Democracy, alive and well

With less fanfare and significantly fewer tears than in 2008, I walked the two blocks from my house to the neighborhood school that doubles as my polling station.  As the chilly, 7:30 am sun crept higher in the sky, a long line of residents in DC's Ward 4 gathered to vote.  Over an hour and a half later, my warm winter coat, hat, gloves, and scarf could not keep my toes from going numb (nor could they prevent the parking ticket that appeared on the windshield my car for "failure to properly affix registration stickers").

On a day when Nate Silver makes dizzyingly positive predictions about the national election and when I learned, to my great relief, that my mom voted in favor of same sex marriage in Maryland, it is difficult not to feel optimistic about the possibilities to come. No matter who prevails tonight, however, I simply hope that he leads our citizens forth to success, security, and opportunity; that he projects humility, confidence, and intellectual curiosity; and that he conducts our foreign affairs in a way that earns the respect and admiration of the world.

My feet are still cold, but I feel great.  Like the broad cross section of society present at the polls this morning, I proudly took part in the most important of civic duties.  That alone is reason to smile.

Organized chaos

Unfortunately, I don’t often have the opportunity to listen to Public Radio International’s The World, which airs locally Monday - Thursday on WAMU at 8 pm.  The program features an hour of in depth reporting about global topics – both current events and interest pieces, like NPR’s newsmagazines.  I try to tune in when I’m alone at home, often while making and eating dinner.

Last night’s broadcast featured a brief profile of a new art form springing up in post-revolution Tunisia called collaborative painting.  One artist starts a painting, and up to five others join in.  Anyone can jump in at any time, and all are free to paint over anything that has already been painted.  Described in the piece as organized chaos, the exercise often results in a work of art that could have easily been produced by a sole artist.  This ability of an organically evolving group effort to mimic the talent of an individual is fascinating.

Over the past several days, I’ve been reconsidering my desire to go to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel next spring or fall in favor of a possible trip to Tunisia.  That swing through the Middle East is still exceptionally appealing, but Egypt has some significant issues to work out related to the role of the military in civilian government that seem farther from resolution than I thought and some suggest that Jordan may be teetering on the brink.  Tunisia, on the other hand, held laudably open and non-violent elections last month.

I do not fear traveling to countries working through the aftermath of the Arab Spring and, indeed, am doubly excited by the prospect of observing the birth and growing pains of fresh democracy.  Ongoing violence and civil unrest, however, is likely best avoided.

Chasing elusive victories

Last night’s announcement was as unexpected as it was momentous.  After a lazy Sunday spent watching movies and eating Chipotle and chocolate chip cookies, I was sitting in bed, minutes away from going to sleep, when Sarah sent me a gchat message: “something ridiculous is about to go down, I think.”  Turning on the TV around 10:30, I soon became aware of two things, only one of which was a new revelation: Osama bin Laden was rumored to be dead and Wolf Blitzer is best viewed on mute.

Leading up to and immediately following Obama’s brief, confident speech, many – both on TV and among my friends – began to speculate about the implications of the strike, for al Qaeda, for national security, and for the 2012 presidential election.  The latter, to me, seems particularly silly to contemplate, since that circus is more than a year and a half away.  All of the rest will become clearer with time.

Also interesting to me has been the joyous reaction to this news.  I remarked to Maggie last night, after seeing video footage of the giddy mob gathering outside the White House, that I thought it would be fun to be down there.  She thought it might be kind of strange to be celebrating someone’s death, which I agree with, to an extent.  Andrew Sullivan pointed me toward a nice piece by Russell Arben Fox, capturing pointedly the moral dilemma that bin Laden’s death presents.

The moral plane of the universe is not somehow improved by the killing of a man. “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he is overthrown”–the author of Proverbs had it right.

I believe all that….but I still think he deserved it.

I agree wholeheartedly.  Osama bin Laden was a malevolent mass murderer.  He directly and brutally attacked our country on 9/11 and has continued to orchestrate appalling acts of terrorism all around the world.  Aside from callously ripping apart thousands of families, his actions have baited our country into two quagmire wars, provoked reprehensible and inexcusable backlashes against Muslims, and severely battered our national psyche.  That that monster is dead should be a cause for celebration, if only of the fact that he can no longer wreak such suffering on the world.

Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post powerfully evokes his memories from 9/11, and makes a similar argument.

Triumphalism and unapologetic patriotism are in order….

In the days to come, there will be time to consider the nuanced implications of Osama bin Laden’s demise at the hands of the CIA. Will anti-American anger threaten to send unstable Pakistan out of control? Will al-Qaeda’s younger, more decentralized leadership feel not bereft but empowered? In a few days or weeks, I might care. But not now….

We got the son of a bitch.  Well done.

In these times of unconventional warfare, we have few signature battles with which to define our progress.  We always win, because no group or nation can match our military power, yet we also perpetually lose, because it is close to impossible to defeat an ideology, embodied by a shadowy, decentralized network of radical extremists.  Iraq and Afghanistan have featured a decade of murky skirmishes and offensives, and neither conflict will end cleanly with the surrender of a rival, as in World War II.  True victory is elusive.

