Obama Woes

Obama shoots the messenger - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

"If Obama thinks that it's only Edwards who thinks he's too nice/too soft to tackle the problems in DC, he's really living in a fantasy world. In any conversations I've had about Obama, right after praising his positive attitude, the first thing people mention about him is that he may be too nice. Whether he likes it or not and regardless of what Edwards is saying, this is what people are saying.

"The argument goes that the only way to bring about change is to be angry," said Obama at an event in a church hall here tonight. He quickly added: "I don't need lectures about how to bring about change because I have been doing it all my life."

How does "change" fit with cozying up to anti-gay bigots? I appreciate the fact that Obama has been against the Iraq war from the start. This is commendable and it is one issue that I like a lot about him..."

Bipartsian Blues

Hullabaloo: "It was inevitable. I wrote about it right after the 2006 election --- as soon as the Republicans lost power, I knew the gasbags would insist that it's time to let bygones be bygones and meet the Republicans halfway in the spirit of a new beginning. GOP politicians have driven the debt sky-high and altered the government so as to be nearly unrecognizable, so logically the Democrats need to extend the hand of conciliation and move to meet them in the middle --- the middle now being so far right, it isn't even fully visible anymore.

Today we have none other than the centrist drivel king, David Broder, reporting that a group of useless meddlers, most of whom who were last seen repeatedly stabbing Bill Clinton in the back, are rising from their crypts to demand that the candidates all promise to appoint a 'unity' government and govern from the the center --- or else they will back an independent Bloomberg bid..."

Failure Pays

Failed CEOs did well in 2007, 2008 looks promising - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

"Considering the failures in the banking and real estate sectors, 2008 might cough up a few more lottery-like payouts. What stands out is the effort to spin away the massive numbers and distance them from the word "severance." Call it whatever you want, but when someone such as Nardelli of Home Depot walks away with $209 million after being a failure is amazing. Absolutely amazing..."

And Bill Kristol gets a gig at the NYT for being wrong about everything.

Republicans Thinking Democratic

Very good quotes from thinking Republicans, with this excerpt as the bottom line: Rank-and-file Republicans make the common-sense case for voting Democratic | Needlenose
"...This is why it ticks me off to see the leading Democratic candidates talking about "change" in bland, generic terms. Someone with a broken arm doesn't want to hear a doctor promise "change" in their health -- they want someone who will treat their damned arm.

Positioning Democrats as the party with the common sense to address problems -- rather than ignoring them, as the GOP does, because their ideology says to -- is the exact message that will resonate with these wavering Republicans and encourage them to make the switch in the voting booth."

The New Mexican?

Huckabee Warns Of "Unusual Activity of Pakistanis" Coming Into U.S. - Iowa on The Huffington Post

"Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says the assassination of Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto underscores the need to secure the America's borders to prevent potential terror attacks here.

"We ought to have an immediate, very clear monitoring of our borders and particularly to make sure if there's any unusal activity of Pakistanis coming into the country. We just need to be very, very thorough in looking at every aspect of our own security internally because, again, we live in a very, very dangerous time," Huckabee said during a news conference Thursday night in West Des Moines..."

CNN Boggles Brain

With one year to go, Bush's legacy a mixed bag - CNN.com

Mixed bag? Of what? Swill, pus, and crap? To even claim some good from Bush is pushing it me thinks. Other than enriching the already obscenely rich, what positive event has come from Bushtime? (No, you are not safer.)

Tweety Over The Top

See the video here: Iowa: Chris Matthews Thinks a Barack Win in Iowa Could Solve Every Problem Ever

"On today’s edition of MSNBC’s Morning Joe program, Chris Matthews offered his take on what an Obama win in Iowa would mean — for both the election and the saga of humankind’s importance in the universe. Watch the clip, folks, because his says the following words with complete sincerity:

“The biggest American political story in modern times if Obama wins the Iowa caucuses. It’ll be all over the world, it will sweep the headlines of every newspaper in the world, friend, foe or neutral. It will be the Third World story of the century, the last century, the biggest story of modern Third World history really, if Obama wins the American presidential caucus in Iowa.”

