Scheduling Conflicts

With 3 kids, it can be difficult for me to meet all of the scheduled commitments on the kitchen wall calendar - sports practices, homework help, church activities, social engagements (although not many of those), serial blogging. It's even harder to say 'no' to invitations for more commitments. We want to think we can do it all. So perhaps I should be more forgiving to the 4 leading Republican Presidential candidates for skipping the Tavis Smalley Debate Forum last night at Morgan State University. Certainly, it can't be because these candidates were making a political calculation that appearing at a predominantly black college to answer questions of deep concern to the black community would make them look like weak liberal panderers to a minority group that wasn't going to vote for them anyway. It can't be because these candidates believed that Republican primary voters would punish them for listening to and addressing the issues of importance to the black community. It can't possibly be because the party of Lincoln is overtly racist (or at least doesn't fear appearing to be racist). In the year 2007, it can't be these reasons, can it?

There must be a logical explanation for Mitt Romney, John McCain, Rudy Guiliani, and Fred Thompson to all have concrete plans for that evening, plans that couldn't be rearranged. I haven't heard them yet. Their collective absences spoke volumes, and they should be individually ashamed. Politics is sometimes all about image, and the 4 of these candidates have reinforced a lasting image of their Grand Old Party as the Party of the Grand Old White Man. What excuse could Fred Thompson possibly have for missing another debate of ideas? Alan Keyes has been a candidate for 10 minutes, and he was there! And I applaud the debate sponsors for leaving 4 empty podiums on the stage, as a constant reminder of this public snub. What a sad day for the nation. I think it was that serious.

On the Democratic side, all the declared candidates carved out time for MSNBC and Tim Russert, Washington's favorite Sunday morning bulldog, on Wednesday evening. Everyone clears their schedules for Tim, even though he can be a bit tough with the mousetrap-like questions. Here's a brief summary of that evening's fireworks:

Edwards went after Hillary all night long. He did his best job yet of drawing distinctions between his positions and Hillary's, without appearing desperate and mean. I felt he went too far for my tastes when he agreed that reading a book to 2nd graders about a prince who marries a prince was appropriate. Two points: discussing same sex relationships with 2nd graders, and abdicating that discussion to the school system instead of the parents? John, you've lost me there. I've been described as a liberal, and I teach my kids tolerance, but 2nd grade??? I can't agree.

Russert pounded Richardson on his contention that the woes of the Social Security system could be solved exclusively by growing the economy. In Richardson's view, no other measures would need to be taken to insure the solvency of the program. Russert offered stat after stat to demonstrate that Richardson was not recognizing the immensity of the problem, but Richardson didn't bend. Made Richardson look like Ford insisting that Poland was not under Soviet domination. How many of these mistakes has Richardson made this campaign season? I fear too many.

Most of the candidates supported a national law to ban smoking in public places. That raised a question for me: where is the line between the urgency of a national health issue, and state and local rights of self-determination? Why in this case must the Federal government step in, particularly when the product in question (tobacco) is legally sold and marketed in every state?

Mike Gravel, everyone's favorite wild card, was questioned by Russert about a personal bankruptcy from a few years back. He began his answer with a strong point - he didn't use the power of his office to enrich himself like the other candidates on the stage - and then said that he "stuck the credit card company with $90,000 in debt and they deserved it." Great role model, Mike. The credit card rate I now pay is higher because you declared bankruptcy to make a statement. Bravo.

I hope that when Marra and I are in New Hampshire that every candidate has a schedule that permits some time with us. We're accumulating a lot of questions, and we're going up there to get some answers. I understand that the solution to every issue has some shades of gray, but some things are Black and White. I'll remember to ask the Republican candidates about that.

JS