Well columnist Thomas Friedman certainly does not.
It is great to see that we finally have some national unity on energy policy. Unfortunately, the unifying idea is so ridiculous, so unworthy of the people aspiring to lead our nation, it takes your breath away. Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon, for this summer’s travel season.
This is not an energy policy. This is money laundering: we borrow money from China and ship it to Saudi Arabia and take a little cut for ourselves as it goes through our gas tanks. What a way to build our country.
When the summer is over, we will have increased our debt to China, increased our transfer of wealth to Saudi Arabia and increased our contribution to global warming for our kids to inherit.
No, no, no, we’ll just get the money by taxing Big Oil, says Mrs. Clinton. Even if you could do that, what a terrible way to spend precious tax dollars — burning it up on the way to the beach rather than on innovation?
The McCain-Clinton gas holiday proposal is a perfect example of what energy expert Peter Schwartz of Global Business Network describes as the true American energy policy today: “Maximize demand, minimize supply and buy the rest from the people who hate us the most.”
Good for Barack Obama for resisting this shameful pandering.
Remember Obama's point about using good judgement? I think this is exactly what he is talking about.
Both McCain and Hillary do the politically expedient thing that will garner them support from the ignorant and illiterate of this country while Obama looks at the big picture and realizes it is an empty gesture.
I just hope those voters in Indiana and North Carolina are smarter then the average American voter.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
My Daughter
My daughter left to go home on Monday night.
She came up here to see her grandfather for what she thought might be the last time. She was told he was dying.
My daughter discovered that was not precisely true.
He was ill, but he was far from dying. And my daughter brightened his world so much that he completely rallied and was able to leave the hospital yesterday.
In my opinion my daughter's presence brought the old man around and reminded him that he was loved and not to give up.
She did this once before. With my grandmother. When she was only two. My grandmother was living alone and slowly slipping away. I went to stay with her to help her and to allow my financial situation to straighten itself out. In those days my daughter stayed with me about three days each week.
The minute my little girl walked into her little dusty house you would have thought my grandmother had immediately lost twenty years off of her age. She got right up and helped straighten up the house, and then wanted to make my daughter lunch, and just brightened up like a flower blooming in response to the suns warming rays. My daughter gave her a reason to live and made her feel needed. Every day that my daughter spent in her house my grandmother got that much more animated and energetic.
And now at twenty years old she has done it again.
And her visit certainly shook up my little routine as well. She came in like a mini tornado, all chock full of life and eclectic opinions. She wanted to talk about politics (She absolutely hates Hillary and loves Obama). She wanted to talk about movies (Another passion we both share). And she wanted to talk about sex. I tried to be the cool parent but her absolute candor when discussing ALL things sexual was almost more then even my ultra liberal brain could digest.
It was great!
I love our deep conversations, the loving insults that we lob at each other, and how easy it is to be myself around her.
And she reminds me why I have this little website. She reminds me why I worry about our future. She reminds me that my voice is speaking for her future. And she even told me how much she appreciates what I write and that she tells her friends all about her combative father and how he spends hours on a computer taking on the bad guys and fighting the good fight.
It is all for you angel. It is all for you.
She came up here to see her grandfather for what she thought might be the last time. She was told he was dying.
My daughter discovered that was not precisely true.
He was ill, but he was far from dying. And my daughter brightened his world so much that he completely rallied and was able to leave the hospital yesterday.
In my opinion my daughter's presence brought the old man around and reminded him that he was loved and not to give up.
She did this once before. With my grandmother. When she was only two. My grandmother was living alone and slowly slipping away. I went to stay with her to help her and to allow my financial situation to straighten itself out. In those days my daughter stayed with me about three days each week.
The minute my little girl walked into her little dusty house you would have thought my grandmother had immediately lost twenty years off of her age. She got right up and helped straighten up the house, and then wanted to make my daughter lunch, and just brightened up like a flower blooming in response to the suns warming rays. My daughter gave her a reason to live and made her feel needed. Every day that my daughter spent in her house my grandmother got that much more animated and energetic.
And now at twenty years old she has done it again.
And her visit certainly shook up my little routine as well. She came in like a mini tornado, all chock full of life and eclectic opinions. She wanted to talk about politics (She absolutely hates Hillary and loves Obama). She wanted to talk about movies (Another passion we both share). And she wanted to talk about sex. I tried to be the cool parent but her absolute candor when discussing ALL things sexual was almost more then even my ultra liberal brain could digest.
It was great!
I love our deep conversations, the loving insults that we lob at each other, and how easy it is to be myself around her.
And she reminds me why I have this little website. She reminds me why I worry about our future. She reminds me that my voice is speaking for her future. And she even told me how much she appreciates what I write and that she tells her friends all about her combative father and how he spends hours on a computer taking on the bad guys and fighting the good fight.
It is all for you angel. It is all for you.
Where are the cooler heads and when will they prevail?
A second American aircraft carrier steamed into the Persian Gulf on Tuesday as the Pentagon ordered military commanders to develop new options for attacking Iran. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports that the planning is being driven by what one officer called the "increasingly hostile role" Iran is playing in Iraq - smuggling weapons into Iraq for use against American troops.
"What the Iranians are doing is killing American servicemen and -women inside Iraq," said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
I doubt that there are too many Americans who doubt that all of this is being trumped up by the Bush administration to give them an excuse to attack Iran which they have wanted to do since the beginning of our Iraq debacle.
So we need our representatives to stand up and say "no more"! No more attacking other countries on manufactured evidence. No more stretching our military beyond it breaking point. No more continuing to drive this country into such deep debt that our great, great grandchildren will still be paying for it.
We need the Democrats that we elected to stand up now and refuse to allow this bullshit to go any further. After all we did not just elect them to get us out of Iraq, we also elected them to keep us out of any more unnecessary wars.
We also need Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to say something. I know that it may put them in political jeopardy, but this is critically important to the future of our country.
We already know where John "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" McCain is on the issue.
"What the Iranians are doing is killing American servicemen and -women inside Iraq," said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
I doubt that there are too many Americans who doubt that all of this is being trumped up by the Bush administration to give them an excuse to attack Iran which they have wanted to do since the beginning of our Iraq debacle.
So we need our representatives to stand up and say "no more"! No more attacking other countries on manufactured evidence. No more stretching our military beyond it breaking point. No more continuing to drive this country into such deep debt that our great, great grandchildren will still be paying for it.
We need the Democrats that we elected to stand up now and refuse to allow this bullshit to go any further. After all we did not just elect them to get us out of Iraq, we also elected them to keep us out of any more unnecessary wars.
We also need Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to say something. I know that it may put them in political jeopardy, but this is critically important to the future of our country.
We already know where John "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" McCain is on the issue.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Hillary just loves pork! Requests 2.3 billion in earmarks for 2009.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has requested nearly $2.3 billion in federal earmarks for 2009, almost three times the largest amount received by a single senator this year.
The Democratic presidential candidate’s staggering request comes at a time when Congress remains engaged in a heated debate over spending federal dollars on parochial projects.
It also has gained traction on the campaign trail. Presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), a longtime foe of earmarks, has called for eliminating what he dubs “wasteful Washington spending.” Democratic front-runner Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has spurned earmarks, seeking no funds for pet projects in the upcoming fiscal year.
Obama has released all the earmark requests he offered since being elected to the Senate in 2004, which totaled roughly $740 million over three years. Obama has also criticized Clinton for not disclosing her requests. Her office would not say how much she requested in previous years.
I know that most of Hillary's supporters are still rubbing their hands together in glee over the Reverend Wright debacle, but they may want to take a moment to really look at the candidate they are supporting.
The Democratic presidential candidate’s staggering request comes at a time when Congress remains engaged in a heated debate over spending federal dollars on parochial projects.
It also has gained traction on the campaign trail. Presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), a longtime foe of earmarks, has called for eliminating what he dubs “wasteful Washington spending.” Democratic front-runner Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has spurned earmarks, seeking no funds for pet projects in the upcoming fiscal year.
Obama has released all the earmark requests he offered since being elected to the Senate in 2004, which totaled roughly $740 million over three years. Obama has also criticized Clinton for not disclosing her requests. Her office would not say how much she requested in previous years.
