Michael Bates

Obama’s politics of new ideas

Barack Obama maintains he’s the candidate of new ideas. When clinching his party’s nomination, he boasted that it’s “our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face.” The senator’s acceptance speech at the convention noted, “Change happens because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.”

Obama condemns (wink, wink) sleazy politics

For readers who might not yet have memorized last week’s column, it consisted of observations from the Democratic Convention’s first day. My intent was to provide something similar this week, but those darn GOPers refused to cooperate and held an abbreviated session Monday. I’m awaiting press reports that Hurricane Gustav was George Bush’s fault.

Convention observations

The first day of the Democratic convention produced fewer attacks than anticipated on the Bush-McCain administration, as it’s now called. Maybe Daddy Yankee’s endorsement of John McCain threw Democrats off their stride. Undoubtedly they’ll make up for lost time over the next three days. Some thoughts after Day 1 of the convention:

Dictatorship we can believe in

Barack Obama wants to be president. Given his authoritarian tendencies, will that be enough for him?

The power of one

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who passed away this week, meticulously documented Communist oppression in his books. The subject was one with which he was all too familiar.

Is Obama an alien abductee?

When Obamatons aren’t renting their shirts or tearing out their hair in sheer ecstasy over his total wonderfulness, they must occasionally speculate about what made their hero the hero he is. I mean, other than the “pot (that) had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow (cocaine) when you could afford it” that he admitted to in his book.

Have we gone insane?

Last week’s poll sponsored by Time magazine and the Rockefeller Foundation found 85 percent of the respondents believe the country is on the wrong track. Time’s Web site carried a story on the study that noted:

Smart Hillary bides her time

Hillary Clinton can be accused of many things. Stupidity isn’t one of them. Waiting in the wings, she’s ready to rescue her party if Mr. Wonderful continues to self-destruct.

Obama’s Supreme puzzlement

Tracking Barack Obama’s position on many issues is akin to watching the weather. Stick around a little while and it’ll change. He can make a U-turn faster than a speeding fist bump.

The Mike Bates Independence Day Quiz

Happy Birthday, America. It’s been 232 years since the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed. Take a quick quiz to see how much you know about this statement that changed the world.

The unsinkable Father Pfleger

Chicago’s Father Michael Pfleger made a triumphant appearance Sunday at St. Sabina’s Catholic Church. Returning from a two-week suspension, the priest delivered his “Ain’t nothing like a comeback” sermon to an adoring congregation.

Big bad Barack flinches

Democrat Senator Joe Biden described Barack Obama last year: “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

Hooray for gas pains

Paying more at the pump has its benefits. For the first time in a long time, Americans are beginning to pay attention. And, by Jove, I think we’ve got it! Or at least some of us do.

An unrepentant slacker’s confession

Last week, two Chicago-area students were recognized for more than just completing high school. They also received commendations for never missing a day of either grade school or high school. Twelve years of perfect attendance. How depressing.

Echoes of 1968

It’s been 40 years since his passing, but Robert Kennedy is again in the news. One reason is Hillary Clinton’s imprudent mention of his assassination. Barack Obama and media accomplices managed to turn that molehill into a mountain in near-record time.

Where Obama should start

Barack Obama presents himself as the voice of hope and change. A transformational figure, he’ll set aside the old politics and run a dignified, elevated campaign, one eschewing gratuitous smears. If Obama is sincere, he should begin by cleaning up his party’s official Web presence.

I just love Fox News

In fact, I don’t really love Fox News. I do, however, love saying that I just love Fox News. Simply expressing that view is enough to drive many liberals to rabid, foaming at the mouth frenzy. I mean, even more than their typical rabid, foaming at the mouth frenzy, which is not inconsiderable.

The Supremes uphold election integrity

Heaven knows Jimmy Carter is wrong much of the time. Yet even the former president has his better days. One of them occurred during his service as co-chair of the 2005 Commission on Federal Election Reform. Carter joined in the commission’s recommendation for a voter photo identification requirement.

Another liberal profile in pettiness

California Senator Barbara Boxer is your standard-issue shrill, humorless, doctrinaire liberal who knows what’s best for everyone else and will force it on them whether they want it or not. Naturally, this makes her a leading light among her Democratic colleagues.

St. Francis should have tried bribes

St. Francis Hospital serves a number of low-income people in suburban Chicago. Losing millions of dollars by caring for uninsured patients, four years ago St. Francis sought approval to build an additional hospital in a more prosperous suburb, Orland Park. The idea was to generate income that would help the original facility survive. .