Midwest Monday News 11.14.05
Posted by Steven Bellah on 11.14.2005
My view on Eddie, and an open letter to President Bush.
Frankly, I'm in no mood to be writing this right now.
The death of Eddie Guerrero this morning has put me in no mood to write about how shitty Republicans are, but I'll do my best. I arrived at my parent’s house after work today and my mother was on the phone, the TV was on, and it was on mute. The first thing I saw was a news report with the caption "Wrestler Dies". I immediately turned up the volume and the first words I heard were "Eddie Guerrero" and I was crushed.
I know this isn't the wrestling portion of the site, but hell, I've talked about non-Political content here before. And if you don't like it, I don't care.
It was almost an exact copy of April 8, 1994 when I heard of Kurt Cobain's suicide. I arrived home from school, my mom was on the phone, and the TV was on "A Current Affair" with the sound you guessed it, muted. My mother's first words were, "The singer from Nirvana killed himself" and I had the same rush of dread that I felt today.
Being from Kansas City, I was at Kemper Arena on May 23, 1999 when Owen Hart fell to his death. It wasn't a pretty site to see, and I was still floored when I called my dad after the event and he told me that Owen had in fact, died. Keep in mind we fans in the arena were told NOTHING, even that it was Owen who had fallen--although we knew it was him. Many have said that this is the most shocking wrestling death since Owen, and I have to agree. Yes, Kurt Hennig, Rick Rude, and Davey Boy Smith were all shocking, but Eddie's death has been much harder, because he was still a superstar.
I sincerely hope that there won't be millions of people jumping on the Eddie Guerrero memorial bandwagon and praise him as the best wrestler ever. It doesn't bother me that they praise him, but the fact that they would never have thought of doing it if he was still alive. I mean, how many people list Owen Hart as their favorite wrestler ever? How many people have done it since his death?
I hope and pray that it was natural causes, because if Eddie did die due to drugs or alcohol, I will be just as crushed as when I heard his name on TV today. For someone like Eddie, who has spent the last 4 years talking about the danger of addiction to succumb to his demons--well, that would be horrible. Former Kansas City Royal Darryl Porter battled addiction, recovered, spent years speaking out against drugs, and then was found dead in his car a few years back of a cocaine overdose.
I hope Eddie Guerrero didn't meet the same fate.
God Bless Eddie Guerrero and his family, friends, fellow wrestlers, and the people who loved to see him perform.
This is not the way to win back control, Howie
From Drudge:
The DRUDGE REPORT has learned from exclusive sources that Democrat Party Chair Howard Dean turned down Republican Party Chair Ken Mehlman’s last minute offer to appear together on NBC’s MEET THE PRESS this morning.
Moments before taping was to begin with host Tim Russert, Mehlman asked Dean outside the NBC studio’s green room: “There’s still time for us to go on together Governor.” Dean declined with a shrug of his shoulders and an uncomfortable cackle and then proceeded to walk away into the green room.
DRUDGE has learned MEET THE PRESS producers have been working to get a head to head Dean/Mehlman appearance on the program since Dean was named chair back in February. Dean and his handlers have repeatedly turned down the request. The former Vermont governor only agreed to do this week’s program if they appeared in back-to-back interviews.
Mehlman brought up Dean’s unwillingness to appear alongside him during the show: “I was hoping that Chairman Dean would be on sitting next to me this morning. Maybe we can do that on a future program. Look, he's somebody I've enjoyed getting to know. We meet in a lot of green rooms….”
---Now, it's Drudge, so take it with a grain of salt, of course. Taking Drudge as a serious bipartisan news source is like saying Michael Moore likes George Bush as a person. But, it wouldn't surprise me if it were true. However, it also wouldn't surprise me if Mehlman demanded several things before such a "debate" could take place as well.
Did you know that Rush Limbaugh will not appear on television news programs unless he appears alone AND none of the anchors asking questions disagree with anything he says? What a shock, huh? I wouldn't be surprised if Mehlman demanded that Dean do nothing but sit there and look at him.
But I also wouldn't be surprised if Dean chickened out in fear of looking bad. I'm surprised Howard Dean goes anywhere near a camera after every media asshole in the world vilified his scream last spring. But that's not how you win elections, and that's not how you win back America, Howie.
Not politics, but I just had to mention it
Sometimes you surf the news sites looking for something worthy of a report, and sometimes you come across something non-politics related so incredible (and sad) that you just HAVE to mention it. This is one of those stories:
A 4-month-old girl died when her inebriated mother fell asleep on top of her while breast-feeding, prosecutors said.
Lorinda Hawkins told police she fell asleep about 15 minutes after she started breast-feeding the baby Feb. 23 because of her intoxication, a criminal complaint said. When she woke up about an hour later, the baby was pale and wasn't breathing, the complaint said.
