The Red Queen

There are things you know that you know, but you don’t know how to say them and that is why I am thankful I know how to read because every so often I will find the words that have eluded me.

Today was such a day for me. In a column on Hugh Hewitts blog today I found these words concerning the behavior of Hillary Clinton during Bill’s occupation of the Oval Office:

Here's a lovely glimpse of the inner Red Queen at work in Senator Clinton, from the article's extensive account of the rise and fall of HillaryCare:

She courted skeptical Senate Finance Chairman Daniel Patrick Moynihan, but undercut the stroking with threats. At a weekend retreat after the State of the Union address in 1993, she dismissed worries about meeting a 100-day deadline set by her husband for a healthcare bill. Asked what would happen if they were late, she said: "You don't understand. We will demonize those who are blocking this legislation and it will pass."

This is the Clintons, period. They. Will. Demonize. You. And then plead, maybe while biting on their lip, for an end to the politics of personal destruction. Right.

The Dems have had no new ideas since ’92. They have offered us nothing since the Clintons ascended to power in the way of progress or policy. And how do they keep winning elections?

By demonizing their opponents. At least that’s what Hillary said.

I Predict Some More

Two and one half hours until the ABC broadcast of "The Border War", Mizzou and Kansas 2007 style.

Since we last opined on the topic of Mizzou football, they have steadily climbed the rankings week by week, despite the setback after losing to Oklahoma. Missouri and Kansas have both got themselves in the mix for a national title. This is hard to put into words. I'll just say what I told my bride the other day. As thrilled as I have been for the exploits of the St. Louis Cardinals, nothing would beat a national title for Mizzou. She seemed surprised. But that's where we are. First things first, though. We gotta beat Kansas and then beat the Big 12's South representative. Difficult tasks, obviously, but possible.

I ask again, can you believe we, 1) are discussing the possibility of Mizzou winning a national title, and 2) have not suffered any head trauma?

Beating Kansas will be no walk in the park. The Jayhawks are thumping lesser opponents the way good teams are supposed to thump lesser opponents. However, the string of lesser opponents has run out. The Tigers will be, hopefully, the best team Kansas has seen this year.

I say Mizzou gets it done 41-28.

I Predict

I am sure you have noticed the motorized shopping carts they have at Wal-Mart and other stores. It seems to me I see more of them in use as the years go by. Are we that much less able than our forbears were to pick up the milk and bread and bologna?

I mentioned to my bride tonight that I thought in 20 years Wal-Mart will need to be twice as large because half of the people in the store will be using motorized shopping carts.

And they will be driving aggressively, too.

Maybe It's Busted

We are assured, as the new film The Golden Compass is set to release, that atheism is making a resurgence.

That's nice. Can I ask where it went?

What's it say about a philosophy that is in need of "resurging"?

Incredibly, Mizzou in Control

I read these words yesterday -

The possibility of Mizzou finding a way into the BCS championship game has just been upgraded from darned-near-impossible to real as real can get. Missouri still needs some help, but not as much as a week ago.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Bryan Burwell wrote those words and I just about could not believe my eyes. He's right, of course, but anyone who has followed Mizzou football for any length of time would have trouble digesting it, despite the logic.

It boils down to the Tigers winning out (K-State, Kansas, and, probably, Oklahoma) and either LSU or Oregon (or both!) stubbing their toe along the way. Obviously this is not easy, but, and this is the part that makes a long-suffering Tiger fan shake his head in disbelief, it is possible. I didn't say probable, I said possible.

Next door, the Jayhawks are the media darling right now and that's understandable, they haven't lost a game. And the truth is, the recipe for Mizzou is the same for KU - win out and if somebody in front stumbles, they get in the title game. But frankly, I like Mizzou's chances against Kansas as much as I like them against most everybody else, it'll be tough, but I think they win it.

And that means the Big 12 North Division title. Missouri has been trying to get there for so long - it has been so long since they were relevant. And now they are. It is sweet.