for awhile. That, I am afraid, is no laughing matter!

Until tomorrow!

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Minnesota, Vote NO on Defining and Limiting Marriage

2012-01-30T03:35:00.000-08:00

We are asked to vote on an amendment to our state constitution this year that, if passed, will define marriage as only between a man and a woman! Please, Minnesota, do not vote for this constitutional amendment. Please vote NO!
by Charlie Leck

Minnesota and Minnesotans will face a distasteful choice when they enter the voting booth this fall and I hope we will stand tall and proud and fair and neighborly and vote NO on this amendment.

I read an essay very recently by one of Minnesota’s best known citizens, Marilyn Carlson Nelson, who also asked that we vote against this amendment. Her request came from the deepest part of her heart and it was bold, dramatic and forthright. Ms. Nelson is the daughter of the late Curt Carlson and she has served for many years as the CEO of the Carlson Companies, one of the nation’s largest privately owned corporations. She is also the mother of a lesbian and this gives her a significant understanding of this issue – an understanding that many of us don’t have.

I urge you to read her appeal in its entirety at…
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/137316283.html

Here’s how the extraordinary Ms. Carlson Nelson begins her essay…

“We Minnesotans are blessed to live in a state that others envy, study and model. Minnesota is home to more Fortune 500 companies per capita than any other state. The Mayo Clinic and General Mills are regulars on Fortune's "Best Places to Work" list.

“We tout the nation's best biking trails and more theater seats per capita than any other metro area outside of New York City, and we're recognized for being the best region for working mothers.

“Dubbed one of ‘America's Top Brainpower Cities,’ Minneapolis leads the nation with 93 percent of its citizens earning high school diplomas and claims the highest volunteer rate in the country. We consistently lead the nation in voter turnout.

“And, to top it off, several Minnesota cities are cited as some of the best places in the country to live. We are indeed blessed.

“This year, we have another blessing – of an unusual sort. We have the opportunity to decide as a community if we will amend our state Constitution to include a ban on the right of same-sex couples to marry.

“My prediction and my hope is that we will resist. Our history suggests we will.

“With all of Minnesota's accomplishments and high rankings, it would be easy to be lulled into complacency. But a review of our past suggests that we are always mindful that culture is not inherited. It is created anew by each generation.

“We are especially adept at asking ourselves: ‘Is this who we want to be? Are we living our values?’

“And if we don't like the answer, we have many times ‘righted the culture’ to better reflect those values in our institutions, our corporations and our communities.”

Oh my, let’s be fair and kind to those who deserve as much as I, to have a life’s companion they can love and cherish – and with whom they can share all the legal rights that come to a couple through marriage.

At another point, Ms. Carlson Nelson says…

“While not perfect, we have consistently, through the generations, righted the culture to more clearly define who we are as Minnesotans -- a people of integrity, inclusiveness and decency, with an overriding sense of the common good.

Wouldn't it be presumptuous of us to impose today's biases on same-sex marriage on future generations? Do we want to shackle our grandchildren, perhaps for decades, with the vitriolic debate and sometimes violence that have preceded the great human-rights victories of our nation?"

Over the years I have learned, not by any effort but through utter collisions with the truth, that most gays and lesbians are what they are by the facts of birth and their inheritance of genetic identities. In other words, you or I could quite possibly have been born as something other than heterosexual (and maybe we were). Why should a person born into that sexual identity be punished by the laws – by the Constitution – of the state in which he/she lives?

Ms. Carlson Nelson urges us to not “constitutionally mandate discrimination.” Her argument is that it “is bad for business and bad for the economic opportunities of all Minnesotans.” I prefer to just lay on you the argument that it is just downright unfair and cruel. And, I believe, that it is, in the end, Ms. Carlson Nelson’s case as well.

She says how painful it would be to cut out of her life and work the many wonderful gay friends and associates she has had – “friends, family and colleagues” – “people who through a lifetime of ups and downs have laughed with me, supported me and enriched me.” – “the hundreds of highly talented employees who have helped make Carlson a globally competitive and respected company” – “And most painful of all.. my daughter.”

Her daughter, you see, is lesbian because she was born that way. She didn’t become that way through encounters with the wrong people or because she wasn’t raised correctly or as some kind of religious punishment. It IS who she IS.

Oh, how I wish this amendment were not on the ballot, but perhaps there will be a blessing in it. Perhaps Minnesota will rise up and once again show its understanding and basic fairness. Perhaps Minnesota and Minnesotans will rise up and vote NO.

Again, you can read Marilyn Carlson Nelson’s wonderful essay here.

MINNESOTA UNITED FOR FAMILIES is an organization set up to work against this constitutional amendment. It is well organized and endorsed by many, many important community organizations. I've donated to them and I hope you will too. You can also volunteer to help them in many different ways.

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Bill and Newt

2012-01-29T05:30:00.000-08:00

Oh, my! Newt Gingrich has run into big trouble in his campaign in Florida. Building a moon station for billions of dollars has NOT caught the imagination of the American people and Mitt Romney has jumped all over it.
by Charlie Leck

I love these lines from a story in the Washington Post, by David Maraniss (22 January 2012) about former President Bill Clinton and current presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich. Read them below and see what you think. I’d love to hear from you about how you immediately reacted (chasleck@gmail.com). Or, post a comment here on the blog.

“Gingrich and Clinton share a propensity to think they are the smartest person in the room. When they were in rooms together, in the mid-1990s, Clinton dominated. He knew Gingrich’s vocabulary, he understood how to outwonk him, and the result was that the president mesmerized and overwhelmed the otherwise-cocky House speaker.

“I’ve got a problem, I get in those meetings and as a person I like the President,” Gingrich acknowledged during the era, when I was reporting on the “Republican revolution” with my colleague Michael Weisskopf. “I melt when I’m around him. After I get out, I need two hours to detoxify. My people are nervous about me going in there because of the way I deal with this.”

I think Newt’s ship has sustained serious damage down in Florida and it is taking on water rapidly – bit of a sinking feeling it must be for him!

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Michele Bachmann will Run Again for Congress

2012-01-27T05:05:00.000-08:00

Oh, boy! The lady from the 6^th District says she’ll run again for Congress. What can I say?
by Charlie Leck

It doesn’t matter much, but only about 37 percent of Minnesotans look favorably upon Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. That’s according to very recent poles. The only thing that matters, however, is how the people of her District feel (that’s District 6). My bet is that she has an approval rating up there of about 53 percent. I don’t like it, but it’s a fact of life and I need to live with it.

Who up there can knock her off? Terryl Clarke tried last time and couldn’t do it. She wants to make a run at Bachmann again, but I don’t favor it. Clarke ran a lack-luster campaign and she didn’t show much of a personality. She came off as dull and lifeless. I’ve scorned all her little emails seeking financial contributions to date and I plan to continue that. Let’s have a fresh face – and exciting one – to challenge the old war horse.

I don’t think Bachmann has done much for the people of the sixth over the last two years. Frankly, she has basically ignored them. Nevertheless, there is a certain mind-set in that District that doesn’t care. They want an evangelical Tea Party type and they’ll be very loud about it.

The only way the Democrats can win in that District is to put up a candidate with both charisma and credentials who will work hard to bring Bachmann down. Chances? Slim!

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The Remarkable Gabrielle Giffords

2012-01-26T04:22:00.000-08:00

Watch Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ resignation from Congress and the tributes the Congress paid to her! Have a hanky nearby!
by Charlie Leck

I was pretty much left sobbing this morning as I watched a touching video on the Washington Post. Oh, my! Congresswoman Gabbie Giffords turned in her letter of resignation from the House of Representatives and it was an extremely beautiful and emotional event.

The video can be found on the Washington Post web site, or you can watch below as the Congresswoman enters the House chambers as a Representative for the last time and is then surrounded by friends as Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL) reads Ms. Giffords’ letter of resignation in the House chambers yesterday. It was a touching, moving and highly emotional event.

Here’s a shortened version of the event on CNN if you don’t have time to listen to and watch the entire reading of the letter and the House’s extraordinary response (including shots of the choked up Speaker, John Boehner.

If you want to see and read a copy of the full letter it’s right here.

And, here’s the video…
(if you want to get quickly up to the reading of the letter, you can move ahead to about the 23 minute mark, though I recommend you watch her entrance and all the moving and beautiful comments about her).

There’s certainly not much more to be said. The nation wishes Gabbie, good, good luck. The state of Arizona must be very, very proud today!

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Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

2012-01-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

Obama looked more like a President last night than at any time since his inauguration speech!
by Charlie Leck

The man I voted for in 2008, who took office on a January day three years ago, finally stepped in out of the cold and dark, and spoke up last night as he did in the 2008 campaign. And he did it not a moment too soon; for his loyal followers, of which I am one, were about to abandon him. We needed the Barrack Obama who got elected by the great American middle class to speak up for those who put him in office.

Now, we who voted him into office must be prepared to hold his feet to the coals. He must not back-slide or recant. He must stay firm and committed to the things he said in his State of the Union address last evening. He must!

In a New York Times editorial this morning there was qualified praise for the speech

“…the country’s problems are profound. There are 13.1 million unemployed, and the risk of stagnation is real. Republican candidates are pounding on the wrong, but seductive, notion that the real problem is government spending – especially on the ‘others’ the poor and minorities. Congressional Republicans have barely wavered in their obstructionism.

“Mr. Obama has become steadily more assertive, but he will have to push even harder. The State of the Union address was a chance to do that, and he did not squander it.

As the President said last night…

“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.”

Obama was tough last night. The question is obvious: Can he be tough under fire when negotiating with the Speaker, who, for the moment anyway, controls a majority of the votes in the House?

