Archive for November, 2014

Inconvenient Facts (Limerick)

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

Inconvenient Facts (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Republicans love to get traction
By using executive action
As a pretext to jaw:
“Barack breaks the law!”–
Despite similar acts by their faction.

Immigration reform, for example:
Though Bush Senior and Reagan did ample
Such executive acts
It would seem, despite facts,
That on laws only Democrats trample.

Here’s a must-read, if you really want to understand the debate over deportations.

The Party Of White Guys Strikes Again

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

Republican gals
awarded but one House chair–
housekeeping gavel.

Twenty-one gavels–
GOP guys get twenty.
One lone gal “keeps house.”

For those who are keeping score, Rep. Candice Miller is the only woman who will be wielding a gavel in the Republican-controlled House. Twenty committee chairmanships go to guys (mostly white), while the least prestigious one — the House Administration Committee — goes (again) to Miller.

Miller’s committee runs the day-to-day operations of the House. So if there’s a hearing about problems with the House cafeteria or bathrooms, Candice Miller’s “The Man.”

To be fair, the Administration Committee’s other principal function is oversight over federal elections. So I suppose Miller can also hold hearings on how to make it harder for Democrats to vote.

“Good Old Days” (Limerick)

Thursday, November 13th, 2014

“Good Old Days” (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane

What’s the GOP planning to do?
Their “restoring America” spew
Is nothing but code
For the “good old days” mode.
Tell me: How were those “good days” for YOU?

Election Reflections (Limerick and Haiku)

Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

Election Reflections (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Our nation’s elections have ended
With results rather distant from splendid.
As Republicans cheer,
I won’t cry in my beer;
I’ll need gin for our nightmare extended.

***** Sundry Post-Election Haiku *****

Dreadful election
has killed my sense of humor,
so stuck with haiku.

Election’s over–
my worst fears are realized.
Say bye to Senate.

Dems disempowered,
Republicans emboldened.
Brace for impeachment.

Election wipeout–
Americans even more
stupid than I thought.

“Was the election
a Clinton epic failure?”
Latest lame headline.

Sense of humor gone;
If you have held on to yours,
may I borrow it?

***** Post-Election Tanka *****

Watching the returns,
I memorized who won what,
but taxing my mind
proved to be unwarranted–
The Republican guys won.

Writing Verse, When Things Go from Bad to Worse

Monday, November 3rd, 2014

Writing Verse, When Things Go from Bad to Worse
By Madeleine Begun Kane

My goal is political mockery,
Poking fun at election-time squawkery.
But the polls are so bad
And the news is so sad,
That all I can do is throw crockery.