Wow, thanks Chris, I’ve really underestimated the importance of the Iowa caucuses! I’d always considered, like, genocides in Rwanda and Sudan, devastating tsunamis, post-colonial wars, the end of apartheid, AIDS in Africa and some other stuff (general starvation/political oppression etc etc) as the biggest modern Third World stories. STUPID ME, I forgot that the Third World never misses a beat of Iowa caucus coverage while enjoying its morning rape-and-pillage."

Congresspeople Shall Not Conceive

Crooks and Liars » Kirsten Gillibrand Getting Heat For Getting Pregnant: "First term Congresswoman Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY20), in a highly-vulnerable district in New York’s Hudson Valley, is being attacked, not for her politics, not for her stand against the Iraq war, not for the earmarks she’s bringing home including money for rural broadband development.

Nope…

She’s being attacked because she and her husband have conceived a child..."

CIA Spooky About 9/11

Think Progress » 9/11 Commission Chairman: ‘No Question’ CIA Attempted ‘To Impede Our Investigation’
"In its attempts to uncover all materials related to the 9/11 attacks, the 9/11 Commission specifically requested material about the interrogations of Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. The New York Times has revealed that the CIA destroyed tapes of the two men’s interrogation without informing the 9/11 Commission about their existence..."

Move along. Nothing to see here.

Hoover Hedging

Another entry from the "Surprise!Surprise!" Department:

The Raw Story | Former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover sought to suspend habeas corpus: "According to a newly declassified document, the New York Times reports, a plan by former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover sought to suspend habeas corpus during wartime, with the intention of imprisoning thousands of Americans indefinitely.

Hoover's plan was submitted to the White House twelve days after the start of the Korean War. Under the plan, approximately 12,000 people deemed as 'potentially dangerous' to national security, 97% of whom were American citizens, would have been rounded up and sent to military prisons without due process..."

Energy From Space

`Drilling Up' Into Space for Energy - World on The Huffington Post: "BALI, Indonesia — While great nations fretted over coal, oil and global warming, one of the smallest at the U.N. climate conference was looking toward the heavens for its energy.

The annual meeting's corridors can be a sounding board for unlikely 'solutions' to climate change _ from filling the skies with soot to block the sun, to cultivating oceans of seaweed to absorb the atmosphere's heat-trapping carbon dioxide.

Unlike other ideas, however, one this year had an influential backer, the Pentagon, which is investigating whether space-based solar power _ beaming energy down from satellites _ will provide 'affordable, clean, safe, reliable, sustainable and expandable energy for mankind.'

Tommy Remengesau Jr. is interested, too. 'We'd like to look at it,' said the president of the tiny western Pacific nation of Palau..."

The End of the World

Onward Christian Doctors

"...Hotze was able to better articulate his views in 1986, when he was one of dozens of ministers, professionals and laypersons who signed the Coalition on Revival's Manifesto for the Christian Church. The coalition claims on its Web site to be a national network of religious leaders aligned in a mission 'to help the Church rebuild civilization on the principles of the Bible so God's will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.' They want all aspects of life -- government, science and education -- to adhere to fundamental biblical beliefs. These beliefs include the following:

• A wife may work outside the home only with her husband's consent

• 'Biblical spanking' that results in 'temporary or superficial bruises or welts' should not be considered a crime

• No doctor shall provide medical service on the Sabbath

• All disease and disability is caused by the sin of Adam and Eve

• Medical problems are frequently caused by personal sin

• 'Increased longevity generally results from obedience to specific Biblical commands'

• Treatment of the 'physical body' is not a doctor's highest priority

• Doctors have a priestly calling

• People receiving medical treatment are not immune from divine intervention or demonic forces

• Physicians should preach to their patients because salvation is the key to their health

• "Christians need better health to have more energy, tolerate more stress, get depressed less often, and be more creative than our non-Christian counterparts for the advancement of God's Kingdom..."

Huck vs. Rush

Huckabee Faces A Rush Limbaugh Barrage - Politics on The Huffington Post

"Before today, radio host Rush Limbaugh has -- in his own words -- "studiously avoided" attacking presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. That silence ended today, after an anonymous Huckabee "ally" was quoted trashing Rush as a DC insider who is secretly rooting for a President Hillary Clinton.