We will know soon enough – even long before the launch of the campaign following the Democratic National Convention. If President Obama stands firm, speaking softly, but carrying a big stick*, he’ll get reelected and return the House of Representatives to Democratic Party control. Then we'll get people back to work as we rebuild both our economy and our country.

Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.
*It was in 1901, at the Minnesota State Fair, that Vice President Theodore Roosevelt first used the expression: “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” The date was September 2^nd and twelve days later President William McKinley would be assassinated, opening the door to the presidency to Roosevelt.

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Old Ideas

2012-01-25T05:03:00.000-08:00

Leonard Cohen’s new album is incredible, combining remarkable tunes and melodies with mysterious and dramatic lyrics that make you think – and sometimes bend your mind.
by Charlie Leck

I ordered Old Ideas yesterday. I listened to all 41 minutes of it, compliments of National Public Radio and it was just really good – just fine listening – and as captivating as can be. What wondrous sounds and what impactful lyrics. I’ll spend many pleasant hours listening to this fine, fine work.

Cohen has a huge following. It’s not surprising. He especially appeals to people of the 60s. He comes out of a Jewish heritage and combines that with some Zen-like meditation.

Here’s just a tiny example of the mellow, soft and quiet music’s mysterious lyrics…

Goin’ home without my sorrow

Goin’ home sometime tomorrow

Goin’ home to where it’s better than before

Goin’ home without my burden

Goin’ home behind the curtain

Goin’ home without this costume that I wore

Another tune carries these extraordinary lyrics. Cohen’s voice is filled (loaded) with passion and drama.

The troubles came.

I saved what I could save.

The threat of life a particle away.

But there were chains so I hastened to the hay.

There were chains so I loved you like a slave.

Show me the place where you want your slave to go!

Show me the place… I’ve forgotten… I don’t know.

Show me the place while my head is bendin’ low

Show me the place where you want your slave to go.

Show me the place, help me roll the stone away.

Show me the place, I can’t move this thing alone.

Show me the place where the word became a man.

Show me the place where the suffering began.

The lyrics are fine, indeed; but they are powerful when combined with the dramatic music and the raspy Cohen voice.

Here’s the way NPR explains Cohen in a little story it posted to introduce the free listen to the album…

In the end, of course, Leonard Cohen remains his own man, with a unique sound that brings the temple to the cabaret and a sensibility balancing humor and profundity on the crystal stem of a glass filled with red wine of an ideal vintage.

This free listen, from NPR, won’t be up too much longer, so go there and let this remarkable album captivate you.

In the song Lullaby, Cohen gives us these twisted, mysterious lyrics…

Here’s my lullaby… Here’s my lullaby
Well, the mouse ate the crumbs
And the cat ate the crust…
Now they’ve fallen in love
And they’re talkin’ in tongues

…Sleep baby, sleep…
There’s a mornin’ to go
The wind in the trees
They’re talkin in tongues…

If you heart is torn
I won’t wonder why
If the night is long
Here’s my lullaby
Here’s my lullaby

Cohen is an extraordinary poet and he also happens to be a superior musical talent. The combination is tantalizing.

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Osawatomie

2012-01-24T05:14:00.000-08:00

The President’s early December speech in Osawatomie, Kansas is an indicator of both tonight’s State of the Union presentation and his coming Campaign!
by Charlie Leck

It’s okay, I think, to try to guess where the President is going to go with his State of the Union address tonight. It’s part of the game, you know – just like trying to forecast the results of the Super Bowl in two weeks.

First off, recognize the fact that the 2012 race to the White House has begun. It’s too bad! We’d rather it hadn’t, but it has and it is going to be boring for the first few months. Now, here in mid-January, comes a chance for the President to respond to some of those awful things Republicans have been saying about him as they campaign in primaries from Iowa to New England to Florida.

So, what will the President say?
Just go back and read the President’s early December speech in Osawatomie, Kansas. That’s the speech in which he praised Teddy Roosevelt, the 26^th President of the United States, who served two terms from 1901-1909. In the speech, Obama tried to take on much of the character and charisma of Teddy. There’s good reason; for Teddy Roosevelt was a tough character and a popular president – and he was the leader of the Rough Riders into Cuba during the Spanish-American War. He received posthumously the Medal of Honor in 2001. Roosevelt had grown up in a privileged family, attended Harvard and Columbia Law School and was adept in 5 languages. Nevertheless, Tough Teddy was closely identified as common and middle class.

Obama reminded his listeners that his grandparents had lived in Kansas. His grandmother was born in Wichita. His grandpa served in Patton’s army in World War II. His grandma worked on a bomber assembly line.

“Together, they shared the optimism of a nation that triumped over a Depression and fascism. They believed in an America where hard work paid off, responsibility was rewarded, and anyone could make it if they tried – no matter who you were, where you came from, or how your started out.”

The Osawatomie speech was about and directed to the middle class. And don’t you forget it. [If you want to read the entire speech, it is here thanks to the Washington Post.]

Obama is going to take on a tough-guy character and he is going to begin speaking very directly and strongly about America’s forgotten and abused middle class. He’s going to begin challenging Republicans instead of trying to inveigle them.

He’s going to ask clearly: “What has happened to the Middle Class?” He’s going to talk about the wide gap between the wealthy and the rest. He’s going to plead for generosity and compassion and he going to attack selfishness and greed.

He’s going to talk about the former America and compare it to the current America.

He’s going to paint a picture about where this America is headed.

He’s going to line up on the side of the massive percentage of the population that is not wealthy. He’s going to ask them what the Republican Party has done for them.

As the president said in Osawatomie…

“But this isn’t just another political debate. This is the defining issue of our time. This is a make or break moment for the middle class, and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class. At stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, and secure their retirement.

“Now, in the midst of this debate, there are some who seem to be suffering from a kind of collective amnesia. After all that’s happened, after the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, they want to return to the same practices that got us into this mess. In fact, they want to go back to the same policies that have stacked the deck against middle-class Americans for too many years. Their philosophy is simple: we are better off when everyone is left to fend for themselves and play by their own rules.”

You’ll hear much more of the same tonight. “We have got to make the middle class important in America again. This is the defining issue of our time!”

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Flailing Away at Death

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

I read something on an infrequent blog* yesterday and it stirred me somewhat and put me to thinking.

Charlie Leck

Plumb Bob wrote on his blog:

Death, you always call too soon, we are not ready, we have plans unfulfilled, the leaves of my life like a limb are stilling growing, the blossoms of my garden have not faded, the wild bees still fly here.

My fruit is not all fully yielded, but you come early, wait, another day, another hour, but your call is clear: “Come away with me my love, the world has had you too long, I want you with me.”

I like it, somehow! It is an easy read and it is intriguing. I left a comment for Plumb Bob:

As for me, I shall not be ready! Like a school assignment I cannot seem to find the time to do. I cannot prepare! I cannot find time for thee, o death… so you need to steal me away and I will go kicking, biting and fighting to the end.

I also reminded Plumb Bob of e.e. cummings' fine poem: “oh death, I wouldn’t like death if death were good.”

Dying is fine) but Death

?o
baby
i

wouldn’t like

Death if Death
were
good: for

when (instead of stopping to think) you

begin to feel of it, dying
’s miraculous
why? be

cause dying is

perfectly natural; perfectly
putting
it mildly lively (but)

Death

is strictly
scientific
& artificial &

evil & legal)

we thank thee
god
almighty for dying
(forgive us, o life!the sin of Death

I think the poet’s comparison of dying, which we’re all doing now, to death is remarkable. If you missed that, go back and read it again.

Plumb Bob doesn’t post very often (every month or two, I suppose), but if you want to look in on his blog click here.

*A blog to which posts are made quite infrequently and irregularly.

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She Stands Up for Minnesota

2012-01-22T03:10:00.000-08:00

Her family has a long history and tradition of philanthropy and they’ve shown enormous affection for the land and its water.
by Charlie Leck

She’s a retiring type who does not like to be in the lime-light. A publication of some influence (Politics in Minnesota) just called her the most influential Democrat in Minnesota. At first blush one might conclude that it’s because of her money. Far from it, however, because she’s also very bright and very committed to the things she believes in.

I’ll concur with the magazine’s choice. She probably is the most influential Democrat in our state. Democrats, if they got to know her, would really like this woman.

I don’t want this to be biographical, but you really ought to know a little bit about the woman, Alida Rockerfeller Messinger. She’s 63 years old. Her father was John D. Rockefeller III. Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller was her mouth. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, U.S. Senator from West Virginia, is her brother.

In Minnesota, she has homes in Minneapolis and Afton.

Mrs. Messinger is an important philanthropist in this state and her major concern seems to be for the environment. In addition to gifting large amounts of money through her own charitable trust, she is also a trustee of the Rockefeller Family Fund.

She was formerly married to Minnesota’s current governor, Mark Dayton, and had two sons with him. They divorced in 1986 but they retain an enormous amount of respect for each other and she was significantly involved in Dayton’s election campaign in 2010.

Our local newspaper, the StarTribune has called her “a quiet but enormously powerful force in Minnesota politics.” [Click here to read the story!] The story by Baird Helgeson says that Mrs. Messinger “has quietly given at least $10 million to candidates and causes over the past decade.” She gave a half-million to a group that supported her ex-husband in his race for governor.

The story also indicates she’ll be generous in her support for President Obama’s reelection campaign this year.

I don’t know Mrs. Messinger, but I have a lot of reasons to like her. She was very generous to one organization I had a lot of affection for over the years and for which I volunteered two years of full time labor [1000 Friends of Minnesota]. Because of her interest in land preservation and open spaces, she virtually carried that organization for a number of years.

