JFK: May 29th 1917 – November 22nd 1963

Today is the anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the first president that I was aware of in my then-young life. Oh, I knew about Ike Eisenhower, but Kennedy, I was AWARE of him.

My mother and father were both volunteers on Jack Kennedy’s campaign. Those were amazing times. They threw a party on Inauguration Day and the house was filled with people I had never met before.

They spent more money for that party than I ever thought possible at the time, and the attendees, I remember, were very, very happy.

I often compare that evening to Election Eve 2008 when I partied with a big roomful of Democrats as we witnessed on a big HDTV screen Barack Obama’s historic win over John McCain.

But November 22^nd 1961 was a very somber time at my home. That entire weekend had the television on continuously as we watched the unfolding of events, including a moment on live TV when we saw Jack Ruby fill Lee Harvey Oswald full of .22 caliber lead. And Blackjack, the horse that was lead down Pennsylvania Avenue with a pair of boots reversed in the stirrups. And little John John with his poignant salute with that small, small hand of his.

Today, on the 48^th anniversary of his death, Jack Kennedy is being remembered from coast to coast. Remembered on Facebook. Remembered at his former residence.

Remembered by me, wondering what life would have been like had the bullets missed their mark.

On Despoiling the Resolute Desk

Yesterday, as an afterthought, I thought I’d post my latest favorite photograph of President Obama at work. At work with his feet hiked up on a 130 year old national treasure (as seen in a film of the same name – hidden drawers and all), the Resolute Desk.

You know, this one:

A commenter directed me to Truthorfiction.com which had yet another photograph of Obama with his feet up on this desk, as seen from the front. But the hilarious thing was that the black and white photo of Obama and his feet that accompanied the discussion on whether this was, or was not a sign of disrespect was yet another photo from another administration, taken at exactly the same angle and distance as the one I posted above.

The discusstion there was also accompanied by this photograph:

Why is this appropriate? I kept going back to Republican angst that Obama, or Eric Holder, his AG, should never have Mirandized the Underpants Bomber. The implication is that his predecessor did not show this sign of utter weakness.

A fact that lacks just about anything, including the truth.

The truth is each and every terrorist caught and captured after 9/11 under the Bush Regime was Mirandized, beginning with Richard Reid, the Shoe Bomber.

So I found this little bit of back and forth entirely appropriate to merit yet another blog posting.

And to drive home the ridiculous nature of this Teabaggeresque complaint that Obama’s shoes in some way defile the Resolute Desk, I offer this photograph, taken when America was a kinder place to live.

Where a sitting president allowed his child the freedom to explore the very same, but younger by 40 years, Resolute Desk.

I mean, honestly, you never know where those little hands have been, do you.

Don't Tell Mama I’m For Barak Obama

Well, not absolutely, not yet anyway. Neither is my friend Mark, who sent me an email with the subject nearly the same as the title to this posting, this link so I would see the video where he announced formation of a Presidential Exploratory Committee.

Mark tells me that “Don’t tell mama, I’m for Obama” is rapidly getting around as a slogan among Democratic insiders. Mama refers to Hillary. I favor putting his first name in the slogan as well because it gives the slogan a rhythm. You can also sing the line to the Tim Lehrer tune “So long Mom, I’m off to drop The Bomb”.

I like Obama for the fact that he would really help us out in Texas. We have lots of Black Democratic voters here who will fall all over each other getting to the polls to vote for him. This could be just the ticket to retake the state House. I also like Obama because everywhere I look I see that people think he is a coalition builder and can work with both parties.

Frankly, the only negative thing anyone has to say about Obama is his level of experience. He has only held political office since 1996. My friend Don likes to point out that by the presidential election year, 2008, he will have had just about the same political experience as Jack Kennedy. This intrigued me so I checked their CVs and he’s very nearly right.

Prior to becoming President in 1960, Jack Kennedy was Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts for 8 years. Prior to that he was Congressman John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts’ 11th congressional district. He served in that office for 6 years. Total: 14 years, all in federal legislative bodies.

Barak Obama was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996 and served there until he won his US Senate seat in 2004. It was that year that he was vaulted to national attention when he gave one of the best keynote addresses I have ever heard. So by 2008, Obama will have served for 12 years in political office.

That’s only two years shy of Kennedy’s service but there are two things to point out: 1) Obama’s experience is at both the state and federal level – he has broader experience than Jack Kennedy had – and 2) Kennedy’s years in the Senate were punctuated by time that he had to take out for four spinal surgeries and recovery from them. I know, the second one is rather lame, but there’s that.

And consider this, in 2008, Barak Obama will be 47 years old. That’s four years older than Jack Kennedy was when he was elected in 1960.

Quite frankly the only thing that Obama lacks that Jack Kennedy had is a war record: Obama never skippered PT boats, never got stranded on a remote island in the Solomons, and never was played by Cliff Robertson in the movie that was made about it.

Finally, consider his “Star Power”. People talk about it all the time. Back in the Kennedy years, we used to call that "Charisma".