HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

During our Presidential campaign Vice President Elect, Joe Biden, infamously said, “…It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama …”. Well, it didn’t even take six hours before Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threw down the gauntlet. On Tuesday, while 53 percent of the American electorate was celebrating over the election of the US first non-white President, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced the deployment of conventionally armed ballistic missiles on the borders of Lithuania and Poland, in response to US missile defense plans. On Saturday Obama spoke with the Russian President after which the Kremlin issued a statement which said, in part, that Obama and Medvedev "…expressed the determination to create constructive and positive interaction for the good of global stability and development…" Obama foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough said Saturday that Obama also had "a good conversation" with Polish President Lech Kaczynski on Friday about the U.S.-Polish alliance but that Obama had made no commitment on the missile shield plan.

During an 18 minute press conference Friday, most of the media exhibited the typical American myopia, focusing on the US economy and what type puppy the Obamas would bring to the White House. When pressed about foreign affairs Obama sidestepped the issue, citing political protocol and reminded us all the George W. Bush was still President. Well, people, we are old enough to remember John F. Kennedy’s disastrous first dealings with the Soviet Union and we want to know more about that conversation between Medvedev and Obama. It is chilling that the exact same issue is on the table now as was in 1962. Is our press corps so young or ignorant of history or both that they don’t recall why they call it “The Cuban Missile Crisis”? While 53 percent of voters may cast a ballot based on the belief that Obama is a 21st century version of JFK, we don’t think they knew that they were betting their lives on it.

CLOTHES DO NOT A MAN MAKE, BUT A WOMAN?

We admit it. We cling to tradition. We prefer a Jesuit education, classic movies, opera, and paintings by the old masters. We also love a well dressed woman. As much as we admire Hillary Clinton and wish she were the Democrats' nominee for President, we hate her pants suits. We are, therefore, not surprised the McCain campaign has spent some $150,000 on clothes, hair, and makeup for their Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. We appreciate the fact that Palin, a former beauty queen, is the country’s most visible hope a woman can have it all…career, family, youth, and looks. While we would prefer $150,000 had been spent on sending Palin on a worldwide visit with the world’s most influential leaders, we understand the Republicans putting their money where they think the American public interest lies. However, the media has romped all over the story, feigning shock and outrage. In the meantime, we hear no mention of Barack Obama’s $1,500 suits or the Obama’s room service lunch of lobster, caviar, and champagne at the Waldorf Astoria last week, all at his campaign donors’ expense. We recognize the attacks for what they are, misogynistic and self serving. Perhaps the Obama campaign wishes they had the foresight and forked out some cash to get Joe Biden a decent hair weave?