This is why yesterday’s raid was so important.  In a way, Osama bin Laden was the sole-remaining, widely recognized face of our enemy.  Killing him may or may not ultimately make our country safer, but it has been enormously cathartic for the American people.  Crowds in DC and New York and around the nation took to the streets last night because we are not going to get the euphoria of a VJ Day, and everyone knows it.  So if shooting a diabolical terrorist brings even a small sense of closure to some of the cruel injustices of the past decade, I consider that a worthy cause.

Two notable anniversaries

Today marks a pair of momentous anniversaries, each recalling a very different period of history, yet both, in a way, reinforcing the power of human spirit and innovation.

On this day in 1861, 150 years ago, Confederate soldiers in South Carolina fired the first shots of the Civil War.  After the state seceded, Union troops barricaded themselves in Fort Sumter, on an island in the mouth of Charleston’s harbor, and Confederate forces attacked.  What followed was a bloody, protracted, four year slog over slavery and the intersecting authority of the states and the federal government.  Over 620,000 Americans died in this conflict – roughly the same number of casualties as in all other wars combined – and they were fighting over the preservation of both our country and, indirectly, our brand of representative democracy.

Abraham Lincoln expressed the gravity of the stakes most famously in his Gettysburg Address:

...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Another eloquent paean to the triumph of American democracy comes from Sullivan Ballou’s well-known letter to his wife, Sarah.  Ballou, a major of the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers in the Union army, expresses the emotions he is feeling on the eve of a major battle, and captures heartrendingly his conflicting loves of family and country.  The version below comes from Ken Burns’ seminal documentary, The Civil War, and is set to Jay Ungar's beautiful musical piece "Ashokan Farewell."  Its poignancy drives me to tears.

Both Ballou and Lincoln would likely be saddened by some of the anti-government rhetoric saturating the nation these days.  I have no issue with people who believe in the efficacy of conservative, market-based solutions to our country’s problems, but we must never cast our government itself as an antagonist.  So much has been sacrificed in the building of this institution and every American should live with an abiding sense of reverence for the system – this nation that we have struggled to develop and maintain - even when we may disagree over specific actions and policies.

Exactly a century after Fort Sumter, 50 years ago, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.  Until seeing Google’s “doodle” banner today, I had no idea these dates coincided.  A very cool side-note, this website tells you when satellites will be passing overhead in the night sky wherever you live – apparently this week is an excellent time to spot the International Space Station.  Where the Civil War was, in some ways, a test of the durability of one of humanity’s most important developments in civil and political philosophy, Gagarin’s spaceflight was a showcase of ingenuity and innovation.  Though set, at the time, against the grim backdrop of the Cold War, we can now celebrate this milestone for what it was – our first breach of the final frontier of human exploration.

That both of these important events came at times of great tension and conflict is, perhaps, no coincidence.  For better or for worse, it seems that much of our greatest progress has been born out of necessity, during times of danger.  With that in mind, when confronted by tough situations, we can, I suppose, only aspire to do right by our forebears and hope that the lens of history views us kindly.

The sky is falling

A lot has been happening lately, and little of it is particularly encouraging.  My seeming inability, of late, to formulate blog posts about current events has been a fueled by a combination of laziness and oversaturation.  Listening to NPR and reading the news every day makes it feel like there is little new to be said.  But, looking back at my blog sometime in the future, I’d like to at least pay homage to this tumultuous period of world history, depressing as it is.

One of the primary reasons the world feels like it’s falling apart is Japan.  A 9.0 earthquake there last month triggered a tsunami that decimated the coastline, killed tens of thousands of people, and crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  The facility has been hovering in various stages of meltdown for weeks, forcing large scale evacuations of the surrounding area and releasing radioactive material into the sea.  Sarah, whose opinion I trust on all things nuclear, feels that this disaster will wind up being worse than Chernobyl, most acutely because we simply do not know what exactly is being released into the environment.  The common radioactive iodine has a very short half-life, and will dissipate in a matter of days.  But if other, more enduring radioactive elements are being released into the sea, they could stick around for decades, wreaking as yet unpredictable havoc on the seafood industry and, more generally, human health.

Domestically, the federal government appears to be on the verge of shutting down.  Not only is this bad for the workers who will be, in essence, temporarily unemployed, it is bad for the economy on so many different levels.  Federal government contracts are affected.  People won’t be getting their paychecks and won’t have as much money to spend.  Tourism, especially in a place like DC, is severely hampered.  Yet instead of continuing to work on a compromise, as midnight ticks closer, Harry Reid and John Boehner have spent the afternoon squabbling over the source of the impasse.  Also, the Republican 2012 presidential primary field looks to be a mix of crazy, crazier, and opportunistic fools that abandon principle pander to the far right.  And the long term deficit is going to swallow our country whole if we do not confront it in a mature way, something Obama has, so far, proven unwilling to touch and many Republicans only pretend to care about, by exempting defense spending and revenue generation from the conversation.

