Even Jon Huntsman's Daughters are Mocking Herman Cain's Ad

First it was their Twitter feed supporting their dad in his bid to win (or at least not embarrass himself) as he seeks the GOP presidential nomination.

Now three of the daughters of former Utah governor and former U.S. ambassador to China Jon Huntsman have donned fake mustaches and glasses to not just promote their father, but to give the needle to the surging Republican rival Herman Cain and his wacky smoking/weird smile spot.

Unlike the late night comedians though, the Huntsman women didn't turn to booze or illicit drugs in their mockery and they came thisshort of completely going over the top with Groucho Marx glasses.

Late Night Comedians Lampoon Cain Ad That Already Seems Like a Joke

While talking heads puzzled and puzzled over what on earth the slow-smile Herman Cain/chief of staff blowing smoking ad was trying to accomplish, late night comedians have taken great joy in mocking it.

Stephen Colbert did the best parody on Comedy Central of not just the eight-second smile bit, but had his staff do a series of “dangerous” things in phony Cain ads. I have a soft spot for Colbert's version of the elongated smile.

Over on The Late Show with David Letterman, he and his crack staff likewise took a stab at re-imagining Cain’s ad, throwing a smoking baby into the mix.

Conan O’Brien also made sport of the unorthodox commercial and had his staff do edgy things just before Cain’s drawn out smile appeared on the screen.

Cain certainly is getting a lot of free mileage out of his freaky web-based spot. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

'Occupying' Our Sense of Right & Wrong: Calls for Modifying the U.S. Economic System

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The ugly scene in Oakland this week -- where police broke up an Occupy Oakland protest that resulted in the serious injury of an Iraq War vet -- I fear, is just the beginning. Is this scene – where officials violently cracked down on protesters (some of whom, a minority of the protesters, were inciting the police with their own violence) – going to replicate itself all over the nation in other disgruntled, makeshift tent cities?

As more and more Occupy Wall Street protests spring up -- newly emboldened by recent Congressional Budget Office numbers showing that over the past 30 years the top 1 percent of U.S. wage owners have seen their incomes rise by 275 percent as compared to 40 percent for middle income wage earners – and you consider that a recent with a New York Times/CBS poll found that 74 percent of Americans believe our country is on the wrong track, and you find that there’s an overall unsettled feeling out there, like the way the air feels right before a big storm, electric, with an edge of unpredictable danger and the meteorologists can only speculate about what's going to happen next.

While I was watching the new footage of the Oakland protests, I read Nicholas Kristof’s column in today’s New York Times about the merits of some of the Occupy Wall Street group’s arguments. And damn, was that piece powerful and persuasive. Some excerpts from the writer who billed himself “as passionate a believer in capitalism as anyone:”

“Capitalism is so successful an economic system partly because of an internal discipline that allows for loss and even bankruptcy. It’s the possibility of failure that creates the opportunity for triumph. Yet many of the major banks are too big to fail so they can privatize profits while socializing risk.”

Privatizing the profits while socializing the risk . . . I haven't heard anyone put the current economic situation that succinctly and that well.

Kristof also quoted the CEO of “one of the world’s largest money managers” as suggesting that what we need is to modify the nation’s economy, practice “'inclusive capitalism’ and embrace broad-based job creation while curbing excessive inequality.”

“You cannot be a good house in a rapidly deteriorating neighborhood,” the CEO told Kristof. “The credibility and the fair functioning of the neighborhood matter a great deal. Without that, the integrity of the capitalist system will weaken further.”

Then you listen to conservative Republican Joe Scarborough in the video above from today's Morning Joe, where he’s talking about a guy in his late 20s who worked for a hedge fund a half dozen years ago who complained to Scarborough that he was only making $2-3 million a year and was thinking of leaving his company so he could go to a boutique hedge fund where he’d get an even more lucrative salary. Noting that even CEOs who run their companies into the ground now receive multi-million-dollar golden parachutes, he said, “It is so skewed that it is perverse.”

Why yes, yes it is.

