Truth and Duty by Mary Mapes

book jacketTruth and Duty: The press, the president, and the privilege of power by Mary Mapes (2005)

I do not recall how I came to watch the movie “Truth” — maybe I saw the author on Book TV, or a promo on another video, but it was fascinating to understand what all the fuss was about back in 2004 about George W. Bush’s reserve duty in the early 70s. I remembered that at some point Dan Rather ending up retiring but I did not really understand that there was a relationship between his retirement and what I thought of as a minor kerfuffle about W’s service duty. Well, it was not so minor after all. And I am confident that over the next few decades, more truth will be revealed about both W’s failure to perform his duties as required.

In the appendix, she details official documents and describes of the Killian papers and others and how they were used to document the case presented on CBS news (60 Minutes) by Dan Rather. Mary Mapes was the “producer” a job I have no ideal what it actually means, but basically sounds like a lead researcher for news stories that gathers evidence and presents it to people like Dan Rather to deliver on TV or the radio. She had won Peadbody awards for breaking news like Abu Ghraib, and Strom Thurmond’s unacknowledged biracial daughter, reconciled and open now, but demonstrating the bizarre and hypocritical stance of the [now dead after 100 years; that’s what government healthcare can do for you!) old coot’s stand against desegregation.

Mary Mapes was fired for her role in the “Killian Papers” report, as was the woman senior  vice president for CBS primetime news programs (it’s always the women that get the most negative retaliation, another woman and a man were also fired.). If someone bothered — but I am sure not worth the effort — they could probably reconstruct where all W was during this time (theoretically working on a Republican’s campaign for senator in Alabama, but not necessarily doing duty in the Guard). One of the comments in official documents was that he hadn’t been “sighted” on the base where he was supposed to be. And why did he want to transfer to Alabama in the first place?

The president’s [premature] dramatic flight onto an aircraft carrier in May 2003 to announce the end of ‘major combat operations’  and declare ‘Mission Accomplished’ in the Iraq war was the ultimate marriage of his brief military background and modern political mythmaking. The president looked great [gag] in the flight suit addressing America and its forces. But when he was being paid to wear it, fly planes, and protect the country, that military outfit and the obligations it entailed apparently couldn’t compete with the CHANCE TO WORK ON A SENATE CAMPAIGN IN ALABAMA. (p. 138)

The fact that his daddy was “an up and coming politician with strong Republican ties and a big future. Then Congressman George H. W. Bush wrote a letter to his son’s commander at Moody, commending him and thanking him for the special care and attention shown his son.” (p. 64)

No one had a clue that it would be George W. who would become George the Second. It was supposed to be Jeb. The difference obviously was that Karl Rove met George and blew that plan out of the water.

Continue reading Truth and Duty by Mary Mapes

A Choice not an Echo by Phyllis Schlafly

book jacketA choice not an Echo (updated and expanded 50th anniversary edition) with forward by Ron Paul by Phyllis Schlafly (original  edition 1964, this edition 2014)

This woman proves the point that a single person can change the world. Alas, the implication is generally that the world can be changed for the better. Not so with Phyllis Schlafly who fucked a generation and more of women while living a life she wanted to denied the rest of us. And her big bogeymen, mixed sex bathrooms and women in combat and subject to the draft arrived anyway! Meanwhile we are still underpaid, undervalued, and fighting for personal autonomy and against forced birth. And she’s still alive (91), dammit. And still self-righteous. And still an evil horrible human being. But that doesn’t maker her wrong about everything. And I was shocked and a little horrified that this book contains many facts that everyone should know, although perhaps interpret them somewhat differently.

Yet it is funny because, unlike the deep and resounding hatred I hold for Henry Hyde (deceased 2007), Jesse Helms (deceased 2008), and the blessedly dead (2016) Antonin Scalia, somehow I seem to be acting in a sex discriminatory manner for not hating this woman as much as these men. Don’t get me wrong, I do hate her and what she did to stop the simple ERA and her absurd belief that women should stay home and have babies and be good Christian Madonnas serving and servicing their husbands regardless of abuse, adultery, or financial withholding. She is a smart Harvard-educated woman, a lawyer, and a mother of six. She remains a plague upon our nation continuing her involvement with Republicans “usually as a delegate, at every Republican National Convention since 1952” (back jacket copy).

Her heir apparent is the revolting Ann Coulter who did a back jacket blurb that will give me nightmares:

A Choice Not an Echo “changed the Republican Party forever. . . Without Schlafly, without that book, without Goldwater’s candidacy [and Hillary Clinton as a supporter], it is unlikely that RONALD REAGAN would ever have been elected president.”

Oh for a time machine! Of course the problem with that is you cannot tell if you would make matters worse (such as killing Hitler alternative histories, though with him never born, pretty sure the world would have been better off under any scenario). I try to picture a world without her effect, without Reagan, without Hyde and Helms, and especially without the legacy of Scalia (and Thomas and Alito and Mitch McConnell and all the other slime we are living with that are killing democracy and the rights of women. Toss in the rise of the un-Christian theocrats, the American caused rise of radical Islam (that is, the rise of murderous bullies and thugs in the name of religion, oh wait, that applies to the forced-birther Christians too!), and the state of perpetual war, the rule of the few, the theft of economic security and rise of the debtor slaves, oh the dominoes go everywhere and reach everyone. To my sorrow. The damage she has done really needs an in-depth historical review.

Continue reading A Choice not an Echo by Phyllis Schlafly

Against All Enemies by Richard Clark

Againsbook cover showing W, Cheney, and Rumsfeldt All Enemies” by Richard Clark.

The shock an horror from reading this book has not faded. Things were worse than I ever knew back during Bush the First and subsequently. This is a MUST READ BOOK.

The [Bush] administration has squandered the opportunity to eliminate al Qaeda….A new al Qaeda has emerged and is growing stronger, in part because of our own actions and inactions. It is in many ways a tougher opponent than the original threat we faced before September 11, and we are not doing what is necessary to make America safe from that threat. (from Goodreads and I think jacket text)

book cover of GW Bush and CheneyOn Goodreads another excellent book popped up in the recommendations that I read that I will have to add in this blog (have to recheck out from library) : Worse than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush by John Dean (yes that John Dean of Nixon fame)

Against All Enemies by Richard Clark

Againsbook cover showing W, Cheney, and Rumsfeldt All Enemies” by Richard Clark.

The shock an horror from reading this book has not faded. Things were worse than I ever knew back during Bush the First and subsequently. This is a MUST READ BOOK.

The [Bush] administration has squandered the opportunity to eliminate al Qaeda….A new al Qaeda has emerged and is growing stronger, in part because of our own actions and inactions. It is in many ways a tougher opponent than the original threat we faced before September 11, and we are not doing what is necessary to make America safe from that threat. (from Goodreads and I think jacket text)

book cover of GW Bush and CheneyOn Goodreads another excellent book popped up in the recommendations that I read that I will have to add in this blog (have to recheck out from library) : Worse than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush by John Dean (yes that John Dean of Nixon fame)