I was at a small campaign rally for Governor Dayton a couple of years ago, and Mrs. Messinger was there, quietly working the crowd and showing her complete support for her ex-husband.

Mrs. Messinger is a strong supporter of an organization called Win Minnesota whose clear and admitted goal is to return the state legislature back to Democratic control. She agrees with her ex-husband-governor that the wealthy pay too little in taxes to the state and that the Republicans do not defend our state’s environment and open spaces nearly enough.

Since the beginning of 2001, Mrs. Messinger has given more than 9 million dollars to political causes (campaign financing). You can see her totals and those of Minnesota’s other top financial contributors here.

Some have accused this quiet, shy and gracious woman of trying to buy Minnesota politics “with daddy’s money.” [Mitch Berg in his blog, Shot in the Dark, 16 July 2010] No, what she’s trying to do is save Minnesota from those who don’t understand how perilous it is to abuse a state’s treasury of environmental beauty. Mrs. Messinger cares deeply and passionately about this state and she wants to protect its wetlands, lakes and open spaces.

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Foolishness in South Carolina

2012-01-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

I’m trying to watch the South Carolina primary campaign with some sense of intelligence. If you don’t think that’s difficult, you’re not paying attention!

by Charlie Leck

I’ve never seen anything like it! Never! The most serious candidate in the race down there in South Carolina is Stephen Colbert (or is he Herman Cain?). The rest are all jokes – and really bad jokes at that.

Perry pulls out and promptly endorses Gingrich. Within hours the news breaks that Gingrich proposes to his second wife that they have an open marriage and he be allowed to carry on a sexual relationship with a woman he was seeing (who is now his third wife). The funny part of the story is that Gingrich had the nerve in a candidates’ debate to turn a question about that proposal to his second wife back on the questioner, calling it disgusting. Whoa! Wait! What? The audience hooted and hollered its approval of Gingrich and gave him a standing ovation. Whoa! Wait! What?

In the middle of the South Carolina debate, the state of Iowa over-turned its announced results that Mitt Romney had won the caucuses there. The state announced, even though it could not account for a very large percentage of the ballots, that Ricky Santorum had won. Santorum had the nerve to make a big deal out of it. What happened to all the ballots? That’s what the reporters asked the Republican Party back in Iowa. They had no idea and explained, you know, that the whole process was a volunteer effort and no one is really accountable for any of it. Whoa! Wait! What?

The Super PACs are at work in South Carolina spending huge amounts of money from unidentified donors saying terrible things about the candidates they don’t support.

Stephan Colbert and John Stewart founded a Super PAC and were then surprised to discover they could say anything they wanted about anyone. So, they promptly called Mitt Romney a “serial killer” because, as Chairman of Bain Capital he had knocked of a couple of corporations and, of course, the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that corporations are people too. Whoa! Wait! What?

Have you ever noticed, while watching these debates, that Ron Paul is always way over on the far right. Whoa! Wait! What? No, really! And, have you noticed that he is the only one of the candidates that really directly answers the questions asked. Most times people don’t like his answers, but, in fact, he does answer the questions. He doesn’t realize that this is not smart politics.

Are you getting the idea here? Thank goodness the vote is coming up soon. I just can’t take any more of this!

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Will Rogers: Before My Time

2012-01-21T05:03:00.000-08:00

Will Rogers would certainly have had an abundance of material for his comedy acts and his newspaper columns had he been around in our time.

by Charlie Leck

I’m reading a biography of Will Rogers. It was written by Richard D. White, Jr., a professor of Public Administration at Louisiana State University. It’s a good book. I’m certainly enjoying it.

I was surprised to learn that Will Rogers died (1935) five years before I was born. As a boy, I can remember watching film clips of him doing his little lasso act and knocking out his one-liners as if they were powerful line-drives to the outfield gaps. What I had watched with my parents must have been film clips of him. As a little tyke I was probably not prepared to understand how a dead man could be there on the screen entertaining me with rope tricks.

Rogers loved to stick pins in the soft skin of politicians. White makes that very clear in this book. Oh, what material Rogers would have in this day and age! Ey?

In one of his newspaper columns he wrote…

“You know the more you read and observe about this Politic thing You got [sic] to admit that each Party is worse than the other. The one that’s out always looks the best… I tell you Folks, all Politics is Apple Sauce.”

In 1924, in the New York Times, he wrote…

“Every time a bill comes up they have a million things to decide that have nothing to do with the merit of the bill. They first must consider is, or was, it introduced by a member of the opposite Political Party. It if is [sic], why then something is wrong with it from the start… Then the principal thing of course, ‘what will it do for me back home?’ ...Politics and self-preservation must come first, never mind the majority of the people… A man’s thoughts are naturally on his next term, more than on his country.”

In our current time, Will Rogers’ mind would be blown out by sensory overload!

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Be Safe On-Line

2012-01-20T05:03:00.000-08:00

Here’s some terribly good advice and instruction for you about staying safe when you’re working on-line. It comes from Google!

by Charlie Leck

I’m one of the old timers, hanging around, who really does love the Web (the Internet). It both educates me and entertains me. As well, it allows me to express myself. And, if you count email as part of the Web, which I think you must, it allows me very rapid communications with my family and friends at, in essence, no cost.

So, as a friend of mine likes to put it, “what’s not to like?”

My wife’s first answer is: “Intruders!” Her second and third is: “Web nuts! Crooked bastards!”

I guess she’s correct. We’ve had our share of malware attacks and invaders who sought to penetrate into our important and personal data. Damn!

So, I was pleased to find good advice from Google. Obviously, this is a company whose astronomically wealthy business depends on people who are not afraid of the Web. So I was pleased to find a Google site on-line that carefully explained what procedures we should take to stay safe. It’s called Stay Safe On-Line. Go and visit it if you worry, as seriously as my wife does, about protecting yourself from predatory geeks.

The Google site deals with terms that most of us don’t even begin to understand – like phishing, malware, and security on our mobile devices (cell phones). It also deals with safety in using cloud services (another concept most of us old-timers don’t get).

The Google site is also designed for the lay person and those of us who aren’t techie. There are good explanations of the common jargon and there are resources you can find to help you get out of trouble when you’re in it.

If you, like I, get frightened sometimes when you travel out there on the World Wide Web, this is a good page for you to know about. Bookmark it someplace where you can bring it up if you’re in need. First, however, go examine it and learn what you can in advance.

Feel safe when you go on-line! Here’s a Google video about on-line safety.

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Stock Market Lookin’ Good

2012-01-20T03:51:00.000-08:00

The U.S. stock trading markets looked good this week and these are positive signs for the economy, but it’s Friday and there will be profit-taking today.

by Charlie Leck

My, oh my! The last thing in the world I am is a financial expert. To me, the stock market in the U.S. is like a game of darts (from a very long distance). Yet, I watch it closely as if I knew what was (is) going on.

It’s been a big week for the market and it has shown a lot of gains. I’ve noticed in the past that, when this happens, investors want to bank some of their profits and it usually happens on a Friday afternoon. They’ll watch the market this morning and, if there is an inkling of downward movement, they’ll quickly sell and bank their profits from the big week.

Don’t worry! Be happy! I think the economy is turning around in America. President Obama, anyway, is certainly hoping it is.

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Below Zero!

2012-01-19T05:31:00.000-08:00

What a strange winter we’ve had in Minnesota! It is January 18 and, until last night, we’ve not had any below zero temperatures this winter.

by Charlie Leck

Last night the temperatures dipped down to 12 below zero! We’ve had an amazingly mild winter.

Ten days ago it got up to 55 degrees here on one afternoon and guys were out hitting golf balls. There hasn’t been even an inch of snow this winter. It was strange feeling the temperature drop last night after such a mild start to the winter. Below zero! It’s certainly been a long time coming.

Does it mean we’ll have a short winter this year? Or will winter come and hang around all through April (as it has done a time or two in the 50 years I’ve lived here)? Or will spring come in mid-March and give us a wonderful warm season this year? Ah, the mysteries of Minnesota weather! We all love weather madness up here. You betcha!

Drought
One thing certain is that we need some moisture. It was a terribly dry late summer and autumn. We are officially in drought conditions.

Fascination with the weather
There is no state in the union whose residents are more fascinated with weather. In most major cities the TV weather report is about a minute or two in length. Here it might go on for 8 or 9 minutes. Most of the local stations spend the bulk of their on-air talent budget on the weatherman (or woman, as the case may be).

Years ago a local writer, Steve Thayer, wrote a magnificent murder mystery called The Weatherman.* It was a really well written novel and it had national success (and phenomenal Minnesota sales). I remember that one part of the story described the average Minnesotan’s absolute fascination with the evening weather report. Reviews on the book were mixed, but I thought it was a good story very well written. I have a copy of that book in my library and I’d certainly be willing to share it with eager readers.

I guess it’s understandable that the most used app on my iPhone is the weather app. Next comes the stocks app (the market got up to 12,579 yesterday – up 96.88 for the day). I think we’re talking economic recovery here.

About two weeks ago, the northern half of Florida was experiencing very damaging below freezing temperatures. On the same day the temperatures here in the Minneapolis area reached 47 degrees.

Below Zero would be a wonderful title for a short story. Let me think about that.

*Thayer, Steve: The Weatherman [1995, Signet, New York]

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Read My Lips: Raise My Taxes!

