A Leader

A leader emerged in Detroit today.

True, Sam Logan is not new to Detroit, and he's not new to leadership. He has been a fixture in the city for a long time as the publisher of the weekly newspapers the Michigan Chronicle and Michigan FrontPage, but rarely has anyone in a position of public influence... anyone... spoken with such force, truth and first-hand perspective of what has happened to Michigan's largest city as he did today.

Detroiters are scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality elected officials. The makeup of much of the school board, city council, mayor’s office and Detroit delegation in the state Legislature are proof positive, painfully reinforced by the tendency of voters to repeatedly elect candidates with little integrity or judgment about what constitutes good public service.

Clearly, Detroit is in need of a better mix of educated, sophisticated voters to reconfigure and revitalize the social, political and economic environment.

The full column is worth every minute spent reading it. It is sad... very sad... because it is true.

One feels great sympathy for the people, like Mr. Logan, who live in and love a city whose leadership betrays its people each and every day.

WooHoo!

The last time I celebrated a sweet sweep by the Chicago Cubs on the pages of LWMO, the team went on to lose 7 of their next 10 games.

But today, I cannot resist. Four wins against the "hot" and "up and coming" Brewers. HA!

Four games, total score, 31 to 11.

5 game lead on the Brewies.

1st place.

Go Cubs, go!

Tied?

Basically.

Third Time's A Charm

There was a time just a few years ago when folks in and around were Detroit were all a twitter at the prospect of having their Red Wings, Pistons and Tigers all win their respective sports' championships in the same year.

It didn't happen. So, city leaders have moved on to an even more impressive trifecta.

From today's Detroit Free Press:

"An FBI probe would mean Detroit would have ongoing investigations into the mayor, the City Council and the school board."

This all sounds too unbelievable to be true, but then you watch this video from back in April and the real question becomes why the FBI wants anything to do with this mess at all.

Watch, And Learn

A Little Plug

A little plug on behalf of the Sterling Corporation, the PR firm that helps pay for Mr. O's frozen pancake habit, in Friday's Detroit News article on the potential for a McCain-Romney ticket.

While the candidates were battling in public, their Michigan partisans were wrestling behind the scenes.

On one side was Yob, an early McCain supporter, who hoped his old-school, grass-roots style would again deliver Michigan -- a state McCain had won in 2000. Yob's son, John, a political consultant, was deeply involved as a top McCain campaign aide.

Pros on Romney's team

On the other side was Romney's formidable operation, led by some of the state's top elected GOP officials -- including most of the congressional delegation and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. His team was staffed by accomplished pros, such as the Sterling Corp., a Lansing-based firm specializing in campaigns and public relations.

Hizzoner

I think we all learned something this week.

The office of President is clearly beneath Barack Obama. His gifts, talents and skills are just too great. He simply must put his calling towards a real challenge.

He needs to run for mayor of Detroit.

The Ticket

With images like this AP photo of Barack Obama's speech in Berlin today, rumors are flying that Basil Fawlty is quickly rising on the list of potential running mates for John McCain.

Pros: He certainly brings youth and energy to the ticket. He is a small business owner. He understands how to give the "straight talk" McCain is so known for.

Cons: His height would definitely make McCain look short in stature by comparison, and his hiring of a bellhop from Spain would not sit well with the anti-illegal immigration base of the Republican Party.

Stay tuned...

I'm Not Biased. I Just Love Him.

Complaints about bias in the media --- particularly complaints coming from the right about favorable coverage of the left --- aren't new. In fact, they're old and a lot of times sound like whining.

But, just as he has for our nation's love of apple pie, baseball and the 4th of July, Barack Obama has brought new energy and enthusiasm to the media's bias as well, and this time those complaining have a legitimate beef.

We had this editorial today from the Manchester Union Leader in New Hampshire which said:

The blatant bias of the major national news media toward Barack Obama is now so overwhelming that it would not be worth noting, except that the election of a President of the United States is involved.

