WTF Politics: Knee Jerks

Mitt thinks he nailed the landing

Woke up this morning to news that protests against our American consulates in the Middle East had taken a turn towards worst case scenario. Four Americans, including our Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, were killed by an attack on our embassy in Benghazi. Before going to bed on Tuesday night, I was trying to piece together - through various sources - a somewhat disjointed story about the protests outside our embassy in Cairo. It seemed all the facts were simply not known - not surprising when you consider the situation was still fluid and tense. I had the good sense to go to bed and wait for further information. Sadly, no one gave this advice to Mitt Romney who issued the following attack on Tuesday night:

I'm outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi. It's disgraceful that the Obama Administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.

Then Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, double downed on the Romney campaign's statement and took to twitter at midnight ET with the following pleasantries:

Never satisfied to stay on the sidelines of any political or policy issue no matter how wholly unqualified she may be to speak on them, Sarah Palin weighed in with the following via her Facebook page:

All three knee jerk reactions came as a result of tweets sent out by diplomats at our embassy under impending siege in Cairo that dare suggested religious tolerance is good. Tweets that an Obama Administration official - perhaps anticipating the oncoming hyperbole and criticism from the right - pointed out were not approved by the White House. Apparently the details (both known and unknown), were all lost on Larry, Curly and Moe Mitt, Reince and Sarah who seemed to be alternately criticizing the President for "sympathizing" with the Egyptian protesters by agreeing with our American consulate workers who were trying to defuse an escalating situation AND for "not supporting" our American consulate workers who were trying to defuse an escalating situation. Confused yet? They are too.

So, after we all woke up this morning to the dreadful details of the lives lost in Libya, like most reasonable people, I assumed Mitt would dial back the unfounded criticism a bit today. Nope. He decided to ratchet up the rhetoric instead. Calling a press conference to slam his political opponent before his President could even make a scheduled statement on the unfolding, volatile and complex diplomatic situation from the Rose Garden.

Sigh. Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha... please take the wheel.

WTF Sports: Savannah State football players sold to the highest bidder - twice

I watched the waning moments of the Michigan vs. Alabama massacre game waiting for takeout at Buffalo Wild Wings in Ann Arbor. The mood in the restaurant was as solemn as the suddenly rainy weather. Pushing the magic overtime button was not even a viable option. Then a score popped up on the ESPN/ABC ticker: Savannah State 0, Oklahoma State 84. Surely this was an error. How did Oklahoma State achieve a shut out while putting up a basketball score on a football field? Suddenly, as a Michigan fan, your football woes seem less significant. You can go to bed thinking, "well hey, at least we weren't Savannah State today!".

Jokes aside, we all know FBS (the artist formerly known as Division 1-A) schools scheduling "cupcake" games against FCS (formerly Division 1-AA) programs is nothing new. I figured Savannah State would get paid handsomely, go home to lick their physical and emotional wounds and begin preparing for a more equally matched opponent in week two. Nope. While their Athletic Director counted to make sure he wasn't short any of the $385,000 paid to him by Oklahoma State, the Tigers were gearing up for a second ass beating at the hands of the Florida State Seminoles. This time for an even greater payday - just $25k short of half a million dollars. All deposited into the coffers of Savannah's State's Athletic Department. The players wouldn't see a dime. They were paid in bruises to their bodies and their egos.

As a graduate of Howard University School of Law, I am well aware of the challenges facing HBCUs and FCS athletic programs. I am sensitive to the demands of working with small budgets and the desire to raise the school's profile along with its bank balance. I get it. What surprised me was Savannah State's willingness to send their players out as sacrificial lambs TWO WEEKS IN A ROW. It is worth noting that the university knew they already had Oklahoma State on their schedule when they accepted this highly paid challenge from FSU just a few months ago after West Virginia reneged on a game and the Seminoles found themselves needing a replacement opponent. Savannah State's Athletic Director, who would not play a down of football and knowing what was already facing his players in Stillwater, doubled down and decided a trip to Tallahassee wouldn't be so bad. Two weeks later and $660,000 richer*, I wonder if he still thinks it was worth it.


*While Savannah State took in $385,000 and $475,000 from Oklahoma State and Florida State respectively, they also forfeited $200,000 when they dropped a scheduled game against the University of Northern Iowa in order to play the Seminoles instead.

WTF o' the Week: Who or what was the most ridiculous

AND THE WINNER OF WTF O' The Week Goes To...

So, I'm watching the Democratic Convention on Thursday night. The Vice President had just finished delivering a mostly gaffe-free, stirring speech. Warming up the nation to Jill Biden President Obama. Joe, the father of a veteran, got visibly choked up at the end as he talked about the sacrifices of our troops.