"The Huckabee campaign is trying to dumb down conservatism in order to get it to conform with his record," Limbaugh said today, during an extended session of Huckabee-bashing.

The Huckabee camp, perhaps inadvertantly, set off the fire yesterday when Marc Ambinder published this quote from someone aligned with the campaign:

Rush doesn't think for himself..."

"It's The Economy..." Redux

Voters "very dissatisfied" with US economy - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth
"The GOP isn't going to like this news. For the Democrats, who offers the best solution for repairing the economy, including health care, which is part of the economic concern?..."

Tucker Carlson Attacked Edwards For This Ad

...once again proving Jon Stewart right.

Wingnuts At The Post

Rep. Kucinich's Brother Found Dead - Politics on The Huffington Post: "CLEVELAND — The youngest brother of Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich was found dead at his home Wednesday.

Perry Kucinich, 52, was found face down by another brother, Larry, at about 9 a.m., said Powell Caesar, a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County Coroner's office..."

Can Vince Foster conspiracy theories be far behind?

Crocodiles Cry, Angels Harp

Kristol, Krauthammer Are Out of Time | The New York Observer: "Two conservative Time magazine columnists are on their way out the door: Neither William Kristol nor longtime contributor Charles Krauthammer will be on contract with the magazine starting next month. Mr. Krauthammer confirmed the news to Off the Record, and a spokeswoman for Time said Mr. Kristol’s contract would not be renewed..."

Jesus Does Not Torture

Street Prophets: Memorandum To Congress Re: Torture, Iraq, FISA & Values: "This has got to stop. By which I do not mean 'opposition to the surveillance state has got to end.'

If you do not follow Paul Waldman's advice and oppose 'enhanced interrogation techniques,' you have no right to claim Christian values: (read on)"

Give 'em Hell, John

Crooks and Liars » This Week: Edwards on “Demanding Change”:
(video at the link) "On This Week, host George Stephanopoulos asks Democratic presidential contender John Edwards to respond to Hillary Clinton’s latest talking point that though Edwards says he’ll demand changed (and Obama will “hope” for change), that she is the only one who is committed to working for change.

What I’m saying is I’m going to be the president, like Teddy Roosevelt, and like others like him-Harry Truman, who understood that there is an important battle against those interests-well financed, well entrenched, that prevent the kind of change that the country needs, that’s for the greater good. That’s for the greater good of the people. That’s the battle I’m talking about and that’s the fight I’m going to take on and win. And those who think you can do it by making a deal with him or compromising and conciliation…what possible reason do they have to give their power away voluntarily? They will not do it until you effectively taken their power away from them."

Mike Huckabee's Message to Iowa

I'm Alive

Though I sure don't feel as sparky as Gene Wilder (or Peter Boyle) for that matter. I had brown recluse spider complications but otherwise am just a gigantic ball of agony. Ok. Have to take a nap now. I'll post when I can.

Last Post

Tomorrow is the day-- the day I report to the hospital for a day of preoperative activity, doing what I have no clue. Thursday at 11:30 I will be cracked open and my plumbing rerouted-- a total of at least four bypasses they said. I will be in the hospital for at least five days then it's home and several weeks of recovery. If all goes well...

If it does or doesn't, I offer the following prayer-- with apologies to Thad Eure, who said something to the effect that he was born with two Republican Senators from North Carolina in office, please Lord don't take me home when there are two more in office. (John Edwards won.) So I say, "Dear God, please let me see my country safe again; please don't let me die with George Bush in office."

20 Rules For Reporters

A sample: "...2. There are two sides to every story and a journalist must give both sides equal weight even if he or she knows one side is completely false. Weighing one side against the other violates a journalist's objectivity. (See Rule No. 1.)..." For more: Jon Swift: Journalism 101.

Denying The Plastic

Democrats to debate credit card practices - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

"The Republicans were perfectly fine with ignoring the practices of the credit card industry. Whatever Big Finance wanted to do, they could do. Even this past weekend I heard one American tell me about a brand new credit card that arrived in the mail - ready to go after one phone call - despite never even asking for the card. Who actually thinks such programs are beneficial or safe for consumers?..."

