About That Spying

"Obama Takes A Page Out Of Bush's Book": The Advocate Online - November 6, 2009 – Volume 45, Issue 8: "...In fact, do you know who one of the loudest voices against this idea was when Bush did it? That’s right — our current president. The even bigger problem is that he was speaking out against it loudly right up until the time he got elected.

Then, suddenly, protecting the president from being questioned about very legal activities seemed like a very good idea..."

Slurp the Kool-Aid, regret the present.

Voice Of America Notes O'Woes

VOA News - Obama's Political Challenges Grow: "One year after his election as U.S. president, Barack Obama faces an increasingly challenging political situation at home, with rising anger on the right and growing nervousness among many of his fellow Democrats in Congress."

Voting On Slavery

Would we still have slavery if we’d have voted on it? « The Confluence: "The vote in Maine that put aside its new law allowing same sex marriage got me thinking. Aren’t civil rights something the
constitution bestows and the courts uphold because they protect a minority against the tyranny of the majority? Why are we letting the tyrants vote on an equal protection issue? What would have happened if we’d have gotten to vote on slavery state-by-state and let it stand that way?..."

A Bit Of The Old Raygun

War of the Worlds, The Early Years : NO QUARTER

From The "All Politics Is Local" Department

Watertown Daily Times | Scozzafava's future in politics uncertain after backing Owens: "Republican Dierdre K. Scozzafava faces an uncertain future in state politics after aborting her congressional campaign three days before elections and throwing her support behind her Democratic opponent..."

Huckabee Halftruth, Limbaugh, and the rest of the GOPer echo machine all crowed loudly over this election before the actual election. Nary a peep now. They are all convinced that America Has Gone Red with the election of VA and NJ Republican governors. I'd say that we should all remember this was an off-year and for sure during low voter turnout it is local issues that drive the agenda.

Japan Worry

It is Japan we should be worrying about, not America - Telegraph: "Japan is drifting helplessly towards a dramatic fiscal crisis. For 20 years the world's second-largest economy has been able to borrow cheaply from a captive bond market, feeding its addiction to Keynesian deficit spending – and allowing it to push public debt beyond the point of no return..."

Cat With The Fever

The Associated Press: Officials: Swine flu confirmed in Iowa cat: "A 13-year-old Iowa cat has been infected with swine flu, veterinary and federal officials said Wednesday in what is believed to be the first case of the H1N1 virus in a feline in the United States..."

Sad Day For Civil Rights

The Associated Press: Gay leaders blame TV ads, Obama for loss in Maine: "Stunned and angry, national gay rights leaders Wednesday blamed scare-mongering ads — and President Barack Obama's lack of engagement — for a bitter election setback in Maine that could alter the dynamics for both sides in the gay-marriage debate..."

GOP Civil Drama

Republicans Hate Pro Choice Women « The Confluence: "Nothing these days makes the Republican Party act like cannibals more than a pro-choice woman in their midst. They can talk all they want about the big tent, but it’s an imaginary concept. It always has and always will be. Since the club for growth hooked up with the theocrats, the more traditional Rockefeller Republicans have been run out of the party like the heretics they are considered to be. Believe me, as one of the victims of the witch hunt, they come after you with all the vile, bile, and whispered lies they can muster. This being said, I really feel for Dede Scozzafava and wonder exactly how long it will take her to realize no matter what some of the monied business folks say about her or to her, the grass roots will burn her at the stake if she tries to go beyond her token status to convince the press there’s an imaginary big tent. They don’t want a pro choice woman’s face on the Republican Party Brand..."

It will all play out today-- watch and wonder.

Do We Really Need More Bold?

Conservatives emboldened by moves in New York election -- latimes.com

The Tiresome Middle East

Clinton Denies Easing Pressure on Israel - NYTimes.com: "Struggling to stem a chorus of protests from the Arab world, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reiterated Monday that the Obama administration still wanted Israel to freeze construction of Jewish settlements, even if it regarded Israel’s compromise offer as “unprecedented...”"

No One Wants Public Option Or...

I'd love to see how exactly the survey was worded and administered, and if so few would want it, then why is anyone in the insurance industry even worried about it? Maybe all the ads and lobbying just need to cease since everyone apparently is perfectly satisified with their insurance options.

2 Percent Would Reportedly Take Public Option - FOXNews.com: "After all the noise over Democrats' push for a government insurance plan to compete with private carriers, coverage numbers are finally in: Two percent.

That's the estimated share of Americans younger than 65 who'd sign up for the public option plan under the health care bill that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is steering toward House approval..."