I know that most of Hillary's supporters are still rubbing their hands together in glee over the Reverend Wright debacle, but they may want to take a moment to really look at the candidate they are supporting.
A first for the Immoral Minority. A posting about cool American weapons systems. And you can tell it is cool by the name.
It weighs only 30 pounds and can be fully weaponized for assault and rescue. It has a 6-foot jet-wing that is steered with handheld rotary controls connected to its rudder. And it can hide more than 100 pounds of combat gear in a built-in compartment.The Gryphon attack glider, designed to penetrate combat zones at 135 miles per hour, could revolutionize the art of parachuting. It has got to be at the top of James Bond’s Christmas list this year.
The only thing wrong with this thing is that they spelled its name wrong.
All I know is I HAVE GOT TO GET ME ONE!
Soooo much fun is to be had here.
Barack Obama finally kicks Reverend Wright to the curb after his most recent outrageous comments.
Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday he was outraged and appalled by the latest comments from his former pastor, who asserted that criticism of his fiery sermons is an attack on the black church and the U.S. government was responsible for the creation of the AIDS virus.
The presidential candidate is seeking to tamp down the growing fury over Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his incendiary remarks that threaten to undermine his campaign.
"I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday," Obama told reporters at a news conference.
It seems that Reverend Wright let his ego get in the way of his judgement and he took personal offense at Obama's dismissal of some of his views.
Obama did a great job of letting the media and voters know that he does not condone nor agree with the more bizarre beliefs and opinions of his former pastor.
Here is the video of Obama's statements today:
The presidential candidate is seeking to tamp down the growing fury over Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his incendiary remarks that threaten to undermine his campaign.
"I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday," Obama told reporters at a news conference.
It seems that Reverend Wright let his ego get in the way of his judgement and he took personal offense at Obama's dismissal of some of his views.
Obama did a great job of letting the media and voters know that he does not condone nor agree with the more bizarre beliefs and opinions of his former pastor.
Here is the video of Obama's statements today:
Well this is not exactly shocking news.
Obama's campaign has disavowed Wright's media tour, and a correspondent notes an interesting detail:
Wright was invited to the National Press Club by a journalist and minister who supports Clinton.
The Tribune reports that Wright was invited by Barbara Reynolds, a former USA Today editorial board member who has written on her personal blog of her support for Clinton.
This Reverend Wright issue is really all the Clinton's have to use in their attempt to derail Obama's nomination.
Of course if you really examine it you realize that it is a red herring and tells you absolutely nothing about what kind of President Obama will be.
And if we are going to use the guilt by association ploy to determine who is unfit for office I seriously doubt Hillary is ready for that same tactic to be used against her. I mean in her own marriage is a man who is a philanderer that lied to the American people while under oath.
I would certainly never use that as an attack against Hillary but then I am not one to use these types of scurrilous tactics.
Wright was invited to the National Press Club by a journalist and minister who supports Clinton.
The Tribune reports that Wright was invited by Barbara Reynolds, a former USA Today editorial board member who has written on her personal blog of her support for Clinton.
This Reverend Wright issue is really all the Clinton's have to use in their attempt to derail Obama's nomination.
Of course if you really examine it you realize that it is a red herring and tells you absolutely nothing about what kind of President Obama will be.
And if we are going to use the guilt by association ploy to determine who is unfit for office I seriously doubt Hillary is ready for that same tactic to be used against her. I mean in her own marriage is a man who is a philanderer that lied to the American people while under oath.
I would certainly never use that as an attack against Hillary but then I am not one to use these types of scurrilous tactics.
Oil may hit $200 a barrel and the weak dollar is to blame.
Opec’s president on Monday warned oil prices could hit $200 a barrel and there would be little the cartel could do to help.
His remarks suggest Algeria wants Opec to continue to resist calls by US and European leaders for the cartel to pump more oil to help ease prices. But Mr Khelil blamed record oil prices on the weak dollar and global political insecurity.
He told El Moudjahid, Algeria’s government newspaper: “I don’t think that an increase in production would help lower prices, because there is a balance between supply and demand and the stocks of gasoline in the United States have recorded a surplus and are at their highest level for five years.”
He added: “The prices are high due to the recession in the United States and the economic crisis, which has touched several countries, a situation that has an effect on the value of the dollar. Each time the dollar falls 1 per cent, the price of the barrel rises by $4 and of course vice versa.”
This is what happens when Americans vote for a person just because he is a "Christian".
This is what happens when you vote for somebody that you "want to have a beer with".
This is what happens when you allow fear to dictate who you vote for.
This is what happens when you allow the vote to be stolen by rigged voting machines.
Have you learned anything?
His remarks suggest Algeria wants Opec to continue to resist calls by US and European leaders for the cartel to pump more oil to help ease prices. But Mr Khelil blamed record oil prices on the weak dollar and global political insecurity.
He told El Moudjahid, Algeria’s government newspaper: “I don’t think that an increase in production would help lower prices, because there is a balance between supply and demand and the stocks of gasoline in the United States have recorded a surplus and are at their highest level for five years.”
He added: “The prices are high due to the recession in the United States and the economic crisis, which has touched several countries, a situation that has an effect on the value of the dollar. Each time the dollar falls 1 per cent, the price of the barrel rises by $4 and of course vice versa.”
This is what happens when Americans vote for a person just because he is a "Christian".
This is what happens when you vote for somebody that you "want to have a beer with".
This is what happens when you allow fear to dictate who you vote for.
This is what happens when you allow the vote to be stolen by rigged voting machines.
Have you learned anything?
Ben & Jerry's 30 year anniversary.
I am a BIG ice cream fan! And Dookie Dough is one of my favorites!
You Are Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream |
 A classic and an original, no wonder everyone snakes your style! |
Monday, April 28, 2008
Pentagon suspends "Media Analysts" program after being outed by New York Times.
The Pentagon has suspended a public affairs program that has come under fire for using retired military "media analysts" as surrogates to get out its messages on the Iraq war, a spokesman confirmed Monday.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the program was undergoing an internal review following criticism that the retired officers offered Pentagon talking points as their own during the run-up to the Iraq invasion and thereafter.
In other words the cat is officially out of the bag and it is time to cut their losses.
This is just another example of the Bush propaganda machine that is aimed, not at the external enemy of terrorists or al-Qaeda, but at the internal enemy of information reaching the American people.
Remember in this administration science is evil and education should be taken out of public schools and placed in the hands of ignorant parents. Because stupid people are easy to fool.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the program was undergoing an internal review following criticism that the retired officers offered Pentagon talking points as their own during the run-up to the Iraq invasion and thereafter.
In other words the cat is officially out of the bag and it is time to cut their losses.
This is just another example of the Bush propaganda machine that is aimed, not at the external enemy of terrorists or al-Qaeda, but at the internal enemy of information reaching the American people.
Remember in this administration science is evil and education should be taken out of public schools and placed in the hands of ignorant parents. Because stupid people are easy to fool.
Why does Hillary keep forgetting she is a Democrat?
Hillary Rodham Clinton criticized Barack Obama on Monday for opposing proposals to suspend federal gas taxes this summer, a plan she and Republican John McCain have endorsed. Obama didn't take the bait. He ignored Clinton and focused on McCain.
Hillary just keeps throwing mud and Barack keeps wiping it off and taking the high road.
Just what we would expect from our next President.
Hillary just keeps throwing mud and Barack keeps wiping it off and taking the high road.
Just what we would expect from our next President.
There is mixed news on the Obama front today.
Sen. Barack Obama officially pulled ahead today in the scramble for endorsements from colleagues in the U.S. Senate, thanks to Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico.
That is clearly good news for Obama and his campaign but the other news of the day is not quite so helpful.
Jeremiah Wright spoke to the National Press Club today. He started off explaining the problem that the white community has understanding the African American experience and how that expresses itself in their church services. But then the good Reverend became defensive and combative and used the energy from the crowd to fuel a kind of verbal boxing match that I can assure you will be cut and pasted together by FOX News and others to show the reverend in the worst light imaginable.
I support Reverend Wright's right to express himself but I do feel that he forgot he was not in front of a room of supporters and could have chosen his words more carefully.
