I Spy

A few weeks ago, I saw the movie Fair Game, detailing the exposure of Valerie Plame as an undercover operative for the CIA.

When that happened during the Bush Administration, they attempted to portray her as a mere secretary of no import. That wasn’t really the case. Her job was to help gather information while undercover in the Middle East.

Like most spy organizations, they gather little details from many sources and then pull it all together to get a full picture of various threats to national security around the world.

If this week, we were reading in the paper that a SPY had procured hundreds of thousands of documents and presented them to a handler for China or Iran, the country would be outraged. We would be calling it treason and suggesting they spend their life in prison at the very least.

Instead this week, we are watching major media outlets disperse that information provided to them by WikiLeaks (with the redactions that the MEDIA deemed important).

How exactly is WikiLeaks any different from a spy organization? For all these journalists know, there is one sentence in all those reports that confirms some key piece of information foreign intelligence organizations were waiting on.

I believe in the freedom of information to a point. I also respect whistle-blowers for having the courage to say that information is wrong like Watergate, WMDs in Iraq and even the original WikiLeak footage of Iraqi civilian deaths.

But just blindly accepting stolen documents from a spy and then passing them onto the media isn’t the same thing.

It’s not journalism. It’s facilitating treason.

We need a hero

I think President Obama has been given a rough deal. He’s been dealing with an economic meltdown, a never-ending war and the BP spill.

I’m sympathetic, but only to a point.

You’re the President of the United States, dude. It’s not all pomp and circumstance.

That said, I think he has tried to do a good job, and I’m mostly supportive of what he’s done. But he’s really losing me on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

78% of Americans favor ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Soldiers favor it. So do most of the top brass.

Admitedly, the Marine Corps Commandant has come out against changing it while we’re at war.

I think that’s why we need to change it.

First of all, the war on terror is not a typical war. It’s more like the war on drugs. It’s a concept. There will always be new skirmishes, new fields of battle. Some gay soldiers are our most skilled. Why would we toss them out when we need them most? Asking them to lie to their colleagues and commanding officers is offensive and certainly a bad precedent.

Any solider who can’t follow orders and treat their fellow soldiers with respect are the ones who should go.

That said, I think the military will handle this just fine. It’s the President who concerns me.

I get it, it’s better to change policies through Congress than the courts.

But that doesn’t seem to be an option.

However, there is a very good option available to Obama. A chance to do the right thing AND be presidential.

As Commander-in-Chief, he can order the military to suspend the practice until Congress is ready to make it official.

We need a leader, President Obama. This is your chance to show that you are one.

Where's Mine?

Anyone who has ever changed jobs or lost a job can tell you about the sticker shock that comes at the idea of paying for health care through COBRA even if it’s just for one month before your new employer’s plan begins.

Anyone, that is, except freshman Republican congressman Andy Harris from Maryland.

Politico reports that Harris was apparently shocked to learn that his government insurance wouldn’t kick in for one month after he takes office. He then asked if he could purchase coverage from the government for that month…which is suspiciously like the public option he’s vowing to repeal.

His spokesperson says he wasn’t being hypocritical. He was, “just pointing out the inefficiency of government-run health care.”

But as an anesthesiologist, he should be aware that this isn’t just government-run health care. This is MOST health care. This is the health care that working men and women have every day. If their job even offers health insurance, it doesn’t start right away. It limits where you can get your care and what treatment options are available. Sick children and others who need long-term care often hit the cap of what the insurance companies will pay.

I hope Maryland is happy with their choice of a congressman who seems completely out-of-touch with the reality most of the state faces.

I’m sure he and his family will survive this one-month gap just fine until they end up with that government-run health care he hates and the rest of us envy.

And now, a word from Kanye West

If there was one thing that Team GW was good at during his presidency, it was controlling the discussion.

For example, if the media is getting a little too nosy about the absence of WMDs, you can simply throw them an attractive CIA agent and they’ll be nipping at her heels instead of yours.

As our former president made his media rounds this week, it was incredibly clear is that he can still control the discussion. Bush calmly fielded questions on those WMDs, the mission accomplished banner, the economic meltdown, nation-building in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina.

But what was the headline?

How much George Bush was hurt by Kanye West calling him a racist.

His two terms were marked by thousands of Americans dying in New York, New Orleans and Afghanistan, but the “worst moment” of his presidency was being called a racist by a rap star.

Instead of calling him out on this obvious overstatement, NBC was clearly over the moon at this chance for “healing” and a ratings bonanza.

First, the apology from Kanye West and then the former president’s reaction. Awesome.

Kanye West, never one to miss a self-destruct opportunity, couldn’t just give a regular interview. While his point was apparently to skip the tv drama in favor of real discussion, Kanye  made this point by creating tv drama so we could all skip the discussion. Now, that’s a mission accomplished.

I don’t want to watch Kanye West apologize to George Bush.

I want to watch Bush apologize to Valerie Plame.

Don't say you're Canadian if you're not

Don't get me wrong. I love Canada.

I'm up for some hockey, Tim Horton's or Barenaked Ladies any day of the week. I can name the Canadian prime minister, discuss the lead story in the Toronto Star, and I even tune in to CBC radio occasionally to listen to Q. I like that Jian Ghomeshi.

What I don't like are seeing Americans with those little Canadian flag pins on their backpacks.

Someone explained to me once that they say they are Canadian because people have negative stereotypes of Americans. While the general Canadian stereotype seems to be that Canadians are all nice people.

Don't you think that's because people in foreign lands are having friendly chats with super-nice "Canadians" every day? They talk to Americans with their little maple leaf pins and walk away, thinking, "Wow. Another nice Canadian."

The only way to change the stereotype of the Ugly American is to be a Nice American.

If you disagree with something our government is doing, then tell people that. If you agree, explain why in a reasonable manner. Listen to their side. Try to speak their language - literally and figuratively.

But, if nothing else, take off that damn pin.

Still seeking sanity

As one of the many, many people at the Rally to Restore Sanity, I found this message really struck home with me:

"If we overreact to every little thing, we make ourselves sicker. If we amplify everything, we hear nothing!" - Jon Stewart

To me, the rally was a response to the media playing into the Right and Left's desire to control the story. Rather than take their responsibilities as the 4th Estate seriously, they follow along with the talking points and amp up every little newsburb into a screaming headline.

Sure enough, within hours of the rally, the media had already shifted attention to Jon Stewart's "attack" on the left.

Let me be honest here in my first post. I lean left. Not libertarian left. Not conspiracy theory left. But a progressive left. I favor stem cell research, gay marriage, a woman's right to choose. I'm okay with my tax money helping the poor and would prefer that the rich and large corporations shoulder a larger tax burden.

But, just to throw a wrench in my democrat engine, I believe in the death penalty. I don't think it works a deterrent, but I do think that many cases are solved because it's an effective bargaining chip. If my loved one was missing, I would want their body back even if meant the killer got life in prision.

And for the official record....I love the United States. I support the troops. I believe this is the best country on earth.

I'm sure many of my views will become known through this blog in time. I hope to present them in a reasonable way that allows for discussion. But let's all remember that this are my opinions. This is an op-ed blog, not unbiased journalism.