I am not going to launch on a tirade this morning, even though there are at least three interesting stories in the blabbosphere. They all have something to say about The Narrative of Life in These United States that are quite electrifying, if you pay attention to those sorts of things.

Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t. It is a mixed bag.

The most esoteric is the revelation over the shenanigans on the use of evidence from twelve trees that once grew in place called Yamal in Siberia, the great Russian Far East. It is a seemingly small story, about whether or not ancient tree-trunks provide an accurate gauge of ancient (and modern) temperatures. It also appears to be the basis for a direct assault on a major component of the Conventional Wisdom. I just don’t have it in me this morning to mount a peevish frontal attack on scientific minutiae, regardless of how significant.

That is one of the reasons I like to write about the real history of real people. It is close enough to inspire, and far enough away not to be personally dangerous, even on Victory Day of the former Soviet Union in its titanic struggle with the armies of fascism.

Like Uncle Joe Stalin. I can run a picture of the young man, who would be the guy who cut in on you at the high school dance and walked out with the girl you liked and not worry about Chekist goons showing up at Big Pink in their long flowing leather coats to hurl me into the Gulag:

(Uncle Joe in happier times. Looks like a poet, right? Could he pass a random urinalysis?)

We have to say good-bye to the public life of another Great American this morning. 80-year old Senator Dick Lugar of Indiana was trounced in his primary race yesterday with some upstart with links to the Tea Party. People seem sort of pissed out there in the heartland. Senator Lugar, bless him, is a retired Naval Intelligence Reserve Officer, and has always been kind to the other younger members of our little tribe.

He performed some outstanding service in his years in the Senate, the Nunn-Lugar Act being just one of them. I don’t know what former Senator Sam Nunn is up to today, but bless them both. They were heroes of another generation.

I don’t know what this means, precisely. There are those who are saying this represents a lurch to the right and a chance for the Left in the fall elections to fill the senate seat. Others say that Senator Lugar is too old, no longer owns a home in the state he represents, and this is just a case of losing touch with the base of his party.

I don’t know. I do know that this whacky election cycle has all kinds of interesting things in it. There is the civil war in Wisconsin, where beleaguered Governor Scott Walker will face Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, whom Walker beat for his office in the last general election.

The news was not all about the insurgents in the Republican Party, or their ideological civil war (Mr. Barret’s words) with the public sector unions.

I had forgotten that there was a Democratic Primary season, though apparently the system chugs along just fine on autopilot. What is curious about the results are that the President was not running unopposed, as I had assumed. A man in Texas, without access to a single jet or campaign organization, garnered 40% of the popular vote against Mr. Obama in the West Virginia primary.

The alternate candidate is named Keith Judd. He is an unusual man with an unusual hobby. He has the time to devote to his Presidential race, since he is serving time at the Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution in Texas. With 93 percent of West Virginia precincts reporting, Judd garnered 40 percent of the party vote.

Oh, I know. The campaign against Big Coal is hurting local pocketbooks, and that, in turn is what is hurting the President at the polls in the Mountaineer State.

I do not think the Obama campaign is going to lose a lot of sleep over this, since I think the West Virginia has been a write-off since before this campaign began.

Still, you can’t say this all isn’t interesting. Or can you?

(Mr. Rogers demonstrates exactly what I am feeling this morning about politics and politicians this morning. Photo screen capture from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.)

Copyright 2012 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com