Specter is an Ass. No, Really.

Yesterday's announcement that Arlen Specter was switching to the Democratic Party after serving close to thirty years as a Republican Senator was a real shocker. I mean, I never saw that coming. But the real kicker was the RNC's response to the switch. When asked if Specter gave them a heads up, Michael Steele emphatically said, "No, not at all." and followed up with "At least give me a call, or give the party leadership a call and let us know, 'This is what I'm thinking.'"

Well as if Michael Steele didn't have enough to worry about with the Coleman-Franken legal dogfight, and the upstate New York House seat upset, now he's dealing with defections to the other party. Specter's party switch is only the 13th ever in history.

While Republicans are obviously and rightly miffed, I'm shocked that Democrats are rejoicing over Specter's switch to the Democratic Party. They seem to think that with Specter and potentially Franken added to our side that we'll have the magic number 60. I've got news for you, buddy: Specter is stil Specter. Having Specter on board is like carrying a mule on your back. Sure, you HAVE the mule, but it isn't doing you any good on your back. Likewise, the mere fact that there are 60 professed Democrats in the Senate doesn't mean a damn thing if the 60th Senator is going to disagree with the party on big things like health care reform, dialing down the troop numbers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and environmental issues.

The Republican Party is in severe crisis mode. At risk of becoming as relevant and enduring as the Whigs, they are latching onto anything buzzworthy or trendy in the hopes that it will make them less anachronistic. When Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's historic candidacies were making headlines and grabbing attention worldwide, John McCain was merely another "old white guy" running for President, yet again. When Obama and Clinton were actively courting the young vote and the women's vote, McCain's campaign was yet again, lagging behind in generating the appropriate buzz for the candidate. Only after they realized that "Gee, this women's issues business translates into actual votes!" did they quickly bring Sarah Palin on board in the hopes of stealing away any votes that Obama had alienated with his second in command pick, Joe Biden.

Then with the ground breaking Obama candidacy, making him the first ever African American to head a major ticket, and then his subsequent historic win, Republicans again, had to play catch up and seem somewhat relevant to a new generation of Americans. Steele's election as RNC chairman was an effective "Me too!" from the Republicans. After all, the Republican Party until that point had no African Americans in any significant leadership positions, and with the Democrats holding the highest office in the U.S. under the leadership of an African American man, well, it wouldn't be wise to buck the trend, now, would it? And therein lies the problem with the Republicans. They see these things as trends that will at some point, drop off the radar, and the political landscape will eventually return to a more familiar WASP-y backdrop for them to continue their exclusive party agenda.

Specter's defection to the Democratic Party is another "Me too!" It's cool to be a Democrat now, so why not join in on the foray? At least it will guarantee him another Senate term come 2010. Make no mistake about it, Specter did not claim to be newly embracing Democratic ideology. He said point blank in his statement to the press, that he "found that the prospects for winning a Republican primary are bleak."
Not willing to be another has been like Tom Delay, or Trent Lott, Specter "decided to be a candidate for reelction in 2010 in the Democratic primary."



It's just sad that the Republicans have moved so far right, as to alienate moderate, long time Republicans. As Specter said in his address, "As the Republican Party has moved farther and farther to the right, I have found myself increasingly at odds with the philosophy of the Republican Party." Maine Senator Olympia Snowe said that Specter's switch was devastating to the party. Yet fools like Limbaugh and Steele are saying "good riddance" and to "take McCain with you."

At a time when the Republican Party needs to be more and more inclusive to make themselves more relevant to a new generation of politically aware Americans, Limbaugh and Steele are further alienating their own peers and shutting out all constructive criticism from within their own party. Case in point, Miss Meghan McCain. Now I don't agree with her ideologically, but at least she is trying to resuscitate the party with what clout she has. Props to her.

With Specter now a "Dem" (really, I can't do it. I can't call him a Democrat) and Democrats finding themselves one step closer to an artificially inflated magic 60, I hope that history will be kind to the Obama administration. With "Dems" like Specter and Lieberman, who needs Republicans?

Kalashnikov: A symbol of Islam??

Reading the statement by the Taliban commander in Buner, Mowlana Mohammed Khalil, I was filled with a red hot rage I could barely contain.

"We came here only to preach Islam," Khalil said. He added that his fighters were carrying weapons only because they were an important symbol for Muslims.


OMFG! AKs and grenade launchers are NOT important symbols for Muslims! Muslim symbology dates back to Mohammedan times, and I am quite sure such weaponry never existed in that era. Sword symbology is specific only to Arab cultures, and has been combined with Islamic symbology in Arab nations. Note that I said that swords are specific to Arab CULTURE, not RELIGION. There is a big, black, BOLD line that separates the two. Not all Muslims are Arabs, therefore, not all Muslims find a sword to be of any significance at all.

It really pisses me off that people can be so damn ignorant and spit BS, and other ignorant people just accept that BS at face value.

Islamabad: The Next Hotbed of Terrorist Activity?

