The Old Grey Lady on the Ossified House Democrat Leadership

A Bit of Baloney by Hillary Clinton on Uranium One

Former First Lady/Senator/ Secretary of State Hillary Clinton disputed any connection between the Clintons and the Uranium One scandal.  Mrs. Clinton insisted that the issue had been debunked years ago.

The salient question is whether the New York Times retracted their 2015 story or if  Hillary thinks that the Old Grey Lady (that is, the New York Times) is part of the vast Right Wing Conspiracy and  peddle fake news. 

Paying Tribute to Quality-- RIP Robert M. Pirsig

Author Robert M. Pirsig died at the age of 88 in South Berwick, Maine after a period of failing health.  Pirsig was renowned for writing Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance-- An Inquiry Into Values (1974), a loosely autobiographical travelogue of a 17 day cross country road trip in 1968 with his 11 year old son and two friends during which he pondered weighty philosophical problems to discern the metaphysics of quality,  

Pirsig had served in the Army in the Far East before the Korean War.  During a trip on leave to Japan, Pirsig became fascinated by Zen Buddhism. After his military service, Pirsig received graduate degrees in Philosophy from the University of Chicago and Banaras Hindu University.

Like the unnamed protagonist in the novel, who sometimes referred to himself as Phaedrus (a name inspired by Plato's Dialogues),  Pirsig was a brilliant thinker with a high IQ who eventually suffered a mental breakdown which was treated by electro-shock therapy that altered his personality. By delving deeply into undercurrents of thought, the novel can be seen as a detective story of a man in search of himself.

Robert M. Pirsig, 1975

The title of the book was a play on another popular tome Zen and the Art of Archery (1971). Pirsig's playfulness was also evident in the forward in which the author wrote:

"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It’s not very factual on motorcycles either.”

But the book contemplated how man relates to machines, the roots of our culture and what inspires madness.

Plato & Aristotle "The School of Athens" Raphael (1510)

Phaedrus ordered existence between "classic" values (like rational problem solving in fixing motorcycles) and "romantic values" (like beauty and the arts). This philosophical chautauqua ("circus of ideas) which Phaedrus grappled with in his deep thoughts was how the Western mind had separated ordinary experiences from transcendent experiences because Plato and Aristotle had done so. Moreover, the mind-body dualism championed by the Greeks stoked a mental civil war which stripped rationality from its spiritual underpinnings and spirituality of its reason.

What man really ought to strive for is quality.  As Pirsig contemplated:

"Quality . . . you know what it is, yet you don't know what it is. But that's self-contradictory. But some things are better than others, that is, they have more quality. But when you try to say what the quality is, apart from the things that have it, it all goes poof! There's nothing to talk about. But if you can't say what Quality is, how do you know what it is, or how do you know that it even exists? If no one knows what it is, then for all practical purposes it doesn't exist at all. But for all practical purposes it really does exist."

The book became a phenomenon which the author later described as a “kulturbarer" (Swedish for culture bearer), which developed a near cult popularity amongst hippies.  Pirsig mused: “I expressed what I thought were my prime thoughts and they turned out to be the prime thoughts of everybody else." Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance truly appealed to Baby Boomers. When the novel was first published, New York Times reviewer Christopher Lehmann-Haupt wrote: 

"[H]owever impressive are the seductive powers with which Mr. Pirsig engages us in his motorcycle trip, they are nothing compared to the skill with which he interests us in his philosophic trip... when [Pirsig] comes to grips with the hard philosophical conundrums raised by the 1960's, he can be electrifying." 

 When reflecting on the impact of ZAMM, Todd Gitlin, a counter cultural sociologist speculated that by blending the deep thoughts with the drudgery of daily life, such as motorcycle maintenance:  "Pirsig provided a kind of soft landing from the euphoric stratosphere of the late ’60s into the real world of adult life.”

The counter cultural novel sold over one million books in the first year of its publication and sold several million more since then.  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance became  the biggest selling philosophy book of all times and remained on the best sellers list for over a decade. This is remarkable for a manuscript which was rejected by 121 different publishers before William Morrow signed hi for a small $3,000 advance.

After the unexpected success of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Pirsig won a Guggenheim fellowship, some fortune and unwanted fame. Pirsig got so freaked out by what his neighbors called "Pirsig Pilgrims" to his Minneapolis home that he eventually packed his bags and would live in a camper or a sailboat for months.  Pirsig spent the last 30 years of his life in a small town in Southern Maine

Pirsig wrote one other book, Lila- An Inquiry into Morals (1991), which achieved neither the same success nor cultural impact.  But sometimes one oeuvre is enough to make one's mark on the world. 

Personally, I found Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to be a highly influential book. Believe it or not, it served as a textbook for an Advanced Placement American History course in high school. Despite the unorthodox textbook, I achieved highest marks on the exam as it honed in me an incredible analytical inclination which remains with me to this day (sometimes to the consternation of those close to me).  

