Tonight I am not going to blog about the "Health Care Summit", because Stevie Wonder could see that there was not going to be a deal. Just more of the same from the rethugs: Block. Block. Block. I wish the Eagles offensive line could block like these guys. If they could we would have five Super Bowls by now. Today was just more political theater from the clowns in Washington. A chance t0 give their speeches and to show their base that they could stand up to the big bad beige man. (BTW, I loved how his O ness read Mr. Morton and that dude from Virginia, -Eric Cantor- a new one) Nice try O man, I see where you are going politically-you want to show the rest of A-merry-ca that you are willing to compromise- but enough of this already;time to start working on your own damn party to get something (anything) passed. Health care, or the lack of it, is a real problem in this country.
But enough about politricksters in Washington. Tonight a couple of stories have me seeing red. One of them literally, and the other figuratively.
Let me talk about the literal one first: It's Hannah Storm's boots, and how a popular ESPN host has been told to sit down for two weeks without pay for talking about them. This is a touchy subject, because it involves the sexes and how we treat each other in the work place. Tony Kornheiser was forced to apologize for saying the following about his colleague over at ESPN:
"Hannah Storm in a horrifying, horrifying outfit today,” Kornheiser said on his Washington, D.C., radio show last week. “She’s got on red go-go boots and a Catholic school plaid skirt way too short for somebody in her 40s or maybe early 50s by now. She’s got on her typically very, very, very tight shirt. She looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body. I know she’s very good, and I’m not supposed to be critical of ESPN people, so I won’t. But Hannah Storm, come on now. Stop. What are you doing? She’s what I would call a Holden Caulfield fantasy at this point.”
My first thoughts, when I heard this story, was who gives Tony Kornheiser the right to talk about anybody else's looks? (Have you seen the guy?) But then, I thought, well it's his radio show, and he is paid to be irreverent and brash. Hell ESPN even pays him to be that way, so why suspend the guy for speaking his mind? Besides, as others have said; ESPN has made a living on this kind of talk about other people, so why do this now when one of their own feels the heat?
Anyway, for puroses of discussion; does he have a point? Did Ms. Storm go over the top with her red boots? And if she was a man, would we be having this discussion? Hey, I have seen some serious sartorial faux pas by some of the male hosts over at ESPN and I don't think that any of their female co-hosts would rip them. And, for the record, I think Whitlock's criticism of Storm was over the top, his fat ass shouldn't be talking about someone else's outfit. Period.
"Hurtful and personal comments such as these are not acceptable and have significant consequences," said John Skipper, ESPN's vice president for content. "Tony has been suspended from PTI for two weeks. Hannah is a respected colleague who has been an integral part of the success of our morning SportsCenter."
Kornheiser said he had called Storm to personally apologize for the remarks."If you put a live microphone in front of somebody, eventually that person will say something wrong," Kornheiser said on his show Tuesday. "This was one of the times I said something wrong."
Hopefully this will be the end of Bootgate.
The next story has me figuratively seeing red. And, once again, it involves the now infamous Lower Merion school district.
I thought that busing was a thing of the past here in A-merry-ca? Apparently, thanks to a local federal judge opening up some records, we are learning that it is not. The folks of the Lower Merion school district allegedly bused some African American students to a high school far away from their homes to create a racial balance in their district, and now the families of the children are suing. Apparently there was enough of the them at Lower Merion High (which is close to the only area on the main line with pockets of black folks) and not enough at Harriton High. So, as a result, Lower Merion- allegedly- decided to do a little racial balancing act.
Well, the plaintiffs have won their right to go forward with their trial. And the beautiful system of laws that we have here in A-merry-ca will ultimately determine the outcome of this case.
"Said Douglas Young, spokesman for the school district: "We respect the court’s decision, and remain optimistic that our position will ultimately prevail in this important litigation. ... We have argued and intend to show at trial that no such proof [of racial discrimination] exists or is possible to demonstrate. The district developed its redistricting plan for one purpose: to equalize enrollments at two newly constructed high schools."
We will see Mr. Young; we will see.
