Thursday Morning Musings (Saturday Edition)

While in Asia two things regarding Mr. Obama that I never saw reported in the press.  His "unprecedented" town hall meeting in China was attended by "carefully vetted" young people and no questions were permitted.  This makes the meeting itself (Clinton and Bush both held one) not only not unprecedented, (although the absence of questions was a first) but not much different from his town halls back home.  Second, Mr. Obama met with the prime minister of Myanmar, the highest-level contact with that brutal military junta since the 1960's.

AP has a lovely brief in the Thursday UL in which the constitutional ouster of Manuel Zelaya is called a coup.  To quote AP, "millions of poor Hondurans drew hope from Zelaya's left leaning policies in a nation long ruled by a wealthy elite."  The concern is that these poor "no longer have a champion in the next democratic election.  This despite a candidate who supported Zelaya until Zelaya violated the Honduran constitution and tried to become president for life. No mention from AP on how that might affect the process of continued democratic elections.  But supporting rule of law--according to AP at least--is clearly not a left leaning policy.  We didn't need AP to tell us that.

Senator Gregg received a letter from a list of "Religious leaders" from across the State, asking him not to block health care reform.  A quick review of the list (a more detailed look is under way) shows not one evangelical group and an abundance of pro social justice denominations.  These are religious groups who advocate government intervention in social policy.  Hardly disinterested advocates for human life.  Even the Keen First Baptist church is pastored by Mark Ferrin, a registered democrat and Obama supporter.  I would be willing to bet money they all are.  And you can't support Obama without supporting his approach to abortion, in which case you can't claim to affirm human life as they all do in their letter to the senator.  (More on this forthcoming.)

Mr. Obama's stated desire to finish what we started in Afghanistan is encouraging but I have to stand by my earlier remarks; that this is cover for a complex cut and run strategy.  I hope I am wrong.  There is an opportunity to fix all the mistakes.  I am not yet confident that Mr. Obama's handlers want that and less confident that any appearance to the contrary is anything but a political ploy.

Finally, but most importantly, NH House Rep Pam Tucker's 11 year old daughter Katie was struck by a truck earlier this week and is still in serious condition in a Boston Hospital.  Please pray for her, or wish her well, or keep her in your thoughts.  Thank you.