The Naughty!
Former Director of the CIA, General David Petraeus: And no he doesn't make the list for having an extramarital affair with the co-author of his biography, Paula Broadwell. He makes the naughty list for being head of the CIA and choosing a mistress who clearly cannot keep a secret.
Secessionists: Who likes playing with a loser who flips the chessboard over and stomps out of the room? No one. Meet the current Party of Lincoln; Public Policy Polling (PPP) reported that 25 percent of Republicans want to secede. Let it be said here first: 25 percent of Republicans wish the United States were more like Europe.
Senator John McCain: Hopefully when looking back on John McCain's career we will all focus on his 2008 concession speech and ignore the last four years. He makes my naughty list because he spearheaded a nontroversy campaign to preemptively take down the highly qualified Ambassador Susan Rice for Secretary of State. "Not being very bright," is how McCain described her. Who would McCain like to have as Secretary of State? John Kerry! Why? It would open up a senate seat the Republicans think they can fill with outgoing Senator Scott Brown. Painfully political. Disturbingly cynical. Country, apparently, is no longer first.
Tramplers: Whether it's Black Friday stampedes or a sign-up for a private school that looked like a Running of the Bulls. Bad helicopter parents! Boooo!
Speaker of the House John Boehner: The Wikipedia entry for "Pyrrhic victory" should be the home for Boehner's official Capital Hill portrait. I've personally worn out a keyboard writing about why the 112th Congress is the worst in the history of the concept of worst. Under Boehner's leadership the House has done nothing but re-name post offices, have approval ratings on par with ringworm and go on TV opining the president isn't trying to get along with them. Now they're, basically, promising (threatening) to do the same for the next two years. If we want to cut government waste — start with Boehner's paycheck.
The Nice!
Hurricane Sandy volunteers/victims: New Yorkers didn't really need to come together. They live together already. But they helped out their neighbors and the fallout from this Super Storm could have been much worse. Natural disasters can bring out the best and the worst. In the states hit directly by Sandy, with few exceptions, it was the best.
Candy Crowley: Fact checking a presidential candidate live in front of 40 million Americans takes two things: courage and being correct. At the second presidential debate, Mitt Romney declared President Obama took 14 days to say the word "terror" in regards to the attack on our embassy in Benghazi on September 11th of this year. There's a transcript and a video from the Rose Garden the next morning proving otherwise. Crowley set the record straight. And to all those who know the facts, I say: "Can you say that a little louder?"
Newark Mayor Cory Booker: The problem with Cory Booker is that as far as public servants go, he's the exception and not the rule. Yes, Booker went into a burning building to save a constituent. Yes, he expedites Newarkers' issues on Twitter. But also this year he went on a food stamp diet of $4 a day for a week. Does your mayor do that? They should!
New York Times Blogger Nate Silver: He makes the nice list for putting the sexy back in statistics! It's not just that Mr. Silver (swoon) got the election right; it's that he's a gracious host navigating us through the deluge of data we're subjected to. He showed us science and math have a place in politics and sometimes that place is in the crosshairs of the conservative media complex.
My readers: Yes, I'm sucking up to all who read my column every week. But specifically the ones who read my 600-word pontifications on a regular basis and let me know (sometimes quite sweetly) they never agree with me. It's you who are on my nice list. You're what is cool about public discourse. And I thank you.
Copyright 2012 TinaDupuy.com, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Tina Dupuy is an award-winning writer and the editor-in-chief of TheContributor.com. Tina can be reached at tinadupuy@yahoo.com.
sockratties posted at 1:41 pm on Sat, Dec 8, 2012.
You might also put New Jersey governor Chris Christie on the nice list for putting his state and duties above politics by acknowledging the assistance provided by FEMA and the administration. He’s been a straight shooter all along and is an exception to the current crop of GOP politicians. Almost an exact opposite of what McCain has become. If he runs for President in 2016 I’ll definitely be giving him a second look.
bubba posted at 6:53 am on Sun, Dec 9, 2012.
sockratties: I agree. Governor Chris Christie exercises the diplomacy that may lead the Repulican party back into relevancy.
Cerulean posted at 8:16 am on Sun, Dec 9, 2012.
Another ‘naughty’ is Governor Brewer. Actually, she is dumbfounded when asked what she believes about global warming. She said, “Everybody has an opinion on it, you know, I, you know, probably [probably?] don’t believe that it’s manmade, I believe that, you know, weather elements are controlled, maybe [maybe?], by different things.” She then scolded the reporter for not asking her an ‘energy’ related question. Sometimes irony is not funny.
I believe our governor was stupefied because ALEC was not at her ear with their talking points.
‘Nice’ is a new coalition of Arizona leaders who want to help Congress with a S.A.N.E. solution to immigration reform. http://therealarizona.org/
Also ‘nice’ is Tina Dupuy. We who read the Tribune are not often exposed to centrist female guest columnist. Thank you Tina Dupuy.
Arizona Willie posted at 10:53 am on Sun, Dec 9, 2012.
Cerulean ... the only immigration reform needed is perhaps to hire more people to process the paperwork of applicants.
We already have immigration laws that worked pretty well and would continue to work just fine if they were only rigidly enforced. Instead we have been allowing employers to actively recruit illegal aliens in order to get cheap labor and undercut American workers and other people who came here legally.
