The poet William Stafford set himself the task of writing a poem a day. When someone asked him what he would do when his poem-of-the-day wasn't very good, he replied "I simply lower my standards." In order to increase output, the bar here is set at a low level - the point of this is to have some fun with current events and politics. I welcome contributions and comments. Now you can also follow Doggerelo on Twitter (@doggerelo). Because of continuing medical problems, I'm no longer able to post a poem-a-day. I'll continue to post poems, but at a reduced frequency, so please stay tuned.

Friday, October 26, 2012

New Sununu News

In response to Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama, Romney aide John Sununu suggested that there might be reasons other than "the issues" for the endorsement.  He elaborated, “Well, I think when you have somebody of your own race that you’re proud of being president of the United States, I applaud Colin for standing with him.”

Colin Powell is supporting Barack.
He thinks Mitt has gotten off track.
But Sununu let fly
"That's not really why,
It's only because they're both black."

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

God's Will


In last night’s Indiana Senatorial campaign debate, Republican Richard Mourdock proclaimed

"The only exception I have to have an abortion is in the case of the life of the mother… I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God. I think that even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."

Romney has distanced himself from this remark but continues to support Mourdock. 

If you get pregnant from a rape
For you there’s really no escape
God’s planned this gift of life for you
There’s really nothing you can do
Abortion’s not to be considered
Accept God’s gift – don’t be embittered -
Instead, you should be overawed
Don’t try to thwart the will of God.

That’s what Mourdock has explained
He thinks knows what God’s ordained
Beware the moral he’d instill:
A woman’s pain is just God’s will. 

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Mild-Mannered Mitt

In the debate last night, a new Mitt Romney was on display - a mild-mannered fellow who seemed to agree with the President on most foreign policy issues and who repudiated many of his previous statements. 

Yes, Mr. President, I agree
You're doing it right, it seems to me.
Let's bring the troops home, as fast as we can,
Let's get them all out of Afghanistan.
In most of your policies, I'm with you,
But I'm closer than you to Netanyahu.

It's a brand new Mitt, his views have adjusted -
But in the end, he's not to be trusted.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Mitt's Muddle


The third and last debate’s tonight.
Both candidates are set to fight.
The subject’s foreign policy
And Mitt will try to make us see
Obama’s policies are weak,
Our country’s future’s looking bleak,
Although he’s absolutely no intent
To say what he’d do different. 

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Romnesia

Some folks think that Mitt's insincere
That his pledges are too cavalier.
"No one knows what I think",
He says with a wink,
"I just tell them what they want to hear."

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Hofstra Hopes

I'm nervous as can be
Tonight's a BFD.
Obama: Will he rise
And counter Romney's lies
Or will he let them go
And not let people know?
Which Mitt will he debate -
The Ol' Mass Moder-ate
Or right wing-nut severe
Who would, I greatly fear,
Take money from the poor
So that rich folks can have more?
There's much at stake tonight.
I pray Barack will fight!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Fiscal Magic


The Romney tax plan envisions cutting everyone’s marginal tax rates by 20% while remaining revenue neutral by eliminating unspecified tax expenditures (i.e. loopholes).  The tax policy center has concluded that, for the rich, there are not enough tax expenditures to be eliminated that would pay for their tax cuts and as a consequence, tax rates would have to increase for middle class taxpayers to remain revenue neutral.  The Romney campaign has responded that six independent studies have confirmed the validity of their numbers.  But an examination of the six studies cited show that most were blog posts or op ed articles by persons sympathetic to the Romney campaign.  Even these studies don’t support Romney’s numbers unless magical levels of economic growth are put into the equations,

The other guys always contend
We make claims that we cannot defend
But six separate studies
Carried out by our buddies
Show magic trumps math in the end.

Friday, October 12, 2012

The Veep Debate


It seemed to be Joe Biden’s night
But Ryan put up quite a fight
He didn’t act like he was scared
And he came very well prepared.
But Joe’s an overwhelming force,
He overdid some things of course,
He smiled, he laughed, he interrupted
Paul Ryan’s statements he disrupted.
He snickered hard and gently chuckled
He hoped Paul’s thoughts would come unbuckled.
He seemed to get a little snarky
When he said “That’s just malarkey”
What was the aim of his attacks? -
Paul Ryan’s twisting of the facts.
Joe really gave the Dems a lift
That was his most important gift.  

Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Two-Hour Flip-Flop


From the Daily Kos:

Mitt Romney yesterday:
There’s no legislation with regards to abortion that I’m familiar with that would become part of my agenda.
His campaign two hours later:
Governor Romney would of course support legislation aimed at providing greater protections for life.


