TomatoGate?
Rodger Jones, on The Dallas Morning News Opinion blog, reports that Lou Dobbs argues that the recent outbreak of salmonella from contaminated tomatoes is reason enough to impeach President Bush. Har, har, har. Lou Dobbs, through hyperbole, turns a serious subject into fodder for late night comedians. Rodger Jones sees the humor and misses the problem.
The FDA is underfunded, understaffed, under-equipped. The FDA estimates it will take 1900 years to inspect all the food production plants that serve the American market. Bush budgets are directly responsible. Impeach Bush for tomatoes? That's over the top. But look forward to Jan. 20, 2009? Definitely.
Obama's New Public Financing System
William McKenzie, on The Dallas Morning News Opinion blog, is whining that Barack Obama is forgoing public financing, the first candidate in a generation to do so.
One of McKenzie's complaints is that Obama is running on the promise of a new politics. Well, Obama's Internet-based fundraising, based on small donations from a million regular Americans, is definitely new. The old system certainly wasn't working as intended. Let's see
Another McKenzie complaint is Obama's saying that the existence of unregulated 527 operations is an example of how the existing system is broken. McKenzie says that there are no "big-dollar 527 operations from the right going full bore against him" yet. Give the Republicans time, McKenzie. Give them time. Besides, one of the immediate consequences of Obama's decision was the news today that MoveOn.org has shut down its own 527 operation. Its executive director said, "In light of the new politics offered by Barack Obama, I've come to believe it's time to close the 527 forever." Thank you, Barack Obama!
Finally, McKenzie wants Barack Obama to just say he's forgoing public financing because he's raising boatloads of money from small contributions through the Internet. OK, I'll give McKenzie this one. Obviously, Obama couldn't turn down public financing unless he had a ready alternative. And he does. But even if this is the predominant reason behind Obama's decision, it doesn't negate his other arguments.
The current system is broken. Obama's new politics is already paying dividends. Obama's campaign is being financed, not by corporate fatcats, but by average Americans. And MoveOn.org is shutting down its 527. Rather than criticize Obama, maybe McKenzie ought to be encouraging John McCain to follow Obama's lead.
Natural Born?
Tod Robberson, on The Dallas Morning News Opinion blog, reports a lawsuit challenging John McCain's eligibility to be President, due to his having been born in the Panama Canal Zone.
This is a nuisance lawsuit. McCain's birth in the Canal Zone would be unique among Presidents, but I'm certain that courts would rule that his parents being American citizens is enough to make him "natural born." If the Supreme Court could tip the 2000 election to George W Bush, I can't imagine the Court cutting down McCain's candidacy.
By the way, in 2000, there was a lawsuit challenging Cheney's residency. Bush and Cheney were both residents of Texas, meaning that Texas' electors would not be able to cast their electoral votes for both Bush and Cheney. So, Cheney claimed Wyoming residency instead, even though he lived in Texas, had a Texas driver's license and (didn't) vote in Texas. Courts obliged him and dismissed the lawsuit.
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