Blooming Grasses

Like sentries with the big, furry hats guarding the gate, our Karl Foerster grasses (Calamagrostis) stand tall on either side of the driveway near the garage. (Who was Karl Foerster? Click HERE for way too much information.)

They are in full bloom now. As the summer wears on, the blooms will turn an amber color. By fall, they'll be light brown, and we leave them up all winter, as they make a nice contrast against the snow.

As the grasses blow in the wind, I'm reminded of Flip-flopping. The right wing pundits are all over Barack Obama for his change in position on various issues, claiming he's just trying to win votes (isn't that the point of an election, to win votes?)

They did the same thing to John Kerry. I never saw it as pandering to votes, or public opinion, but more of an educated response to gaining more information on an issue. Who among us hasn't changed their position, once more was known about it (other than President Bush?)

To do anything else is simply pig-headed and stupid.

Hal Brown, of the Capitol Hill Blue blog writes along a similar vein:

"The accusation that one's opponent is a flip-flopper has become a campaign staple. Obama's soaring rhetoric of change has opened him to such charges from his more liberal supporters as well as from McCain and his operatives. Measure for measure McCain has a comparable number of flip-flops. Obama has a way to advance his standing by taking all but the most egregious flip-flops out of the campaign conversation.

Barak Obama should think of himself as McCain's defense attorney. At an opportune time in a short but compelling speech, one that will likely make the television news in its entirety, make a case for McCain being found "not guilty" of the charge of flip flopping.

Simply put, he should defend McCain's changes as signs of his having an open mind and his being able to change his opinions based on his willingness to learn from past errors of judgment or new information.

Damning with faint praise, you say?
A transparent effort to take the focus off your own flip-flops?
Or perhaps after seven years of the dogmatic Bush and his damn the torpedoes of truth full speed ahead into disaster administration, a call to reset the bar for flexible thinking?"