Today I’m feeling moderate
Let’s let abortion be
Although some may be obdurate
It don’t mean much to me.

But now some folks have come to say
We can’t waste any time
It must be ended right away
Abortion is a crime.

Abortion’s got to end, in brief.
It’s brought us so much sorrow.
This is now my firm belief
At least until tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

What is to be done?


Obama needs to start anew
His debate performance was a shame
His crew should tell him what to do
To get back in the game.

He’s got to look Mitt in the eyes
And parry each outrageous claim
By pointing out Mitt’s many lies
To get back in the game.

He must get up for this event
His fighting edge he must regain.
He should act like he’s the President
And get back in the game!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Obama con brio


Mitt Romney delivered his much-ballyhooed speech on foreign policy yesterday.  His talk dealt mostly with Middle Eastern affairs and the policies he advocated sounded very much like those the Obama administration is already carrying out, but with a more hawkish tone.  

Here’s what Mitt seemed to say
About foreign affairs yesterday
“Where Obama’s been mawkish
I’ll be more hawkish
But I’ll handle things much the same way”.

Romney Nouveau


The day after the big debate last week, President Obama referred to “this spirited fellow claiming to be Mitt Romney”, who had turned his back on many of his most conservative positions.  As David Gergen on CNN acknowledged, Romney was “sort of flat out lying” in many of his statements. 

A new Mitt Romney has appeared
He used to be a bore.
This new guy’s full of energy.
Just where was he before?
As one-time governor of Mass
He trod a moderate path
But he could not go on that way
He’d face right-winger’s wrath
And so he swung far to the right
To gain his party’s nod
And all his previous declarations
Seemed now to be quite odd
His conservatism was severe
It didn’t show a crack
But in Wednesday night’s debate last week
Th’old moderate was back:
Obamacare was not all bad
Some parts he could condone
And if his tax cuts were too big
Well, they weren’t set in stone.
And education he’d not cut,
At least that’s not his plan.
Where did this new guy come from?
He’s like a different man.
But one thing’s more or less the same,
One trait that still applies:
The grin that’s set upon his face
While telling whopping lies.
There’s nothing new in all of this
Mitt Romnies come and go
It’s just the same old smoke and mirrors in
This latest Mitt nouveau

Sunday, October 7, 2012

The Big Bird Hunt


Mitt Romney declared in Wednesday night’s debate that he would cut off  federal funding for PBS even though he “liked Big Bird.”  Rick Santorum chimed in with the following lame joke:  “I’ve voted to kill Big Bird in the past. So, I have a record there that I have to disclose.That doesn’t mean I don’t like Big Bird. I mean, you can kill things and still like them, maybe to eat them, I don’t know.”

They’re all dressed up in their hunting gear
They’re going to bag The Bird this year
“Now I’m a Catholic deer-hunter” , says Ryan
“If I have my way, Big Bird will be dyin’.”
“And I’m a proud Mormon,” whispers Mitt,
“Although I don’t like to talk about it.
There’s just one thing I gotta say,
That Bird is done for, he’s had his day.”

So Mitt and Paul are out searching the field,
Their guns at the ready, the’ve got their eyes peeled
For something that’s big and yellow and cute
Although they might like him, they’ve still got to shoot.
From off in the bushes there came a great clatter,
They looked at each other:  “Whatever’s the matter?”
A sudden great blast of fire filled the air
And buckshot was streaming everywhere.
The bushes were parted and before them he stands
Dick Cheney, his gun still hot in his hands.
“Oh Jesus, it’s you!” and his legs turned to jello
“I thought it was Big Bird, I thought I saw yellow!”

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Debate Tonight!


According to recent reports, Mitt Romney has been memorizing a series of “zingers” to be employed in his debate with Barack Obama tonight. 

Mitt has memorized everything
He will need for this even-ing
Barack will by shocked
And off his block knocked
Mitt’s words will be packed full of zing.

But Obama is really quite cool
He doesn’t get riled as a rule
Mitt’s zingers will fly
Harmlessly by
Obama is nobody’s fool. 

There’ll be plenty of speeches, as such
But the words won’t reach out and touch
With so much at stake,
Can’t afford a mistake,
So neither of them will say much.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Mitt's Big Day


Will Romney be ready for Wednesday's debate?
He's better be or else it will seal his fate.
He's got to be strong and go on the attack
He can't be a sissy- Hold nothing back!
And yet … and yet, he must still show respect
It's what folks in TV-land have come to expect
He can't make stuff up, let the truth be his guide
The fact-checkers will catch him if it turns out he lied.
But really the most difficult thing he must do
Is all the above and act natural too!