Hawkins was charged Friday with one count of child neglect causing a death. If convicted as a repeat felony offender, she could be sentenced to 29 years in prison and fined $100,000.
Defense lawyer Steven Smits asked for Hawkins' release on signature bond so she could enter substance abuse treatment, but she remained jailed late Friday on $7,000 bond. A preliminary hearing was scheduled Nov. 17.
The 27-year-old — who was on probation for child neglect — had consumed six double-shot alcoholic beverages at a bowling alley, the criminal said. A toxicologist estimated her blood alcohol level ranged from .15 to .27 percent.
Her husband drove Hawkins and their 4-year-old daughter to the bowling alley and later brought them home, and then went out drinking himself, according to the complaint. The baby was unresponsive when he returned an hour later, the complaint said.
---Man, that's a story that keeps getting worse and worse with each sentence, huh? I loved how her lawyer asked for her to be released on bond so she could "enter treatment" (translation: jump bail and take off running).
I know a good way to get her into treatment: Throw her in jail, where there is no alcohol. I can guarantee she won't drink another drop. Problem solved.
A little Bush bashing before we go
Well, I don't have much to say about Dubya's Veterans Day speech, because he made enough of an ass out of himself by simply talking on Friday. What I will say is this:
Dear Mr. “President”:
You know what, George? Do you know what might raise that approval rating that you are so concerned about? Do you know what might fix that "legacy" that you are trying to create so badly? A plan. That's right, a simple Plan. No, not the band that sings the "Hunky Newcomer" song (from Conan O'Brien, by the way), but literally, a simple plan. But, like their song says, do YOU ever feel like breaking down? Do you ever feel out of place? Like somehow you just don't belong, and no one understands you?
Sorry. I just love that skit.
I am against the war in Iraq, but I understand why we can't (and how you won't) pull all of the troops out RIGHT NOW. But what I don't understand is why you can't talk about anything except "staying the course" and "winning the war on terror". How exactly are we going to do that, and how long will it take? Don't take the usual route and say there is no way to tell at this point. Yes, there is. You are the most powerful man in the world with access to the best tools and officials in the world--and you can't tell when we can get out of there?
I am against anything and everything Iraq War related, but I might lighten up a bit if you and your cronies could come up with a timetable--ooh, a liberal slur!--to get us out of Iraq, saving many lives, and winning the peace.
You talk like we are going to stay there until every terrorist is killed or arrested. All right, that's a good plan--but what are we supposed to do? Kill every Iraqi or every person with a turban? How can we win the peace when the borders aren't secure? Anyone and everyone are just coming into the country--how many of those people are going to blow themselves up?
You made a huge mistake on Friday--the day that is supposed to be reserved for honoring our veterans--not just retired veterans, but anyone and everyone who ever put on a military uniform. Both of my grandfathers. Many of my friends from high school. Richard Crane, a friend of mine--a medic, who died in his tent on February 8, 2005. By the way, did you meet with HIS family? Of course not, since he didn't have a publicized death that you could exploit. THOSE are the men (and women) that we honor on Veterans Day. How did you honor them?
You went out there and gave a stump speech. You acted like it was still the 2004 campaign, and criticized everyone who disagrees with the idea of going to war in Iraq. In a nutshell, since they do not agree with you--because they do not kiss your ass like all of your yes men sidekicks--you lash out at them. I understand that you have to be frustrated, and that you can't be happy with your current situation, but like your scowling during the first presidential debate, lashing out does NOT help you. It HURTS you.
How dare you take a very precious day for so many Americans and use it to further your political agenda! How dare you disgrace yourself and spit in the face of all veterans by repeating your same old talking points AGAIN. There's a reason you aren't a very popular man, George. And it's not because you are right and 65% of America does not get it. It is because you have people who can't say anything bad about you and a right wing noise machine that defends every move you make (well, unless you nominate a certain non-hardcore Conservative for the Supreme Court) and acts like every poll is rigged, and that the majority of America is Republicans who have your back.
Well, the majority of Americans AREN'T Republican, believe it or not. Republicans are just motivated more. The number of Bush/Cheney stickers still on cars out here is amazing. Your people do a good job of rallying your base, I'll give you that. The problem is that, in the immortal words of Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker, it doesn't amount to JACK. SQUAT when you don't realize your mistakes.
Get together with your cabinet. Come up with plan to get our troops home. Then go on national TV with a Ross Perot voodoo pointer and show us how a president is supposed to act.
Thank you.
Plugs
Alright, anyone who quotes Nirvana's "Milk It" and Nine Inch Nails' "Heresy" in their column gets an immediate plug from me. Future 411 writers, take notice. Go read Mark Brown's Confessions of a Political Junkie.
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