That is clearly good news for Obama and his campaign but the other news of the day is not quite so helpful.
Jeremiah Wright spoke to the National Press Club today. He started off explaining the problem that the white community has understanding the African American experience and how that expresses itself in their church services. But then the good Reverend became defensive and combative and used the energy from the crowd to fuel a kind of verbal boxing match that I can assure you will be cut and pasted together by FOX News and others to show the reverend in the worst light imaginable.
I support Reverend Wright's right to express himself but I do feel that he forgot he was not in front of a room of supporters and could have chosen his words more carefully.
Bill Kristol praises Hillary Clinton's campaign. Yes Alice we are truly down the rabbit hole.
But I do think I can speak for most of my fellow right-wingers when I say this: We once looked forward with unambivalent glee to the fall of the house of Clinton. Many of us still do. But we also see the liberal media failing to give Hillary Clinton the respect she deserves. So, since we conservatives believe in giving credit where credit is due, it falls to us to praise Hillary.
The fact is Hillary Clinton has turned out to be an impressive candidate. She has consistently defeated Barack Obama when her back was to the wall — first in New Hampshire, then in several big primaries on Super Tuesday, on March 4 in Ohio and Texas, and then last week in Pennsylvania, where she was outspent by almost 3 to 1, yet won handily.
And she probably did it by getting those touch screens to swap votes in her favor. Just like a good Republican candidate would.
I made the point in several earlier posts that the Right Wing was supporting Hillary's nomination for nefarious reasons. I am sure there were some who simply thought I was manufacturing a conspiracy where none exists.
And to them I say.......Tah Dah!
The fact is Hillary Clinton has turned out to be an impressive candidate. She has consistently defeated Barack Obama when her back was to the wall — first in New Hampshire, then in several big primaries on Super Tuesday, on March 4 in Ohio and Texas, and then last week in Pennsylvania, where she was outspent by almost 3 to 1, yet won handily.
And she probably did it by getting those touch screens to swap votes in her favor. Just like a good Republican candidate would.
I made the point in several earlier posts that the Right Wing was supporting Hillary's nomination for nefarious reasons. I am sure there were some who simply thought I was manufacturing a conspiracy where none exists.
And to them I say.......Tah Dah!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Why Alaskans need Barack Obama to be the Democratic Presidential nominee.
It is easy to talk about the nomination of Barack Obama and his potential Presidency in lofty terms that seem far removed from the actual day to day problems that are facing each of us in our individual cities and states.
So I thought I would use my own situation here in Anchorage Alaska to demonstrate how important and impactful I believe having Obama run and win the Presidency in 2008 is to me and my state.
For the first time in 40 years we have a politician with a real chance of unseating our eternal Republican Senator Ted Stevens. Stevens has been one of our only two state Senators since 1968. He has done a lot of good things for our state, but he is firmly in the pocket of big oil and big business, and it is past time for a real change.
Now that change is embodied in Mark Begich. Mark has been the mayor of Anchorage for the past five years. He is well respected and has a lot of support here in Anchorage as well is in the surrounding municipality. He is currently working to get his name out to the people living in the vastness of the Alaskan bush community.
In forty years nobody has ever had a chance to unseat Senator Stevens. Every attempt has met with crushing defeat. Ted can snap his fingers and have his election coffers filled to overflowing with money from special interests and friends with deep pockets.
But this year is different. Ted is being investigated by the FBI concerning allegations that he is involved with VECO whose vice president Bill Allen has already plead guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges. . They even raided his Girdwood home.
And if that wasn't bad enough, even Ted's son, Ben Stevens, has been chased out of political office by charges of corruption.
So it looks pretty bad for the 85 year old Uncle Ted in the next election cycle.
But there is one thing that might sabotage this easy road to victory over Senator Stevens, and that is New York Senator and current potential Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
How you may ask? Simple. The Republicans are beaten down and reeling under weight of scandals both sexual and financial. From Senator Larry Craig to our own Congressman Don Young, the Republican scandals are wounds that are gushing both money and support.
The one thing that will rally this scandal ridden organization is the opportunity to run against Hillary Clinton. They have prepared for battle against her since she first started her run for the New york Senate seat. They know they can beat her and that will bring them together like nothing else will. This is not mere conjecture on my part. This has been reported over and over again by journalists who get a peek into the backrooms at Republican gatherings.
So with Hilalry as the Democratic nominee the money will flow into the Republican coffers and EVERY Republican will find themselves with more money and support then they could possible manage to find at this time.
However if Obama wins the nomination everything changes. The Republicans are not ready to run against him. Even if they throw the Reverend Wright "scandal" into the mix it will do little to tip the scales in their favor.
That is why the Republicans nominated John McCain. They think he is literally their only hope of beating Obama. But they are not very confident of that at all.
And Barack's message of hope is exactly the kind of message that many Democrats running for various seats in their states can latch onto and use to raise up their own candidacy as well as link to a powerful politician and his inspiring message.
And it fits in very well with Mark Begich's platform as well. With Obama as our Presidential candidate Alaskan Democrats have a real chance to finally get a Democratic Senator after forty years of Republican domination.
I was an Obama supporter before Begich declared his candidacy. But now that he has I am going to put ALL of my energy toward helping both Barack and Mark get elected.
Remember WE are who we have been waiting for. And I, for one, am tired of waiting.
So I thought I would use my own situation here in Anchorage Alaska to demonstrate how important and impactful I believe having Obama run and win the Presidency in 2008 is to me and my state.
For the first time in 40 years we have a politician with a real chance of unseating our eternal Republican Senator Ted Stevens. Stevens has been one of our only two state Senators since 1968. He has done a lot of good things for our state, but he is firmly in the pocket of big oil and big business, and it is past time for a real change.
Now that change is embodied in Mark Begich. Mark has been the mayor of Anchorage for the past five years. He is well respected and has a lot of support here in Anchorage as well is in the surrounding municipality. He is currently working to get his name out to the people living in the vastness of the Alaskan bush community.
In forty years nobody has ever had a chance to unseat Senator Stevens. Every attempt has met with crushing defeat. Ted can snap his fingers and have his election coffers filled to overflowing with money from special interests and friends with deep pockets.
But this year is different. Ted is being investigated by the FBI concerning allegations that he is involved with VECO whose vice president Bill Allen has already plead guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges. . They even raided his Girdwood home.
And if that wasn't bad enough, even Ted's son, Ben Stevens, has been chased out of political office by charges of corruption.
So it looks pretty bad for the 85 year old Uncle Ted in the next election cycle.
But there is one thing that might sabotage this easy road to victory over Senator Stevens, and that is New York Senator and current potential Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
How you may ask? Simple. The Republicans are beaten down and reeling under weight of scandals both sexual and financial. From Senator Larry Craig to our own Congressman Don Young, the Republican scandals are wounds that are gushing both money and support.
The one thing that will rally this scandal ridden organization is the opportunity to run against Hillary Clinton. They have prepared for battle against her since she first started her run for the New york Senate seat. They know they can beat her and that will bring them together like nothing else will. This is not mere conjecture on my part. This has been reported over and over again by journalists who get a peek into the backrooms at Republican gatherings.
So with Hilalry as the Democratic nominee the money will flow into the Republican coffers and EVERY Republican will find themselves with more money and support then they could possible manage to find at this time.
However if Obama wins the nomination everything changes. The Republicans are not ready to run against him. Even if they throw the Reverend Wright "scandal" into the mix it will do little to tip the scales in their favor.
That is why the Republicans nominated John McCain. They think he is literally their only hope of beating Obama. But they are not very confident of that at all.
And Barack's message of hope is exactly the kind of message that many Democrats running for various seats in their states can latch onto and use to raise up their own candidacy as well as link to a powerful politician and his inspiring message.
And it fits in very well with Mark Begich's platform as well. With Obama as our Presidential candidate Alaskan Democrats have a real chance to finally get a Democratic Senator after forty years of Republican domination.
I was an Obama supporter before Begich declared his candidacy. But now that he has I am going to put ALL of my energy toward helping both Barack and Mark get elected.
Remember WE are who we have been waiting for. And I, for one, am tired of waiting.
The skies opened and the world was covered in white.
