#441, January 29, 2007
COLUMBUS: Miss Oklahoma won the Miss America Pageant again. Two years in a row. Lauren Nelson of Lawton received the crown from Jennifer Berry of Tulsa. You know, when they moved that historic contest from Atlantic City all the way to Las Vegas, they should have planted it in Oklahoma City instead so the winner wouldn’t have so far to go.
In the Presidential race, more announcements this week. Senator Kerry is out, Senator Biden is in, and Al Franken is available. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas is running, so is Duncan Hunter. (Where’s he from anyway?) For these long shot candidates, the best advice for them is to lay back in the race and wait for everybody running up ahead to stub their toe. With so many campaigning, if a few stumble at the same time the pile up could block the whole track for months.
Candidates are announcing so far ahead of elections, the states are racing to move the elections ahead. Half the states are jockeying for early primary dates. New Hampshire passed a law their primary would be held a week ahead of any other state. Then Iowa passed a law putting theirs two weeks ahead of New Hampshire. Nevada is waiting for the best offer. Don’t be surprised if the election of 2008 is decided in 2007.
One candidate has demanded that President Bush solve all the worst problems before he leaves office. On the surface that sounds like a good idea, but whether it’ll work, I got my doubts. Mr. Roosevelt didn’t ask President Hoover to end the Great Depression, Eisenhower didn’t demand that Truman end the Korean War. And there’s more examples we could all name. Sometimes it’s better to inherit a problem or two, so you don’t have to create so many new ones yourself.
These candidates that are setting up Exploratory committees, they should at the same time appoint an Explanatory committee. Then after Exploring his potential for attracting votes, and seeing none, this backup committee can jump in and Explain why he didn’t listen to his conscience instead of a committee. His conscience knew he wouldn’t get any votes, but was overruled by a committee.
In news out of Michigan, Ford admitted they lost twelve Billion dollars last year. I bet it took Henry Ford fifty years to earn his first 12 billion, and then to lose it one year… In New York, Pfizer responded to popular demand for cheaper drugs and cut 10,000 jobs. They are hoping not to lose as much as Ford. In somewhat better news, McDonald’s announced record earnings, over a Billion dollars. But a consumer group in Washington was outraged at the obscene profits and demanded an end to the tax subsidy for off-shore grilling. (Ok, I’m allowed one of those a year.)
Barbaro, the wonderful Kentucky Derby winner had to be put down today. He fought for his life, but was a bit beyond the limits of veterinary medicine. But you just watch; Barbaro’s battle will help save the life of the next top race horse with a similar injury.
Historic quotes from Will Rogers:
“A man that don’t love a horse, there is something the matter with him. If he has no sympathy for the man that does love horses then there is something worse the matter with him.” WA #88, August 17, 1924
Seventy-five years ago this week, the world was in the midst of a disarmament conference in Geneva, and Will was there to cover it. One American delegate was Dr. Mary Woolley, President of Mount Holyoke College, and Will was impressed by her and wrote, “It’s no joking matter getting the world to disarm. Maybe a woman can do it. It’s a cinch men can’t.” DT #1723, Feb. 1, 1932