For a week filled with ups and downs of all kinds, our staff begins today with an odd sense of both peace and hopefulness. We're not sure why we feel this way, though - which is especially disconcerting to certain members of our staff.
Some of that positivity comes from seeing the beginnings of the next phase of the Occupy movement. We're not talking about the vandalism in places like Oakland. Actually, what gives us hope is the fact that both members of Occupy Oakland and the Oakland Police Department agree that Occupiers didn't cause the damage and confrontations that some media outlets (especially those on the right) have been focusing on.
In truth, both police and legitimate protesters discovered it was "anarchists and provocateurs" - people who've purposely wanted to make the Occupiers look bad - who are to blame for the destruction and mayhem.
Police and protesters, coming together, to agree on the facts. There's a positive turn.
We were also pleased by the work of the Nebraska Legislature this week, which settled on five different potential bills to solve the problem of the Keystone pipeline. Many of Nebraska's state senators are Daily Felltoon readers, and we were chief among the voices earlier this week encouraging them to focus on their obligation to their constituents rather than on what the TransCanada oil company wants. That those senators seem to have listened to us is another thing contributing to our cheerful outlook.
These are good things, yes - but we're not getting all kumbaya on you. There are still plenty of clowns out there and as Nate Silver noted, one of those clowns could still win the Presidential election next year, if President Obama doesn't. That says nothing about all the clowns ramping up to run for other major offices next year. ['Joe The Plumber' (who isn't even a licensed plumber ) for Congress? As Charlie Brown would say, "Good Grief."]
There are still plenty of ways our fellow Americans and other humans on the planet could send our collective futures spinning into disaster. It's crunch time for the supercommittee - and their success is anything but guaranteed. Also, right-wing, anti-worker billionaires are attempting to buy the election on the anti-worker bill next week in Ohio.
The Senate, for the THIRD time in recent weeks, has decided it won't even allow DISCUSSION of one of the President's ideas to create jobs.
Even that doesn't entirely disappoint us, though, as Senator Ben Nelson - who voted with the Republicans to NOT allow discussion of legislation to help create jobs - has said he might not run for Senate next year. Considering the way Nelson's voting record is littered with votes against the best interest of Americans, we're inclined to think that it might not be such a bad thing if Ben sat this one out.
Some of our generic hopefulness may even have to do with the turn towards the holiday season, and all the festivities the season brings.
Whatever the reasoning, we're entering this weekend looking ahead to the next few months - and even into 2012 - with a bit of hope.
From our perspective, it's not a bad way to start a weekend.
