Jackass

The President of the United States was caught off microphone yesterday telling an interviewer that Kanye West was, “…a jackass…” Well, Mr. President, you hit the nail on the head! I only wish that it would not have been off mike, and revealed by some twit from ABC on twitter. I wish you would have been able to come right out and say it in an open interview.

For once, we heard a real opinion that was honest and real. Nothing phony about that opinion, and it did not take an act of Congress to form it. Amazingly, no one in the public who knows about the incident at the VMA awards with Mr. West ruining Ms. Taylor Swift’s moment in the spotlight was likely to stand up and say, “YOU LIE!” The President was speaking for himself, not his administration or Congress. He gave voice to what many in the viewing audience, including myself, thought to themselves!

Beyonce showed a lot of class and solidified her stature as not only a star, but a good person. I was truly proud of her when she asked Swift to come back on stage and deliver her speech. If you saw the video of her in crowd as West spoke, you saw her embarrassed, “Oh, MY GOD!” mouthed loudly and succinctly.

I watched as Kanye West apologized on the Jay Leno show the other night. He appeared to be remorseful, and have trouble talking. His eyes gave the appearance of being sorry. He offered to help Ms. Swift in her career and, I think she should take him up on this. He owned his error and did not make excuses for it. West even acknowledged that his late mother would not be proud of him and would have given him a lecture.

Can’t really say that for Representative Wilson, though. He embarrassed the entire House, Senate, the State of South Carolina and US with his unprofessional outburst. Yet, in some circles, he is considered a hero. Since the incident, he has raised more than a million dollars for his re-election campaign. His apology was not heartfelt and actually looked to be something akin to what a mother might make her son say to his little brother whom he hit with a hammer intentionally. Little brother might buy the apology, but mom and dad don’t. He should be sent to his room without dinner until he really means what he said in his apology.

The House voted pretty much along party lines to tell Wilson he was a “jackass,” but no one from either party said it out loud in front of an open microphone. The resolution was not binding and did include and penalties for violating protocol. Wilson has opened up the door for more boorish behavior in an institution known for disagreeing civilly.

Let me go on record as saying that I put Mr. Wilson and Mr. West on the same level. Both would be better off living on the streets of Oatman, Arizona, and old mining town in the desert which is overrun by jackasses, getting carrots from passersby and walking in and out of shops with other the burros.

Doughnut