Thursday, July 31, 2008

Double Dealing

McCain camp accuses Obama of 'shameful' playing of the race card

"The simmering issue of race boiled over on the presidential campaign trail today after John McCain's camp accused Barack Obama - the first African American with a real shot at the presidency - of playing the race card.

The harsh attack came after Obama predicted McCain and Republicans would try to scare voters about him and say he doesn't look like other presidents on dollar bills.

"Barack Obama has played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck," McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said in a statement. "It's divisive, negative, shameful and wrong..."

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Bend Over, Rover

Karl Rove in contempt: Is it justice or a witch hunt? | Countdown to Crawford | Los Angeles Times: "The House Judiciary Committee voted along straight party lines this morning -- 20 to 14 -- to issue a contempt citation against former White House political maestro Karl Rove. The offense: failing to honor a subpoena to testify about his role in the federal and possibly political prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, a popular Democrat sent who was to prison on corruption charges that are now under appeal..."

Do I smell a pardon coming?

Who's Your Diva?

McCain Staff Compares Obama to Hollywood Divas - America’s Election HQ: "Barack Obama has been compared to prominent political figures such as President John F. Kennedy, but opponent John McCain’s campaign on Tuesday tried to portray him as an arrogant Hollywood diva, who doesn’t have the credibility to be commander in chief.

“Barack Obama is the biggest celebrity in the world, comparable to Tom Cruise, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton,” Rick Davis, Sen. John McCain’s campaign manager, wrote in an e-mail addressed to interested parties after throwing out a similar line on a conference call with reporters.

“Only celebrities like Barack Obama go to the gym three times a day, demand “MET-RX chocolate roasted-peanut protein bars and bottles of a hard-to-find organic brew — Black Forest Berry Honest Tea” and worry about the price of arugula,” Davis said..."

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Toobes Ted Indicted

Alaska Senator Is Indicted on Corruption Charges - The New York Times: "Senator Ted Stevens was indicted on seven counts of falsely reporting income, in charges related to renovations on his home and to gifts he has received..."

Odds on sleazing out of this?

Bush Approves Execution

The Associated Press: Bush: Former Army cook's crimes warrant execution: "WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush could have commuted the death sentence of Ronald A. Gray, a former Army cook convicted of multiple rapes and murders.

But Bush decided Monday that Gray's crimes were so repugnant that execution was the only just punishment.

Bush's decision marked the first time in 51 years that a president has affirmed a death sentence for a member of the U.S. military. It was the first time in 46 years that such a decision has even been weighed in the Oval Office.

Gray, 42, was convicted in connection with a spree of four murders and eight rapes in the Fayetteville, N.C., area between April 1986 and January 1987 while he was stationed at Fort Bragg. He has been on death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., since April 1988..."

Sorry, folks. I can't work up any outrage over this Bush decision.

Brazille Awarded

Charlotte Front and Center: Jack-Ass of the Week Award!:

"...You're a mean one, Ms.Brazille. You're a cold one, Ms. Brazille!
You steal all our votes, you manipulate with hate......
..............I wouldn't touch you with a 10 ft. chad!"

Vacuum Sounds

Anglachel's Journal: "...The soaring rhetoric - that has not changed in any substantive way since it was first served up shiny and new over a year ago. The relentlesss avoidance of anything that could actually rally Democrats, such as being rid of the corrupt and failed policies of the Republican Party since Reagan. Or a whole-hearted embrace of universal health insurance. Or a line in the sand on privacy rights.
As we saw in the primary, the flight from substance was also a flight from support. The longer the campaign went on, the less there was to present, the more he had to be hidden away - from debates, from primaries, from reality. Even now his blogger defenders are reduced to bleating 'Racist! Racist!' when the vacuity of the candidate is identified and criticized. His votes went down. His donations went down. His polls went down. Even now, he does not dare allow an actual convention vote be taken lest he lose.

The deep problem of the Obama campaign, the one that has been there from the start and continues to slowly, steadily bleed away support, is there has never been a presence, only an absence, a 'not-Hillary', the candidate defined by what he isn't, most crucially in his partisan commitments..."

Monday, July 28, 2008

Minority Comment

What’s Wrong With You Bitter White People? :"Comment by RepublicanChick | 2008-07-28 18:23:44

I am not bitter or white.

Obama’s rise as the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party saddens me because years and years of allowing race baiters like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to run freely without question in this country has finally come home.

Donna Brazile isn’t qualified to wash windows let alone have a position in the DNC leadership..."

It gets much better from there.

Stuff From The Other Side

Right Wing Nut House » TOP TEN THINGS THAT CREEP ME OUT ABOUT OBAMA

Savage Protested

Possibly related to the item below-- S.F. protest against Savage's autism remarks: "Parents of children with autism, along with politicians and other protesters, convened Sunday in front of a San Francisco radio station and renewed calls for the firing of talk show host Michael Savage, who recently suggested that most autism diagnoses were fraudulent.

A crowd of 50 to 60 people gathered in front of KNEW radio's Townsend Street offices Sunday to protest the decision by KNEW and Talk Radio Network, the company that syndicates Savage's shows, to keep him on the air despite his controversial statements..."

Liberal Hater

ABC News: Gunman Who Attacked Church Hated Liberals; Bitter He Was Jobless: "The gunman who yesterday shot up a Tennessee church that embraced gays and other liberal causes left behind a long letter fuming that he couldn't find a job and expressing a profound 'hatred for the liberal movement,' police said today.
Gunman who killed two in Tennessee church is charged with murder.

Jim D. Adkisson, 58, ranted that 'liberals and gays' taking jobs had prevented him from finding work. He wrote that he expected to keep shooting parishioners until the police showed up and killed him, Knoxville, Tenn., Police Chief Sterling Owen told a news conference..."

O'Legal Issues

Everything about Obama's citizenship issues and consequent eligibility for POTUS can be found here: Divided Loyalties, Obama’s Eligibility Problem, PART 2 : NO QUARTER

The Bubba Factor

Simply Left Behind: The Non-Rapturist's Guide To The Galaxy: "...Indeed, recent history has shown that the 'Bubba' candidate will win, usually hands down, since JFK was assassinated. And I include Richard Nixon on that list, because frankly, you could outBubba George McGovern and Eugene McCarthy with a toothpick.

That Democrats, noting this, still chose between the two most unlikely Bubba candidates (and one could make the argument that Hillary kept it as close as she did for as long as she did by outBubbaing Obama) is a step in the right direction, and perhaps signals a change in the attitude of this nation, that intellect and rationality is ready to retake the mantle of governance, that reactionary policies and knee-jerk actions are no longer anything but the simple tantrums of spoiled rich kids pretending to be 'real'.

And maybe it is this, above all else, that Europe has sensed in the Obama candidacy."

Sunday, July 27, 2008

O'Defined

The Confluence: "...We know exactly what Obama is. He’s an ambitious ass kissing schmoozer. He’s a ruthless campaigner and an unethical delegate thief. He will compromise with the Republcians on just about everything including energy policy and FISA. We don’t know what he’d do on reproductive rights but given his track record, anything is possible as long as it is politically expedient.

We don’t want this man as our president, Lanny. The American public nothing to gain from Republican Lite. He is only going to benefit affluent liberals and many of US fall into that category. He is no FDR, he’s got no experience and our ears will bleed if we have to listen to him for four years. He is a non-starter for us, Lanny..."

Old Man Romp and Stomp

I've been surfing through the comments in unfriendly territory and it seems the main criticism of John McCain is that he is old: "old white man," "old angry white man," "just old," etc. I've got news for the Sons and Daughters of the Chosen One: the old theme is not gonna play any better than the bitch theme. You might note that old people have something young people want and usually do not have: money.

