Granite Slate

Mockery of Clinton go too far?

Barack Obama's men of faith and so little humor.

Ferraro calls for sexism study

Former vice presidential candidate Geraldine A. Ferraro, who resigned from Hillary Clinton's campaign this spring after coming under fire for speaking about her rival and the depth of his African-American support, pens an op-edit in today's Globe on "healing the wounds of Democrats' sexism." But she d oesn't exactly sound like a uniting force.

"That sexism impacted Clinton's campaign, I have no doubt. Did she lose a close election because of sexism? I don't know. But I do know that it will never happen again as long as women are willing to stand up and make sure that it is just a one-time bad experience."

Ferraro is calling for a Harvard study on sexism and the media's role in this epic nomination battle.

LaBarre: Not Smart

  Who will play Sheila LaBarre on the silver screen? The New Hampshire Union Leader reports today that the woman accused of killing at least two men at her Epping farm wondered that much out loud when apprehended. You can bet it won't be Helen Hunt or Nicole Kidman, stars in movies about the infamous Pamela Smart. Kathy Bates? Maybe. But a D-list actor is more likely, if a movie is made at all. In Smart, the world saw a pretty school teacher seduce 15-year-old William Flynn in a scheme to murder her husband. Smart, then a media services director at Winnacunnet High in Hampton, is serving life in prison. She still claims her innocence. Her villain factor went through the roof after Helen Hunt starred in "Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Wojas Smart Story" and Nicole Kidman appeared as the dark temptress in "To Die For."

   True crime novels and movies sell. Yet, the LaBarre story lacks some of the Smart shock and awe. It is a tough point to raise, given that loved ones are murdered in each case. One major difference comes down to time and place. Ric Werme nails it here on his home page dedicated to the Smart trial. He writes that, after Greg Smart was murdered May 1, 1990, there was a perfect storm in terms of media coverage. Iraq invaded Kuwait that year, and America and an international force pushed them back. Recall all that dramatic CNN coverage of the Gulf War? The coverage cultivated a nation of CNN junkies and fueled the 24/7 news cycle. After the Gulf War, there was a vacuum. The networks and cable news channels jumped on the Smart trial and the nation watched. It was a natural.

   One might see all the WMUR coverage (hey, look, live-streaming video) and compare this trial to the likes of Pamela Smart. WMUR would like as much. But they are very different fish. At least one major local newspaper is not even giving the trial day-to-day coverage. When it comes right down to it, LaBarre may or may not be insane, but she is definitely not Smart.

It ends with a whimper?

     You know the Democratic Party's nomination battle is about to end when The New York Times runs a shiny, happy feature on Barack Obama's body man, Reggie Love. Here's today's story.

Why Memorial Day Still Matters

Here's what Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. had to say -- excerpts of his Memorial Day address, May 30, 1884, at Keene, NH, before John Sedgwick Post No. 4. Source: The Essential Holmes: Selections From the Letters, Speeches, Judicial Opinions, and Other Writings, Edited and Introduction by Richard A Posner (U. of Chicago Press, 1992)

   Not long ago I heard a young man ask why people still kept up Memorial Day, and it set me thinking of the answer. Not the answer that you and I should give to each other-not the expression of those feelings that, so long as you live, will make this day sacred to memories of love and grief and heroic youth--but an answer which should command the assent of those who do not share our memories, and in which we of the North and our brethren of the South could join in perfect accord.

So far as this last is concerned, to be sure, there is no trouble. The soldiers who were doing their best to kill one another felt less of personal hostility, I am very certain, than some who were not imperiled by their mutual endeavors. I have heard more than one of those who had been gallant and distinguished officers on the Confederate side say that they had had no such feeling. I know that I and those whom I knew best had not. We believed that it was most desirable that the North should win; we believed in the principle that the Union is indissoluble; we, or many of us at least, also believed that the conflict was inevitable, and that slavery had lasted long enough. But we equally believed that those who stood against us held just as sacred conviction that were the opposite of ours, and we respected them as every men with a heart must respect those who give all for their belief. The experience of battle soon taught its lesson even to without the other. As it was then , it is now. The soldiers of the war need no explanations; they can join in commemorating a soldier's death with feelings not different in kind, whether he fell toward them or by their side.

  But Memorial Day may and ought to have a meaning also for those who do not share our memories. When men have instinctively agreed to celebrate an anniversary, it will be found that there is some thought of feeling behind it which is too large to be dependent upon associations alone. The Fourth of July, for instance, has still its serious aspect, although we no longer should think of rejoicing like children that we have escaped from an outgrown control, although we have achieved not only our national but our moral independence and know it far too profoundly to make a talk about it, and although an Englishman can join in the celebration without a scruple. For, stripped of the temporary associations which gives rise to it, it is now the moment when by common consent we pause to become conscious of our national life and to rejoice in it, to recall what our country has done for each of us, and to ask ourselves what we can do for the country in return.