Notes on Politics: Cain's Odd Smoke-Filled Campaign Ad, Rich Getting Super-Rich & Gotta See 'Margin Call'

What are We to Make of This . . . Cain’s Campaign Blowin’ Smoke?

There has been a lot of buzz about GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain’s sudden rise in the polls, in at least one of them he has, shockingly, topped front runner Mitt Romney.

And while we’re trying to figure out when the Herman Cain 9-9-9 apples and oranges bubble is going to burst – I will be utterly astonished if it doesn’t – I’d like to know what in the heck is up with this latest Cain ad featuring his chief of staff literally blowing cigarette smoke at the camera. Seriously, anyone care to venture forth an explanation for the cigarette followed by Cain's Cheshire cat grin? It's baffling. I don't know what it means and it's been bugging me.

Top 1 Percent Saw 275 Percent Increase in Income, CBO Says

A new Congressional Budget Office report says that the top 1 percent of U.S. wage earners have seen their incomes increase by 275 percent over the past 30 years, Politico reported. Politico continued:

“The after-tax income for the highest-income households grew the most out of any group form 1979-2007, the CBO reported. The richest 1 percent of Americans saw a 275 percent growth in household income, while the poorest 20 percent experienced just 18 percent growth . . . The 60 percent in the middle of the income scale saw just under 40 percent growth in after-tax income.”

This provides the Occupy Wall Street/Occupy [Everywhere] protesters with fresh ammo in their objections to the widening gulf between the haves and the have-nots.

Go See ‘Margin Call’

Over the weekend I caught the new “inspired by a true story” film Margin Call, an insiders’ look at what happens when a Wall Street investment firm realizes it has taken on more financial risk than the total worth of the company and decides to sell off investments which they know have no value to unwitting customers in order for the firm to survive. It mixes a little bit of the aura from The Company Men and Up in the Air, as it starts off with mass layoffs at the firm, and also has the intelligent tension of the HBO drama Too Big To Fail.

It provides an unflinching look at the 2008 financial meltdown from the perspective of folks from inside one firm who are making decisions which they know will have a wide-reaching impact only most of them only care about what happens to themselves. While moral questions are raised, many immoral, greedy answers are provided, as some folks who aspire to do the “right” thing – which isn’t always clear – find themselves trapped within the confines of the framework of today’s financial world and believe they have no good choices. This whole financial mess, it’s complicated and ugly. But, then again, we already knew that.

Sally Draper Takes a Stab at Therapy . . . From the Therapist's Chair

Missing Mad Men? Well I can’t give you any new clips from the fifth season yet (as they've not been released), but I can share this Funny or Die video starring Kiernan Shipka, otherwise known as Sally Draper, who’s playing the role of a “child star psychologist.”

As a therapist – who looks very mature (working on Mad Men will do that to you apparently) – Shipka sees “child star” patients including Nolan Gould, Luke Dunphy from Modern Family who is haunted by his desire to make funny asides to a camera that’s not really there.

Shipka also counsels a ridiculous pink peacock of a 6-year-old girl from the reality show Toddlers & Tiaras who says she has no idea what her “real” face looks like and fears her neck will snap from the combined weight of her hair and makeup.

Notes on Pop Culture/Politics: The Fashion/Sexism Edition

Did Ya See That Lady in White (She Happens to be a Presidential Candidate)

Hey, Michele Bachmann wore white at the GOP debate the other night. Oh, and she had pretty, manicured nails. The other people on the panel, all men . . . who cares what they were wearing, right? Who cares what Bachmann was saying because her an interesting ensemble and nails spoke for her!

Based on media coverage of Bachmann’s appearance – and the conspicuous lack of similar attention to her male counterparts’ appearances – the anti-sexism advocacy group Name It Change It has called the media folks out on their treatment of the congresswoman:

“The fact that her clothing, face and nails continue to be called ‘distracting’ underscores a more insidious desire: for her to just stop distracting everyone with her problematic body and go away. That’s sexism.”

Amen sista.