Vocabulary Issues

Vanity Fair: vanityfair.comWolcott-- "Fox Newsroom Leak Like Sieves" : "...I also find myself in rare concord with Elizabeth Hasselbeck, token Republican Twinkie on that lettuce bed of insurrection, The View. I'm tired of the N-word, I'm tired of the phrase "the N-word," it's an ugly-sounding word that does immense more harm than comedy or comradely good; the debate over its shock value, over whether it's self-asserting or self-hating, is one of those unresolved, racially-frictive bores, given the flux and flex of the context in which it's considered OK and the subjective sliding scale of acceptability depending on whose mouth it's coming out of. That Jesse Jackson dropped this familiar nugget in the Fox studio during his insta-classic mumbly "nuts off" monologue seems to me worse than Imus's "nappy ho" comment because Jackson assumes sonorous airs of eminence and should know better. Imus can be a jerk, but he doesn't drop his bucket into the deep well of piety from which Jackson honey-coats his words when he knows the mike is on. His use of the n-word is as indefensible as any rapper's, Whoopie Goldberg shouldn't be slinging around the air either, and the easiest thing to do is to anethematize the word across the board. Just drop it already, an unofficial universal ban that would make its utterance as crass and offensive as spitting on the sidewalk instead of solemnizing it into controversy that "we as a people must come to terms with" when there are so many other topics more deserving of blathering to death. It's time to "move on" and explore new and different ways we can get on each other's nerves in the post-racial America Time and Newsweek have laid out so nicely for us on the picnic grass..."

O'Lovin'

A media crush on Obama? -- chicagotribune.com: "I came into the office the other day, wearing an 'Obama 2008' cap, a 'Yes We Can' button, a 'Team Obama' T-shirt, carrying an 'Obama for Change' tote bag filled with Obama bumper stickers, made a stop at the Obama altar in the newsroom, strewed some rose petals, chanted a few hosannas, lit a votive candle and had a sudden thought: Is the news media's love affair with Barack Obama getting out of hand?..."

McCain Leads On Electoral Map

The Howler has the map and some opinions, too. (Of course, the electoral problem is what many Pumas have been fretting about for months. Do you remember those ancient maps showing the only sure winner was John Edwards?) Howling Latina: Obama's Path to Presidency is Far from Clear

Saturday, July 26, 2008

McCain Barks At Barky

New John McCain ad spotlights Barack Obama's derailed troop visit | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

"Barack Obama took his own shot at defusing the flap surrounding the canceled visit to a U.S. military hospital during his overseas trip. But John McCain's campaign isn't about to let the matter rest.Indeed, the Republican elevated the contretemps to what passes for the height of political discourse these days: it's a key element in a new television ad..."

Comment of the Day-- So Far

Hannity and Rep. Joe Sestak On Barack Obama’s Cancelled Military Visits [Riverdaughter Update Below] : NO QUARTER: "The DNC and Washington establishment had rather risk losing with the Obama patricians than have the Clinton hicks back in the White House.

The establishment always resented the Clintons for refusing to attend their fancy caviar dinner parties where the deals are made before the votes are cast in Congress..."

Dean Protested

Charlotte Front and Center

Friday, July 25, 2008

Big Foot Nearing Deliverance

News, Classifieds, legal announcements, sports, advertising, Articles and information in Fayette, Coweta, South Atlanta, Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Newnan, Tyrone and Senoia, Georgia: "Is Bigfoot for real?

Maybe...

A Clayton County Police officer says he and a friend have the body of a Bigfoot.

The animal -- a legendary, hairy hominid that supposedly lives in remote forests -- is said to be dead, frozen, and 'shocking.'

Matthew Whitton, a 28-year-old, who has been with the department for six years, and Rick Dyer, a 31-year-old former correctional officer, posted a video on youtube.com, last week, claiming to have the male Bigfoot corpse.

Whitton and Dyer co-own bigfoottracker.com, offering exploration expeditions in the North Georgia Mountains..."

That should give Burt Reynolds pause.

Lies Explained

Cannonfire

"...Remember the prog-blog Big Lie about how Hillary owed her votes to a cross-over campaign masterminded by Rush Limbaugh? This propaganda meme spun the truth 180 degrees.

The Republicans had targeted Hillary for removal from the beginning:
As she would mention in the Washington Times article two years later, her “old friend” Rove had hit the ground running with the start of the 2008 election cycle, appearing on talk shows to bash frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Behind the scenes, G.O.P. rank and file activists were organizing crossover voting drives to knock Clinton out of the race before November.
That's not all. As you know, many have questioned the antics of the Obama team in the caucus states. Obama did much better in those elections.) Were the Obama supporters actual Democrats -- or were they Rovian changelings?
In the red states, they could easily outnumber Democrats at the caucuses, enriching Obama’s delegate count and allowing him to boast later “I’ve won more states.”

To recruit additional foot troops for this effort, New Hampshire G.O.P. leader Stephen DaMaura started the Facebook website “Stop Hillary Clinton (One Million Strong AGAINST Hillary).”
Although the Clinton camp didn’t realize it at the time, a caucus in Nevada (like a caucus anywhere) would naturally benefit Obama, since her base of blue-collar, older and non-English-speaking supporters would not be driving across town to attend some meeting run by disorganized volunteers. On the other hand, motivated Republicans could be counted on to show up, especially if the G.O.P. candidates could be persuaded not to campaign in the state. (They didn’t.)
And now we get into serious electoral fraud territory:
According to Cronin’s study, nearly all of Obama’s 138-delegate lead over Clinton could be traced to 12 red state caucuses. In most of these contests he routinely won by 2-1 margins, even though polls in those states showed the candidates much closer. In Idaho, for instance, with its scant African American population, few colleges and relatively few Starbucks outlets, he captured 15 of the state's 18 delegates.

Something fishy was going on here. Was Dean's so-called 50-state strategy for a DNC managed campaign to stack caucus locations with Obama supporters? Did the number of G.O.P. crossover voters wildly exceed expectations? Or was there just downright lying in the computation of the vote tallies?..."

Snarking the Saints of Obama

...and the One himself. Don't click on this link if you have fluids or food in your mouth. You have been warned.

"He ventured forth to bring light to the world | Gerard Baker - Times Online: "And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness..."

Update: The author orates--

More Clay Feet

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS CAUGHT WITH MISTRESS AND LOVE CHILD!</b> - Celebrity News | Gossip - National Enquirer: "Vice Presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards was caught visiting his mistress and secret love child at 2:40 this morning in a Los Angeles hotel by the NATIONAL ENQUIRER..."

He is a Democrat. GOPers steal money, start wars and shoot lawyers.

Catching On

FOXNews.com - Arrogance Will Not Help Get Obama Elected - Opinion: "“...They think they can’t lose,” one of the smartest people I know said to me this week, describing the attitude he sees on display in the Obama campaign. He isn’t the first one to say it.

There was a crop of stories, as the trip was ending, suggesting that the Obama campaign, which used to pride itself on its openess and transparency as compared to the Clinton machine, has now abandoned openess and transparency in favor of tight controls, attacks on reporters who write less-than flattering pieces, and a particularly unattractive form of hardball that people who think they are on the way to the White House, or already there, often adopt. It will not serve him well.

There is no reason for arrogance..."

Doing Her Job

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Silly Hoops

Corrente | Boldly shrill ...Broder Teabags Obama: "Stick a fork in Dole. I mean McCain. He’s done. The Village, through its Dean, has spoken:

When, on the first day of the trip, Obama stepped onto a basketball court at the air base in Kuwait and sent his first three-point shot cleanly through the basket, you knew that the gods had decided to favor him.


Yes, indeed. “The gods….” Who could Broder be thinking of?"

Let's see-- McCain can't jock around too much because one arm doesn't work above his shoulder thanks to intervention by the North Vietnamese. Yeah, I'd keep pushing that meme. The privelged faux hooper vs. the tortured war hero, sounds like a weiner, eh?

Comment of the Day

Hey! Who Let Reality In?? : NO QUARTER: "“You’re travelling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of Obamanation. That’s the signpost up ahead–your next stop, the ” Obama Zone!”"

