Face It Senator, She's An Issue....

... if Mrs. Obama is out in public publicly campaigning on his behalf, publicly espousing his positions, and getting sound bites on the evening news espousing her husband's and the Democratic Party's positions, what do you mean "hands off?" She is right there in the thick of it along with her husband. Of course she is fair game....

John from Chantilly, VA

That email dropped into McGinty's Mailbag today, after Barack Obama went on Good Morning America and chastised Republicans for putting out an ad critical of his wife. The ad juxtaposed her statement that "for the first time, I am proud of my country," with statements from all sorts of "regular" folks extolling the virtues of America.

Its looks gallant for Obama to play manly-man and try to protect his wife while simoutaneously attempting to take a troublesome issue off the table, but John is right. If Mrs. Obama puts herself out there to campaign, she's fair game for criticism. I'd even say the same for Chelsea Clinton, though that may be a moot point now.

But back to the senator from Illinois...he'd do better to address the substance of her statement rather than playing the aggrieved husband. I know the last thing he and his people want to do is bring this whole 'angry black people' issue up again, but if Obama's opponents bring it up he must explain what she meant and why it doesn't mean she hates America.

I understand what she was talking about, and I think most thoughtful people of any race will get it. On the other hand, as another very smart Democratic presidential candidate once told an admirer who said he was the candidate for every thinking American.

"But madame, that's not enough. I need a majority."

Mother's Day

I remember the time I was running and fell in the backyard, scraping knees and elbows and I ran screaming to you. "Why does this always happen to me?" You said I was a big boy and I would one day grow into my long clumsy feet. And I did.

I remember you dragging the three of us everywhere like it was no trouble at all to work full-time as a college professor and raise three kids. Years later when I asked you how you did it, you said you honestly didn't remember it being that hard. You were kinda..joyful about it.

I remember you giving that speech at the Smithsonian. That was the first time I realized you weren't just my Mom, but a super smart scholar. I was flabbergasted. You were big time, and I didn't even know it!

I remember quite often asking you if you loved me. You always said the same thing. "Yes. A bushel and a peck!" You said you once thought about telling me 'no' just as a joke. But you never did.

I remember you grading papers from your students and agonizing over giving out bad grades. You really didn't like handing out 'D's and 'F's. But you did it anyway. It always amazed me that they loved you so much when you were so tough. But then I realized they loved you for expecting so much from them...and from yourself.

I remember you never complaining about whole basketball teams of smelly guys traipsing through the house. My buddies and I joked that you must be a saint for putting up with us in your kitchen all the time. You just said it was no real trouble.

I remember giving the speech at the retirement ceremony they gave you. It had been 10 years since you left Howard U. and they packed the chapel. I told you then what you meant to us and I said you were lucky 'cause most of us don't get to hear this while they're still alive.

I remember getting the call at the gym that Spring morning. I can't ever forget the sound in my brother's voice. "She's leaving. You better get here." I remember the drive to the hospital. It all seemed surreal. Mom is dying? How could that be?

I remember getting the call that evening at my brother's house. They told us you were gone. 3 years ago. 4/5/05. Sometimes I still can't believe it. But I remember ...everything.

The Hooker Manifesto

After watching the fall of former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer and the self-destruction of the so-called DC Madame Deborah Jean Palfrey, its getting kinda hard to see prostitution as a "victimless crime."

I know, I know. Some of you think its the prosecution of the crime that creates the victims. Its a plausible argument, but before you make it I challenge you to read this article from one of our viewers who emails McGinty's Mailbag regularly. She is 'Karen from Alexandria,' and in short she says her husband used to visit hookers regularly until she kicked him out. But not before he wreaked all sorts of havoc in their personal lives.

Take a look here. And please, leave a comment or three.

Giant Sucking Sound

Is it just me, or does this final season of Battlestar Galactica really really suck?

I know this is an unusual subject for this blog, but this weekend I've tried several times to watch the latest episode of Science Fiction Channel series Battlestar Galactica on my TIVO, only to be defeated by its utter unwatchability.

Thing is, I loved this show. It was an amazing updated take on the old 80s sci-fi clanker. I was actually sad when the SciFi Channel announced this would be the final season, but I was also excited, because shows can do anything in the final season. Kill off characters. Change them into gods or monsters...anything.

But the writers at BSG did the one thing I didn't expect: made a great show boring and inane. I won't bore you with details, because if you watch BSG you already know and and if you don't you probably haven't read this far.

We should however note the coolest thing about the re-imagining of the show. Here's a look at an example of the bad guys from the old BSG-- one of the Cylons.

Pretty cheesy, right? Well in the new BSG, the characters are disturbed to find out the Cylons can look like this:

Yeah. Just like us, except way better looking. It made for lots of conflict and drama. Who's a Cylon? Who's not a Cylon? That kind of thing. But now....I find myself overwhelmed by another feeling. One no artist ever wants to inspire. It is....apathy. As in...who cares?

I feel sort of obligated to finish up this final season, and who knows? Maybe things will improve...but for now its become like our presidential race--a test of endurance. And who wants that on their TIVO?