The Lion In Winter

After 46 years of service in the United States Senate, Senator Edward Moore Kennedy has passed away at the age of 77. Affectionately known by members of his party as the “Liberal Lion of the Senate,” Kennedy shouldered the burdens and expectations of a storied and tragic political family and provided the voice for the Democratic Party across ten presidents and nearly five decades before finally succumbing to brain cancer late last night at his home in Massachusetts. While Kennedy was privileged to lead a rich and full life, it is tremendously sad that he should die at this moment in history. Ted Kennedy often referred to comprehensive healthcare reform as his “life’s work.” It seems depressingly ironic that now, as this nation is closer to completely transforming its healthcare system than ever before, Ted Kennedy will not be here to witness the fruits of his half-century labor. The Democratic Party, the United States Senate, and this nation, will miss him.

No healthcare musings this week, except for this comment on the debate - or the shouting matches passing for debate the past few weeks. The very fact that people can show up at town hall meetings carrying posters of the President with a Hitler mustache, screaming about Nazi policies and suggesting the tree of liberty be watered with the blood of patriots and tyrants, speaks volumes about how peaceful, serene, insular and utterly disconnected from the strife of history and the troubles of the rest of the world this country is. As some of my readers may know, two weeks ago I became U.S. citizen. Prior to the ceremony I waited in a room with 50 other people from 24 other countries, waiting to be sworn in. Some of those people came from countries where children starve to death because the government steals the food aid meant for families. Some came from countries were their next door neighbors murdered the neighbors two houses down with machetes because the government told them the tribe those neighbors came from was inferior and tainted the purity of the country. Some of those people came from countries where the government rounded up citizens of a rival ethnic group into detention centers and systematically “cleansed” them from existence. Many people in that room left countries headed by REAL tyrants, to re-build their lives in America. If the worst example of a tyrant in America is a President who feels that every citizen should have the right to quality, affordable healthcare, and that we should be willing to pay a little more to accomplish that, we’ll take it.

Blazing Saddles is showing on Country Music Television tonight. I find that somewhat bizarre.

In a somewhat disturbing preview of his memoirs to be released later this year, former (praise the Lord!) vice president Cheney indicated that in his second term, former President Bush “went soft” on him, rejecting his advice and bowing to political pressure from both law-makers and the electorate. Wow. You mean it could have been worse?

After several weeks of denying he would, the Los Angeles County coroner declared Michael Jackson’s death a homicide. Toxicology results indicate found lethal levels of the anesthetic Proposol in his system, which interacted with two other sedatives to cause his death. Jackson’s personal physician admitted he had sedated Jackson - at the singer’s request - in an attempt to allow Jackson to get some much needed yet elusive sleep. Obviously, this is not the sleep Michael Jackson was looking for.

John Schnatter, the Papa John of the Papa John’s Pizza franchise was finally reunited with the 1971 Chevy Camaro he was forced to sell in 1983 to keep his father’s tavern afloat and found his pizza empire. It only cost him $250,000. About 6200% more than the now previous owner paid for it in 2004, 1,240% per year. Not a bad return on investment.

Finally, incase you didn’t know, Sunday was National Go Topless Day. Men and women across the country were urged to go topless to show support for a woman’s right to bare her breasts in public. Now, I know what you’re thinking. This sounds like a fantastic idea. And it is. But there’s a catch. There’s always a catch. See, we tried this in Toronto several years ago, and we discovered something very important. Far more often than not, it’s the people who shouldn’t go topless in public, that go topless in public. Be careful what you wish for. You might not want it when you get it.