One bright spot has been the empowering revolutions across the Middle East.  Although it will, unfortunately, prevent me from traveling there for some time, watching the people of Tunisia and Egypt rise up peacefully to demand democracy was heartwarming.  It’s fascinating to watch the spread of these movements across the region, and to observe the differing reactions of each regime.  Unfortunately, this too has been dragged down, of late, by the violence of Col. Gaddafi in Libya and the resulting Western military intervention.  I support the cause, in theory at least, but cannot help feeling wary of getting involved in yet another war.  I hope the Obama administration’s rhetoric on this issue proves true, and that the Gaddafi regime collapses soon enough to avoid a long, protracted commitment of US forces there.  We really can't afford it, financially, psychologically or, perhaps most importantly, from a national image standpoint in the Middle East.

There is so much that’s good and beautiful in the world, but, at times, I have trouble focusing on it through all of the raucous, worrying trouble that we face.

Smoked salmon?

My reaction to last night's State of the Union address is multi-layered.  There were many proposals set forth in the speech with which I agree - an emphasis on the long-term importance (economic and otherwise) of education, supporting research and development of new energy technologies, simplifying the tax code, and the need to treat the new health care law as a starting point for change, rather than a battle to be continually re-fought, to name a few.  There were also some positive vibes of bi-partisanship, with the well-publicized mixed-party seating arrangement, at least two distinct instances of Speaker Boehner being moved to tears, and some light-hearted jokes from the president (including a very strange, but hilarious, reference to smoked salmon to illustrate unnecessary government bureaucracy).

On the other hand, I was, surprisingly, underwhelmed by the speech's rhetoric and flow.  And, of even greater consequence, was fairly deeply disappointed by Obama's relatively weak language on deficit reduction.  I understand that cuts to social security, Medicare, and defense are going to be deeply unpopular.  But Republicans are going to hammer Obama over the deficit for the next two years.  A nebulous "five year freeze on federal spending" is not going to cut it.

I wish that he had explained, in more detail, the cuts suggested by his Bowles-Simpson debt commission last month.  Even if he followed that up with his line about not agreeing with all of the proposals, but using it as a starting place, that would have been, rhetorically and concretely, much more powerful than quickly glazing over the issue.

These are issues that we are going to have to face, as a country, in the very near future.  We cannot afford not to.  Most frustratingly, someone with Obama's oratorical gifts should have been able to pull this off in a convincing way.  Doing so would have forced to confront the grim realities of deficit reduction, instead of insisting that cutting taxes and slashing various forms of non-defense discretionary spending alone equates to fiscal responsibility.  And it would have required idealistic Democrats to recognize that we need to find a way to preserve these social safety nets for the most vulnerable among us, while reducing or eliminating entitlements for those fortunate enough to not need them.

None of that would have been an easy sell, but I think this Washington Post editorial is spot on (surely Andrew Sullivan, if not sidelined by illness, would be saying the same thing): we elected Obama to treat us like adults and help us get through the crises facing our nation responsibly and honestly.  And by that metric, his speech failed.  Miserably, in my opinion.

I wonder if he also carries tissues in his pocket?

Since we clearly don't agree on politics and since I have never set foot in a tanning salon, one might assume that new Speaker of the House John Boehner and I have nothing in common (aside from a connection to Piqua, OH).  Apparently, this is not true.  According to this report, Boehner is "notoriously emotional" and yesterday cried a little during a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's inauguration.

So, Mr. Speaker, take it from someone who once had to choke back sobs in a (thankfully dark) Sociology lecture hall while watching a video on the G.I. Bill - there is no shame in being deeply moved by the remarkable institutions upon which our country is built.

And to be fair, I carry tissues so that I can blow my nose when necessary, not because I am at constant risk of spontaneously bursting into tears.

What do Michelle Kwan and poached lobster have in common?

They were both hanging out at the White House last night!

Maybe the excitement is magnified, living in D.C. and getting much of my non-radio news from the Washington Post. But I've been incredibly fascinated, lately, by the exciting whirlwind of policy, diplomacy, and celebration that comes with official State Dinners.

The Post had an extensive feature on the dinner to honor India's president last year - the first of the Obama era.  Coverage ranged from discussion on the implications of selecting India as the first nation to be recognized to which set of presidential china would adorn the tables to who would be performing as entertainment.  It's not often that D.C. gets all worked up over a star-studded red carpet event, preferring to focus instead on wonky, inside-the-Beltway fireworks, such as clever legislative maneuvering and press conference snafus.

State Dinners are also a nice excuse to showcase the feel-good side of international relations that appeals so much to me, with luminaries from each country toasting to mutual success and prosperity.  That was the case at last night's affair for Chinese president Hu Jintao.

Perhaps it says something about me, that I prefer to dwell on the lighter aspects of the visit.  That, even in light of Hu's momentous earlier admission that, "A lot still needs to be done in China, in terms of human rights," what I was most excited to read about this morning was the evening's menu.  You have to admit, though, that even the opening course is enough to get you salivating: "D'Anjou pear salad with Farmstead goat cheese, Fennel, Black Walnuts, and White Balsamic."  And all complemented by fresh herbs from the White House garden...

