When partisanship goes horribly wrong...

The other night, I was watching ABC's evening news broadcast and they were reporting on how the most conservative members of the Republican Part aren't comfortable with either of the two major candidates who are still running for the party's nomination: John McCain and Mitt Romney. To illustrate one of the reasons for the lack of enthusiasm, they showed a brief clip of Rush Limbaugh's radio show webcast. In it, he complained that Senator McCain was known for sometimes working with Democrats! The tone of his remark made it clear that this was not only a near-criminal act, but rather disgusting, to boot.

To me, this is the final proof that crystallizes a realization for me. The most radical right-wingers are more loyal to their party than to America itself--it's more important to them that their out-of-touch ideology be victorious than for America to be a good and just place (however you interpret "good and just"). I have no doubt that the far Left feels the same way and both groups need to be ostracized, not given prominent radio programs where they can spout their poison.

I won't vote for Senator McCain, but my opposition is based on a couple of important policy areas where I disagree with him. There are plenty of areas where I admire his views and, what's more, he's a great American. If Mr. Limbaugh can't see that, he's a very small man, indeed.

CDs listened to today:

• Bill Watrous: Manhattan Wildlife Refuge
• Juraj Filas: Sonata For Trombone And Piano (At the end of the century)
• Bill Watrous: The Tiger Of San Pedro
• Alfred Schnittke: Symphony No. 8
• Ludwig van Beethoven: The Piano Trios, disk 4
• Arrested Development: 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days...
• William Schuman: Symphony No. 9
• Luciano Berio: Ritorno degli snovidenia
• The Cure: Mixed Up