THUMBS UP TO REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE HERMAN CAIN, who gained credibility over the weekend. On Fox News Sunday, Cain appeared not to know what Chris Wallace meant by ‘right of return.’ Wallace clarified, and Cain responded as best he could. On Monday, Sean Hannity asked Cain about the incident, and Cain admitted he did not know what Wallace meant when he asked. Subsequent to the Sunday show, Cain educated himself, and was able to point out a fallacy in Wallace’s question and answer well. This behavior is in fundamental violation of The Politician Handbook, Chapter 1: “Covering Up Your Ignorance.”
THUMBS UP TO BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Israeli Prime Minister, who stood firm in the face of suggestions that his country give up even more land to the contiguous terrorist nations bent on destroying him. See his address to the Joint Session of Congress.
WITH NO NFL RESOLUTION ON THE HORIZON, professional football player Ray Lewis proposes a sort of “public necessity” argument for a glorified backyard game: no football = more crime. Public blackmail writ large.
TORNADOES RIPPED JOPLIN, MISSOURI and left these satellite images of their destructive work. We are reminded how fragile we are, how suddenly life can be taken, and Jesus’ haunting words of warning in the face of contemporary disasters, ‘unless you repent, you too will likewise perish.’
THUMBS DOWN: THE STATE OF TEXAS ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IT A CRIME for federal security personnel in airports to grope people, but government heavies managed to kill the bill by arguing that they couldn’t make air travel safe without touching people’s junk.
THUMBS DOWN TO HAROLD CAMPING, who will not go gracefully into the night. After his May 21, 2011, 6 p.m. end-of-the-world prognostication proved false (did we need proof?), Camping revised his prediction. Camping now asserts that the world will end October 21, 2011.