Pre-holiday hodgepodge

For some reason, the hectic pace of the holiday season seems to stunt my ability to fully formulate eloquent thoughts.  So, in an effort to not completely neglect my blog this December, outlined below are a few things that have been on my mind.  I may expand on some of them, either in the lull between Christmas and New Year’s Eve or later down the road, or I may not.

The historic repeal, this past weekend, of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell ban on gays serving openly in the military pleases me - both because the policy was discriminatory and detrimental and because it will quiet some of the annoying squawking coming from the left.  Though I don’t inherently care as much about this aspect of gay rights as, say, marriage equality, it is, nevertheless, a momentous step in the right direction for our country.

On the topic of Congressional action, I’ve also been very happy with the pace and bipartisan nature of the “lame duck” session.  Since returning to Washington after the elections, Congress has gotten quite a bit done: a tax deal and economic stimulus that angered the more ideological wings of both parties (which, to me, makes it all the more appealing), progress toward a vote on the crucial New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia, and, of course, the aforementioned DADT repeal.  The failure of the Dream Act is truly disheartening and New START is not yet ratified, but, for once, pragmatism has seemed to characterize the overall course of events in Washington more than frustrating partisan gridlock (with some notable exceptions).

In a break with the child-like excitement of years past, I reacted to this season’s first snow – a small one, at that – with a sense of barely contained distaste.  Perhaps a remnant of last winter’s blizzard fatigue, perhaps simply an indication that I have become a 25 year old curmudgeon.

I have not yet read this book, recommended by Andrew Sullivan, but, as an imaginative exercise in philosophies and interpretations of the afterlife, it sounds fascinating.  Thought-provoking excerpts here.

Egged on by a candy-filled advent calendar and the abundance of sweets that show up on the office’s kitchen table during the holidays, I find myself recently unable to resist the following things: Reesee’s Peanut Butter Cups, chocolate chip cookies, ginger cookies, and cupcakes.

It alarms me, in a somewhat glum, existential way, that 2011 is just two weeks away.

Recently, I received the first hard copy in my subscription to The Atlantic.  Occasionally, I am struck with frivolous ideas when it comes to reading – that I should buy a non-fiction book based on the interesting-sounding description on the back cover, without first investigating reviews and verifying its readability, for example, or the perpetually incorrect assumption that I possess the patience and intellectual curiosity to fully digest an issue of The Economist.  I’m hoping The Atlantic does not fall victim to a similar fate - so far, I’m doing ok.

Michael Giacchino’s beautiful score from Lost continues to delight and haunt me, six months after the series finale.  Grooveshark allows me to listen whenever I am the mood for a transportively emotional experience.

Given the proper appetite and a particularly tasty batch, I could probably eat an entire carton of Clementines.

Over the past week, the way that Maryland has treated head coach Ralph Friedgen, an alum who led the program back to national relevancy a decade ago, is despicable.  He deserves better than to have unnamed sources from the university fuel rumors about his status, particularly after orchestrating a huge turnaround season and winning ACC coach of the year.  Most dishonorable, to me, is the conduct of our new A.D., Kevin Anderson, who earlier this season definitively confirmed Friedgen’s job security for next year and now, as of this afternoon, has officially reneged on his show of support.  This has been handled unreasonably poorly and, combined with the basketball team’s mounting losses and the heartbreak of the premature end to soccer season, has sapped most of my enthusiasm for Terps sports (for now, at least).

I’m disappointed that tonight’s lunar eclipse is going to happen while I’m asleep.

Life is far too fleeting to give up, even temporarily, the pursuit of happiness.

Things that many conservatives tend to forget

Andrew Sullivan pointed me to this piece by David Frum in the New York Times magazine.  It is fantastic - thoughtful, realistic, and somewhat damning, without being harsh or overly partisan.  Although he is quite conservative from a policy-standpoint, I often find myself drawn to Frum's ideas for their measured, reasonable tones.

In this article, he argues against knee-jerk hypocrisy and closed information systems (think Fox News and MSNBC), among other things, and suggests that newly empowered Republicans and, most importantly, the nation would benefit from more cooperation and less political opportunism.  Read it - it's informative and honest.

The U.S. political system is not a parliamentary system. Power is usually divided. The system is sustained by habits of cooperation, accepted limits on the use of power, implicit restraints on the use of rhetoric. In recent years, however, those restraints have faded and the system has delivered one failure after another, from the intelligence failures detailed in the 9/11 report to the stimulus that failed to adequately reduce unemployment, through frustrating wars and a financial crash. The message we hear from some Republicans — “this is no time for compromise” — threatens to extend the failures of governance for at least two more years. These failures serve nobody’s interest, and the national interest least of all.