Please Watch/Record ‘Miss Representation’ Documentary

Speaking of media sexism, the outstanding documentary Miss Representation will be premiering tonight on the OWN Network (Oprah Winfrey Network) at 9 p.m. DVR it. Watch it live. Whatever you do, just make some time to see it. It’s powerful and important, especially if you a) Are a woman and/or b) Are raising children in this media-saturated climate.

The collective power of all the statistics the film offers about women in media and politics, as well as the voices of the women interviewed in the documentary leaves a lasting impression. By the end, you'll see the way in which females are treated by the media quite differently than you did before. I waxed all things positive about this documentary and on the impact of culturally accepted media sexism on kids in my Pop Culture and Politics column here.

Dolled Up For School

As if on cue, an article in today’s Style section of the New York Times drives home points made by Miss Representation. The piece sends the message to mothers (pointedly not to fathers) that when they drop their kids off at school, they’d better be dressed to impress lest they prompt people to lament their obvious lack of fashion sense and self esteem.

The article profiled New York City mothers who show up to their children's schools in what appears to be mandatory high heels (or expensive ballet flats), pricey couture and fully done hair and makeup so that they won’t embarrass their offspring and, in the process, make a good impression on their peers. “Outside many of the schools’ buildings, parents wait in line to enter with their children,” the article said, “a configuration that lends itself to label-gazing.”

The article quoted a mother of two who writes a fashion blog as saying, “The first day of school, at drop-off, is the big sort of kickoff. Everyone looks amazing . . . [Later in the school year] it’s okay to look like an unmade bed at drop-off. But by pick-up, if that woman is still in her yoga pants, we keep counseling the woman to put something else on, at least for pick-up.” Because school is about a mommy fashion show, not children’s education, right?

It’s worth noting that it was in this same section of the newspaper that only two weeks ago advised women that if they want to climb the career ladder, they’d best don lipstick, mascara, blush, facial powder and eyeliner. “Want more respect, trust and affection from your co-workers?” an article asked. “Wearing makeup -- but not gobs of Gaga-conspicuous makeup – apparently can help. It increases people’s perceptions of a woman’s likability, her competence and (provided she does not overdo it) her trustworthiness, according to a new study, which also confirmed what is obvious: that cosmetics boost a woman’s attractiveness.”

I repeat: You should REALLY see (or record) Miss Representation about how women are indeed judged superficially and not by the content of their character.

Image credit: Huffington Post.

Locker Chandeliers? Fancy Lunchbox Notes? Seriously Folks, Can't We Dial It Back a Tad?

I'm not one who's fond of picking fights with people. Usually I'm a live and let live kind of gal. But where I do get my knickers in a twist is when someone else's actions start putting pressure on me to adhere to their over-the-top standards. Then I get testy.

What sort of standards? The kind I read about in a series of three articles last week:

First, I read an article about parents who go to their children's middle schools and decorate the youngsters' lockers with rugs, wallpaper and even locker chandeliers. Yes, LOCKER CHANDELIERS. (The article described how the lockers are now seen by those in the middle school set as a reflection of the students' personalities and has an impact on how that child is perceived by her peers.)

Second, I saw an article in the Wall Street Journal about how parents (re: moms) can craft A+ lunches for their kids by tucking elaborate, inspiring, Dale Carnegie-esque notes inside their children's lunchboxes every day, perhaps mixing things up a bit by gift wrapping their offspring's sandwiches or occasionally decorating their kids' pieces of fruit so that the fruit has a face. (The piece said the note writing has become competitive in some circles with disappointed children chastising their mothers if another student receives a hipper lunchbox note than they did.)

Finally, there was the story about a woman who was 39 weeks pregnant yet ran a marathon, delivered her baby only a few hours later and then proclaimed she wasn't tired. After reading this, I readied my white flag of surrender. Reading about these women simply exhausted me.