Anchorage continues to dig out from a snowfall that set a record for the day and the month.The National Weather Service says 17.2 inches fell at its office just south of Anchorage's international airport and 22 inches fell in northeast Anchorage on Friday and Saturday.The heaviest snow fell between 3 and 6 p.m. Friday at a rate of almost two inches per hour.
The monthly total at the weather service office is now 29.7 inches, breaking a record from 1963 when 27.6 inches fell during April.
The 15.5 inches that fell Friday is the third-most for any one day in Anchorage. The record is the 25.7 inches that fell six years ago on March 17, 2002.
Holy shit! That was a butt load of snow!
That was the most snow I shoveled all year long. We lost our electricity twice and there were accidents and stuck cars all over town.
But the thing that I cannot get over is that this happened on April 25th and 26th. This supposed to be our spring!
I mean sure we always get a little last minute snow to remind us that we are in Alaska, but this was literally like going back in time to January or February.
Does anybody want to argue about climate change with an Alaskan? Because trust me we are ready with plenty of anecdotal evidence to make our case.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Here is the full interview of Reverend Wright by the amazing Bill Moyers.
Instead of just seeing the small edits that are used on Hardball and Fox News it will prove more informative if you watch the whole thing.
I am a firm believer in getting the whole story before reaching any conclusions.
So if you feel the same take some time to watch the REAL Reverend Wright.
I will not attempt to direct you to my way of thinking by making any comments ahead of time, but feel free to leave your own comments before you leave.
I am a firm believer in getting the whole story before reaching any conclusions.
So if you feel the same take some time to watch the REAL Reverend Wright.
I will not attempt to direct you to my way of thinking by making any comments ahead of time, but feel free to leave your own comments before you leave.
Why Barack Obama does not fight back when Hillary is attacking him.
“Sometimes you take some hits. Even during this campaign, I’ve been taking some hits.”
“One of the things that I learned in the school yard was: the folks that are talking tough all the time, they’re not always that tough. If you’re really tough, you’re not always looking to try to start a fight. If you’re really tough, sometimes you just walk away. If you’re really tough, you just save it for when you really need it,” Obama said.
“I’m not interested in fighting people just for the sake of scoring political points.” “If I’m going to fight somebody it’s going to be fighting over the American people and what they need.”
I could not have said this better myself.
As somebody who has studied Martial Arts, and taught them as well, teaching people the importance of when it is appropriate to use your skill is always a challenge.
Many, many years ago my Chinese Kung Fu teacher gave me a list of the rules of engagement. And they are as follows:
"It is better to walk away then to argue."
"It is better to argue then to injure."
"It is better to injure then to maim."
"It is better to maim then to kill."
"And it is better to kill then to allow innocents to die."
What Barack said seems to be in harmony with what my kindly sifu said so many years ago.
Yet another reason to respect and support his Presidency.
“One of the things that I learned in the school yard was: the folks that are talking tough all the time, they’re not always that tough. If you’re really tough, you’re not always looking to try to start a fight. If you’re really tough, sometimes you just walk away. If you’re really tough, you just save it for when you really need it,” Obama said.
“I’m not interested in fighting people just for the sake of scoring political points.” “If I’m going to fight somebody it’s going to be fighting over the American people and what they need.”
I could not have said this better myself.
As somebody who has studied Martial Arts, and taught them as well, teaching people the importance of when it is appropriate to use your skill is always a challenge.
Many, many years ago my Chinese Kung Fu teacher gave me a list of the rules of engagement. And they are as follows:
"It is better to walk away then to argue."
"It is better to argue then to injure."
"It is better to injure then to maim."
"It is better to maim then to kill."
"And it is better to kill then to allow innocents to die."
What Barack said seems to be in harmony with what my kindly sifu said so many years ago.
Yet another reason to respect and support his Presidency.
You may want to cancel that trip to New York. It may be closed due to injustice.
Hundreds of angry people marched through Harlem on Saturday after the Rev. Al Sharpton promised to "close this city down" to protest the acquittals of three police detectives in the 50-shot barrage that killed a groom on his wedding day and wounded two friends.
"We strategically know how to stop the city so people stand still and realize that you do not have the right to shoot down unarmed, innocent civilians," Sharpton told an overflow crowd of several hundred people at his National Action Network office in the historically black Manhattan neighborhood. "This city is going to deal with the blood of Sean Bell."
It is too bad that in this day and age there is still such injustice in how the law deals with cop on black violence.
I cannot imagine if this had been a young white unarmed male who had been shot to death on the eve of his wedding that the outcome would not have been dramatically different.
"We strategically know how to stop the city so people stand still and realize that you do not have the right to shoot down unarmed, innocent civilians," Sharpton told an overflow crowd of several hundred people at his National Action Network office in the historically black Manhattan neighborhood. "This city is going to deal with the blood of Sean Bell."
It is too bad that in this day and age there is still such injustice in how the law deals with cop on black violence.
I cannot imagine if this had been a young white unarmed male who had been shot to death on the eve of his wedding that the outcome would not have been dramatically different.
Friday, April 25, 2008
This was my favorite news story of the day.
A woman is accused of chasing her boyfriend with a knife after thinking he was an actor in a pornographic movie they were watching together.
The victim says it all started when he and his girlfriend were inside his southwest Albuquerque home watching a pornographic move at 10:30 Wednesday morning.
That’s when the victim called 911 saying his girlfriend, 20-year-old Amanda Moya, had a knife.
“She almost shanked me and everything. She put the (expletive) knife right under my throat," the victim told a 911 operator.
The victim, wearing only a pair of shorts took off down Five Points, begging the 911 dispatcher for help.
He said Moya had already stabbed him in the face and bitten him on his chest.
“She already has battery charges against her. She's not even supposed to be around me," the victim said.
The dispatcher told the victim to keep running and try to get inside a store.
The victim made it to a business parking lot at Bridge and Sunset with Moya still on his trail when he was able to flag down a deputy who was headed to the victim’s residence.
I laughed so hard when I heard this story that I could hardly stand up.
I just could not help visualizing this couple getting amorous while watching the film and then having the woman suddenly stop because she thinks her man is on screen doing the actress.
Talk about going from sixty to zero in a matter of seconds.
The victim says it all started when he and his girlfriend were inside his southwest Albuquerque home watching a pornographic move at 10:30 Wednesday morning.
That’s when the victim called 911 saying his girlfriend, 20-year-old Amanda Moya, had a knife.
“She almost shanked me and everything. She put the (expletive) knife right under my throat," the victim told a 911 operator.
The victim, wearing only a pair of shorts took off down Five Points, begging the 911 dispatcher for help.
He said Moya had already stabbed him in the face and bitten him on his chest.
“She already has battery charges against her. She's not even supposed to be around me," the victim said.
The dispatcher told the victim to keep running and try to get inside a store.
The victim made it to a business parking lot at Bridge and Sunset with Moya still on his trail when he was able to flag down a deputy who was headed to the victim’s residence.
I laughed so hard when I heard this story that I could hardly stand up.
I just could not help visualizing this couple getting amorous while watching the film and then having the woman suddenly stop because she thinks her man is on screen doing the actress.
Talk about going from sixty to zero in a matter of seconds.
Somehow, unlike the "Passion of the Christ", I don't think this film will be shown in any churches on Sunday mornings.
"Basic Instinct" director Paul Verhoeven will publish a revisionist biography of Jesus in September, following more than 20 years of research.
The Dutch filmmaker, who has had a lifelong ambition to make a film about Jesus based on scientific research, claims that Jesus' father was probably a Roman soldier who raped Mary during the Jewish uprising in Galilee. He also claims that Christ was not betrayed by Judas Iscariot.
Anybody who has done any research into the historical evidence about Jesus Christ knows very well that it in no way jives with the biblical account.
Personally I am fascinated with any evidence that either supports or refutes the belief about Jesus that is considered "factual" by the church.
However there is little doubt that the Christian community at large will be incensed and start protests and letter writing campaigns that will do nothing except create free publicity for this film and send many more ticket buyers rushing to see what the controversy is all about.
