Category Archives: Politics

Spitzer’s Skeletons Came out of the Closet

Ahh kittens…one of my favorite scandals erupted unexpectedly yesterday to brighten an otherwise dull Monday afternoon. By now, we’ve all heard about it, the good old Governor of New York couldn’t seem to keep his pants zipped up during a quick trip to DC last month and had to ship down some call girl from NY to keep him occupied for a few hours. Ahh……the joys of a political sex scandal involving a rising star in the Democratic party, sprinkled with the fun of knowing this particular politician has steadfastly fought against prostitution rings in the recent past……nothing adds whip cream to the top of a delicious political sex scandal more than double standards and hypocrisy, of course!  I can still hear Wall Street and business tycoons laughing over their gin and tonics and cigars.

But see, it’s not really the guilty husband that intrigues me the most about this story or even how sanctimonious Spitzer was as the AG. We’ve talked about this before on KT. It seems that we’ll never know why the ego stretches so large that politicians believe they are above the law and most importantly, forget that they actually can’t ever get away with their indiscretions. But, history has a way of repeating itself and this scandal is as old as time.  No matter how brilliant the aides are that surround these politicians, they haven’t yet been able to convince them that their skeletons will always come out of the closet. And we should all be thankful for it because it sure is fun to watch.

But like I was saying, it’s not the man that fascinates me in all of this, it’s the role of the betrayed and humiliated wife that I just can’t move past. The image of the wife standing there next to her husband during the initial press conference, with that scorned look on her face, and then holding his hand as they exit center stage and dodge the most painful questions.

Why….why…why…I keep asking myself. Why do these wives stand there? Anyone thinking of our gal Hil on 60 Minutes, with such confidence that her husband did NOT have an affair with Gennifer Flowers…years before Monica showed up in the Oval Office in her blue dress? Or gay Governor McGreevey’s wife. I think she resurfaced onto the Today Show this morning but we were busy watching Little Bill. Or Vitter’s wife…or Larry Craig’s wife….and now Spitzer’s wife…and all the other wives before my time….and that will come down the road in the future.

Why do they stand there, we all wonder?

Now, from a PR perspective, I understand why the wife is standing there but even that confuses me at my core. The horn-dog political husband needs his wife standing there in that first press conference to show the world that his family believes in him, so we should too. I get that.

But what does that do for the wife? Why does the wife give a shit that her husband’s career is going down the toilet and fast? Why does she want to be publicly associated with this sinking ship any more than she already is? Hell, we’re all talking about how he not only cheated on her with a hooker but went so far as to transport that woman from NY to DC to get it on with her….and if you’re transporting hookers, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that wasn’t the first time he got his toes wet…so to speak…..

Also – living in DC – I’m a little offended. What’s wrong with our hookers here? What – they not as hot as the ones in NY? Come on guys……no need to transport them over state lines.

So, back to the wife, why should she care about her husband’s career in that moment? Why should she stand there, stone faced, hanging on like cold grim death, to the idea that her husband’s career will actually survive?

Well, being a mother, I can only assume one thing – she’s standing there for her kids.  She’s standing there because she believes, in that rock bottom moment of her life, after all the crap she’s put up with over the years to support her husband and help his career, that her children need to see their parents as a unified front in order to minimize the disgrace, humiliation and confusion they are surely feeling. 

That is the only theory I can come up with as to why the wives all stand there. Not a person in this world can convince me that any one of those wives wants to be there. And hopefully she is giving her husband a verbal beating before and immediately leaving center stage, though it won’t do any good. But as mothers, in that moment, I’m sure the only thing they can think of to do is what they think will help their children in the long run.

And so I can’t judge them, I can’t throw them under the bus just like I want to throw their husband under the bus, because if I believed that I needed to do that to help my daughter, then I would stand there too. For her. And only for her. And if some reporter asked me why I was standing there, all I would say was “to support my children.”

So instead of judging these wives, I ask you this – do you think that standing there in support of the husband actually does help the children more in the long run? Surely children have been all ages when these kinds of scandals have hit these horny, pathetic, lying, cheating excuses for husbands and fathers. So some kids can understand the scandal immediately while others might need more explanation and then will look back in time at those pictures.

What message does it send the children in that moment and in the future? Does it tell their kids that you stand by the people you love when they need you the most, no matter how much it hurts? That you can’t just cut and run when the going gets tough? Or does it tell them that even after you were just walked all over like a doormat, and stomped on a few times, and there was probably dog shit on the bottom of the shoe that was stepping all over you, even after all that, you still stand up there in support? Because you really are a doormat?

I honestly don’t know.

What do you think?

Michelle Obama for President

Happy Valentine’s Day Kittens! I’m sure you’ve been waiting obsessively for a V Day update from me but the truth is, I’m being coy with you. I like making you wait for me…it only makes you want me more….so at long last….I am here to whisper sweet nothings in your ear.

I should also note that, like last year, I am blushing from all the flowers and chocolates and cards that you, my adoring fans, have heaped upon me. I could barely make it to my desk this morning because my office is jam packed with messages of love. Particularly blush-worthy was the pair of leather crotchless chaps…..You really shouldn’t have…….

And with that, kittens, I ask you to wait no more. On this day of love, I will refrain from pondering the ways of the American husband, the exaggeration of the price of flowers and dinners tonight and if there is any merit to this holiday. Instead, I will express my deep love for a woman….a Presidential candidate’s wife who should really be running for President….I’ve said it many times before, I’ll say it again, Michelle Obama for President!

