It's Official: I'm Insulted

John McCain, re Obama not voting for a "partial-birth abortion" ban because it didn't include exceptions for the health and life of the mother:

Just again, the example of the eloquence of Sen. Obama. He's health for the mother. You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything.

That's the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, "health."

Wow. Just... wow. The health of an adult woman in distress is an "extreme pro-abortion" concern. And that's not taken out of context. (Here's the transcript for proof.)

I can only infer that McCain's been spending so much time courting the religious right that he's completely internalized their shorthand.

But, then, this is the guy who keeps pushing employer-based health coverage even as unemployment rates rise. And he also seems to think that tax credits for employees to go out and shop for coverage are going to keep prices down. Those of us who have had to deal directly with health insurance companies can tell you what's likelier to happen: Rates will go up, because the insurance companies will smell extra money. The proposed tax credit won't cover comprehensive plans as it is.

It's obvious that John McCain hasn't ever had to shop for health insurance, or look for a job. Of course he hasn't: He's worked for the military and the federal government for almost all his working life. But the rest of us, who've worked for private companies, don't always have it so easy. (Which is not imply that it's easy to work for the military or the government, just that you don't have to worry quite so much about health coverage when you do.)

Obama is right that the American taxpayers are already paying for a lot of people's care, so we might as well make it work. John McCain apparently thinks that health care -- and possibly health itself -- is a liberal luxury.

Wow.

(P.S.: I still love you if you agree with what John McCain had to say. But I'd appreciate it if you could explain it to me, because I really can't come up with any plausible justification.)

Unconventional Wisdom

I was having a nice little birthday walk along the beach today (distinguishable from all my other nice little walks along the beach only because of the date - I do love this corner of the world), idly wondering if I'd learned anything over the past year.

I was almost back to my car when I spotted a flash of green and black, hovering just over the surface of an empty parking lot. It was a kite, and there was a guy on Rollerblades who was trying to get that kite aloft. The fact that there was only the slightest breeze did not deter him. He'd speed across the lot, and the kite would billow and go up, just a little. He'd stop, and it would go down. He'd look at the kite, not the least bit frustrated, and he'd turn around, and head back across the lot, and the kite would fitfully skim over the asphalt as long as he was moving. And then he'd stop and turn around again. He was still at it when I left.

And that's when I realized what I learned this year:

Assuming they're not going to lead to obvious and immediate harm, it's okay to do futile things and make bad decisions. Because if you don't, how do you know you're really alive?

That, and Flash.

A Note To Sarah Palin, Re: Character Issues

Dear Gov. Palin,

Bush Twins Party Hour is a work of satire, not intended to be used as a template for answering questions posed in debates and interviews. That said, I'm impressed by your ingenuity. I'd be even more impressed by a shout-out. If you can say hi to your brother's class during a debate, you can certainly give your character inspiration a little plugerooney. It makes great filler when you've used up all your memorized talking points and other people are talking about stuff that you didn't study at debate camp.

Thanks,
Rose