James—am sure you’re right about Palin’s shelf life….and hope you are abour Jan 20th. Big Dog shares your opinion.

Phyllis, Babe Paley was a fashion editor at Vogue and as Truman Capote said she had one flaw, “She was perfect. Other than that she was perfect.” Probably remembering that wrong. She also died at 63, Jackie and Audrey at that same age and Grace at 52. She loved poetry and recited it….I don’t know if she wrote it. Here’s a poetry reading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7sJVkE5SZA&feature=related And an interview where she displays her passable French making me feel better, if Grace Kelly can botch it up…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB6WBqD6AeE&feature=related And how she wished to be remembered: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJaW2DYw62Y&feature=related Jackie and Audrey had such substance, so true. To think of the misery Audrey lived through in occupied Holland…the Nazis tore down bridges in the winter to prevent food deliveries. She saw people pulled out of houses and shot in the street, her uncles were taken away and shot, her father leaving them. She carried messages for the underground in her shoe and was grabbed and put on a line for a bus to a work camp that was guarded by Nazis with machine guns….but when one looked away she ran and hid in a cold wet basement full of rats for a week before she ran home…her mother was so afraid that she was dead too. But in a relative short time aft the war…Roman Holiday, Gigi on Broadway. Incredible. She spent 7 months out of each of the last five years of her life traveling in the worst places for UNICEF….leaving her beloved Swiss home. She and Jackie were more stalwart, they kept themselves completely…and were both a lot more comfortable in their own skins, both moved forward. Jackie at heart was always a 16 year old girl…threw herself into things with such enthusiasm…ie when she was editing Peter Sis books she went to Prague to absorb the energy, look and feel, the sense of place and his illustrations really convey all that. As an artist herself she could offer real insights after going there. She was amazing. The book Bridesmaids by one of Grace Kelly’s six bridesmaids was just really fun. That was another era. Now am reading ‘Wikinomics” sheesh…

Gulliver, I am a classic film buff and did some film studies at UCLA with my writing program. Can see you know your stuff. Thanks for the recommendations. Haven’t seen “Things to Come.” I’ll rent it. “I’m good as the next at being a jerk.” —aft the last 8 years of watching Bush Inc’s horror thriller anyone with any emphathy feels pretty raw and un-Grace Kelly like. Take care…and pray for Obama.

Bella, “Liberals love big government.” I’m sorry, but this is rididulous. Clinton/Gore set out as a first step cutting out…and were relentless. They needed to cure the mess of the previous administration. And no president in memory has been so profligate as Bush creating moribound inept super-agencies like the Nazi-like entitled “Homeland Security.” ALL the best performing economies, the most job producing since Hoover have been under Democrats. GAO records. Clinton creatd the greatest surplus in the history of the world and Bush the greatest deficit. 19 months as a Gov of a state, with the highest dropout rate in the nation, the most white and the least diverse, and smaller by over 100,000K than the population of San Francisco—is not VP material. The woman is too stupid to even get through a softball interview with Charlie Gibson. A cringeworthy embarrassment gung-ho for war with Russia, a religious wacko gun nut, who left the tiny town where she was mayor $27M in debt. More GOP total ineptitude. And Ms Kill and Drill has been bilking her state…charging over half the time in office a travel per diem when she was at home, and the independant investigators report of Troopergate will be released before October and that doesn’t sound too promising. Anyone can go to US Commerce Department Charts and discover, as did Elliott Parker, Ph.D., a Professor of Economics, and using data from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis to compare the economic performance of Republican and Democratic presidencies from 1929 through the end of 2005. The Real GDP Growth Rate (annual average) was 1.9% for Republican administrations and 5.1% for Democratic administrations during this time. Real GDP Growth Rate Per Capita was .7% for the Republicans and 3.8% for the Democrats. If taking the Depression out of the equasion, the GDP under Republican administrations was 2.9% and Democrats 4.2%. Compairing Republican and Democratic presidential administrations from 1949 to 2005: • Unemployment Rate- Republicans 6.0%, Democrats 5.2% • Change In Unemployment Rate- Republicans +0.3%, Democrats -0.4% • Growth of Multifactor Productivity- Republicans 0.9%, Democrats 1.7% • Corporate Profits (share of GDP)- Republicans 8.8%, Democrats 10.2% • Real Value of Dow Jones Index- Republicans 4.3%, Democrats 5.4% (in logarithmic growth rates)- Republicans 2.8%, Democrats 4.4% • Real Weekly Earnings- Republicans 0.3%, Democrats 1.0% • CPI Inflation Rate- Republicans 3.8%, Democrats 3.8% The differences in growth, unemployment, and the corporate profit share are all statistically significant, and support the argument that the economy performs better under Democrats. The differences in weekly earnings, stock market growth, inflation, and multifactor productivity all favor the Democrats as well. There was no evidence that the economy performed better under Republicans. Dr. Parker drew the following conclusions regarding the claim that Republican presidencies are “best” for the U.S. economy: Government statistics provide evidence that directly contradicts the argument that the economy does better on average under Republican administrations. The economy actually performs worse under Republicans I have seen the government charts over and over. The Bush-Reagan-Bush had the most financial crime ridden eras. with the taxpayers bailing Silvardo, Enron, World Com, and now all the banks, stocke brokerage and mortgage lenders out, etc What I’ve never understood is why the Democrats don’t just show the government economic charts. they are quite dramatic…to see that the claim the Republicans make about ecnomic stewardship is bogus, and the democrats are dumb not to exploit this. They are good only for the very rich. And then load the middle class up for all the interest on the heavy borrowing to run the country.

