I just heard Tavis Smiley say a couple of great things and one, um, stupid thing on the Leonard Lopate Show.
It was refreshing to hear someone echo me on the need to please not be infatuated with the new president. Tavis insisted that we (especially those of us who celebrated the possibilities that an Obama election signaled) had better make sure that he does what said so that "there really is something to celebrate." Like me, Tavis is a little concerned that President Obama has already backed away from some of his campaign promises. [I have recently expressed similar concerns here and here.] He "respectfully" declined to buy into Obama's "nonsense" about the "rising tide lifting all boats" (Leonard echoed me this time, asking something to the effect of "that's Reagan's 'trickle down' rhetoric, isn't it?"). "Ok, the tide lifts all boats, but you got a yacht and I got a dinghy! Come on!"
What was really cute, though, was Tavis's words to James Carville, who has been saying the Democrats have a chance to dominate politics for the next 40 years: "James, I love you, but put down the crack pipe." I'll bet Mary Matalin tells him that all the time!
But when I first tuned in to the program, I was very disappointed by something Tavis had said (which Leonard was quoting), something about how "the citizens" have abdicated the responsibilities of the republic to "the body politic."
Um, yeah, and I have ceded this blog to myself :-) Sorry, brother, you KNOW I love you!
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