S3e10- H.Con-172 ("Everyone's to blame so no one's guilty.")

"I was wrong. I was. I was just...I was wrong. Come on, you know that. Lots of times we don't know what right or wrong is but lots of times we do and come on, this is one.  I may not have had sinister intent at the outset but there were plenty of opportunities for me to make it right. No one in government takes responsibility for anything anymore. We foster, we obfuscate, we rationalize. "Everybody does it." That's what we say. So we come to occupy a moral safe house where everyone's to blame so no one's guilty. I'm to blame. I was wrong."

Fairly bold words to come from a President, even a fictitious one.  Few real apologies exist- David Frost almost got Nixon to apologize in his famous interviews-

Bill Clinton apologized at a breakfast with Christian leaders after his admission didn't seem contrite enough in his admission of an affair with Monica Lewinsky-

Reagan also admitted regret regarding his administration's involvement in the Iran-Contra Affair-

And while President Obama has been called on to apologize for nearly everything by someone at Fox News, he did have to apologize when it became clear that some Health Insurance plans would be cancelled, despite his promises surrounding "Obamacare" legislation.

Let's turn to today's political landscape, shall we?   John Oliver (as he often does) gave a fantastic summary about the more flexible relationship with the truth, or more importantly; the truth of their feelings.

As an educator, I took particular interest in accusations of plagiarism in Melania Trump's speech, and how the campaign handled itself in the aftermath.  Here is Mrs. Trump's speech next to the suspected source- Mrs. Obama's speech:

The next morning, Paul Manafort (chairman of the Trump campaign) said the following in an interview with CNNTrump campaign chairman Paul Manafort also addressed the controversy on CNN Tuesday morning:

"There's no cribbing of Michelle Obama's speech. These were common words and values. She cares about her family.  To think that she'd be cribbing Michelle Obama's words is crazy."

Paul Spicer then became my favorite person in the world, when he decided to share that these were common themes and words, to be found anywhere, so it couldn't be plagiarism:

"Melania Trump said, 'the strength of your dreams and willingness to work for them.' Twilight Sparkle from 'My Little Pony' said, 'This is your dream. Anything you can do in your dreams, you can do now.' "

That's right- My Little Pony was just invoked by the Director of Communications of the Republican National Convention.  Here's his face when he drops Twilight Sparkle:

When asked about the RNC Chair, Reince Priebus, stating that he would fire a speechwriter for plagiarizing portions of such a public address, Twilight Sparkle's the RNC's Director of Communications responded that it was a hypothetical, and, oh yeah- that it wasn't plagiarism.

Fast forward to two days later, and the speechwriter in question, Meredith McIver came forward and admitted that after Melania Trump had shared excerpts from some of Mrs. Obama's speeches over the phone, some phrases were written down and eventually became a part of the final draft.

Now, this entire Speech debacle is the definition of a process story, where the focus isn't on Melania Trump's speech-giving skills or the issues she was discussing, but rather the Trump campaign's inability to manage itself.

Consider this- either the RNC Director of Communications and the head of Trump's own campaign had no idea that it was plagiarism either from looking at the speeches side by side and are incompetent, or they knew the passages were plagiarized and they were sent out (along with lots of other Trump surrogates) to lie.   Along the way, of course, they also pointed out several democrats who had been caught plagiarizing (who all apologized for it, though that is clearly beside the point), and managed to find a way to accuse Hillary Clinton of manufacturing the entire thing.

The true problem?  There is no, and I mean NO accountability regarding these lies.   The public has already moved on to the DNC emails, or whatever else, and these two and countless others continue to be taken seriously by a news industry that can't accuse anyone of lying, because the truth their telling comes from their feelings and experiences.

"We foster, we obfuscate, we rationalize. "Everybody does it." That's what we say. So we come to occupy a moral safe house where everyone's to blame so no one's guilty."

