Sexy Political Talk

I guess it's time. I've been pretty good for quite a while. But every once in a while I have to get frustrated and shoot off my mouth. Today it's sex in politics. It all started with the partially revelatory news conference this morning by South Carolina Republican Governor Mark Sanford. He'd been missing from the governor's office for about a week and finally people started asking questions. The governor's staff said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail.

But The State - a newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina - had received some e-mails from an anonymous tipster, purportedly from the governor to a woman in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They were, to coin a phrase, carefully explicit. Editors at The State decided the governor might be in Buenos Aires and took a chance on sending a reporter to the big airport in Atlanta, Georgia. Sure enough, she spotted the guv getting off a plane from B.A. and confronted him. He spoke a little about his trip but then began waffling and broke it off. A few hours later back home in Columbia, he spoke to the news media and admitted he'd been having an affair with a woman from Buenos Aires. (SWMBO said early in his news conference - well, he hasn't said yet whether it was a woman or a man!) She and all of us have become accustomed to politicians 'fessing up to an affair with a woman or even a homosexual partner.

I say it's the power. Politicians have this sense of power. It's partly because of the naivety of the women who surround the pol, who seemingly worship at his feet, who think his powerful job makes him sexy. But it's the responsibility of the politician to recognize that mindless worship and deter or ignore it, not to succumb to it.

I used to cover politics as a news reporter and I saw constant evidence of these failings on the part of politicians. They have "groupies" . . . just like musicians or sports figures . . . and the object of them is to . . . how to put this . . . "hook up" with the figure. His power, his fame, then becomes theirs.

So . . . who have we seen among the fallen?

Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina, a Republican.

U.S. Senator John Ensign of Nevada, a Republican.

Governor Eliot Spitzer of New York, a Democrat.

U.S. Representative Mark Foley of Florida, a Republican.

President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.

New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey, a Democrat

See a pattern here? No, you don't. There are Republicans, there are Democrats. Neither party has a lock on the role of sexual misconduct. It's the job, the position, the power.

By the way, there have been a few women politicians who have confessed to bad conduct recently, as well. So it's not just men.

So, what do you do? Not vote for any of them? That's what some people say. I think we . . . the voters AND THEIR BOSSES . . . have to just try to elect the best person and, if he fails, send him home.

Oh, wow! An award!

I am honored! I HAVE BEEN honored by the delicious Malicious Intent!

She has given me her MIAward and placed me in her esteemed Hall of Fame!

I thank you, M.I., and I shall display my award proudly!

Friday feline follies!

Is this the beginning?

Of the monsoon season, that is.

We've been teased this year with cool temperatures and quite a lot of rain in May, which is unusual.

But today, the sky was full of clouds in all directions. And it did rain a bit during the night.

So, maybe the rainy season is nearly here.

A Summer Saturday

SWMBO and I made a trip into Prescott today to have lunch with our friend Diane and to visit the Crafts Fair on the Square.

That's the two ladies, looking colorful.

Diane's daughter Linda, (above) and her friend Kay (below) had a booth at the fair to sell their wonderful wood products. (Which I neglected to photograph!)

Looking around the fair a bit I found a flutist selling CD's of his music.

There was a bluegrass group.

And, everywhere you looked, dogs! Like this teacup chihuahua, which I was told is fully grown but still only a handful.

She had plenty of company.

Last but not least was this fellow, who may have been the Top Salesdog but when we caught up with him he was just . . . . . dog tired!

Baseball Heroes

My buddy, Steve, whom (I hesitate to say but only for a second) I have known for 36 years, invited me down to Phoenix to go to a baseball game yesterday. Steve has become a fervent baseball fan and once again has season tickets for the Arizona Diamondbacks home games at Chase Field.

So, on occasion, I get to take in a game with him, courtesy of Steve's generosity.

Yesterday was such a day and it was a good day because the Diamondbacks scraped out a 2 to 1 victory.

But it gets better!

As we were making our way out of the stadium, a Diamondbacks employee at the top of the escalator said "Hey, if you guys go down to gate 110, you can stroll the bases."

Now, obviously he had noticed the white hair on both of us because this was especially for "seniors" on this day and he didn't ask for any i.d. for either of us. Also, you will note, he didn't say "run the bases", he said "stroll the bases."

Anyway Steve said "C'mon, let's do it!"

He didn't mention until we were too far along that gate 110 was approximately five miles from where we started out. No problem for Steve but he's ten years younger (and nearly as tall) as I am.

Eventually we reached the gate and joined a throng of seniors waiting to be allowed onto the field.

Here we are, in line.

And finally, here we are right on the field. That's third base between us.

I have to admit, after the forced march that got us to the field itself, I was a little worried . . . remembering that each base is 90 feet apart. That's 360 feet total and we stepped onto the field in fairly deep right field. But once on the field, those 90 foot distances didn't seem that far after all. And I was wondering - how come the Diamondbacks don't steal more often.

Anyway, it was fun. Thanks Steve . . especially for remembering to bring your camera along!

A litany

Just thought you all would like something (quite a few things, actually) to think about. So, here you go.