I met my first husband when I was 15 and something connected at a very deep level that remains connected today although he died when our son was 16 1/2. My family growing up was very Catholic, one of my aunts was a nun and president of a large private girl’s high school. I went to a priory girls school. And I got pregnant when I was 17. I told my mother when my dad was out of town, refused to have an abortion, and talked her into letting us get married. She was upset but relented. My dad found out his daughter was married and pregnant when he returned from his business trip. Usually he just discovered my mother had added another room onto the house or something like that. So quelle shock. He cried and hugged me and said he loved me. My parents surprised us by buying us the perfect house. No mother could love a son more than I have mine. Complications from the C-section put my life in danger, and I was a scary sight with breathing apparatus etc, so that when my younger sisters arrived at the hospital and saw me they were so traumatized neither ever had children. They both obtained graduate degress (although of everyone in our family my son completed t college and graduate school at the youngest age.) We bought our second house when I was 21…very beautiful, swimming pool, very frenchified. We were extremely happy. Our home was full of music, laughter, good food, order, books, my painting…I went to college part time for years and stayed home with my son until he went to kindergarten. My son went to part of HS in Aix-en-Provence France, to a Jesuit College, to graduate school in Paris. He has degrees in French, Western European Civilization, Foreign Policy, UN Charter Law, International Relations. He speaks French, English, and less fluently, German, Italian, Japanese, and is studying Dutch. He worked for ABC News in Paris, has traveled everywhere. Most of all he is one of the most decent, kind, genuine and other-oriented, gentle people I’ve ever met. He’s a lot like his dad in that. He does not have the fiery parts of my nature. I’ve never said to anyone that I was a month pregnant when I was married. Mainly because I never wanted to embarrass my son. I became pregnant because I was truly a naive kid. A little education would have helped. I don’t regret anything. I’ve know far too many who take a traditional path, did all the ‘right’ things and life intervenes, and everything changes. I still earned in the top 2% of my traditionally male profession, kept a beautiful home, raised a wonderful son, and then went back to for a second go around in college. Even with graduate degrees and husbands taking care of them neighter of my sisters had as exciting careers as mine, and I do not think they’ve had anywhere near my experience or range of interests and accomplishments. I say that because having one child very young is not some kind of death sentence. I did have a lot of help between my mother, grandmother, aunt and the rest of the family so I could have a career that involved a great deal of travel. If I had a daughter or other close female relative I would not wish for her to become pregnant young, or marry young….but advice after the fact depends on the person, the context, support, etc. I agree with Mary…..love them and put the focus on listening and what’s best long term. I’ll never know how my life would have been different, and it doesn’t matter. Because there is nothing in the world that can touch the tremendous gift of my son.