2012-01-17T03:27:00.000-08:00

A report by the Congressional Research Service leaves little doubt. The income gap has grown enormously!
by Charlie Leck

Preamble!
Is it important that I state up front that I am not in the middle or lower income tax brackets. In a fair world, I should be paying more taxes. This statement is only a preamble to the subject of today’s blog about the dramatic growth of the separation between the wealthy and not-wealthy in this nation. I only think your understanding of my standing makes the following statement more credible.

A report has just been released by the (nonpartisan) Congressional Research Service that seems to explain the reasons for the growing divide in economic status in America. For a full explanation of the report I recommend this story in Monday’s edition of the Washington Post. If you really want to read the report itself, you can find it here.

What you’ll find is that Warren Buffet has been right-on in what he’s been telling us about the income tax rate for years; essentially that “the share of total after-tax income attributable to dividends and capital gains grew by 40 percent, faster than any other category.” Those in our society who receive such income pay a much smaller rate on it than the fellow who files his w2 forms on his earned income at the end of the year.

George W. Bush’s income tax cuts for the wealthy made an enormous difference in this country and are primarily responsible for this huge and widening gap. “…the Bush tax cuts of 2003 blew it wide open by slicing the top rate on dividends and long-term capital gains from 28 percent to 15 percent.” (Don't get me wrong, a Congress controlled by Democrats had to approve the Bush tax cuts!)

And, the impactful recession we’ve just gone through has made matters even worse by deadening the ability of middle class income to grow.

“Not only does this foster inequality, it also creates an incentive to seek investment income rather than the ordinary kind…”

The report argues convincingly that this income of the wealthy has already been taxed at the corporate level to the tune of approximately 35 percent. While a hike in the amount of taxes the wealthy pay on dividend and capital gains taxes seems appropriate, a lowering of the corporate tax rate might also make sense.

One has to decide whether this growing and enormous gap between the haves and the have-nots in this country is creating an unhealthy society. To me, there doesn’t seem to be much to argue about.

Our federal tax system must be reformed in a manner that will enable a strengthening of the middle class.

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The Words of the Wise

2012-01-15T07:43:00.000-08:00

Some scriptural thoughts arrived in the last few days in an email from Sojourners. These thoughts often propel me toward the scriptures for a few moments. It’s not a bad thing! And, sometimes, it can be quite relaxing on a Sunday morning before the world begins to awaken.

“The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.” [Ecclesiastes 9:17-18]

The Book of Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes, the extraordinary book of the Old Testament of the Bible is something very, very special. I count it as my favorite book of scripture – indeed, my very favorite of the Old Testament!

When I want to read scripture (which, frankly, isn’t too often) I find myself turning to Ecclesiastes more than any other of the sections of Bible. There are such memorable quotations that come from Ecclesiastes, perhaps none more famous than the following.

“For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:
       a time to be born, and a time to die;
       a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
       a time to kill, and a time to heal;
       a time to break down, and a time to build up;
       a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
       a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
       a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
       a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
       a time to seek, and a time to lose;
       a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
       a time to rend, and a time to sew;
       a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
       a time to love, and a time to hate;
       a time for war, and a time for peace. [3:1-8]

Though, there are plenty of others…

“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.” [1:2-4]

“…and there is nothing new under the sun!” [1:9]

“There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in his toil.” [2:24]

“…God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work. [3-17]

“They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.” [3:19-20]

“A good name is better than precious ointment;…” [7:1]

“Be not quick to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.” [7:9]

“Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.”

“Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” [12:13]

For me, reading scripture has nothing to do with magic or miracle. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a spiritual experience. I should probably tend more to scripture; for when I read there I never come away empty.

Scholars don’t know much about the author of Ecclesiastes. He takes upon himself the character of the great King Solomon, though he is clearly not Solomon in a literal sense. It is difficult to date the book; however, scholars are certain it was prior to the Maccabean struggles and, therefore, prior to 165 B.C.. But, we are not so concerned here about scholarly opinions as we are about the way we can be touched and inspired by such writing.

The opening quotation in this blog, from Ecclesiastes, is what inspired me to write these thoughts on a Sunday morning. I was thinking we should, perhaps, send them to the members of Congress and to the shouters who are out campaigning in these current days. To repeat them for you, they are…

“The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.” [Ecclesiastes 9:17-18]

Good Sunday morning to you!

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Freedom of Information in Minnesota

2012-01-15T04:56:00.000-08:00

Freedom of Information in Minnesota
(and 2012 proposals for change in the Minnesota law)

Many ordinary citizens, like I, don’t really understand the importance of accessibility to public documents and information; we don’t understand, that is, until, in a crisis, we really need to get our hands on information squirreled away in the dungeon-like depths of government archives.
by Charlie Leck

There is some rumbling over in the State Legislature about revising or altering one of Minnesota’s most important laws, the Data Practices Act – or the Freedom of Information Act (FIOA). That's cause for concern and it should make many of us sit up and take notice. I don’t think we should allow any changes that would make securing public information any more difficult than it all ready is.

Currently, this process of securing government data information goes through the Information Policy Analysis Division (with Apple’s forgiveness, it’s known as IPAD). The current director of that division of state government is Laurie Beyer-Kropuenske. The operation falls under the state’s Department of Administration.

Current state law defines Government Data as: “all data collected, created, received, maintained or disseminated by any government entity regardless of its physical form, storage media or conditions of use.”

Though the act does not require the data to be maintained in a particular form or format, it is required that the data be “easily accessible for convenient use.” (Minn. Stat. § 13.03, subd. 1)

FOIA requests shouldn’t be seen as a political tool of either the right or the left or, for that matter, the center. They come from everywhere and they are often viewed (and sometimes correctly) as threatening and as attempts to censor.

However, our ability to get at important information in government files is crucial to the process of Democracy – and crucial to the process of protecting and maintaining our rights as free citizens. To repeat myself, the last thing we want are changes to our current law that would make that process more difficult for Joe Blow citizens.

IPAD appears to be pushing for some changes, however, and they argue that the changes are necessary in light of recent budget cuts aimed at “streamlining government operations.”

RED FLAG! RED FLAG!
Some of the proposals that IPAD is floating around the State Legislature might redefine what is to be regarded as public data and also changes the procedures that would be followed in applying for and securing such data. Naturally, IPAD argues that the procedures would create a more precisely defined law and make the procedures more efficient.

I’d want to make sure “if I was you” (as my old man used to say). And, if I were you and you live in Minnesota, I’d suggest you start communicating with your State Representative and State Senator right now and ask them to be wary of any changes that might make the procedure of securing public information more complicated. I’m going to send a draft of this blog on to both State Representative Steve Smith and State Senator Gen Olson, my representatives over at the capitol.

It’s already too difficult to secure information. The popular, veteran, and now retired newsman, Don Shelby, wrote in a MinnPost column last April that he “had a career batting average of about .150” on his FOIA filings. “Most of what I wanted to get at, I was told, ‘was none of my business.”

In case you don’t know what a 150 batting average is, it means you have success 1.5 out of every 20 times you come to bat. That’s not very good in one’s attempt to secure information that should be considered public. And, Shelby is not just an ordinary citizen like I am. He’s very familiar with the ins and outs of the current law and its procedures. He also had staff available to wait out the delays that IPAD can create for an applicant.

We simply should not consider changes that would diminish even more the access that is granted to public information. In fact, we ought to be going the other way with FOIA and making access less complicated.

Beyer-Kropuenske claims that IPAD is seeking a public discussion about the policy proposals – proposals, she says, that aren't even written into a proposed bill yet. Nevertheless, she calls the draft that is now circulating, according to Politics in Minnesota ⁽¹⁾, a “preliminary proposal that is likely to be introduced this session.”

The IPAD Director is particularly interested in a variety of stakeholders (League of Minnesota Cities and Minnesota Coalition on Government Information). An open meeting was held in December and organizations like the Minnesota Newspaper Association had a representative there. It’s sad, however, that ordinary guys don’t get information about the meeting and we can’t easily get our hands on a copy of the proposed changes.

Even Common Cause of Minnesota, an organization I consider primary in representing my own interests in such matters, heard about the meeting after-the-fact.

A red flag, as far as I’m concerned (having not seen the document) is that a former IPAD director is concerned about it. Donald Gemberling was IPAD’s director for a very long period of time and he now serves as a spokesman and treasurer for the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information (MnCOGI). He alerts us to the fact that the government, under the proposal, could sit on a public data request for six months under certain circumstances.

The proposal also calls for the removal of elected officials from the personnel section of the data law. Currently rules regarding how state legislators and senators should be treated have been up to each body. That, I think, makes them much more accountable to the general public in terms of how they define themselves. A blanket change in the law that defines legislators as “private” would not be wise at all.

At this point, I’m very concerned about just who the director of IPAD considers stakeholders in this matter. There should be many more organizations included in her list and I think members of the press should be included in notices about such “open” meetings. I’d jump at the chance to be included myself. And, I have sent an email to IPAD requesting a copy of the proposals that have been made available to others that Beyer-Kropuenske considers “stakeholders.”

(1) Horwath, Justin: IPAD floats proposed changes to public information law [Politics in Minnesota, 13 January 2012]

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Global Warming is Inconvenient!

2012-01-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

In 2011, President Barrack H. Obama mentioned global warming only one (1) time in public!
by Charlie Leck

Global warming will not be a big subject in the 2012 presidential election. The Republicans will bring it up only to pooh-pooh it; and the Democrats will try to avoid the subject so they don’t alienate those who don’t believe such an environmental phenomenon is taking place. All of this at a time when the evidence proving global warming builds to a cacophonous level while the percentage of Americans who do not believe global warming grows.

It makes me want to scream!

What good would it do if I so lost my composure? The disciples of Rush Limbaugh would just laugh at me as I go on worrying myself silly about the kind of world we are leaving my grandchildren. I have two brothers who think I’m crazy to believe so fully in the word of the world’s finest atmospheric scientists.