Dot Connection

Disdain, part deux: How NBC finally got busted as the Faux News of the Obama Campaign « The Confluence: "...Is this how the NBC/Obama/GE love marathon went down? : You scratch my back a little by saying I am the second coming of JFK & MLK, Jr., and I scratch you $5 million dollars for your Olympics. Then you continue to scratch my “Obama is a God” message and I’ll scratch you some love by giving you full and unlimited permission to build nuclear plants EVERYWHERE once I become the Galactic Emperor. < /snark >

So, NBC/Universal = MSNBC = GE = Nuclear Plant Builders = Exceleon Energy = David Axelrod = Obama.

It’s no surprise that backroom dealing was de riguer in the NBC/GE boardrooms, that 99.9% of NBC news personalities (and notice I did not call them “anchors or journalists”) were just overly and unobjectively FAWNING over the Precious. With this $5 million dollar ad buy, this is further proof Obama has bought the campaign and has ZERO interest in keeping the tenets of ”free press” and “Democracy.”

There is an “ism” word that begins with an F that describes this very thing. Mussolini would be proud.

PUMA all the way to Denver!"

Howling Wisdom

Howling Latina: Obama Not Doing So Hot: "...Obama may lead in national polls, but it's the swing states that are going to determine who the next president will be."

Why I Puma

Heidi Li's Potpourri: The difference between supporting a person and supporting a principle

"...I know that many people think that Senator Obama can win the presidency with lots of money and the unhappiness people have with the current Republican administration. I do not think that will work. Senator Obama needs votes from millions of people like me, people who feel that a process that was established without regard to particular outcome must be followed to its natural conclusion. A rigged or short-circuited process taints the result in a way that I find off-putting. So often this political season the Democratic Party, sometimes at the state level and sometimes at the national one, has seemingly disregarded its own rules because some in the Party find that following those rules is inconvenient or fatiguing or scary. I understand those feelings: they are based largely on the fear of uncertainty. But just because one fears or dislikes uncertainty one cannot wish it away..."

Fair play used to be not only a Democratic principle but an American ideal. What happened?

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Orbital Merger

FCC Close To Backing XM-Sirius Merger - washingtonpost.com: "A merger of the nation's two satellite radio operators moved closer to conclusion yesterday with the deciding vote said to be leaning toward the deal, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations..."

Maybe DirectTV and Dish should try again.

McCain Names Powell As Veep?

"DOOM,MN--In a move today that has caused the Obama campaign nightmares for weeks, Sen. John McCain has named Gen. Colin Powell as his Vice-Presidential selection and Powell has accepted.

Independent analyst Alfred Neuman said, "The only scenario worse for the Democrats is if McCain named Hillary Clinton as his running mate..."

Another "No" VideO

Shout Out Against Obama

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Clinton Debt

Summary data for Hillary Clinton | OpenSecrets:

"...Cash on Hand: $26,046,667
Debts: $25,201,723
Date of last report: Jul 29 2008 12:00AM"

??????

Oh, No! Ebert and Roeper Go

Disney names new hosts to replace Ebert and Roeper | Markets | Markets News | Reuters: "LOS ANGELES, July 22 (Reuters) - A day after influential critic Roger Ebert quit the film-review show he co-created three decades ago, the Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday named two new hosts and unveiled a new format for the nationally syndicated program.

Ben Lyons, a film critic from cable channel E! Entertainment Television, and Ben Mankiewicz, a moderator on cable network Turner Classic Movies, will take over as hosts of Ebert's old show when it is relaunched on Sept. 6, said Disney's Buena Vista Productions studio..."

O'Hype Trailer

HYPE - The Obama Effect Movie Trailer

On The Pumation

The Confluence: "...The DNC coup was intended to level OUR power.

Now, we all have theories as to why this is and by what means this was accomplished. But one thing is certain: we shouldn’t feel the least bit guilty for sticking up for ourselves. We’re not pushovers and we’re not stepping to the back of the bus so the young, deluded, affluent liberal or moderate Republicans can take over. The Democratic party isn’t going to become the Country Club party if we have anything to say about it. And if that means Obama loses in November don’t blame us. We’re only asserting our right to have representation in the political sphere. The split in the party wasn’t engineered by us and it sure as hell isn’t Hillary’s fault..."

O'Fans Lose Faith

Johnny Doesn't Love Jazz in this post-- The Distant Ocean: Shattered dreams: "It's been breathtaking trying to follow Obama's sprint to the right since he clinched the nomination—and I say 'trying' because he's moving so fast he's actually starting to redshift, and soon it'll take hours just for the light from his receding back to reach us. You've got to admire the thoroughness and breadthny of his disguise-shedding: the death penalty, FISA and telecom immunity, scolding the (ostensible) left, scapegoating black fathers, backtracking from his previous lies about NAFTA, positioning himself to the right of Likud, vowing to go Bush one better in giving government funds to religious organizations, and even hedging on the one and only thing he's said that at all merited the 'change' label—his vow to talk to leaders like Ahmadinejad. Among other things. Really, it's been like Christmas every day...I can hardly wait to see what's next!..."

Good summation of comments from other places.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Missing Flag

Obama’s 757 is Back in Service « FOX Embeds « FOXNews.com: "...The North American jet that flew Obama and his traveling crew around for much of the primary season was refurbished with new seats and power for each passenger a must on the campaign trail. And the plane that once had an American flag on its tail now sports the Obama “O.” “Change We Can Believe In” and the candidate’s website are splayed across both sides of the fuselage, making this 757 anything but inconspicuous..."

To Fawn Or Not To Fawn?

Is media playing fair in campaign coverage? - Decision '08- msnbc.com

"NEW YORK - Television news' royalty will fly in to meet Barack Obama during this week's overseas trip: CBS chief anchor Katie Couric in Jordan on Tuesday, ABC's Charles Gibson in Israel on Wednesday and NBC's Brian Williams in Germany on Thursday.

The anchor blessing defines the trip as a Major Event and — much like a "Saturday Night Live" skit in February that depicted a press corps fawning over Obama — raises anew the issue of fairness in campaign coverage.

The news media has devoted significantly more attention to the Democrat since Hillary Clinton suspended her campaign and left a two-person contest for the presidency between Obama and Republican John McCain, according to research conducted by the Project for Excellence in Journalism..."

And there's this:

"You’ve got to hand it to American voters. They REALLY don’t trust the press. They also know that our mainstream media is totally in the tank for Obama. From Rasmussen:

The belief that reporters are trying to help Barack Obama win the fall campaign has grown by five percentage points over the past month. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that 49% of voters believe most reporters will try to help Obama with their coverage, up from 44% a month ago..."

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Shave My Head

Trembling with Rage | Corrente: "...It started with the usual stuff that makes Lambert’s title so right on target: If you don’t support Obama, go f**k yourself or any variation of that theme, traitors, etc.

And then I read this and I thought I was going to lose it. Like my title says, I’m still trembling with rage:

“At the end of WWII, all the French whores who serviced the Germans were rounded up. Their heads were shaved, and they were tarred and feathered.

At the end of a war, the victorious side settles its debts. If you helped, you get a reward. If you did not help, you are in serious trouble. Posted by dataguy”


“I like the shaven head and tar and feathering idea for Clintonistas!! Posted by Mandy”

And then happily moving on the claiming an absence of misogyny..."

An Obama Quiz

I was really surprised to see the little test at The Smirking Chimp. The Smirking Chimp | News And Commentary from the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy

Who's Doing What?

Ok if Crooks and Liars » Maliki Essentially Endorses Obama’s Iraq Plan then why does CNN and Maliki dispute the Endorsement? Could someone have gotten ahead of himself?

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Comment of The Day

Politically Tone Deaf, Morally Bereft; The Cowardly Obama Campaign Strikes Again : NO QUARTER: "AXELROD is a de facto lobbyist. What, it’s OK to make money from the “lobbying profession” but only if you’re not REGISTERED? That’s like saying it’s OK to be a prostitute so long as you don’t have a PIMP! The judgment to serve, all right–serve to rile up the stupid who don’t see the profound hypocrisy behind the hype..."