I have read a great deal of presidential historians on what makes great presidents. There is a consensus: Understanding the core needs of the time. A vision for the country and the ability to articulate it in a way that galvanizes support. High intelligence. Executive skills and esp the ability to see the panorama of things and their complex inter connections. Respect and true protection of the Constitution. And most crucially the genuine sense of duty to the citizens of this nation. My favorites are Thomas Jefferson, FDR and JFK. I especially respected JFK for his great reverence for the Constitution. He kept Daniel Webster’s portrait in every office he ever had because Webster was one of the greatest protectors of the Constitution. JFK also donated every governent salary to charity. What distinguishes my favorites is their great intelligence, love of books and learning, ability to communicate, and genuine love of the Enlightenment ideals on which our country was founded, their deep understanding of history and people, and their authentic concern for the common man and the common good. JFK still has a 85% approval rating around the world. One of his speeches I most appreciated was what it meant to be a liberal: “”I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, in human liberty as the source of national action, in the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas. It is, I believe, the faith in our fellow citizens as individuals and as people that lies at the heart of the liberal faith. For liberalism is not so much a party creed or set of fixed platform promises as it is an attitude of mind and heart, a faith in man’s ability through the experiences of his reason and judgment to increase for himself and his fellow men the amount of justice and freedom and brotherhood which all human life deserves “I believe also in the United States of America, in the promise that it contains and has contained throughout our history of producing a society so abundant and creative and so free and responsible that it cannot only fulfill the aspirations of its citizens, but serve equally well as a beacon for all mankind. I do not believe in a superstate. I see no magic in tax dollars which are sent to Washington and then returned. I abhor the waste and incompetence of large-scale federal bureaucracies in this administration as well as in others. I do not favor state compulsion when voluntary individual effort can do the job and do it well. But I believe in a government which acts, which exercises its full powers and full responsibilities. Government is an art and a precious obligation; and when it has a job to do, I believe it should do it. And this requires not only great ends but that we propose concrete means of achieving them. “Our responsibility is not discharged by announcement of virtuous ends. Our responsibility is to achieve these objectives with social invention, with political skill, and executive vigor. I believe for these reasons that liberalism is our best and only hope in the world today. For the liberal society is a free society, and it is at the same time and for that reason a strong society. Its strength is drawn from the will of free people committed to great ends and peacefully striving to meet them. Only liberalism, in short, can repair our national power, restore our national purpose, and liberate our national energies. ‘What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label “Liberal?” If by “Liberal” they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer’s dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of “Liberal.” But if by a “Liberal” they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a “Liberal,” then I’m proud to say I’m a “Liberal.” And I am proud to be a liberal, and very proud of President Kennedy, too. More so than ever today.

Gulliver, “So what?” You ask. The world is full of problems and if there were no beauty we would really be bereft. Grace Kelly was and is an icon for hundeds of millions around the globe and will be as long as there is life. She was perfectly named. Anyone who can look at this video below and not understand what a lasting contribution beauty is in a world where it is so sadly missing….has part of them dead. I do appreciate what you are saying about the problems….but there have always been problems. Did you ever see the Preston Struges film “Sullivan’s Travels”? Veronica Lake. The protagonist sets out to make films that are about causes and though rich wants to be among the homeless and troubled to really see their perspective. He winds up unjustly in a horrid prison camp where no one knows him, believes him or cares about him. The only break he and his fellow prisoners receive in a life of misery is a rather slapstick comedy…and he looks around at everyone laughing, their spirits revived and sees the importance of those things that all the gift of Aprodite (beauty, love,creativity, joy, mirth) and how reinvigorating and hope giving it is. I am also disheartened and disgusted by the things I observe, esp the homeless. We have money to enrich Halliburton and to kills innocent Iraqis but not to take care of the people, 30% of the homeless are Vets.. But if we didn’t have beauty to revive us…what would be the point of going on sometimes? I thought she was fabulous in ‘High Society’….music by Cole Porter,w/ great cast Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, etc. The Swan. High Noon. Magumbo. To Catch a Thief. A person’s soul needs story and fairytales nearly as much as a home. Let’s hope—I’v cerainly worked so hard for it—that Obama gets in and we can make a fairer world. You’re right….though…I agree with you completely about the homeless….that makes me angry and sad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4awCZr7GwY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFzuGvhvwL4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX1y0Uv9gfY

Mary, Her cultivated voice was so mesmerizing. Esp loved her in ‘High Society’ which I’ve seen so often could probably recite the entire script. Her dresses in it were such confections, and the ambiance of that film I just loved. She grabbed the eye in every scene. I admired her discipline and determination tremendously. She had so many trials with her rather dysfunctional family; her mother kind of sold her out, her father was a put-down artist in many ways. I remember in your book (may have this wrong) that she was in a beautiful flowing pink chiffon gown and could see the setting from your description and also there was a picture of your gorgeous property. Jackie and Audrey seemed to insist more when they were older to live as they wished. Grace and Babe Paley seemed to accept stullifying roles, however gilded the cage. I do think Rainier appreciated and loved her despite their differences. He seemed truly crushed and bereft at her death. And it’s nice to know she was feeling joyful at the end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX1y0Uv9gfY

Diana and Om—-She is scary, she is a lightweight, a fraud, an embarrassement. “But it is about reform of government and it’s about putting government back on the side of the people, and that has much to do with foreign policy and national security issues” Hubris knows no bounds if she can say she is anywhere near prepared to be VP….just in her very few remarks she doesn’t know basics. That crap about the mission etc….that’s so amateur and canned. That’s while recent college grads say on first interview. “I’m prepared to be mission focused” meaningless crap 1) McSame is not a maverick and not a reformer and neither is she. Leaving her small town $27M in the hole is not being on the side of the people. foreign policy and national security aren’t jobs, aren’t clean air, medical care, child care, a fair min wage, decent schools, immediate gas in the car, etc. 2) “Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, Charlie, and that’s with the energy independence that I’ve been working on {for these years} as the governor of this state” She’s been gov for 19 months…that may be light years in her p-brain but in my book it’s still one and a half years. Energy independance? Ms Drill and Kill? Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, Charlie, and that’s with the energy independence that I’ve been working on for these years as the governor of this state

She was soooo bad on GMA. Couldn’t even answer basics, what is Bush Doctrine. She BSed her way through with deer in the headlights look. She is an incredible mess. That hair, ugh. She’s so cheap looking and sounding and then war mongering. Yeah, attack Russia. What a terrific idea. Georgia has oil….quelle surprise.

