Huh?

Times are becoming, as the Chinese would slyly put it, "interesting," and the news commentators, their subjects growing stale, have become energized with new subject matter. Currently--if you don't mind a sort of tweet--I'm watching "Countdown" as Matthews and Olbermann are gleefully analyzing the defection of Arlen Specter to the Democrats and its potential impact on the Republican Party, not to mention the Obama legislative agenda as the Dems build up to the magic number 60 that will preclude filibuster. When the Minnesota sentaorial race is resolved that is, and that will be news in itself.

Before this piece of staggering political news popped in I was planning a blog on some of the more stupefying items of recent days, including a headline I read on AOL (a rich source as always) that indicated the Rush Limbaugh had spoken up for the Humane Society. I was staggered and humbled that I actually shared a sympathetic cause with Fat Bastard, until I remembered that old canard that Hitler loved his animals too. As do I. So that wonderful bond between humans and canines seems to transcend all political as well as psychological terrain.

But then there was the extremely weird incident in New York when an Air Force One jet was sent around the Statue of liberty for a photo op. As poorly conceived as this idea was, what was stupefying here is that the officials were notified by the Air Force that this was to be kept secret from the public. As though a p.r. event needed to be classified. Of course New Yorkers either panicked or suffered psychological flashbacks of the most unpleasant kind. It's mind-boggling. It's like a bad sketch they'd air on SNL at 12:55. As a stunt it is on a par with dropping turkeys from a helicopter on Thanksgiving, thanks to that old "WKRP" episode.

What is troubling here is that this was something that you would inevitably attribute to a Bush Administration idiocy, not in the supposedly competent Obama era. Of course the decision to do this never went to Obama's desk, but in an odd way he is responsible for everything perpetrated by the Armed Forces of which he is Commander in Chief. Hey, if he gets credit for the Pirate Rescue, he gets some of the stink here, as I would if my dog rolled around in her shit and deposited it on my carpet. But I digress.

And then there's the Swine Flu. Oy vey.

A Time for Heroes

Forget the fictional "Heroes," the initially absorbing and appealing serial adventure on NBC that lost its way though confused storytelling. The American--no, the world public--has seen an impressive spate of heroic endeavors in the first third of this year. Thanks to the Internet's viral effect these characters have helped season our news cycles with uplifting and touching stories all worthy of TV movies at the very least, if they made those any more. I guess they still do, at least for Lifetime.

But who among us would not want to watch a tale of an heroic airplane pilot guiding a helpless jet to a safe water landing, as Chesney Sullenberger did in January. Or an exciting docudrama about an American captain who gives himself up to Somali pirates to save his crew, fails in his initial escape, and then is saved by the even more emphatically heroic sharpshooting of a trio of Navy Seals? Or, of course, the inspirational biography of a homely Scot spinster whose nightengale voice suddenly gets broadcast worldwide, as with Susan Boyle.

Is it simply the need for good news in a down economy that has made these stories so fabulous? Or are they examples coincidentally occurring after the first eight years of the downward spiral of stupidity that had enswathed us during the Bush dynasty? Like green seedlings that eventually burst through the crust of a destroyed landscape, these examples of skill and excellence give us hopeful reminders that incompetence need not be the default state of our expectations any more.

What Captain Sully did was his job, and superbly. He has shied away from the spotllight, even though he received every invitation possible for the past few months, including Obama's Inauguration and baseball openers. The truest professional of all, he doesn't see why he deserves credit for simply doing his job capably, for which he is well-compensated. He did not stick his neck out, or offer to sacrifice himself, for the lives of others. In fact, he applied himself to save his own life as well. Consequently, one can almost agree with him that his acts were not heroic, even if his skill was inposing. He was as much a victim of circumstances as the crew of the Buffalo flight that crashed a month later due to poor judgements in the cockpit. In his case, it was better to be good than lucky.

Captain Richard Phillips, who sacrificed his own safety for that of his crew off Somalia, wears the hero's mantle a little more clearly. His story was right out of a Jerry Bruckheimer movie, with all the elements, including a brooding President with an early reputation at stake, some desperate young villains, and little chance for success. Even more amazing than his actions were those of the sharpshooters, though, and they have to go nameless. Add three more anonymous heroes to the mix--had they not been right on target, Captain Phillips would have been known for making a tragic ultimate sacrifice. Now everyone is happy, except for the Somali prisoner and, of course, Rush Limbaugh, who will bemoan anything good that happens during the current administration.

