fiddle-faddle: trifling talk or action
F R I D A Y F I D D L E F A D D L E

A hodgepodge of some of the events of the week with comments from Steve Fair

SATURDAY JUNE 13, 2009:

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) augments his salary by taking $20,000 in a side business capitalizing on his career as a Hall of Fame pitcher. Bunning accepts the salary through the Jim Bunning Foundation, which charges baseball memorabilia companies for the senator's appearances. Bunning is not able to charge for autographs himself, because of ethics rules, but the money can go to a foundation. "It's probably legal, but I think it's really questionable," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "He created a charity to allow himself to do what he otherwise couldn't do, which is taking money for signing baseballs." – From The Hill

Bunning has said he will run for a third term in 2010, but his relationship with fellow Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell has chilled in recent months. He is expected to have a Republican primary opponent- Secretary of State Trey Grayson. I met Grayson at the 2008 Republican National Convention. We were both bloggers for Fox News. He is a tall, good looking young man with a impressive resume, however he struck me as a person with little life experience. Bunning has been very critical of McConnell because of the lack of leadership he has provided during tough times for Republicans. BUNNING IS RIGHT! Senate and House Republican leadership has shown little vision and no connection with the base of our Party. The baseball-signing scheme is foolish and doesn’t show good judgment. Bunning should quit signing baseballs for money until he is out of office. - Steve

SUNDAY JUNE 14, 2009:

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14th . It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the US, which happened that day by resolution of the 2nd Continental Congress in 1777. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, as if federal employees needed another paid holiday. While Flag Day was officially created by Congress in 1916, it is at the President's discretion to proclaim officially the observance.

Washington attorney Francis Scott Key penned the song of our nation at a dramatic moment during the War of 1812. On the night of September 13, 1814, Key watched as the British navy at Fort McHenry attacked our country. After watching the rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air throughout the night, dawn broke. Key was expecting to find Baltimore firmly under British control, but was stunned to see a battered but still flying American flag waving in the sunrise. So inspired was Key that he wrote the poem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Set to a tune attributed to John Stafford Smith, “To Anacreon in Heaven,” it became America's national anthem in 1931.

The National Anthem project is an organization dedicated to having music educators (my wife is one) to teach public school students the National Anthem. They want the kids to know the story behind the song and the flag. An ABC survey showed that 61% of adults did not know the words to the National Anthem and/or the Pledge of Allegiance. Of those that did know them, they learned them in school. It’s time we reemphasized that in school. Are your kids being taught them in your public school? - Steve

MONDAY JUNE 15, 2009:

Roger Simon at Politico has a well-written article on seven things Sarah Palin should do if she wants to be the 2012 nominee. Simon is right on- particularly about surrounding herself with sharp people. Too often elected officials give important positions to their most loyal campaign volunteers. Major mistake. You can access the story at: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23770.html- Steve

TUESDAY JUNE 16, 2009:

President Barack Obama’s 27-year-old half-brother, George Obama, who lives in Kenya is writing a book tentatively titled “Homeland,” is set to be published by Simon & Schuster in January 2010. George is the youngest of the seven children by Obama's father and is about 20 years younger than the president. His book will tell the story of his fall into crime and poverty as a teenager and his eventual embrace of COMMUNITY ORGANIZING and ADVOCACY FOR THE POOR. Supposedly, he is going to make six figures for writing this literary masterpiece.

Can you say Billy Carter or Roger Clinton?

WEDNESDAY JUNE 17, 2009:

The New York Times is saying the National Security Agency has been exceeding its legal authority by sweeping up troves of e-mails and phone calls from Americans.
Chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee Dianne Feinstein (D-Calf) says, “Everything that I know so far indicates that the thrust of the story, that there are flagrant actions essentially, to collect content…just simply is not true to the best of my knowledge.” FEINSTEIN LEFT HERSELF A LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM WITH THAT STATEMENT, but Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn was more definitive. Coburn said, “I will assure you that there are inaccuracies in that report.” “ The assumption that the report is accurate is an erroneous assumption,” Coburn concluded.

It is widely known that what is sent into cyberspace is accessible- now or later- to the Federal government- all under the guises of “protecting us.” Rest assured, BIG BROTHER is watching or has the ability, power, authority and legal right to do so. While Dr. Coburn is the most conservative, principled, and ethical elected representative in Washington, what he is being told may not always be the whole story.

THURSDAY JUNE 18, 2009:

Senator John Ensign (R-NV) resigned his leadership role as Republican Policy Committee Chair after it was disclosed he had an affair with a staffer. Rumors abound that Ensign had previous affairs. Supposedly he was being blackmailed and all kinds of other tawdry juicy details were being leaked to the press. This is the third Republican Senator to have issues with self-control. Larry, tap three times, Craig (R-ID), and David, how much for a quickie, Vitter (R-LA) both have encountered sex scandals in the past two years. All three of these guys counted on the support of the Christian right to get elected. Ensign was gearing up to run for President.

While anyone has the natural inherent sin nature capacity to fail in the face of temptation, in the case of all three of those cited, there appears to be a pattern of behavior. When are GOP activists who are Christians going to learn? We are often pandered to, lied to, used and abused by political insiders and big money to help get someone elected to later find out their “faith” was phony.

FRIDAY JUNE 19, 2009:

A former Oklahoma state-employed auditor Roger Melson, 55 has been accused of embezzling over a million dollars from a state agency that manages land for the financial benefit of common education in Oklahoma. Supposedly Melson doesn’t have any of the money left- the Indian casinos got it all. His attorney says he has a gambling problem- YOU THINK? Once again the state has been bilked by a crook and little is done.

In another bizarre story, a Muskogee Oklahoma woman and her friend, have been accused of killing and skinning a puppy because he was a gift from the woman’s ex-female lover. The 7-week-old puppy’s hide was supposedly going to be used to make a belt for the woman. Of course, that story made the front page of the paper, but the killing of an innocent child in the womb is never mentioned. I’m not excusing the act of cruelty on an animal and these two should be prosecuted, but consider the irony when the public is outraged over the death of an innocent animal and not over the death of an innocent human baby. - Steve