Cassandra, Jackie Kennedy also reminded people she had four children. And Patrick and Arabella were reburied at Arlington with she and JFK. It brings tears to my eyes to think of anyone losing their child and am glad you have some measure of peace and the certainty of meeting again. All best.

“Bush ignored all the warnings and has never explained why.” It’s been explained why all right. Just not on the nightly news. But great post, Elizabeth.

“We are not the enemy of Palestine. And they know it and that is what is so sad.” They don’t know it….the Middle-Easter countries see our overwhelming and unquestioned support of Israel as the root problem in the region, aside from the US shoring up both sides of the Iran/Iraq war for 7 years to perpetuate it, and arming and training Saddam and then lying us into this war. “the war is illegal is often in the eye of the beholder.” There is NO question whatsoever that Iraq is an illegal, immoral and injust war. None. Zero. Zilch. It has already been proven that Bush Inc lied, even Greenspan said so in his autobio. It is an aggressive war that is against International law. Hopefully Bush and Cheney and the Neocons will be prosecuted by The Hague. At least I hope their Karma catches up to them bigtime. They are pure evil.

Kitty— “You’re nothing on this site if you haven’t made a few people really mad.” LOL. Then I must be de trop, too.

GT— Tom Delay/The Heritage Foundation wrote/printed/distributed a booklet to thousands of GOP activists around the country with the stated mission: “We are not going to debate liberals, we are going to use Stalinist tactics to wipe them off the face of this earth.” Obviously you are not paying attention because 1) GWB’s Grandfather Prescott Bush helped fund Hitler’s rise and had his bank seized by the Government under the Trading with the Enemy Act. The only reason he wasn’t prosecuted is that we were in WWII and there was too much of a drain on government resources. 2) The definition of fascism is any government owned/controlled/directed by private concerns. Our government is directed by the oil/multinationals/military contractors. 3) Here are the 14 points of Fascism—- written in 2004 by Dr. Laurence Britt, a political scientist. Dr. Britt studied the fascist regimes of: Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile). 4) The whole world refers to Bush as Hitler and Karl Rove takes his playbook directly from Hitler propagandist, (see the post following this which shows Gobbels propaganda blueprint that is used to the letter by Rove. 5) In an MSNBC poll asking who is the worst vilian, OBL, Saddam, King Jong II, the Prez of Iran, GWB, or Satan…..Bush FAR AND AWAY won the poll as the worst villian in the world…he far outpolled Satan. 14 POINTS OF FASCISM 1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia. 2. Disdain for the importance of human rights The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation. 3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly. 4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite. 5. Rampant sexism Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses. 6. A controlled mass media Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses. 7. Obsession with national security Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting “national security,” and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous. 8. Religion and ruling elite tied together Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the “godless.” A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion. 9. Power of corporations protected Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens. 10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice. 11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist. 12. Obsession with crime and punishment Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power. 13. Rampant cronyism and corruption Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population. 14. Fraudulent elections Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite. _________ Joseph Goebbels: The Karl Rove of Nazi Germany “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” – Joseph Goebbels By exploiting emotions and by employing all modern methods of propaganda Goebbels helped Hitler into power. Goebbels’ Principles of Propaganda: Propagandist must have access to intelligence concerning events and public opinion, must be planned and executed by only one authority. [Herr Rove], must explain propaganda directives to important officials. [Fox News receives its talking points directly from the GOP and repeats the same thing over and over 24/7 through the news cycle, ditto Rush, Coulter, Savage, etc.] Must be transmitted through an attention-getting communications medium, facilitated by leaders with prestige, carefully timed, ahead of competing propaganda, theme must be repeated, must label events and people with distinctive phrases or slogans, must create an optimum anxiety level, must reinforce anxiety concerning the consequences of defeat, specifying the target for hatred. Further GT “What we are” ? “We” are not a monolithe. “There is nothing at all even close to Nazi and Hitler in the Republican party” alot of people think otherwise. Gitmo? Abu Grahib? Illegally invading another country? Backdoor draft with multiple tours of duty? Spying on citizens? Long list.