A worthwhile reminder

The message of this website is simple, if a little flippant - it never hurts to keep the past two years in perspective.  Much of the electorate is disgusted right now by a frustratingly stagnant economy and bitter partisanship, but to claim that Obama has not delivered on his campaign promises rings a little false.  He has ushered many significant pieces of legislation through Congress.  Despite Republican vilification of many of these victories, I'm hopeful that public opinion will ultimately swing back in the president's favor.  Poll numbers, too, seem to suggest that, despite voters' frustrations, Democrats - and particularly Obama - are seen as more likely to compromise than Republicans.

Just a small bit of sunlight to help fellow liberals bear what is certain to be a painful shellacking at the polls tonight.  And for God's sake, no matter your political persuasion, please go vote today.  As part of this representative democracy, it's one of our most important civic duties.

News-induced gloom

A lot has been happening in the news this week, at least in the circles of public discourse that I find most compelling.  NPR ran a series of well-done pieces on the evolution of the Balkans, coinciding with Secretary Clinton’s visit to the region.  Aside from this, much of the news has been rather depressing, with a fomenting foreclosure scandal threatening to worsen the already dismal housing crisis, Afghan officials weighing striking a deal with the Taliban (raising the question of why we just spent almost a decade at war), and the formal resignation of D.C. School's Chancellor Michelle Rhee.

Perhaps most aggravating of all, however, is something that should have come as welcome news to people like me.  A judge this week ordered the government to stop enforcing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy that prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.  Instead of accepting this ruling, the Obama administration’s Justice Department has pleaded with the judge to stay the decision pending the result of the appeals process.

To date, I have been more than willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt on issues like this.  He has expressed consistent support for ending the policy, and his desire to allow the Pentagon’s yearlong implementation study to run its course before acting makes sense (and is an important piece of gaining broad support for the policy change from top military officials and more conservative politicians).

However, in light of the recent Congressional filibuster of the defense spending bill containing provisions to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, as well as the presumed Republican landslide at the polls in three weeks, Obama’s contention that the law should be allowed to fall legislatively rings a little false.  How, exactly, does he think he is going to push something like this through a hostile Congress when he couldn’t get it past one dominated by Democrats?  Letting the court strike it down, to me at least, seems like the easiest and most assured way to be rid of the policy.

And finally, a bright spot: the stories and images of the 33 rescued Chilean miners have been truly heartwarming.  A welcome break from the frustrating news that otherwise seems to perpetually fill the headlines.

Treacherous waters

Here is an issue that I don't think is getting nearly enough attention: the recent catastrophic flooding in Pakistan.  Not only is this a humanitarian crisis of epic scale (latest estimates are that the more than 15 million people have been displaced or otherwise affected, and access to ample clean water and food is scarce), but it presents a troubling security issue as well.

Pakistan was not a particularly stable country to begin with, saddled with an unpopular, corrupt central government and constantly battling a vicious insurgency.  Now, forced to cope with a horrific natural disaster and a disappointingly anemic international response, the nation seems more vulnerable than ever.  Not that crumbling states are ever a good thing, but, in light of Pakistan's hefty nuclear arsenal, this should be of special concern.

The Washington Post has compiled a list of organizations on the ground that are helping.  I donated $100 to the American Red Cross.  In their automatic "thank you for your support" email, they said that they had been able to make an initial commitment of $250,000.  I don't know much about the cost of relief supplies, but I am savvy enough to recognize that this is a pathetically low sum in the face of the staggering level of need.  Please consider giving generously.

Some stunning before and after NASA satellite photos of the inundated city of Khewali are here.

Streetcars and public education

After dinner a week ago, some volunteers from the Fenty campaign knocked on our door to encourage us to attend the Ward 4 Democratic straw poll taking place that night.  With nothing else to do, Joe and I finished our dessert (ice cream) and hopped in the car.

Never having been to a straw poll before, neither of us really knew what to expect.  The volunteers had touted the possibility of free refreshments (nope) and, hoping for some face time with the mayor (also no), we brought a copy of the Washington Post's editorial endorsement for him to sign.  We thought it might look good on our bulletin board, next to the autographed Vic Vickers poster from Alaska and the floating Princess Diana head.

The evening turned out to be quite an experience.  I have never seen so many people, all so excited about local politics, crammed into one place.  After struggling to find a nearby parking space along the street, we had to wait in a very long line to cast our vote.  The poll was not just for the mayoral race - supporters and volunteers for a variety of city council posts were crawling all over the place, offering literature, stickers, and an earful.

What I liked the best, I think, was the fact that all of the candidates, aside from Fenty and Gray, were working the line of voters themselves.  We had a lengthy discussion with Vincent Orange, a former council member who is running against Kwame Brown for the chairmanship.  I'm supporting Fenty, despite the fact that I think he's a jerk, because I respect his accomplishments and I really like the work that Michelle Rhee is doing with DC Public Schools.  The guy in front of us in line was asking all of the candidates about their position on streetcars, something I hadn't even thought about as an issue, but which I strongly support.  It was really interesting to hear everyone stake out their positions.

