Last Day to Purge Histories

Dear Readers,

This is the last day before Google starts its new "privacy" policy for you to delete your search history from your Google and YouTube searches.

How to do it is provided in detail in this article.

Even if you don't have a YouTube account, you can delete your searching history from their website.

Madame L highly recommends that you do this.

Sincerely,

Madame L

Graham Apologizes to Obama---But Not to Romney

Dear Madame L,

I see in today's online USA Today blog about Obama that the Rev. Franklin Graham has apologized to Pres. Obama for impugning his Christian beliefs.

Do you think he'll ever apologize to Mitt Romney for claiming Mr. Romney is not a true Christian?

Sincerely,

Doubt It

Dear Sincerely Doubt It,

Madame L is glad to read that Mr. Graham has apologized to our president. His remarks were out of line and uncalled for and showed prejudice and a lack of judgment, not to mention a lack of the true Christian spirit.

Thanks for the link, from which Madame L has found this quote from Mr. Graham's apology:

"I regret any comments I have ever made which may have cast any doubt on the personal faith of our president, Mr. Obama I apologize to him and to any I have offended for not better articulating my reason for not supporting him in this election -- for his faith has nothing to do with my consideration of him as a candidate."

Mr. Graham apparently realized the apology was necessary after he received a letter signed by the presidents of the National Baptist Convention, USA; the National Baptist Convention of America; the Progressive National Baptist Convention; as well as bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

Madame L does not believe that Rev. Graham will ever apologize to Mitt Romney or to any members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for calling them not true Christians. And that is because he will never receive a letter from those people mentioned above, because they all agree with each other.

Madame L has written about the interview with Rev. Graham in which he accused Pres. Obama of not being a good-enough Christian to suit Mr. Graham and Candidate Romney of not being a Christian at all.

Madame L has written, and reiterates, that she thinks Graham and his pals in all those evangelical churches don't like the LDS church because they think it's "stealing" their "sheep."

David S. Reynolds explained in the New York Times in January the REAL REASON for the evangelicals' dislike of the LDS Church, and, yes, it's "sheep-stealing":

"The real issue for many evangelicals is Mormonism’s remarkable success and rapid expansion. It is estimated to have missionaries in 162 countries and a global membership of some 14 million; it is also, from its base in the American West, making inroads into Hispanic communities. Put simply, the Baptists and Methodists, while still ahead of the Mormons numerically, are feeling the heat of competition from Joseph Smith’s tireless progeny."

Mr. Reynolds concludes by asking the evangelicals to tone down their dislike:

"Amid the passions of this election season, it’s time to revive the tolerant spirit of the founding fathers. Religious competition of any kind, they believed, can breed bigotry, repression and hatred. The founders made an earnest effort to keep religion out of politics. Let’s do the same as we carry out the important work of choosing our next president."

Madame L wonders what it will take for these self-anointed "true Christians" to take a truly Christian attitude toward those who don't have exactly the same opinion as theirs. Madame L suggests that this season of Lent and Easter would be a good time to start.

Sincerely,

Madame L

Romney Wins Michigan and Arizona

Dear Madame L,

I just saw on the news that Republican presidential primary candidate Mitt Romney has won decisively in Arizona and is projected to win Michigan.

You used to say you would never vote for Mitt Romney. Are you still saying that?

Sincerely,

A Romney Supporter

Dear Romney Supporter,

Madame L admires Mitt Romney and would vote for him a hundred times over any of the other Republican contenders for the presidency.

However, Madame L does not agree with Mitt Romney's and the Republican Party's ideas about how to balance the budget, create jobs, and get out of the economic mess the previous Republican president got us into. 

Madame L believes that Pres. Barack Obama is on the right track and that the only reason we haven't gotten out of the mess Bush the Second got us into is the deliberate tactics by Republican leaders in the House and Senate to block every piece of legislation that would help us, without regard for what's really good for America and the American people.

Madame L notes that some liberal and/or progressive commentators have been pushing for Rick Santorum only because they want "anyone but Romney" because they think Romney has the best chance of winning in the general election. 

Madame L does not agree with those people's tactics and finds them to be as cynical and hypocritical in their so-called reporting as those aforementioned Republican leaders and Newt Gingrich and the whole rest of the crew are in their campaigning.

Madame L agrees that Mitt Romney would be a formidable opponent for the President in the 2012 general election and hopes that as the year progresses we will see a lot more speeches on policy and issues and a lot less name-calling and pandering to the lowest of the Republican base.

Best wishes,

Madame L

Santorum's Culture Wars

Dear Madame L,

I read in yesterday's online Christian Science Monitor that Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum said JFK's famous speech about not letting his Catholic religion influence his decisions as President of the United States made him "want to throw up."

And I have two questions about that: 

First, does Santorum really want to break down the Constitutional barriers between Church and State? 

Second, what do you think would happen if Mitt Romney said such a thing?

Sincerely,

Going to Vote for Romney

Dear Romney Supporter,

Madame L agrees with your outrage and raises it a notch further. 

