Columns

As you know, knowledgeable reader, the Republican Party finally achieved their goal of complete control of the legislature last year.

This control was supposed to have numerous glorious consequences too numerous to enumerate, but, in short, we were to have entered a new golden age; an age in which miracles would be so numerous as to be commonplace.

Had the victors in this power play been folks of outstanding statesmanship, or sense, or perception, possibly the outcome might have been as advertised.

I can’t remember the date, but I’ll never forget the day.

Make that the evening.

I was covering the Kingston City Council about eight years ago when someone walked into the council chambers with a newspaper.

From afar, I enviously admired the crisp colors, clear lettering and the smudge-free look of what I considered a competitor’s newspaper.

Suddenly, I realized the person was holding a fresh-off-the-press copy of the Roane County News.

Gentle reader, did you hear that the sports network ESPN has pulled its long-time introductory song from the Monday Night Football broadcast?

It seems that the performer, Hank Williams the younger, has interjected himself in the TEA party type “discussion” of politics.

The report is that he was interviewed on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” broadcast Monday morning, when he characterized President Obama’s golf game with House Speaker Boehner thusly: “It’d be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” my sister lamented by phone.
It was a loaded question, so I bit my lip and responded only with silence.
“I’m having a yard sale, and I don’t know what price to put on anything,” she continued.
With a sigh of relief that her subject had been targeted, I was ready to respond.
“Debbie, nobody knows what to price things at in yard sales,” I told her. “You just do the best you can, try to be reasonable and be ready to negotiate on offers from reasonable people.”