AndrewKrause

I’m normally not surprised when certain facts escape the mainstream media. They are usually either too incompetent, too lazy or too politically motivated to report them. Part of me is still fascinated that not a single outfit in the media has sought to differentiate itself by breaking from the lemming chorus of talking-point memo’s issued by publicists, agents and wonks in the Washington establishment. But… c’est la vie… now read and understand the following:

Scott McClellan is not disgruntled. He is not candidly revealing hidden truths about the Bush administration as an insider. McClellan is just grinding an axe because the Republican establishment dissed his mommy.

Here’s the backstory: McClellan’s mom - Carole Keeton Strayhorn - was the former Comptroller of the State of Texas and a lifelong Republican. Strayhorn raised three McClellan boys all of whom were active in the Texas Republican Party and were rewarded by Governor and later President Bush either with direct appointments or with support in seeking elected offices. Brad McClellan held the Office of Attorney General after John Cornyn was elected to the US Senate. Brad’s twin brother Dudley is currently the Assistant Chief Disciplinary Counsel of the Texas State Bar. Mark McClellan was appointed administrator of the Food and Drug Administration, and is currently the director the Medicare program. And of course, Scotty boy got to be Press Secretary at the White House after Ari Fleischer stepped down. Scott had political experience, having managed his mother’s campaign three times.

It came to pass that Strayhorn didn’t get along with Texas Governor Rick Perry. Perry, who had been Lt Governor under George Bush, became Governor after Bush won the Presidency in 2000. He then was re-elected in 2002. In 2006, Strayhorn sought the party nomination against Perry whom she accused of being “a weak leadin’, ethics ignorin’, pointin’ the finger at everyone blamin’, special session callin’, public school slashin’, slush fund spendin’, toll road buildin’, special interest panderin’, rainy day fund raidin’, fee increasin’, no property tax cuttin’, promise breakin’, do nothin’ phony conservative.”

She’s right, incidentally. Unfortunately, her crass name-calling didn’t endear her to the establishment who had been supporting Perry, and she failed to get an iota of support during the primaries. She then ran as an independent Republican. And failed miserably. Her hack-job campaign - ran by her son Brad McClellan - included such embarrassments as a public spectacle featuring numerous ballot boxes claiming to contain hundreds of thousands of signed petitions (the boxes were half full), trying to get herself listed as “Grandma” Strayhorn on the ballot and finally, not being able to name the President Elect of Mexico during a debate. Not unsurprisingly, Strayhorn lost in the biggest defeat of her career.

That’s not to say that she would have fared better with Scott. It’s widely believed that Scott was asked to resign after mishandling the Valerie Plame affair (mishandling may be too slight - he botched it in spectacular fashion) and then mishandling the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. Clearly Scott would have an axe to grind after his humiliating forced resignation in April of 2006, but then mere months later having to see his mother spurned by the party she served for decades and to lose the race with only 18% of the vote while Bush’s form Lt Governor go on to serve a third term… well that’s the last straw. You don’t mess with a mans’ mom.

When McClellan announced his memoirs, few suspected anything amiss. Nobody noticed that the publisher who advanced him $75,000 - PublicAffairs - is most notable for publishing books from billionare Bush critic George Soros. I know guilt by association is a logical fallacy, but this is also a little too obvious. I’m over this one already, but don’t be surprised when the media figures this out Monday morning.

A favorite story of mine as told by a music professor is about how Pachabel’s (pronounce “pock uh bell”) Canon in D was relatively unknown until a music student found an original manuscript of the piece being used to wrap fish in a market in Austria. It’s not true, mind you. It does add romance to one of the greatest one-hit-wonders of classical music. You see, Pachabel might not otherwise be known as anything other than a teacher who instructed the young Johann Sebastian Bach if not for his Canon and Gigue in D major for three Violins and Basso Continuo (aka Canon in D).

It so happens that of all the one-hit-wonders of history, Pachabel was fortunate enough to write a song which is simple yet utterly emotive. So much so that Canon is found on nearly every wedding compilation and is a favorite of orchestras performing for laity and wanting to impress their great unwashed audiences after having them endure a decidedly not-so-thrilling fusilade of Vivaldi, Liszt and Verdi.

The thing that most people don’t realize about Canon is that it is a rondo, or a “round”. In other words, it’s no different than “Michael Row The Boat Ashore” or “Frere Jacque” that we used to all sing in elementary school. And like those rounds, the act of having different voices or instruments join in at an offset place in the melody brings about an entirely different tune in the finished product. Though having only eight notes spanning two measures, playing canon results in a strikingly complex, articulate and elegant piece with complex passages that - for lack of a better metaphor - caress and tickle the ear.

It’s no surprise then that guitarists have looked at Canon and made it the quintessential crossover piece to show off their virtuoso skills to the community of musicians which tend to look upon guitarists as - with some exception (Andre Segovia) - a bunch of ruffians ringing melody from tightly strung stick. And we can thank Jerry C for arranging Canon in such a way that Canon can be played - instead of four completely separate instruments - by a single guitarist. And to the delight of those of us raised on 1980’s big-hair heavy metal and guitar licks form people like Van Halen, Whitesnake, Metallica or Queensryche, there is “wahwah” to be had with this one.

^{The artist here is Lim Jeong Hyun, and you can download a higher quality MP3 version of the file from the Tigers and Cranes website.}

Of course… you may not love Canon in D as much as I do. In that case, you might have some sympathy with this fellow…

Who’s House? Comrade Run’s House!

MXC is probably the funniest thing on TV. If you haven’t seen it… there’s this show in Japan called “Takashi’s Castle” where colorful contestants run through obstacle courses. It’s neat. But most American’s don’t speak Japanese, so Spike TV dubs over the commentary of Takashi’s Castle, inserts some scatalogical humor, and bam.. you have “Most Extreme Elimination Challenge”, or “MXC”. It’s hilarous. It almost made me forget the utter attack on the American system of free enterprise launched by Senate Democrats today.

“People we represent are hurting, the companies you represent are profiting,” say Vermont Senator Patrick Leahey. Well no shit Patty-boy… that’s what business are supposed to do! It kills me how much Democrats - like Clinton - think profits are somehow evil. They seem to forget that corporate and individual profits are what provides the tax dollars they get to redistribute. And… oil companies are hot targets right now. In absolute terms, they are seeing huge profits. In terms of margins, they’re barely breaking even.