White House resists group’s Christmas zeal

Good news from the Com- mittee to Save Merry Christmas – beyond the fact that there actually is a committee intent on “saving” Merry Christmas, if, in fact, Merry Christmas is in need of saving any place outside a seasonal television special that features animated reindeer with noses that light up.

The Orangevale, Calif.-based committee has apparently convinced lots of people, particularly television and radio talk show hosts around the country, that such salvation is definitely necessary. Those heralds of political rectitude have thundered that the holiday is being secularized and de-emphasized and generally made to feel like an unwanted stepchild in the family of special observances.

Last year, the committee called for a boycott of Macy’s, complaining the store didn’t have “Merry Christmas” on the print of its ads or the lips of its employees. This year the committee feels its complaint has been heeded after the retail giant sent the committee a letter saying that Christmas is part of its marketing plan. (Saints and prophets – or is that profits? – be praised; boycott over.)

Now the committee is turning its sights on another retail giant that has the season-spoiling bad sense to wish customers “Happy Holidays” instead of M-C. Bet that never would’ve happened while Mr. Roebuck was alive.

One has to wonder, however, what the committee thinks about President and Mrs. Bush, who this week put in the mail their annual Hallmark, which is conspicuously missing both the M-word and the C-word. Not only that, but the picture on the front isn’t a Madonna and child, a set of searching Magi, a jolly Santa or a sparkling tannenbaum.

True, it’s a rather nice Jamie Wyeth painting of a snow scene around the White House, and a heart in the snow trod by presidential canines Barney and Miss Beazley. (Who knew they were even dating?) But there’s not a wreath nor an evergreen in sight, and the snow-covered tree is – horror of horrors – a magnolia.

The message inside must really set committee members’ teeth on edge:

“With best wishes for a holiday season of hope and happiness, 2005.”

Oh sure, there’s a Bible verse. But it’s Old Testament – and not even Isaiah!

This is apparently not a one-time slip-up by some clueless underling. Holiday cards from presidents of both parties have for years have been wishing recipients seasonal, but nondenominational, greetings.

Spin Control hasn’t heard back from the committee on what they think of this faux pas de Noel. But there are 21 greetings-offering days left, so stay tuned.

This doesn’t take a medium

Crystal balls usually get swapped for snow globes at this time of year, but here are a couple of predictions on political spin for the coming weeks.

Democrats will be trying to capitalize on the legal travails of former Republican Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who is going to prison for taking piles of cash, as well as other nifty gift items, from defense contractors. Cunningham, like many House pooh-bahs, had a separate PAC that spread money around to candidates less financially fortunate than himself. Washington Republicans Cathy McMorris, Doc Hastings and Dave Reichert each got $1,000 from his American Prosperity PAC, which in turn got big bucks from defense contractors like Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics.

Some other House Republicans have given the money back as tainted, and Democratic campaign staffers are after the Washington delegation to do the same. Look for Republicans to counter that there’s no indication yet that these contributions are illegal, with an aside that Democrats should first give back contributions from any of their folks who have been reduced to donning orange jumpsuits.

Republicans, meanwhile, will try to put the squeeze on the state’s congressional Democrats over the upcoming vote on a tax cut. One of their allies, Americans for Tax Reform, is already demanding the Washington D’s stand up and be counted in or out on the bill, which includes a permanent extension of the sales tax deduction from federal income taxes as well as cuts in the capital gains tax and credits for research and development and certain jobs, and they claim is the last best hope to secure the extension.

“Are members of the Washington Congressional Delegation for higher taxes on Washington residents just because they live in Washington?” demanded Grover Norquist, president of ATR. (Yes, that’s the same guy who ticked off veterans groups by giving out “Purple Heart” Band-Aids at last year’s GOP National Convention.)

Look for Democrats to point out that they are co-sponsors of a separate bipartisan bill that just deals with the state sales tax deduction, and tout a figure from the Congressional Budget Office that the bill ATR likes would add $136 billion in red ink to the budget over 10 years.

Places to be

One last reminder for Tuesday’s recall: City voters who want to save a stamp can drop off their ballots at the elections office, 1033 W. Gardner Ave.; in the auditor’s office on the second floor of the County Courthouse; or at Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church, 4449 N. Nevada St.; St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 316 E. 24th Ave.; or Shadle Park Presbyterian, 5508 N. Alberta St.