However I decided against waving the flag of surrender and instead opted to launch a counteroffensive, declaring these parental actions simply batty. Therefore my Pop Culture column this week over on Modern Mom calls for the moms who are raising the parenthood bar to extremely absurd heights to consider the plaintive cries of we mere mortals who have neither the time nor the inclination to install a chandelier in our children's lockers to please, for the love of God, dial it back a bit. In the words of fellow blogger Jen Singer, of MommaSaid, "You're ruining this for the rest of us . . . Knock it off."

Image credit: Locker Lookz.

Notes on Pop Culture: Assessing the New TV Season

The fall TV season starts in one big, mad rush as the networks simultaneously release their new and returning shows in a short period of time. It’s hard to figure out what’s worth your time and what’s not. Already, The Playboy Club (which I hated), Charlie’s Angels, Free Agents, How to Be a Gentleman (none of which I never watched) have been cancelled. Other new shows are still on the bubble.

As for returning shows, there’s been a mixed bag, ratings-wise, with some disappointing and others waging a strong showing.

Here are some of the shows that I have seen, liked and plan to stick with:

Modern Family: My beloved Modern Family had a precarious beginning to its third season. I wasn’t all that big on the dude ranch episode and the Manny-sells-wrapping-paper episode was only so-so, with Phil and Luke’s weirdly violent YouTube basketball moment being the highlight. I was starting to worry that my favorite comedy, which has been showered with love and golden statues, was losing its touch.

Then came this week’s episode and it hit on all cylinders. Claire’s going to run for town council because she’s ticked that the town won’t put a stop sign up at an intersection in her neighborhood. This has tremendous, clenched Claire potential. Cam’s sanctimonious take-down of the dad who he thought had brought two young children to see a violent movie, only to learn he and Mitchell were in the wrong theater, was priceless social commentary and Phil’s accidental bruising of Luke and his drugging of Alex were pitch perfect. Throw in Luke’s sudden savvy and I’m hoping the writers are in the groove once again. More of what we saw this week and less of Cam yelling, "Stella!" in suburban streets.

Up All Night: It was this past week’s episode of the Will Arnett/Christina Applegate freshman comedy Up All Night – I reviewed it here on CliqueClack TV -- that solidified for me the conclusion that this show is a keeper. Although it focuses on new parent experiences that have been covered many times before by many different shows, Up All Night always seems to put its new, fresh spin on the subjects. (Its major weakness is figuring out what to do with Maya Rudolph, but they improved upon her character this week.)

For example, we’ve seen new TV parents struggle with neighbors partying and being really loud while the parents are trying to sleep and they know their baby’s going to be up soon, or the baby can’t get to sleep because of the noise before, but the way Arnett’s Chris and Applegate’s Reagan coped was much different. In a piece for Modern Mom I compared Up All Night to thirtysomething, which aired a bazillion years ago. In thirtysomething, when the Steadmans’ neighbors were having a loud party, Michael ran outside to the front stoop and fruitlessly shrieked at them to turn the music down while standing there, lamely, in his boxers. In Up All Night, Chris called police about the noise his neighbors were making, but after he provided his name, he and Reagan feared the neighbors consider them uncool so they quickly got dressed and ran across the street to the loud party and pretended they’d been there all along.

Chris and Reagan are two cute, wannabe hipster parents who are simply exhausted and to whom you want to give a giant hug.

The Good Wife: Untethered from the responsibility of actually having to be a martyred, betrayed wife any longer, I’m really digging the new Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) who's enjoying her illicit love affair with her boss Will Gardner. She seems to have developed a confident bounce in her step, loving her role as the public “good wife” who’s really having fun being bad. Adding Lisa Edelstein (formerly of House) to the cast and moving Eli Gold's political consulting work inside Lockhart Gardner were strokes of genius.

Homeland: The pilot episode of this Showtime terrorism/spy drama, Homeland blew me away. Who knew that Claire Danes, Angela Davis from My So-Called Life, could convincingly play a CIA agent with a drug problem who suspects a former U.S. POW, now regarded of an American hero, is a double agent for the enemy? Episode two is still sitting on my DVR awaiting a Saturday night viewing with my husband. If you miss 24, Homeland is for you.