And added...

A recent report found that since June the nightly newscasts of NBC, CBS, and ABC combined have spent 114 minutes covering Obama. McCain got 48 minutes.

But that was before this week.

The three major television networks are all scheduled to send their nightly news star "anchors'' to follow Obama on his trip to Iraq and the Middle East.

What might make the Union Leader blast away like this? Maybe it was this love note scribbled on the nation's newspapers by the Associated Press:

In this city where John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton all made famous speeches, Obama will find himself stepping into perhaps another iconic moment Thursday as his superstar charisma meets German adoration live in shadows of the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate. He then travels to Paris and London where he can expect to be greeted with similar adulation.

It's not only Obama's youth, eloquence and energy that have stolen hearts across the Atlantic. For Europeans, there have always been two Americas: one of cynicism, big business and bullying aggression, another of freedom, fairness and nothing-is-impossible dynamism.

If President Bush has been seen as the embodiment of that first America, Obama has raised expectations of a chance for the nation to redeem itself in the role that--at various times through history--Europe has loved, respected and relied upon.

With that, it's pretty amazing that the McCain camp is keeping in this race and keeping a sense of humor about all of it too. It appears they are and they can.

Vote early and often.

Wriggy Up

A big dog and a little boy... what a fascinatingly fun combo to watch.

There really isn't too much my words can add to moments like the one to the left. Combined, 128 lbs. of budding friendship and the occasional coughed up tuft of fur.

The relationship between dog and boy has grown almost as much as the two of them have each grown physically. Mr. O, because that's what little boys do... grow. And Wrigley, the Bernese Mountain Dog, because that's what big dogs do when they eat five meals a day.

Things have moved quickly, too. Just days ago, it seems, Mr. O would pat and grab if he could catch Wrigley. Tonight, he climbed on Wrigley's back as if she was a fluffy and insufficiently bathed horse. He straddled her back with a big, fur-stuffed smile. She lay there with, "Was that soggy goldfish cracker really worth this?" written all over her face. Then, she answered her own question with a grunt, "Yes, of course it was worth it. It was a goldfish cracker after all."

This came minutes after a short game of London Bridges, probably the only such version of the game played west of the Pond that actually does a pretty good job recreating the actual smells of London's streets.

Wrigley stands by. Mr. O crouches down and begins his crawl. Half-way under the odiferous bridge, Wrigley, the dog known for the grace she so often shows by simply falling off our porch while backing up, decides, "game over." She hops her substantial hind end up in the air, passes it over Mr. O's little noggin and gently comes down along side. O looks up, amused and completely unaware that he just missed the sensation of having a hundred pounds of dog rump land on the back of his head.

Quite a pair, these two, and I'm glad Mr. O has a dog. He seems to be glad, too. I'm quite sure the jury is still out on Wrigs, but she puts on a great face.

A Surprise?

Some positive news for John McCain out of Michigan today. Color me cautious, with a shade of dubious. It just doesn't feel that close right now (whatever that means).

But, along with the strength of this ad out today, the race here could be a tight one.

A Saturday Double Feature

The Dog, the Boy and the Ear of Corn

Part I



Part II

The Mag-O-zine

The Mag-O-zine
Vol. I, Issue III

• Tony Snow remembered... in his own words.
• A memorable derby.
• Time for some campaignin'.
• What the #$%&, indeed.
• Moving?

Where is this street?

Happy Hour

A nice way to head into the weekend.

"Barkeep, I'll have what he's having, please."

O 2K

Many thanks to all who allowed LWMO to welcome its 2,000th visitor this morning... just five weeks since welcoming its 1,000th.

We appreciate your loyal readership.

---- M

The Obama Paradox

Much of the controversy and attention paid to this week's New Yorker centers around its satirical cover. Largely overlooked has been the very careful, interesting and lengthy (Notice: It took most of an hour to read) account of Barack Obama's navigation through the relationships, power struggles and manipulations of Chicago politics on his way to a seat in the U.S. Senate.

