No Hypocrite Left Behind

“Academic Accountability” is the kind of phrase that has permeated the U.S. Department of Education during the George W. Bush presidency. It won’t apply to the George W. Bush Institute at Southern Methodist University (SMU).

The whole shebang – the George W. Bush Presidential Library, the George W. Bush Presidential Museum, and the George W. Bush Institute — will be called the George W. Bush Presidential Center. The physical plant will be concocted with private donations now being extorted on behalf of the sitting president by ex-Treasury Secretary and Texas oilman Donald L. Evans. Good luck trying to find a list of donors or even a Foundation website.

Mike’s Big Money Politics: Sing Out!

Today Mike helps Mitt Romney. Mike last helped Rep. Tom Tancredo, and isn’t HE doing great!

The Founding Fathers of our great country believed that any wealthy man with a fervent belief in Democracy and Freedom, anyone who owned enough real estate and slaves, could be trusted to lead this Republic. While we don’t quite feel that way today – real estate is not doing well right now – it is still true that money is the life-blood of the Democratic Process.

After all, without funds a presidential candidate cannot afford to produce and distribute the mind-numbing television commercials, radio spots, newspaper ads, direct mail and robo-phone calls that underwrite our great media conglomerates and their vital tabloid journalism and riveting reality shows. It might even be said that U.S. politics is itself a reality show, which demonstrates how warped our sense of “realty” has become.

But it is a new dawn in America, where the Iowa Republican Caucus has just proven that all you have to do to is lose 130 pounds, get yourself appointed Governor, avoid becoming a lawyer, motivate an underground network of home-schooling parents and Bible-literalist church congregations, and you too can contend for the leadership of this great land.

That is why, crazy as it seems, I will now offer my invaluable help to multi-millionaire and former Governor Mitt Romney.

Cost-Cutting at NASA – The Huckabee Way

The New York Times ran a New Year’s Eve profile of NASA Director Dr. S. Allen Stern. This is hardly surprising, of course, to anyone who knows that news outlets save science features for holidays, when no one reads the paper anyway.

In any case, the hallmark of Dr. Stern’s eight-month-old tenure at NASA is denial (if not rollback) of cost over-runs. Dr. Stern thinks the “that was then, this is now” cost over-run rationale is not acceptable from scientists and engineers, who should be able to add these factors into original budgets and timetables. To some this would indicate Dr. Stern’s shocking lack of experience in the political sphere.

The Teddy Bear Trial

The story has everything to galvanize the UK: Khartoum, a name resonant with British history; democracy mistaken for disrespect; cute kids; a beloved childhood toy; a middle-aged Liverpool schoolmarm; possibility of cruel punishment; love of learning.

Oral Roberts Is Not A Toothbrush

Effete, Bi-Coastal bloggers, ill-informed about the Heartland, assume the current headlines concerning Oral Roberts (ORU) have escaped from the “Health” section.

ORU is actually an accredited university in Tulsa with many unique educational facilities for its 5,000 students, including a 60-foot-tall pair of bronze praying hands, buildings too fanciful for Epcot Center, and a few taller, darker students who play basketball well.

Details of the current scandal merely involve a faculty member and self-professed Republican Operative charging the University President with cupidity, theft, misappropriation of university and church funds and mendacity. You can read about this alleged systematic violation of State and Federal Laws, University Bylaws and the Ten Commandments almost anywhere.

NotionsCapital simply wants to make this clear: Oral B is the tooth brush; Oral Roberts is an evangelistic dynasty and Oklahoma university.

You may resume drinking your cappuccino now.

Inspired image by Mike Licht.

Hairy Test of Faith

It is not easy to believe in a God who won’t give TV evangelist Ernest Angley a better toupee.