SamSaid!

CHIX

     The Dixie Chix are back on the concert trail and I wish them well. I like good country western music and I think they are good entertainers. I don't know that I would travel 100 miles to see them in concert, but if they are on TV,  I'll watch. But their public appearances nowadays are an uphill climb after one of them popped off in London, saying that she was “…ashamed that Our President was a native of Texas”. It is doubtful that her remarks were premeditated. I think that as she stood there before a noisy supportive crowd in an anti-war environment, she just shot from the hip knowing that whatever she said would be greeted by applause. Then to make matters worse, she later offered a half-vast (did I spell that right) apology for her choice of words. The Dixie Chix will still sell tapes, CD's etc., but the damage to their reputation will linger and they clearly have alienated a lot of fans in THEIR part of the country.  That's too bad, because they are a real success story in the music industry. I guess they understand now that free speech works both way. Sorry, ladies —  no free lunch.

     In thinking about the Chix, I am reminded of a recent article that pointed out the academic/intellectual accomplishments of some of the prominent anti-war protesters in the entertainment industry. These are the loud-mouths that are the most vocal critics of the current admimnistration. And what do they bring to the party?

   . Barbara Streisand  —       High school                    

   .  Cher      —   9th grade drop out

   .  Martin Sheen   –  flunked college entrance exam

   .  Jessica lange   —   freshman college drop out

   .  Alec baldwin  –  Geo Washingon U. dropout

   .  Julia Roberts  –  high school

   .  Sean Penn   –  high school

   .  George Clooney  –  Univ of Kentucky dropout

   .  Michael Moore  –  Univ of Mich freshman dropout

   .  and the list goes on

     There are leadership decisions with which I disagree, but I have a lot more confidence in the combined mental capabilities, experience, and academic status of George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell and Condolizza Rice than the Hollywood dimwits listed above. When they try to extend their entertainment popularity into national and international affairs because of their easy access to the media, I draw the line.

     Maybe the Dixie Chix learned a tough lesson. I hope so. These other people are beyond recall.

TWO-FACED JACK

     Chicago will be forever known for “Scarface” Al Capone. For a long long time to come, France will be known for “Two-Face” Jacque Chirac. His UN duplicity in sandbagging George Bush and Colin Powell will not vanish or be forgotten any time soon. But recently, Two face Jack has made a magnanimous offer in the UN  –  i.e., to suspend the UN sanctions that were imposed on Saddam Hussein way back in the 90s. Suspend, mind you, not rescind. Now, why on earth should sanctions imposed on Saddam be held over the heads of a new Iraqi government sans Saddam? Maybe so the suspended sanctions could be reinstated if the New Iraq does not accommodate Chirac's bidding via the UN Lilliputians?  Does anyone really think Two Face would stoop that low? My vote is “Yes, indeed”.

     Obviously Mr. Chirac wants to find a way to get the UN back on the front burner so that he can enhance his chances of getting his mitts on Iraqi oil under favorable circumstances and also prevent the disclosure of trade records showing how the French defied (evaded?) the UN sanctions for years in arming and supporting Saddam.  And now Two Face  has support from Russia's Mr. Putin who seems to be his lapdog.  My, how the mighty have fallen.  But Chirac must be dreaming if he thinks he can forestall disclosure of very damning documentation. Our guys have already accumultaed tons of data and are getting more every day. In addition, there are Iraqis included in the famous deck of cards who will be very willing to spill their guts to save their fannies. The old rule is still valid  –  “unprincipled people stay unprincipled”.

     I feel confident that George and Colin will have their day  –  in private and/or in public. At least I hope so. And it will indeed be a treat to see good old Two Face swing in the wind. By comparison, maybe Scarface Al wasn't all that bad.

     The NY Times and LA Times will probably pooh-pooh the motives of Two Face and his buddy, but the Times op/ed people haven't conceded that the war is over yet. Must be journalists embedded with each other.