If Brulte likes him, so do I
Of all the 2008 news recaps that writers and pundits have been publishing in recent weeks, my favorite nugget o' news comes from my editor Steve Lambert (I'm not sucking up, I swear!), who wrote about Rancho's right-wing darling Jim Brulte and his preference for a shirtless Obama over a shirtless Putin. In a Drudge Report poll on which politician/stud we'd like to see shirtless, Brulte wrote, "I will be damned if I am going to let a godless thug like Putin beat our President Elect in anything."
I love seeing politicians, or former politicians, cross party lines. This is change I can believe in.
In a recent hour-long interview I had with Councilwoman Diane Williams, who's a Republican, on city matters, about 30 minutes were spent on how babelicious our shirtless leader looked in Hawaii. (Most of the talking was done by the interviewer.)
"He's a hunk," Williams said and quickly followed with, "and don't you print that. ... Well, go ahead. I'm too old for that to matter."
As a woman who tries very hard to be a serious journalist, looking at a photo so easy on the eyes is not easy for me.
We all know: paparazzi = bad. Sensational journalism = bad. But look at him. This is the change of clothing I can believe in.
When news of a teetering economy first surfaced, Sen. Bob Dutton asked me why we in the mainstream press (and I just love speaking on behalf of the entire mainstream press) didn't write about the severity of a recession but instead concentrated on who's sleeping with whom and what Michelle Obama was wearing.
I must say it's a common criticism and I have no good answer. But can't we have both? In a time when we can't seem to finish a sentence without the words "foreclosure," "layoffs" or "bailout," can't we let our eyes linger on this shirtless Obama for a little longer? I think even Brulte would say that's alright.
Did he really write/say this?:
> Brulte wrote, "I will be damned if I am going
> to let a godless thug like Putin beat our
> President Elect in anything."
Using 'godless' as a pejorative, eh?
Between this and Rancho Cucamonga's targeted removal of certain billboards, this sort of thing sure does wonders in making atheists feel welcome in this community.
- J
Is Diane a Republican or a conservative Democrat?
I support her regardless. This lady is a worker and has a track record which demonstrates her concern for RC residents.
Council members do not state their party when they run for office but I'm pretty sure the entire council is Republican.
I've had the pleasure of working with her for a couple of years now. I've never asked what her party affiliation is, nor do I need to.
While I may not agree with everything she chooses, I do greatly respect that she puts in the effort to consider all aspects of an issue.
I've never really seen her do anything less than try to make the best choices to help improve the lives of the most people possible.
And that's really all that matters, right? :)
In two weeks Obama will be the leader of the (shirt-) free world!
Did I miss the Diane Williams' interview? I admire her for bravely speaking out when others have cowered out of fear of rockng the boat or not being one of the good ol' boys. She works hard for our city. She deserves more press. It seems like only Kurth and Rex are getting the coverage these days. Why is that?
When you say coverage, do you mean appearance on this blog, RL4M? Rex makes frequent appearances on this blog probably because his comments are usually the most colorful and off-the-wall. But I blog about Diane, too. Did you see the post about her and Deborah Clark on Dec. 26?
I did read the article about Diane and the library. When you wrote "In a recent hour-long interview I had with Councilwoman Diane Williams...", I thought it had to be about something different.
Do you still believe Rex and Kurth have their sights set on the Assembly? I heard that one of them was aiming for County Supervisor.
Rex needs to just go away. Hearing him whine over the different committee assignments and how he would like to be on this one or the other, was pathetic. He wants to remain on the one that Biane is responsible for, but he is willing to give up this one or that to be on another. It would be nice to know who is really backing him because that is truly the person who is in office. Rex is just his puppet. It should be given a closer look. It would be nice if everything came out BEFORE the next election.
When I interview council members, they tend to be on a mish-mash of issues, RL4M, and in the Diane interview, I believe it was about everything from Deborah Clark to cell phone reception in the city. Good tip on the county supervisor plans. I haven't heard that one. And do I believe Kurth and Gutierrez still have their sights on the Assembly? I haven't asked lately but these "Meet the Mayor" events and Rex's new Web site/blog might indicate they have sights on something higher.