Rubio Part of CPAC Boycott

Not that it has anything to do with a gay group being there. But Marco Rubio is sitting out the right-wing convention that made him a star.

Roll Call is reporting that Rubio will skip CPAC this year. Which is funny, since the American Conservative Union still has the senator's picture on its banner ads. In case it "disappears," here it is.

Readers of this blog probably notice Allen West also appears on the banner ad, and for now, it appears he is still set to speak at the event.

This whole CPAC boycott is just amusing to watch for liberals. The notion the tea party, apparently unsatiated by simply devouring the Republican, is apparently eating itself now just serves up a side of irony for spectators to enjoy.

But let's see how a little bit of perceived homophobia treats a Senator who hails from South Florida. I suspect America is moving much faster to the left on gay rights issues than many of these wingers realize, and Rubio is following the tea-partiers toward certain doom.

I thin more savvy politicians realize this. Sarah Palin, who seemed to Twitter-flirt with supporting a Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal earlier this month, will attend CPAC this year, despite NOT appearing on that banner ad above. Update: Palin has now declined a keynote speaker spot, but SarahPAC will still be at the event.

The GOP, which is supposed to be the party of personal freedom, really needs to find its footing on gay issues. But if this CPAC brouhaha is any sign, the party as a whole seems to be moving closer to the party-of-hate brand than it is away from it.

Challenger: The Remembered Moment

The loss of the Challenger was somehow one of those moments everyone who lived through it seems to remember the same as 9-11 or, from what I have heard, the deaths of JFK and FDR. We all know exactly where we were when we learned the disaster had happened. Growing up in Florida, I was among those who had a front-row seat to the national tragedy.

My mother recalls watching the shuttle break apart on her way to lunch, not knowing what was going on until one of her students saw the splitting streaks of smoke and said 'Something is wrong.' I have a friend who recounted online today sitting with his first-grade class 30 miles from the launchpad and watching the shuttle go up, then turn into a fireball and crash back down.

I didn't watch it happen. My second-grade class at Beverly Shores Elementary had watched other launches, but this one occurred while we were at lunch. But we were all interested in the flight. My teacher had met Christa McAuliffe and we were planning to watch the video lessons the teacher would beam down to Earth. It was something we were all looking forward to, and living just an hour from Kennedy Space Center, the whole affair was something with which we were all connected in a more real way than, say, kids in Wisconsin.

When we came back from lunch, the teacher was crying. She sat us all down and explained to us what had happened. Things were quiet at first, then we started asking questions. How did this happen? Nobody knew yet. We had to wait. What about the astronauts? How were they? Somehow, we all presumed the astronauts could just hit the eject button and escape. She explained to us there was no way any of them could survive, and that they had all died.

I doubt many in the rest of the country realize the degree to which this tragedy was felt by the state of Florida. Like all students at the time, we had read our Weekly Readers and were anxiously awaiting the launch of a teacher into space. But when disaster struck, we saw the lingering streaks of smoke in the sky that seemed to last all day. The local news replayed the tape again and again, even when the national news had tired of it.

We also waited for the successful launch that would put this tragedy out of our minds, but which would not come for a long and painful two years. Instead of another shuttle launch, we just got to hear reports about O-rings. I was just a kid, so I certainly didn't understand the devastation the shuttle loss caused to the local economy, but the loss of life and a presumably safe orbiter was on the top of most minds for a long time.

This anniversary snuck up on me, which is a little odd since I was just at Kennedy last weekend. I took my son there for the first time on a Cub Scouts campout where we slept under the Saturn V. My son was really struck by the stories of astronauts who had lost their life in the pursuit of space exploration. Tales of Apollo I, of Columbia and, of course, the Challenger were among the space stories that seemed to resonate the most with the 10-year-old child.

I've been hard on NASA sometimes since I launched this blog. The program can be defensive, acting like it should be exempt from the fiscal constraints of government. And I maintain our best chance at accomplishing truly successful space travel is by encouraging private sector involvement in spaceflight.

But there is no question mankind would not have accomplished what it has in outer space if not for the drive of the people at NASA. The fact astronauts are willing to put their lives on the line, even after the disasters which have destroyed 40 percent of our orbiters, is a huge part of that. We owe everybody who has ever ridden these high-powered dynamite sticks into orbit a huge debt of gratitude.

I think that is why losing Challenger is such a memorable experience for every American who lived through it. We all could feel, as those smokescreens besmirched out skies, that a sacrifice had just been made, but that our eyes still needed to focus on the stars. It was a soul-searching moment when, as an entire human race, we had to weigh the price of life against our wish to reach beyond the limits of our atmosphere.

The astronauts on that orbiter would never want the dream abandoned. I hope that never happens.

