Straighten Up and Fly Right

Ever since the Democrats took over the White House and both houses of Congress three months ago, the Republican minority has become strident and defensive in their disapproval of President Obama's policies. Strangely, this opposition has been all bark and no bite; rather than state their agenda, all they've done is whine and complain. Party leaders claim that they have an economic strategy of their own, but seem reluctant to spill the details. Is this the real deal, or just smoke and mirrors like John McCain's economic outline last year? If the GOP has a better way of doing things, why don't they explain how they would handle things differently than Obama? Maybe if the Republicans weren't so allergic to open government, they wouldn't have lost complete control 2 1/2 years ago. I'm a firm believer in the two-party system, but if you want to give the American people a choice, you need to give them the option.

I will attest that both the Republican and Democratic Parties have their share of problems (Speaker Pelosi's cluelessness notwithstanding), yet the GOP's maladies are far more egregious. It's sad when a media pundit like Rush Limbaugh has a stronger vision of the state of the party than a figurehead like Michael Steele. Bill O'Reilly, a longtime right-leaning independent, is slowly tilting towards the center out of his frustration with the tighty righties. This brings me back to my CPAC rant from five weeks ago; if the GOP wants to make their voice heard they need a singular focus to match their biggest target (i.e. the president). Stop making redundant comments like "criticizing Obama is not racist," stifle all the aberrant conspiracy theories, quit playing the victim, and most importantly, concentrate on the president's policies and what you think would be the best course of action for this country. It's not that difficult.

Other notes:

+ In a related story, France and Germany were arguably the most vocal critics of President Obama's global economic plan during the G-20 summit last week. Does that mean American conservatives have finally forgiven France? The enemy of your enemy is your friend, right?

+ The Chicago Sun-Times filed for Chapter 11 protection last week, an unfortunate turn of events that I foreshadowed last month. You can blame the economy all you want, but Sun-Times Media is unique in that it was bled dry by their previous management. As a Chicagoan I'm more than familiar with the antics of Conrad Black and his cohorts, but this excellent article from Slate.com explains it better than I ever could.

+ Speaking of Chicago, the city has been buzzing since disgruntled Broncos QB Jay Cutler was traded to Da Bears last week. Having a bona fide field general is wonderful and everything, considering the parade of underachievers that have called the shots these last 20 years, but one player isn't the solution to all the Bears' problems. Signing Orlando Pace for three years was smart, at least until his age catches up to him. For now, I can definitely forsee an NFC Wild Card.

+ If Michael Jordan was so great, why didn't the Basketball Hall of Fame waive their five-year waiting period for him? If the Hockey Hall of Fame could jump Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky to the front of the line, why not MJ? Either way, I'm glad to see he's in.

Requiem for the Scandal Sheets

About a week ago, Time published an article predicting what major city newspapers will fold in 2009. The fact of the matter is, no major city can sustain having two daily papers anymore, and the down economy will only accelerate the death of the medium. My lament coincides with the last issue of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which after today will be available online only. Other notable dailies are near their end, including the Philadelphia Daily News and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, both of which have filed for Chapter 11 protection. While my hometown Chicago Tribune grows deeper in debt by the day, it's crosstown rival the Sun-Times has a smaller circulation and fewer resources and probably won't live to see the end of the year.

There are few things that I enjoy more than spending the weekend reading the Sunday papers. To me, that's where the future of the newspaper stands; in a world where news is available it happens, whether on cable TV or online or even on your cell phone, shifting the focus to feature articles and generating revenue via coupons and supplemental ads is the newspaper's most realistic shot at survival. Eschew the daily papers and focus on the weekends. Of course, that's all just wishful thinking; most of these publications are too proud to drop five or six days of the week from their regular deadlines. Another article by Time suggested that newspapers should introduce a fee for all their online content, like a flat monthly subscription or a rate of 5 cents per downloaded article, but I doubt most major papers will adapt to such a daedalian idea.

Other random notes:

+ I'm probably just as annoyed about the whole AIG thing as you are. The decision to give out bonuses --whether or not they were promised long before the bailout, or if the recipients were deserving-- was very poor timing. This is undeniable proof that our nation's banks are out of control, and that the last three presidential administrations have done little to control or regulate their actions.

+ Several months ago, I signed up for a fantasy hockey league and promised to update you on the status of my team. After a hot start, I quickly plummeted to fourth place (out of five) after a string of hair-brained and hair-trigger moves. Shortly after trading Markus Naslund for one of the Niedermeyer brothers at the deadline, I was able to inch my way back into third place, where I remain to this day. With the NHL season winding down (and two teams having already clinched playoff spots) I'm crossing my fingers for a decent finish.

+ As someone who's one-quarter Scots-Irish on my dad's side, let me wish you and yours a Happy St. Patrick's Day.