As concluded near the end of the piece:

Like many politicians, Obama is paradoxical. He is by nature an incrementalist, yet he has laid out an ambitious first-term agenda (energy independence, universal health care, withdrawal from Iraq). He campaigns on reforming a broken political process, yet he has always played politics by the rules as they exist, not as he would like them to exist. He runs as an outsider, but he has succeeded by mastering the inside game. He is ideologically a man of the left, but at times he has been genuinely deferential to core philosophical insights of the right.

And, as recounted by his friends and enemies alike, pure and calculated ambition, alliances of convenience and self-interest and loyalty to self over others mark this period in Obama's career, and in many ways outline a story that isn't much different from that of what you might find at central casting for a stereotypical politician.

For the man who would have everyone believe that he is anything but the stereotypical politician, however, this is likely one article that every voter should read and that Barack Obama hopes that no one ever will.

Cheers

I believe I am speechless, but in a good way.

"Dying of cirrhosis of the liver in your forties was better than dying of dysentery in your twenties."

What more you need to know is here.

P.S. Thanks to Mr. O's good buddy Brad for passing along this indispensable bit of anthropological insight.

Corn Daze

Thanks for Indians.
The lesson of corn, top notch.
Four teeth? No matter.













My dog likes corn, too.
Her tongue... check it... stinks up close.
Sunday corn haikus.

The Horse Race

A couple interesting stories on the presidential horse race, here and here.

Some Cross-Blogination

Here.

DNF

I think that in light of this, Barack Obama was wise to decide this.

Although, those who considered this idea in the first place need to have their judgment seriously questioned.

For the same reasons you should never see John McCain in a pair of Crocs, squeezing cantaloupes and debating the merits of various composting methods at an organic farmer's market, Barack Obama has no business at a NASCAR race. It's just not him. It never will be, and attempts to make it so make him look like a condescending phony.

You can make all kinds of jokes about the "NASCAR dad" who frequents these races, but the one thing he has by the keg load is a finely-tuned fraud meter. And, I'm not sure there is anything that would scream louder "I just don't get you," than spending a half a million dollars to slap a political logo on a last place Toyota.

A Class Act

Tony Snow (1955 - 2008)

President Bush:

Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend, Tony Snow. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Jill, and their children, Kendall, Robbie, and Kristi. The Snow family has lost a beloved husband and father. And America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character.

Tony was one of our Nation’s finest writers and commentators. He earned a loyal following with incisive radio and television broadcasts. He was a gifted speechwriter who served in my father’s Administration. And I was thrilled when he agreed to return to the White House to serve as my Press Secretary. It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day. He brought wit, grace, and a great love of country to his work. His colleagues will cherish memories of his energetic personality and relentless good humor.

All of us here at the White House will miss Tony, as will the millions of Americans he inspired with his brave struggle against cancer. One of the things that sustained Tony Snow was his faith – and Laura and I join people across our country in praying that this good man has now found comfort in the arms of his Creator.

The Mag-O-Zine

The Mag-O-Zine
Vol I, Issue II

-----

• America’s Anchorman?
• One more time, let me hear ya.
• Scratching the surface. This is long, but fascinating, and how's this for a teaser:

  "One morning, after she was awakened by her bedside alarm, she sat up and, she recalled, “this fluid came down my face, this greenish liquid.” She pressed a square of gauze to her head and went to see her doctor again. M. showed the doctor the fluid on the dressing. The doctor looked closely at the wound. She shined a light on it and in M.’s eyes. Then she walked out of the room and called an ambulance. Only in the Emergency Department at Massachusetts General Hospital, after the doctors started swarming, and one told her she needed surgery now, did M. learn what had happened. She had scratched through her skull during the night—and all the way into her brain."

• Of mice and crazy women.
• Ooops.
• The end.
  