And then there's Susan Boyle, the spokesperson for all the cosmetically challenged but talented people in the world. The international sensation caused by her appearance on the British talent show is touching in a number of ways, the most important of which is the unanimity of the world's admiration. Of course Rush, and perhaps Ann Coulter, will find something derogatory to say about her. What appealed to me was Susan's sense of humor and of self. She had one opportunity to make something of what seemed a desperate life, and she has made it (so far, at least). Now we will see if she remains an inspiration to all the have-nots in the world, or a victim of public relation sharks. Initially I fear that there will be more talentless wanabees showing up for auditions everywhere, using her shining example as an excuse for their less defensible ambitions.

Forgive my cynicism. We are only three years detached form the famous "You're doing a helluva job, Brownie" accolade from the King of Incompetence, during an era when professionalism was subjugated to mindless partisan purity of the worst kind. Aside for Nobel Prize and Oscar winners, was any unfamous person singled led out for outstanding performaces of his or her metier? Not to the estimable extent of Sully, Richard and Susan. Their fame may not last much longer than an "extended" 15 minutes, but they really have uplifted our moods during this period of retrenchment, and I for one am very grateful.

Rage, Rage

According to most objective accounts, about 250,000 zanies showed up at the Fox News-fanned "Tea Bag" rallies across the nation yesterday, protesting, well, Income Tax day, the existence of Obama and probably the Round Earth theories of Copernicus. Now a quarter million is not as slight a number as liberal bloggers might have liked, although it is a very minor distillation of the 50 million or so who voted against Obama in November, sort of the cream of the crap. And oh, what a moronic show they put on, with little tea bags hanging from their hats and waving signs reminiscent of those branished by studio audiences on "Let's Make a Deal."

While Fox commentators acclaimed this as the symbolic start of the Second American Revolution they were out-crazied by some of the spokesmen, including Texas governor Rick Perry, who hinted darkly of potential secession of his state. (That is actually a rather welcome idea, for then we would never have to cope with their politicians again, but I digress). As to any actual meaning in the protest, it does represent the core of anti-tax, states right/libertarian leanings of a sliver of our population. Sure, most people hate to pay taxes, though ironically, about 98% of the protesters would get their taxes lowered according to Obama's economic plan. Also ironic is the fact that, as Rachel Maddow pointed out, most of the protests took place in municipal parks, and the peace was upheld by local police forces, all of which are paid for by those insidious taxes.

None of this, of course, is going to alter the trajectory of Obama's programs, and the stock market has responded lately by recovering most of its losses for the year. That the economy appears to be bottoming out thanks to confidence in Obama's thoughtful, measured approach has torpedoed some of the rhetoric of the Tea Baggers. And now that Obama has struck a very receptive chord on his international travels so far, and won a spectacular symbolic victory when the Navy brilliantly, Jack Bauer-like, saved an American captain from Somali pirates, the Loco Opposition has been driven into a state of near madness.

The clearest evidence of this is Rush Limbaugh's unbelievable contortions to try to wring criticism out of Obama's handling of the Somali hostage situation. At first he predictably lambasted Obama as a lily-livered weak faggotty no-guts President who would never stand up to the slightest foreign threat. Then, when Obama proved his mettle, Limbaugh not only castigated any conservative spokesman honest enough to give Obama the limited credit he deserved, but he actually came to the defense of the pirates themselves, calling them poor black teenagers who were starving and desperate and about to surrender when they were brutishly attacked by the Americans under the savage order of our Commander in Chief. For unbelievable, Bizarro-world hypocritical chutzpah, this declamation will probably never be matched. That is, until he starts accusing Obama of killing Vince Foster.

So until the Obama administration actually--and inevitably--commits a misstep, the Republicans will be getting more and more desperate in their attacks, to the point (which I believe has already been reached) of clinical insanity. Rudderless, meaningless and powerless, they are reduced to raging against the elements, like a woebegone King Lear on the heath screaming at the thunderstorm.

But there are more parallels between the current Republican Party and Shakespeare's cranky old King. Having aged out of a power position, Lear found his kingdom divided by his greedy and hypocritical daughters with their own agendas, to the point that his realm is totally undermined. Lear does not understand the truths around him, and, like his friend Gloucester, is blind to the nature of his reality. So he rails and whines and eventually destroys the only honest member of his entourage, Cordelia, who will not give in to his vanity and short-sightedness.

Thoughtful, clear-thinking members of the Republican party do exist, but they are now being shouted down by the extremists who are as dangerous to the party's long-term health as Regan and Goneril were to Lear. The Republicans even have their own "fool"--the only clear-headed representative who knows the truth but is shouted down, Michael Steele succumbing to the bombastic Boss Limbaugh.

Sadly, any comparison of the Republican status to that of a Shakespearean character will be lost on 99.9% of the Tea Baggers, who certainly have never read or probably heard of King Lear. But it's not likely that their minds would be changed or assuaged in any way. Literacy, after all, is one of those insidious values that effete Democrats champion in their desire to destroy our democracy.