Definitions

We need new definitions for "Liberal" and "Conservative". The traditional definitions don't seem to mean much; we have "liberals" working for balanced budgets and "conservatives" pushing overseas military interventions.

The best current definition I've heard is

• Liberals move wealth *down* the wealth pyramid.
• Conservatives move wealth *up* the wealth pyramid.

Interestingly enough, the "wealth pyramid" seems to be such a part of the common culture that there doesn't seem to be a readily available description of it. Someone should do a Wikipedia entry.

"The Original Maverick"

So McCain is billing himself as "the original maverick". Uhh ... no. A "maverick" is supposed to be independent. When has McCain ever voted against Georgie? On anything? I don't remember any. He has mildly criticized a couple of things that Georgie did, but when the time to vote came, he was right there. When he was there at all -- McCain has the worst attendance record in the Senate.

Besides, those of us Of A Certain Age know the real "original Maverick" -- as played by James Garner.

Does McCain really want to identify himself with a professional gambler with no fixed address and dubious morals? The pic shows Bret Maverick gambling, with a gun and money on the table. Maybe this really is the "maverick" that McCain thinks we want. Unfortunately, McCain lacks Bret Maverick's intelligence, charm, morals, and sense of humor.

The most important thing, of course, is that Bret Maverick is a fictional character. He always won (or at least survived) because the writers wrote the script that way. Those of us in what is laughingly called "the real world" don't have that advantage.