While I may not be an adherent to Zen Buddhism, nor will anyone catch me fixing motor scooters or the ilk, I am graced by the idea that there is a nexus between the simply joys and drudgery of daily life and the transcendent. More than a quarter century later, I am still inspired by a quest for quality. To be so deeply impacted by a book demonstrates its importance. 

H/T: New York Times
        NPR

Circumnavigating Trump's World View

During the Republican National Convention in Cleveland which nominated Donald Trump (R-NY) as the GOP Presidential standard bearer, the candidate granted a 45 minute interview to the New York Times on Defense and  Foreign Policy issues. 

His expressed policies point toward an America First priority, a slogan which has an unfortunate history of being associated the Charles Limbergh and 1940 American isolationism. But Trump thinks this is a brand new, modern term which connotes "We are going to take care of everyone in this country before we worry about everyone else in the world."

To his credit, Trump did not pussy foot around a self interested, national weltanschaaung in seeking to "Make America Great Again.".  Trump demurred from dictating how Turkey should resolve their internal politics, noting that "America has to fix its own mess" before trying to alter the behavior of other nations. In fact, Trump mused: "How are we going to lecture when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?” So moral equivalence, a politically correct thought, shuts down America speaking against evil in the world. 

Trump reiterated his threat to pull back American troops deployed to keep stability around the world. Trump chided “We are spending a fortune on military in order to lose $800 billion [in America's trade loss]. That doesn’t sound very smart to me.”  Trump thinks that if there is a threat to the United States, we can deploy troops from our shores. 

Trump echoed his ambition to pull out of NAFTA in a split second, unless Canada and Mexico can be bullied to renegotiate more favorable terms for the United States. And probably that Mexico will pay for a border wall. 


What was truly shocking was Trump's ambivalence to adhering to Article V of the NATO Treaty for joint defense. When pressed on whether the United States would come to the defense of the Baltic States if there was an invasion by the Russian Federation, Trump implied that there would be a cost benefit analysis which was premised on whether those nations are "fulfilling their obligations to us."  So signed and ratified treaties are only bargaining positions in Trump's World. Well, at least Trump seemed to know that Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are under the NATO security umbrella, unlike Ben Carson.

Former Reagan Foreign Policy and current American Enterprise Institute Resident Scholar Gary Schmitt, the Trump America First policy is likened to a child who picks up his ball and goes home to lock himself up in a room. 

And that's a viewpoint from a CONSERVATIVE think tank. 

Is this the serious Trump which Trump Convention Manager Paul Manafort promised in the second phase of the campaign (Trump 2.0).  If so, Trump's views on foreign affairs and defense are seriously askew.

H/T: New York Times
        AEI

Poisoning the Well on Immigration?

If reports broken on Fox News and confirmed by the New York Times are accurate, President Barack Obama may take heed of Rep. Luis Gutierrez's (D-IL 14th) plea and release a ten point Executive Order which fills the void of the duties which properly belong to the Legislative Branch. 

Speaker of the House John Boehner has  warned that if the White House issues a ukase on immigration that it will poison the well for any cooperation with the Republican majorities in 114th Congress. Well respected Democrat pollster Peter Hart concurs that Obama's unilateral actions on immigration indeed would poison the well. 

How the Clintons' Treat Presstitutes

The First Amendment of the US Constitution is in part intended to ensure Americans of a the Freedom of the Press.  But that fundamental freedom does not ensure access when progressive politicians want to manage the message by rounding up reporters and controlling access.

New York Times reporter Amy Chozick revealed how the Clinton Global Initiative separates reporters from an event which they are supposed to cover.  Of course, the special treatment is attributed to "security".  

This monitoring went to the extend of a 20 something year old aide following Ms. Chozick into the bathroom.  Kind of sounds like North Korea, but with electricity.

Perhaps the New York Times reporter earned some extra special treatment considering the critical pieces which the "Old Grey Lady" published in 2013 about the disarray with the Clinton Foundation:

“For all of its successes, the Clinton Foundation had become a sprawling concern, supervised by a rotating board of old Clinton hands, vulnerable to distraction and threatened by conflicts of interest. It ran multimillion-dollar deficits for several years, despite vast amounts of money flowing in.”

Control access and effectively manage the message.  So much for "All the news that's fit to print".

The Obama Administration brags that it is "absolutely" the most transparent Administration ever.  But just because White House Spokesman Josh Earnest uttered the phrase, it ain't necessarily so. In July 2014, 38 press organizations and transparency groups sent a letter to the White House calling for  the Obama administration to end “politically driven suppression of news and information about federal agencies".    The plea from the press noted:

“Over the past two decades, public agencies have increasingly prohibited staff from communicating with journalists unless they go through public affairs offices or through political appointees. This trend has been especially pronounced in the federal government. We consider these restrictions a form of censorship—an attempt to control what the public is allowed to see and hear.”

