Quote from Monday, February 8

“There are nice people, and there’s Matt Moran.”

Thoughts on Health Care Reform

The calm before the storm

It’s Thursday night, classes for Friday were cancelled and I’m awaiting the approaching snow storm. Washington D.C. is supposed to get about two feet of snow too. I guess they won’t be getting much done in the District this weekend.

Oh wait, that’s no different than normal.

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger…

Tiger Woods released a statement Wednesday revealing little, but making apparent he has had an affair. The National Enquirer published an article last week claiming this, which Tiger initially denied. After his car accident, it became apparent there was a domestic problem and Tiger had to come clean.

I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family.

…

For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.

This should come as no surprise – a celebrity being unfaithful to his/her spouse is nothing new. Tiger Woods has to be the last person the sports world would expect though.

Tiger Woods

For years Tiger has been the epitome of perfection. He has dominated his sport, his image has been spotless and his name recognition is 100 percent. He was the perfect athlete on and off the playing field. Everyone rooted for him and everyone loved his commercials. He was a role model for countless aspiring athletes across every sport.

Will any of this change? No one really knows yet. All I can say is that I’m extremely disappointed.

Tiger Woods is human and we must recognize that we can ask no more of him than we ask of the guy in the office or the guy down the street. He is allowed mistakes and deserves to be forgiven. Recognizing he is not super-human doesn’t make this any more difficult for sports fans.

McDonnell on Islam

Bob McDonnell, Governor-elect Bob mcDonnell, I should say, did himself  a solid this week and stayed above the fray invovling Pat Robertson and his comments on Islam.

The famous televanglist, who coincidentally founded the University where McDonnell attended law school, said Islam was not a religion but a “violent political system.”

McDonnell didn’t condemn Robertson, but he definitely didn’t defend his remarks either:

“I’ve got probably 15,000 donors to the campaign and I can’t stand and defend or support every comment that any donor might make,” McDonnell said in response to a question from CNN at the Republican Governors Association annual meeting near Austin. “I think people are entitled under the First Amendment to express whatever opinions that they may have, but I can only say that as governor of Virginia, I intend to have an inclusive administration where we bring people across the political and religious system to help us govern.”

This highlights why I like Bob McDonnell. Throughout the campaign he displayed a remarkable ability to stay on message and answer questions in a way that did him no harm and offered his critics no fire power.