These scientists overwhelmingly argue that global warming is not only happening, but it is happening at a faster pace than previously believed. The number of scientists who don’t go along with the theory is very small and almost all of them are not highly regarded.

I watched a 44 second video the other day made by a genuinely silly man in Provo, Utah. The video showed a heavy snow storm in late April. The cameraman and narrator (same guy) was screaming that he was recording evidence that global warming is a lot of nonsense. Some science! This guy, of course, is a follower of Rush Limbaugh.

On the other hand, watch this very calm and rational video (23 minutes) that comes out of Yale University. It follows immediately below or you can watch it on You Tube by clicking here. It is an interview with Bo Ekman, the founder and chairman of the Tällberg Foundation

Should we be hiding our heads in the sand, hoping these scientists are incorrect? It seems that the general public would rather bet their chips on Rush Limbaugh than on places like Yale University. This is very exasperating.

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Montana Supreme Court Flinches on Citizens United!

2012-01-10T04:48:00.000-08:00

The Supreme Court of Montana, in a decision that may get over-turned, showed its distaste for the U.S. Supreme’s decision on Citizens United.
by Charlie Leck

I can’t explain this story as well as it is told in Slate by Dahlia Lithwick, so I recommend you read it there, especially if you find the Citizens United decision by the U.S. Supreme Court as distasteful as I do.

The Montana decision is liable to reach the Supreme Court also and Lithwick seems to think that may be an opportunity for the Court to back away a little bit from its very shaky earlier decision.

Read: In Montana, Corporations Aren’t People!

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Essential Ingredients

2012-01-10T04:22:00.000-08:00

I recommend Erica Bauermeister’s novel!

When you want like the dickens to be a good writer and you try to produce wonderful sentences in very good stories, you run across someone like Erica Bauermeister and you think about chucking all that desire and walking away from it.
by Charlie Leck

I’m always writing. I love to write. Reading, writing and playing golf are my favorite personal activities. Next to being with my wife, those are the three things I most enjoy doing.

I’m always working on an essay, a short story or a novel (or a blog). Except for my blogs, they’re not for public consumption. I just like doing it and sometimes – on some very infrequent occasions – I feel as if someone else should be able to read all this work I’m accumulating. The feeling passes quickly.

The Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel is grand. Marvin Feldman tried to get there at least once on each trip to New York City. He thought it a wonderful place to have either breakfast or afternoon tea. He entered the hotel off the Fifth Avenue courtyard and, just through a large empty foyer, he saw the welcoming entrance to the restaurant. As usual, it was not difficult to get a table. The Maitre d' handed him a copy of the morning's New York Times and seated him in a quiet corner. A towering palm hovered above him and a genial waiter fluttered over him, mothering him. Hot black coffee splashed gently into a bone china cup. Marvin violated one of his wife's rules and added a dollop of rich, heavy cream. [Charles Leck: Murder by Design]

One of the kids (they’re really not even close to being kids anymore but we always refer to them as such) gave me a stack of books for Christmas this year. I’m not kidding! It was a big stack of books – about a dozen.*

Among the books was one I wondered about and thought would probably go unread. First I finished Jodi Compton’s new book, Thieves Get Rich, Saints Get Shot! I usually like her little mystery stories. This one didn’t cut it. There was too much catching up to past stories in this sequel to her last novel. It’s one of the weaknesses of sequels, I guess. The writer has to take into consideration that the reader might not have read the first installment and, therefore, she has to go on and on to catch people up to stories she’s told before in earlier books. It was one of the great weaknesses and disturbances in reading Stieg Larsson’s trilogy about the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The School of Essential Ingredients
I began reading Bauermeister’s book only because it was next on the pile. I don't know how it got that position. I thought I had put it on the bottom because I lacked any kind of enthusiasm to read it. I knew nothing about the book. It looked unattractive. “A hymn to food,” one of the endorsing blurbs on the front cover said. “Oh, come on!” I replied.

Nevertheless, somehow – for some reason – I cracked that baby open and began to read. Within a few pages – and after one spectacularly constructed sentence after another – I was totally hooked and read on and on.

“Lillian had been four years old when her father left them, and her mother, stunned, had slid into books like a seal into water. Lillian had watched her mother submerge and disappear, sensing instinctively even at her young age the impersonal nature of a choice made simply for survival, and adapting to the niche she would now inhabit, as a watcher from the shore of her mother’s ocean.

“In this new life, Lillian’s mother’s face became a series of book covers, held in place where eyes, nose, or mouth might normally appear. Lillian soon learned that book covers could forecast moods much like facial expression, for Lillian’s mother swam deeply into the books she read, until the personality of the protagonist surrounded her like a perfume applied by an indiscriminate hand. Lillian was never sure who would greet her at the breakfast table, no matter that the bathrobe, the hair, the feet were always the same. It was like having a magician for a mother, although Lillian always suspected that the magicians she saw at the birthday parties went home and turned back into portly men with three children and grass that needed mowing. Lillian’s mother simply finished one book and turned into the next.”

Well, this opening to Bauermeister’s novel won’t make me quit writing, but it does bring me back to a sense of reality and makes me utterly aware of the difference between me, Jodi Compton and Erica Bauermeister. And the gap between the first two of us and the third is like the great breaches in the Grand Canyons.

This woman – Bauermeister – can really write. She has that wonderful ability to both tell remarkable stories and to tell them beautifully. I must recommend her novel to you if you enjoy such a mixture of talent. You will, I think, thoroughly enjoy reading her work.

As well, she tells an incredibly beautiful story that seems impossible given the subject, a hymn to food! Oh, come on!

“For Lillian’s mother, every part of a book was magic, but what she delighted in most were the words themselves. Lillian’s mother collected exquisite phrases and complicated rhythms, descriptions that undulated across a page like cake batter pouring into a pan, read aloud to put the words in the air, where she could hear as well as see them.”

Yes! Indeed! And that is what it is like reading Bauermeister’s wonderful book. You so often want to stop and reread a paragraph aloud – to hear these words in the air as well as see them on the page.

I have a habit. I often take a pencil and lightly underline sentences in a book that I particularly like and might want to reread or about which I might like to tell some friend. You should see The School of Essential Ingredients now that I’ve finished it. It is a mass of light, pencil underlinings. My gracious! The writer took such care in putting her words down on paper without ever deemphasizing the content and power of the story. What talent!

Another benefit of the really well written book is that it’s easier to read. Really well constructed sentences flow when you read them and your mind and eyes stumble far less often when you’re reading such a book. Think it doesn’t matter? I was able to read the Bauermeister book twice in the time it would normally take to read another book of equal size once.

Now, I suppose Bauermeister’s work would be called “a woman’s book.” I’m not exactly sure what that term means. I guess it’s called that because there’s no murder, mayhem, speeding cars or violent sex.

I can only tell you that this is a book filled with sensations, pleasures and delights. It’s a very sensitive book and will make you both laugh out-loud and weep quietly in happiness.

The story is about a cooking class that meets in a restaurant's kitchen on the one night of the week that the place is closed. You’ll learn something about cooking, but it won’t be entirely practical unless you are adventurous and imaginative. The book is a story about each of the students in this cooking class and the writer does an extraordinary job of character development in introducing us to each and every one of them. This is a talent that few writers ever really achieve. Small vignettes about each of the characters are presented in short break-aways from the main story about the cooking classes.

If you are at all sensitive, you’ll be filled with appreciation and, perhaps, love for each one of these characters and you’ll wish it was all real-life so you could go somewhere to find them and meet them in person.

“I used to know a sculptor,” Isabelle said, nodding. “He always said that if you looked hard enough, you could see where each person carried his soul in his body. It sounds crazy, but when you saw his sculptures, it made sense. I think the same is true with those we love,” she explained. “Our bodies carry our memories of them, in our muscles, in our skin, in our bones. My children are right here.” She pointed to the inside curve of her elbow. “Where I held them when they were babies. Even if there comes a time when I don’t know who they are anymore, I believe I will feel them here.”

Isabelle story is remarkable and you’re left both agonizing for her and envious of her huge ability to appreciate art and her talent for assessing the depth of people she meets.

Geez! If you like to read beautiful sentences, and if you like wonderful character development and description, and if you’d like to understand the impactful influence food can have on us, then you really ought to read this delightful, wonderful novel. What a grand Christmas gift it was (is)!

“Luminous prose,” the New York Times called it (Kate Jacobs). Yes! Yes! I’d call it extraordinary and fantastic prose!

Batuman, Elif: The Possessed (non-fiction)

Bauermeister, Erica: The School of Essential Ingredients (a novel)

Bryant, Howard: The Last Hero: A life of Henry Aaron (biography)

Compton, Jody: Thieves Get Rich, Saints Get Shot (a novel)

Darnton, John: Almost a Family (Memoir)
Greenberg, John: The Celebrant (a novel)
Harbach, Chad: The Art of Fielding (a novel)

Moore, Wes: The Other Wes Moore (non-fiction)
Rohde, David and Kristen Mulvihill, A Rope and a Prayer (non-fiction)
Updike, John: Higher Gossip (essays)

White, Richard D: Will Rogers: A Political Life (biography)

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The Darkness of Rick Santorum

2012-01-07T05:32:00.000-08:00

It’s quiet and peaceful on this Saturday morning in Minnesota. The weather for the last several days has been balmy and delightful. The next several days will be the same; yet I am thinking dark thoughts!

by Charlie Leck

My Word of the Day today, from Dictionary.Com, is Cimmerian. I thought for a little while this morning about playing the snobby scholar role and using the word in a blog about Republican Fundamental-Evangelical-Christian presidential candidates. As I read about the word this morning, I kept thinking: How perfect!

