Republicans Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy were caught in a bit of unguarded conversation today and someone posted the moment to YouTube.

Noonan, a former speechwriter to Ronald Reagan and a Wall Street Journal columnist, and Murphy, a longtime GOP campaign strategist, were guests on MSNBC when host Chuck Todd breaks for a commercial. The camera cuts to a wideshot, but the audio continues for another couple of minutes, as the GOPers debate the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate, including:

Murphy: It's not going to work.

Noonan: It's over.

Murphy: But still, McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.

Todd: I think this was insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson ... She’s never looked comfortable with this.

Murphy: they’re all bummed out.

Todd: I mean, is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?

Noonan: The most qualified? No. I would think they went for the, excuse me, political bull***t about narratives...

Noonan: Every time Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it.

Murphy: You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism and this is cynical.

Judgement: People who hold public office are held to a higher standard than your ordinary next door neighbor and will be judged. Why? Because they have power over their neighbor.
Shame and Scandal in the Family.


'It doesn't matter how big a ranch ya' own, or how many cows ya' brand, the size of your funeral is still gonna to depend on the weather.' Harry Truman.

When President Truman retired from office in 1952, his income was substantially a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year.
Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, 'You don't want me. You want the office of the president, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it' s not for sale.'

Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, 'I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise.'

We now see that other past presidents, have found a new level of success in cashing in on the presidency, resulting in untold wealth. 
Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. 

Political offices are now for sale.


Was good old harry truman correct when he observed,"my choice early in life was either in a whorehouse or a politician and tell the truth there is hardly any difference. I for one believe the piano player job to be much more honorable than current politicians.

Digital Tradition Mirror

Shame and Scandal

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Shame and Scandal
(Donaldson, Brown)

In Trinidad, there was a family,
  with much confusion as you will see.
There was a mama and a papa, and a boy who had grown,
  who wanted to marry and have wife of his own.

He found him a girl who was suiting him nice.
  He went to his papa to ask his advice.
The papa said, "Son, I've got to say no.
  That girl is your sister, but your mama don't know."

    Woe is me!  Shame and scandal in me family.   [ Chorus ]
    Woe is me!  Shame and scandal in me family.

The weeks went by and the summer came down,
  and soon, the best cook in the island he found.
He went to his papa to name a date.
  His papa shook his head and to him he did say,

"You can't marry this girl; I've got to say no.
  That girl is your sister, but your mama don't know."

     Woe is me!  Shame and scandal in me family.   [ Chorus ]
     Woe is me!  Shame and scandal in me family.

He went to his mama, he covered his head,
  and told his mama what his papa had said.
The mama she laughed, she said, "Go man, go!
  Your daddy ain't your daddy, but your daddy don't know!"

    Woe is me!  Shame and scandal in me family.   [ Chorus ]
    Woe is me!  Shame and scandal in me family.

Asked what he would do if he were in the president's shoes, House Majority Leader
Dick Armey said, "If I were, I would be looking up from a pool of blood and hearing
(my wife ask), `How do I reload this thing?"

"I was born in Boston, New England, and owe my first instructions
in literature to the free grammar schools established there. I therefore
give one hundred pounds sterling to my executors, to be by them, the
survivors or survivor of them, paid over to the managers or directors of
the free schools in my native town of Boston, to be by them, or by those
person or persons, who shall have the superintendance and management
of the said schools, put out to interest, and so continued at interest
forever, which interest annually shall be laid out in silver medals, and
given as honorary rewards annually by the directors of the said free
schools belonging to the said town, in such manner as to the discretion of
the selectmen of the said town shall seem meet."
-- Last Will and Testement of Benjamin Franklin (1789)