What could only be described as a "nightmare scenario" for the U.S. and the rest of the world could very well be unfolding in Pakistan at this very moment. Earlier this month Taliban forces took over a region in Swat Valley in Pakistan. Swat Valley is a poor, rural region not too far from the ultra-modern capital city of Islamabad. With concessions and "peace treaties" from the Pakistani government, specifically Asif Ali Zardari, the Taliban saw the government's inability (or refusal) to take a strong stance against their advances as an invitation to plunge further into the heart of the country. CNN reported that Taliban forces have recently taken over the Buner region, which brings them one step closer to implementing their perverted version of Shariah (Islamic Law) in Islamabad and the rest of Pakistan.

I put the blame of this squarely on Mr. Zardari, who isn't even a real President, since he fraudulently took over the post following the elections. The Taliban situation would be unthinkable under Musharraf. During the time that Musharraf was in power, the Taliban was relegated to the far reaches of the Northern Frontier and the mountainous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Taliban training camps and meetings were held in secret, and their militia hid in caves that dotted the border. Members of the Taliban were afraid to even be identified in public, or in the media. The situation in Buder is such that "heavily armed men openly patrolled the roads in pickup trucks" and the Taliban is out in full force, in defiance of the Pakistani government.

Though I am not a proponent of U.S. involvement in foreign nations when the intervention is unwarranted and unwanted, it would be in our best interest to get involved as soon as possible, to prevent another possible Afghanistan situation to occur again. Pakistan and pre-Taliban Afghanistan have many similiarities: both have similar topographies, including a shared mountainous border, large swaths of poor, rural communities desperate for resources, pockets of educated but largely apathetic communities with access to all the country's resources, and a government unresponsive to the needs of the poor. All these factors provided the Taliban with a fertile recruiting ground in Afghanistan's rural regions. The only diference between Pakistan and Afghanistan is that Pakistan has a significant arsenal of nuclear weapons and the technology to produce more.

The U.S. and Pakistan should work together on ways to target and weed out Taliban influence and operations. Zardari needs to be held accountable and meet benchmarks for success. Should he fail to do so, the U.S. should withhold aid to Pakistan and Zardari should step down and allow a more competent leader to take on the post. Involvement in Pakistan is a necessity at this point. The extent of our involvement should be dictated by the Pakistani goverment's willingness to take responsibility and action for the problem on their own. If Zardari fails to take strong stance against Taliban clerics and military action against Taliban forces, the U.S. should intervene to take action against the Taliban on Pakistani soil.

But a more necessary action would be to cut of Taliban funding at the source. The Bush Administration made much adieu about prosecuting anyone in the U.S. who funds terrorist activities. Yet these funds coming from the U.S. are a paltry sum compared to the millions and millions and perhaps, billions of dollars that go to fund the Taliban from Saudi Arabia and other neighboring countries. The Saudi government is quick to provide funds for Islamic centers and activities that propagate Wahabbism, which is the root of Taliban ideology, whether in the U.S. or abroad. When we signal to Saudi Arabia that this is no longer appropriate and that we will end diplomatic relations until it stops, then and only then will we see the Taliban shrink back into the caves that they were previously hiding in. Until then, the Taliban will continue to be richly funded by Saudi oil money, (provided generously by oil consuming nations, such as the U.S.) and they wil continue to threaten our security and the security of the rest of the world.

Hot Summer Days

The first day of spring was barely a month ago, and yet this past weekend, we have been experiencing a full on summer heat wave in the Bay Area. With afternoon temperatures in the mid to high 80's, I had to think of ways to keep Armaan cool yet entertained all week and weekend.

We took a trip to the park, but with limited mobility, Armaan just sat contentedly in the baby swing for less than 30 minutes. After that, we hit the mall, which was a zoo! Too many teenagers and teenyboppers yakking away on cell phones. It hits me that actual parenting is no longer en vogue with parents of the 13 and up age group, as retailers and Starbucks employees have more interaction with the kids than their own parents. I wonder why there are so many kids at the mall without their parents? My mother made certain to accompany me wherever I went, not just to keep tabs on me, but to *gasp* spend time with her teenage daughter. Alas, I digress.

Then on Wednesday we went to Borders and sat upstairs in the kids section. While large and expansive, there wasn't much for kid patrons to DO at the Borders. I was disappointed further, when I didn't see any information for activities posted. A salesclerk was terribly unhelpful, and I was forced to find other options for Armaan to enjoy. Fortunately, a metal shelf with toys and a few books on the floor were enough to keep him occupied for a while, but then again, an 8 month old is quite easy to please. Just give him some paper and let him destroy it. I will have to figure out some other avenues for play and distraction when he gets a little older.

I am also surprised that despite moving into the burbs, there are few parents willing to interact. Is it because they have playgroups/cliques already formed and exclusive to their own bunch? I'm disappointed. Not just for my son, but for myself. I was really hoping to find some other moms to socialize with.

I am now off to get ready for another day of aimlessly wandering around a mall, or maybe back to the Borders so I can find something for this little guy to do. Any suggestions?