Shows In Between:

Grey’s Anatomy: After a very strong seventh season, Grey’s Anatomy’s eighth season has been a disappointment thus far. We’ve seen the main character, Meredith Grey, become estranged from and practically shunned by her husband because she messed with a clinical trial of his, got fired (then quickly rehired) and then, as a result, the strained duo lost custody of their adopted daughter. Derek Shepherd has been transformed into an utterly unlikable, pompous character.

Owen and Cristina have been struggling with Cristina’s decision to abort their baby when he wanted to keep it. Though he’s trying to be supportive of her, it’s obvious that something’s shifted between them, and not just the fact that Owen has become chief of surgery after Richard took the fall for Meredith. These two have been among the few bright spots this season.

Last week’s episode was told from the men’s point of view and was, frankly pretty demeaning toward the male characters as it showed them stereotypically fighting over women and work, making erectile dysfunction jokes and wielding hammers and drinking beer as a way to cope with all that was bugging them. This week’s episode – which I reviewed here -- focused on a penile transplant and used the groundbreaking surgery as a clunky, clumsy metaphor for all sorts of things, from April Kepner’s virginity and Miranda Bailey dumping one guy for another, to Avery standing up for himself in the face of public ridicule from his mother.

After last season, I was expecting more than stunts like the transplant and men using power tools. I look for some emotional resonance when I tune into this show and I know it's something Grey’s can deliver.

Parenthood: There have been several heart-in-your-throat scenes in the third season of Parenthood, notably the scene where Alex said goodbye to Kristina and where the pregnant single gal who pushes the coffee cart around Julia's office turned down Julia's request to adopt her child, then, a few episodes later, changed her mind. (I reviewed that episode here.)

Adam looking for work and deciding to take a chance with his family's future by working on his brother's passion project is an intriguing idea, as is moving forward with having Julia and Joel adopt. But many of the other storylines have left me flat: Jasmine and Crosby dating other people and running into one another is thoroughly boring. Sarah dating the English teacher again hasn't gone anywhere. Amber trying to be bohemian and living in a rat-infested hole seems cliched. Zeek starring in erectile dysfunction commercials is just, what's the word . . . awkward.

It’s been a very uneven season thus far for Parenthood, which has been a letdown because the show has, in the past, seemed willing to delve deeply into issues, like Max’s Asperger’s or Alex's poverty for example. I think my problem with this season is that the episodes have been overstuffed with tons of storylines so they seem a mile wide and an inch thick. I like it better when they keep things simpler. However I’m not giving up on the Bravermans yet.

Still on my DVR awaiting my attention, the latest episodes of: Suburgatory, Homeland, The Middle, Parks and Recreation and The Middle.
What new/returning shows have you liked thus far this season?

Image credits: CBS and ABC.

Notes from the Political Middle: Treacherous Terror Plots, Christie Endorses Romney, Occupiers Making House Calls

News just in this afternoon – mere hours before the economy-centric Republican debate tonight at 8 on Bloomberg TV (simulcast on the Washington Post’s web site) -- U.S. officials announced that an “Iranian-directed” assassination plot aimed at killing the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, Adel Al-Jubeir, as well as plans to attack the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Washington, D.C. have been thwarted, Reuters reported.

Two Iranian men, one a naturalized American, were charged with crafting an assassination plot though only one of the men is in custody. He was arrested on September 29, Reuters reported. Here are some of the chilling details from the complaint that was filed in federal court:  

U.S. officials said the two defendants allegedly went to Mexico to hire a man affiliated with a drug trafficking cartel to kill the ambassador, but that the person with whom they met was a paid U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration “confidential source.”

One of the defendants reportedly asked the confidential source if he was knowledgeable about explosives because he also wanted to attack the Saudi Arabian embassy.

Law enforcement officials claimed that one defendant confessed to authorities that “he . . . was recruited, funded and directed by men he understood to be senior officials in the Qods Force [a covert branch of the Iranian Army]." The complaint alleged that Qods officials "were aware of and approved, among other things, the use of [the confidential source] in connection with the plot; payments to [the confidential source] and the means by which the Ambassador would be killed in the United States and the casualties that would likely result.”

