No Excuse for Morally Corrupt Behavior. None.

Every day I wake up, read the news, and think "this is it". Every day I think that this new tweet, speech, or stupidity is going to be the one to force people to reevaluate the Republican nominee. Last Friday I was certain, how could anyone who purposes to support the United States and those who fight for this country not be offended by the comments made by the candidate in response to Mr. Khan's speech at the Democratic convention? Perhaps you don't agree with some of the things said by Mr. Khan but certainly the idea that the candidate likened his sacrifices to those of the Khan family, whose son died while fighting in the American military, is repugnant.

Once again, I was wrong. Comments in support of the candidate appeared immediately.

If Hillary Clinton had herself signed up Captain Khan for military duty, if she had been a judge who offered him the choice of either jail or military, if she had driven him to the airport or flown him overseas in her own private yet taxpayer paid for jet, if she had dropped him into the middle of the area where he was killed, it would not justify the comments made by the candidate.

How Captain Khan found himself in this position is another story but this one is the tragedy of a family loosing their son to war, of a family making the ultimate sacrifice in honor of a country they chose, and for the Republican nominee to slander, question, or belittle that is morally and horrifically wrong.

Captain Humayun S.M. Khan

Four Hours

There are so many things I could accomplish with four hours of free time. I could get a massage, swim and have lunch with a friend, I could drive to Detroit, or Milwaukee and back, I could write about five pages in my never ending book, I could fly to Mexico and find a palapa or I could stand in a very crowded ballroom with 1,300 total strangers, shifting from one bad knee to the other, waiting patiently next to a very tall woman who had 20 to 30 cigarettes before she found the perfect spot right next to me, waiting to hear Bill Clinton speak.

Somewhere around the two hour mark I lost the shoes. Horrifying to my husband but it was a nice hotel, assumably clean and there was not a chance anyone could smell my feet over the fresh scent of recently inhaled tobacco. Dick Durbin, our favorite Senator, soon appeared and the loafers were slipped back on, respect trumping comfort.

The democrats were all there: Quinn, Giannoulis, Seals, Foster, Halvorson and Lt. Governor candidate Sheila Simon, who nabbed the choice spot next to the former President while Quinn and Giannoulis spoke. During applause breaks Clinton and Simon made small talk and the Lt. Governor spot grew infinitely more interesting, although, given her family history, she may have landed such a choice spot before.

He spoke for almost an hour, far longer than I expected, far beyond the perfunctory campaign stopover speech. There were no notes, in fact he didn't put on his old man reading glasses until the very end, when he needed to check specifics on candidates. He seemed older but still dynamic, articulate and incredibly well read and intelligent. It's clear he loves the adoration, and while he reminded the crowd several times that he was no longer a politician, it's a role he played for too long and too well to retire from completely. Not everyone agrees (40 happened a few years ago, I no longer need everyone to agree with me) but I find him dynamic and wildly ingenious. Also, I agree with him, generally, so that helps.

The old lady feet could have used some government sponsored pampering that afternoon, four hours, and a little bit more, is a really long time to stand in one small space (next to an odorific Democrat) but it was well worth the time.

Vote Tuesday, it's your privilege, and it only takes a few minutes, well worth the time.