It’s a word out of classical mythology: “Of, pertaining to, or suggestive of a western people believed to dwell in perpetual darkness.”

I was warming up to something like this: “The Cimmerian candidates, like Bachmann and Santorum, are living in another level of civilization – namely that cauldron depth where it is so dark, dank and cold that there are no creative epiphanies or innovative possibilities.”

Oh, my! The coffee is hot and delicious this morning. It is incredibly quiet in the house and I my major responsibility is to read the national newspapers in-depth and make the important decisions about our nation’s economic conditions and its relations with China and Iran. My wife will rise later and make the mundane assessments about categorizing this month’s bills and what we shall do about one of the ovens in the kitchen that isn’t working quite properly.

In the Washington Post, I find a barn-burner title on Eugene Robinson’s latest column about Rick Santorum (oh, Mr. Robinson can write!): “He shouldn’t be allowed near the Oval Office!”

“Before there was the Tea Party to define the phrase ‘far-right fringe,’ there was Rick Santorum…”

“…those welcoming the Santorum surge for Machiavellian reasons should be careful what they wish for.”

“The problem is that his views are genuinely extreme and, in some instances, patently offensive. He is a cultural warrior who has equated same-sex marriage with polygamy, pedophilia and bestiality – and who has argued that gay men and lesbians should not serve openly in the military because ‘they’re in close quarters, they live with people, they obviously shower with people.”

“…Santorum says he doesn’t have a problem with homosexuality, just with ‘homosexual acts.’”

“Contraception, he said in October is ‘not okay’ because it gives people ‘a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.’ Thankfully, no one asked the obvious follow-up question.”

See exactly what I mean by the Cimmerian level. And all of this only begins to describe Santorum. This is a man you must get to know. Don’t be fooled by his nice guy appearance and his very talented vocal chords. He is opposed to taking away insurance companies’ rights to deny people coverage because of pre-existing conditions. He gets fuzzy when asked: Who then is going to pay for this health care if not highly profitable insurance companies?

Here’s exactly how Santorum put it:

“I had insurance under my employer. And when I decided to run for president, I left my job, I lost my insurance, I had to go out and buy insurance on the open market. We have a child who has a pre-existing condition and we went out and we said, we like this plan…we have to pay more because she has a pre-existing condition. Well, we should pay more. She’s going to be very expensive to the insurance company and, you know, that cost is passed along to us…I’m okay with that.”

Fine for you, Mr. Santorum, but go tell that to a single mother with two children (one of whom has juvenile diabetes), who works in a corner grocery store and has a very difficult time getting health insurance. You’re “okay” with the costs for your child’s health care being “passed along” to you, but this poor mother is hopelessly unable to pay such bills, you dingy!

But, let me put the ice cream on the pie! Rick Santorum is frighteningly hawkish. I frankly have had enough war for the rest of my life and my grandchildren’s lives* and I would like a president who is a seeker of peace. Yet, Santorum looks with eager excitement at the imminent possibility of thunderous strikes against Iran. (That’s all we need!)

Again, here’s Eugene Robinson on the subject of Santorum’s hawkishness:

“I do not say this lightly. With the exception of Ron Paul, the Republican candidates have competed to see who can be most hawkish on Iran’s nuclear program. Santorum wins, hands down. (emphasis mine) He has said flatly that, unless Iran agrees to open its nuclear facilities to inspection and begins to dismantle them, as president he would order military strikes (emphasis not mine). In fact, Iran is already under nuclear inspection, but Santorum seems not to care. He has said he believes an attack by Israel or the United States is probably inevitable.”

Cimmerian?
The man is Cimmerian down to his tippy-toes!

Santorum lost his bid in 2006 to be reelected to the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania and he lost it in an absolute landslide. Nevertheless, don’t underestimate him because this dark side he has will appeal to a great many other Cimmerian types.

*World War II, a 4 decades cold war with the Soviet Union, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Laotian Civil War (or the Secret War), the invasion of Panama, the liberation of Kuwait (or Desert Storm), the Somali Civil War, the Bosnian War, the War in Iraq, the Afghanistan War, the Incursions into Libya (and dozens of other little military dalliances like Ronald Reagan’s silly invasion of Grenada, the Kosovo War under Bill Clinton and, of course, the War on Terror). As a grandfather of mine would have said: “Enough already mit dem wars!”

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Want a Super Religious Candiate?

2012-01-06T03:37:00.000-08:00

Carolers in Excelsior, Minnesota on November 25, 2011.

I’d like to find out, once-and-for-all, just how successful a super-religious evangelical candidate would be at running for President. I have some suspicions.
by Charlie Leck

Mind you, only 5.4 percent of Iowa’s eligible voters caucused last Tuesday evening. So, we mustn’t get carried away by the decisions they made on Republican candidates.

I keep thinking about the strong influence that religion had in the caucus results (or, at least, that we were told it had).

America is not unlike other western nations. Religion holds very little sway in most European nations. Someone who came charging into European politics with proclamations about Jesus and salvation would have a very hard time winning anything and would repel most voters.

In America, such a person will win over the very fundamental, evangelical religious crowd. The question, of course, is how big that crowd is. I have a feeling that a person of such convictions – say, like Congresswoman Bachmann – would actually be negatively affected in a general election.

No presidential candidate is going to want to give away the religious-right-wing, but I’m not so sure that such a candidate wouldn’t lose as many people out of the center and moderate wings as he would gain among evangelicals.

I don’t believe America is any longer a particularly religious nation. Two researchers, sociologists of religion, Kirk Hadaway and Penny Marler found that only 20.4 percent of the population attends church regularly. Their article, Did You Really Go To Church This Week, appeared in the distinguished Christian Century periodical.

And remember, not all of that 20.4 percent who do attend church would consider themselves fundamentalists or evangelical. For instance, my church proudly proclaims it is liberal and progressive. The huge United Church of Christ runs regular ads promoting its sympathies with gays and a good number of its clergy are gay or lesbian. Just take a quick look at the home page of its web site and you’ll see that it’s far different than Bachmann’s approach to religion. There are many other denominations that also have a liberal or progressive streak. Most of America’s major denominations (Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Lutherans) would contend to be somewhere in the middle ground.

Frankly, I’m sitting back hoping the Republican Party will endorse a super-religious, come-to-Jesus type candidate so we can see just how much influence such a person would really have and how many people would get turned-off by such an approach. I think anyone of a strong religious character could easily and sharply divide the nation.

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sert � > e @� � email if you’d like.

The Saving American Democracy Amendment

2012-01-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

The extraordinary Bernie Sanders is promoting an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would nullify the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision on Citizens United!
by Charlie Leck

A member of the family, who definitely does not agree with me on all matters politick, sent along a note to me this morning about a constitutional amendment that Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator for Vermont, is pushing that would essentially overturn (or make mute) the U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Citizens United. You’ve all read my moaning and groaning about the subject here on my blog.

I signed the on-line petition this morning. Here’s where you can go to sign it also.

Citizens United is one of the most horrible decisions ever handed down by the Supreme Court. You can make an impact in nullifying it by promoting this constitutional amendment. Send an email to all your friends, asking them to go to the Sanders’ site to add their names to the petition.

I don’t like to beg, but PLEASE!

I wrote again, just two days ago, about the negative impact of this awful decision: Craziness Unleashed in Iowa!

You can view Senator Sanders’ speech offering this amendment on the floor of the Senate below…

“In my view a corporation is not a person! In my view a corporation does not have first amendment rights to spend as much money as it wants, without disclosure, on a political campaign… I do not believe that that is what American democracy is about!” [Bernie Sanders]

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Craziness Unleashed in Iowa

2012-01-03T04:05:00.000-08:00

2012 will be like no campaign year we’ve ever seen and it is all thanks to five (5) members of your dizzy-lame-brained United States Supreme Court.

by Charlie Leck

Here are the guys you can thank, my friends.
Here are the guys of highest rank –
the guys who played this mighty prank –
the guys who broke the election bank!

Yes sir, here are the five guys to whom we owe a debt for the exciting political show that is opening in a town near you. Let’s hear it for them! “With all due respect! With all due respect!”

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.

Associate Justice Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr.

Associate Justice Antonin Scalia

Associate Justice Clarence Thomas

Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy

The show debuted in Iowa. It’s not getting very good reviews but is it ever bringing in the big money. Now, with corporate money passing into Political Action Groups (PACs) liked greased lightning, there is plenty – plenty, plenty, plenty – of money to make each and every candidate look like the rear end of an American donkey.

The 2010 Supreme Court, in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, destroyed America’s system of dikes and dams and disallowed any restrictions on the amounts of money that corporations or unions can give to PACs. This has brought in the day of big-big-big-big buck political campaigning and, if Iowa is an indicator, it is going to be pretty ugly and pitiful stuff.

Several reporters have called it a “blitzkrieg” of political ads. Old-timers in Iowa are left shaking their heads. They’ve never seen anything like it – even after thinking they had seen it all. As reporter Kevin Diaz put it for the StarTribune newspaper here in Minnesota…

“Negative ads aren’t new in politics, but the stealthy way they can be paid for is. This is the first presidential election that will be contested under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling… which knocked down restrictions on political spending by corporations and wealthy individuals.”

David Bossie, the current president of Citizens United, gloating about his organizations victory in the Supreme Court decision, called what we’re seeing in Iowa “unbridled democracy in action.”

Mr. Bossie, have you ever been on a crazy horses that tosses its bridle? That’s called a ride on the wild side!

