The Affair

Up until this point I've not commented on the John Edwards affair.
Sure, the story of the affair has been circulating for weeks if not months. But, it had not moved into the mainstream media. And Edwards continued to deny it.
Furthermore, I hoped it wasn't true. And, I did not want to be accused of contributing to "the politics of personal destruction."
I said I "hoped it wasn't true." But I suspected all along that it was true.
Why? Because I had an instinctive feeling about Edwards right from the start and it was not good. I've always felt he was a fast talker, a charlatan. And, he's always seemed way too ambitious and just a bit too fond of himself. That's usually a sign of insecurity.
Insecure people do not make good leaders. And they are often unstable.
Now, Edwards has admitted that he was "narcissistic and self-centered." Translation: His insecurity led him out of balance, out of touch. So, as he gained the spotlight he felt irresistible, super-powered, almost invincible. He thought he could do anything, say anything, get away with anything because he lost touch with reality.
So now he has fallen.
It's not a pretty sight, especially when it's played out in public.
Delusions lead to secrets and lies.
The first rule of public relations is "tell the truth." That's the first rule. Everything else flows from that. If you're in the public eye, you've got to tell the truth. If you don't know the answer to a question, you say you don't know. If you do know the answer but you can't say it, you say that you can't answer the question just now and (if possible) you say why you can't answer.
But don't lie. Don't lie.
In today's media saturated age, there are no secrets anymore. You will be found out.
Don't lie.

Call Me Chairmaker

On Wednesday we journeyed to the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington where we enjoyed a delightful exhibition by artist and craftsman Garry Knox Bennett.

Entitled "Call Me Chairmaker" the exhibition features 52 one-of-a-kind sculptural chairs that reflect the artist's fascinating imagination and keen wit. Bennett's ladderback chair is pictured.

Bennett draws his inspiration from well-known furniture designers and architects such as Gerrit Rietveld and Frank Lloyd Wright, leading to unique creations such as chairs titled Great Granny Rietveld and Wiggle Wright. He reinterprets classic design and has fun while doing it.
“To understand my art, a viewer has to understand jokes,” says Bennett. “Good jokes build piece by piece, the little fact that is dropped into the story line, the accumulation of illogical data that flip-flops logic until the unexpected is understood with a joyful rush of logic and justice.”

But Bennett's artistry is no joke. He's super-talented.

You have to see these chairs in person to truly appreciate what Bennet has accomplished.

BTW: The video that accompanies the show is great.

The exhibition continues through September 21. Hurry!

Lush Summer Gardens

Yesterday we took a quick trip to nearby Wilming
ton to visit the Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar. These gardens are restored as an exquisite example of the formal Italianate style of garden design, with marble terraces, a grand staircase, a reflecting pool, sculpture and a variety of annuals, perennials,and shrubs. They are true to the 1916-23 designs of Marian Coffin.
After purchasing Gibraltar in 1909, Hugh Rodney Sharp and his wife Isabella du Pont Sharp built the du Pont mansion of today. It features the formal garden with a pavilion, statuary, and plants collected from trips abroad. Marion Cruger Coffin was one of America's best known female landscape architects and designers.
As we entered the garden area we were greeted by a real, live groundhog. He looked at us. We looked at him. He looked back at us. We looked back at him. Then he resumed his grazing and we went along our way through the gardens. Of all the parts of the property that we viewed we were most taken with the lily pond/reflecting pool. The statuary, the water, the reflections and the delicate water plants and shimmering koi fish combined to produce a perfect summer treasure.
We highly recommend a trip to the gardens and the nearby Delaware Art Museum.
The Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar are located at the corner of Greenhill and Pennsylvania avenues in Wilmington, just off exit 7 of I-95. The garden entrance is on Greenhill Avenue. Self-guided tours are free.

Good Morning, NABE!