Confining journalists is not just a Clinton trick. Reporters have recently been sequestered in a bedroom during an Obama fundraiser.

One unlucky journalist was made to wait in a maintenance  shed while the Golfer in Chief hit the links at the tony Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Gainesville, Virginia.  While Houston Chronicle reporter Kevin Diaz could not see any of the drives on the golf course, he could report a motorist on I-66 give the Presidential motorcade a "lone eagle salute" to the motorcade.  And in 2011, Vice President Joe Biden's aides locked a reporter in storage closet during a fundraiser.

While these shoddy treatments of the press can be chronicled through jocund journalistic jibes on social media or short comedic reports on television morning news, this is because the perpetrators were liberals with whom the reporters generally agree.  If a Republican treated the press in such a high handed manner, no doubt the Fourth Estate would be clamoring for impeachment.

Controlling access and projecting positive optics as an easy story for prospective presstitutes.  Former Senator Hillary Rodman Clinton has been touted as one of the smartest and most accomplished women in America thus she should become President.  When I queried a die hard Hillary! supporter, I asked her to cite one concrete accomplishment from her four year tenure in the Obama Administration's Secretary of State.   This Hillary fan did not not even try to claim that Hillary's extensive travels counted as an accomplishment. When pressed, the Hillary supporter resorted to retorting that Hillary earned it by standing by her man through thick and thin.

So to reach low information voters predisposed to support a leading female candidate, it may be enough to feed presstitutes with positive stories and manage messages by controlling unfiltered access.

This might explain why the Lamestream Media ate up the Clintons' photo op at the 39th annual Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) Steak Fry but criticized President George W. Bush for posing with a fake turkey when visiting troops in Afghanistan for Thanksgiving.

[L] Ex-Sen.  Hillary Clinton (D-NY) [C] Ex- President Bill Clinton [R] Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) at Steak Fry 

Whereas, National Review's Jim Geraghty, who certainly would not get a press credential on a Hillary! campaign, presented more piquant coverage of the Iowa photo op.

“How perfectly Clintonian: ‘While a crowd of several thousand Democrats waited on a sloping, grassy field below, Mrs Clinton, her husband and Senator Harkin staged a mini-grilling of steaks for the press at a single barbecue grill in a fenced-off enclosure, framed by a handsome tree and a picnic table filled with some patient Iowans. Mrs Clinton gamely posed, pretending to grill a steak that had been pre-cooked for her"

McConnell Vows to Crush Tea Party in GOP Primaries

Days after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) gave a seven minute speech at  CPAC 2014 and promised a Senate in the 114th Congress that would make retiring conservative Senator Tom Coburn proud, the New York Times exposed McConnell's true colors.  The New York Times magazine quoted McConnell: "I think we are going to crush them everywhere.  I don't think they are going to have a single nominee anywhere in the country."

Granted, the five term Senator is facing a primary challenge in Kentucky by Tea Party sympathizer Matt Bevin, so he may feel feisty about Tea Party challenges.  While McConnell may be up 40 points over his opponent, it does not hold that the same trend holds elsewhere.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) successfully repelled primary challenges from a crowded GOP field.  But  Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) may face problems in Kansas especially since it has been shown that Roberts live in Kansas and that he only established residency renting a room in Dodge City only after Milton Wolfe filed his primary challenge.

[L] Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)

Seven term incumbent Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) is being challenged by Mississippi State Senator Christopher McDaniel (R-MS 42nd, Ellisburg)  who is backed by the conservative Club for Growth.  In December, a Human Events poll showed the 76 year old incumbent tied with McDaniel.

There are open races in Georgia, North Carolina and Alaska, so Cocktail Party simpaticos may not be shoe-ins for McConnell.

What is curious is the cocky contrast that the uncamouflaged McConnell has addressing elites on elections compared to the contrite rhetoric uttered at CPAC about bringing the fight for the little guy next year.  If McConnell meant to protect the little guy's interest, why would he wait until next year?  

Last September, Senator Ted Cruz brought the fight on Obamacare with his flying flip quasi filibuster, but was abandoned by the GOP Senate leadership, even though many of Cruz's suggestions have been imposed by unconstitutional Executive fiat. Pro arguendo, if McConnell's claims of crushing the Tea Party are true, what impetus will the go along to get along Cocktail Party have to legislate like conscientious conservatives, especially with President Obama still in the White House? 

Some talk show types have railed against the supposed standing ovation which McConnell received at CPAC. Being in the ballroom for McConnell's time on center stage, I can testify that there is more applause for a double bogie on an PGA putting green than what Senate Majority Leader McConnell got at CPAC.  What was unexpected was candidate McConnell's contrite campaigning to quickly being shown to be as phony as triumphantly branding a firearm onstage at CPAC.

h/t: John Darkow