Playing Politics

Slate discusses the newfound popularity former Senator Max Cleland is enjoying within the Democratic Party. They point out how he and John Kerry have become joined at the hip lately, appearing together at all kinds of fundraisers and campaign rallies. Which, when you think about it, is kind of odd. Cleland was a so-so senator with a decidedly conservative bent. I don’t think he and Kerry were all buddy-buddy when they were both on the Hill. So what gives? My theory: it’s the wheelchair. Cleland is a ready-made symbol of Democratic outrage at Republican dirty tricks. “Look what those Republicans did to this poor man in the wheelchair! We’ll get those bastards! ” Hey, whatever works. But it does strike me as just a tad condescending. If Cleland wasn’t in a wheelchair, he’d be just another poor schlub who got bitch-slapped by the GOP in 2002. Instead, he’s some kind of hero. I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, but I think it reveals some interesting things about the intersection of disability and politics.
Hellboy was the shiznit. Lots of great eye candy, but also a film with a surprising amount of depth and feeling with a solid ethical center. Hellboy is kind of unique in that he’s a blue-collar superhero with a blue-collar perspective on the world. Kind of an oversized Teamster with red skin and questionable parentage.
Finally, for your Saturday evening reflection, here are some pictures of a lovely Buddhist sand mandala.