Coffee Talk

I'm sure, like me, you spent Labor Day wondering what a very rich guy thought about the State of the American Union, 2011.

Well, lo and behold, our prayers have already been answered!

Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, where they put all the mystery and randomness of the universe into every cappuccino, (consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds and has no place in the $5.95 cup of coffee business), took some of the enormous pile of money he's made from the aforementioned $5.95 cups of coffee and bought a full page ad in the Sunday New York Times to discuss what's wrong, with this, the greatest nation on the face of the earth.

And, wonder of wonders, it's that ole devil "partisan politics." That's right, President Obama and the Democrats and the Republican "loyal" opposition need to set aside this partisan bickering and get down to making America great again.

Yes, he really said that. This only proves that you can make lots and lots of money and still be something of a naive goof.

It gives the impression that each side is equally guilty of "partisan politics", which is a load of crap. The phrase "false equivalency" comes to mind.

Every single proposal the President has made for the last 32 months--even those proposals that were initially Republican ideas--has been stonewalled, filibustered, distorted--whatever, by the Republicans and a few of their kissin' cousins, the Blue Dog Democrats.

That is not simple "partisanship". That is a concerted, scorched earth effort to destroy the President, and the country be damned.

The house is on fire. Side A wants to find ways to put it out. Side B wants to watch it burn, so they can blame Side A. Both sides have opinions and objectives, but that doesn't make them equivalent.

I cannot image a more conciliatory man than Barack Obama. To many of us it appears to be his greatest weakness. But even if it turns out to be his greatest strength, to imply that he has been equally partisan and therefore equally to blame is just plain stupid.