Isn’t that what we were all hoping for? Unbridled election campaigns? Election campaigns gone wild?

Diaz reports that an estimated 12.5 million dollars has been spent so far in this campaign – just, mind you, in Iowa. Iowa is a very small state (in the population rankings) and marks only the beginning of this madness.

Oh, boy! When groups like RESTORE OUR FUTURE, about which we know virtually nothing, can spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns, and run some of the slimiest attack ads you are ever going to see, we are in really deep doo-doo.

Well, y’all have fun in 2012. You have only 10 more months of this ahead of you. And don’t forget to keep thanking those five guys from the silliest U.S. Supreme Court line-up in the nation’s history.

Da… da… dat’s all folks!

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2012 will be a Year of Hyperbole

2012-01-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

Wait ‘til you hear the dire predictions and the inflated analysis that the candidates spew at you! The job of the voter in America is not an easy one, but most still don’t take it very seriously.

by Charlie Leck

Here’s what Mint Romney said the other day (get ready because you’re going to hear a lot of this kind of thing in the next eleven months):

“This could be our last chance to save America from a Greece-like bankruptcy. The nation is only inches away from no longer being a free economy.”

Romney goes on and on about “saving the soul of America.” The New York Times describes it as “the politics of apocalypse avoidance.”

Rick Santorum is saying that “…this election is about whether America and its very essence will continue.”

Newt Gingrich calls it the most important election since 1860.

The Democratic Party will talk about it in different terms. President Obama has already called the coming election “…a make or break moment for the middle class, and for all those who are fighting to get into the middle class. Because what’s at stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, secure their retirement.”

You get the idea!
This is going to be some 10 months ahead! Fasten your seatbelts! Have a throw-up bag at hand! Gird you loins! And, get ready for an all-out cat fight!

And, oh yes, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Does a Trade War with China Loom?

2011-12-30T16:01:00.000-08:00

China was already showing strong signs of economic growth
when we visited there in 1999. Its people are brilliant and
energetic.

Many of the current Republican candidates oppose American membership in the World Trade Organization. Just think about that!

by Charlie Leck

Is it possible that a trade war with China is on the horizon? Probably not, but it appears that China keeps pushing the envelope.

Everyone was quite hopeful when China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) ten years ago and pledged to abide by the standards and rules that governed its members.

Now, very recently, China has imposed a tariff on American automobiles with large sized engines that enter China. Diplomatic negotiations between the two nations about this issue have intensified. China has challenged the U.S. to take the matter to the WTO for a ruling. The Chinese argument is that the American automobile industry produces government subsidized products. (Hard to argue against such reasoning when one considers the American bailout of the auto industry!) The tariff comes as a response to the U.S. doing the same thing to China in regard to its subsidization of the solar panel industry.

China is flooding America with products of significant quality (forget about the imbecilic little toys and doo-dadds that also get into the country) that are produced by Chinese industries that receive government subsidization. This enables them to produce, for instance, industrial and architectural steel at a fraction of the price that it can be produced in America. America seems to be fighting this trade war with one hand tied behind its back. We are trying to build a wind-turbine industry at the same time that China pursues one. What chance would we have to compete against meager Chinese labor costs and heavy governmental subsidization of the industry?

Republican presidential candidates keep decrying the great advantages the Chinese have over American labor. These candidates blame it on the current American president. How valid is that? Or, perhaps the question should be: How stupid is that?

The problem is one that is going to be solved only at the global level – though an organization like the WTO. Most of the Republican candidates ridicule organizations like the WTO and call for us to withdraw our membership from it. The alternative, then, in a disagreement like this, becomes an all-out trade war in which America may not be the favorite to win.

Just think about that as you consider whether a massive trade war with China would be beneficial to the U.S.. And, as you think about it, remember how much of our current debt is held by China – both private Chinese investors and the Chinese national government.

Keep these questions and thoughts in your mind as you think about what you’ll do in the coming election.

Let me explain Ron Paul

2011-12-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul doesn't fit the political mold!
by Charlie Leck

Ron Paul’s rather sudden surge in the Iowa caucus campaign is rather surprising to me; however, I think Paul can do better in a caucus state than he will in a straight primary election situation.

There are things I admire about Ron Paul. There are, however, more things that make me worry about him and reject him as a potential President of the United States. I hope the voters never let it happen and I believe ardently that it will never happen.

Should Iran really be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon?
That’s just one of the questions you need to ask when you think about Ron Paul as President. Ron Paul, a very strict libertarian, thinks that this is a matter for Iran to decide and that the United States has no authority over that nation and its policies. Whew! That’s just what we need – another half dozen crazy nations in possession of nuclear weapons.

It’s because of positions like this that I’ll tell you right now that Ron Paul doesn’t have a tinker’s chance of winning the Republican endorsement to run for the Presidency. So, why should I write a blog about him, explaining him to you?

That’s a dang good question and I can’t give you a good answer; therefore, I’ll be brief.
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He is widely separated from the general Republican view on the military and foreign wars.
Ron Paul has strange attitudes and opinions about Iran and Iraq that don’t square with those of the American public and especially with general Republican positions.

Ron Paul is strong opponent of the Patriot Act.
Wow! Progressives take note. I like that! However, you can bet the general, run-of-the-mill Republican voters do not agree with that.

And, understand that Ron Paul opposes the Patriot Act because of his position on individual civil liberties; that is, he claims to support individual freedom. Uhm, what? (Regard the following…)

He also opposes abortion rights and he wants Roe v. Wade repealed.
In fact, Ron Paul favors limiting federal power and not an actual protection of individual rights. Just understand his position on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He strongly disagrees with this historic, landmark legislation and claims that the legislation “did not improve race relations or enhance freedom.” He went on to say that it has “increased racial tensions while diminishing individual liberty.”

Ron Paul is an isolationist
and he opposes multilateral international organizations (NATO and the UN). He would have us leave all international organizations and withdraw from all our global alliances – the World Health organization as well as the organizations mentioned immediately above. Paul toughly questions foreign wars and America’s international policy.

Dr. Paul opposes immigration.
He also wants to eliminate our constitutional policy of birthright citizenship.

He supports legalizing marijuana.
Believe me, that’s why he has some strange supporters who think he’s wonderful. As Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post has said: “I think Ron Paul has the Ron Paul supporters – many of whom are not Republicans.”

Ron Paul champions smaller government
calling for the elimination of the IRS, the Federal Reserve and the Department of Education – and many others, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). He introduced a bill to eliminate OSHA in 1976 and it didn’t even make it to the House floor.

Ron Paul as a legislator
is nothing to brag about. “David Fahrenthold [Washington Post] reported that just four of the 620 Paul-sponsored measures have made it to the House floor for a vote, and only one has become law.” He opposes federal flood insurance and farm subsidies. He voted against funding for the victims of Hurricane Katrina: Ron Paul asked on the floor of the House: “Is bailing out people that chose to live on the coastline a proper function of the federal government? Why do people in Arizona have to be robbed in order to support the people of the coast?”

Ron Paul is remarkably consistent.
He very rarely contradicts himself. He seems driven by this statement: “But I think the important thing is, the philosophy I’m talking about is, the Constitution and freedom.”

Ron Paul advocates a return to the gold standard.
I’m not an economic genius, so I withhold judgment on that. There are plenty of people on both sides of that issue.

That’s my little sketch of Ron Paul. He frightens me as most pure libertarians do. I think Americans are too smart to be fooled by him and his craziness. I hope so.

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Gingrich Threw a Bomb

2011-12-27T04:16:00.000-08:00

An article by Bob Woodward gives us a clear picture of the volatility of presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

by Charlie Leck

Bob Woodward is probably the most famous newsman in America. He’s also the author of a string of wonderful books. When he speaks, people listen. Woodward says things that are sometimes pretty damning; however he always has good source material that backs up what he says. Who hasn’t read the book or watched the film All the President’s Men?

Woodward’s dependability has earned him great distinction. His long article in this past Sunday’s Washington Post was extraordinary. In the newspaper it was headlined: “In his debut in Washington’s power struggles, Gingrich threw a bomb!” [You might want to read it.]

Woodward has at his disposal a lot of interview material from 1992. I’m guessing he was putting together a book about the demise of the presidency of George Herbert Walker Bush. In his Washington Post story from last Sunday, Woodward concentrated on the material he had about the roll New Gingrich played in bringing down his own party’s president.

Richard G. Darman was the budget director during the first George Bush’s administration. He went to war with Gingrich back then and he had lots to say about that battle in his ’92 interview with Woodward.

“Darman was not impressed,” Woodward writes. He continues: “He called Gingrich a ‘neo-media-pop-opportunist’ who is ‘interested in personal power, media attention, aggrandizement.’”

Woodward quotes Vin Weber, a former Congressman from Minnesota, in the 1992 interview as saying about Newt Gingrich: “…a high-maintenance friend and ally, needy… Newt, as you know, views himself as the leader of a vast, national interplanetary movement.”

And, I did a double take when I read the following words that Weber used in that ‘92 interview: “Gingrich is viewed as this hard, tough ideologue, and he’s not an ideologue, but beyond that he’s the easiest guy in the world, if you understand him, for people to buy off.”

Is the emphasis above placed on the word “buy” or on the word “off?” Read it both ways and you’ll see what I mean.

Newt Gingrich is impetuous and that makes him dangerous. Newt Gingrich is self-centered and, perhaps, narcissistic and that makes him dangerous. Newt Gingrich is too self-confident and that makes him dangerous.

I grant that Newt Gingrich wants what is best for America, but, in his mind, that too closely parallels what’s best for Newt Gingrich as far as I’m concerned.