Beggars Are Demanding

TPM Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Top Dem Party Officials Send Sharply-Worded Email Demanding That Hillary Donors And Supporters Get Behind Obama

Bite me.

Cleland Not Good Enough For Obama

Ben Smith's Blog: Obama disinvited 'lobbyist' Cleland - Politico.com: "Obama disinvited 'lobbyist' Cleland

Former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland was an icon of Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 campaign, a badly wounded war hero who lost his seat, Kerry deplored, after a television advertising campaign questioned his commitment to national security..."

Cleland is lobbying for a company that specializes in treating battlefield injuries. Obama will not take money from the right hand of an industry lobby, but apparently has no problem taking it from the left hand of an employee of an industry lobby.

O'Bombs Pearl Harbor

The Bomb of Pearl Harbor? : NO QUARTER

If George Bush said this...

It's Not Bowling

Red State Update: Obama's Balls

Pumas and Greens

Saturday: The forgotten « The Confluence: "...I may be wrong here but you appear to be a fan of the Green party. PUMAs are not Greens. They are Democrats or former Democrats. We’re not interested in Green party dynamics. Sorry. Your candidates so far have been a little fringey. Nader and McKinney come to mind. Going to the Greens would be little different than voting for Obama. In Obama’s case, the ideologues are zealously screaming for CHANGE!, whatever that’s supposed to mean, while with the Greens, the ideologues are zealously screaming for dumping everything in the current system that many Americans now rely on, like corporations for jobs and gas powered engines and stuff like that. The point of the PUMA movement is that change doesn’t happen by ideology alone. The ideologues can’t simply grab the reins of power and impose their vision of the world on the rest of us. They have to be able to work hard and sometimes with their enemies. I don’t see that either the Greens or Obamarama have abandoned their belief in magical thinking. I object to parties composed of people who demand an unattainable degree of purity from human beings. I’m a rational person. I think most PUMAs are..."

I am for the obliteration of the current "system," but the dismantling must be done slowly and carefully-- no moderate wants death and destruction. The current system can be made satisfactory by slow, steady reform. The best place to begin? Universal Health Care. We don't have any candidate advocating for it. Even the ones who claim to still want the insurance companies, the people who make money by denying coverage, in the middle of things. Can someone explain to me why we need insurance companies in health coverage? (And don't say the "guberment will screw it up" because Medicaid and Medicare work fairly well, as does the VA, even though it is woefully underfunded.)

Tbe Tenth Joke

Bumped from July 17: I have watched The Tonight Show for at least forty years-- I even remember Paar. In all that time, I have never seen a political candidate given the deference that Obama has received. Jay Leno's Obama jokes can be counted on my fingers. Just for kicks, back in December, I started keeping tabs on who was the target of the most jokes. Well, I quit my list during my surgery and immediate recovery and never got back to the list, except for one candidate. Obama had no hits on my list in December.

My criteria was simple: the candidate had to be the butt of the joke, not simply mentioned in the joke.

Guess which candidates were leading my list. You're right: Sen. Clinton, President Clinton, then John Edwards. The cheap Clinton jokes always get a laugh, proving yet again that the Clenis Rules (Bad) Comedy. Edwards' hair was closely followed by Romney's underwear, but all in all, Democrats far out numbered Republicans. Bush jokes will remain popular forever but don't count since he is already president.

Obama has been the object of only nine jokes since December and most of those were about bowling. (I bet Leno has told nine Clinton jokes in one monologue.) I am hopeful that Leno will do number ten by the end of the month but I am not holding my breath. I wish he would since I am really tired of paying attention.

If Obama becomes president, I predict a comedy drought of Biblical proportions.

Update: Thursday night (July 17)-- three hits on Bill Clinton, zero for everyone else.

Update: Friday night (July 18)-- Bush 3, McCain 1, Obama 1! It's over. Finally, the tenth Obama joke-- albeit a weak one about Obama excerising to do flip-flops. My long comedy nightmare is over.

Again

Again: Democrat Taylor Marsh Broadcasts Live Talk Radio and Blogs Politics: "Clinton Doesn't Support Any Effort that would Hurt Obama"

Again: It's not about Clinton.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Say What?

Obama: "'We cannot continue to rely on our military only in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.'"


"...and one that answers only to me, er, the President."

Impish

Greener For DNC

Gee. Will Prez O be telling all of us what to eat? Convention hires "Director of Greening" | Politics West

CNN Birth Control Double Standard

Crooks and Liars » Jack Cafferty: Viagra Is For A Medical Condition, Birth Control Is A “Lifestyle Choice”

Katrina Woes

Facing South: Katrina trailer contractor failed to act on known health risks: "Gulf Stream Coach -- the politically connected company handed a $500 million federal contract to manufacture trailers for Hurricane Katrina victims -- knew its product was contaminated with dangerous levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde in early 2006.

But it failed to notify residents or take any action to protect them..."

Healing Snark

The Audacity of Vanity - washingtonpost.com: ..."For the first few months of the campaign, the question about Obama was: Who is he? The question now is: Who does he think he is?

We are getting to know. Redeemer of our uninvolved, uninformed lives. Lord of the seas. And more. As he said on victory night, his rise marks the moment when 'our planet began to heal.' As I recall -- I'm no expert on this -- Jesus practiced his healing just on the sick. Obama operates on a larger canvas."

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Scarey Paul

In case you've run out of things to worry about...

Ron Paul: "Some Big Events Are About To Occur": "Texas Congressman Ron Paul has warned the House that he is 'convinced the time is now upon us that some Big Events are about to occur.' that will cause liberty to go 'into deep hibernation'."

Who Is Speaking For These Kids?

I'd love to hear the candidates address some of the issues in the following excerpts:

Anglachel's Journal: "...Who thinks about these kids? Where are the interests of the working poor being considered and protected? These girls need reliable, affordable contraception. They need some regular adult attention and guidance. They need decent jobs that can help them pay rent and buy the groceries while they get through their dizzy teen years and get a handle on life. They need to not be punished for having been born to shitty parents. They need to be respected for having enough discipline to get sponsors for cheer squad and to raise their grades, even as they are steadily pushed to do a bit more for their own sakes..."

More On The Cover

Don't dare disagree with Obama - St. Petersburg Times: ..."In an e-mail message to the media, the New Yorker's editor, David Remnick, explained the meaning of the cover: 'The cover takes a lot of distortions, lies, and misconceptions about the Obamas and puts a mirror up to them to show them for what they are. It's a lot like the spirit of what Stephen Colbert does — by exaggerating and mocking something, he shows its absurdity, and that is what satire is all about.'

That's what satire used to be about. In the Obama era, however, satire may be satire only if it pokes fun at anyone except the Haloed One. If it pokes fun at Obama or subjects related to the Obamas, it's described as being 'crude,' 'tasteless and offensive,' 'insensitive,' 'racist' and so on.

The hypersensitivity coming from Obama and his minions is dangerous. Does anyone who's half literate not know that the New Yorker, in its singularly liberal way, lampoons everything and everyone? Nothing, especially a flawed individual, is sacred. That's a good thing.

If Obama's swooning, humorless supporters continue to force critics to whisper, to shut up or to explain their artistic renderings, our precious gift and right of free expression will diminish if Obama is elected in November.

These people need to know that some of us cherish free expression. They also need to know that if Obama needs to be protected from the satirist's rapier, he doesn't deserve to be the president of the United States of America."

Comment of the Day

Centrism, Triangulation and the Netroots « The Confluence: "angie, on July 17th, 2008 at 1:26 pm Said:

Amen sister. I agree with everything you wrote (actually, I agree with everything you ever write). I’m glad you are reminding people about the atmosphere in this country leading up to her AUMF vote — especially in New York — the scene of the crime and the state she actually represents. I would only add that she (as well as all the other Senators) had Colin Powell (a credible source — at least at the time– if there ever was one) assuring them that W wasn’t going to use to start a war in Iraq. The pro-Obama club doesn’t care about the facts because it has only ever really been the anti-Hillary club. They can parse it, they can excuse it, but they can’t hide it — the kool aid is laced with CDS. The “progressive netroots” is dead. Long live PUMA."