So to the indifferent inquirer who asks why Memorial Day is still kept up we may answer, it celebrates and solemnly reaffirms from year to year a national act of enthusiasm and faith. It embodies in the most impressive form our belief that to act with enthusiasm and faith is the condition of acting greatly. To fight out a war, you must believe something and want something with all your might. So must you do to carry anything else to an end worth reaching. More than that, you must be willing to commit yourself to a course, perhaps a  long and hard one, without being able to foresee exactly where you will come out. All that is required of you is that you should go some whither as hard as ever you can. The rest belongs to fate. One may fall-at the beginning of the charge or at the top of the earthworks; but in no other way can he reach the rewards of victory.

   When it was felt so deeply as it was on both sides that a man ought to take part in the war unless some conscientious scruple or strong practical reason made it impossible, was that feeling simply the requirement of a local majority that their neighbors should agree with them? I think not: I think the feeling was right-in the South as in the North. I think that, as life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived.

   If this be so, the use of this day is obvious. It is true that I cannot argue a man into a desire. If he says to me, Why should I seek to know the secrets of philosophy? Why seek to decipher the hidden laws of creation that are graven upon the tablets of the rocks, or to unravel the history of civilization that is woven in the tissue of our jurisprudence, or to do any great work, either of speculation or of practical affairs? I cannot answer him; or at least my answer is as little worth making for any effect it will have upon his wishes if he asked why I should eat this, or drink that. You must begin by wanting to. But although desire cannot be imparted by argument, it can be by contagion. Feeling begets feeling, and great feeling begets great feeling. We can hardly share the emotions that make this day to us the most sacred day of the year, and embody them in ceremonial pomp, without in some degree imparting them to those who come after us. I believe from the bottom of my heart that our memorial halls and statues and tablets, the tattered flags of our regiments gathered in the Statehouses, are worth more to our young men by way of chastening and inspiration than the monuments of another hundred years of peaceful life could be.

   But even if I am wrong, even if those who come after us are to forget all that we hold dear, and the future is to teach and kindle its children in ways as yet unrevealed, it is enough for us that this day is dear and sacred.

  But grief is not the end of all. I seem to hear the funeral march become a paean. I see beyond the forest the moving banners of a hidden column. Our dead brothers still live for us, and bid us think of life, not death--of life to which in their youth they lent the passion and joy of the spring. As I listen , the great chorus of life and joy begins again, and amid the awful orchestra of seen and unseen powers and destinies of good and evil our trumpets sound once more a note of daring, hope, and will.

Lynch still super uncommitted

   Gov. John Lynch remains an uncommitted superdelegate as his party wrestles with the Coke or Pepsi question of its time: whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama has more fizz. Dr. Susan Lynch, New Hampshire's First Lady, threw her support to Senator Clinton early on. Lynch chose to stay neutral, a position that will allow him to help unite his party when a nominee is finally minted. Plus, by not taking a stand, he does not stand to lose much political capital. Or so the pundit-crats say. Democratic Party Chairman Raymond C. Buckley II is the other uncommitted superdelegate from New Hampshire. Here's where it gets interesting: Lynch is one of only six governors to remain uncommitted. The others, according to Politico's tally, are: Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, and West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III. Half of these men -- Schweitzer, Manchin and Lynch -- are in an election year, according to the Democratic Governors Association. (At right, Gov. John Lynch signs civil union law. Dan Tuohy photo)

Docs: McCain Fit as Fiddle

   Medical records released yesterday show GOP nominee-in-waiting John McCain is in good health. Here's the story. McCain, a three-time melanoma survivor, is 24 years older than Barack Obama. Suffice to say, he won't be challenging Obama to any one-on-one basketball games in the run up to the fall campaigning. Then again, you just never know.

Battles, Seen and Unseen

   The battle monument looms high over treetops, its pinnacle sticking the sky like a rocket ready for launch. This is the monument for the Battle of Bennington, 1777. It's a glorious piece of work. To its north, a statue of Gen. John Stark clutches a sword and points to the hills west of this small Vermont town, where the fighting occurred. Stark (1728-1822) later gave us words for New Hampshire's famous motto: Live Free or Die (dying is not the worst of evils). At Bennington, he rallied his troops:

There they are boys!

