My brother, Karl, has always had a way with words (and with drawings, for that matter).  Yesterday, he dropped me a short e-mail that I immediately wished I’d written.  So, with his permission, I’ll “blog” it…

Every witches brew calls for Eye of Newt.  Seems you can't get that out of an evil stew.  But, today Dick Perry pulled out of the "race".  Meanwhile, the Republican primary in Iowa was re-evaluated.  Turns out great chunks of votes were lost or misplaced or something, and according to the Republican party they'll probably never be found.  Oh well.   To quote the devil in Steven King's movie "Needful Things", - "These things happen."

But they did decide that Mutt Romney did not win after all.  It was The Santorum.  No mention was made of Rep. Paul, who was polling way out in first place days before the election in Iowa took place.  Who knows, he may have done better too, if the election had been conducted in a professional, honest manner.

But honesty is never stewed in the same brew with Eye of Newt.

to be the dream
one must have Mind.
Mind enough to dream the dream.

to be the dream
one must have Heart.
Heart enough to feel the dream.

to be the dream
one must have Determination.
Determination enough to realize the dream.

to be the dream
one must have Strength.
Strength enough to push the dream.

to be the dream
one must have Courage.
Courage enough to speak the dream.

He was the dream.

If you haven’t already seen it, bask in the ignorance, arrogance, and evidence-free claims in Rick Perry’s latest campaign ad.

This ad has the dubious distinction of being the most disliked thing on You Tube:

And  it’s not just us liberal, Ann Arbor-ish types that feel this way.  Consider, for example, the press release issued by Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance in response to Perry’s “Strong” ad:

“Rick Perry has taken us to a new low in campaign ads with his “Strong” ad. Under the guise of spirituality, Perry has taken the manipulation of religion for partisan political advantage to an incredible, almost unbelievable extreme. With a smile on his face, he trades on personal attacks and provable untruths that reveal no understanding of the first amendment to the Constitution and very little respect for the integrity of religion. 

“His ad suggests a war on religion that simply does not exist. His statement that he is ‘not ashamed to be a Christian,’ would seem to imply that too many of our public officials are. If anything, the opposite is true. Far too many candidates in both parties trying to use their faith as a political weapon rather than a source for inspiration.  This is a race for commander-in-chief, not pastor-in-chief.  His divisive and misleading message about faith has no place in a U.S Presidential campaign. 

“These are difficult times and we are a country facing serious challenges requiring real solutions. Prioritizing one religious perspective in favor of another does nothing to move us forward. As a fellow Christian, I want Gov. Perry to understand that he is woefully mistaken when he implies that it is his faith, rather than his policy views, that qualify him for office. Rather than fighting these supposed ‘liberal attacks’ on our religious heritage, he should focus on protecting that heritage by guarding religious freedom for everyone.”

Fortunately, it’s only a matter of time before this ne'er-think-well fades from view.  But maybe, his 15 minutes in the national (and international) spot light will do some good.  Perhaps he will help folks, young and old alike, realize that being dumb is not cool.

Now, for your viewing enjoyment, below are some of the other responses popping up around the web.  (If you know of any others, please mention them in a comment.)