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The Daily Flashback: Good News Edition

"State of the Union - Jan. 27, 2000 - Bill Clinton's Record"

Good Grief! Lower Than Bush!

Democrat Controlled Congress Approval At A Record-Low 14% | Stuck On Stupid: "The Democrat party controlled congress has reached a record low approval rating. Will the Pelosi-Reid partnership continue for another 2 years? Is the electorate still asleep?..."

New Holiday Proposed

If you endorse the idea of a holiday honoring Native Americans, go to this site and sign the petition. (For all you petioners, observe how the signee is treated at every step of the process and how careful they are in handling verification. Signing some petitions means instant spam-- I don't think it will happen here.)

I really like their prosposal, though I have always considered Thanksgiving a Native American holiday, probably due to the cultural mix of Scots-Irish and Cherokees in the local area, so one solution is to designate Thanksgiving as a Native American holiday, and yes, I get the irony of that proposal. The petition site endorses changing Columbus Day, which would be all right with me, though there would be a great deal of resistance to that.

The best solution is a new holiday, but the GOP will be guaranteed to trot out the arguments over how much that will cost us. So what? The U.S., I would wager, has fewer mandatory holidays than any other industrialized nation.

Words matter. But deeds matter more. Go here: NATIONAL HOLIDAY FOR NATIVE AMERICANS Petition

Obligations Owed

"Native Americans Against Obama-How?"

Btw, the comment thread for this video on YouTube is actually intelligent and largely absent of vile retorts. The site, the video, and the comment thread are all worth a look.

Switcherooing

Alegre's Corner:: Breaking: Eight Supers Switching to Hillary: "Big news folks - it looks like our efforts in contacting those Superdelegates are starting to pay off, so keep on writing to them (ok, maybe Donna B's a waste of time). There are unconfirmed reports, based on phone banking efforts to reach out to Super Ds, that eight previously Obama SDs expressed that, given the opportunity, they would vote for Hillary at the convention..."

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Batman For President

bitterpoliticz: "...So, this is the best our democracy offers us–two men who have no compass to point out what it right or wrong. We now have two men that will say and do anything to be president while the newspapers are filled with situations outlining problems that need solving. Next time I feel like a good summer read, I think I’ll find a good comic book. Maybe I’ll look for some thing from Japan with one of those Ninja warriors that takes on all the injustices of the world and lives by the samurai code. Maybe we can find one that will fight for truth, justice and the American way."

Obama Bush

Obama backers on the left are doing the wincing now -- chicagotribune.com

"... The Bush White House became the champion of big government, of big spending, of Jack Abramoff and of perjury under oath. The clowns boiled out of the car and I watched them go, taking the Republican Party with them, dragging it out into the desert, where they'd dug a big hole and stuffed it with Kool-Aid-addled conservatives.

So I have some sympathy for those on the left when it comes to Obama. They feel jilted, and the story was of a growing sense of betrayal, until Rev. Jackson whispered his desire to remove Obama's valuables.

Then the left joined in with the right, and with the viewers of Fox News in the front row—representing those Reagan Democrat votes Obama will need in November—we all pounded Jackson, righteously, in Obama's name.

jskass@tribune.com"

Lord of the Democrats

Monday, July 14, 2008

The Daily Flashback: Mad O Edition

Obama yells at elderly Iowa voter

Go Figure

Crowd erupts during Obama speech -- but it's over mention of Clinton | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times: "...The crowd was very respectful of the Democratic nominee-to-be, who easily leads among Latinos, according to polls. And Obama also talked about giving tax credits too small businesses that provide health insurance for employees.

It was then that the crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause and warm cheers. But not over Obama's policy proposal.

What ignited that outburst was the mere mention by Obama of the name Hillary Clinton, his vanquished party opponent.

She wasn't there, of course. But in absentia the Democratic Party's loser got a noticeably warmer response than the winner, perhaps a reflection of that lingering party unity thing that was taken care of up in Unity.

Or maybe they were just being spontaneously friendly.

-- Andrew Malcolm"

...or something else entirely.

The Other Politics

Office politics: How to play the game - CNN.com. Pretty decent, but do keep in mind that the Peter Principle is still alive and well.

Comment of the Day

Women Get Crapped On; Obama Laughs Along : NO QUARTER: "Comment by twandx | 2008-07-14 07:01:20

Don’t let this info get lost in all the recent news. Spread it around.

Dem Superdelegates Rule After All

By Craig Crawford | July 14, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)

There was a time months ago — when Hillary Rodham Clinton led the Democratic nomination race — that party superdelegates were the bad guys according to the rhetoric coming out of Barack Obama’s camp.

Obama supporters trashed the unelected, automatic and unpledged delegates as undemocratic autocrats when it looked as though they might put Clinton over the top. Not anymore.

With the dust settled on the primary season, one thing is clear: Obama is the presumed nominee thanks only to superdelegates. He never did win enough pledged delegates to reach the winning number, falling about 350 votes short. His expected victory stems from beating Clinton among superdelegates 463-257, according to a tally on Real Clear Politics.

All the more reason for Obama to make sure that there is no roll call including Clinton’s name on the ballot at the national convention — which a few die hard fans of the former First Lady are still clamoring for.

Why highlight just how close the Democratic contest really was? And there is certainly no gain for Obama in dwelling on how he had to depend on superdelegates to win the nomination."

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Post Four Thousand

I guess I should have party or something. I've noticed all sorts of anniversary celebrations at blogs for post 100, 500 etc. Well, four thousand is a good number, too. Maybe, I'll get high. If I can find that hammer and hit myself in the head hard enough.

No. I don't feel any better. I'm just as frustrated as I was three years ago at post number one.

Whew. Party over. Down under. (If you know that joke, you are, in fact, old.)

Going Beyond Stupid

Politically correct speech was invented a couple of decades at Duke, according to one academic legend, by bored English faculty who were looking for a way to razz the Duke bureaucrats. (If you have time to be bored, you're either not assigning enough writing or not teaching enough classes, but I digress) Howling Latina has a post up that set to me thinking about a recent incident and the evolution of politically correct speech. After thirty seconds or so of diligent searching, I found the article and dove into politically correct speech again.

I really hated it when I was younger and people called me "fatso" so I understand the issues associated with politically correct speech; however, I am just as insulted when someone says something like "You're fat. You're stupid." Would I feel any better if the insult were "You're horizontally enhanced. You're stupid." Uh, no.

My most irksome insult is the ever popular line of reasoning that goes: you're from the South, you're talk slow (should be "slowly" but go with me); therefore, you're stupid. Anyway, I get it.

A friend of my from years ago said something to effect of "... you're white, you don't think about race. I'm black. I think about it every day." I get that, too. Since, at the time, I was the only white face in a barracks of about 200 black guys. That made me think about race every day. I get it. What I don't get is thinking about race or anything every second of every hour of every day and looking for trouble everywhere. The victim card is worn out.

It becomes especially frayed when the way racism is treated is compared to sexism. I'll paraphrase one of my favorite presidential candidates (yep, I did vote for her) here. Shirley Chisholm said she had experienced far more discrimination as a woman than as a black. So what is the excuse for the over-the-top exploitation of women in various urban music styles? MoTown it ain't. What about that repulsive Obama shirt "Bros Not Hos"? Rather than using the more common metaphor of pot and kettle here and getting called a racist-- how about isn't that like vanilla ice cream calling snowcream white? This campaign has been full of the worse sort of rhetoric directed at women but the obvious sexism is not really getting much notice. Over at The Confluence, I read a comment that encouraged women to go "Full Metal Lyistrata." I fully endorse that sentiment. At least 52% of all men are like 83% of all Republicans-- you cannot get their attention until you grab them by the gonads. So do you think o'Precious will be doing any gonad grabbing? Women. Do what that other 48% of us can't get done and that is force gender equality, including the hateful politically correct speech, on the populace. Don't let anyone, even jokingly, call you a whore and get away with it. Using a known, historical racial or sexual slur is speech that should be condemned. Looking for monsters in every metaphor undermines the very real struggle for equality and should not be encouraged.

