Bush & Company

Since de facto presidential nominee Mitt Romney has recruited his better half as his chief, most earnest, enabler, she may already have mustered who knows how many credulous voters into his camp with her sweet, feminine good looks, charm and the seeming authenticity and genuine naturalness that he lacks.

Mrs. Romney's main target must be women, in an effort to counteract his attacks on their rights, notably per the brutal Ryan Budget Plan he's called "marvelous," but she must aim for the entire electorate, merrily defending and attempting to mitigate his senior year prep school bullying as harmless, hilarious pranks. It wouldn't do for voters to perceive him as a fully developed adult tormentor.

I couldn't be a luckier wife---
I lead the most ideal life
And all you women like me should
Know Mitt's plan is for your own good

And chasing sissies down the hall
Until they finally trip and fall
And cutting off their bleached blond hair---
Now just how is that so unfair?

It really makes me laugh! As for
That blind man led into a door---
Just one more kooky escapade,
A monkeyshine, a trick he played

Like all those wacky things he's done.
I ask you, where's your sense of fun?

On May 8, swiftboating was reborn. The new swiftboaters are attacking Barack Obama for his achievements and using them against him.

They will attempt to spin the Obama raid on Osama bin Laden's safe house into a detriment, muddying the waters to confuse the public. They will repeat their twists of truth over and over until, by some, they're believed. They will refashion President Obama's national security and foreign affairs strengths into weaknesses, as Mitt Romney knows but little about such matters, while making simplistic and hawkish claims about what he would do and have done.

The secretive rightist group, Veterans for a Strong America, "securing America's future by supporting conservative veterans," led by former Koch brothers Americans for Prosperity consultant, Iraq veteran Joel Arends, seeks to do to the president what the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth did to candidate, Senator John Kerry. They plan to enlist Navy Seals and Special Forces to fortify their mission.

Radical Republican politicians not only wish to turn the president's successes into failures, but to somehow make his successes their own.

They fought for us, they risked their lives,
Seeming good men---tell me what drives
Such men to tell egregious lies
So they'll attain so base a prize,

While sons and daughters will believe
To win the fight you must deceive.
What kind of lesson, so amiss?
What kind of legacy is this?

Fox News common sense commentator Sheppard Smith, though part of the Right Wing's unofficial arm, said on May 9 that President Obama is "on the right side of history."

Our president, who has evolved into his belief that gays and lesbians should have the same civil rights as everyone else and be allowed to marry, was quietly commended by Fox's token voice of reason.

This time, has Mr. Smith gone too far?

A Brief Note to Mr. Smith

Dear Mr. Smith, I fear for you---
Just what inspired such derring-do?
Those foolish words, however true,
Tomorrow, sadly, you may rue,

For would your masters let you stay
At Fox even another day?
Oh, well, take heart, perhaps we'll see
You soon on MSNBC!

A new ebook, THE YOUNG GUNS, by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), published by Simon & Schuster, is based on their Young Guns program to recruit strong conservative candidates.

The Young Guns themselves represent the Extreme Right dominating the House, not in the interest of their constituents, particularly women, they and their cohorts voting against the Violence Against Women Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and to defund Planned Parenthood with its range of primary and preventive procedures and sliding scale costs.

Women earn 77 cents on the dollar; men earn 100 percent; Social Security benefits paid upon retirement subsequently default for women. Entitlement monies are now being referred to by Republican legislators as "slush funds."

Senator McCain calls this war on women "imaginary." House Speaker Behner calls it "the so-called 'war on women.' " Senate Minority Leader McConnell calls it "a manufactured issue."

These are the sorts of candidates the Young Guns seek to enlist---uncaring, reactionary men like themselves.

The three Young Guns intend to find
More pols precisely their own kind
Who'll resurrect past issues, then
Though settled, they'll vote on again
And mock those matters, all too real,
Denying them with equal zeal,
Yet paying them but little mind.

Grave issues are diminished when
Defined by mean and clueless men.

THE PRESIDENTS CLUB, Simon & Schuster (April, 2012)

Congratulations, Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy, on your new book, THE PRESIDENTS CLUB.

I was curious, too, about the fraternity among the former presidents and published on bushandcompany, April 4, 2011, comments on a March 21, 2011 event honoring George H. W. Bush for his contribution to volunteerism. All four living former presidents were present. This reminded me that the camaraderie among past presidents is like an unofficial fraternity and so I followed up with this verse:

The old boys club, now down to four,
And long ago, when they were more,
Perhaps have met, comparing notes,
Exchanging humorous anecdotes,

Examining not too closely those
Sins and omissions to expose;
All barbs and rancor put aside,
By time's erosion mollified;

And in some dim and distant pub,
May meet that other old boys club.
Hoist high your mugs, historic gents!

Farewell, farewell, past presidents. . .

I hope you both will read the whole piece; we seem to be on a similar wave length.