See I told You so

The Federal government is rightly receiving a lot of blame for Katrina reaction in LA. Why? Because the governor and other people on the ground are Democrats. Is it just coincidence that Mississippi and Florida which have also been hit by hurricanes in the last year had as their governors a close friend of the Prez and the Prez's brother?

Is it a coincidence that millions in no-bid contracts were let out before and immediately after the hurricane hit? Is it unusual that these companies had close ties to administration higher ups? Is it unusual that Republicans put cronyism ahead of competance?

The answers are of course, no. Let's not kid ourselves, patronage has been a part of the political landscape for centuries. It took until Garfield was killed, anniversary tomorrow, for the start of reform to happen. However, the civil service bills had no effect on the upper reaches of political offices, these remained appointed by the Prez or Gov, whatever. As long as people help someone get elected, then paybacks will occur and unqualified people will land in jobs they have no right to be in.

Much of the time, these positions are in out of the way jobs where they have no real power or are staffed by individuals who realize that the people who know what they are doing are best left in charge. Except when the individual is a Republican. Does the term tin-pot dictator ring any bells. In Brown's defense, and this is his only one, Chertoff told him that he had responsibility for everything and was left out to dry. He still deserved everything he got.

I long for the days of Republicans in the mold of Nixon, Ford, Bush I, Goldwater, and Rockefeller. They would have had competant people in control because they knew the dangers of having unqualified leaders due to their military experiences. It has been said repeatedly that Bush II has run his presidency using his father's term as an example to avoid. With the cost of Katrina and Iraq, it is sad that he can not follow his father's lead and re-enact fair taxation on those who he cut to pay for the weakest of all of us, didn't Jesus say something similar?

A Change is Going to Come

Looked out my window today and saw something that bodes ill for the Fords. It looks like we are going to have intermitant rain today here in the Bluff city. With a 600 odd vote count to make up, it looks like the beginning of hte end of the Ford dynasty.

Ophelia will, baring a miracle, go down today. Junior will more than likely lose next year. If I am right, and as Cracker can back up, and I usually am, Carol Chumney losing her Council election being a big blunder against me, then the Ford machine will have lost its power over the city.

We saw the beginnings of this in 99 when Senior decided to run his brother and not himself for mayor. We've seen it with the prayerful grooming of Junior for a run at a Senate seat, waiting out first Thompson and Frist. We've seen it with John self destructing like an out of control rock star. And now Ophelia is going to lose a seat she should not have been defending in the first place.

There is an old saw in football and politics. It is about matchups. Certain positions or people matchup better then others. Barbara Cooper and John DeBerry did not match up as well in the primary to a Ford. It was going to be almost impossible for them to beat whomever that person was. However, they had less negatives then a Ford when it comes to the general. The Republicans are going to get the vote out to beat a Ford because people like voting against a Ford (guess they like Chevy or Dodge). Cooper and Deberry do not have these same problems because they represent a change to people.

We all saw the writing on the wall six years ago when Joe ran and Senior didn't do anything until almost the end. I told Roscoe Dixon earlier that year that the Ford name alone is poison in West Tennessee despite what others may tell them. I stand by my assertion today. John and Senior have potentially poisoned the well.

Ophelia could still win, but it will be the last gasp of the Ford machine before it konks out for good. Junior will lose unless he lowers himself to a year long retail politics drive like one of his self professed political idols, Lamar Alexander. A Change is going to come today, watch.

Sacred Cows Make the Tastiest Hamburger

The greatest sacred cow of the Republican party and its supporters is that smaller government helps people letting those that it says, private corporations, do things more efficiently and quicker than the government. Katrina has shown the lie that this is. A larger or at least better funded Department of Homeland Security would have been able to do more.

Florida last year showed that FEMA can do its job even with unqualified leadership. To do this though, requires money and commitment at the highest level. Florida was a battleground state that Bush wanted to win so the commitment was there. Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi have no pending elections for Bushies so no commitment to save it.

I do think Louisiana's governor being a Dem did play a factor because they wanted greater control in the state. They knew the Alabama governor would play ball if he wanted to win reelection. Plus, the Armani Redneck was going to do things only the Rude Pundit can describe even if Bush came down and peeed on the wreckage.

Some have said that they didn't want the bad image of superceding a women Dem governor. Horesefeathers. They had ammo in her asking them to take control two days before.

One thing that is continually left out is the people outside of NOLA who have suffered damage as well. Many of the people that I encounter here in Memphis are from the outlying parishes and they are excedingly white. The people in Mississippi are white as well for the most part. Conservative economic policies abandon those that they profess to help the most.

When government wants to give people money or assistance, those that benefit are for it and fight tooth and nail to keep it. But when government wants to regulate for the greater good or interfers in state power, they fight tooth and nail to keep it out. Witness TVA, bridges to uninhabited islands, mine safety, the EPA, and shipbuilding in Mississippi.

I am a states rightist. I don't believe in state supremecy over the federal government though. I think that more power should go to the states. A lot of Republicans agree with this. The problem lies with fuckwads like Eagle Forum who cry for local and state control and then want to deny the funding that leads to disasters like the Southern educational system and the Soutern lack of health care.

If you want state and local control, then be a man or woman, and grow a set and agree to fully fund government so that it can help you. Don't be a waste of all of our air, time, and money and move to Tipton County or Olive Branch. The problems will follow you there as well. You are only delaying the inevitable and making the situation worse for those you profess to care about.