Football, The President, and the Political Right

While we've been accused of being polyanna-ish before, we'd like to think that some of the political actions happening in Washington D.C. over the last few days just might be positive signs.

Last Friday, in our News section, we pointed out retiring GOP Sen. Voinovich of Ohio admitting the hypocrisy of the Republican's past efforts to delay the President's and Democrats' small business jobs bill. Sen. Voinovich said late last Thursday that he would join with Democrats to pass that stalled jobs bill. Over the weekend,  Republican Minority Leader John Boehner finally admitted publicly that he is willing to agree to President Obama's firm position that the Bush tax cuts for the rich can expire, but that the middle class tax cuts should remain.

Both of these unexpected moves from the political right are heartening. Maybe the Republicans in Washington are finally more fearful of their hard-working but struggling constituents - small business people who need help to succeed, and industrious Americans who remain out of work - than they are of the loud and offensive teabaggers, who can somehow afford multiple trips to D.C. to shout about how poor they are.

Whatever the reasoning, we welcome the moves of both Republicans - although we're not entirely convinced of the veracity of either Sen. Voinovich's or Rep. Boehner's claims.
Maybe it's because we've read too many Charlie Brown and Lucy cartoons.

We're certain you've seen the iconic cartoons, where Charlie Brown is deceived time and time again by his "friend" Lucy, who always pulls the ball away at the last minute, and leaves Charlie Brown flat on his back.

The current Republican Party has become well-known for performing similar stunts with the Obama Administration over the last two years.  They would promise bipartisanship, and then when it came time to actually compromise on ideas, throw a fit, blame the President and his party, and refuse to compromise at all.

We're not debating that there may be fundamental differences between conservatives and progressives that have guided many of the attitudes and choices behind the actions of the current GOP leadership in Washington.

What we doubt is the sincerity with which Sen. Voinovich, Rep. Boehner and their party's leadership will be working in good faith to find compromise with Democrats before the elections this fall. Important issues like letting the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy lapse as planned, or passing the small business jobs bill that remains stalled in the Senate won't wait until next year to be completed.

Still, based on the comments of those Republicans, we hope that progress is made this week, and that the metaphorical football isn't yanked away by the GOP at the last minute.

As President Obama said on Friday, about another divisive issue, there isn't an us and a them, in America. "It's just us."

Friday Funday: The Moment of Getting It Right

On most Fridays we attempt to write something a bit more humorous, a bit more inspiring and positive - and today is no exception. First, though, we want to acknowledge a very important day.

For Jews, today is the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, colloquially known as the Jewish New Year. For Muslims, it's the end of the month of Ramadan, the holiday of Eid ul-Fitr, most commonly known as Eid. Both are celebrations that mark the end of an important period of time - and the beginning of a new period of time, one where we're supposed to forgive others their faults, and rejoice in our lives and the hope and positivity of new beginnings.

We had a moment like that this week, made even sweeter by the infuriating and frustrating miscommunication and actions of Mr. Terry Jones, and much of the media.

It was easy to see in the feeding frenzy of this past week's news coverage that way too much of the media today is too often looking for the ginned-up, overhyped controversy to boost their ratings, as we've pointed out many times before in our commentary.

As you know, our commentary is more than just the collective opinion of our staff. It's a thoroughly researched way to tie together many of the stories of the day, often to help add depth and understanding to a complex subject. We also hope you'll learn a few things and become a better media consumer and perhaps a better citizen. It's a media hybrid, what we do here... a bit of teaching, a bit of translating the universe, and a large helping of ethical journalism. It is communication at its core, with a goal of making you smile, and hopefully think.

When readers respond with thoughtful, reasoned debate, as we had happen this week, it lets us know we're doing our jobs properly, as members of the media and as your fellow citizens.

We don't expect responses from you, or even look for them, sometimes. We expect our work to stand on its own.

However, when our readers do respond from time to time, and then prove that - while they don't always agree with us - our work has helped move them from being common, unthinking, media consumers to wise citizens, engaged in critical thought, it makes much of what we do worthwhile (although, we're all partial to money as well).

Moments like that give us hope for the future.
What a way to celebrate holidays of renewal and new beginnings.

Shana Tova and Eid Mubarak.
Enjoy your weekend.

The Lessons of 9/11: What Have We Learned

With the short work week resulting from the Labor Day holiday, you may have yet to realize that this Saturday is the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C., and the plane crash in Pennsylvania.

As Friday is usually our day for something more humorous and less serious, we thought we'd take some time today to focus on what 9/11/2001 was like for the staff of the Daily Felltoon.

We were all in different locations that morning, working or with a day off, going about our normal routines. We were listening to the radio, or contacting clients, checking our e-mail or getting ready to pick up a friend from the airport.

Within minutes of the first plane hitting the first tower of the World Trade Center, every one of us had heard about it, and turned on a nearby TV. We picked up phones, hopped online, and tried to reach out to those we cared about. We had family and friends near the Pentagon, and friends in lower Manhattan too. Some of us are of Arabic decent - as are our families - and we knew there would likely be some not-so-thinly veiled animosity towards them.

For those of us working in the media that day, after checking on those we cared about, we continued working, even stepping up efforts to help inform or comfort our listeners and readers. Some of us spent the rest of the day gathering those we cared about, who were stranded in Washington D.C.

That day, we weren't conservatives or liberals, progressives or centrists. We - and those we worked with at that time - weren't christians, muslims, jews, athiests, or representatives of any other religion. We were then, as we are now, all Americans.

It's sad then, to see that in the nine years since 9/11 some Americans have learned nothing from the events of that day.

We're referring to the intolerant, ignorant, and offensive "preacher" and his misguided flock in Florida, and their announcement this week of their plans to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of 9/11. Even though news of their Koran-burning has already stirred up anger against American military troops overseas, they persist in their plans. Even though they've received rebukes for their actions from powerful politicians and religious leaders from across the political spectrum, they still plan to continue. In spite of the fact that Gen. David Petreaus has asked them NOT to hold this event, because it might endanger the lives of American servicemembers, this group and their leader persist with their plans for their misguided, stupid exercise in intolerance.

It's extremely unfortunate that such a small, fearful, out-of-touch group of people can cause this much trouble for so many around the world - nine years after another small misguided group of fanatics caused a much greater amount of trouble.

Two wrongs don't make a right. They didn't then. They don't now, nor will they ever.