"Two for the Price of One" Lives

The Clintons were (in)famously advertised early in the first Clinton Administration as "two for the price of one."

That concept seems to be alive and well, as Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that she would rely on her husband, whom she called "the most popular person in the world right now," to act as a diplomat in her administration if she is elected.

She cites the "tradition" of former Presidents acting as diplomats, but it's hard for me to imagine publicity-loving Bill, serving any sort of public role in a new Clinton Administration, as being anything other than a recipe for trouble.

It's going to be interesting for Mrs. Clinton to walk the line during the campaign between appealing to her husband's fans while keeping him -- and memories of his problems -- out of the limelight.

Barone on Hillary vs. Rudy

Michael Barone breaks down a potential Hillary vs. Rudy race statewide with the kind of detail that only Barone can provide.

His conclusion: "National upshot: Rudy's electoral vote position against Hillary is much stronger than Bush's against Kerry. Rudy puts almost the whole East into play and is significantly stronger in several target states in the Midwest and West. Hillary puts some states into play in the South but with many fewer electoral votes than Rudy does elsewhere. Even if you assume that Hillary is stronger against Rudy today than she was in July, the pairing does place the Republicans in a stronger position than Bush was in '04."

Dodgertown to Become a Ghost Town?

Having spent much of my life enjoying the March games the Dodgers play in Vero Beach, Florida -- thanks to radio and TV broadcasts -- it makes me rather sad that the Dodgers are planning to move spring training to Arizona in 2009.

By the time they make the move, the Dodgers will have conducted spring training in Vero Beach for over six decades. USA Today has published an interesting story on the history of Dodgertown.

Save Us From the Nanny State

As I posted here recently, a California legislator wants to ban traditional incandescent light bulbs, forcing everyone in the state to buy only "energy-efficient" fluorescent bulbs.

The L.A. Times reports today that the director of the University of California Energy Institute in Berkeley says that the fluorescent bulbs "don't work as well as incandescent bulbs with recessed lighting fixtures, spotlights and ultra-low dimming switches."

My home is filled with recessed lighting and dimmer switches.

I have visions of Californians having to order incandescent bulbs from out of state, or a black market developing of "real" light bulbs...

Why don't people like this legislator realize that if the fluorescent bulbs really are as great and cost-effective as he believes, the market will work and people will be happy to buy them without being forced to do it by the Nanny State?

Vaccine Mandate Lawsuit

Several families have filed a lawsuit to block Texas Governor Rick Perry's mandate that their daughters must receive the Gardasil STD vaccine in order to attend school.

The lawsuit says, in part, "The school-age girls of Texas are not guinea pigs who may be subjected to medical procedures at the apparent whim of Texas' governor."

Girls can be exempted from the vaccination, but only if their parents sign a waiver opting out.

Today at Disneyland

After a rainy night last night, Southern California was in the 50s but beautiful today:


I enjoyed my first ride on Rockin' Space Mountain, which will be available at the park till April.


I really liked the different music and effects. The music wasn't as good as Florida's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, but it was a nice change of pace.


Not too much longer to wait for the return of the Submarine Voyage!

Perry the Clueluess

I was struck by one of Governor Perry's defenses for his decision to mandate the controversial STD vaccinations in Texas. According to his spokesman:

"...after spending a lot of time thinking about it, talking to folks, not the least of which was Mrs. Perry, who feels very strongly about this issue, I think the governor felt so strongly that it was the absolute right thing to do to protect life, that when we had an opportunity like this to prevent a cancer in young women, that he needed to put the weight of the entire executive branch behind it."

Well, isn't that special. Mrs. Perry feels strongly about it, so she gets to decide for every parent in Texas that their little girl will have the vaccine, unless the parents make the effort to fill out paperwork to "opt out"?

I think many reporters tend to get sidetracked in issues such as the controversy over whether this vaccine could encourage promiscuity. The real issue, as I see it, is that this is the first step on the slippery slope toward governors everywhere making parental decisions. I'm a bit of a broken record on this one this week, but I find it such a sad commentary on the state of our country that a Republican governor thinks he's being "noble" by forcing every parent's daughter to have this vaccination, and by forcing parents to proactively sign waivers if they don't want it.

"Noble" would be informing parents that the vaccine exists, its side effects and the pros and cons, and offering it to parents.

Instead, the governor is angry and acting wounded because parents and lawmakers just don't understand that he knows what's best for their children. And oh, yes, how dare anyone question the contributions he took from Merck when he is just trying to save lives?

First it's Gardasil, next it's going to be an executive order preventing you from feeding your child foods with trans fats, or who knows what else.

Update: Hmmm, I wonder if Governor Perry is interested in mandating circumcision for all boys entering school. A new study shows that circumcision reduces the risk of contracting HIV -- which, like other STD's, can lead to a fatal illness -- by as much as 60%. After all, the governor would be "protecting life," just as he claims to be doing by mandating Gardasil. Parents could sign "opt out" forms. What's to stop him, and why is this any different from forcing young girls to have the Gardasil vaccine unless their parents protest?

Lieberman Threatens Switch

Independent Senator Joe Lieberman says that a Democrat Party vote to cut off funding of U.S. troops could prompt him to switch to caucusing with the Republicans, which would effectively shift control of the Senate back to the Republicans.

More from Time.

(Hat tip: Power Line.)

Follow the Money

Last night I suggested that Texas Governor Rick Perry's mandate of the HPV vaccine for young girls might have something to do with his former chief of staff being Merck's lobbyist.

It transpires that the governor's current chief of staff met with "key aides" about the vaccine mandate on the very same day Merck donated $5000 to Governor Perry and $5000 apiece to eight other Texas Republicans.

A Perry spokesman brushed this off as "coincidence." He also charged "The Associated Press has tried to create a conspiracy where none exists, and they have offered not one shred of evidence to their baseless accusations that the governor's office has done anything wrong."

Okaaaay.

Frankly I'm not buying it. It's all just a little too cozy, including at least three meetings between Perry's current chief of staff and her predecessor, who is now Merck's lobbyist.

A House health committee in the Texas state legislature has voted to reverse Governor Perry's order. The reversal is expected to be passed by the entire House.

Democrat Cat Fighting

The Clinton and Obama campaigns have been busy hurling insults back and forth. It's rather interesting -- and a sign of how politics is changing -- that some of this is taking place in the blogosphere.

Maybe Obama won't be Hillary's V.P. pick after all...

Ed Morrissey thinks "Hillary looks about ready to self-destruct," and goes on to say "Hillary apparently felt that the 2008 primary campaign would be little more than a coronation, and the general election a Restoration. Instead, she finds herself in the first tough election of her life, and she's starting to crack under the pressure. This reaction seems very much like the disillusionment of arrogance."

Interesting theory.

For Grey's Anatomy Fans

Missy reports some interesting news at Missyisms (linked above)...a spinoff pilot is being created for a possible series which would star Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Montgomery.

I have mixed feelings about the news. Addison is my favorite female character and I'd like to see more of her, but I think GREY'S would be negatively impacted by her absence.

For Disneyland Fans

Al Lutz of MiceAge always does a great job covering the latest behind-the-scenes park news, but this week's new update is particularly fascinating in its breadth and depth.

Al's latest article includes news and great photos on the forthcoming Finding Nemo Submarines and Midway Madness ride (the Mr. Potatohead barker sounds amazing); a possible update to the Peter Pan ride vehicles; Pirates additions to Tom Sawyer Island; changes coming to River Belle Terrace; and a forthcoming Mine Train Ride to circle the Grizzly River Rapids at DCA (can't wait!).

Given that our family has nicknamed DCA "Pixarland," it was amusing to learn that Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando is going to be renamed Disney-Pixar Studios.

Merck Suspends Lobbying for Vaccine Mandates

Merck & Co. is immediately suspending its lobbying efforts for state legislatures to make the Gardasil STD vaccine a requirement for school attendance.

It's good to see Merck responding to public opinion in this way.

Texas Governor Rick Perry, who may have seriously damaged his standing with conservatives due to his unilateral mandate that girls receive the vaccination in order to attend school, continues to defend his decision. He says he believes "with all his heart" he made the right decision and he doesn't understand "why we as a people would not take this opportunity to use this vaccine ... to the benefit of our children."

Because, Governor Perry, you're not running a dictatorship, and you don't get to tell parents how to raise their children. It's one thing to offer the vaccine to the children of consenting parents who "opt in," another thing entirely to require their children to use it or sign papers "opting out."

Vaccinations for diseases which can be easily transmitted in the classroom are a reasonable requirement for attending school. But if we allow Governor Perry and others to decide for parents what must be done to "protect life" -- one of the Governor's defenses -- parents will eventually find the state making other medical decisions for children (this is already an issue in some areas vis-a-vis birth control), mandating what they may or may not eat, and who knows what else.

I have previously related my own experience pushing for parental consent before our local school conducted medical examinations for scoliosis. Once again, the cause may be noble, "for the children," but the state's attempt to usurp parenting, rather than actively working to partner with informed and consenting parents, is never appropriate.

I believe this is a very, very significant issue in terms of our society's relentless creep into Nanny State-ism. The time to insist on freedom is now.

Update: According to an article in The Washington Times, it's statistically useless to vaccinate 11- to 13-year-old girls, as the vaccine may "wear off" within five years, and most women don't contract the cancer-causing STD it protects against until they're in their 30s. "Requiring Gardasil for sixth-grade girls, as nearly all the legislation does, would not prevent the overwhelming majority of cervical cancer cases in the U.S."

This article is highly informative and certainly causes one to wonder why so many people are in such a rush to order young schoolgirls to have this vaccination. In the case of Texas, Governor Perry's former chief of staff acting as Merck's lobbyist may be one answer. Follow the money?

Tonight's Movie: The Hucksters (1947)

I've watched a number of Westerns and romantic comedies of late, so tonight I went for something completely different: Clark Gable in the advertising drama THE HUCKSTERS. Gable plays a WWII veteran looking to get back into the ad business, but finding his values and self-respect compromised as he tries to get ahead. Deborah Kerr and Ava Gardner play the women in Gable's life.

Many of the topics covered in the film are still relevant today, including business ethics and the roles of the media and advertising. This film would make an excellent double bill with 1949's A LETTER TO THREE WIVES; the Kirk Douglas-Ann Sothern sequence addresses some of the same issues raised in this film.

The film has a deep supporting cast. Sydney Greenstreet memorably plays the tyrannical head of the ad agency's biggest client, a soap company. Adolphe Menjou, Edward Arnold, and Keenan Wynn costar.

If you look quickly, there are some interesting unbilled faces in the film. A dark-haired girl glimpsed on a train is Marie Windsor, who would go on to have a busy career, including starring in many Westerns. Virginia Dale, who five years earlier had partnered Fred Astaire in HOLIDAY INN, is relegated here to the role of a receptionist. And deep-voiced John McIntire, who had a leading role in last night's BACKLASH, had his first film role in THE HUCKSTERS -- heard as a radio announcer.

The telegraph boy on the train is played by Sammy McKim, a child actor who would go on to a great second career as a Disney artist. Much of his work can be glimpsed today on display in the Disney Gallery above the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. Sammy's brother David also has a small part in the film as the assistant to Clinton Sundberg's photographer.

THE HUCKSTERS was filmed in black and white and runs 115 minutes. It was directed by Jack Conway, who had previously directed Gable in SARATOGA, BOOM TOWN, and HONKY TONK. Conway had started in the silents and headed many great MGM pictures (my favorite is LIBELED LADY) before his last film was released in 1948. He passed away in 1952. IMDb offers a fun piece of trivia: a street in Pacific Palisades, Jacon Way, is named for the director.

The movie is available on VHS.  It's also shown periodically on Turner Classic Movies.

2011 Update: This film is now available on a remastered DVD-R from the Warner Archive.

Cookies for a Rainy President's Day

It's been a rainy holiday here in Southern California, so it seemed like the perfect time to try a new cookie recipe. We made Ginger Crackles from THE WEEKEND BAKER by Abigail Johnson Dodge. The cookies are pictured here on the book's cover.

The cookies were wonderful. The recipe was simple, and Dodge recommends time-saving steps throughout the book; for instance, she points out which recipes freeze well either as dough or after being cooked.

The book contains many tempting recipes, and I'm looking forward to trying more. Next up: Classic Crumb Cake?

Sunset for Studio 60?

We've devoted a couple past posts to analyzing what went wrong with Aaron Sorkin's STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP.

Since last fall I've continued to record the show; as a devoted fan of SPORTS NIGHT and THE WEST WING I've been hoping STUDIO 60 might turn around for the better. However, given the absence of word on positive developments, I haven't been in much of a hurry to catch up with viewing my tapes.

The rest of the country hasn't been very interested either, and after tonight STUDIO 60 goes on hiatus...perhaps permanently.

More here.

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid...

Here's a scary prospect: Bill Clinton being appointed to complete his wife's Senate term if she were elected President.

Tonight's Movie: Backlash (1956)

BACKLASH is well-executed but fairly standard Saturday morning shoot-'em-up fare. The film begins and ends with a gunfight, and the pace doesn't let up much in between.

Richard Widmark and Donna Reed, searching for his father and her husband, become mixed up with gunfighters, a hunt for missing gold, battles with Apaches, and a range war. There's a fairly abbreviated love-hate romance between Widmark and Reed, and that's pretty much the plot of this fast-paced film, which runs 84 minutes.

It's not a great movie, but it's entertaining, and particularly worth seeing if you're a Widmark fan.

The supporting cast includes John McIntire, Harry Morgan, Edward Platt, and Barton MacLane.

BACKLASH was directed by John Sturges and filmed in Technicolor at Old Tucson, which I visited a handful of times over the course of the 1980s.

The movie has been released on video in the past but does not appear to be easily available. It can also be seen on cable on AMC.

November 2012 Update: BACKLASH will be available on DVD in the Western Horizons collection from the TCM Vault in February 2013.

July 2020 Update: BACKLASH will be released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber in August 2020.

August 2020 Update: My review of the BACKLASH Blu-ray may be found here.

The Political Market

Two columns today, by Kevin Rennie (linked above) and George Will, assert that the "political market" is working and this is why, despite pundit predictions to the contrary, Rudy Giuliani has zoomed to the top of the short list of Republican prospects.

Rennie includes an interesting reminder about Rudy and conservatism:

"The other candidates talk about social issues and seek to placate suspicious conservatives who've heard their sweet songs before. Giuliani showcases pelts on his belt. The most sumptuous comes from his 1999 battle with the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The museum, which enjoyed some public funding, booked an incendiary exhibit that featured a portrait of the Virgin Mary caparisoned in elephant dung and vulgar photos. Giuliani cut off the museum's public funds. That's something religious Republicans in South Carolina can understand. And who can forget Giuliani's rejection of a $10 million donation to a 9/11 fund from an Israeli-hating Saudi?"

More food for thought.

Incidentally, is anyone else having trouble believing we're discussing all this in February of 2007, rather than February 2008? It's going to be a long couple years of Presidential politics...

Monday Update: Captain's Quarters suggests that McCain and Romney's excessive flip-flopping benefits Giuliani...and maybe Gingrich.

Happy Daytona Sunday!

The NASCAR Nextel Cup season starts again today. Looks like a beautiful day in Florida.

The weekly Free Republic NASCAR thread, linked above, is always fun to follow the action. There are usually excellent TV "screen captures" posted, as well as commentary.

In my humble opinion, the commercials for the Daytona 500 are usually far and away better than Super Bowl commercials, featuring ads which are both funny and touching. I just got a tear in my eye watching a Goodwrench tribute to No. 3.

Let's go racing, boys!

Update: NASCAR.com has a nice feature, a constantly updated leaderboard. Great to have if you're not near a TV.