Yesterday, a friend sent me this video of a 6th grader from Oklahoma, Greyson Chance, singing at his school music festival. The kid is really good. The video, which he posted himself, had been watched 36,000 times when I saw it yesterday afternoon.
Today, ABC World News did a story about it. Diane Sawyer said it had been watched 1.3 million times. That was when World News was recorded on the east coast. When I saw it on pacific time, it had been watched 2.1 million times.
As of this posting, the video had now been seen nearly 3.8 million times. Amazing. Check it out.
One of the best parts of the video is the look on the faces of the girls behind him. Also, his two other videos (songs which he wrote) had been viewed just several thousand times yesterday. Today, they were both nearing a half million views.
Today, the POLITICO Arena topic was “Don’t-ask-don’t-tell on Kagan?” – a discussion of whether or not blogger Andrew Sullivan was going too far in his campaign to out her. Note: Sullivan is gay and is trying to force Kagan to make a pronouncement on her sexual orientation.
If we are to ever truly get beyond identity politics, isn’t it someone’s right to keep their private life PRIVATE? Whether they are gay or straight matters not to their ability to do a job. What matters is their expressed views on policy. I find this type of debate exhausting and silly. Below is my post, which you can also read on POLITICO.
With respect to Andrew Sullivan, I wasn’t aware that he actually had any credibility left – journalistic or otherwise. He has so marginalized himself with his philosophical shifts and mean-spirited screeds that I don’t know a single person who takes him seriously.
Isn’t it time we got beyond identity politics? Isn’t that the sort thing the Obama victory was supposed to retire? We can lay blame with lawmakers who still seek to divide people into groups based on race, sexual orientation, religion or other characteristics. However, I think the news media also shares responsibility for the constant focus on these issues.
It doesn’t require much thinking or homework to report on those traits. What does necessitate some research is examining someone’s policy views. Does Kagan support unfettered free speech? Does she believe in the right to bear arms? What are her views on Congress forcing Americans to purchase health insurance? And yes, what are her views on marriage and the rights of gay Americans? All of those can and should be examined without the gossiping about her private life that parades as reporting.
When candidates for office are continually probed or vilified for issues that have very little to do with their ability to effectively serve in the position they are seeking, it acts as a deterrent for other qualified individuals to serve. All Americans lose when that happens, because we need the best and brightest involved in the political arena to debate the big challenges facing our country.
Today, I responded to the POLITICO Arena topic regarding offshore oil drilling and whether the BP accident in the Gulf of Mexico spells the end of any future expansion of exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf. In my response, I compared the spill to the 1979 nuclear reactor accident at Three Mile Island. I hope, for the sake of our energy future, that politicians don’t take a similarly short-sighted policy approach in reaction to the BP accident.
Former Deputy Press Secretary Scott Stanzel said he expects the book to offer a “compelling look inside the Oval Office by revealing how he dealt with complex issues and made decisions he believed were in the best interests of our country.” Stanzel has been in touch with Bush recently, but said he didn’t discuss the book.
However, during exit interviews conducted just before leaving the White House, Stanzel said it became clear that Bush “was beginning to think about how he could share insights about some of the most difficult decisions he faced as our nation’s leader.”
It’s already known — and should come as no surprise — that Bush will tackle the 9/11 attacks. So what else should he address? Stanzel said he’d like to see Bush revisit his unsuccessful push for immigration reform in 2007 — and explain why he didn’t respond to “unfair attacks” during the 2008 campaign from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain.
Just prior to my comments in the story are quotes from Matt Latimer, who served as a speechwriter at the White House. It makes sense that Latimer, who tried to make a few bucks by taking shots at former coworkers and President Bush, would suggest the president criticize his former aides. That view represents the worst of Washington. Here is a refresher on my views of his approach – The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken.
A topic in today’s POLITICO Arena is “Cross of Goldman – Will Democrats or Republicans be more tainted by ties to Goldman Sachs?” My frustration is with Washington politicians’ natural inclination to think they have the answers to all problems — even the ones they helped create. Piling bad laws on top of policies which had unintended consequences is not the way to go. And, deamonizing people from the private sector isn’t the right approach, either. My response is below and can be read here on the POLITICO website.
So, Congress unwisely propped up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This action fueled the irresponsible lending practices that led to the housing bust. This bust caused the financial crisis. The consequence of this crisis was widespread failure on Wall Street. Those failures ignited bailouts, economic chaos and a severe recession.
What’s the response from Washington politicians? Show trials condemning a firm whose house didn’t burn down in the fire Congress initially sparked. Senators, maybe it is time for you to purchase a mirror.