The Dutch filmmaker, who has had a lifelong ambition to make a film about Jesus based on scientific research, claims that Jesus' father was probably a Roman soldier who raped Mary during the Jewish uprising in Galilee. He also claims that Christ was not betrayed by Judas Iscariot.
Anybody who has done any research into the historical evidence about Jesus Christ knows very well that it in no way jives with the biblical account.
Personally I am fascinated with any evidence that either supports or refutes the belief about Jesus that is considered "factual" by the church.
However there is little doubt that the Christian community at large will be incensed and start protests and letter writing campaigns that will do nothing except create free publicity for this film and send many more ticket buyers rushing to see what the controversy is all about.
NO, NO, NO, NO!
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace says it's been 769 days since Sen. Barack Obama agreed to an interview that never materialized. But this Sunday, the wait is over. According to a Fox News release, Sen. Obama will be appearing on Wallace's "Fox News Sunday" this weekend.
Goddamn it! Why in the hell is Barack giving these jackals a chance to further damage his electability?
Doesn't he realize that FOX News is not a news show? They are a propaganda wing of the Republican party and they are working very hard to get Hillary to be the Democratic nominee.
If Obama thinks he can be honest and forthright and somehow win them over then he does not understand how this particular faux news station functions.
They are going to ambush him just like the ABC guys did in Philadelphia.
There is NO way that his helps Obama, but it certainly may hurt him further.
Goddamn it! Why in the hell is Barack giving these jackals a chance to further damage his electability?
Doesn't he realize that FOX News is not a news show? They are a propaganda wing of the Republican party and they are working very hard to get Hillary to be the Democratic nominee.
If Obama thinks he can be honest and forthright and somehow win them over then he does not understand how this particular faux news station functions.
They are going to ambush him just like the ABC guys did in Philadelphia.
There is NO way that his helps Obama, but it certainly may hurt him further.
This is another indication of why Hillary will not be our next President.
Representative James E. Clyburn, an undeclared superdelegate from South Carolina who is the Democratic whip in the House, said that “black people are incensed over all of this,” referring to statements that Mr. Clinton had made in the course of the heated race between his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Senator Barack Obama.
Mr. Clinton was widely criticized by black leaders after he equated the eventual victory of Mr. Obama in South Carolina in January to that of the Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1988 – a parallel that many took as an attempt to diminish Mr. Obama’s success in the campaign. In a radio interview in Philadelphia on Monday, Mr. Clinton defended his remarks and said the Obama campaign had “played the race card on me” by making an issue of those comments.
In an interview with The New York Times late Thursday, Mr. Clyburn said Mr. Clinton’s conduct in this campaign had caused what might be an irreparable breach between Mr. Clinton and an African-American constituency that once revered him. “When he was going through his impeachment problems, it was the black community that bellied up to the bar,” Mr. Clyburn said. “I think black folks feel strongly that that this is a strange way for President Clinton to show his appreciation.”
Mr. Clyburn added that there appeared to be an almost “unanimous” view among African-Americans that Mr. and Mrs. Clinton were “committed to doing everything they possibly can to damage Obama to a point that he could never win.”
Democrats do not get elected to the White House without African American support. Period!
The Clinton's have made a very bad strategic mistake that could tear the party apart not to mention the country.
I am right now watching MSNBC cover the Sean Bell trial that just found the three officers who fired over fifty bullets at the young man not guilty. There is a very angry crowd and they obviously feel that there has been some great injustice done. Imagine that reaction amplified to the hundredth degree.
In example after example the black community sees that the rules that are supposed to make this country fair for ALL Americans seems to make it much more fair for white Americans.
If they see the candidate that they have given their hearts to cheated out of this nomination I can see an incredible migration of black voters away from the democratic process.
This is not like the female vote. Women may feel disenfranchised to some degree but in relation to African Americans there really is no comparison.
And the real point is that all Obama supporters are asking is that the rules be followed. Let the delegate numbers determine the candidate, keep Florida and Michigan out of the equation since they broke the rules, and keep the Clinton's from trying to damage Obama's chances against John McCain out of spite.
My twenty year old daughter compares Hillary's tactics to the ones utilized by Commodus from the movie Gladiator. When about to enter the Colosseum to fight his nemesis Maximus, Commodus stabbed him in a vital region so that as he appeared to fight him in a "fair" fight he knew that he had cheated to ensure his victory.
My daughter would like to point out that Maximus emerged the victor despite the scurrilous actions of Commodus.
Mr. Clinton was widely criticized by black leaders after he equated the eventual victory of Mr. Obama in South Carolina in January to that of the Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1988 – a parallel that many took as an attempt to diminish Mr. Obama’s success in the campaign. In a radio interview in Philadelphia on Monday, Mr. Clinton defended his remarks and said the Obama campaign had “played the race card on me” by making an issue of those comments.
In an interview with The New York Times late Thursday, Mr. Clyburn said Mr. Clinton’s conduct in this campaign had caused what might be an irreparable breach between Mr. Clinton and an African-American constituency that once revered him. “When he was going through his impeachment problems, it was the black community that bellied up to the bar,” Mr. Clyburn said. “I think black folks feel strongly that that this is a strange way for President Clinton to show his appreciation.”
Mr. Clyburn added that there appeared to be an almost “unanimous” view among African-Americans that Mr. and Mrs. Clinton were “committed to doing everything they possibly can to damage Obama to a point that he could never win.”
Democrats do not get elected to the White House without African American support. Period!
The Clinton's have made a very bad strategic mistake that could tear the party apart not to mention the country.
I am right now watching MSNBC cover the Sean Bell trial that just found the three officers who fired over fifty bullets at the young man not guilty. There is a very angry crowd and they obviously feel that there has been some great injustice done. Imagine that reaction amplified to the hundredth degree.
In example after example the black community sees that the rules that are supposed to make this country fair for ALL Americans seems to make it much more fair for white Americans.
If they see the candidate that they have given their hearts to cheated out of this nomination I can see an incredible migration of black voters away from the democratic process.
This is not like the female vote. Women may feel disenfranchised to some degree but in relation to African Americans there really is no comparison.
And the real point is that all Obama supporters are asking is that the rules be followed. Let the delegate numbers determine the candidate, keep Florida and Michigan out of the equation since they broke the rules, and keep the Clinton's from trying to damage Obama's chances against John McCain out of spite.
My twenty year old daughter compares Hillary's tactics to the ones utilized by Commodus from the movie Gladiator. When about to enter the Colosseum to fight his nemesis Maximus, Commodus stabbed him in a vital region so that as he appeared to fight him in a "fair" fight he knew that he had cheated to ensure his victory.
My daughter would like to point out that Maximus emerged the victor despite the scurrilous actions of Commodus.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
ONLY Helen Thomas has the balls to ask the White House Press Secretary why the President condones torture.
THOMAS: The president has said […] we do not torture. Now he has admitted that he did sign off on torture, he did know about it. So how do you reconcile this credibility gap? […]
PERINO: The United States has not, is not torturing any detainees in the global war on terror. And General Hayden, amongst others, have spoken on Capitol Hill fully in this regard. […] And you can go back through all the public record.
The rest of the White House Press Corps are a bunch of fucking pansy asses!
This little old woman is left to do the heavy lifting of true hard hitting journalism all by herself.
That is down right criminal!
Are they afraid that Bush won't invite them to his next Texas barbecue if they actually do their jobs?
Tomorrow this pack of phonies should hand in their press passes and let them be given to REAL reporters.
PERINO: The United States has not, is not torturing any detainees in the global war on terror. And General Hayden, amongst others, have spoken on Capitol Hill fully in this regard. […] And you can go back through all the public record.
The rest of the White House Press Corps are a bunch of fucking pansy asses!
This little old woman is left to do the heavy lifting of true hard hitting journalism all by herself.
That is down right criminal!
Are they afraid that Bush won't invite them to his next Texas barbecue if they actually do their jobs?
Tomorrow this pack of phonies should hand in their press passes and let them be given to REAL reporters.
Did Hillary's Philadelphia victory only earn her one delegate?
I have no idea if this is accurate or not.
I was under the impression that she won ten delegates.
Which is also not terribly impressive.
I was under the impression that she won ten delegates.
Which is also not terribly impressive.
Colbert compares Hillary's election strategy to Iraq war strategy.
