Friday, February ###

A few thoughts/observations after my daily browsing of news sites and listservs:

I find it ridiculous that so many Americans have abandoned the idea of foreign trade as a source of economic growth. Chris Cillizza's latest segment of The Fix, a Washington Post politics blog, quotes a Gallup poll on World Affairs: "47 percent of those surveyed said they saw foreign trade as 'a threat to the economy from foreign imports'" Really? Almost half of those surveyed felt the import/export aspect of international business was a BAD thing? No wonder President Obama seems to be bouncing back and forth on the issues of NAFTA (the central topic of Cillizza's post). Obama touched down in Ottawa yesterday for a tete-a-tete with Prime Minister Harper. In one of his frequent moments of brilliance, Obama has been using a potential pull-out of NAFTA as leverage in bringing labor and environmental concerns fully under the agreement umbrella. The idea of the U.S. completely deep-sixing its involvement with NAFTA is as unbelievable as those apes at Citigroup trying to spend $50 million on a new jet while receiving bail-out money. Foreign trade may make us dependent on foreign economies, but guess what? We're already there. Putting the brakes on now won't bring the economy back, and it'll only hurt international relations.

Side note: "President Obama's trip to Ottawa, Canada" is "his first time outside the country since being sworn in on Jan. 20." Really, Cillizza? Since when has Canada counted as a foreign country?

Equally appalling is the latest depth of Sarah Palin's far-right Tom Foolery. The latest Palin biography, "Trailblazer," includes a bit from former Palin campaign manager Laura Chase on the Governor's past attempt to ban books in school libraries. A similar right-wing bimbo, Cindy Hochstettler, led a book-banning campaign in the Bismarck Public School District when I was a kid. My folks, bookstore owners at the time, fought tooth-and-claw to keep classics like "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" where they were: on the shelves. Book-banning is only one bonfire shy of a wonderful NAZI tradition established by everyone's favorite mass-murderer, Adolf Hitler. Can anyone say Bill of Rights infringement? Chase apparently encouraged Palin to read one of the under-fire books, a gay-friendly children's book called "Daddy's Roommate." Palin's reaction was similar to a six year old presented with a plate of steamed brussels sprouts. I imagined Tina Fey doing an impression of the Mr. Yuck sticker.

Incensed, I've developed a new nickname for Mrs. Palin: GILTBWAGH (Governor I'd Like To Beat With A Garden Hose). I'm thinking of having bumper stickers made up in anticipation of the 2012 election.

Endnote: I'm offended by the recent insinuation that I'm a heavily closeted Republican, even if it was leveled by a loving uncle. When it comes to taking sides, I'm with Will Rogers who said "Politics is applesauce."