Reflections...

Over the past weekend, I saw some movies or specials that had me thinking. I had the chance to see Good Night, and Good Luck on Friday. It was a very interesting movie that dealt with Senator Joe McCarthy (R-WI) and his fight against communism. McCarthy blacklisted just about anybody that was an anybody and accused them of being a communist. All the footage of McCarthy was archive footage. Edward R. Murrow, the broadcaster featured throughout the movie, coined the phrase that the movie was named after. Murrow was one of the first broadcasters in the media to have grown a spine with his CBS show, See it Now. I wish I could say the same thing about the broadcast journalists of today--Katrina aside--but Jon Stewart is a political comedian and doesn't really count as a journalist. On March 9. 1954, Murrow changed broadcast journalism as we know it by attacking Senator Joseph McCarthy. Murrow's days on TV ended in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy appointed him the head of the US Information Agency--the parent of Voice of America. For more on Ed Murrow, click here.

Speaking of President Kennedy, I watched a special on the History Channel dealing with the curse of the Kennedy family. While a few of them have lived into their 70s and 80s, it's sad how a few have died unnatural and untimely deaths. I may be a moderate Democrat but I have been a longtime supporter of the Kennedy family especially Jack and Bobby. I had hoped that Bobby, Jr. would have run for something next year. Maybe he will soon. Ted is up for re-election next year. I expect a landslide win for another term. John Kennedy, Jr. would have made a great politician had he lived.