What's Next?  S3e11-100,000 Airplanes

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S3e9- Bartlet for America ("This is why good people hate us")

My wife called me out last night- I was threatening to watch the Republican National Convention- in part because I have a wildly morbid curiosity about what the end of civilization might look like, and in part because I've always wanted to know how Trump agreed to let Scott Baio speak, since he has a history of being In Charge, and I know Trump doesn't like a lot of competition.

Her point was that I started this blog to avoid this ridiculous cluster of an election cycle.

She's correct, and I'm sorry- I didn't mean to get sucked in, but it's just getting terribly difficult to avoid everything that's been happening.  So, in this blog post, I'm going to go on a bit of a bender.

This episode is centered around Leo's testimony, how the campaign got started and a relapse that occurred during the Convention.  President Bartlet, surveying the hall, talks about how the number of people in the space will raise the temperature.  Not a problem for SenatorJoni Ernst (R-Iowa), whose convention speech was slightly underattended:

This was also not an issue at the Convention's "Women Vote Trump" event.

The story of Leo approaching Jed is charming, but as an unexpected surprise, this episode features the return of Dolores Landingham, who shows up working for the then-Governor.  She's on camera for 30 seconds and manages to deliver some wonderful zingers- and I miss her all over again.

Most importantly, John Spencer delivers an Emmy-winning performance in this episode.  As an actor who was himself a recovering alcoholic, Spencer brings a humanity and reality to Leo, and the portrayal is stunning.

Since the current news cycle is focused on the hilarious process story of Melania Trump's speech (co-authored by Michele Obama without credit) while Trump surrogates are trying to say that copying 7% of a speech isn't really plagerism if the content is common words like "the" and "is" (actually heard someone say that on CNN), I feel the need to join in on the theater of the absurd that is playing out in our political process.

So, in a special RNC blog edition, is my impression of Trump live-tweeting Season 3 Episode 9- Bartlet for America:

What's Next?  S3e10- H. Con-172

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S3e8- The Women of Qumar ("That's a permeating syllogism, to be sure.")

Warning: a largely qualitative and purely speculative examination, masquerading as hard analysis of the West Wing as of Season 3, Episode 8- "The Women of Qumar."

I love this episode, because to me, it represents a wonderful and welcome shift for a few characters in "The West Wing"- most especially, C.J..  She is admirable, strong, professional and unapologetically fierce- and I absolutely love it.  Watching C.J. in "The Women of Qumar," I feel just like Toby:

So, in the spirit of my recognition of C.J.'s ascension, here's my ranking of how each character's stocks are trending since S1e1 (Up, Down or Holding Steady):

C.J. Cregg- This episode, "The Women of Qumar," is a wonderful example of the extent to which C.J.'s stock has risen since the start of the show.  Consider her rage at the decision to sell arms to the fictitious country of Qumar behind the scenes- reminding everyone that this is business with a country guilty of mistreating (a kinder word than it deserves) women.  Still, she is able to persuade Toby, Leo and the President to alter their course on communicating the early information on potential Mad Cow disease, and maintains her professionalism in front of the Press Corps, touchingly and deservedly recognized by Toby at the end of the episode (see picture above).

Josh Lyman- Who will he date?  Mandy Hampton- Joey Lucas- Donna Moss- newcomer Amy Gardner?  Amazing that there are more romantic story lines for Bradley Whitford than there have been for Rob Lowe.  A triumph for receding hairlines everywhere, Josh has had his ups (victory was his, bring him the finest muffins and bagels in the lands) and downs (being shot comes to mind, as does the Tobacco lawsuit and breaking the window in his apartment), but manages to come through it a writer's and audience's favorite.

Toby Ziegler- Defender of idealism, the left wing champion of a left-leaning administration and show.  Bringing Yiddish back to the masses in the biggest way since "Fiddler on the Roof," and single-handedly responsible for increases in Pie sales around the country.  Minimal long-arc storylines, but maximum impact as Sorkin's go-to opponent for anyone thinking about cutting the NEA, taking Julia Child off the air or doing anything vaguely reminiscent of Joe McCarthy.