With the above rant in mind, consider the snippet below and stake out your position.

FOXNews.com - Texas County Official Sees Race in Term 'Black Hole' - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum: "DALLAS — What do 'black hole,' 'angel food cake,' and 'devil's food cake' have in common?

They're all racist terms, says a Dallas County, Texas, official.

A county commissioners' meeting this week over traffic tickets turned into a tense discussion over race when one commissioner said the county's collections office was like a certain astronomical phenomenon.

'It sounds like Central Collections has become a black hole,' Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said during the Monday meeting.

One black official demanded an apology, and Commissioner John Wiley Price, who also is black, said that type of language is unacceptable.

At the meeting, Mayfield said he intended his comments to be taken in the context of the scientific meaning, and became upset that he was being misunderstood..."

'Bama Roast

EGO-BAMA, SWALLOW SOME OF THAT PRIDE - New York Post: "...But a closer reading reveals a possible explanation. Perhaps he's an adulation junkie. Maybe the diminishing 'nourishment' Sen. Obama receives from 'popularity' is actually causing him to ratchet up his pursuit of more and more praise just to get the minimal fix he needs.

That would account for why a man who thinks striving for popularity is a character flaw has nonetheless decided to give his nomination acceptance speech in a 76,000-seat football stadium.

Or it might tell us why a candidate who hasn't even been nominated yet wants to re-enact some of the most famous scenes from both Reagan and JFK's highlight reels by holding a rally at Germany's Brandenburg Gate, even though he's not a head of state yet. (German authorities, aware of Obama's rock-star status with the German public, diplomatically suggested that it was up to Obama to decide what is in 'good taste.')

Perhaps Dominic Lawson, writing in the British newspaper The Independent had it right when he recently wrote that Obama is 'a man of stunning articulacy, but also stunning self-regard...'"

From the "So What" Department

George Bush and Company deserve any and all attempts to make them look bad. Even this one: Crooks and Liars » “President Bush” and “Colin Powell” Arrested. Sort Of.

Another PUMA Place

Count Us Out and another.

The New Bull Meese

PUMA=Bull Moose? « The Confluence: "...I agree with TR, American people are fit to govern themselves. Obama and his supporters do not agree. They believe that they are entitled to their nominee by hook or by crook. They believe that some voters are more equal than others. Hell, they believe they can even read the minds of people who didn’t even vote and with a straight face argue that they would have voted for Obama–if they hadn’t been tricked into not voting –so they should be given as much consideration as the people who took their civic duty seriously and actually went to the polls. (I should mention that the irony is not lost on me that one of Teddy’s distant relatives would be chairing the RBC that stole delegates from Clinton and gave them to Obama)..."

Ok. Maybe it should be "Mooses"

Saturday, July 12, 2008

The Beginning of The End

Quoted from http://hotair.com/archives/2008/07/11/newsweek-poll-obama-drops-like-a-rock/:

 

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Newsweek Poll: Obama drops like a rock

Last month, Newsweek’s poll surprised many by showing a huge gap between Barack Obama and John McCain, with the Democratic nominee-apparent enjoying a 15-point lead over the Republican.  One month later, Obama has lost all of the momentum and has dropped into a virtual tie with McCain.  The latest Newsweek poll shows Obama up 44-41, within the margin of error: ...

 

What He Said

"Thank you Obama for voting for FISA"

Threes

First there was Jesse Helms...
ABC News: Former Bush Spokesman Tony Snow Dies at 53: "Tony Snow, a conservative political commentator who seemed to relish his brief stint as President Bush's White House press secretary, died in Washington, D.C., on Saturday of colon cancer at the age of 53..."

Friday, July 11, 2008

More Israeli PM Problems

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Olmert corruption probe widened: "Police have widened an investigation into allegations of corruption against Israeli PM Ehud Olmert to also look at whether he may have committed fraud..."

Media Warmongering

Quoted from http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/07/11/media-fanning-war-fever-with-iran/#more-3530:

 

Media Fanning War Fever With Iran : NO QUARTER

...Third, they are ignoring the provocative actions by both the United States and Israel that have ratcheted up tensions with Iran. I harbor no illusions about Iran. I have been on the record for a long time noting that they have been the number one sponsor of terrorism against the United States for many years. But that does not mean that our best way to handle this threat is to launch a new military adventure. Pat Lang and I warned about the risks and difficulties confronting the United States if we attack Iran in an article we published in the National Interest two years ago. The article, Contemplating the Ifs, is still relevant and worth your time.

 

We are entering dangerous territory and the last thing our nation needs is the media acting like third grade spectators to an impending brawl who are trying to incite a fight because they enjoy the spectacle

 

Blogger Banned

"Banned from MyDD / Nowhere Man"

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Speaking of Tongues

Insults and Karma or, Here’s My Foot, Can My Mouth Be Far Behind? : NO QUARTER: "...Oh, and Reverend, did you hear, Senator Obama just insulted some more Americans. He was Uuhh-ing and Errrr-ing his way through some public remarks and said the following:

“Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can speak English – they’ll learn English – you need to be worrying about whether your child can speak Spanish.”

So now English is no longer the official language of this country? I think he ought to encourage more people to learn to speak English properly, instead of pandering to the Europeans. We should be worried about the fact that our public education system is so abysmal, we have huge numbers of kids not graduating high school..."

More Clinton Shafting

Alegre's Corner:: Breaking! DNC Deadline of this FRIDAY re Debt

"Someone just confirmed that there is a DNC deadline of this Friday for wiping out Hillary's campaign debt you guys.

If we don't get this taken care of by then they'll use this to pressure Hillary re keeping her name off the ballot in Denver. That means no real Roll Call vote!

NO WONDER BHO's donors dragged their feet in helping to wipe out this debt. DAMMIT all they had to do is sit on their hands and the DNC would finish this off by ending all hope of an open and honest vote in Denver. It's just like the revote in Michigan.

So here's the deal - we need to GIVE UNTIL IT HURTS on Thursday and Friday. Take care of the last of that debt and tell Howard, Nancy and Donna (ESPECIALLY Donna!) go get stuffed.

D O N A T E H E R E!

Spread the word - tell your friends and family what's at stake and ask them to help erase this debt now. Once we get this taken care of we can focus on other things. If you do one thing on Thursday to help Hillary it has GOT to be this.

I'll update as I get more information but please - do what you can and do it now.

T H A N K S !"

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Who's Your Standard Bearer?

Okay all you Bush haters and others who want the next administration to pursue the Bush Criminals. Okay all you so-called civil libertarians who want the erosion of our civil liberties to stop. Okay all you people who support sanity in criminal justice system. All of you. Who do you want carrying the banner to the White House? Do you want the person who supports the FISA atrocity or the person who does not?

Statement of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 : NO QUARTER: "...Congress must vigorously check and balance the president even in the face of dangerous enemies and at a time of war. That is what sets us apart. And that is what is vital to ensuring that any tool designed to protect us is used – and used within the law – for that purpose and that purpose alone. I believe my responsibility requires that I vote against this compromise, and I will continue to pursue reforms that will improve our ability to collect intelligence in our efforts to combat terror and to oversee that authority in Congress."

On Embarrassment

Dear Donna, if you don’t have time to do it right… « The Confluence: "...Oh, please. Nothing could be more embarrassing for Senator Obama than to have his buddies on the Rules and Bylaws committee rig the vote for him so he could slither that last centimeter over the finish line. How could it be more humiliating than to find that the first African-American to be nominated has to have the caucuses stacked in his favor, the critical mass of two major states withheld from the tally of his opponent and the entire US News media out for blood for Hillary in order to just barely squeak by? Did I mention all of the superdelegates that had to be threatened with primary challenges, the other superdelegates that were bought off, the power of DFA used as your personal campaign organization outside of the official OBAMA organization and nearly every African-American in the US voting for you? And with all of that plus the institutional power of the Democratic establishment lining up behind Obama so they can pull his strings after he is in office, he only just *barely* managed to buy his way into the winner’s circle. Barely. Because we’re not talking about his qualifications or experience, which is virtually non-existent. I can’t think of anything more embarrassing than having been carried to the nomination on the back of droogs who want to use you. For sure, no one will ever look at the nomination of Barack Obama and have anyone say he won on his merits. Doesn’t get any more embarrassing than that..."