With such a long line to vote, we hardly got to see any of the forum between Fenty and Gray.  From what I did see, they bickered like a pair of bratty, contentious schoolchildren, which was kind of silly.  Gray ended up winning, even though Ward 4 is Fenty's home district and one of his strongholds.  Though the results of the poll do not bode well for the upcoming primary in September, it was, nevertheless, gratifying to see such a strong turnout.  Democracy is alive and well in the District.

The dominoes continue to fall

With broad public support, Argentina, a South American nation of 41 million - mostly Catholic - people, passed a law legalizing same sex marriage this morning.  Even the most conservative institutions must eventually adapt to changing times.  The U.S. government (and perhaps even the Vatican) will get there someday.  On this matter, we are unequivocably on the right side of history.

Carl Kasell is my press secretary

Earlier today at 11, the venerable Carl Kasell delivered his final top-of-the-hour newscast for NPR's Morning Edition.  Although he'll still serve as scorekeeper on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and will travel the country fundraising for local affiliate stations, I cannot express enough how much I'll miss him as part of my morning commute.

Hearing Kasell read the news lent every story a sense of dignified gravity.  It's not that Jean Cochran or Paul Brown or Lakshmi Singh deliver the news poorly.  To the contrary, I really like the split-second of anticipation that precedes the start of a news update, wondering who among the large cast of characters will be reading the headlines.  I appreciate the different styles, the range of vocal tones, and, of course, the subtly varied ways of saying "From NPR News in Washington..."

But, at the same time, this diversity only serves to underscore the greatness of Carl Kasell.  I treat his unflappable composure and deep, rich baritones as the gold standard of radio newscasts.  As consistently excellent as the rest of the field is, no one can match this.  Beginning my morning without Kasell's calming, authoritative voice is going to take a lot of getting used to.

I'm sure I'll eventually become familiar with hearing someone else.  I've only been a daily NPR listener for about a year and a half, and I can remember feeling similiarly saddened by the departure of Marketplace Morning Report's Scott Jagow only to become accustomed to Steve Chiotakis relatively quickly.  But replacing a 30 year institution is no easy task, and, even as I integrate a new voice into my morning routine, I doubt I will soon forget the pleasure of listening to Carl Kasell.

I had grand plans of sneaking out of work to catch the 11:01 am newscast in my car this morning.  Unfortunately, when I glanced at my clock it was already 11:09.  Though I felt deflated at first, I was able to download the audio of the newscast from NPR's website.  It was mostly flawless, but the audio technician flubbed one of the recorded segments.  Naturally, Kasell took it all in stride and then, with a swift "this is NPR News," he signed off.  Carl, you will be sorely missed.

Now a related aside that absolutely made my day: Mark Memmott spent the morning live-blogging the final newscast and the following party for npr.org.  In addition to learning that a huge crowd gathered to watch and celebrate and that Steve Inskeep was enjoying a piece of white frosted cake with strawberries while laughing with Carl, Mark also mentioned that everyone was sporting "Carl Kasell is My Press Secretary" buttons.

I have wanted one of these buttons since I knew they existed (which, unfortunately, came after the period of time that they were available as a free promotion connected to the 2008 election season).  After scouring ebay and craigslist without success, I even resorted to asking Santa Claus to find me one.  So this morning, when Mark mentioned the buttons, I submitted a question asking if there was anywhere that we could purchase them online.  He said he would look into it and then, moments later, said that he had grabbed a couple of free ones and would mail one to me, along with any other interested Kasell-fans.

Our subsequent email exchange went something like this:

Me: Thanks so much for doing this, here's my address.  Can I pay you for postage?
Mark: You're welcome.  Don't worry about the postage.  It's my gift to Carl.
Me: My gift to Carl is going to be a fatter-than-usual donation to WAMU when I renew my membership this February.  Thanks again.

The point of this tangent, I suppose, is that Mark Memmott is cooler than Santa Claus.  I was not kidding about the donation, though.  NPR continually wows me with the quality of its programming (and its newscasters), but this small, fleeting act of personalized attention impresses me even more.  Perhaps, judging by my level of excitement over a lapel pin, my loyalty is easily purchased.  But I'd prefer to think that this experience says more about NPR than about me; that an organizational culture of treating people well begets donations, just as well-produced, informative radio lures listeners and likeable, long-tenured newscasters breed fans eager to wear kitschy buttons.

A year later, feeling a little blue (and green)

Today marks one year ago that, choked up and tingling, I went to the polls and exultantly watched Barack Obama seize the presidency. At the time, and in the months that followed, I was filled with idealism and hope. Progress and reasonable compromise seemed to be on the way.

Ten months of reality has somewhat dampened that feeling within me. Though I have been largely happy with Obama’s performance so far, I’m discouraged by the success that the shrieking opposition on the right has had in vilifying the president and his agenda. I can understand not agreeing with the principles of something like healthcare reform. In fact, I too very much worry about the effectiveness of allowing the inefficiencies of bureaucracy to encroach on the healthcare system. But a big part of what appealed so much to me about Obama’s candidacy was the prospect of embracing pragmatism in favor of partisan bickering, and this has not been the case. I don’t doubt that Republican political calculations are largely to blame, but this is disappointing nonetheless.