We beat them today

Or Molly Stark sleeps

A widow tonight!

Clinton in it to win it?

   

Even with a lopsided loss in Oregon to bookend a lopsided victory in Kentucky yesterday, Hillary Clinton underscored in the aftermath of the latest primary voting that she's in it to win it. But as several people have suggested to me in her home state the past two days, she's really in it to cover her campaign debts. And so, the story goes, it's on to June 3. The Hunt for Blue November has come to this: A full-contact game of Money Ball, where the deepest pockets will win.

Some Old Jokes

   John McCain on Saturday Night Live says, "I have the courage, the wisdom, the experience and, most importantly, the oldness necessary." His great sense of humor plays well and helps him play down his age. He's 71.

Sexism? Or Sour Grapes

    "A thematic blend of Rosie the Riveter and Motherhood and Apple Pie, Clinton sandwiched herself between her mother and daughter and pledged to fight to expand the federal Family Medical Leave Act."

So my story in the New Hampshire Sunday News went on Dec. 23, as Hillary Clinton once again appealed to women voters. The event was called "moms and daughters making history." As her campaign gasps for air (or so today's press theme goes), Clinton supporters are still rallying women. Some Clinton women, the NYT reports here today, may even break from Barack Obama in the fall. The story describes how some supporters feel Clinton is the victim of sexism. But is this sexism? Or sour grapes?

Obama goes Sweet and Sour

   It's the grain of sand in your shoe, Senator Obama. Three months ago, who would've thought the Rezko alliance would be relegated to a flap, and the casual, off-hand niceties would be the straw that stirs his opposition?

Another One Bites the Dust

   Deja vu all over again now that legislators have scuttled another constitutional amendment, another Hail Mary pass to try to resolve education funding once and for all. Middle of May, and it appears all sides are temporarily giving up as they gear up for the election year. Count on some new faces running for state rep on a platform of finally fixing the system. Gov. John Lynch, should he be back in the corner office next year, will need them if he wants to amend the Constitution in any such form. Said Lynch after the CACR 34 met defeat,

"We gave this our best effort, but it is clear that this legislature is not going to be able to find agreement on an amendment. I remain committed to helping ensure all children in New Hampshire have the opportunity for a quality education and I will continue to work with lawmakers to put in place the very best education policy possible for New Hampshire's children."

He Delegates Authority, and Wins

   Hillary Clinton's campaign is steeped in war-room strategy. This Politico.com article offers that Barack Obama's campaign is successful for its tactical delegate operation. Who can really argue that point today, with the one-term Senator from Illinois dominating. Their story, which profiles Jeffrey Berman, suggests a certain hubris and overconfidence in those long-time Democrats advising Clinton.

"Now, analysts trying to explain Obama’s rise and Clinton’s fall tend to point to the big picture: Obama’s inspirational message, the drag of the Iraq war, the past and the future. But the heart of Obama’s victory has been technical and tactical — to the frustration and disbelief of Clinton’s inner circle."

Don't Tax Thee

   Could Taxachusetts become a little less taxing? Another groundswell is afoot to abolish that state's income tax, according to today's Globe story. Of course, Beacon Hill is preparing to go to battle to oppose any such ballot measure, fearing budget crisis of epic proportion. Reminds me of that old saying often quoted by Bob Clegg: Don't tax me and don't tax tee, tax that man behind the tree.

Clinton Waltzing Matilda

An unpresidential welcome in West Virginia.

Great Expectations or Poli Sci-Fi?

   Jim Splaine, the Honorable Representative from Portsmouth, offered rosy predictions for his Democratic Party before the 2006 landslide and partisan seppuku. Wicked rosy. Now, with the effects of a national election about to course through New Hampshire politics, Splaine is rolling out what would have seemed political sci-fi a few years ago. He predicts a continued Democrat surge. Get this: He says his party could capture 19 of the 24 state Senate seats. His is not fuzzy math, he insists. Rather, he contends his numbers are based on a reasonable guess of voter turnout since 2006 and those voters who have remained on the party rolls. GOP Chairman Fergus Cullen has a greatly different read on the political landscape. He argues Democrats in Concord have lost touch with everyday Granite Staters, especially on taxes and family values. But the Iraq war, soaring gas prices and a bruised economy will greatly influence the electorate in November, according to Splaine, a long-time member of the House Election Law Committee and author of the law 33 years ago to require the New Hampshire Primary to be held at least a week before a similar contest. Splaine's predictions do not reference the debates on the state budget and other local issues. And if national issues resonate at the polls, one may ask, isn't his party in majority control of Congress? The do-nothing Congress?

