Meanwhile, Seattle didn't manage to blow another lead late (the Vikings failed to take the opportunities given to them) and the wild card race is a bit clearer. Oh, and SF is managed another win (in another high scoring OT victory vs. Arizona, thus being a reason why the Cards are not in the playoff race). Every dog has his day
I am not a great believer in the motto that "everything happened for a reason," unless it is a question of scientific cause and effect. On the other hand, I am one who knows we must take what we are given, and do the best we can with it. Sometimes what we are given is less than desired, but it's still often not a question of wanting, but needing. Our obligation, for want of a better term, is to take what we are given and do the best we can. And, again, sometimes it offers more than we might at first think we should really expect.
This bit of slightly corny sentiment, though I do truly believe in it, is partly inspired by Love Comes Softly, a Hallmark movie based on the book by Jannette Oke. The movie is fitting for the season, including its portrayal of faith and care that suggests that our leaders give such things a bad name by claiming to truly honor either of them. The bit about things sometimes not being a matter of wanting but needing comes from the movie, but in a bit of hard-edge sympathy that hit home. For some of the subject matter of this blog, it is a sentiment that bears remembering.
To mix genre, in a sense, take the end result of Bernard Kerik ... I just heard a news update that the administration (Alberto Gonzalez was in charge of vetting, Rudy G. recommending -- though the latter now is eating crow) said that there wasn't a problem in the Cabinet nomination process. Surely not -- they cannot do wrong, so that isn't possible (sheeet, it's like arguing for a square circle). Anyway ... yeah, there were reasons* enough for him turning down the nomination, but it's not like they came from above or anything. The test is what we do with the situation.
You know, after doing a bit of laughing and such, and we realize that the loss won't hurt them much without more. Wouldn't be the first time, won't be the last. But, recall, their mismanagement and error on matters of our security were not properly covered in the past. We did not truly take what we were given, we didn't (I might reference the movie here ... charming viewing with a lesson) see what we truly needed or have the presence of mind to look toward the future. One can say the same regarding someone put on the list recommended to Bush to replace Bernie -- Sen. Lieberman. Great option, Al Gore, and New Republic editors (their '04 presidential choice)!
But, the nomination's failure does offer a ray of hope that there are limits to what will be allowed or accepted without hurt. Will the Democrats realize this, and truly question some of the other nominees that should raise our concerns? After all, the chances of BK actually being confirmed in the current climate was actually pretty good in the early goings. A sad example of low expectations, especially given all the negative articles out there in local papers and beyond for those who looked.
Oh well. Every dog has his days, I guess ... even the American public, who deserve more than this guy, even if his replacement might not be so much better. I'd note, however, that loyalists are bad enough ... loyalists with excessive baggage are just a bit too much at times, even for these times.
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* Suffice to say the "reason" was not problems with a nanny. This whole nannygate issue has annoyed me for longer than I'd like to remember. Back in the day, I was a participant in a political bulletin board, and some people disagreed with my stance that Clinton's Attorney General picks should not have been opposed on this technical violation.
The replacement turned out to be Janet Reno, who might not have had a need for a nanny, but was not great improvent. She had some less easy to attack problems in her past. And, then Dubya's Labor Secretary choice had the same problem, though the true issue was ideological. Meanwhile, the replacement was not so much better (and the position was rather insignificant), and Ashcroft was confirmed.