June 21: Politics, Politics, Politics

*Michael D. Shear of The Washington Post writes about the non-candidates who play coy with their answers about whether they will run for office….Makes you wantto strangle them, doesn’t it? Or at least show them the last scene of the last episode of “The Sopranos.”

*Followup: The Miami Herald reports that a group of Venezuelan-Americans in Miami wrote to presidential candidate John Edwards, protesting his decision to campaign with actor Danny Glover, a supporter ofVenezuelan President Hugo Chavez. I mentioned a few days ago that something like this might happen......It could affect Edwards here in Florida, and in the Jewish community as well, given Chavez' anti-Semitic statements.

*MSNBC’s Bill Dedman reports on journalists who gave to political campaigns:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19113485/

Oy. Journalists are not supposed to do so because it could compromise the need in the job to be fair and accurate. Some media companies have allowed sportswriters and arts critics to give. But there, too, is a slippery slope, because they could potentially cover news in their fields involving elected officials – like a new stadium or arts funding from the legislature.

Incidentally, here’s the section in the Society ofProfessional Journalists' Code of Ethics about this issue:

Act Independently
Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public'sright to know.
Journalists should:
—Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
— Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
— Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
— Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
— Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.
— Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
— Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news.

*Great column in USA Today by Sandy Grady about Barry Bonds and his bogus home run chase. I’d add Sammy Sosaand his faux 600 homers, too:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070621/oplede18.art.htm

I’d also add one more reason the steroid problem causes such damage: Kids. They look up to players, and they will use what their heroes use – or what they think their heroes use – even if it kills them (which it has in a couple of circumstances).

*I find the American Film Institute’s revised, so-called “100 best” list preposterous.
No “DancesWith Wolves,” “Roman Holiday,” “Gentleman’s Agreement,” “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,” “Judgment at Nuremberg?” Come on.
“Toy Story” is listed, but not“Dumbo,” “Pinocchio” or “Fantasia?”
No “Breakfast at Tiffany’s?” “Mrs. Miniver” or anything Katharine Hepburn made with Spencer Tracy? No Tracy, in fact.
Only one Paul Newman film (“Butch Cassidy and theSundance Kid,” ranked too low). Only one Gregory Peck film (“To Kill a Mockingbird,” also ranked too low). And evidently, Martin Scorcese’s friends had a hand in putting this list together (“Raging Bull” at number 4? Please.)
What the heck is “West Side Story” doing on the list?Does the panel know the two leads didn’t do their own singing? And where are “Top Hat,” “An American in Paris” and “The Band Wagon?”
The movies were chosen by Hollywood insiders and critics. It’s time for AFI chief Jean PickerFirstenberg to let the selection process include those who really know something about movies – the public. Aren’t these films made for them?
I would recommend that AFI put their original lists of400 films on their Web site, and let the public make its picks from the list.
And as I wrote yesterday, someone should have a list of the best television programs, as well.

*To end on an upbeat note, here's a presidential candidate we can all get behind, or at least have a good time reading: Dave Barry.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/realcities/news/politics/qa_forum.html

See you next week with my own Top 100 films....