Good morning to all our friends convening for the National Association of Bar Executives Conference (NABE) at the American Bar Association (ABA) Annual Meeting in New York this morning.
We hope you have a wonderful time in the Big Apple and that you enjoy a great conference and soak up all of the sights and delights of the world's most exciting city.
We have so many good things to say about NYC (and so many fond memories from countless visits) that it would take a whole new blog just to begin to catalogue them.
We never tire of visiting one of our favorite summer islands - Manhattan.
So, even though we're no longer regular conventioneers, we might just surprise everyone later this week with a live shout out. Enjoy!

Bobby To Keynote?

The hot rumor today is that Louisianna Governor Bobby Jindal will keynote the GOP convention set for September 1 - 4 in the Twin Cities.
As noted here before, Bobby is the future of the Republican Party.
And he may very well be the future of America.
Bobby's got the goods to do the job. He can electrify the convention. If I were a Democrat, the thought of Bobby emerging as a major GOP force would keep me up at nights.

Don't Go Movement

A new website has launched to be the online grassroots home of the GOP Revolt in the House of Representatives to call Democrats back into session to allow a vote on Offshore Drilling. You can click on "dontgomovement.com." to take you to the site.

Today's Hollywood Beauties

People keep asking me all the time: Are there any Hollywood stars today who rival the great beauties of another era?

Well, it's hard to find another Sophia Loren or Elizabeth Taylor or Ava Gardner.

But two of the most beautiful women in the movies today are Anne Hathaway and Diane Lane.

Hathaway (who was wonderful in The Devil Wears Prada) can currently be seen in this summer's retro hit, Get Smart.

Diane Lane (who was stellar in Under The Tuscan Sun) opens soon in Nights In Rodanthe).

These two fine actresses epitomize grace, beauty, talent and class. They know what they're all about. They understand that they are stars and their career appear to be well managed. They are not overexposed - not in your face. And so, when they do show up on the screen it's all the more exciting.

Anne Hathaway and Diane Lane: Bellisimo!

We're A Joisey Top Blog!

You're reading one of New Jersey's TOP TEN POLITICAL BLOGS!
That's right: BlogNetNews New Jersey ranks us #8 among the Garden State's Top Political Blogs.
In fact, we rank ahead of the vaulted Blue Jersey, ahead of Red Jersey and ahead of many other well-known political blogs in the state. We feel we're in good company and we're happy to be so highly rated.
In fact a twelve week average of rankings places us even higher - at #7 among the state's Top Ten.
Keep returning to our blog and keep telling others about it. Comment and participate.
And thank you for helping us reach the Inner Circle of the Garden State's political blogs!

Thanks, Rush!

Today marks the official 20th anniversary of the Rush Limbaugh Program - the show that revolutionized talk radio and energized the modern conservative movement.
Rush Limbaugh continues to provide us with an essential alternative to the mainstream media. Few people would be able to pull this off - to sustain a program like this as a sole host for 20 solid years and keep it at the top of the radio ratings from coast to coast. Rush Limbaugh does it day after day.
We join with President George W. Bush, President George H. W. Bush and so many others from throughout the nation and around the world who take a moment today to say "Thanks, Rush - and congratulations on your phenomenal success. Keep doing what you're doing, Rush!"

Page 13 News

Out in nearby Abington, Pa. Ed Boyd has a fine blog called Page 13 News. The title comes from the fact that "the real story isn't found on the front page."
In recent years the Philadelphia suburbs have reversed a long-standing tradition and have started trending blue. Ed is one of those bright, committed young people who's working hard to stem the blue invasion. He deserves a lot of credit for speaking out on important issues and standing up for his heartfelt (and well reasoned) beliefs. People like Ed are really on the front lines of democracy, right there at the local level.
If you're a regular visitor to Page 13 News who linked to us from Ed's site, welcome!
If you haven't checked out Page 13 News, check it out now.
BTW: Another true fighter for The Cause in Montgomery County is our dear friend Gayle Michael of Bala Cynwyd. Gayle is an avid activist and respected politico who has helped keep the county government in the Right Hands! We've rarely met a finer judge of character or a sharper political observer than Gayle!