Barney Frank Astonished By Attention On Democrats' Pro-Gay Platform Draft

Recently wedded Congressman Barney Frank penned a piece for HuffPo today expressing his surprise over all the hubbub surrounding the Democratic Party platform draft that includes marriage equality.
Never in all his three decades as an elected official, writes the retiring congressman, has he seen such attention over a document that "at their best are predictors of what parties will do."

From his post:

I was surprised that this got the attention that it did, because in this instance, it is not even a promise or a prediction of what the Democrats will do. It is an after-the-fact statement of what we have already done.
President Obama has already stated his support for marriage equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, which is not only an important use of the bully pulpit to influence public opinion in general; it will be particularly helpful in the several referenda this fall on the subject, especially in states with large African-American populations, such as Maryland.
Equally important (as an exercise of presidential authority) is the president's refusal to defend DOMA in court because it is so blatantly unconstitutional, as well as his articulation that any government action discriminating against LGBT Americans must meet a higher standard than the simple "rational basis" test. This is an important addition to our fight for equality in general. This administration's view that it should be harder to justify such discrimination in court is a goal that has long been sought by me and others, and the president's support for it promises to be helpful not just on this particular issue, but on all other issues going forward.
Governor Romney, of course, opposes the president on every one of these points.

After delineating the legislative and philosophical differences between the parties, Frank, retiring after this term, says he fully expects equality is in the platform's final version and that when that happens, "Democrats will be continuing our opposition to the Republican Party's effort to negate our right to marry.

Daniels astonished other states haven't followed Indiana's lead

In developing public-private partnerships

WASHINGTON — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said Thursday he is "astonished" that other states haven't followed Indiana's lead in forging public-private partnerships to fund and operate major infrastructure projects.

Speaking at a round-table discussion on transportation sponsored by Reason magazine, a libertarian publication, Daniels asserted the state's Major Moves initiative has given it a decided economic advantage.
Daniels, said he thought the state's decision to contract with the Indiana Toll Road Concession Co. to operate the Indiana East-West Toll Road for 75 years in exchange for $3.8 billion would be copied by other states "because it's so obvious and so logical."

"Six years later and they haven't," Daniels said. Citing a roiling national crisis in funding infrastructure repairs, the governor said, "We're never going to get there the old-fashioned way alone."
"We just vaulted ahead of every other state and did a lot of catch-up work," Daniels said.
The toll road deal, consummated in 2006, resulted in the creation of Major Moves, a plan to fund crucial Hoosier infrastructure projects. One initiative that benefited from the agreement was the ongoing construction of Interstate 69 between Evansville and Indianapolis.

Daniels said "there would have been no way" for the state to come up with the cash necessary to complete the I-69 extension without the toll road deal. If the project had preceded steps would have been necessary to pay for it — perhaps transforming it into a toll road itself.
"No way," Daniels said, asked directly if construction could move forward without a portion of the $3.8 billion. "And that's true of a number of big projects."

The toll road deal was the only way to raise the money necessary to improve state infrastructure, Daniels said. He and his staff considered more than 30 alternatives — raising the gas tax and bumping up tolls — and in each case they produced little more than "chicken feed."
"It's hard to state how great the deal was," Daniels said. "They're losing money. The investors are going to take a haircut eventually. Sorry about that, but it's good for the state."

So great, Daniels said, that the state is wrangling to replicate the arrangement on at least two other projects — a bridge crossing the Ohio River to Louisville, Ky., and a bridge targeted for the state's northwest sector near Chicago.

The states and the federal government "ought to see the value in a first-rate public infrastructure," Daniels said.
"It falls squarely within the orbit of what government ought to do because it also benefits the private sector," he said.

Daniels said it appears politics is standing in the way of many states following in Indiana's path. He said former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell had a deal in hand with a private firm to operate the Pennsylvania Turnpike for $13 billion, but the legislature stood in the way — including some Republicans.
"It's a darn shame," Daniels said. "It's not logical — it's theological. Folks just didn't want to turn loose of the power.

"In the long term, we need to invest more money in infrastructure from public and private sources," he said. "Sooner or later there has to be some other arrangement — try to open the spigot on private capital."
In other countries, including some in Europe, public-private partnerships are common.
"We are the most backward on this one subject," he said.

ASTONISHED; ASTONIED as-ton'-isht, as-ton'-id (shamem, "astonished," the root idea being "silent," i.e. struck dumb with amazement; ekplessomai, "to be struck with astonishment," as if by a blow or a shock; existemi, "to amaze," "to throw into wonderment"; thambeomai, "to astonish" to the point of fright): The state of being surprised, startled, stunned by some exceptional wonder, some overwhelming event or miracle, as e.g. Nebuchadnezzar's amazement at the miracle in the burning fiery furnace (Daniel 3:24) (tewah, "astonished"); of the passer-by at the desolation of Babylon (Jeremiah 50:13). The personality, teaching and works of Jesus were so wonderful, Divine, supernatural, as to awaken emotions of surprise and awe never before known in the presence of man.

The people "were astonished out of measure" at His doctrine (Mark 10:26 the King James Version); "astonished with a great astonishment" at His raising the dead (Mark 5:42 the King James Version). The gift of the Holy Ghost to the Gentiles was in like manner a source of astonishment to those Jews who believed through the power of Peter's preaching (Acts 10:45 the King James Version). The miracle of regeneration today, which renews and transforms debased and fallen men into saints, makes the same impression on an observing world.