According to the article you cited (and thanks for providing the link so Madame L could insert it above), Santorum said, "I don't believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute." 

That just goes along with Santorum's oft-stated desires that everyone should have the same ideas he has about family life. While Madame L finds Santorum's family admirable, especially his long-suffering wife, but also his and his wife's love for their youngest daughter Bella, she doesn't think Santorum's views will work for many other people.

Here's JFK's famous speech, which he gave when anti-Roman Catholic prejudice and rhetoric were prevalent.

 

Madame L also imagines the firestorm that would break out if Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney said he didn't see the need for separation of Church and State.

Here's a compilation of bits from Mitt Romney talking about his Mormon faith and the fact that he is "an American running for President." 

Madame L admires JFK and Romney and agrees with the principles JFK and Romney delineated in these speeches. They show an understanding of the Constitutional and moral bases that uphold our country, an understanding that Madame L has not seen in any of the other Republican candidates this election season.

Sincerely,

Madame L

The Book Review, Sunday, February 26, 2012: The English in France

Madame L recently checked a book out of her local library which was hilarious at times but mostly a disappointing ego trip for the author: "A Year in the Merde," by Stephen Clarke. 

If the title seems to ring a bell, that could be because the book seems to be taking "A Year in Provence," by Peter Mayle, to the next step.

What is the next step? Clarke fictionalizes the memoir and turns it into a lesson on the real way Parisians speak French, do business, and avoid stepping in the piles of dog poo. (It's a step down.)

And while "A Year in Provence" poked loving fun at the French as well as their vacationing and home-buying British invaders, "A Year in the Merde" mostly makes fun of the French, and not so lovingly. The only thing that could pass for love in this book is the mindless sex provided the narrator by various French women in a bourgeois society in which apparently real marital and filial love do not exist; everyone is out to bilk anyone they can out of their money, honor, and ideals; and hypocritical cynicism rules the day.

This was the kind of book that made Madame L glad she'd long ago perfected the art of skimming. While she doesn't recommend this book, she does highly recommend "A Year in Provence" for its gentle charm. And Madame L says to her Dear and Gentle Readers, "You're welcome...for keeping you from wasting time on a mediocre (at best) read."

The Fake Libertarian

Dear Madame L,

I've heard that young people love Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, and that Mr. Paul and candidate George Romney are pals, even to the extent to ganging up on candidate Rick Santorum in the twentieth debate in Mesa, Arizona, earlier this week. 

Do you think that Mr. Paul's young supporters will flock to the side of George Romney when Mr. Paul drops out? 

I ask this only because I know, like everyone else, that Mr. Paul IS going to drop out.

Sincerely,

Not Sure Who Will Actually Represent Me

Dear Not Sure,

Madame L does not think that Mr. Paul's young supporters will support Mr. Romney with much fervor because apparently what they like about Mr. Paul is his support of legalizing marijuana and other drugs, which Madame L thinks Mr. Romney will support only if and when Hell should freeze over.

Madame L knows one thing for sure: If you, Dear Reader, are a woman, Mr. Paul will most definitely NOT represent your interests.

Madame L suspects that Mr. Paul is actually still in the race so that his son, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, can become Mr. Romney's vice-presidential co-runner. (Rand Paul says it "would be an honor" to do that.")

Madame L suspects that the majority of the American population has no interest in having Ron Paul as president. Even the true Libertarians recognize that Mr. Paul is not a true Libertarian.

And women, particularly, should be wary of Mr. Paul's amazingly non-Libertarian and appallingly intrusive views about their health and their ability to make decisions for themselves.

Apparently Mr. Paul thinks that government intrusion is anathema only for men, while women cannot be trusted to know what is best for themselves and must have state and federal officials mandating what they can and cannot do, as well as forcing their doctors to perform unnecessary and dangerous procedures (which some commentators have called state-sanctioned rape) on them if they want an abortion.

Again, Madame L emphasizes that she opposes abortion in most cases, while also emphasizing that Madame L doesn't think she (or anyone except the woman in question) is qualified to make the decision about that procedure. 

Madame L has said it before and will say it again: Women, who make up more than half of the American population, are not well served by the policies and beliefs of Mr. Paul, Mr. Santorum, or Mr. Gingrich. Only Mitt Romney has shown (in the past, though not currently) any respect for women's rights and self-determination.

Best wishes,

Madame L

More on Super PACs

Dear Readers,

Madame L has found a great graphic illustration of where the big money is coming from and which candidates it's going to:

You can get a better look at it on the page where Madame L found it.

This information has become available AFTER the voting in the first caucuses and polls of the season. More information will become available about future contributions and funds AFTER the next round of voting takes place. Transparency, not much.

Madame L thinks the election system in the U.S. is a disaster since the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling last year. But she still urges her Dear Readers to educate themselves about the candidates, contribute what they can and volunteer whenever possible for the candidate(s) they think will best represent them, and, for Pete's sake, VOTE, in the 2012 elections.

Best,

Madame L