Oh Michelle…how I love thee….what I wouldn’t give for a one-on-one conversation with you…

A KT BFF tipped me off to the piece on Michelle in today’s NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/us/politics/14michelle.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

And starting with the picture of her in that fabulous turquoise necklace at the top, all the way down to the final quotes in the piece (I know, right? I actually read an article all the way through – despite my adult ADD and inability to focus unless it’s celebrity gossip or food related)….Michelle rules. And so, kittens, here is a haiku for her:

I love her because she is intelligent and has opinions.

     I love her because she has no fear about stating those opinions, even if it creates extra work for her campaign staffers…she’s keeping everyone on their toes.

I love her because she is sarcastic and pokes fun at her husband, reveals that he makes messes or doesn’t always smell great. She’s authentic, she’s real, she’s got something to say and she’s going to say it. 

          Of course, I love that she is a mom to two little girls and isn’t afraid to talk about how she keeps them a priority and how she manages it all – without shedding tears or coming off as a martyr (Hillary).

Do you like how that wasn’t even close to a haiku? I never really paid attention in poetry class.

Are you all left wondering if I love her because I feel like she’s a really cool, wildly successful, smarter and older version of how I’d love myself to be? Yes well…..there’s no shame in aiming high, kittens.

And to be serious for a moment, if I’m going to invest my sacred time in actually reading an article in its entirety and not letting my mind wander off and start thinking about my next meal and if there will be any cheese involved….I like to learn something valuable about life in that piece. Some great perspective or nugget to carry forward in my own life. And I took something like that away from the interview with Michelle.

I offer you this:

“My parents told us time and time again, ‘Don’t tell us what you can’t do,’ ” she said. “ ‘And don’t worry about what can go wrong.’ ”

What a wonderful thing to teach your children and though I might have already been doing that in my own home, I certainly haven’t articulated it out loud but I intend to as my daughter gets older. Particularly the bit about not worrying about what can go wrong. Instilling a sense of confidence and adventure in my daughter is fundamentally important and reading this about Michelle’s upbringing makes me adore her even more.

Enjoy this day o’ love Kittens. And remember, you can keep your tokens of love and appreciation for me coming every day of the year, you don’t have to wait until just Valentine’s day…….

Observations from an Obama Mamma

Well kittens, the Potomac Primaries came and went..and how about that full Obama sweep? Even with last night’s treacherous weather, and I mean TREACH-ER-OUS – yours truly still got out to vote.

I will note that now I appreciate why there are those signs before bridges to alert you that the bridge/overpass can freeze…..turns out that actually happens…..I can be a little slow on the uptake……

Anyhow – as my day progressed yesterday, I started getting some interesting comments from friends into my inbox about the day’s primary. I really noticed a trend that aligns with my own thinking.

It seems that many KT friends all agree it would be incredible to have a woman hold the highest office in the land, we really would. We want this for ourselves, we want this for our little girls, it’s an amazing chance. But on the flip side, many of us just don’t feel like Hillary is the right woman for that job.

Again, I’m continuously impressed with how versed she is on every topic, how she has thorough plans for various issues facing our country and can speak so eloquently on them – but the common thread I kept hearing was this – she just doesn’t inspire us. We want some inspiration. After 8 years of lies, not even mediocrity and hell – poor speaking skills coming out of the Oval Office – we want to feel excited and inspired.

Thus…it seems many of us are Obama Mammas. We are excited about the prospect of a woman becoming President but obviously not excited by that woman.

It’s quite the conundrum for Hillary. She has more experience, a real handle on the issues and clear policies that she is communicating – yet at the end of the day – what she stands for isn’t that different than what Obama stands for – and many of us are picking inspiration over experience.

I will note that one of my sisters was feeling kind of “vagina-ey” (her words) – so she settled for Hillary because she really couldn’t decide down to the wire between the two – and that’s fair. I can support someone who feels “vagina-ey” in those final seconds before casting a vote.

Yet I remain intrigued by this predicament many of us are facing when push comes to shove – and that inspiration is helping make the final decision. It seems that in this day and age, we are still pretty old school and facebook pages or sophisticated targeted marketing strategies can’t outwit good old fashioned inspiration.

And it seems that you cannot manufacture inspiration – it just happens.

Hillary & Obama – Where do they stand?

Well, the day of the Potomac Primaries has arrived. The weather is crummy and promises to get worse, so who knows how or if that will impact the outcome of today’s votes. I intend to go cast my vote this evening after work, rain, snow, sleet or whatever.

So, in honor of the primaries in my home state today, let’s talk about where Hillary and Obama stand on issues that might matter to KT readers: maternity leave, flexible work, health care, education, etc.

As I’ve been paying closer attention, I can’t say that I like Hillary much better because I think she lacks any authenticity but she really is more detailed and thorough in her explanations than Obama. The Washington Post has a quiz you can take to gauge which candidate is most aligned with what matters to you – and I came awfully close to scoring with Hillary. Truth be told, in some of the statements, I could tell Hillary said it instead of Obama and wondered if I might have picked Obama for fear of coming out as Hill’s twin.

I actually encourage you to go to the Post’s web site and take the quiz, it will force you to really have a better understanding of where the candidates stand on all issues. I caution you this – it takes some time if you really read what they say on big issues – but it’s worth it in the end. Here’s the link:

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/candidatequiz/

With that, here is a link to Hillary’s web site. She really lays out where she stands on federal maternity leave, childcare and work place flexibility. I don’t want to really elaborate on it because I’ll start drawing my own conclusions – so best to just provide you with the convenience of a link. See, at KT, I’m like a 7-11 – quick stop shopping and easy. Quick and easy. Always been that way…..

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=3743

Our guy Obama is not quite as thorough as Hillary…….and while I noted some similarities in their ideas, Hillary’s are much more detailed. I will refrain from comment and just encourage you to read this:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20071108/ai_n21106204

Go forth and vote today, dear readers!