We see a future where America leads not only by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. Where we bring our troops home from Afghanistan, just as we brought them home from Iraq. And a future where we fulfill the only truly, sacred obligation we have as a nation—to equip those we send to war and care for them when they come home from war. Where we acknowledge the incredible debt we owe to the families of the 6,473 fallen angels and the 49,746 wounded. Thousands, critically wounded. We must never forget their sacrifice and always keep them in our care and our prayers.

Getting a little misty eyed myself, I turn to twitter for some lightheartedness. Instead, I see tone deafness:

"This is how we do.... Private plane & Wendy's! DNC party here we come"

Willing to overlook her improper application of an ellipsis (three dots, space bar people... is it so hard!?), I was more taken aback by her poor timing and social cluelessless. The Vice President, having just eloquently addressed the struggles of our nation including high unemployment, families struggling to pay bills and veterans returning from war to a whole host of challenges, @KimKardashian (embarking on a paid junket via private jet to appear at an UNofficial DNC 'after party' with Frosty in hand) wanted America to know... STARS, THEY'RE JUST LIKE US!

WTF Politics: Paul Ryan starring in a remake of Liar, Liar

Like many of you, I expect a certain level of truth-bending by politicians. It may not be right, but I'm not particularly surprised when facts and numbers are fudged a little to support their proposed policies or political victories. Until Paul Ryan entered stage right. He'd already convinced a lazy press corps and even lazier electorate that he was some kind of congressional budgetary genius - changing Medicare dramatically and using that savings not for deficit reduction as he'd like for us to believe, but rather more tax cuts for the wealthiest among us. A trick worthy of Houdini, but he wouldn't be the first or last politician to benefit from an easily produced, packaged and delivered storyline.

Rather, what struck me was his newly uncovered penchant for lying about the stuff you’d expect to hear from a guy holding court at the hotel bar trying to impress a pretty girl sitting within earshot. Ryan, who famously prides himself on an uncommon (among his congressional peers) physique, claimed in a radio interview to have a “two hour and fifty-something” marathon under his belt. He also insinuated in the same interview that he was a multiple marathon runner when in fact, his sole marathon – where he came in slightly over four hours – had taken place 20+ years ago. Not having run marathons myself (personally, I think 26.2 miles is meant to be driven), I’m humble enough to know that those who do train for and run these ridiculously long distances are of a different breed. They take pride in their running times and unfortunately for Rep. Ryan, keep records of these kinda things.

Next we hear Paul Ryan is not only Forrest Gump in his own head, but he also fancies himself an American Sir Edmund Hillary. In a 2009 newspaper interview, the P90Xing, washboard abs having Congressman claimed to have accomplished close to 40 climbs of Colorado’s “Fourteeners”. For those unfamiliar with the term (read: me), “Fourteeners” means mountains with 14,000-foot peaks. As you would imagine, crazy people who climb heights that most only want to see from inside a comfortable airplane cabin while enjoying a cocktail (read: me) take these accomplishments pretty seriously, as they should. For the second time since Ryan’s truth challenged speech at the GOP Convention, the Romney campaign had to double back and clarify the prior physical feats of their own in-house Tony Horton.

I don’t know why these little white lies would bother me any more than Ryan’s false Medicare or Bowles-Simpson deficit commission claims, but alas, they do. To me, it indicates an inherent readiness to shade over the truth and worse, the unmitigated gall to think runners, mountain climbers, media and VOTERS are too dumb to know better.

WTF Culture: Kim Kardashian for sale

So, I'm watching the Democratic Convention on Thursday night. The Vice President had just finished delivering a mostly gaffe-free, stirring speech. Warming up the nation to Jill Biden President Obama. Joe, the father of a veteran, got visibly choked up at the end as he talked about the sacrifices of our troops.

We see a future where America leads not only by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. Where we bring our troops home from Afghanistan, just as we brought them home from Iraq. And a future where we fulfill the only truly, sacred obligation we have as a nation—to equip those we send to war and care for them when they come home from war. Where we acknowledge the incredible debt we owe to the families of the 6,473 fallen angels and the 49,746 wounded. Thousands, critically wounded. We must never forget their sacrifice and always keep them in our care and our prayers.

Getting a little misty eyed myself, I turn to twitter for some lightheartedness. Instead, I see tone deafness:

"This is how we do.... Private plane & Wendy's! DNC party here we come"

Willing to overlook her improper application of an ellipsis (three dots, space bar people... is it so hard!?), I was more taken aback by her poor timing and social cluelessless. The Vice President, having just eloquently addressed the struggles of our nation including high unemployment, families struggling to pay bills and veterans returning from war to a whole host of challenges, @KimKardashian (embarking on a paid junket via private jet to appear at an UNofficial DNC 'after party' with Frosty in hand) wanted America to know... STARS, THEY'RE JUST LIKE US!