YOU CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS

The Rev. Dana Prom Smith, S.T.D., Ph.D. (9/13/08)

Years ago, the head of Los Angeles County's Probation Department was asked, "When asked by the Courts, on what basis do you make sentencing recommendations for convicted criminals, like is probation warranted?" His reply was succinct, "Past behavior." Then he said, "Oh, sometimes criminals have had a real conversion experience, but that's hard to verify. What counts is their record."

Failing to come up with his own campaign slogan, John McCain copied Barack Obama's, telling us that he's an agent for change. His record belies his claim. Claiming to be a maverick, he's faithfully been in George's hip pocket. He's done nothing to solve the health crisis, the mortgage meltdown, the job losses, the tax breaks for big oil and the rich, the loss of our industrial base, women's rights: the usual pitiful Republican record. He doesn't even know they're problems. No probation for McCain and the Republicans.

Since his senior campaign staff is composed of Washington lobbyists, there's been no conversion. Convicted narcotics peddlers wouldn't stay long on probation if the cops them found them hanging out with fellow addicts. So it is with John McCain: still addicted and still selling deadly Republican hallucinogens.

Then there's Sarah Palin's repeated lies about opposing the Bridge to Nowhere and selling the governor's airplane on eBay. A Republican, she believes that repeating lies makes them true. What Mary McCarthy said of Lillian Hellman might well be said of Sarah, "Every word she writes is a lie, including 'and' and 'the.'"