I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that both Stewart and Colbert favor a certain Mr. Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee.
ACLU tells Bush to stop making everything a secret.
The American Civil Liberties Union is pressing the Senate to rebuke the Bush administration's over-eager invocation of its state secrets privilege to block all manner of judicial oversight of its most controversial programs, including extraordinary rendition and warrantless wiretapping.
The Bush administration uses the argument that they are keeping us safe from terrorists by making these things secret.
Bullshit! They are only concerned with keeping themselves safe.
They know they have broken the rules and that if anybody ever finds out all that they have done they may face impeachment or imprisonment.
So I applaud the ACLU's efforts to expose this criminal regime and allow the bright light of scrutiny to reveal their many crimes.
The Bush administration uses the argument that they are keeping us safe from terrorists by making these things secret.
Bullshit! They are only concerned with keeping themselves safe.
They know they have broken the rules and that if anybody ever finds out all that they have done they may face impeachment or imprisonment.
So I applaud the ACLU's efforts to expose this criminal regime and allow the bright light of scrutiny to reveal their many crimes.
My adventures in the land of ovaries.
Okay so the other day I was thinking to myself, "I wonder how people are still able to support Hillary after all that we have learned about her?"
It was very similar to a thought I had about two years ago which was "I wonder if I could start a civil conversation with blogs that still support Bush?"
Two years ago I did indeed visit a blog that was still supporting George Bush called Tim Blair, a website based in Australia. We had a very interesting exchange of ideas and then we essentially gave up on each other.
So I thought I would try this again with some blogs that support Hillary. I mean surely we could not be as far apart in our opinions as I had been with Tim Blair and friends.
I often wonder how I can still be so naive at my age.
So I went over and asked if the things that bothered me about Hillary was making any of them second guess their support. I mentioned her use of Rovian political tactics, her lack of charisma, that much of her popularity was reflected from her husbands popularity, and talked about her creepy-ass laugh. I thought that would open a dialogue where we could logically discuss the pro and cons of both candidates and then I could convince them of the error of their ways with my superior grasp of the facts. (Okay I may have come off as a little condescending.)
But what greeted my comments was completely unexpected and left little room for compromise or discussion. They took my comments as anti-feminist and anti-woman. WTF?
I am a guy who held a sign supporting ERA in the seventies. Most of the jobs I have had have been in workplaces that were predominantly female, elementary schools, child care centers, summer camps etc.. I have never treated any woman as an object even when I worked as a bouncer in a strip club. (It is a long story but I was desperate for a job.)
One woman went so far as to say that her ovaries were screaming at me.
I did not even know that was possible!
A few addressed my points, but dismissed them as wrong headed or simply my opinions, others just went for the jugular and even made a point that my referring to her as simply "Hillary" was a sign of disrespect. I explained that I used her first name because "Clinton" would make many people think of Bill.
What I learned was that for many Hillary supporters this is less about qualifications and more about gender. They desperately want to have a female in control of this country. And they will ignore or forgive a vast amount of negative information to ensure that outcome. And not even serious doubts raised by no less a respected a source then the Brad Blog about possible voting machine fraud will sway these ardent supporters. In that way they seem much too similar to the Bush supporters that I tried to dialogue with two years ago.
I imagine that there may be Barack Obama sites that will support him no matter what they learn, simply because he is black. I mean with all of the websites out there that MUST be the case. But I would argue with them that his ethnicity is not the reason that he should be President, but it also should not be the reason he could NOT be President.
And that is what I would argue to the Hillary supporters. I would LOVE to see a woman as our President. Just not THIS woman!
But the Hillary supporters are very entrenched. There will be no compromise until one of these popular candidates is forced out. And even then if it is Hillary Clinton I think we will have a lot of trouble mending some of these ideological fences.
It was very similar to a thought I had about two years ago which was "I wonder if I could start a civil conversation with blogs that still support Bush?"
Two years ago I did indeed visit a blog that was still supporting George Bush called Tim Blair, a website based in Australia. We had a very interesting exchange of ideas and then we essentially gave up on each other.
So I thought I would try this again with some blogs that support Hillary. I mean surely we could not be as far apart in our opinions as I had been with Tim Blair and friends.
I often wonder how I can still be so naive at my age.
So I went over and asked if the things that bothered me about Hillary was making any of them second guess their support. I mentioned her use of Rovian political tactics, her lack of charisma, that much of her popularity was reflected from her husbands popularity, and talked about her creepy-ass laugh. I thought that would open a dialogue where we could logically discuss the pro and cons of both candidates and then I could convince them of the error of their ways with my superior grasp of the facts. (Okay I may have come off as a little condescending.)
But what greeted my comments was completely unexpected and left little room for compromise or discussion. They took my comments as anti-feminist and anti-woman. WTF?
I am a guy who held a sign supporting ERA in the seventies. Most of the jobs I have had have been in workplaces that were predominantly female, elementary schools, child care centers, summer camps etc.. I have never treated any woman as an object even when I worked as a bouncer in a strip club. (It is a long story but I was desperate for a job.)
One woman went so far as to say that her ovaries were screaming at me.
I did not even know that was possible!
A few addressed my points, but dismissed them as wrong headed or simply my opinions, others just went for the jugular and even made a point that my referring to her as simply "Hillary" was a sign of disrespect. I explained that I used her first name because "Clinton" would make many people think of Bill.
What I learned was that for many Hillary supporters this is less about qualifications and more about gender. They desperately want to have a female in control of this country. And they will ignore or forgive a vast amount of negative information to ensure that outcome. And not even serious doubts raised by no less a respected a source then the Brad Blog about possible voting machine fraud will sway these ardent supporters. In that way they seem much too similar to the Bush supporters that I tried to dialogue with two years ago.
I imagine that there may be Barack Obama sites that will support him no matter what they learn, simply because he is black. I mean with all of the websites out there that MUST be the case. But I would argue with them that his ethnicity is not the reason that he should be President, but it also should not be the reason he could NOT be President.
And that is what I would argue to the Hillary supporters. I would LOVE to see a woman as our President. Just not THIS woman!
But the Hillary supporters are very entrenched. There will be no compromise until one of these popular candidates is forced out. And even then if it is Hillary Clinton I think we will have a lot of trouble mending some of these ideological fences.
The Daily Show takes on Hillary's disdain for the voters.
Once again a great job of driving home the point that so many others seem to be missing. Hillary does not care about ANYTHING except winning.
"So Hillary would have already won the nomination if Democrats were Republicans."
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Bush appoints butt monkey General Petraeus to Centcom to replace retiring Admiral Fallon who discovered that he had integrity.
Reaffirming his status as his generation's most respected general officer, David H. Petraeus was nominated today to head U.S. Central Command (Centcom), the command responsible for all U.S. military operations in the Middle East. The move puts the U.S. military's premier advocate, theorist and practitioner of counterinsurgency operations -- once shunned by a Vietnam-stung military -- at the helm of the military's most important regional command.
Petraeus has shown that there is no task that George Bush can ask him that is too unethical for this man to take on.
Lie about our progress in Iraq? Done.
Lie about Iran's involvement in insurgent attacks? Done.
Take over Centcom so that we can finally invade Iran? Done, done, done.
The interview that I want to read is the one form ex-Centcom commander Admiral fallon. Now that should be a very enlightening piece of journalism.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
If Hillary thinks this is a win she is sadly mistaken. This is a tie!
Clinton's 54% to Obama's amazing 46% shows just how strong Barack's candidacy has become.
The Reverend Wright kerfuffle does no damage.
The misrepresentation of his remarks about religion and guns has no effect.
The "Rezko scandal" makes nary a ripple in his popularity.
Pennsylvania was supposed to be Obama's Waterloo. Hillary was going to crush him by 20 points.
Obama remains "uncrushed". Obama remains unflappable. Obama remains firmly in the lead.
This was a tie. Hillary will get a small smattering of additional delegates and it will change nothing!
If this has to be called as a victory for anybody then it must be called as a victory for Obama.
He rose above the expectations to show that he is the real thing.
Nothing will stop his nomination. And nothing will stop him from becoming the next President of the United States.
