Propeller Week In Review: May 17, 2008 — May 18th 2008

By James Marcus

MANY HAPPY RETURNS

Which story generated the most lively conversation at Propeller over the past week? That would be "Cindy McCain says she'll never release her tax returns," with 179 votes and 477 comments. Some members defended her right to privacy, including tkyrchncs: "She is a private citizen, neither candidate nor elected official, and she in no way owes the public her tax information. I assert the Republicans' right to privacy even if they don't think anybody else should have any." Glee agreed: "She is not running for office and I'm sure the 'numbers' would take our breath [away]. Good for her!" But PsychoHosebeast disagreed: "She isn't running for office? Well, not technically, but she will be living in the White House at the taxpayers' expense, traveling on the taxpayers' dime, and has sway with, in theory, the most politically powerful man on Earth." And Beau7890 speculated on why the McCains have been filing separately for the past 28 years: "She's trying to hide her mob connections through her family's beer distribution business. And that's why the two of them have always filed taxes separately--to keep that away from John."

APOLOGY FROM THE PULPIT

While John McCain's wife ducked for cover, his ecclesiastical ally offered an apology of sorts. "Televangelist John Hagee Apologizes to Catholics" bagged 125 votes and 174 comments, including this skeptical response from MRCOFFEECAKE: "So now they can get the Catholics to focus on the real issue: How much Rev. Wright is a threat... This country is one giant television commercial that never ends. Americans are constantly distracted by the irrelevant in order to forget the relevance of their vote." There was a similar response from david nwpa: "John Hagee has been running his yap for over a decade decrying the Catholic Church as a bastion of evil. He has insulted the intelligence of Catholics nationwide if he thinks this last minute mea culpa will win over the hearts of the people." Another member, brettodactyl, wondered if it wasn't time for men (or women) of the cloth to sequester themselves from the secular arena: "Truly, it is unfortunate for Christianity to be politicized as it has been lately. That's not what it's supposed to be about. In fact, I wonder if it would be best if pastors refrained from public endorsements." For palama, though, these endorsements were meaningless to begin with: "This is one Catholic who couldn't give a rat's posterior about what Hagee has to say about anything. So his recanting what he said before also means zilch to me. And none of this reflects on my perceptions of John McCain, nor does what Rev Wright has to say about anything reflect on my perceptions of Barack Obama. Loudmouthed, know-it-all, holier-than-thou preachers barely register on my sound receptors as I tune them out." A related story about Hagee and Rod Parsley racked up 84 votes and 163 comments. Tangent001 had no use for either of these high-profile evangelists, and scolded McCain for not denouncing Hagee's entire, delusionary syllabus: "Apparently it's okay that Katrina was a punishment for gays, that confrontation with Iran is necessary to bring about the End Times, and that all Muslims are commanded to kill Christians and Jews. Parsley is a whole other ball of wax. Man, that guy is a full-bore whack-job."

TRAGEDY IN SICHUAN

"Strong china quake felt as far as Thailand" generated the most votes of any story this week: 212. The comment thread included contributions from several Propeller members in the region, including imigran, in Thailand: "We've felt it and run down from the building." From Beijing, MilesAway wrote of his concern for friends in the affected area: "Both I and my wife tried to call their cell phone[s], but no answer. Also, our friend, a senior editor for [the] biggest Chinese weekly magazine here in Beijing, called a few of his reporters and only one, [who] was in another province, answered." Said blinkers: "Hope the Chinese government allows any essential assistance from international agencies, governments, NGOs, etc., full access to the affected region. In disasters like this speed is absolutely essential in providing effective relief to the survivors." And in the midst of many expressions of sympathy and support, canadianrancher57 said it best: "It is stories such as these that show how fragile we as people are. Whether it is hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards or earthquakes, these natural disasters seem to be one thing that we can never be truly prepared for, and my feelings are always the same regardless of where this happens. I can only feel sorry for those who have lost loved ones." Amen.

AND DON'T OVERLOOK....

"Voter ID Battle Shifts to Proof of Citizenship" sparked a lengthy conversation, with 339 comments and 206 votes. For some members, the idea of a national voter ID seemed pointless--another partisan red herring--but Teagen argued that it might actually tamp down pervasive electoral fraud: "In Wisconsin, it would change leadership in many cases. There have been over 5,000 charges of voter fraud. Addresses that don't exist, people dead still voting and the like. They've actually videotaped someone buying votes with smokes. There have been cases of chartered buses from Chicago dropping off people in Milwaukee to vote. They even had 'their' name written on pieces of paper so they could remember their name. Only in liberal Milwaukee and Madison." Stories about Lebanon, Microsoft, and body art got a noisy response from the community. And then there was "Who's That Hiding In My Fox 5 News Logo?" The story produced 149 votes, 138 comments, and a spirited debate about John McCain's mysterious apparition in the network splash. Said GWHayduke: "Damn liberal media!" Asked jovial: "Subliminal messaging or a Freudian slip? You decide." But Shadowolf cried foul: "McCain don't have the legs for a Freudian slip." And that, folks, is all the news that was.

Tags: week-in-review, wir

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