Are Dems Wimps?

I could not believe it when I heard Senator Harry Reid during his press conference telling journalists, that as the recently elected senate majority, they had to give Bush the money to go to war, or else Bush would have attacked Democrats saying that they have been elected but are not taking action. It is true the Dems were given somewhat of a weak mandate - they are a majority by one, and yes, its true they are not acting! But it isn't Bush's attacks they need to worry about but rather the wrath of the American public whom most polls show are fed up of the war. It seems the Dems haven't caught onto that most basic of lessons of politics - It's a dirty game! The Republicans and the current White House are your opposition, of course they are going to attack you any time you do anything they dislike or disagree with, which is every time - that is the whole premise of a multiparty democracy - well O.K. dual party monopoly that we live in, but, that’s mere details... Have the Dems never caught on that Republicans never ever ever bow to any Democratic Party demands, and they counter-attack blow-for-blow, as any self respecting opposing political party should! The Dems are running scared because they do not want to face attacks from the 28% approval ratings president?! In so doing, they are abdicating their responsibility to the American people and all affected to end the war by any means available to them. The Dems as they stand right now do not stand a chance in hell of taking the white house. They have failed to act at a most crucial time, and they have shown that they have no back bone. I am not sure the American people will forget, nor can I see the public putting their trust in the Dems when they show no decisiveness at such a crucial moment!

Did President Bush just say "It is what it is"!!!!!!!

During a press conference at Camp David on April 27 2007, where President Bush was hosting the Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe, the president while talking about the spending bill that he planned to veto because of the attached clause requiring a timetable for troop withdrawals, used the term, "It is what it is" Now is it just me, or is this Hip Hop, or black-speak?! It is the case, that black youth are generally accepted as the trendsetters when it comes to cultural as well as other aspects, but dayum, I think that for it to reach the White House, and so quick - I mean I don't think this is a phrase that's been popular in youth-speak that long. In the past, words/phrases made popular by black youth always make it to the mainstream, but these days it seems like it just happens that much quicker - maybe due to the prominence of hip hop in mainstream culture? Why is this significant? I think that it says something about the acceptability of "black culture", "black language" in the mainstream, which I hope would also coincide with greater acceptance and consequently - of the idea of greater participation of black people in the mainstream, in the work place, in higher education, in politics and generally in American life on an equal basis. It is also useful to remind black youth of their influence and to remind those of us cultural critics who are so quick to dismiss certain idiosyncrasies of black youth culture to realise that conformity may not be an answer at all, or at least may not be a requirement. Of course if I'm completely wrong that "it is what it is" is black/hip-hop speak, then of course this whole blog is null and void, but it was still something to hear the president use what I am pretty sure is at least some sort of youth-speak...