A Modest Proposal

A National Service Act - Home: "To paraphrase Rousseau, a country where the only price of citizenship is being born is a country where civic virtue is doomed to extinction. It's time for America to return to proactive Citizenship. A new era of American democracy is coming, one in which 'service' will be our watchword, and the title of 'Citizen' will be highly esteemed. Help us hasten the day..."

Good site. Good info. Your choice. Am I for or am I against? Hmmmmm.

Chavez Won't Be Dictator

Chavez Loses Constitutional Vote - World on The Huffington Post

"CARACAS, Venezuela — Humbled by his first electoral defeat ever, President Hugo Chavez said Monday he may have been too ambitious in asking voters to let him stand indefinitely for re-election and endorse a huge leap to a socialist state.

"I understand and accept that the proposal I made was quite profound and intense," he said after voters narrowly rejected the sweeping constitutional reforms by 51 percent to 49 percent..."

Clinton Hangs Tough

Democrat Taylor Marsh Broadcasts Live Talk Radio and Blogs Politics: "...Pledging to provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the first 100 days?

I'm now convinced some primary voters in the Democratic party are willing to throw the best chance of taking over the White House we've had in a long time. I've never heard of anything so profoundly outrageous and so politically stupid. Demanding a candidate pledge something so divisive get done within his or her first 100 days is nothing short of general election suicide. Have people forgotten what happened when Congress tried to get decent legislation passed over illegal immigration? I have great hopes that we can bring illegal immigrants to a path to citizenship during the next president's first term, but demanding this pledge is ridiculous.

This is not the first time Clinton refused to pander to her audience, taking the boos from the faction before her; in this particular case as she talked on the phone with them, due to weather conditions that prevented her from being there in person. When Edwards challenged her at YearlyKos on accepting lobbying money she refused to go his way. Again, she was booed.

It doesn't matter how strongly we all want to solve the illegal immigration challenge. There will be a long, slow fight to get it done and we won't get it done by making 100 day pledges that incites Americans on all sides of the political spectrum. It's just staggeringly stupid.

Good for Clinton."

Amen.

Rove Blames Daschle

Crooks and Liars » Karl Rove Blames Tom Daschle For 2002 Iraq Resolution: "This morning on Fox News Sunday, Karl Rove–who is quickly becoming the laughing stock of Washington– appeared with Rep. Chris Van Hollen (chair of the DCCC) to talk politics. When the discussion turned to Iraq, Van Hollen seized the opportunity to confront Rove for his failed attempt to blame the Democrats for pushing the White House into voting on the 2002 Iraq war invasion resolution. Rove’s response? Why, it was all the fault of former Democratic Senator, Tom Daschle. What?..."

Gasp! Rove Lies!

From The "Surprise!Surprise!" Department: Media seems surprised that Rove lied to them (again) about Iraq (again) - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth: "Rove lies. It's not that complicated. He lies.

For years, all the pundit-types used to gobble up Rove's lies. He's still doing it. But now, reporters seem genuinely surprised that Rove would lie about the Iraq war. I should say, lie again about the Iraq war.

Actually, media, you should know by now, really you should know, that if Rove says something, it's probably not true. He's got no power now -- and he's still playing you for a bunch of patsies."

Rudy Romps

City taxpayers picked up tab for Judith Giuliani's visit to kin in Pennsylvania: "In the fall of 2001, city cops chauffeured Rudy Giuliani's then-mistress, Judith Nathan, to her parents' Pennsylvania home 130 miles away on the taxpayers' dime.

Records show that city cops refueled at an ExxonMobil station down the road from Nathan's childhood home in Hazleton on Oct. 20, 2001, while Giuliani stayed behind in New York attending 9/11 funerals..."

Hugo Warning

Chavez threatens to cut oil if U.S. questions vote - CNN.com "CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) -- President Hugo Chavez on Friday wrapped up his campaign to push through broad constitutional changes with a broadside attack against adversaries at home and abroad -- including a threat to cut off oil exports to the United States..."