Bang the Drum

Apologies for being behind on posting these. It’s been a somewhat hectic and brutal time.

I took this last night while alone on the beach with no one in sight. Pelicans skimmed the waves looking for their last fish before the sun set, while the moon rose behind me.

Offshore drilling changes the landscape. Not just physically. It changes the ecology, the balance, the creation. It changes nights like these.

If some problem were really solved, then it might be worth the discussion. But the only problem solved with offshore drilling is that it gives a fatter bottom line to the oil companies by adding those leases as assets. It doesn’t address the question of increased refinery output, which is really more critical than the oil we have, and there are no guarantees that oil drilled here would remain here. Public companies are in bondage to the bottom line. Selling domestic oil at market prices will be their first priority, no matter who the buyer is. Expect China to lead on the buying market, meaning that oil companies will be richer, but oil prices won’t drop significantly, nor will your prices at the pump.

This is a critical issue. Far too many Americans believe that offshore drilling is the instant panacea to high gas and oil prices. In fact, the weak dollar is a far higher cause of inflated oil prices. A better and more effective strategy for easing prices at the pump is to leave the shoreline alone, and focus on shoring up the dollar.

In one of the most disingenous op-eds I’ve ever read, Seth Swirsky attempts to make the weak case that Democrats somehow have George Bush to thank for the rise of Barack Obama’s candidacy.

His logic, flawed from the start, goes like this: Because George Bush has made us feel safer, we in turn feel free to elect a ‘liberal’. Let’s unpack that, starting with this:

Americans simply will not elect a liberal when they feel fear. Since President Bush deserves the credit for our security (through the countless actions he’s initiated: tough FISA laws, winning in Iraq, taking on The Taliban in Afghanistan, etc.), he’s made the Obama candidacy palatable.

I am shocked - SHOCKED - that anyone would dare to claim in one sentence that we have won in Iraq, that having our email, internet use and telephone calls routed through the Central Government Tracking facility in Northern California, and completely destabilizing the Middle East would somehow cause us to feel safer.

I felt much safer the day after 9/11 than I do today.

Swirsky then goes on to try to tie Obama to Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Gee, under Bill Clinton we managed to have a country with a thriving economy and no significant wars, at least none where our military was so stretched that our own security on our own soil was at risk.

But, if the current, general atmosphere of everyday life remains as calm through November as it does today — and Senator Obama is elected — his first “thank you” note should be addressed to the man who currently resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

On this, I agree. But for exactly opposite reasons. George Bush and his bulldog Cheney highlight everything that is evil about the neocon approach to authoritarian government and its danger to democracy. Barack Obama represents a change and movement back to a government that does not subvert the constitution and fundamentals of democracy, respects the people of this country, and celebrates the diversity that comes from a country which has so much to offer its citizens.

The only value in Swirsky’s screed is to demonstrate how intellectually bankrupt and utterly corrupt neocon thinking has been and will continue to be.

This just crossed Twitter about 5 minutes ago. From Arkansas Online:

Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney was shot at the State Democratic Party Headquarters in Little Rock, Wednesday. His condition is unknown.

An aide from the governors office confirmed the shooting about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Police said the shooting occurred in a headquarter office about 11:49 a.m. Wednesday during a press conference at the scene at 1300 W. Capitol Ave,

Police chased the driver of a blue pickup after the shooting south on I-530 to U.S. 167. Police shot a suspect near Sheridan.

Gwatney was taken from the scene by ambulance, according to witnesses.

Hoping Gwatney’s injuries aren’t serious, and angry that politics in this country is so vitriolic that people feel they can resort to violence. More as I know it.

UPDATE: Gwatney is in critical condition. The shooter has been shot, and arrested.