John Baer: New moon and signs of hope, foreboding
TODAY IS the Ides of March and a new moon. The former, since Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," carries foreboding. The latter, ritualistically, is cause for renewal.
TODAY IS the Ides of March
and
a new moon. The former, since Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," carries foreboding. The latter, ritualistically, is cause for renewal.
The way things are, I get the foreboding. But the renewal? Not so much. For, politically, even more than usual, the signs lead to lunacy.
Take the Massa thing. Are you kidding? This schizoid, just-resigned New York congressman, Eric Massa, married father of two, lived with "bachelor" staffers, groped a male staffer and made "salty" remarks to male employees.
He's the same ex-Navy dude who, before resigning (and while under House investigation), embraced the Senate candidacy of fellow ex-Navy dude and fellow Democrat Joe Sestak.
One wonders if he offered the courtesy of a reach-around. One also wonders if Sestak has more unvetted endorsements coming. Although, in some ways, Massa for Sestak makes sense: Sestak's campaign's been groping, too.
Speaking of misplaced minds, did you hear retiring Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy lose it on the House floor? He went off on national media for too much Massa coverage and not enough war reporting. Sounded like a booze-fueled pub rant. At least he wasn't driving.
Speaking of driving, someone needs to drive Dan Rather back to the '50s.
Catch his comment on Chris Matthews' show a Sunday ago?
Rather said that President Obama is in such a leadership hole that "he couldn't sell watermelons" (on the side of the road), adding, even "if you gave him the state troopers to flag down the traffic." Matthews freaked and talked over everything Rather said after "watermelons," clearly offering cover.
Didn't hear about it? Think you would have if Glenn Beck or Rush had said it?
(An aside: Get your notice in the mail that you'll soon get a census form in the mail? What's this, another Washington cost-saving idea? Mass-produce and mass-mail notices to 100 million households to say a form is coming? Who makes these decisions? Larry? Moe? Curly?)
Meanwhile, there are unsettling signs in Pennsylvania.
With a need for change and renewal in the Legislature after multiple scandals over multiple years - pay raise, pension hike, late budgets, perks, corruption - more than one-third of lawmakers seeking re-election have no opposition at all.
Not in the primary. Not in the fall. No opponents. They automatically keep their seats. They include nine Philadelphians: Republicans Denny O'Brien and John Taylor; Democrats Mike McGeehan, John Sabatina, Ron Waters, Jewel Williams, Cherelle Parker, Mark Cohen and Dwight Evans.
Up for grabs are 228 seats - half the Senate and the full House, with several open seats due to retirements. The fact that 74 incumbents (46 Republicans, 28 Democrats) get a free ride is a measure of public surrender or protective, gerrymandered districts. Either way, it's no sign of renewal.
(An aside: See your electric bill lately? Might want to thank your incumbent lawmaker for sitting on his/her hands as utilities pick your pockets.)
Finally, one of nine - count 'em, nine - Republicans running for lieutenant governor foretells fun times for presumed GOP Guv nominee Tom Corbett.
If state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, of Butler County, wins (he also seeks House re-election) he could pull the ticket far right, as in right off the table.
Metcalfe makes the Sheriff of Nottingham look pink. He espouses death to unions, to Planned Parenthood and to anyone not carrying a gun, and wants state's rights to end "America's illegal-alien invasion," and I don't think he means Martians.
I'm not saying that these positions are anathema to all Pennsylvanians. But they are red flags for many Democrats and moderates who could view them as reason to get enthused about whoever's on the Democratic ticket. Portents of politics to come? Causes of renewal? I'm sure it'll all make sense real soon, regardless of the date.
Or the moon.
Send e-mail to baerj@phillynews.com.
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