Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 25

On a Conservative Poll
Of the over 2000 people taking the Web poll at ConservativeHQ.com during the May 12-19 period, President Obama’s political philosophy received the following labels” Socialist (46%), Marxist (24%), Communist (11%), Fascist (10%), Liberal (5%), Progressive (2%), Moderate (1%), and the remaining 1% was divided between Other, Populist, and Conservative. FYI: Of those taking the poll, how did they describe themselves: 63% Republicans, 71% Conservatives, but no Fascists or Communists.

Meanwhile, Pat Buchanan is praising Dick Cheney for showing Republicans the way.

On the Supreme Court Nominee
Now that President Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the high court, Republicans can concentrate their opposition on her instead of other potential nominees. They may even try a filibuster. As for me, I’m not crazy about a sixth Roman Catholic on the court, but Rush’s quick criticism tells me that this nomination is worth considering. I simply hope for a fair, nonpartisan vetting process.

On Bipartisanship
Two longtime friends, conservative columnist Cal Thomas and liberal Democratic strategist Bob Beckel, write an every-other-week column for USA Today that I find interesting, thus add them to my Resources. They also co-wrote a book, Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War that is Destroying America.

On Roland Burris
With the latest information about Roland Burris, I hope the senator does the right thing – resigns. If not, I times for the Democratic leadership to step up to the plate and move to get him out. The American Heartland Bar and Grill said it well (as they usually do).

Democrats.  Get this guy out of office.  Ignore those who wish to play race politics and remove Burris.  He is the poster child of the often incestuous relationship between political contributions and political patronage.  He should never have been nominated in the first place.  He should never have been seated as a U.S. Senator.

Senate Democrats.  Show us how committed you are to ‘change.’  We’ve seen Nancy Pelosi’s commitment to change, that’s why John Murtha isn’t being investigated for his involvement in the PMA scandal.  Here’s your chance to show the country that you have high standards and principles by erasing the mistake of allowing Roland Burris to sit in the Senate in the first place.  Some of your supporters won’t like this.  But it’s best for the country that a man who openly lobbied for the seat and at the very least, made it clear he wanted to ‘help’ Gov. Blagojevich, not grace the hallowed halls of the Senate any more.

Do the right thing.  Remove Burris now.

Oh and Nancy, do the right thing- investigate John Murtha’s role in PMA.

On Cell Phones while Driving
A few weeks ago a person told me that more women hold and talk on a cell phone while driving than men. Ever since then, I started taking notice and lo & behold, it seems to be correct (although I didn’t keep statistics). Can someone please tell me the deal on this one?

On a State of Play
State of Play, Russell Crowe’s latest movie has been out for a while, but it still may be in some theaters. As a movie we enjoyed this thriller, but as a blogger I found a lot going on here.

• Political intrigue in Washington
• The struggling newspaper industry
• The effect of the emergence of electronic communications on newspapers
• The importance of investigative journalism, thus making sure many dots are connected before publishing (as opposed to posting as immediate news as you go)

On Rick Steves
Many who enjoy travel are fans of Rick Steves and his wonderful shows on PBS. I recently saw this short article interviewing him, plus to pay tribute to his great work, I’ve added his blog to the Potpourri links.

On Competing Colors
The recent NCAA lacrosse championship game featured the battle of two colors: Orange vs. the Big Red. I wonder when the last time that happened in any sport?

On the New York Football Yankees
In the sidebar to the right I provide links to many interesting writers, and here’s a plug for one of them: 3rd Stone from the Sun. I had no idea about the history of the New York Yankees – the football version. This post is well researched and a great read. Well done 3rd Stone!

On a Trilogy
Something we reach down into our soul for a post, but to discover it only got a few reads. Well, that happened to me recently so I encourage others to read a trilogy I wrote about a personal experience. Start here, then the post will direct you to the next part.