Hank Kalet

I just want to make sure that I have this right. The Democrats are without principles because they are opposed to what the GOP is doing, because they are not particularly unified, because they won’t engage in a discussion about how best to end Social Security as we know, because they didn’t make common cause with GOP moderates (who ultimately caved anyway) on the torture bill, because … because … because ….

At least, that’s the stance that The Washington Post’s Sebastian Malloy is taking. Far be it from me to accuse the Demcorats of standing for anything, but I’m not sure I get how following his lead would do anything more than lead an already disoriented party over a cliff.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

Taha Muhammad Ali, the Palestinian poet, got the year’s Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival off to a great start for me. The poet was fresh and expressive, his poems vibrant and beautiful — Middle Eastern poets, both Arab and Israeli, have found a way to connect the world to the I with passion and are a growing influence on my own work.

In addition to Ali, others who electrified me — and the crowd — and drew me into their work for the first time included the African-Americans Kurtis Lampin and Sekou Sundiata, the Iraq war vet Brian Turner (his eulogy to a soldier who blew his head off was riveting) and Linda Hogan.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

Jim McGreevey is having a difficult time convincing anyone that he is serious and that his “confession” — that wonderful book he’s hawking all over the place — is genuine.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

I’d file this bit on grumpy old folks under good news. To sum up: Old grumps tend to be smarter than the average. Not sure I believe it, but as I get grumpier with each succeeding year I find this to be a positive sign.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

This week’s Dispatches is ready to read — it’s on Iraq (what else?).

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick