I only blog so often and it’s usually only once a week or so
that something holds enough of my attention to warrant the full treatment. But
the news I write about is only an imperceptible fraction of the news I consume.
I think I’ll start closing each work week off with a quick follow up on some of
the other headlines floating around out there. I assume that, like most
Americans, you mostly read the news just enough to sound like you know what you’re talking about at parties. So get conversational on a few matters that can be tough to
follow in-depth.
Chicago Teachers’ Strike:
It ended this week with a tentative deal. The good news for
the teachers: they get a yearly pay raise for the next four years (a few
percentage points at a time), the quality of their evaluations now matter more
than seniority when layoff time comes around, a “last fired, first re-hired”
rule now pertains to those layoffs, they get to vote on any schedule changes, and
they no longer have to “teach” homeroom.
The bad news for the teachers: The pay increase is less than
they wanted, standardized tests are a bigger part of their evaluations,
classroom size and air conditioning was ignored and the school day stays longer
than they’d like.
What it means?
These big strikes always have far-reaching ramifications for
their profession and for the strength of organized labor, in general. In light
of the conservative agenda to cripple unions that’s been going on all across
the nation, a show of strength in a liberal town like Chicago may just mean
that the battle is on, not over.
Monica Lewinsky’s book deal:
The woman who needs no introduction reportedly sold a new bookabout the Clinton thing to an unknown publisher for 12 million smackerinos. Allegedly the draw of the book,
what makes it different than her last one, are letters from the former
cocksman-in-chief in which he complains about his sex life and Hilary.
What it means?
No one is quite sure how to take this news. On the one hand,
Ms. Lewinsky and her publishers are bringing up gossip from over a decade ago
about a former politician who we have not only forgiven, but have fallen in
love with all over again. And the gossip isn’t even that interesting, just the
sort of stuff you’d imagine a cheating husband would say.
On the other hand, there is a great swell of sympathy out
there for Lewinsky, who many people see as the only real “victim” of
wrongdoing. As a Slate blogger points out, Monica Lewinsky can’t get a job or ever betaken seriously because of sexual encounters she had in her twenties. Whatever
life she wanted for herself and worked for up to that point is gone—she is one
of the most famous women in the country and whenever anyone hears her name,
they think of what man’s penis she had in her mouth.
Personally, I don’t know if that’s a good enough reason to
justify pursuing this book, but your mileage may vary.
"I, Too, Gaffe America"
Obama gave his critics some ammunition this week when, in
response to a question about what he’s learned since his first campaign, he
replies in part that “you can’t change Washington from the inside.” It is hard
to believe that this could overshadow the destructive “47%” video of Romney
that’s been going around, though not for lack of Republican effort.
What it means?
Generally speaking, nothing. As a sound bite, it’s useful
political fodder. In context, it isn’t as bad as it sounds. As politico points
out, Romney said it nearly word-for-word in 2007. This is an honest-to-goodness
gaffe, unlike the Romney video, which has been so damaging to the candidate precisely
because it sounds like it’s what he really thinks.
Other:
- The protests in the Middle East have died down in many countries but are still ongoing, with more than 20 dead in today's state-sponsored protest day in Pakistan. This is a monumental and complex story about which books are already, undoubtedly, being written. If it keeps developing, perhaps I'll find the time in my of-so-important life to talk about it, too.
- Romney released his tax returns for 2011. No surprises.
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