An Unnecessary Distraction

The Democrats, as usual, are coming across like a bunch of quarreling children; or possibly people with a bad case of multiple personality disorder.

Harry Reid has been fighting the appointment of Burris because of the "taint" that his appointment to the Senate has by being made by not-yet-indicted Governor Blagojevich; while others have been questioning whether he has the legal right to do so. And now, Dianne Feinstein has said Burris should be seated. (And let's be honest, she is probably right).

In the meantime, on a separate issue, Feinstein had gotten into a snit about President-Elect Obama's appointment of Leon Panetta as head of the CIA because she hadn't been consulted about it - and VP-elect Biden agreed with her that it was "a mistake"!

Now, she says she approves of the appointment - but only after Obama apologized to her.

Democrats need to act like the Republicans have acted over the past 8 years. In unison. It wasn't until about a year ago that cracks in the GOP solidarity started really breaking open, when GOP members realized that aligning with Bush wasn't helping their own political chances. Until then, they were all for one and one for all. It's a lesson the Democrats need to learn.

President-Elect Obama is more open to other people's ideas than most presidents we've had, so it's not as if he won't be consulting with other Democrats throughout his tenure as President. And right now, in the very beginning before he's even officially President, if he occasionally overlooks some political protocol and doesn't consult with someone in the Senate before doing something, he should not be publicly criticized by his own team. This is madness.

As for Burris, seat the man already! We do not need these distractions. The country is going down the tubes! This just doesn't matter!

The Democrats are letting this story completely take over the airwaves and distract everyone from the fact that President-Elect Obama is having a very orderly transition and is already working on the economic disaster in which we find ourselves. Today he had a very bipartisan and statesmanlike meeting with all of the living former presidents, and I'd much rather the press be focusing on this story than Burris.

And now the news media are playing up the denial of Mr. Burris as racism! To say nothing of Bobby Rush (D-IL), whose accusations of racism were even more inflammatory. Of all the ridiculous things to be talking about, this takes the cake. Obviously racism has nothing to do with the situation but who needs this kind of notoriety? Certainly not the Democrats!

The Democrats need to seat Burris, and NOW. Get the conversation off of this harmless man, who apparently did not pay Blago for his Senate appointment, and get on with business.

Burris is a Democrat. It's not as if he's going to tip the scales in the Senate toward the GOP. He is only filling out Obama's term, which ends in 2010. True, it would be good if the person filling the seat is re-elected in 2010, but let's not worry about that right now. The Democrats must learn to move on! They have much more important things to be worrying about - like passing President-Elect Obama's stimulus package! Because if the economy is still in the toilet in 2010, NO Democrats are going to elected at that mid-term election!

End of rant.

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. Once again my Female Human is not in the Mood to Blog so I will have to pick up the Slack.

Personally I think she is Partied Out. Plus of course she ventured into that place she calls "Work" the last two Days and it probably took a lot out of her.

I hope you All had a Wonderful Christmas or Hanukkah or general Holiday week. I had a Pretty Good Christmas, Myself. My Female Human's Aunt, who can always be Relied Upon to give Me a Gift, provided me with a new Stash of Catnip and a Catnip Mouse, which I joyfully Pounced Upon immediately. That Dog got a rubbery bone thing that she proceeded to Dismantle into small pieces all around the Living Room.

My Humans did not put up that thing they call a Christmas Tree this year. They Celebrated at the Female Human's Mother's place and she had a Tree so they figured that was Good Enough. And now they are Very Happy because they don't have to take it Down.

So let's see, what is New since I last talked to you? Oh yes. That Palin Human's daughter Bristol had her Baby. She named him "Tripp." What is Up with That Family that they can't come up with a normal Name for their Kids? When my Female Human first heard this Name, she thought it was the same as one of the Palin Human's other Kids. Then she remembered his name is Trig, not Tripp. Whatever. It's all kind of Strange.

But of course, we Cats get saddled with all kinds of stupid Names like Bootsie or Mittens (two Names of previous Cats my Female Human once had) or Names like Tiger or Puff. I'm glad I have a Real Name. Of course, as the Poet T.S. Eliot said, "The naming of cats is a difficult matter."

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

Perhaps these Palins take their Names equally Seriously.

In Other News, that Governor of Illinois the Democrats are trying to get rid of for being a Sleazebag who tried to sell the President-Elect's Senate Seat, has now appointed Someone to fill that Seat: a guy named Burris. No matter how Nice a Guy this Burris Human may be, anybody appointed by the Current Governor would be Highly Suspect. So Everyone is Unhappy with this Turn of Events. The Governor Himself apparently has No Shame whatsoever and is as Arrogant as Ever. We shall see how this plays Out.

My Humans are planning to head up to the Adirondacks again this Weekend, so I am going to be Left Behind once again to Fend for Myself. Luckily, the Female Human's Friend (whom I refer to as the Human Who Serves Me) will be stopping in to make sure I'm OK in their Absence. My Humans want to try out their new Jeep to see if it gets up the Hill to that Property they have up there.

Since it's New Year's Eve, it is time for a few New Year's Resolutions. I'm sure my Female Human may be making some as well, but since I am not Privy to her Concerns I will just let you know Mine. Here they are:

1. I resolve to be Meaner to That Dog so she will Leave Me Alone.
2. I resolve to be More Finicky about the State of my Litter Box.
3. I resolve to play with my Mousey Bird Toy more frequently in the Middle of the Night.
4. I resolve to sleep more during the Day so as to be Well-Rested at 4 a.m. so I can Wake my Humans. They sleep Too Much as it is.
5. I resolve to Eat More in 2009!

I think I'll be able to achieve All of these Resolutions, unlike the ones my Female Human usually makes.

With that I will bid you a Happy New Year. Let us hope that 2009 will be Better for Everyone now that the Obama Human will be President and there will be some Changes made. Things may not become Perfect, but they'll have to be Better.

Tonight I will be Celebrating the New Year Alone as my Humans will be at a Friend's House. Of course, That Dog will be home, but thankfully she sleeps when they're Out. I will snort some Catnip and fall into a pleasant Dreamless Sleep until they Return later tonight. Then I will be wide Awake and able to make sure they know I was Annoyed they were Out all evening.

Happy 2009 to Everyone!