Hiding the Rift

Howling Latina: DNC Stealing Hillary Votes

"The howler hadn't heard any recent buzz about the delegate situation so she foolishly thought the matter had been settled. Hillary delegates would vote for Hillary, of course.

But...she was wrong; more high-jinks from Obamaland is on its way; it's not enough the DNC took away Hillary votes from Michigan and awarded them to Obama; nope, they now want to take ALL her votes away and give them to Obama.

Alegre's Corner links to an article in The Wall Street Journal chronicling Obama's thoughts on the subject; and the verdict is in. Obama thinks to allow Hillary to claim her rightful delegates in Denver would beget famine, pestilence, chaos and confusion and besides he could lose it all. STILL...

A full roll-call vote that reminds everyone how close she came to being the nominee could reveal party rifts going into the fall campaign, they said..."

Too Little, Too Late

Democrat Taylor Marsh Broadcasts Live Talk Radio and Blogs Politics: "You just can't make this stuff up. So when it flew out of Chris Matthews' mouth yesterday on "Hardball," I just about fell off the treadmill. Talking about Barack Obama with E.J. Dionne:

MATTHEWS: Let‘s not deify this guy in any area, because deification is a dangerous move in American politics.

DIONNE: Amen. I agree.

MATTHEWS: Funny you should use that word. Amen. We all agree.

Chris Matthews of leg tingling fame, not to mention Hillary bashing infamy, now wants to make sure we don't deify Senator Obama?..."

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

The Myth of The One

Barrack Obama’s appeal to a minority of the Democratic Party is not entirely mysterious—especially his appeal to the younger set who have been raised, even moreso than their parents, on the Myth of the One. This myth, though as old as civilization itself, has been constantly reinforced by the Deadly Three of Culture Creation: movies, music, and video games. Being a lover of all three, I’ve embraced the conceit several times, but I’ve never mistaken the fantastic setting of, for instance, Neverwinter Nights, for reality. I fear many Obots have bought into the fantasy, however.

Most religions, of course, are based on the One-- The One True Messenger of the One True God. Again, I see no fault with that notion per se, after all it is religion and the whole point of religion is Faith. The causal link between divinity and any politician is nebulous at best, even less substantive than farts and global warming. The comingling of the two is dangerous to the extreme. Can you imagine some politician claiming to be the Third Coming and starting a brand new version of Islam? Death, taxes, or Barky?

The majority of single-player video, especially FPS games, center around, logically, one person who is going to save the city, the country, the planet, or maybe even reality itself. Needless to say, that’s a heavy burden and the player is lucky to have been born, spawned, hatched, or grafted with some, or maybe even a laundry-list of, special powers.

Music? Just Google “You’re The One” and see what you get.

However, the most pernicious of these cultural influences is the movie industry and its spawn, television. Many movies explore the theme of the single hero saving all, from old Westerns through modern science fiction. A few are really obvious with their portrayals, such as Jet Li’s The One . Again, there’s nothing wrong with the idea of one person saving us all; the problem is the inability to separate fantasy and reality. I didn’t realize how pervasive this affliction had become until I made mention of a gigantic, looming, colossal plot hole in The Matrix.* Well, several people informed me that I was too old to understand what was going on, like the rules of science change when you reach forty—or some other mystic plateau. I usually inquired at that point if any of them had read H.P. Lovecraft or could recite the mathematics behind string theory or even explain the science and character interconnection in The Cold Equations. That query was usually followed by rapid blinking and New Age babbling.

Perhaps the one media phenomenon that best encapsulates this entire mythology is The Matrix. It has it all—an oracle forecasting the rise of the One, the disciples spreading the wonder of the One, and of course the awesome abilities of the One himself. Sometime in the near future, expect Obama’s Oracle to appear, telling tales of how his Oneness manifested itself in poo-poo diapers of pure gold, or something. Obama already has the adoring throngs, albeit some are hired fainters and so forth, but even discounting those, he does have a cult following. The only fly in the ointment is his lack of accomplishment, though if he can avoid bowling alleys, his legend will eventually include skills like DeadEye Dick’s shot gunning skills.

The constant reinforcement of this myth makes the public vulnerable to the nonsense that any one person can solve all our problems and that is what many people are hoping for—an answer to all our problems that does not involve any effort or personal responsibility to the future, which is really what many UFO cults are about. Maybe the aliens will show-up and give us a cure for cancer, free energy, and pizzas that cause weight loss. Some people even hope to be kidnapped by aliens so they can—what? Become alien poodles or something? I think it more likely that Gort will appear than E.T. It is a constant fight to keep your intellect rational in this day and age. Sometimes even education conspires to delude us.

History itself is often taught around the Great Man theory, which is that each age is defined by some man of extraordinary vision and personal attainment. Thus, we get names like the Napoleonic Era. Even our founding as a country is sometimes referred to as the Age of Jefferson, though it is, thank goodness, difficult to pin the Revolution on any one person (rather like the Puma Movement, eh?) History is in fact causal with events creating other events in waves of change. (Read James Burke or watch Connections for a good sampling.) While I do not believe that a person has no control over history (destiny), the creation of an entire wave of history by one person is by far the exception, not the rule. Since there is no way to prove that eliminating Hitler would have stopped the rise of Nazism that discussion is moot to this central point: Obama is not the One. To be the One he would have to capable of some extraordinary feat, and I’m sorry, but the ability to delivery a speech doesn’t rise to the test. Perhaps, if he could deliver some soaring oration off the top of his head, I might be more receptive, though I still look at deeds rather than words, and his deeds do not match his words or his ambitions. Remember people—there is no spoon.

*That would be the same plot hole that allows Undead Zombies to stumble about for months with no energy intake. No. They do not digest the brains they eat; they’re Undead so that colon ain’t working. At least vampires take in some blood, though the mechanism for converting blood into energy has yet to be explained.

Bumpin' 'n Grindin' In Snarksville

Spikin’ it in the End Zone « The Confluence

On Feeling Blue

RealClearPolitics - Articles - Obama Leaves Blue Women Seeing Red: "WASHINGTON -- Somewhere along Barack Obama's winding road through the red states, he lost me. It happened when he talked about women who are 'feeling blue.'

Obama says that these women should not be able to obtain a late-term abortion, because just 'feeling blue' isn't the same as suffering 'serious clinical mental health diseases.' True enough. And totally infuriating..."

Monday, July 07, 2008

Old, Loyal Democrats

I've been harping on this Reagan/Clinton Democrat stuff for a while. The two groups are not the same. Examine the following post for a thorough analysis.

Anglachel's Journal--"Classification": "...In partial answer to a comment on the last post, Clinton Democrats are not simply Reagan Democrats, though Reagan Democrats were brought back to the party by Bill and even more by Hillary, joining the majority of Democrats who support the Clintons. Clinton Democrats can be defined as people who understand and approve of using the powers of government to make ordinary lives better and to defend the citizenry from forces and powers outside their control - from catastrophic illness to economic crisis to attacks upon the nation. It is a mode of public service that is very bread-and-butter oriented, efficient rather than elegant..."

