"Upon Further Reflection..."

I received a comment from one of my respected blog readers who expressed disappointment in my pronouncement that I was personally glad that the former senior senator from Massachusetts had passed away. Upon further reflection, I too sincerely regret that comment. It was unnecessarily vindictive to say the least.

This statement of apology does, however, in no way diminish my personal adherence to the long standing belief that I had no personal use or an ounce of respect for Ted Kennedy, the public man. I am most profoundly elated that he can no longer assert his personal influence upon the deliberations of the Senate in particular or national policy in general. Kennedy achieved his position and notoriety while alive not by strength of character, but by merely being the third brother to Jack and Bobby. Still the undeniable fact remains, despite all his many flaws and lost battles of character, he was certainly to his family, his many friends and fellow government associates a man that was dearly loved and admired. He deserved those accolades while alive and he most certainly deserves that legacy in death. Wish, do I, that he had merely voluntarily retired from the Senate and lived out the remainder of his a life in blissful peace (and enduring silence).

That having been said, neither do I wish for New York Congressman, representing the congressional district of Harlem, Democrat Charles Rangel, to assume room temperature. I just want him to go away...preferably to jail. Seems Mr. Rangel can take care of everyone's business but his own; he having managed to conveniently forget to list $75,000 in rental income per year from his tropical villa he owns in the Dominican Republic. Mr. Rangel, the Chairperson of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee (which, by the way, writes and oversees the U.S. Tax Code that you and I must live by or face punitive consequence) has offered a number of implausible excuses for his omissions of accounting, including an allegation that the on-going probe into his obscure financial affairs is racially motivated. Sorry Charlie...that test balloon won't fly. You can cry "race" all you want, but the tax code knows no color but green. So, I do not wish Mr. Rangel an untimely demise, just eventually a very timely sentence for tax evasion...the sooner the better.

And, while I'm at it, I also wish long lives to some of my other favorite political miscreants: Nancy Polesi, Harry Reid, the entire Democrat members of congress and, while I'm at it, Borack Obama. Here's hoping that come their next election that the American people shall see the wisdom of sending each into protracted retirement...never to be heard from again. I'm sure we can clean up the mess they've made and put this country back on the road to making it again dedicated responsibly to "we the people" who still believe that this nation is to be faithfully governed for the people and by the people. If that's being vindictive, I can live with it.