The Daily Flashback: Dirty Dick Edition

Cheney’s Dilemma–No dick or that is His Name? : NO QUARTER: "...And why in the world would the CIA send Ambassador Joe Wilson to Niger to find out if there was any credibility to the report? What the hell qualifies Joe Wilson? OK, just because he was the acting Ambassador in Iraq and faced down Saddam Hussein and saved American hostages does not mean anything. Just because Joe Wilson was the U.S. point person in Iraq for monitoring Iraq’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons does not mean he is that qualified. He may have been one of the more informed people in the United States about Iraq’s nuclear activities and its efforts to acquire uranium yellow cake, but that is no reason to send him on a mission to Africa.

And what in the name of Allah does Joe Wilson know about Africa? Ok, let’s ignore the fact that he served as foreign service officer in several countries in Africa, he was an Ambassador in Africa and he was in charge of Africa at the National Security Council. Just because he followed the issue of uranium exports from Niger and their possible use in nuclear proliferation does not qualify Joe Wilson to do anything but drink green tea..."

Clinton Does Good?

Clinton ‘Broke the Ice’ With Pakistanis Angry Over U.S. Role - Bloomberg.com: "...Meetings with hundreds of Pakistani students, professionals, community leaders and journalists exposed Clinton to public ire over the use of air strikes on suspected terrorist hideouts in Pakistan’s tribal areas and over perceived heavy- handed conditions attached to billions of dollars of U.S. aid.

Clinton’s willingness to hear out the tirades and try to explain the U.S. point of view won her respect, said Mohsin, who was among leading editors invited to air their opinions.

“Whether the charm offensive works,” she added, “will depend on how consistent America’s commitment is to impact peoples’ livelihood...”"

Kucinich On Health Care

"...We compromised on single payer by backing a public option, and now we are being asked to compromise the public option with negotiated rates. In conference, we will likely be asked to compromise negotiated rates with a trigger. In each and every step of the health care debate, the insurance companies have won. If they get hundreds of billions of dollars in new taxpayer subsidies, they get to raise their premiums, and increase their co pays and deductibles, while the public is forced to pay for private insurance, then the insurance companies win big.

“If this is the best we can do, then it is time to ask ourselves whether the two-party system is truly capable of representing the American people or whether the system has been so compromised by special interests that we can’t even protect the health of our own people. This is a moment of truth for the Democratic Party. Will we stand for the people or the insurance companies?”..."

The Rise Of Fattism

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Why are fat people abused?: "...It might surprise some people that the person doing the kicking was a middle-aged woman, who was also travelling alone. But it might not stun those who are already significantly overweight.

'Fat people are fair game for everyone,' says Ms Coupe, who weighs 22 stone (139kg). 'Yes, I've had beer cans thrown at me by youngsters, but the abuse doesn't just come from the obvious places.

'The normal rules about behaviour, respect and common courtesy don't apply to us...'"

Since this is another club that I don't want to be a member of, I can speak to this with some authority. I took crap from people in a K-12 environment-- I certainly don't put up with it today, though it rarely happens anymore. Still, from Jay Leno talking about our asses to airlines charging extra, yeah, it does seem that it is ok to make any sort of stupid comment about people's weight. The only time in my civilian life when my weight was reasonable was during a period of a few years when I ran upwards of thirty miles a week. That, folks, takes a tremendous amount of time, and no it is not as simple as "don't eat," which is rather akin to telling a smoker to quit smoking by not breathing. Trust me-- no one wants to be fat but until a magic bullet is found society is just going to have to tolerate us.

The Truth Of The Polls

Black Voice News Online - Polls: Wide Support For Public Option Healthcare Huckabee Halftruth said this morning that all the polls showed the country against the public option and that the nation has once again become conservative. I wonder...

What It Is All About

Howard Kurtz - Holding democracy hostage - washingtonpost.com: "The best description I've ever seen of the United States Senate is as a group of 100 people, each armed with a nuclear weapon.

We're seeing that now, as one member after another expresses doubts, concerns and reservations about the health care bill, all of which entitles them to special hand-holding and extra media attention..."

Obama At Dover

Barack Obama meets coffins of soldiers killed in Afghanistan at air force base | World news | guardian.co.uk: "Barack Obama last night came face to face with the true cost of the war in Afghanistan, as the remains of 18 US soldiers and drug enforcement agents were unloaded from a military aircraft and returned to US soil..."

I'm sure some people will complain that O should've left the photographers behind, and maybe they are right. But I wonder, did either of the Presidents Bush ever meet the body of a warrior in such a fashion? And, yes, that is the way you truly understand the cost of war. Next step, attend a funeral.

Return Of The Lieberweasel

The Confluence: "Politico says Lieberman will block any health care reform bill containing a public option..."