Wednesday Wrapup

Scott at “Stop The Drug War” brings us The Saga Of The “Dubai Doobie,” and reports on his attempts to get Orrin (“Don’t Infringe On The Copyright Of My Christian Songs I Wrote While Working For Congress Or I’ll Blow Up Your Computer”) Hatch to intervene on behalf of another American imprisoned in Dubai for possessing a pitifully small amount of marijuana (I mean, Orrin stepped up last time for a music producer carrying a small bag of that white powdery stuff…you’d think he’d be a regular guy and do that for a fellow American who got caught with some “Mary Jane” in such a laughably small amount that he could barely inhale it). Maybe if we bug Orrin enough on this one, it will help (after all, he came around on stem cell research also, though I know that’s an “apples and oranges” comparison).

I just want to say this about this story…let’s just take a deep breath and think here, people; don’t get carried away, OK?

Update: Our condolences go out to Cory Lidle's family and friends.

So Lou Dobbs is telling everyone to change their party affiliations from Republican and Democratic to Independent, and that protest gesture will somehow make entrenched, career politicians on either side start turning lobbyists away who are offering perks and actually start doing the people’s business?

I have three reactions: the first is that, given the fact that the vast majority of the people of this country won’t even support serious campaign finance reform (that is, elections funded ONLY by public money – and yes, I’d pay for that if it meant leveling the playing field all around and reducing the campaign cycle to 30 days), I don’t know what makes Dobbs think people will actually follow his advice.

The second reaction is that a protest gesture isn’t enough. If Dobbs is really serious, then he should stop merely pontificating and start organizing like-minded individuals so he and his group can go about the hard business of organizing a third political party for real. He would find a very receptive audience, and I’m quite sure he would find excellent candidates also (as you can safely assume, I am definitely a kindred spirit with people left of center, though I could be inclined towards such a group if it had a fair progressive composition to it).

The third reaction I have is appreciation and thanks to Dobbs for voicing discontent with the insufferable status quo, however imperfect his thoughts are on how to try and change things.

Update 11/14/07: Leave it Dobbs to try and take the self-glorifying way out here, quite probably screwing it up for the Democratic nominee.