milestones

I feel I should comment on the appointment of the first female Speaker of the House. I'm glad to see it: the highest-ranking woman ever elected in the US. Pelosi is steadfastly pro-choice, she voted against the homophobic marriage bill, against the anti-immigrant fence and she supports gun control. On the other hand, she voted for the so-called Patriot Act, and she started opposing the war only when it was politically safe to do so. She's about as liberal as the Democrats get these days, and I hope she does a good job as Speaker.

Another milestone, long-time "60 Minutes" correspondent Ed Bradley has died. He was only 65; he had leukemia. This man was really, really good at his job. I admired him.

Someone asked why I didn't note the passing of former Texas governor Ann Richards. It's because I have very mixed feelings about her. Richards was a dynamo, a powerful woman and a feminist, and it's easy to enjoy her ready wit. There's no doubt she did some good things for Texas. However, she presided over the executions of 49 people, including two minors and two people with mentally disabilities. Those numbers may pale in comparison to Moron's 152 executions, but each was a human being, each killed by the government. Richards opted for political expediency over justice. Like the authors of this article, I ask, how a person who did this be rightfully called a progressive? That's why I couldn't join the chorus praising her when she died.

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