Big Al's Lament

   Just what would we do without the Rev. Al Sharpton? Check out Macomber's compelling account of Sharpton's arrest in the Sean Bell protest. No Jeremiah Wright sightings, but plenty of hand-wringing and the usual condemnation, however possibly accurate, of the nation's justice system.

Advantage, Obama

  The pundits are shoveling 6 feet deep today to deposit the Clinton campaign carcass. There are six more contests on the Democratic nominating calendar, but the math is decidedly in Obama's favor. Here's what Tim Russert declared not long after the vote was tallied in Indiana:

“We now know who the Democratic nominee’s going to be, and no one’s going to dispute it. Those closest to her will give her a hard-headed analysis, and if they lay it all out, they’ll say: ‘What is the rationale? What do we say  to the undeclared super delegates tomorrow? Why do we tell them you’re staying in the race?’ And tonight, there’s no good answer for that.”

Dodds in hot water this time

  Gary Dodds is in hot water this time. Portsmouth police arrested him this morning for allegedly assaulting his wife. The AP story describes a marriage on the rocks since the former congressional candidate from Rye was convicted of faking his disappearance two years ago. Prosecutors convinced jurors that Dodds stuck his feet in a bucket of ice to fake hypothermic or severe cold symptoms after crashing his car on Route 16 in Dover.

All Gas, No Brake

   In a bit of friendly fire, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Raymond C. Buckley II has attacked Hillary Clinton's call to suspend the gas tax. Or so it would seem. His criticism last week targeted Republican John McCain, but Clinton and McCain are essentially on the same page on this one (Clinton differs in that she wants to tax Big Oil -- a Shell game, according to economists). The gas tax suspension would cost New Hampshire $32 million in lost federal highway funds, according to the NH Democratic Party chairman. Said Buckley, "New Hampshire has had enough of these fiscally-irresponsible tax gimmicks that result in either higher local taxes, deeper national recession, or both." In a bid for blue-collar voters feeling the pain at the pump, Clinton is sticking with her call to suspend the gas tax. Polls suggested the issue was helping Clinton in Indiana and North Carolina. Those states hold primaries today, and the outcomes could decide whether Clinton has run out of gas or whether she rolls on to June 3.

Testicular Politics: Over the Hill

  Watch out: A certain machismo has taken over the race for the Democratic nomination. North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley last week said Hillary Clinton made Rocky look like a pansy. And then, Sheet Metal Workers' union president Paul Gibson said the next president required "an individual that has testicular fortitude." Clinton laughed it up  as she took stage. The efforts to marginalize Barack Obama, from his mannerisms to his inability to close, have resorted to attacks on his manhood. Another month or two of this and we'll have to incorporate bleep! censors on the nightly news. To help clarify the politics of the lowest common denominator, I turn today to the Urban Dictionary for definitions of testicular nature:

                            Testicular fortitude: The adjective form of testicle is testicular. I  just met a guy who can't tell the difference between a noun and an adjective. It takes a lot of testicular fortitude to display your ignorance in public like that.

  Testicle fortitude: means having balls, bravery, courage. If ya wanna win, u bettah reach down and grab for sum testicle fortitude.

  Whatever it takes, I guess.

                                                                    

Eight Bells for Clinton

    ABC News reports this morning that Sen. Hillary Clinton is pulling for the filly, Eight Belles, in tomorrow's 134th Kentucky Derby. Eight Belles is the only girl horse in the race. Getting in the spirit, Clinton even tried on a traditional derby hat yesterday. Want more underlying, wink-wink meaning for a politician? Eight Bells is an old maritime tradition, which signified the end of one watch and the beginning of another. Eight Bells and all is well. For Clinton supporters, it's the former First Lady ready for the job on Day 1. Eight Bells is also a famous painting by Winslow Homer and the name of one or two British pubs. The downside for a politician? The term has evolved over the years to mean "finished," and as such is used in the occasional obituary. For whom the bells toll?

Dean of the Party

   Howard Dean will speak at the NH Democratic Party's state convention May 17, and it's quite possible Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton forces will still be battling for the presidential nomination. Some irony in that, considering all the effort last year to craft a sensible presidential nominating calendar. The DNC chairman and one-time wonder, who cultivated considerable grassroots support here in 2004 for second place, will be a "dynamic addition to what promises to be an exciting and monumental day for Democrats across the Granite State," said Jackie Weatherspoon, convention co-chair. It will be interesting to hear what Governor Dean, Doctor Dean, and Chairman Dean has to say about New Hampshire's leadoff primary.