Remember that Rep. Dennis Cardoza's spokesman wouldn't say why the Merced congressman wasn't attending first lady Michelle Obama's speech to UC Merced's pioneer class?
This is why there was such an odd response to a simple question: Cardoza was hosting a big fundraiser at the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltmore on May 16 for his Moderate Victory Fund PAC. No wonder he didn't want to admit why he was skipping the UC Merced commencement. The fundraiser is listed on the Sunlight Foundation's Web site.
Cardoza was among five Valley congressmen who did not attend the first lady's speech on May 16. I was highly critical of the snub -- especially by Cardoza and Rep. Jim Costa, who are both Democrats. After all, they are in the same political party as the president and first lady and should be making points to help their districts.
It turns out that in the case of Cardoza, it's worse than a snub. The Merced congressman didn't appear for the first graduating class at the UC campus in his hometown because he was holding a fundraiser at a race track across the country. Bad form, congressman.
It also goes to show (once again) how money distorts the political process, when a Congressman skips out on the first graduation ceremony of a new university in his district, and an appearance by the First Lady, of his own party, to attend a fundraiser. He may not have known Mrs. Obama was coming when he scheduled the fundraiser, but he surely could have known that the graduation would be on that date. But in politics these days, the pursuit of money all too often comes first.
Michelle Obama probably understood that the culture of politics here is a little different than in Chicago wards. There dem officials run auctions for office on the telephone. It's a more centralized effort to wring money out where most of it is concentrated, in the pockets of aldermen, union bosses, and lawyers. Out here in the west we ask for money the old fashion way, at events out in the open that take time, planning and participation to be successful.
There's lots wrong with our political system, way too much to list, but the fact that people did or did not go to the Merced graduation where Michelle Obama was speaking is not a factor in my life. I just don't see it as a big deal.
It seems that American democracy is not quite as egalitarian as it was meant to be. We are having cabinet tsars ,( Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian title of nobility.) Along with the president we seem to get the spouse to "honor and obey" as well. Most Europeans don't even know or care if their elected president has or has not a spouse. It is great if the president's spouse is involved with the welfare of the nation, but to make a big deal about not "honoring and obeying" that spouse, seems patently un-American to me. (The term honor and obey is just a well worn metaphor.) If someone just don't care what the president's spouse has to say, well that's just too bad. Besides the spouse can earn it, like Eleanor Roosevelt et. al. had in the past.
The Republican leaders were excoriated by Fresno Bee letter writers for missing the graduation. Will they say the same about Cardoza?
Fran B.; I am certain that it all has less to do with political party affiliation than it has to do with the fact that the American people have as of yet not fully embraced the 1776 concept of "We the People" I think we are faced with the hang on to the English concept of we; the common folk and they; the folk above us...our betters. One thing the beehive blog seems to bear out...that we the "common folk" (hahaha!) are very adept in being at each others' throat.
Not sure why this is such a big story. In all due respect to the first lady, she was not the one elected. Is there a protocal that I am missing saying that whenever this non-elected person shows up somewhere, the whole would should stop what they are doing and bow at the throne? Those who were interested in seeing and/or hearing from her went. Those who had no interested shouldn't be criticized.
Not sure why this is such a big story.
Yet it's the story you chose to comment on.