President Bartlet- Considering he was only supposed to show up once or twice a season, he's not doing to badly.  Now demonstrating disarming combo of Everyman (Butterball Hotline caller, willingness to speak poor french) and savant (economics, obscure latin phrases).  Seems to be emerging from M.S. revelation relatively unscathed.

Donna Moss- Moved from "also starring" status to main character, and engaged in a "will they or won't they" with Josh that seems all but inevitable; still, she seems to have stalled somewhat into a role more secretarial.  Dating Cliff Calley was a disaster from start to finish, but remained a sympathetic character.  Season 3 hasn't been terrifically kind to her so far, but hope springs eternal that there are better days ahead.

Leo McGary- Occasional moments of glory ("Let Bartlet be Bartlet" and treatment of any staffer who wants to date his daughter) that are tempered of idealism-squashing reality-delivering.  Master of one sentence witticisms with President Bartlet, but not occupying any major plotlines.

Charlie Young- As with Sam, enjoyed the sunshine in Season 1, but hasn't seen the light of day for quite some time.   Busy with his studies (Modern American History does suck), but little focus on life outside of the office; gone are the days of clubbing with Josh, and doesn't seem to be dating Zoey any more.

Abigail Bartlet- A disastrous combination of plot and prominence.  Perhaps hindered by the real-life broken leg, the First Lady has become more and more an opponent of series favorites, instead of her 1st Season role as ally.  Add to this her weak-link position in the M.S. scandal, and it's hard to argue that her stock hasn't fallen.

Sam Seaborn- Moved from main story-arc prominence in Season 1 to Toby's crime-fighting partner and occasional quaint story-line favorite (eliminate the penny, date the boss' daughter, make everyone wear seatbelts).  Needs more opportunities to say "Galileo" and rewrite speeches on the spot.

Gail the Fish- Is anyone feeding her?  Without Danny around to check in on her, I worry.

What's Next?  S3e9- Bartlet for America

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S3e7- The Indians in the Lobby (J'accuse, mon petite fromage!)

I say this to my wife as often as I can.  It's my favorite little scene in this whole episode, which has interesting tidbits about the calculation of the poverty line, international relations as it pertains to extradition and the death penalty, and the mistreatment of Native Americans.  But to be honest with you, I enjoy this episode for this moment and the entirety of the Butterball Hotline because sometimes you just need to laugh, and this week- I've just needed a laugh.  A break from the seriousness of the world and the problems we face.  My heart has been heavy with thought, despair and concern- and it was nice to have a bit of respite.

For some reason, Aaron Sorkin has very holiday-centric themes: Christmas is inspirational and family oriented, and Thanksgiving is funny.  Let's not forget this gem from "Shibboleth":

And then.... we have the Butterball Hotline.

Highlights?
- "I'm Joe Betherson...sen. That's one 't', and with an 'h' in there."
- "If I cook [the stuffing] inside the turkey, is there a chance I could kill my guests? I'm not saying
that's necessarily a deal-breaker."

And yes, he needs to get better at the names.

Now, on to the Stockbridge-Munsee Indians.  If only the treatment these two characters (both portrayed by fairly prominent members of the Canadian Native American film/television acting world) was fictional.   Even a cursory glance at the impact of the Dawes Act on Native American tribes is distressing.  However, in the midst of the darkness of this week's events, this episode ends with a very simple reminder of how we all should be thinking:

C.J.: How do you keep fighting these smaller injustices when they're all from the Mother of Injustices?

MAGGIE- What's the alternative?


Absolutely.


What's Next?  S3e8- The Women of Qumar

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S3e6- Gone Quiet ("By and large, I'm not wild about musicals.")

Gone Quiet.  An apt metaphor for my blog over the last month.   Challenging times for blogging, dear reader.  My apologies; I can't promise that I'll get more consistent, because my summer teaching is crazier than my rest-of-year teaching, and that's pretty crazy to begin with!  Thankfully, "The West Wing" will always have my back- unlike nature, which, according to Oliver Babish, "is to be protected from. Nature, much like a woman, will seduce you with its sights, its scents and its touch. And then it breaks your ankle. Also like a woman."