John Beere

When you take time to think about it, the palette of a toddler is like a fine instrument. Delicate, precise, an inspiration to observe and envy.

As such, Mr. O ate dirt today. Yes, dirt. The dirty kind.

The interesting part about this, of course, is the fact that the young man will throw bananas or chicken or 100%, Grade A Goldfish crackers on the floor in disgust. But dirt, ah dirt, it's what's for dinner.

Some casual observers might be thinking right now, "Wait, why don't you stop your child from sticking his head in a flowerpot and licking its contents? What kind of parent are you?"

To which I say, "One, if I stopped him, how would I get this funny picture of him eating dirt. And two, if fertilizer is good for plants, it's gotta be good for kids. Well, at least it can't be any worse than drinking a couple beers and then operating power equipment."

Stay Classy, Monticello

There is something very distasteful about this.



Hey "protester," hate George Bush, love him, but this event isn't about you and your homemade bed sheet of profundity. It's not about Bush either. But, as dumb as you think he is, he gets that and you don't.

It's the 4th of July... at the home of Thomas Jefferson, one of the men who penned the words that enunciate your freedom to now scream at the president... at a ceremony welcoming newly naturalized citizens no less. Very classy.

I especially enjoy the irony of that tubby protester in the Univ. of Virginia lacrosse t-shirt yelling of all the fascism Mr. Bush has brought to our shore. Indeed, those fascists are known for their tolerance of disrespectful numbnuts who interrupt a head of state speaking on the occasion of their nation's birth. In fact, history is littered with fascist rulers who have used the podium to calmly reaffirm a chowderhead's right to free speech at the same time said chowderhead is calling that ruler a criminal on national TV. If you have some time, there's a great book on the topic, "History's Freedom Lovers: Fascists and the Protesters Who Adore Them."

"Protester," I'm sure you think you are America epitomized... free speech and everything. But take a look across the stage as you're being dragged out of the event. Those folks with their right hands in the air epitomize America on this day. You take it for granted, and your actions disrespect those new Americans.

The Mag-O-zine

The Mag-O-zine
Vol. I, Issue I
------

Welcome to the premiere issue of The Mag-O-zine, a weekly compilation of news, commentary and humor for your weekend and beyond. We hope you enjoy.

Please know, we encourage reader participation in The Mag-O-zine and invite you to become a contributing editor to each week's edition. Post your stories in the comment section, keeping in mind, of course, that both Mr. O and Mr. O's grandmothers are regular readers. So keep it clean.

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• It was like a Fourth of July celebration multiplied by a thousand.
• The hard truth for the McCain campaign is that this election will ultimately be a referendum on Barack Obama.
• Starbucks, a little less grande.
• "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," a tradition that seems as old as the game.
• Has Michigan passed its tipping point?
• Bear with me.
• And, a tribute to the troops, from a somewhat unlikely messenger.

Happy Fourth of July

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

"The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Keep reading and have a great 4th.

You Feelin' Lucky?

Boy, residents of Michigan, we are a very lucky bunch.

We've got great lakes, "up north," fairly good sports teams to root for and a governor with a wicked sense of humor. I mean really. She's a stitch.

Today, she announced a new website to help the good people of Michigan save money on everything from gas, to college, to health care, to things around the house.

Thing is, I couldn't find any link to the Michigan Department of Treasury to show me how to avoid paying the increase in Income Tax the governor pushed last year that is hitting residents now, at the same time gas prices, food prices and tuition prices soar. I also couldn't find any helpful hints for business owners on how to pass off the massive bill resulting from the new Michigan Business Tax or the big surcharge that got thrown on top for good measure.

Delivering a comedic message like this with a straight face takes some genuine skill. I mean, her website is a real thigh slapper, considering no single leader in Michigan over the last 17 years has been more responsible for increasing the cost of living for Michigan residents than Governor Granholm.

Good one, guv. Keep em' coming.