"Bush joins national crusade to reduce gossip." That story heading, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution of 09.04.2001, sounded suspiciously like one you'd read in The Onion, the humor magazine. But it's apparently real. How much more silliness can we look forward to in the coming months and years from our can't-sit-still never-met-a-photo-op-he-didn't-like President? More & more the Office of President is being turned into the Office of Royal Family, an elective ceremonial King & Queen, with behind-the-scenes aides doing the real work and what thinking there is. Brandeis once said that the U.S. Supreme Court was unusual among the branches of government in that "We do our own work." I'm not sure that is entirely true anymore (click here). At least, however, when the Court is in session, the nine members for the most part are in their chambers and not out on the road most days of the week. In any event, I've been saying good things about gossip (click here and here, for example), so I'm not going to join Bush in this "crusade." If someone knows of a "crusade" to persuade our political leaders to quit acting like celebrities or beauty queens on tour, let me know. I'm not a joiner but I might join that one. (09.04.2001)

"It's my ball," said the spoiled boy. In the NYT today (08.14.2001) Dubya is quoted as saying he'll veto any legislation extending federal support for embryonic stem cell research beyond the parameters he set in his announcement last week. He said his announcement was based on what he thinks is right and "any piece of legislation that undermines what I think is right will be vetoed." (The news report is accompanied by this photo of Dubya strutting away from an outdoor "stage" at his ranch where he'd just signed a bill. Every time I see him walking that way, I ask myself, "Who the hell does he think he is -- the President or something?" He seems to be one of those folks who can "strut sitting down.") Also in the news today, in the Wichita Eagle, is this related item about a district court judge in Kansas who apparently thinks like Bush. This judge, Paul Buchanan, submitted a supplemental budget request to the county board listing eight items of equipment and salary totaling $493,900. When the board denied his request, he summarily issued an order that the items "shall be included in the budget." When the board approved the county budget without including the supplemental $493,900, the judge summarily issued a contempt citation against the board members. The board members have asked the Kansas Supreme Court to intervene. [more] When I was growing up, sometimes a kid who had furnished the ball for a neighborhood pickup basketball game would threaten to take his ball and go home if he didn't get his way on some issue. It's because of stories like these that one should be daily thankful our Founding Fathers recognized the need for checks and balances on the powers given to each branch of government and each official. It's why, e.g., our courts are not super-independent like the courts in Iran but independent and at the same time accountable. In Minnesota we can be thankful that our courts are not just indirectly accountable to the voters but directly via the requirement that every six years each judge must submit to potential opposition in an election. Update (08.17.2001) More... (08.14.2001)

Our Prez is... a) a thoughtful, contemplative man, you might even say "deep" (click), b) an "en-vir-on-men-tal-ist" (memo to Dubya: pronounce slowly) (click), c) a common fellow who loves to mangle (whoops, that's "mingle") with ordinary folks (click), d) the sort of guy who believes in a strong America (pronounced "A-mur-ik-a") (click), e) a fella who devoutly believes in "the Triune (pronounced "try-yoon") God" (click), f) a lover of diversity (pronounced "di-verse-city") who is as fluent in Spanish as he is in English (click), g) a sensitive guy who likes handicapped people (click), h) an intellectual (pronounced "in-tell-lect-yoo-ull") who loves to read books and share what he learns from them with others (click), h) a kid at heart (click), i) a fella who's not afraid to speak his mind (click), j) the sort of Joe you might meet at a YMCA picnic (click), k) a rancher (click), l) that rare breed of man who can "strut standing still" (click), m) a scratch golfer (click), n) a good hubby (click), o) a handyman (click), p) one of the guys (click), q) our $400,000-a-year photo-op-guy-in-chief. (08.20.2001)