Political Stories

The Top Ten Political Stories of 2009

10. BARACK’S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Why did he win it? Because he made the world safer just by showing up.

9. THE RISE OF THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT

A collection of conflicting interests, some anti-government, some also hostile to corporations, some of it paid for by right wing PACs, but all of hateful and ignorant.

8. KAMALA HARRIS RUNS FOR CALIFORNIA AG

I’ve never been actively involved in a political campaign before. I vote regularly, and I gave money to Barack early, during his Senate campaign, but I have never been in the trenches like this. But Kamala Harris is a special candidate. You heard it here first.

7. SARAH PALIN

She’s helped the careers of Barack Obama, Tina Fey and Katie Couric. She’s like a fifth column for progressives.

6. BLACK POLITICIANS

It was a good year for Barack Obama, but a tough year for black politicians. Charlie Rangel got demoted, Harold Ford’s senate run never caught momentum, and my man David Paterson got the governorship…and nothing but the blues from that moment on.

But the saddest moment in black politics was this clip here. But the kids are as great as the adult is pathetic:

5. SOTOMAYOR IN THE SUPREME COURT

Let’s not take these early, awesome victories by our President for granted.

4. THE STIMULUS BILL

The biggest heist in American history. The tragic part is that the government didn’t shove regulation down their throats when Wall Street was weak. Now they are arrogant and defiant as ever. And with the Supreme Court ruling that corporations are people, they can now completely control the political process through ungodly large donations to candidates.

3. NEVER ENDING WARS

He ran as an anti-war president, and I trust him. He has more information than we do. But winding down the war would help our economy (and save lives). Instead, we’re investing more dollars and killing both remotely (like that chilling finale in SRYIANA) and up close and personal. I hope he pulls the body of Osama Bin Laden out of a cave some time before mid term elections.

2. THE PASSING OF THE HEALTH BILL

Perfect cannot be the enemy of good. This reminds me of hearing about how people hated the compromises in the Civil Right Act…glad that passed too. Now Barack has secured his place in history. He was going to lose seats in the mid-term elections anyway (this always happens) but why don’t people talk about Republicans whose seats might be threatened for not supporting the bill?

1. THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA

The fact that we have abortion rights after a generation of Republican rule should clearly indicate the powers of the office has limits. But his election was a referendum on the American character, and the whole country was happy that we’re a better people than we thought we were. And the world was relieved.