Bush and Pelosi

Why is Pres. Bush so upset with Nancy Pelosi and her trip to the Middle East?  As far back as I can remember, members of Congress have traveled around the globe, meeting with various leaders.  Makes you wonder if the fact that Pelosi is a woman has anything to do with it. 

Bush needs to communicate a more potent message if he wants to get non-partisan Americans on his side in this fight.  It’s not compelling for him to say, basically, ”because I’m the Commander in Chief, that’s why.”  He’s not talking to an errant child, after all.  And a lot of middle Americans are welcoming Congress’ oversight because things haven’t been going too well in the Middle East lately. 

Better still, maybe Pres. Bush should take a cue from the Great Communicator himself.  Ronald Reagan, a passionate partisan himself, knew how to reach across the aisle.  That’s why he involved then- House Speaker Tip O’Neil in the peace talks in Ireland. 

Heeb Magazine

A friend at last night’s Seder told me about a fairly new magazine that is clever and hip and Jewish.  Check it out and make sure you take a look at the Tshirts for sale.  http://www.heebmagazine.com/

Anna Nicole’s Baby Daddy

I was channel surfing so much over the weekend that I can’t remember which network or which anchor it was, but I actually heard an anchor say that this week, a Bahamian court could make a ruling regarding “Anna Nicole Smith’s baby daddy”.   No, that’s not a typo.  Baby Daddy.  When did that become acceptable English? 

Maybe I can’t remember because I was so shocked to hear such ungrammatical slang on a national newscast. 

A friend of mine, a correspondent for an international TV news operation, said it reminded him of when, years ago, an anchor with an impeccable journalism resume used the term “24/7″ on a newscast. 

I said, yeah, but that’s different.  “24/7″ came from the business world, I said, while “baby daddy” seems just so crass.  A reflection of our ever-increasing culture of crass?   Or does it reflect a new reality:  Young women are increasingly not marrying their babies’ fathers.  So he’s not a husband, but there is a relationship to denote.   ?????

There was a camel at my Seder

No kidding.  There really was a camel at my Seder.  My hosts really know a thing or two about communication.  They’re communicating to all the children at the table that religious observance is special and fun.  They’ll never forget the camel! 

Katie Couric Slammed by Hardball

Funny that Katie is getting grief for asking John and Elizabeth Edwards some searching questions.  The rap is that she was “too tough” according to the ladies on The View.  But Katie and 60 Minutes was selected by the Edwards camp specifically because they wanted a tough interview — they rightly assumed it would gain more credibility.  And look — Edwards has had an influx of campaign donations thanks to the publicity about how he and Elizabeth were committed to each other and the campaign.