EVERY illegal invader should be deported and required to return via the correct methods by filing their paper work and paying the fees and waiting their turn.
Tens of thousands do it every year. Why should one group of people be exempt from following the law? Why should we tolerate that?
There should be ZERO TOLERANCE for breaking our immigration laws.
Cerulean posted at 2:57 pm on Sun, Dec 9, 2012.
I agree AzWillie except that you are wrong about immigration laws “that worked pretty well”. Our boarder enforcement has always been rather wishy washy and was especially lax fifteen years ago. Now we face the consequence of loose immigration policy.
The ‘A’ in S.A.N.E. stands for account. The goal is to account for everyone without lawful authority and requires those who are here to register for a federally established form of legal status. Here is some of the suggestion:
For all who entered the U.S. or remained without lawful authority as of [proposed date: January 1, 2011], they may apply within a five-year period for temporary legal residency with authorization to work in the U.S.
• During this timeframe, those applying for temporary legal residency will pay a processing fee and undergo a background check and those with felony convictions (other than individual identity violations) will be deported.
• At the end of the initial five-year period, those who have completed all necessary administrative steps and are eligible for permanent legal residency may petition to do so.
You can read the entire platform here: http://therealarizona.org/wp-content/uploads/SANE-Official-Platform-12-5.pdf
VofReason posted at 1:42 pm on Mon, Dec 10, 2012.
This sounds fantastice. I am sure that the illegal aliens with felony convictions or identity violations (read stealing someones SSN) will be the first in line to identify themselves with the Federal Government. Sometimes irony is not funny- someone once said. Maybe they should also add that for the size of family or an individual, that that illegal alien has the ability to support themselves in the United States and will not become a burden on welfare, rent assistance, foodstamps, or healthcare. Or are we just talking theoretically it is a good idea?
VofReason posted at 1:43 pm on Mon, Dec 10, 2012.
We who read the Tribune are not often exposed to centrist female guest columnist. Thank you Tina Dupuy. Centrist? If this lady isn't far left, I am the Easter Bunny.
Bluepoet posted at 7:26 am on Tue, Dec 11, 2012.
I suspect that anyone who doesn't agree with you, VofR, is, in your view, Karl Marx.
By the way, keep your eggs off my lawn, next Easter!
Nice article, Ms Dupuy...I think you're sucking up to Santa, too, though...just a little. Still trying for that pony?
Cerulean posted at 9:02 am on Tue, Dec 11, 2012.
Vof Reason the Easter Bunny? Humm
It occurs to me that if anyone has a felony conviction that person is already identified. If they try to gain citizenship they will be deported – again.
Once the non-criminals come out from the underground economy they become happier, healthier and more wise.
Tina Dupuy is centrist, with a left leaning twist.
VofReason posted at 10:04 am on Tue, Dec 11, 2012.
Yes, people that do agree with me would be ironically Mexico. They have very little trouble with people illegally immigrating there. Want to guess what kind of benefits Mexico gives to the few that get by their border? On the other point, a fish doesn't realize he is in water. That is why left leaning people think that far left columists are centrist. Here is a hint, have you ever heard Mrs Dupay say something positive about the GOP or any, any of their ideas? On the other hand, have you ever heard her with anything bad to say about a Democrate? Ding ding ding.
Bluepoet posted at 11:45 am on Tue, Dec 11, 2012.
Have you ever considered that a Democrat is not, by definition, a socialist? Has it ever occured to you that both Democrats and Republicans could be Centrist?
Emphasis on "could be"...therein is the possibility that ideas could be discussed openly, and agreements made, without the taint of over-the-top labels and finger-pointing.
As for Ms Dupuy, I really have never heard of her at all, before this article, but, judging from the article, as written, it would seem she has a pretty centrist view, to me, although certainly biased, in favor of Democrats. I saw no quotes from her, from the Manifesto, or any praise for Chairman Mao. I only saw criticism of the partisan Republicans, who would apparently rather see their party commit suicide, than negotiate for the good of the country.
VofR, Democrats are a pretty eclectic bunch, despite your all-in-one-inclusional views. They have trouble agreeing amongst themselves, let alone Republicans. Instead of using strategies around that, as they did in the past, to great success, Republicans have decided to choke the process altogether. It's the equivalent of a child, holding his breath until he gets his own way...
No socialists==no fascists
Just liberal views and conservative views, depending upon the subject at hand.
As far as fish and water--how do you know a fish doesn't realise it's in water? Did the real Easter bunny tell you? [beam]
VofReason posted at 12:29 pm on Tue, Dec 11, 2012.
I think Bluepoet is jumping to a conclusion here. I never said socialist and my suggestion is that a centrist usually will agree with both sides at different times. I have read her columns before and she absolutely never agrees with anything the GOP does, says or promotes. She does agree with the Democratic party at every turn and more with the far left element of the party. I am sure that there is a variety of both Democrates and Republicans. Unfortunatly, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama don't represent the "centrist" element of the party and are the current leadership- no? Perhaps Mrs Dupay might want to get past refrences of the party of Lincoln and do some research on the party of Kennedy. Looked a lot different back then.