Update: The numbers are now Clinton 55% to Obama's 45%. I still do not consider this a Hillary victory. Not a decisive one at least.
The Reverend Wright kerfuffle does no damage.
The misrepresentation of his remarks about religion and guns has no effect.
The "Rezko scandal" makes nary a ripple in his popularity.
Pennsylvania was supposed to be Obama's Waterloo. Hillary was going to crush him by 20 points.
Obama remains "uncrushed". Obama remains unflappable. Obama remains firmly in the lead.
This was a tie. Hillary will get a small smattering of additional delegates and it will change nothing!
If this has to be called as a victory for anybody then it must be called as a victory for Obama.
He rose above the expectations to show that he is the real thing.
Nothing will stop his nomination. And nothing will stop him from becoming the next President of the United States.
Update: The numbers are now Clinton 55% to Obama's 45%. I still do not consider this a Hillary victory. Not a decisive one at least.
The good news: Prisons will soon be less overcrowded. The bad news: Because the military is allowing more criminals to enlist. This cannot end well.
Under pressure to meet combat needs, the Army and Marine Corps brought in significantly more recruits with felony convictions last year than in 2006, including some with manslaughter and sex crime convictions.
Data released by a congressional committee shows the number of soldiers admitted to the Army with felony records jumped from 249 in 2006 to 511 in 2007. And the number of Marines with felonies rose from 208 to 350.
Those numbers represent a fraction of the more than 180,000 recruits brought in by the active duty Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007.
But they highlight a trend that has raised concerns both within the military and on Capitol Hill.
The bulk of the crimes involved were burglaries, other thefts, and drug offenses, but nine involved sex crimes and six involved manslaughter or vehicular homicide convictions. Several dozen Army and Marine recruits had aggravated assault or robbery convictions, including incidents involving weapons.
So the military are going to take men with a documented problem with authority and following rules and place them in an environment filled with multiple stressers and easy access to large caliber weapons.
It does not exactly take a Nostradamus to see the future on this one now does it?
Data released by a congressional committee shows the number of soldiers admitted to the Army with felony records jumped from 249 in 2006 to 511 in 2007. And the number of Marines with felonies rose from 208 to 350.
Those numbers represent a fraction of the more than 180,000 recruits brought in by the active duty Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007.
But they highlight a trend that has raised concerns both within the military and on Capitol Hill.
The bulk of the crimes involved were burglaries, other thefts, and drug offenses, but nine involved sex crimes and six involved manslaughter or vehicular homicide convictions. Several dozen Army and Marine recruits had aggravated assault or robbery convictions, including incidents involving weapons.
So the military are going to take men with a documented problem with authority and following rules and place them in an environment filled with multiple stressers and easy access to large caliber weapons.
It does not exactly take a Nostradamus to see the future on this one now does it?
Richard Dawkins open letter to those who fall victim to the propaganda in the movie "Expelled".
I have not seen this movie though I will probably add it to my Netflix queue when it comes out on DVD just to satisfy my morbid curiosity. But I have certainly heard some heated debates about the film that is for sure.
Pennsylvania is in the spotlight today.
Senator Clinton appears on track to defeat Senator Obama in today's must-win Democratic nominating primary in Pennsylvania.
A double-digit win today would give her fresh momentum, while a slim margin could allow her to stay in the battle to fight another day.
But regardless of a victory, Senator Clinton will remain White House race underdog, trailing Senator Obama in the number of elected delegates and nominating contests won.
If she loses, she would face intense pressure to bow out.
I have already heard MSNBC report that there are some voting machine problems in African American voting areas.
I have no doubt that Hillary will use every trick available, whether fair or unfair, to win this primary.
Pay close attention my friends, this is our future we are talking about.
A double-digit win today would give her fresh momentum, while a slim margin could allow her to stay in the battle to fight another day.
But regardless of a victory, Senator Clinton will remain White House race underdog, trailing Senator Obama in the number of elected delegates and nominating contests won.
If she loses, she would face intense pressure to bow out.
I have already heard MSNBC report that there are some voting machine problems in African American voting areas.
I have no doubt that Hillary will use every trick available, whether fair or unfair, to win this primary.
Pay close attention my friends, this is our future we are talking about.
Barack Obama visits Jon Stewart at the Daily Show last night.
Obama was great last night.
And one thing I could not help noticing, and my daughter noticed it as well, is that Obama's smile seems natural and effortless which is so unlike Hillary's forced grimace.
I mean what the hell was she laughing at on Countdown the other day?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Chart that shows the acceptance of Evolution around the world
Do you see it? Do you see where America is on this list?
This is all Bush's fault!
Our Governor's new baby has Down Syndrome.
Palin and her husband, Todd, showed the baby, Trig Paxson Van Palin, to a few reporters and talked about the sooner-than-expected delivery.
Trig arrived about a month early and has Down syndrome, the governor confirmed. Testing during early pregnancy revealed the condition. Palin said she was sad at first but they now feel blessed that God chose them. The couple has lots of family support, she said.
All partisan political differences are now placed on the back burner.
I feel nothing but total empathy for Governor Sarah and her family.
I have worked with children who have Down Syndrome and I am well aware of the type of challenges that she and her husband face. I am certain they are up to the task, and if I may say from all appearances Trig Van Palin has a very loving family.
Trig arrived about a month early and has Down syndrome, the governor confirmed. Testing during early pregnancy revealed the condition. Palin said she was sad at first but they now feel blessed that God chose them. The couple has lots of family support, she said.
All partisan political differences are now placed on the back burner.
I feel nothing but total empathy for Governor Sarah and her family.
I have worked with children who have Down Syndrome and I am well aware of the type of challenges that she and her husband face. I am certain they are up to the task, and if I may say from all appearances Trig Van Palin has a very loving family.
Keith is interviewing Hillary!
And he is really sticking it to her!
She is creeping me out!
Why the hell does she keep laughing?
Keith is asking her very good questions and she is either lying or avoiding all of them.
Here is the ad that Keith confronted Hillary about:
Whose campaign does this remind you of?
Update: Title now links to full video of Hillary's interview with Keith. Just try not to be creeped out. I dare you.
She is creeping me out!
Why the hell does she keep laughing?
Keith is asking her very good questions and she is either lying or avoiding all of them.
Here is the ad that Keith confronted Hillary about:
Whose campaign does this remind you of?
Update: Title now links to full video of Hillary's interview with Keith. Just try not to be creeped out. I dare you.
Mark Begich takes on Ted Stevens. Get ready to Ruuumbllle!!!
Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich formally declared his candidacy today for the U.S. Senate seat held by Ted Stevens since 1968.
Mark comes from a famous Alaskan political family. He is the son of Nick Begich, who was representing the state in the House when his plane disappeared over the Gulf of Alaska in October 1972.
Mark has been a good mayor and will undoubtedly be the first real challenge that Uncle Ted has faced in his 40 years as Senator. As a matter of fact I am predicting that Begich will win this thing and I plan to help him do it.
For more information about Mark and his candidacy go to this website. (I will also be adding it to my blogroll. I kind of have to since they put me on theirs.)
Mark comes from a famous Alaskan political family. He is the son of Nick Begich, who was representing the state in the House when his plane disappeared over the Gulf of Alaska in October 1972.
Mark has been a good mayor and will undoubtedly be the first real challenge that Uncle Ted has faced in his 40 years as Senator. As a matter of fact I am predicting that Begich will win this thing and I plan to help him do it.
For more information about Mark and his candidacy go to this website. (I will also be adding it to my blogroll. I kind of have to since they put me on theirs.)
Clinton campaign in the red as Obama brings in the big bucks.
Barack Obama raised $41 million in March and had $42 million available to spend against debt-ridden Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton in April, campaign finance reports filed Sunday show.
Clinton reported raising $20 million in March and had $9 million for the primary available at the beginning of April. But she also reported debts of $10.3 million, putting her in the red.
Overall, Obama had $51 million in the bank at the end of March, with nearly $9 million of that available only for the general election.
Wasn't it Deep Throat, from the Watergate conspiracy, who first said "follow the money"?
It seems fairly obvious that people are giving money to the candidate that they have the most faith in to win the Presidency.
