America Held Hostage, Day One

(America Held Hostage, Day One)

These days, there are countless sources of "news." Beyond traditional print and aired media, there are additional countless sources off the Internet. That is today. Back in my day, however, there were the three broadcast networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC as well as mainstay print media of the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal to name the main papers. In any event, in 1979, the Iranian Revolution overthrew the Shah and then Iranian students seized the American Embassy and held its occupants for 444 days. As this would be the most significant news story, it was the leading item: "America Held Hostage, Day whatever," for ABC's World News Tonight, CBS' Evening News and NBC's Nightly News. That was for every night of the crisis and it persisted for the entire time until the hostages were released.


Pope Benedict XVI just passed. His election as the Bishop of Rome was an involved process that required a majority vote by the Conclave of Cardinals held in the Sistine Chapel. Each day that ends with no decision, the Chapel chimney releases black smoke after a certain straw gets burned. When a selection is made and a new Pontif is chosen, the smoke released turns white.


Kevin McCarthy does not have time for the deliberations necessary for a Conclave and, like those Iranian students and the American Embassy, he, most of the House Republicans Conference, if not the rest of the country, As of now, McCarthy for Speaker has failed on the first ballot. The drama invariably continues.


For how much longer ? As today is Tuesday, if a Speaker is not selected by the end of the  week, and this thing drags on into the rest of the Month ? This debacle is not only playing out in front of the American public but, embarrassingly, in front of Democrats as well. They apparently know how work together and keep the trains on time. Kevin McCarthy has done nothing but be derailed.

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