Now, following decisive Republican victories in the Virginia and New Jersey governor races, I cannot help but feel a little glum about Democrats’ chances in next year’s midterm elections, when many more seats will be at stake. Though I strongly agree that the punditry is overstating the predictive value of these results and that, more than anything, the suffering economy is to blame for the anti-incumbent mood of the electorate, this is still a lousy day to be a liberal.

Perhaps most demoralizing was Maine’s rebuke of a law that legalized same sex marriage in the state. As I’ve stated before, I can’t understand how reasonable people can justify opposition to marriage equality. It’s truly an issue of facilitating the happiness of people who love each other. Nothing more. Though feeling crushed, Andrew Sullivan helps to put this in perspective:

I am heart-broken tonight by Maine, and I'd be lying if I said otherwise.

Somehow losing by this tiny margin is brutalizing. And because this is a vote on my dignity as a human being, it is hard not to take it personally or emotionally. But I also know that the history of civil rights movements has many steps backward as forward, and some of those reversals actually catalyze the convictions that lead to victories. A decade ago, the marriage issue was toxic. Now it divides evenly. Soon, it will win everywhere.

I know for many younger gays and lesbians, this process can seem bewildering and hurtful. But I'm old enough now to be able to look back and see the hill we have climbed in such a short amount of time, and the minds and hearts we have changed. Including our own.

Finally, today also marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the Iranian hostage crisis. Though I’ve meant to several times, I’ve never quite gotten around to writing about last spring’s election in Iran. The ongoing unrest there suggests that something powerful has been ignited within the populace. As they protest their repressive government and organize around what they believe is right, I’m struck by the parallels to Obama’s rise. The circumstances are, of course, completely different, but the unifying sense of empowerment is the same. While it’s impossible to predict the ultimate outcome of this movement, as a young Democrat feeling somewhat jaded by current events, it is heartening to be reminded of the ability of hope to change the world.

The Torah did not tell you to burn olive trees

When confronted by news on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, I am often tempted to take the side of the Palestinians. They seem, to my admittedly uninformed eye, to be victims of Israeli bullying in many cases, which lends a sympathetic angle to their cause. I typically try to temper this urge, recognizing both the absurdity of strong, uneducated opinions and the fact that it would be easy to offend the many people who are very passionate about this issue. But every once in awhile, I'll come across something that strengthens my convictions.

I find it almost impossible not to be infuriated by this piece from NPR's All Things Considered. It describes how Jewish settlers in the West Bank have been reacting to the Israeli government dismantling their illegal settlements: by violently destroying local Palestinian property. They call this movement "the price tag." Even the name reeks of disgusting vigilantism to me.

The article acknowledges that many settlers frown upon the practice, but an aggravating, underlying stubborness is nevertheless pervasive. Perhaps most obnoxious of all is this statement, attributed to a teenaged settler:

We are here to show that we can build freely. The land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people. We are settling here and in other places because it's our right.

This defiant attitude is, in my opinion, the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East. Yes, radical groups like Hamas are also guilty of violence against civilians. But Israel is a stable, Westernized nation-state. It is ridiculous that the government does not have more control over the destructive rampages of its wayward citizens.

Them rat bastards make me sick

I've been meaning to write something condemning right-wing extremism for the past several months. Though I still haven't had a chance to formulate something well thought-out, I read this and this earlier today and could not let it sit any longer.

Both of those postings, combined with the atrocious recent hanging of a federal census employee in some backwater area of Kentucky, make me feel sick. I do not understand how any rational person could identify with what is currently touted as mainstream conservatism. It has taken a dangerously radical tone, under the false guise of patriotic populism.

I do not dispute the fact that there are loony segments of the left as well. Despite agreeing with some of his views, I look down on Michael Moore as a mostly obnoxious rabble rouser. And being accosted by a screaming woman from Greenpeace in a whale costume in Chinatown was nearly enough to turn me off to environmentalism for awhile. But the difference is, what most of these people propagate is at least somewhat based in truth. Lack of gun control does facilitate (if not necessarily cause) violence in schools and climate change is certainly a pressing issue. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the current "tea party" conservative culture.

The vitriolic healthcare debate of the past few months has been utterly Palinesque. This is incredibly unfortunate, because I feel that there are some important substantive arguments against the plans favored by progressive Democrats. None of them, however, should involve the words "socialism" and "Nazism" (which are not even remotely the same thing and, in any event, have nothing to do with a debate about healthcare).

Like Palin's farcical campaign last fall, the loudest opposition to healthcare reform has been focused on drumming up mass anger and inspiring people to rail against Obama without knowing what they are arguing about. Although manipulative, Rovian Republican strategists would have these idiots believe differently, the debate over healthcare reform is not about a "government takeover." A single payer system has never even been on the table. But all that the people at these town halls and rallies seem capable of doing is parroting back the lies and zingers that they picked up from watching Sean Hannity. Being duped by scare tactics is not a reasonable substitute for formulating a well-informed opinion.