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder pointed his finger directly at Iran and said, “The U.S. is committed to holding Iran accountable for its actions.”

Now I wish that tonight’s GOP debate wasn’t solely on the economy. We’re at the point where you can’t just talk a convincing game on the economy and jobs front in order to persuade people to vote for you, but you need to also be fleet-footed when it comes to the rising Iranian threats and what we’re going to do with that mess we call the war in Afghanistan.

New Jersey’s Christie Endorses Mitt Romney

In another strange turn in today’s news, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie – who many people wanted to jump into the GOP presidential race -- not only endorsed Mitt Romney for president, calling him the most qualified GOP candidate, but also took aim at Texas Governor Rick Perry’s association with a minister who has decried Mormonism, Romney’s religion, a “cult.” “Any campaign that associates itself with that type of conduct is beneath the office of the president of the United States,” Christie said of Romney’s competitor.

Ironically, while I was working on this post, I received a robo-call – bearing a Boston area code – from Christie inviting me (and the thousands of others who were contacted via phone) to remain on the line to listen to Christie and Romney live. What did I hear on that tele-town hall? Romney said he understood why the folks who are participating in the “Occupy [Fill in the Blank]” protests across the country are upset: “They’re angry because it [the Obama presidency] is not at all what they expected.”

As for Christie, he said endorsing Romney was “a very easy decision for me.” When he fielded a call from a Midwestern voter about why he didn’t endorse Perry instead, Christie said, “I thought Governor Romney was a better candidate,” citing Romney’s executive leadership skills in the public and private sectors.

Was I listening to a pair of running mates, these current/former Republican governors of blue states? Another voter was thinking the same thing as he called the two an “unbeatable pair” and asked if Christie would agree to be Romney’s running mate. Christie didn’t answer the question. “That’s going to be Gov. Romney’s choice,” Christie said. “. . .We won’t make any of those decisions unless or until we have to.” Not exactly a denial.


Occupiers Making House Calls

While 100+ participants in Boston’s version of the “Occupy Together” economic movement were being arraigned today for unlawful assembly, after being busted this early this morning for failing to heed police warnings not to expand their protest area (protesters complained of police brutality), their New York counterparts, the original Occupy Wall Streeters, hit the road in what they called a “Millionaires March,” protesting in front of the homes of some prominent businesspeople whom they believe to be examples of the "greedy" rich. (Reminds me of some scenes from A Tale of Two Cities which I read for the first time this year.) Meanwhile, 75 people from Occupy D.C. flooded into a U.S. Senate office building today, chanting along the way, resulting in six arrests, Politico reported.

Between the alleged Iran-directed terror plot and the Occupy arrests, the news seems like it’s getting a late 1960s kind of vibe to it, don't you think?

Steve Jobs: More Than Just Your Typical CEO

I don’t own an iPod, although all three of my kids and my husband do. I don’t have an iPhone or an iTouch, although my eldest son does. I don’t have an iPad, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Santa will put one in my Christmas stocking.

That doesn’t mean I can’t or don’t have tremendous awe and respect for what Steve Jobs has done in the world of business, pop culture and in representing the wonderful things that can happen when one takes risks and follows one's dreams.

Though Jobs died this week of pancreatic cancer at the young age of 56 – leaving behind a wife and four children – Jobs' vision will live on, not just because of his role in revolutionizing several aspects of American life, but because of the inspiration he offered to the rest of us. His 2005 Stanford commencement speech is a wonderful summary of his attitude and beliefs, a year after he’d been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and he'd survived:

“I was lucky. I found what I loved to do early in life.”

“Sometimes life’s gonna to hit you in the head with a brick, don’t lose faith.”

“The only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love and that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers . . . Do what you believe is great work and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle.”

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life, almost everything . . . [falls] away in the face of death leaving only what is truly important.”

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

“Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice and, most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”


“Stay hungry, stay foolish.”

RIP.

