Michele Bachmann: Exit, Stage Right

English: Official photo of Congresswoman (R-MN) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On a slick, overproduced video released on You Tube in the middle of the night, Representative Michele Bachmann announced she was not running for a fifth term in Minnesota's Sixth District come 2014.

Bachmann has a year and a half to go in her current term, and will have served eight years by the time she's done.  In that time, she has made herself a household name among conservatives, Tea Party activists and the religious right.  She also became an embarrassment to Minnesotans and the Republican Party, a lightning rod for progressives and fodder for late night TV comedians.

Space does not permit listing all the wacky statements and misinformation that came out of Bachmann's mouth over the years, whether she believed them or not.  Suffice it to say there were so many of them, the fact checkers just gave up trying to correct them.

The Congresswoman's accomplishments in getting things done in her home district is not well known, unless you count all the time spent railing against Obamacare.  But Bachmann did put in a public appearance shortly before the video was released.  She was part of a public ceremony launching the construction of a new bridge over the St. Croix River bordering Minnesota and Wisconsin, which she helped take credit for.

Bachmann didn't say why she wasn't running for re-election in the video.  Then again, she didn't have to.  There's an ethics investigation into her 2012 presidential run that's attracted the FBI's interest.  She nearly lost a close election last fall to Democrat Jim Graves, which resulted in her dialing things back a notch.  She also maybe realizes that the public is sick of her and her antics.

All this is very bad news for Graves, who wanted a second shot at Bachmann because he believed she can be defeated.  Instead, he'll be running against some lesser-known Republican who will likely win because the Sixth District is a conservative stronghold.

As much as people wish Michele Bachmann would just go away, don't think for a moment we've heard the last of her.  She just might want to challenge Democrats Mark Dayton for Minnesota's Governor, or Al Frnaken for the U.S. Senate in 2014.  Or she might make another run at the White House in 2016.  Or she might be drawing fat checks as a Fox News commentator.  Or she could get out of politics altogether and bang the drums for the Lord.  Michele Bachmann's next chapter begins now.

UPDATE:  Graves has decided to take himself out of the running, which all but guarantees the seat will remain in Republican hands.  Truth be told, Graves more or less admitted that the only reason he got into the race in the first place was to get rid of Bachmann.  Well, he doesn't have that any more, so what's the point?

The 2013 Minnesota Legislature: What Passed and What Didn't This Session

Minnesota State Capitol building in Saint Paul, designed by Cass Gilbert (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another year, another session has passed in the Minnesota Legislature.

Besides making gay marriage legal, what else have they done?  With a Democratic majority in both houses and in the Governor's mansion, you would think that most of their agenda was passed, and you'd be right.

The biggest thing to pass was a $2.1 billion bill that would raise taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans and on smokers.  It accomplishes three things:  (1) The tax increase fulfills one of Governor Mark Dayton's campaign promises, even if it ends up biting the hands that fed him.  (2) It helps balance the state's budget, which had been running a $627 million deficit.  (3) It finds a way to plug a hole in financing the Minnesota Vikings' new glass football palace in Minneapolis when electronic pulltabs could not.

Republicans, naturally, see this and other new laws as an incentive for the wealthy and other businesses to flee the state.  Also, will new taxes on cigarettes backfire because smokers now have a real incentive to quit--they can't afford them any more?

Here's what else the Legislature said yes to:

• Funding for improvements on the State Capitol, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and the Mall of America.
• Unions for child and personal care workers.
• Raises for nursing home workers.
• All-day kindergarten
• A state-run health exchange, in compliance with Obamacare.

Here's what they said no to:

• Anti-bullying legislation.
• Sales taxes on clothing, liquor and gasoline.
• Minimum wage increases.
• Raising lawmakers' pay.

It's too soon to know how Minnesotans are going to be affected by all the changes in one way or another.  But we do know this:  No special session this year.

Then again, there's always 2014.

Blame It On Obama

English: Cropped version of File:Official portrait of Barack Obama.jpg. The image was cropped at a 3:4 portrait ratio, it was slightly sharpened and the contrast and colors were auto-adjusted in photoshop. This crop, in contrast to the original image, centers the image on Obama's face and also removes the flag that takes away the focus from the portrait subject. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ever since Barack Obama was elected President in 2008, conservatives have loathed his every move as much as liberals did when George W. Bush was in the White House.  It's become almost their default position when things go wrong in their lives.

Lost your job?  Blame it on Obama.  Your wife or girlfriend has left you?  Blame it on Obama.  Got a speeding ticket?  Blame Obama.  Hit your thumb with a hammer, your favorite TV show gets canceled, computer crashes, car won't start, losing your hair, gained a few pounds, burned your dinner, kids got tattoos, neighbor's dog unloads on your yard, etc?  Blame it on Obama.