This doesn't even address the fact that it is stupid to oppose healthcare reform completely - medical care in this country is expensive and the system sucks. If people disagree with the shape of reform, then they should proactively suggest alternative fixes. But Fox News has convinced half the country that it is more productive to yell than to try to actually solve this burgeoning social and economic problem.

What is really worrisome is when the scope of this misdirected anger expands to encompass everything that the government or, more specifically, Barack Obama does. Some of the rhetoric on the extreme right is absolutely chilling. This differs from liberal opposition to Bush because, in many cases, Democrats were telling the truth. Liberals whined about Bush's record on human rights because he was, unequivocally, suspending due process and torturing prisoners. They complained when he fabricated a reason to go to war in Iraq because Saddam Hussein was, in reality, not harboring any weapons of mass destruction.

All Barack Obama has done to draw such potent ire is try to deliver on one of his most pivotal campaign promises - to reform the nation's healthcare system. Asking Congress to pass a bill to this effect does not, in any way, make him comparable to Adolf Hitler. This laughable comparison offends my rational and historical sensibilities, but it also terrifies me. There is far too much venom flying around right now. God forbid any wingnut should choose to act on the violent extremism promoted by the rhetoric of his or her party. The current lack of civility is truly frightening.

The hope still lives...

I woke up this morning as I do most mornings: sometime around 5:58 am, when NPR begins to emit softly from my radio. Typically I hear the closing lines of the Marketplace Morning Report, and maybe a few bars of the Morning Edition theme song, before being overtaken by sleepiness and spending the next 45 minutes lapsing between dozing and vague snippets on the economy or Iran. Every once in awhile, something catches my attention and piques my interest enough to interrupt this daily snooze button-esque ritual (a recent story on college team colored Bud Light cans comes to mind).

This morning, around 6:17, I caught a segment on the accomplishments of Senator Ted Kennedy. Knowing, on some level of my sleepy consciousness, what this probably meant, I quickly woke up. A few minutes later, Steve Inskeep confirmed my assumptions – the senator passed away last night after a long battle with brain cancer.

To say I feel remorse is an understatement - Ted Kennedy was the third longest serving senator in history. The last scion of America’s most iconic political dynasty, he labored tirelessly for liberal causes like education and healthcare, while simultaneously maintaining strong personal friendships with his colleagues across the aisle and committing himself to the bipartisan pragmatism necessary to get bills passed. Though I did not personally live through the Kennedy tragedies of the ‘60’s or Teddy’s 1980 presidential primary campaign, the story of this family is tied inextricably to modern American history. I could write at length about my respect for the career of Sen. Kennedy, but I will leave that to those far more qualified than I. The news coverage is sure to be extensive. Instead, I’ll reflect briefly on my one personal experience with the venerable senator.

On January 28, 2008, coming off a busy period at work, I decided to take a large swath of the afternoon off to metro downtown and meet Jimmy at American University. Though the presidential campaign had been dragging on for months, the actual primaries had only recently begun. Maryland’s – where I was still living – was scheduled for February 12th and no one really had any idea, at that point, how long the primary battle would stretch. I had struggled for awhile with supporting Barack Obama’s candidacy – though I had read both of his books and very much wanted him to be president someday, I was worried that his effectiveness would be limited by the inherited quagmire from Bush. Regardless, I had decided that I preferred Obama to Hillary (and either of them to McCain).

So on that bright, chilly winter day, I was playing hooky from work to watch Barack Obama speak at AU. He was to receive a formal endorsement from Sen. Ted Kennedy – a big deal because the assumption, at the time, was still that Hillary was probably going to win the nomination. The support of the embodiment of the Democratic establishment was symbolically very important, to say nothing of the tangible benefits of having the backing of a Kennedy. Introduced by his niece, Caroline, Teddy Kennedy stepped up to the podium and blew me away.

The event was so crowded that Jimmy and I ended up crammed into a room in the student union, watching raptly on TV with a crowd of hundreds of others. It wasn’t so much that his speech was inherently great, but, to me, the sense that his booming baritones seemed heavy with gravitas. Indeed, Sen. Kennedy spoke with the weight of history – the stolen potential of his murdered brothers, his own derailed national ambitions, the wisdom gained from his decades of leadership in the U.S. Senate, and, at the forefront, the momentous significance of the presidential candidacy of the man standing next to him on the platform.

That day re-awoke within me a long-held certainty of the importance of the ‘08 campaign. It helped me to view the possibility of a President Obama as more than just a pipe dream, ruefully expressed every time I watched the 2004 DNC speech or picked up Dreams from my Father. Many people speculate that Sen. Kennedy saw Barack Obama as a contemporary torchbearer, driven to carry on the family legacy of inspired hope and dogged public service. His unwavering belief helped me to rediscover mine.

Because of my youth, this is what I expect I will remember most intimately about the late senator. In his own famous DNC speech, in 1980, Kennedy reassured his supporters that, despite his concession to Jimmy Carter, “the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.” These often repeated words embody the spirit not only of this dignified politician, but of the remarkable nation to which he dedicated his life.