Notes on Politics: Chris Christie’s Head Fake, Bono’s ‘F’ Word Campaign, Occupy [Your City]

Christie a Presidential No-Go

I must admit, I was disappointed to learn that New Jersey’s outspoken governor, Chris Christie won’t be running for president . . . as he has repeatedly said he would not, despite the lure of the siren’s song emanating from the lips of those who are desperately dissatisfied with the current GOP field.

I think Christie’s a smart, tough, work-with-anybody kind of person who would’ve brought much-needed pragmatism and leadership to the race. I’ve appreciated how he’s actually fielded questions with honesty and realism – like when he was asked why he was cutting funding for public school when he was sending his own children to private school – and think it would have been refreshing to see him go toe-to-toe with Mitt Romney, who often reminds me of a car salesman, and Rick Perry, who seems as though he’d rather be anywhere than talking policy while wearing a suit and tie.

And as for all the naysayers who were griping about Christie’s weight and saying he’s a bad role model, they were outright annoying and sanctimonious. I can’t stand the sanctimony. Christie’s in the business of developing and implementing public policy, not sashaying down a catwalk in a size zero sports jacket, sprinting up and down a basketball court or running a marathon. Last time I checked, he wasn’t jonesing to become an underwear model. Would he make a good poster boy for good health? No, and he’d be the first one to admit that. But he wasn’t being considered for either of those posts. He was being considered as a potential presidential candidate based on the contents of his head, not his stomach.

One’s ‘F-Word’ Campaign

Bono’s “One” organization has released a new public service ad aimed at energizing us regular folk to be galvanized to act and pressure those with power to do something about the African famine, to intercede in some fashion. Featuring, of all people, Mike Huckabee, along with Jenna Bush, George Clooney, Kristen Davis, Michael Bloomberg, Arianna Huffington and Rob Lowe, to name a few, the ad tries to combine the shock of the “f” word (“f” standing for “famine”) with anger. It’s a dark and twisty kind of ad, clever.

Hey, it’s a lot better than rebooting “We Are the World.”

 

Angry About the Growing Financial Inequities Between a Small Percentage of the U.S. Population and Everyone Else? Occupy [Your City]

The hodgepodge of folks -- many of them college students and members of unions -- who have been demonstrating in New York City as part of a loose group called “Occupy Wall Street,” have called for Wall Street types, who’ve fared well in this down economy, to pay a price for their recklessness. They want jobs and a whole bunch of other things, and they see rich, corporate titans, bankers and the assorted Gordon Gekkos of the world as standing in their way. They aspire to what one newscaster called, “An American Autumn” (to complement an Arab Spring, one would guess).

As some 700 people were arrested over the weekend for blocking the Brooklyn Bridge, the movement against “corporate greed, unemployment and the role of financial institutions in the economic crisis,” as the New York Times put it, has spawned other “Occupy” groups in cities across the country including Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, with anti-corporate, anti-banker actions/protests slated for Memphis, Minneapolis and Baltimore and a ton more locales. The central organizing web page, Occupy Together was created by some of the movement’s un-leaders (they don’t have official “leaders” per se, but some leader-y type person had to put together the web site) to “provide people with information about events that are organizing, ongoing and building across the U.S. as we, the 99 percent take action against the greed and corruption of the 1 percent.”

Here’s how the “Occupy Together” movement looks to an English columnist who said we’re witnessing “the dissolution of the American Empire:”

“We are watching the beginnings of the defiant self-assertion of a new generation of Americans, a generation who are looking forward to finishing their education with no jobs, no future, but still saddled with enormous and unforgivable debt. Most, I found, were of working class or otherwise modest backgrounds, kids who did exactly what they were told they should: Studied, got into college and are now not just being punished for it, but humiliated – faced with a life of being treated as deadbeats, moral reprobates.


Is it really surprising they would like to have a word with the financial magnates who stole their future?”

So, is this the left’s answer to the conservative-leaning Tea Party? Imagine how wild it would be if the “Occupy Together” people and the Tea Party people actually got together on something . . .