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Merry Christmas to All!

2011-12-25T03:14:00.000-08:00

I’m taking a vacation from my blog for a few days and I know you’ll understand.

by Charlie Leck

It’s Christmas morning and the house is still quiet. Everyone except for me is sleeping. I am wide awake and pleased with the way the living room looks. Santa Claus has been here and he has left overflowing stockings for everyone. I’ve peeked into my stocking and notice that Santa brought me lots of photography accessories for my camera – and a book of American short stories as well.

The Vikings won a game yesterday against the Washington Redskins! (Can you believe it?)

Our littlest one got in quite late last night on a flight from New York City. She’s brought a boy friend home with her. Mother went to the airport to get them. I was sound asleep. Santa’s helpers work awfully hard and I just ran out of gas.

The tree is beautiful. Outside, there is no snow. The weatherman is claiming we’ll have temperatures in the 40s – here in Minnesota! Imagine!

The dawn is just breaking. (I know there's an ungodly post-time listed for this blog, but that's California time, where this blog is posted by Google, but here the sky is beginning to lighten.) In the backyard, 18 wild turkeys are strutting along the edge of the woods at the bottom of the hill. I can see them from here and they are beautiful. They are heading to the big corn crib in the north pastures. I think they’ll have a nice Christmas. I hope you do, too.

I won’t be back for a few days. I want to spend time with my visiting family. I’ll resume blogging on Thursday or Friday. By then, there will be plenty to write about.

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On Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T02:50:00.000-08:00

On this day before Christmas I send greetings – tidings of great comfort and great joy!

by Charlie Leck

“Through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” [Luke 1:78-79]

The Christian message has always be one of hope and peace – hope and peace! The message of Christmas has to do with the dawning of a new day, when a new counselor comes to guide us more clearly and steadfastly toward that peace. “Oh, oh, tidings of comfort and of joy – comfort and joy – oh, tidings of comfort and of joy!”

Seek peace, all ye who believe! And urge the nations to seek peace throughout the world!

A joyous Christmas to you all!

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Pick a Winner in Iowa Race

2011-12-23T03:08:00.000-08:00

Can we really pick a winner in the Iowa campaign? Remember, this is not a primary vote but a caucus procedure. There’s a big difference!

by Charlie Leck

Voting in a primary is quite simple; still many people don’t do it and primary turnouts are less than 50 percent smaller than regular, national elections (often much less than 50 percent).

Turnouts to political caucuses are incredibly small
and no one, who really understands the process, would argue that they are really representative. We don’t have primaries here in Minnesota for these national elections – we caucus by party. We had a huge turnout in my precinct for the 2008 attempt to indicate a Democratic Party presidential choice. In my precinct caucus we had about 30 people.

I think there will likely be even less this year – maybe even as few as a dozen – because it appears no one is going to oppose Obama. Even so, very important decisions are made at these caucuses and sometimes it’s only 5 or 6 people who make these decisions. It’s the beginning of the process to endorse candidates to other offices as well – including the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and the state legislature.

I’ll be at my Democratic Party caucus again this year because I understand the importance of those gatherings.

We’ve been misled because Iowa’s choices aren’t really that important!
As I write this, the dependable polling in Iowa shows that the winner is likely to be either Mitt Romney or Ron Paul. Readers and friends from regions far east and west of here are not agreeing with me. They’re betting on Gingrich. It looks to be as if Gingrich is now fading, however.

Listen, Iowa is just a hop, skip and a jump from where I sit writing this and I kind of know Iowa and how Iowans think. They don’t like the million-plus dollar payout that Gingrich took from Fanny Mae for a “consulting” job. They’re tittering about it! They also don’t like it that he’s had three wives and that he was involved in a very hot extra-marital affair while he was hammering Bill Clinton for doing so while Clinton was President. They also don’t like it that Gingrich has run up tabs of over a quarter of a million dollars at the famous Tiffany store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

Two weeks ago I put my money on Mint Romney. I feel jittery about that now. Romney just isn’t catching fire down there. It’s starting to look more and more like Congressman Ron Paul may overtake the former Massachusetts Governor. Ron Paul is an Iowa kind of guy.

January 3 is the date and a lot depends on the weather!
The weather will be a factor in Iowa. If it turns mean on January 3, with very low, cold temperatures and some significant snow, the turnout could be very low. Only the deeply committed will venture out into the freezing night. Whenever you listen to Iowa folks talking about Mr. Romney, they sound very soft on supporting him. It’s difficult to go out on a cold, snowy night to support someone you’re just not sure about.

So, what if Ron Paul wins?
A victory in Iowa, contrary to conventional wisdom, is not all that important just because it does represent such a small majority of the state’s voting citizens. We won’t get a real sense of who the President is going to run against until well into April. And, don’t count out Rick Santorum to be there at the end.

How does the caucus work?
In January of 2008 I wrote a blog about the caucus procedure: The Place of the Caucus. Check it out!

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Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2011-12-22T03:52:00.000-08:00

The movie has opened and it is raking in big bucks. On some quiet afternoon next week, I’ll go see it and feel sad that Stieg Larsson did not live to see his great success.

by Charlie Leck

For a blog I wrote a week or so ago (Women and Sex Abuse in Minnesota), I went hunting through Stieg Larsson’s book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, to find a couple of quotations. While hunting there, I found another…

“What she had realized was that love was that moment when your heart was about to burst.”

I’ve thought about that a lot. Don’t ask me why! It’s cute and it may accurately describe the moment when you realize you’ve fallen in love; however, being in love is something so much more. Love is not a moment; it’s a realization that you are committed for the long haul – that this person for whom you have these feelings is the best and most precious thing that has ever happened to you and you want that relationship to continue forever.

As Christmas approaches, I think about these things. I choose my gifts in such a way that they might be symbols that will express the deep and abiding feelings I have (the emphasis should be on the word abiding).

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Stieg Larsson and his trilogy of books!
When I mentioned last week that I had read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I had a couple of readers email me and ask what I thought of it and whether I was going to see the movie.

The book captivated me! The story was incredible but, somehow, authentic. I went with it and got involved in it and couldn’t put it down. It was tough, however, and I wouldn’t want my wife to read it – or my children for that matter (though most of them have).

Yes, I’ll probably see the movie. My wife won’t want to see it. She can’t stand that kind of fiction and she’s revolted by it. A good Seabiscuit movie is up her alley – or the New Muppet Movie. After Christmas I’ll wander into a theatre and catch the two o’clock showing of the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Another asked if I’d read any more of Larsson’s books? Yes, I read the trilogy. I don’t know why. I’d use the same word that I used earlier– captivated. I was captivated by them. Salander – the girl with the dragon tattoo – was an extraordinary character and I wanted to follow her into more adventures.

It’s a good writer who can entwine his readers that way. We are not talking Dostoyevsky here, mind you – but a compact and neat little writer indeed. The books are mystery thrillers and, as such, they are exceptionally good. You could call them the ultimate “page turners.”

Larsson was best known as a Swedish journalist. In 1991 he and Anna-Lena Lodenius published a book entitled Extremhögern (the Extreme Right). The movement frightened Larsson. Reading about that, I must say, sort of endeared me to Larsson. He was a leader in warning Sweden against extremism, organized racism and anti-Semitism. So active and out-spoken was he that he had to fear attacks. He urged those within the activist network to keep their addresses as unknown as possible and to avoid being photographed. In 1995 he founded the magazine Expo that aimed at defining true democracy and exposing the dangers of the extreme right. Shortly after the magazine went public, newsstands and shops that sold it were attacked and damaged. It was a warning that things could get worse. It opened the eyes of many Swedes to the dangers of the radical right wing. The reaction across the nation was swift and positive. The clear dangers posed by such radicals became obvious.

Larsson was born in 1954 in the small Swedish town of Skelleftehamn. It’s on the sea, about 500 miles north of Stockholm and only about 150 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Larsson was only a teenager, living in Stockholm, when he joined the 1968 protest marches against the Vietnam War. It was during that period that he met the woman, Eva Gabrielsson, who would become is life-long partner. By his late teens, Larsson was reading in English. Writing was always his first love and he began banging out never published stories when he was twelve.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was rejected by the first publisher who examined it. Undaunted, Larsson wrote two more volumes in the series and one of his friends, Robert Aschberg, was convinced they were good. He got them before Norstedts, a large publishing house in Sweden and, in April 2004, the company offered a contract. On November 9 of that same year, Larsson died of a heart attack – only 50 years old. The books would have made him very rich. Because he had never officially married his life-long partner and lover, she received none of Larsson's exceptional income over the years since his death. It has gone to his father and brother, from whom he was very distanced. It is the really sad chapter in the story.

I’m glad I’ve read the works. I wish Larsson had lived on.

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Hooray for Duluth!

2011-12-21T02:46:00.000-08:00

The City Council of the City of Duluth (Minnesota) passed a resolution opposing the constitutional amendment limiting marriage to that between a man and a woman.

by Charlie Leck

In November, Minnesotans will vote on an amendment to its state constitution that will define marriage as that between a man and a woman.

Let’s make it clear: Whether I’m heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian or schmeterosexual, I think the proposed amendment to our constitution is absolutely stupid. I have so many homosexual and lesbian friends who deserve the right to marriage as much as I do – or as you do!

If fact, however, as silly as I think the proposed amendment is, it will probably pass in the vote that will take place in November 2012 – unless a lot of us are willing to work awfully hard to defeat it.

Congratulations to the City Council of Duluth for being so brave. It was not a unanimous vote (6-2) but it was an encouraging and a courageous one nevertheless.

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