Now, in all seriousness, some issues have come up that might not look good on Obama's record by the time he leaves office.  In fact, no matter what side of the aisle you fall on, you might say they make the President look downright Nixonian.

• Benghazi  The attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya killed four Americans, which the administration later determined was the work of terrorists.  Republicans aren't convinced, accusing the President and his aides of covering up certain details of the attack to make himself and the future presidential chances of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton look good.  The White House's response?  It's either the President quoting Gertrude Stein ("There's no there there"), or spokesman Jay Carney claiming the event happened a long time ago.  Uh, that was on September 11, 2012.  Eight months ago.
• IRS Targets Tea Party  The agency that has the power to fine and audit you if you don't pay your taxes is also the same one that, allegedly, scrutinized mostly conservative political organizations for tax-exempt status a little too closely.  For that, the President fired the acting IRS commissioner, and claims to be just as angry about it as everyone else.  Angry that they got caught, maybe?
• Feds vs. AP  It seems the Obama administration doesn't trust the news media, unless they can be used for its own purposes.  The Justice Department seized phone records of reporters and editors of the Associated Press for some kind of criminal investigation, which they have yet to elaborate on.  The AP sees it as payback for a series of reports they did on a foiled terror plot last year, and have complained to Attorney General Eric Holder about it.  This leads to all kinds of conflicts between national security and the First Amendment, but is there a way this could have been handled better?

President Obama won a second term with a slight mandate last November.  But we know what happens to Presidents who thought they could do anything they wanted, just because they won by a considerable margin over the other guy.  It's happened to Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.  Once you lose the public's trust, it's very difficult to get it back.  Because there really are some things you can blame Obama for.

You May Soon Kiss The Groom

Same Sex Marriage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By the power vested in the legislature's vote and Governor Mark Dayton's signature, Minnesota will become the 12th state to pronounce same sex couples husband and wife beginning in August.

Months after an anti-gay marriage amendment proposed by state Republicans was defeated and Democrats took both houses of the Legislature, everyone knew Minnesota would eventually give gays and lesbians their day at the altar.  Nobody thought it would happen this quickly.

While the mere thought of two men or two women being romantically involved, let alone getting hitched, still made some folks queasy, society has progressed to the point where gays and lesbians have become accepted as normal human beings.  Thanks to the entertainment industry's relentless promotion of gay causes, it no longer is a big deal to come out of the proverbial closet.

Still, this could not have been an easy decision for those legislators who represent politically conservative districts, most of whom were against same sex marriage as a matter of religious principle.  Whatever they personally thought about the issue, they bended to the will of their constituents.  If they didn't, someone else would have their jobs after the next election.  Which is how politics is supposed to work, right?

Then there's Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who has reportedly threatened to leave Minnesota if gay marriage ever passed.  Whether the report is true or not, there presumably is no shortage of folks who are more than willing to help Bachmann pack.

Soon Minnesota will enter a new era.  As surrounding states have put bans on same sex marriage in their constitutions, this is going to be the go-to place for gays and lesbians to tie the knot.  However, this could also turn into a galvanizing issue for conservatives--much like the abortion debate--who want to repeal the law if they ever get their act together.

When late summer comes, gays and lesbians will join heterosexual couples in living happily ever after 'til death do them part in the eyes of Minnesota law--at least until the U.S. Supreme Court has its say.

George Jones (1931-2013): Who's Gonna Fill His Shoes?

English: George Jones performing at Harrah's Metropolis in Metropolis, Illinois in June 2002 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

George Jones, to hear some people tell it, lived his life like a country song.  He had problems with drugs and alcohol, married four times, got into trouble with the law and had health problems.  Through it all, he became one of the great--some say the greatest--country music stars of the 20th century.

The song has ended with Jones' death at age 81 Friday in Nashville.  But the legend lives on.

Through more than 50 years, 60 studio albums and 14 Number One country singles, Jones was pure country.  He didn't dabble much in pop or rock like some of his contemporaries, but he had his admirers in other musical genres.  The songs he sang alternated between pleasure and pain:  "She Thinks I Still Care", "White Lightning", "The Race Is On", and plenty more.

Then there was "He Stopped Loving Her Today", a ballad about a man who died bearing a torch for the woman he loved.  It became a classic that some considered considered the greatest country song of all time, even though Jones initially considered it a throwaway when he recorded it.  "He Stopped Loving Her Today" was named the Country Music Association's song of the year for two consecutive years, in 1980 and '81.