Having Their Cake...

How incredibly stupid is this? From The Buzz:

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Agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam's daughter, Abigail, caused a stir when fertilizer giant Mosaic paid $10,000 this week for a chocolate hazelnut cake she entered into a Youth Fair Auction in Polk County. Fair officials said it was an unprecedented sum for an auction cake.

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First off, it does not appear that Adam Putnam did anything wrong. In fact, it appears he is handling the situation pretty well. My problem here is the clear and foolish behavior on behalf of folks at Mosaic. The article says Mosaic has launched an investigation, and that the woman who made this bid didn't talk to her bosses first.

I would like to know, then, where she came up with $10,000 to purchase a fair cake. That has to be question No. 1.

After that, we can see what branch of the company she works for, who may have been involved in this little stunt and whether she is connected to any specific dealings in which Mosaic will very shortly be dealing with the Agriculture department.

This is the type of blatant, unabashed bribery that has given government as a whole a bad name. And for a company already reviled by environmentalists for its wetlands-discounting ways, this is a move sure to do far more damage than good on the publicity front.

West: Muslim Represents Antithesis of US Principles

Well, this will make the next Congressional Black Caucus meeting more fun.

Rep. Allen 'Wild Wild' West told the Shalom Show that Keith Ellison, the first Muslim ever elected to Congress, 'really does represent the antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established.'

This is offensive beyond words, but at this point is no surprise. West, who is insane on most issues, has utterly bigoted views about any member of the Islam faith. The man has derided "Coexist" bumper stickers, called Islam a "fifth column" infiltrating our universities and believes Arabs have been damned by God for being descendants of Ishmael.

All this from a man who cries racism whenever he is politically criticized but who has declared that institutional racism is dead.

But the real irony to me is that Ellison, most famous for his religion, is deeply involved in efforts to improve civility in politics. He is a long-opponent of negative advertising, which he says does more to diminish voter participation than improve a candidate's chances of winning, and he has a history of sincere bipartisanship.

So if fighting low voter turnout and working with leaders of all political ilk are the antithesis of America's founding principles, then I guess West has a point.

Dear Tea Party. It Was Fun, But...

Dear Tea Party,

I don't know how to say this, but I don't think I can continue our relationship at this point in my life. I wanted to tell you in person, but didn't have the courage to attend your caucus, so I have to say goodbye here.

It isn't you. Heck, you supported me when no one else thought I would amount to anything. Back when Senate Republicans were ignoring me, you held me up, and kept alive a campaign which by all convention accounts had no right to exist. Even when everybody seemed to like Charlie Crist more than me, you saw something special in me. Someone who wouldn't "listen to all sides," but would run on the right and against any and everything the Obama White House ever proposed.

And boy did we run. We had some great times: driving Crist from the party, comparing Obama's policies to Communist Cuba, and of course, winning the election.

But right now, I need a little 'Me' time. I just got to Washington, and it turns out you guys aren't nearly as popular in the beltway as you were on the campaign trail. In fact, people here think you are a little weird and scary. I need to make new friends now, and frankly, having you guys hanging around all the time is kind of bringing me down.

Let's not pretend things have been perfect. You really put me on the spot about that whole Arizona law. My folks still think that was really uncool, by the way. It has been obvious since November that this wasn't going to work out. I can't govern as an extremist. I'm a Senator now, and that means I have to work with people on both sides of the aisle. And I run statewide in a purple state. The whole tea party mantel may have worked in a wave year, but I have a future to think about. Does anyone really think people will care about a tea party caucus in 2016?

So like Fergie would say, I've got to get a move on with my life. I've got to be a big Senator now, and big Senators don't cry. But I hope we can still be friends, especially if someone asks me to run for vice president in two years. I don't want things to be too strange when we run into each other at political party events. And even though I know I am hurting you now, and have only been in office less than a month, I hope this doesn't discourage you from sending me checks.

With love and respect (but from a safe political distance), I tell you goodbye.

Sen. Marco Rubio,
The Distinguished Gentleman from Florida

The Changing Nature of Media

Keith Olbermann has apparently been fired. (I am linking to CNN not out of scorn, but because MSNBC has bizarrely put an unrelated Rachel Maddow clip behind its link to Olbermann's goodbye, though that may get fixed

Just in case anyone was going to ask, I think this was stupid, but am not as angry as the entire rest of the liberal blogosphere about it.

Keith had the highest rated show on the network, as did Phil Donohue, and that makes this something the network will regret for some time. Probably forever. That raises the question, 'Why?'

