Howard Monroe And The Morning Show

The GOP plan to reclaim the majority????

Dust up in the GOP after a candidate for the RNC chairmanship sends out a CD with a song named "Barack The Magic Negro" (sung to the tune of the classic "Puff The Magic Dragon").

Amazingly, some in the Grand Ole Party defend the ditty.

Ken Blackwell -- one of two African-American candidates for party chairman -- agreed with Saltsman's assessment, defending him in a weekend statement.

"Unfortunately, there is hypersensitivity in the press regarding matters of race," said Blackwell -- who, if elected, would be the first black chairman of the RNC. "This is in large measure due to President-elect Obama being the first African-American elected president. (CNN)

Is it "satire"? Sure.

Does Saltsman have a "right" to distribute this? Of course he does

But it is without a doubt racist, offensive, and divisive. Just what the Republicans want in their leader, eh?

I will not post the song here,in fact YouTube has pulled their video, but if you want to listen yourself, you can find a link here

Tell me what you think in this poll. And leave a comment here on the blog.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Musings

Drama show "marathons" are a great way to spend time on a weekend sick bed. 24-hours of House was just what the doctor ordered.......

Is "irony" the word to use with Israeli tanks rolling in Gaza on Christmas weekend?

Since I put my keys on the same end table every night, and pick them up there every morning...and my wife moves them during weekend clean-up....why does she anwer "they're right where they should be" when I can't find them after she moved them?  Shouldn't they be where I always leave them???

Timing is everthing. Watched my Christmas budget very carefully. Didn't purchase a final "big" gift until the last day, when I was sure I had enough Christmas cash to do so. December 27th my brakes go bad and have to be replaced!

Based on a variety of recent articles--especially this weekend's focus on open meetings and information--I think Wheeling and Ohio County officials should be on alert: the Ogden papers seem to be keeping a very critical eye on their actions.

Christmas Morning

Monroe Family tree early Christmas morning. Waiting for the "wakening". Even grown kids love this morning.

Christmas Eve--that silent night

 It is the quietest night of the year.

Stores and even the bars close for a while. Turn off their lights. The holiday hustle and bustle 'till now is tuned down. Shopping undone by nightfall will stay that way.

Outdoor lights shine in the night and inside our trees are glowing with a holiday twinkle. Church for many. Carols. Candles. And a manger. For other just the peace and silence.

I love the quiet. In that beat between breaths,the burdens of life slip away. No matter what your personal faith, it's almost impossible not to hear the voice of.....something....whispering in the wind: "Everything will be alright.". For Christians, we acknowledge the arrival of the Light of the world and Saviour of our soul.

It is a night of tremendous excitement, power, glory all settled into the pedestrian scene of a straw-covered manger. What is important happens unseen.

It is the quietest night of the year.

Merry Christmas

Post-partisanship for BOTH sides of the aisle

I've been critical of many on the right for not "getting" the reality that President-elect Obama is going to govern in a "post partisan" way. That the American public has gotten tired of--and moved beyond--the gotcha' governing and politics of the past decade.

But my colleagues on the left need to learn the same lesson.

Barney Frank this week was criticizing Obama for the Rick Warren choice--with the argument that it won't win Obama any point with "the right.

"But my one question is, I think he overestimates his ability to take people, particularly our colleagues on the right, and, sort of, charm them into being nice," Frank said. "I know he talks about being post-partisan. But I've worked, frankly, with Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay, the current Republican leadership. The current Republican leadership in the House repudiated George Bush. I don't know why Mr. Obama thinks he's going to have them better than George Bush.

"And so, to be honest, when he talks about being post-partisan, having seen these people and knowing what they would do in that situation, I suffer from post-partisan depression," Frank said jokingly.(The Hill)

But Obama didn't ask Warren to the inaugural to win points with the right. He did it because Warren is a popular and powerful religious leader with strong Christian beliefs who has taken his preaching into practice.

He didn't do it to gain stature with the right, he did it because it was right.

12/17/08

The WVLY Christmas party ends with a sing-a-long.

Council's accomplishments....Are we a "hell hole"...and more from Wednesday

Wheeling Mayor Andy McKenzie and I talked about what has--and has not--happened in his first 6 months at the helm of the Friendly City.

Another report is out calling West Virginia a Judicial Hellhole. Local attorney Jon Turak says "not so".

We also had stories about stupid Christmas gifts, a company that --for a fee--will wrap up your presents badly (so your girlfriend thinks you did it yourself!), and some holiday music.

Tuesday on The Morning Show

I'm perfectly content to let the Christian holiday share equal footing footing with the secular Christmas (Santa and The Baby Jesus can co-exist). But I can't understand why more Americans aren't attending church as part of that combined celebration.

Looking for nice last minute gift. Make a contribution to Catholic Charities in the name of a friend and that friend can help direct how the contribution is directed. Angie Zambito was a guest. You can find outmore at catholiccharitieswv.org.

Channel 9 repots that former Congressman Bob Ney has been given his passport back. His current boss, Ellen Ratner, told us what she thinks.

Size 10

There's really nothing funny about it.

The President of the US is physically attacked on foreign soil. Sure, it was just a shoe, and GWB handled it extremely well. Most political pundits seem to be giving the President high marks for being deft in his duck and his (re)cover. It's being given the light hearted treatment and then move on.

I guess all's well that end's well.

But I wonder what would have happened to an American citizen on American soil--say a liberal protestor who was venting his frustration over 8 long years of an administration who ran roughshod over the constituion and civil liberties, engaged us in a fruitless and useless war-without-end.

Gitmo might be a visitor bigger

The Earth STILL stands still for me when I see it...

The "creature" was a 7'7" guy in a silly silver suit, but to me, he was the eptiome of what could come from outer space. When his visor opened and the lights flowed back-and-forth in preparation for their death beams, I held my breath. And when his "master", Klaatu, told Earth it had to clean up its act, work together for peace, I believed him.

It was, to me, one of the greatest science fiction movies of its generation, "The Day The Earth Stood Still".

Then they re-made it ---with Keannu Reeves, for heaven's sake! The new version? Number One this weekend at the box office. And I suppose a new generation will love the super-duper special effects, the blowing up of Giants stadium, the hi-tech music that heightens the suspense.

And I suppose the new generation will laugh when they see this trailer from 1951.

But I still hold my breath when that visor opens.