Category: The BruceV Blog

Went with the family today to see Fiddler on the Roof at The Orpheum. I’d seen the play before, but this was the last touring go-round for the Israeli actor, Topol, who has defined the role of Tevye for the past 35 years. Truth to tell, he was pretty much the only thing worth watching — or better, listening to. Topol’s voice is a rich, sonorous instrument, capable of amused, nonverbal musings in high register, whispered conversations with his off-stage god, and booming renditions of the slightly-too-familiar songs. It was a nice Mother’s Day outing, though the audience demographic looked a lot like the last Republican convention — lots of see-through, fluffy, white “dos”, plaid sportscoats, colorful pantsuits, and other just-got-out-of-church clothes.

I got home just in time to check out the final holes of the Players Championship. Tiger Woods had started the day in second place and I’d assumed he’d be in contention when I got home. Nope. Golf’s greatest draw once again appeared mortal, struggling to eighth place on a one-over round. It occurred to me that it’s entirely possible that Tiger’s career has peaked, ending the fantasy that so many golf fans had that he was somehow superhuman, a notch beyond every other player, capable of intimidating and powering his way to victory through will and talent. Lately, not so much.

Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years …

Today on CBS’s Face the Nation, host Bob Schieffer asked former Veep Dick Cheney about the spat — which I referenced earlier this week in this blog — between Rush Limbaugh and Colin Powell over the direction of the GOP. Cheney made it clear that he’s with El Rushbo:

CHENEY: Well, if I had to choose — in terms of being a Republican — I’d go with Rush Limbaugh, I think. My take on it was that Colin had already left the party. I didn’t know he was still a Republican. […]

SCHIEFFER: And you said you’d take Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell?

CHENEY: I would. Politically.

… And so, the Republicans continue their headlong “rush” to become the party of the right-wing fringe. They’re down to about 21 percent of the voting public now. Can they shrink even more in the name of purity? Sure. If they keep purging people like Colin Powell and genuflecting to the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, O’Reilly, Cheney, etc., their constituency will mostly consist of people who are: over 50; white; socially conservative (anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti-abortion); less-educated; Southern; fundamentalist Christian; rural; gun-rights activists. Not exactly the way the country (or the world) is trending.

So, good luck with that.

I just got a call from a gentleman named George Fleischer, who’d read my column on guns in bars in this week’s Flyer. Mr. Fleischer is appalled by the proposed legislation and wondered if there were some way the Flyer could help to organize protests in Nashville, charter buses, etc. I told him that the Flyer would be happy (thrilled) to be able to report on any such activities, but that we couldn’t really become part of the protest itself.

Therein lies much of the problem. There are no lobbyists or special-interest groups battling the well-organized and well-funded gun lobby, which was able to promote the wishes of a small minority (those with handgun carry permits) into state law. I don’t believe for a minute that a majority of Tennesseans prefers that guns be allowed in bars and restaurants. This is precisely the kind of law that is generated by special interests. It’s emotional legislating, designed to appeal to red-meat conservatives and appease a powerful (and generous) lobby. These laws pass because there is no blowback on the legislators — no opposing lobbyists raising public concerns about gun proliferation in places serving alcohol.

I fervently hope petitions are initiated, buses are chartered to Nashville, and voices are raised in protest all over the state. I’m not optimistic those things will happen, but If they do, we’ll be there to cover it. Mr. Fleischer is interested in getting the ball rolling, if you are. His email is georgef89@aol.com.

Rush Limbaugh, the titular head of the GOP, has made another pronouncement:

Yeah, yeah, another blog. Will it be worth your time to check in here now and then? Maybe. I’m not promising anything earth-shattering. I’ll toss out observations, answer any questions you might have about the Flyer, and throw in some links to sites on the Net I find interesting. Like this one.

(This is basically a test of my ability to actually post something here.) This is what’s also known as an anticlimax. It’s late. More tomorrow. Your moment of zen.