The main focus of this episode is that there's a nuclear sub that's gone quiet- and Secretary of State's Grumpiest Old Man, Albie Duncan(played beautifully by Hal Holbrook) is around to tell the president that he's lost a sub.  However, as is so often the case in these episodes, the side plot is more interesting than the main.

Toby get's word that the National Park Service will be getting an additional $105 million in the budget, and while that seems like a good thing, he soon realizes that number represents the budget of the National Endowment for the Arts, and Congress wants to de-fund it.

Connection to reality?  For 2016, the $148 million budget of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) represents just 0.012% (about one one-hundredth of one percent) of federal discretionary spending.

At this point, I feel like President Bartlett listening to Albie Duncan list submarine-related disasters:

Here's a chart displaying discretionary spending for 2015 that pretty well demonstrates the problem:

That's right- you can't find the NEA on there, can you?  That's because it only accounts for 1/10th of the space occupied by this period:  .

So why does this have me in a tizzy?

Because currently, a great deal is going around the internet about Military Bands, and the cuts proposed in the Pentagon's 2017 defense appropriation bill.   Just the facts?  We're talking about musicians who are soldiers- they go through boot camp, training, and perform incredibly valuable service with regards to relations and morale.   More importantly, the Pentagon spends about $437 million annually on 137 bands and their 4,350 buglers, fifers, strummers and drummers. That’s only 0.09% of the military’s annual budget.

While I have no doubt that their processes could be streamlined and the budget could be trimmed, it should be noted that I just read an article bemoaning the ridiculousness of the Army purchasing a $26,000 Tuba last month.  It sounds ridiculous because the Tuba is inherently a funny instrument- but if you're trying to recruit the best musicians, you need the best instruments; and $26k isn't that much to spend on a tuba.

The truth is that this type budget attention is nothing more than pruning low-hanging fruit.  For each of the last four years, the Department of Defense has requested that several military bases be closed at a potential savings of over $2 billion dollars for maintaining unnecessary installations: this proposal has been rejected by the Armed Services committee on the basis of the damage to local economies, usually located inside the congressional district of the plan's most vocal detractors.

The truth is that this isn't smart saving of money- it's convenient.  Unfortunately, it's short-sighted.  Research has shown time and time again that the Arts play a critical role in just about everything good, and despite the examples used in this episode of "The West Wing," most of the grant money from the NEA goes to projects directly tied to building community or serving the underserved.

Worst of all, a New York Times article  published on 7/1/16 noted that the budget of the Military Bands was almost three times that of the National Endowment of the Arts.  It failed to note that compared to most other industrialized countries, funding for the NEA is a paltry sum- in 2013, Germany spent nearly $1.63 Billion- yes, with a B- on the arts- France spent nearly $10 billion on its Ministry of Culture- a 2% drop in funding that prompted strikes and protests.    The NEA is given 41 cents per person for the arts- compared to Northern Ireland, which spends $11.67, while Finland spends $8.42.  Amazingly, Australia spends $311.77 per person between both the National and State government.   So you see, criticizing the Military Bands for having 3 times the budget of the NEA is a bit unfair, considering if is massively, critically, embarrassingly underfunded.

To quote Toby:

"There is a connection between progress of a society and progress in the Arts. The age of Pericles was also the age of Phidias. The age of Lorenzo de Medici was also the age of Leonardo Da Vinci. The age of Elizabeth was the age of Shakespeare."

Despite all that wonderful prose, what made me the most upset in watching this episode?  The fact that Aaron Sorkin allows this plotline to die with the revelation that Congress just wants the White House to get rid of the NEA's director, some poor sap named Oakenwood: show him the door or we de-fund the NEA.  That's it.  We learn of this endgame, and then all of a sudden Toby's figuring out how to use soft money to air issue ads.   There's no defense of this man Oakenwood, there's no outcry for more funding.  Just an acceptance that this is clearly how it is.

In this instance, Sorkin went quiet, and it couldn't have been at a worse time.

What's Next?  S3e7- The Indians in the Lobby

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