Astonished Meaning and Definition in Dictionary

Astonished Meaning and Definition from WordNet (r) 2.0

astonished adj : filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock; "an amazed audience gave the magician a standing ovation"; "I stood enthralled, astonished by the vastness and majesty of the cathedral"; "astounded viewers wept at the pictures from the Oklahoma City bombing"; "stood in stunned silence"; "stunned scientists found not one but at least three viruses" [syn: amazed, astonied, astounded, stunned]

Astonished Meaning and Definition from Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Astonish \As*ton"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Astonished; p. pr. & vb. n. Astonishing.] [OE. astonien, astunian, astonen, OF. estoner, F. ['e]tonner, fr. L. ex out + tonare to thunder, but perhaps influenced by E. stun. See Thunder, Astound, Astony.] 

1. To stun; to render senseless, as by a blow. [Obs.] Enough, captain; you have astonished him. [Fluellen had struck Pistol]. --Shak. The very cramp-fish [i. e., torpedo] . . . being herself not benumbed, is able to astonish others. --Holland.
2. To strike with sudden fear, terror, or wonder; to amaze; to surprise greatly, as with something unaccountable; to confound with some sudden emotion or passion. Musidorus . . . had his wits astonished with sorrow. --Sidney. I, Daniel . . . was astonished at the vision. --Dan. viii. 27. Syn: To amaze; astound; overwhelm; surprise. Usage: Astonished, Surprised. We are surprised at what is unexpected. We are astonished at what is above or beyond our comprehension. We are taken by surprise. We are struck with astonishment.

Wikipedia Meaning and Definition on 'Astonished'

• The Astonished Heart: The Astonished Heart is a short play by Noël Coward , one of ten that make up Tonight at 8:30 , a cycle written to be performed across three ... 
• The Astonished Heart (film): The Astonished Heart is a 1950 drama film directed by Terence Fisher . Johnson and Noel Coward and is based on his play The Astonished Heart ...

Words and phrases related to 'Astonished'

Amazed

Astonied

Astounded

Stunned

'Astonished' example sentence in quotations

* When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. - Mark Twain

* In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others. - Andr Maurois

* A poet is someone who is astonished by everything. - Anon.

Astonished Sample Sentences in News

• How Exactly Could a Squid ‘Inseminate’ Your Mouth? - io9.com
  The internet was shocked and astonished a couple weeks ago, when we all learned that a woman ate some parboiled squid — which managed to inseminate her mouth, because its spermataphores were still functioning. How could this happen? Danna Staaf from ... Read more on this news related to 'Astonished'
• In North Beach, molto gentile fans enjoy big match - San Francisco Gate
  "It's over," said an astonished Jerry Bini, watching on a big screen in San Francisco's North Beach district. Actually, it wasn't. Spain scored a fourth goal before the whistle blew at 93 minutes, reportedly the most serious drubbing any team has executed ... Read more on this news related to 'Astonished'
• Giving Health Care a Chance to Evolve - New York Times
  When the court affirmed the law’s constitutionality on Thursday, many forecasters were astonished. The ruling came by the slimmest of margins and was defended, in places, by deeply flawed economic reasoning. But it has paved the way for an ... Read more on this news related to 'Astonished'

 

 

 

How’s the old Kathy Mattea song go?   “Standing knee deep in a river, and dying of thirst.”
My wife puts up with me, but it has to be annoying.

“Isn’t it funny that we ingest food,” I say.   Or, “It’s so strange that we have these orbs in the front of our heads that rotate, and that using them somehow results in us ‘seeing.’”  There may be any number of these “isn’t life strange?” statements from me during the day, at which point those aforementioned orbs in her head start rolling.

But I can’t help it.   The fact that we are here astonishes me.

That markings on a material can create communication.   That the seemingly gibberish sounds of other languages have structure and syntax, and that those language emerged at all.   That hearts beat without being plugged in.   For years.   That there is now feverish activity going on in garages and offices and bedrooms and kitchens all centered around creativity and invention that will one day yield future technologies that will put the work of Steve Jobs into a distant, remote past.   Geniuses are being born even today.   Starlight millions of years old will tonight just be arriving in my Seattle sky.  Every relationship is a miracle.   Balance, eye-hand coordination, home runs (in season, at least), and self-sacrifice…all astonishing.   Concertos, voices that can hit high C’s, the warmth of a home, the compassion that wants the warmth of a home for everyone, the impulse to not follow the cruel impulse those that insult and demean us seemingly deserve.    Bodies, processes, architectures, leaves falling, petals of brilliant color inching into being, the storehouses of snow prepping at the hand of God to inflict both beauty and suffering on a wintered country.
I know…we’re too busy to be astonished.

So here’s five simple things to turn up your astonishment on any given day.

• 1.   Stop what you’re doing.
• 2.  Breathe
• 3.  Focus on one thing in front of you.
• 4.  Reflect on the following:  how did it come into being?  What might the world be like if it was completely absent from everywhere?   What if the thing under reflection was perfected?  What is its goodness in your life?  Who should you thank for that goodness?    Why is there any goodness at all, that we should enjoy it?
• 5.  Remember that your ability to “do”, to have agency, and to act–that thing that you stopped in step 1–that your breath that you thought about and noticed in step 2, that your ability to shift your mind into a focused point of reflection, musing, remembering, and imagining–steps 3 and 4–that all of this is frankly, miraculous.

We did not ask to arrive on the planet, and contrary to our beliefs, we do not control our exit.   The days are full of surprise, diving possibility (as Barbara Brown Taylor reminded me this morning), dangers, and moments of astonishing reality.

There is always something a bit healing about standing aware inside a miracle.

As you exhale, let your lips form a small “wow.”