Give me a break: Sweetiegate?

The press is all atwitter with the story that Barack Obama called a reporter, Peggy Agar, "sweetie". Wow. What a hot news story. Not.

So what what does Ms. Agar say? Here we have her response from the Washington Post. (You can read the story in its entirety here.

The reporter, Peggy Agar, with WXYZ TV, an ABC News affiliate, says, "Frankly I have been called worse during interviews than just 'sweetie' so that really didn't take me aback right then."

However, she says, "I felt more offended that he didn't answer the question."

While walking through the press gaggle, Ms. Agar asked Mr. Obama a question about autoworkers.

Later on, Mr. Obama actually left a message on Ms. Agar's Voice mail:

Hi Peggy. This is Barack Obama. I'm calling to apologize on two fronts. One was you didn't get your question answered and I apologize. I thought that we had set up interviews with all the local stations. I guess we got it with your station but you weren't the reporter that got the interview. And so, I broke my word. I apologize for that and I will make up for it.

Second apology is for using the word 'sweetie.' That's a bad habit of mine. I do it sometimes with all kinds of people. I mean no disrespect and so I am duly chastened on that front. Feel free to call me back. I expect that my press team will be happy to try to make it up to you whenever we are in Detroit next.

I'd say that's pretty darn gentlemanly. I wouldn't mind if Mr. Obama called me Sweetie. When I lived it Philly, both men and women used terms of endearment with complete strangers: sweetie, honey, babe, darling, pretty, handsome; the list goes on. It's a regional thing that apparent is shared with Chicago.

So listen, honey, it's no big deal.

Make no mistake

Politically, just so you know, Blue Cat is a not a Blue Dog Democrat.

If you're interested my political compass is -6.12/ -7.08. If you have a few minutes, it's interesting test, located at Political Compass . I'm pretty close to where the Dali Lama is on the compass. Interesting.

Wow, it's been awhile since I've been here!

Short summary of my absence:

• close-up, face-to-face view of a neat streambed
• I thought my sprained left knee would have healed by two weeks
• after two weeks I finally went to see a doctor
• I'd have thought fracturing a bone would be more painful; boy was I wrong.
• Wore stupid knee brace for four months and found out getting pants that would fit over the brace was really hard.
• Wore black storm trooper walking brace on right foot and found out you really don't need all of the tendons a body has.
• caught up on General Hospital. I miss Alan Quartermaine.
• did some embroidery, and it's still unfinished.
• took pictures of the area outside my apartment.
• did you know you can get along without an acl? Fixing it isn't a high priority, I walk just fine now.
• had my left shoulder overhauled.
• I'm not going anywhere near that streambed again!

So that's it. Posted some on Kos, read lots of blogs, and got two cats.

It's almost normal here. As far as the Democratic primaries: man, are they are screwed up. We some housework to do before 2012!

And finally: Yes we can!

Christmas

Sometimes I come across something on YouTube that is absolutely magical. This is an ad for the Peruvian Cancer Foundation. It is a wonderous ad.




When you buy your gifts this season, please remember to send some love and money to those organizations who help find cures for illnesses that our loved ones, or even complete strangers, are affected by.

Updates on Ministry of Education Kidnapping

This is I listened to Morning Edition, with Renee Montaigne. Her guest was Solomon Moore of the Los Angeles Times. I strongly suggest you visit this link and read his article "Uniformed men kidnap scores in Iraqi sapitol. You can listen to the interview on the Morning Edition website

It really is a mystery! Officials are not really sure how many people were kidnapped, and the latest figures say around 50 may have been kidnapped and 37 have been released. Sunni, Kurds and Christians were taken, but we don't know who kidnapped them or why.

To avoid cordons, the kidnappers 17 released overnight, and 2 hostages are believed to remain.

Most interestly, 5 Iraqi police were arrested and questioned. There have been rumors that the police have been infiltrated by insurgents, and this really makes you wonder.

The sectarian divisions are really the cause of many problems. If we are ever to get peace, or at least an end to the sectarian violence, we need to find a new way of dealing with the Iraqis because the Bush Doctrine has proven to be a disaster.

100 to 150 Educators Kidnapped in Iraqi Higher Education Ministry

Sunni and Shiia educators were separated by sex and men were kidnapped by men in Iraqi Police uniforms, driving Iraqi Police vehicles. All universities in Iraq have been shut down out of fear for the safety for the educators.

According to Forbes.com

Alaa Makki, head of parliament's education committee, interrupted the body's session Tuesday morning to say that between 100 and 150 people, both Shiites and
Sunnis, had been abducted in the 9:30 a.m. raid at the ministry offices, calling
the kidnapping a "national catastrophe."

The kidnapping is the largest known of any group, although about 50 Shiites were abducted from vehicles near Latifiyah, about 20 miles south of Baghdad, on Saturday and a similar number taken from the offices of a private security company in March. Their fate remains unknown.

"It was a quick operation. It took about 10 to 15 minutes," Theyab said. "It was a four-story building and the gunmen went to the four stories." He said the gunmen had at least 20 vehicles.

Educators aren't the only targets. Sports teams, women not dressed properly, people of the wrong religious faction have all been targeted. And Bush wonders why people want the US to get out of Iraq.

It is a civil war. A civil war where Sunni and Shiia have replaced Blue and Gray.

American soldiers have tortured and taken photographs to show their pride in there work. That is a fact.

Anyone can be label a terrorist and disappeared without seeing the evidence against them and with being allowed an attorney. They can be held as long as the government wants. That is a fact.

Bush and his cabal lied to get us into Iraq, insisting it was needed because Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, not because of oil.

On November 4, 2006 Bush said:

"You can imagine a world in which these extremists and radicals got control of energy resources and then you can imagine them saying, 'We're going to pull a bunch of oil off the market to run your price of oil up unless you do the following. And the following would be along the lines of, well, 'Retreat and let us continue to expand our dark vision.' "

Except that Iraq's oil production is a fraction of Saudi Arabia's. Remember when Saddam invaded Kuwait? Take a wild guess about what Saddam was interested in?

Bush hasn't a clue. He simply has a lust for power, a desire to be the war president his father (wisely) didn't become, to be looked upon as a savior, a freedom-bringer to oppressed peoples.

Instead, he has brought darkness, death and chaos. This will be Bush's legacy.