IDing Who You Are

Quoted from http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/youre-either-with-us-or-against-us/#more-1843:

 

You’re Either With Us, Or Against Us? « The Confluence

 

...As we know from reading John Dean’s “Conservatives Without Conscience,” (ohfuhgodssake just read the darn book) today’s Republicans, aka “movement conservatives,” are monolithic and authoritarian in their thinking. In other words, they look for a figure of absolute authority to follow, a strong Daddy to relieve them of the burdens of thinking for themselves. (This explains the appeal of movement conservatism to evangelical Christians, and their creepy identification of Bush as a religious, instead of a political, leader.) A rare few, such as Bush and Cheney, are double-high authoritarians, who wish to be the authority figures themselves. (Remember Bush’s statement that it would be a lot easier if the U.S. were a dictatorship, as long as he’s the dictator?) Movement conservatives also espouse a platform that is negative in nature; against taxes, against abortion, against evolution, against anything with the “liberal” label stamped on it...

 

... Now, for us pesky Democrats. In my experience, we are exactly the opposite of the Republicans on the subject of identity. Our loyalty is to the principles of the Party rather than to any individual. Thus, it makes it much, much harder to identify “friend” from “foe.” Getting a bunch of Democrats to all vote the same way is “herding cats.” We are currently experiencing a massive split in the Party between those who support Senator Obama and those who don’t. Why? Because we PUMAs believe that Hillary represents the principles of the Democratic Party and that Barack Obama does not. That’s your identity politics right there, bub.

 

Were we Republicans, this would never have happened...

 

Sunday, July 06, 2008

The Nadir of Bad Ideas

The Corner on National Review Online: "re: Civics [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

A totally crazy Saturday-morning thought: Wouldn't George W. Bush make an awesome high-school government teacher? Wouldn't it be something if his post-presidential life would up being that kind of post-service service? How's that for a model? Who needs Harvard visiting chairs and high-end lectures? How about Crawford High?..."

Good FISA Question

Would the White House be Able to Eavesdrop on Obama Under the FISA Bill Barack Supports? You Bet. | BuzzFlash.org

Tacking Into The Wind

Absent A Change . . . - TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime: ". . . in the dynamics of this election, Barack Obama will defeat John McCain for the Presidency in November. Obama leads by 6, roughly the margin for a month now. How can he lose it? By exposing a flank. The flip flopper flank, by listening to his inner Dick Morris. Speaking of Morris, he, not surprisingly, loves Obama's tack to the "middle":..."

Saturday, July 05, 2008

When Too Much Is... Too Much

Blogging superstar Arthur Silber might just get his Exalted Thinker ticket pulled for writing this post: Once Upon a Time...: Oh, Arthur, You're Just Crazy.

I wonder if any heads have exploded over at Crooks and Liars.

Gettin' Stupid

The Democratic Party Dummies’ Guide on How to Appear Unpatriotic : NO QUARTER

"The Democratic party needs a updated lesson in politics. I have never, ever seen anything such as what I have witnessed. I have only one recommendation, move away and separate the government policies and the military service of your opponent in your criticism, they don’t mix or belong in the grand scheme of things. It’s not a requirement for the position they are seeking to attain, and should be left out because there are hundreds of other issues that can be addressed that affect ALL the American people in our country as a whole on a daily basis. When you open the door to these type of comments, it has the ability to get out of hand and hurt more than help, when people become over zealous in their attempts to prove a point, that they eventually cross the line.

Anyone who has the audacity, the sheer gall to write an article stating any veteran received a lenient form of torture as a means to discredit the source, or attempt to paint a former prisoner of war as some form of war criminal, just to show someone else in a positive light, does not grasp or truly comprehend the possible backlash that could result from these articles. When those who have lost loved ones, or who have friends and family already deployed, and come across comments such as this:.."

Being A Dem-- What It Really Means

The Denver Group: Keeping the Democratic Party democratic

Friday, July 04, 2008

The Daily Flashback:Forboding Edition

CIC Judgment

Tom In Paine: "...Now we can add another Obama 'what were they thinking moment' to go along with his other famous moments including his recent seal of disapproval which doesn't just call his judgement into question, it shows he simply doesn't have any. And while being a Navy fighter pilot and a POW for 4 years certainly doesn't qualify someone to be Commander-in- Chief, being mentored for 17 years by Jeremiah Wright doesn't exactly move you to the top of the list either.

Nancy Pelosi said not too long ago that she supported Obama because he has the judgment to be President. This is of course, like a homeless person giving advice on how to fix the housing crisis. We've been seeing Obama's judgement on display for the past two weeks and it hasn't been pretty. Breaking his pledge on public campaign financing, embracing the telecom immunity bill, reversing himself on Jerusalem within 24 hours which managed to unite both Israelis and Palestinians in their contempt for him, the Johnson episode before that, flip flopping on the recent Supreme Court gun decision while trying to pretend his reversal was because of 'inartful' phrasing a year ago, and that obnoxious seal. And now an attack on McCain's military service as being insufficient to be Commander-in-chief in support of a Presidental candidate that doesn't have any of his own..."

Sugar Advises

Quoted from http://sugarnspice.typepad.com/:

 

Sugar N Spice

...Be careful out there this weekend. There will be a lot of Obamatrons on the loose and alcohol and Obama fever is a horrible combination. If you find yourself surrounded by a pod of them at a cookout tomorrow or Saturday, do.not.incite them.to.anger. It will be tough. Trust me. But, do your best to nod and smile and say, "Look. Let's not talk politics. Let's just have a great time and keep all of this serious stuff aside." Now, hear me and hear me well. That may not work. It probably won't work. You will probably be pressured to give them a swift and decisive answer as to whether or not you will be supporting their Fearless Leader Spineless Leader. Take notes here. If you know for sure that they've been drinking liquor, when they start that screeching and yelling at you demanding an answer, quickly look at your watch and shout, "Hey, I think Obama is on with Olbermann right now!" They will scurry away trying to find the nearest television like dogs in heat! This will give you the necessary freedom you need to make a run for your car. Do it and do it quick because they are going to be P-Oh'd when they find out you were lying. I'm talking, pissed. Be careful, don't drink and drive and have a good one! We've got lots of work left to do. By Monday, we'll officially have less than four months to go on operations Party Unity, My Ass and the subsequent KeeptheChange08. All my best...even to Obamazoids. --SUGAR 

 

Rene Marie Sings Black National Anthem Instead

Hendrix plays National Anthem

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Clinton Rocking On

From the Syracuse Post-Standard-- Hundreds flock to see Clinton: "Syracuse -- Hundreds of Central New Yorkers flocked to Hanover Square this morning to hear Sen. Hillary Clinton talk about renewable energy and show their support for Clinton in her first visit to Upstate New York since she withdrew from the presidential race.

Clinton did not mention presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama by name during her 14-minute speech, but afterward she told the media she and former President Bill Clinton are urging her supporters to vote for Obama in November..."

The Lighter Side

Hillary Man - a fan video

McCain Endorsed

Report: Christian Conservative Leaders Unite to Support McCain - America’s Election HQ: "In a seemingly symbolic move, 100 conservative Christian leaders agreed to unite behind the presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain at a meeting Tuesday in Denver, Colo., Time.com reports..."

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

About That Sexism

Shakesville: Destroying Hillary Clinton

O'Guns

"Sean Hannity on Gun FlipFlop FlimFlam Obama DingDong"

I still want to break off Hannity's finger and stick it somewhere.

Not Her Job

Quoted from http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/:

 

The Confluence

 

Wednesday: Across the Divide

 

As the Cry of the PUMA video says in it’s final frame “Simply proclaiming UNITY doesn’t make it so”.  And may I say something to the party leaders that I’m sure they will ignore, because why start paying attention now?  It isn’t Hillary’s job to unify the party. I know, I know, this comes as a shock to some of you but it’s true.  Hillary is not the presumptive nominee.  If you wanted her to unite the party, something that would have been a piece of cake for her, you shouldn’t have *selected* the guy.  You should have let the election process play out without a year’s worth of interference.

 

Hillary *could* just sit out the rest of the primary season and work on paying off her campaign debt.  Just like Joe Biden and Chris Dodd and John Edwards, nothing more should be asked of her but her support.  There is no need to drag her along on some dog and pony show where she is forced to ask her reluctant and adamant supporters to vote for Obama.  Either we will or we won’t...