Category Archives: Ethics

RIP, George Putnam

Celebrity, Conservatism, Ethics, Ilana On Radio & TV, Media

George Putnam, the “greatest voice in radio,” has died at the age of 94. Mr. Putnam’s was the greatest voice not only because of its sonorous quality, but because of how incisive, smart and principled the man behind the voice was.

“Former President Nixon, speaking on videotape during a 1984 roast of Putnam given by KTTV to celebrate his 50th anniversary in broadcasting, said of the outspoken newscaster: ‘Some people didn’t like what he said; some people liked what he said. But everybody listened to George Putnam. That is why he has been one of the most influential commentators of our times.'”

Read about Mr. Putnam’s inspiring life, and life’s work, here.

I was immensely privileged to have been a guest on Talk Back, George Putnam’s nationally syndicated show, on October 9 of 2007. I came away feeling I had been graced by a great American.

At the time I wrote the following: “Mr. Putnam is a national treasure, who should be on TV to remind Americans how incisive, sonorous and super smart some of their media mavens used to be. (Now none of them are.) I was also touched by Mr. Putnam’s graciousness about me and my work. This is a man whose counsel Nixon and Reagan sought, and who ‘has a star on the Hollywood Boulevard ‘Walk of Fame.’ Again, an honor.”

Our good friend Chuck Wilder has been doing a splendid job of hosting the syndicated show on CRN Digital Talk Radio. Chuck continues the tradition of reasoned, civil, politically incorrect debate. I wish wonderful Mr. Wilder continued success.

The John Edwards Thing

Democrats, Ethics, Media, Morality, Politics

Edwards had been carrying on with a younger, less classy, washed-out version of Camilla Parker-Bowles. Check Rielle Hunter out.

What have I gleaned from this unremarkable affair?

Nothing new. The man’s ambulance-chasing legal career already established him as a primo sleaze bag. Oddly enough, his public confession or statement reveals much more about his lack of character than the affair, which is a transgression many good people have committed. Edwards mischaracterized his 100 percent deceitfulness as being “99 percent honest.”

What else, other than that many men like simple, slag-like women?

That the National Inquirer is still the unsung newspaper of record in America, a reputation it established during the O.J. trial.

And that there is a reason Ann Coulter’s shallow fare is more popular than, dare I say, more substantial stuff.

Pelosi Palooza

Democrats, Ethics, Morality, Politics

Pelosi has a best-selling book. Tell me that these unjust deserts don’t come directly from an abuse of her abusive political position.

Politicians should be prohibited by law from exploiting their already exploitative positions for yet more profit. Paid positions as analysts on the networks must be outlawed too—perhaps even after they leave office. I’m open to any of your rationalizations on this front.

Pelosi’s are ill-gotten gains.

Update II: How Shall I Praise Thee, Oh Bloody Congress?!

Bush, Ethics, Government, The State

COINAGE FOR CONGRESS. In the post titled “Energy Independence Isolationism”, reader Steve protests my uncharacteristic choice of language for Congress members.

I responded by asking him what else would he have me call them? I have run out of adjectival niceties. Maybe readers have some, but I’m all out.

I’ve been in the trenches for over a decade, and have been pretty polite throughout. (Okay, in “Bush’s 16 Words Miss the Big Picture,” I likened Bush’s “Bring ‘Em On” grin to “the grimace on the face of a demented patient with end-stage syphilis.”)

Have the Leaders returned the courtesy? Have they refrained, at the very least, from bloodletting and thieving and all other manner of immorality and dishonor? No.

To everything there is a season, it is written in Ecclesiastes. The time is ripe to call a F-ck Face a FF.

I’ll tell you what: I’ll change “Congressional Cockroaches” to “Congressional Creeps.” I was being grossly unfair to cockroaches.

Updated (June 24): Steve has forgiven me (although he posted his reply to the wrong post). He writes:

Ilana, touché. No need to pull punches. They are f-ck faces. Libertarian small-g goddess-hood intact. Now, I just have more than your intellect by which to be intimidated. My use of the f bomb tends to be more mundane and unimaginative, and almost universally traffic-related. Props!

Thanks for feeling my pain, Steve. I’m glad my fall from grace has been halted. As a first-time offender (scroll down), let me say in my defense that mitigating circumstances were–are–in abundance. Actually, believe it or not, christening Congress as I did was no “crime” of passion. I had thought of removing the risqué moniker, and then decided that the time was ripe to “Out [these] damned spots.”

Update II: Has anyone noticed that this is blog number 666? The Number of the Beast. Speaking of the Devil. (The Number of the Beast Iron-Maiden style is cool).

By the way, in case of a misunderstanding, the honorifics in this post apply, naturally, to members of both Houses (sans Ron Paul). A pox on both Houses.