Reckons of Crass Construction

Yesterday, I stumped door to door for Maryland State Senator Jim Brochin, who is facing a few challengers in his bid for re-election. We got so sweaty going door to door, Jim offered to buy us drinks.

I think Brochin is the kind of legislator Annapolis can't afford to lose. Bright, personable, fiscally conservative, progressive on the environment and matters of social justice, and willing to put his money where his mouth is, especially when it comes to balancing the State budget, Brochin is one of the few Democrat incumbents willing to buck the political machinery.

Much has been said of late -- and in the case of Helen Thomas, regretted -- about escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To most Americans, the Middle East is a remote, never-visited, exotic land teeming with hostile nationalists, warring factions, and danger on every street corner. Americans are more interested in the new season of "Jersey Shore" than in a place they can't locate on a map.

With so little people on this side of the globe paying close attention, competing sound bites, U.N. resolutions, demonstrations, and popular sentiment cloud reality in a mad bid to muster support for two opposing factions locked in a battle of public relations.

By all accounts, both are losing the war.