My guess is that the execs are continuing to misunderstand the changing nature of political news in this country. It was just a few months ago that Olbermann was suspended for donating money to Democratic candidates. That move actually prompted many right-wing commentators to jump to Olbermann's defense. The reason was two-fold: first, because all commentators realize they live on the fundamental principles of free speech, and second, because most of them were donating the Republicans and the action gave them the heebie-jeebies.

I didn't blog about it then, but when people asked, I said I thought it was wrong to suspend Olbermann, but noted that five or six years ago, he likely would have been terminated for donating the money. So would Joe Scarborough, who I mention only to justify writing up a media issue on a Florida blog.

The thing is that the press for most of the last 100 centuries has held to the mantra of objectivity as if it were essential to reporting the news. When one takes a big picture glimpse, though, unbiased reporting is a relatively new concept. Since Gutenberg invented the printing press, it has been used to spread ideas, not bare and dispassionate facts. Joseph Pulitzer today is remembered as the champion of objective reporting, but was also a Congressman, activist and political delegate. The founding fathers famously funded newspaper endeavors to disparage one another.

I have always told people that a political reporter without any political opinions is as worthless as a sports writer without a favorite team. Yes, we need to present facts from all sides, but if you believe the best reporting comes from dispassionate observers with no particular feelings about policy, then you probably haven't met any reporters in person. The best government reporting is from journalists who want to see the best possible job done by government. Yes, most of us are liberals, though more are conservative than many believe, but the quality which separates good reporters from lousy ones is whether we care about the subject which we cover.

At this point in my career, I feel fortunate not to be working for a major media corporation which has guidelines on political speech. I have worked for such a corporation before, and even though I never put a sticker on my car or a sign in my yard, the notion of being barred from doing so was stifling. It also was backward, and a policy unfit for the modern world of journalism.

Keith Olbermann understands that. So too does Bill O'Reilly, for what that's worth. They both realized the public at large wants facts reported, but doesn't want someone putting up the illusion that the anchor has no concern one way or the other which side wins the day in Washington. Both have reputations as shrill, and are hated by politicos on the other side of the aisle. And both too get hammered when they make mistakes, a consequence of taking sides and developing such a rabid opposition.

But both are ratings gold. Consider the voices who get heard the most of cable news today. Glenn Beck. Rachel Maddow. Sean Hannity. Anderson Cooper. I think few people doubt how any of these individuals cast their ballots in the voting booth. Yet, their viewership worships them. If you don't trust these people, you don't watch their shows. But plenty of other people do.

When I started my career in journalism 10 years ago, I never told politicians my own political beliefs out of fear they wouldn't trust me. Over time, though, I learned people judge your credibility based on the accuracy of your reporting. It doesn't matter whether you cover politics, sports or Miley Cyrus' every waking move, what matters is whether you get your facts right. When you don't, sources get angry, and usually you get in trouble with your bosses. Sources sometimes get angry if you don't spin stories their direction, but a seasoned reporter can sense when a politician is disingenuously trying to guilt you into promoting their point of view. After years covering politicians, that, it seems, is the greatest problem a government reporter faces day-to-day.

In some ways, our sources saw this change in journalism before the media did. Cable for more than a decade has been dominated by talking heads who get on TV promoting sometimes wild points of view, then finding the exposure was gaining them capital both with audiences and their professional peers.

Perhaps the departure of Olbermann from the airwaves shows MSNBC would still rather be had by operatives than to control their own editorial voice. I suspect it won't take them long to learn their lesson though. Pandering to media concern trolls who demand unbiased reporting and then freely ignore all information which fails to support their worldview is like deer stopping by a local gunshop to ask directions to the best grazing grounds.

I am not angry Olbermann was fired. I know he will land on his feet. But I am a little astounded that MSNBC is still this far behind the learning curve, and wonder how long it will take them to catch up.

Only a Matter of Time with Rivera

I honestly don't know why a man like this chooses a career of public scrutiny.

The illustrious Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, is under investigation almost immediately upon being sworn in. From the Palm Beach Post:

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State authorities said Thursday they are investigating financial dealings by South Florida U.S. Rep. David Rivera, who failed to report loans from his mother's gambling-related marketing company before the election.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Spokesman Keith Kameg said his agency is leading the investigation involving the freshman Republican congressman. Kameg said the department received a complaint from the State Attorney's Office in October related to Rivera and opened an investigation into the then-candidate. He declined to provide details or say when his agency took over the probe.
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I almost think it doesn't matter if this investigation results in charges. The next one will. Whether it is failing to report all of his offshore income properly, letting properties unnecessarily slip into foreclosure, running vehicles full of opposition campaign material off the highway, or simply hitting women.

I remain amazed that Rivera coasted to the House this year, but things like happen in a wave election. As much as I'd like the chance for us to defeat him at the ballot box in two years, I think the authorities will remove him first.