But there was this other side of Jones' life that put people off.  His success in country music and the lifestyle it afforded him sometimes got him into trouble.  He was married and divorced a few times, which included his sometime singing partner Tammy Wynette.  He's had accidents, brawls, substance abuse problems and other things that he somehow survived (not for nothing did he title his autobiography "I Lived To Tell It All").  He also had a habit of showing up late or not at all to his concerts.  Thus the nickname "No-Show Jones".

George Jones had an interesting life and career, and his influence is apparent on today's country stars--even if the likes of Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum dominate the radio, music downloads and concerts.

But once you heard the voice and music of George Jones, it's no wonder why country music fans will never stop loving him.  So who's gonna fill his shoes?

In Boston, the End of the Beginning

Boston Skyline (Photo credit: brentdanley)

We have a few questions about what happened in and around Boston this past week.  No answers, just questions.

• Out of the millions of photographs and surveillance videos the FBI says they used to get pictures of the Boston Marathon crime scene, they were able to narrow it down to two suspects.  Are they sure they got the right ones?  Or were the alleged suspects fall guys in a larger conspiracy?
• Why would the FBI ask for the nation's help in identifying the suspects when it became clear that they never left the Boston area?
• The alleged suspects were from Chechnya, an area in Russia that's had a history of violence and terrorism, not to mention a thorn in the side of President Vladimir Putin.  What does this revelation do to diplomatic relations between the United States and Russia?  Since nuclear weapons in both countries are still aimed at each other, is a new Cold War coming?
• Was it really necessary to lock down an entire metropolitan area just to find one person?  Are self-appointed arbiters of the law so power-drunk at times like these that they can subjugate the populace to their will?  Are people that willing to give up their freedoms in a moment of crisis?
• Outside of Boston, was it really necessary for the TV networks to go wall-to-wall with manhunt coverage?  What purpose does it serve, scaring the hell out of its viewers?  And what if this had happened in, let's say, Milwaukee?
• Does "if you see something, say something" apply to news reporters who get bad information from otherwise impeccable sources (we'll just have to take their word for it) about arrests that were never made, news conferences that never happened and explosions that turned out to be mere fires?
• An explosion at a fertilizer plant resulted in several dead, and half of a small town in Texas destroyed.  Yet the networks couldn't spare any resources because Boston is just a hop, skip and a jump away from New York, and little old West, Texas is not?
• Could the bombings have anything to do with the U.S. Senate's not having enough votes to enact new gun control legislation?  What will this do to proposed immigration reforms?
• Despite predictions that next year's Boston Marathon will be the biggest ever, won't there actually be fewer runners and spectators because of the inevitable increase in security?
• Finally, aren't you already sick of "Sweet Caroline" and "Boston Strong"?

It Happened on Boylston Street

2011 Boston Marathon finishing line pavillion on Boylston Street. Looking west; runners would be coming from the east. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Within the last 20 years, the days in and around the third week of April have been marked with modern-day American horror stories.  First, there was the U.S. government torching the Branch Davidian compound after a long standoff with David Koresh and his followers in 1993.  Then there was the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building (often seen as payback for the torching).  And then there were the school shootings at Columbine High School (1999) and Virginia Tech (2007).

Now you can add Boston to the list.  On April 15, which was celebrated as Patriot's Day locally (Income Tax Day in the rest of America), two bombs exploded along Boylston Street near the finish line at the annual Boston Marathon.  Three are reported dead, and almost 200 are injured.  There have been no suspects, no motive, nor any claim of responsibility.  No one remembers who actually won the race.

Because of that distinction, it is hard to say whether this was a terrorist attack or not.  The media coverage, when they weren't looping the same video footage from shaky smartphones over and over, have been reckless in calling it terrorism.  Even President Barack Obama has been reluctant to call it a terrorist attack.
The investigation, if we may be forgiven for using a sports analogy, is going to be more of a marathon than a sprint.

There were two bombs that exploded within seconds of each other, neither of which were powerful enough to take down a building.  When you think about it, it's rather easy for somebody to slip explosives inside a building.  All you have to do is to wait for the multitudes of security, marathon organizers and spectators to focus on the finish line, play it cool, do your thing, then go disappear.  Then watch all hell break loose.

Because of what happened in Boston, the National Rifle Association and other gun rights advocates were handed a big gift.  The bombings took the grieving Newtown, Connecticut families, who had joined with President Obama in lobbying Congress for stronger gun regulations on behalf of their dead children, off TV screens and delayed debate in the Senate.  That means the NRA can start working their magic while legitimately claiming that guns don't kill people, bombs do.

Boston will go on.  It has survived the Revolutionary War, violent weather and much worse.  But now Patriot's Day and the marathon will be remembered for something other than a celebration.  Future marathons around the world will now have restricted access to the finish line, and the route runners used may be changed to avoid city streets.

Such is life in the 21st century.  You can run, but you can't hide from terrorism.