We have to remember that the Clinton's have spent almost a decade putting their machine in place and getting their money ready for this nomination process. For an upstart like Obama to be able to come along and out earn her at every turn is miraculous. And it shows just how well his message is resonating with the voter.
Clinton reported raising $20 million in March and had $9 million for the primary available at the beginning of April. But she also reported debts of $10.3 million, putting her in the red.
Overall, Obama had $51 million in the bank at the end of March, with nearly $9 million of that available only for the general election.
Wasn't it Deep Throat, from the Watergate conspiracy, who first said "follow the money"?
It seems fairly obvious that people are giving money to the candidate that they have the most faith in to win the Presidency.
We have to remember that the Clinton's have spent almost a decade putting their machine in place and getting their money ready for this nomination process. For an upstart like Obama to be able to come along and out earn her at every turn is miraculous. And it shows just how well his message is resonating with the voter.
Condoleeza Rice decides to go all "Rambo" on Muqtada al-Sadr.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice mocked anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr as a coward on Sunday, hours after the radical leader threatened to declare war unless U.S. and Iraqi forces end a military crackdown on his followers. ::
"I know he's sitting in Iran," Rice said dismissively, when asked about al-Sadr's latest threat to lift a self-imposed cease-fire with government and U.S. forces. "I guess it's all-out war for anybody but him," Rice said. "I guess that's the message; his followers can go to their deaths and he's in Iran."
I hate to point this out Condi but are you strapping on a bulletproof vest and joining the front line? No? Well then aren't you also picking a fight that you have no intention of being a part of?
Hasn't the Bush administration learned not to antagonize people who are capable of killing our American troops? Or is this Condi's audition for Vice President? Is she hoping that John McCain will admire her moxie and ask her to join him in his doomed run for President?
I think it should be obvious that if al-Sadr takes her up on her challenge and Iraq erupts in violence that does not exactly help the McCain campaign. Americans are already beyond tired of this debacle, if the number of American casualties increases you can bet your ass that the number of us who want the troops home is going to skyrocket.
"I know he's sitting in Iran," Rice said dismissively, when asked about al-Sadr's latest threat to lift a self-imposed cease-fire with government and U.S. forces. "I guess it's all-out war for anybody but him," Rice said. "I guess that's the message; his followers can go to their deaths and he's in Iran."
I hate to point this out Condi but are you strapping on a bulletproof vest and joining the front line? No? Well then aren't you also picking a fight that you have no intention of being a part of?
Hasn't the Bush administration learned not to antagonize people who are capable of killing our American troops? Or is this Condi's audition for Vice President? Is she hoping that John McCain will admire her moxie and ask her to join him in his doomed run for President?
I think it should be obvious that if al-Sadr takes her up on her challenge and Iraq erupts in violence that does not exactly help the McCain campaign. Americans are already beyond tired of this debacle, if the number of American casualties increases you can bet your ass that the number of us who want the troops home is going to skyrocket.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
People are finally starting to come around to my way of thinking.
A poll by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation uncovered a widespread belief that faith - not just in its extreme form - was intolerant, irrational and used to justify persecution.
Pollsters asked 3,500 people what they considered to be the worst blights on modern society, updating a list drawn up by Rowntree, a Quaker, 104 years ago.
The responses may well have dismayed him. The researchers found that the “dominant opinion” was that religion was a “social evil”.
Many participants said religion divided society, fuelled intolerance and spawned “irrational” educational and other policies.
One said: “Faith in supernatural phenomena inspires hatred and prejudice throughout the world, and is commonly used as justification for persecution of women, gays and people who do not have faith.”
I am just so happy that I don't know what to say.
Pollsters asked 3,500 people what they considered to be the worst blights on modern society, updating a list drawn up by Rowntree, a Quaker, 104 years ago.
The responses may well have dismayed him. The researchers found that the “dominant opinion” was that religion was a “social evil”.
Many participants said religion divided society, fuelled intolerance and spawned “irrational” educational and other policies.
One said: “Faith in supernatural phenomena inspires hatred and prejudice throughout the world, and is commonly used as justification for persecution of women, gays and people who do not have faith.”
I am just so happy that I don't know what to say.
According to this video Hillary can still win the nomination.
And here I thought she had no chance at all.
I guess that will teach me to be so cocky.
Russian paper folds after printing Putin "rumor".
A Moscow newspaper reporting rumours that President Vladimir Putin had secretly divorced and was planning to marry a 24-year-old gymnast has suspended publication.
The publishers insisted the suspension was a purely commercial decision. But Russian journalism experts warned it showed the extent to which the media had been cowed by the Kremlin.
Moskovsky Korrespondent, a small-circulation tabloid, reported in its April 12 edition that Mr Putin had divorced his wife of 24 years, Ludmila, and was set to marry Alina Kabaeva, an Olympic gold medallist.
Mr Putin said: “I have always reacted negatively to those who, with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies, meddle in other people’s lives.”
Although the paper had published an apology on Thursday, within hours of Mr Putin’s press conference its editor resigned and the publisher halted publication.
Artyom Artyomov, general director of National Media Company, the paper’s publisher, told the Financial Times this weekend the decision was not political.
“There was no pressure [from the authorities] at all,” he said. “I have suspended publication of the newspaper, but because of financial circumstances. It is quite possible that the newspaper will start publishing again but in a new format and with a new editor.”
Let's see if I have this right: The story was a fabrication and the paper folded right after Putin condemned the story but the reason was not politically motivated.
So since this is Russia we know the following: The story was TRUE and the paper was forced to fold for political reasons.
Now the question is if Putin does marry this young gymnast which Russian newspaper will be brave enough to report that news to the rest of the world?
The publishers insisted the suspension was a purely commercial decision. But Russian journalism experts warned it showed the extent to which the media had been cowed by the Kremlin.
Moskovsky Korrespondent, a small-circulation tabloid, reported in its April 12 edition that Mr Putin had divorced his wife of 24 years, Ludmila, and was set to marry Alina Kabaeva, an Olympic gold medallist.
Mr Putin said: “I have always reacted negatively to those who, with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies, meddle in other people’s lives.”
Although the paper had published an apology on Thursday, within hours of Mr Putin’s press conference its editor resigned and the publisher halted publication.
Artyom Artyomov, general director of National Media Company, the paper’s publisher, told the Financial Times this weekend the decision was not political.
“There was no pressure [from the authorities] at all,” he said. “I have suspended publication of the newspaper, but because of financial circumstances. It is quite possible that the newspaper will start publishing again but in a new format and with a new editor.”
Let's see if I have this right: The story was a fabrication and the paper folded right after Putin condemned the story but the reason was not politically motivated.
So since this is Russia we know the following: The story was TRUE and the paper was forced to fold for political reasons.
Now the question is if Putin does marry this young gymnast which Russian newspaper will be brave enough to report that news to the rest of the world?
Another day, another change in the polling data.
The peeling away of national Democratic support for Barack Obama seen this past week may have run its course. After trailing Hillary Clinton by one percentage point in Saturday's Gallup Poll Daily tracking report, Obama now leads Clinton by two points, 47% to 45%.
Today's results are based on Gallup Poll Daily tracking conducted Thursday through Saturday, April 17-19, 2008.
Well this is much more like it.
I was very displeased to see Hillary ahead of Obama by one point on Saturday and do not want to see anything like that again.
And if Barack wants my advice he needs to avoid those ambush style debates in the future and focus on getting his message out and letting the people get to know him.
Remember the more the voters know about Obama the more they like him, while the more they know about Hillary the less they like her.
Today's results are based on Gallup Poll Daily tracking conducted Thursday through Saturday, April 17-19, 2008.
Well this is much more like it.
I was very displeased to see Hillary ahead of Obama by one point on Saturday and do not want to see anything like that again.
And if Barack wants my advice he needs to avoid those ambush style debates in the future and focus on getting his message out and letting the people get to know him.
Remember the more the voters know about Obama the more they like him, while the more they know about Hillary the less they like her.
And here I thought CNN was boring.
CNN personality Richard Quest was busted in Central Park early yesterday with some drugs in his pocket, a rope around his neck that was tied to his genitals, and a sex toy in his boot, law-enforcement sources said.Let's see those FOX News guys out sleaze this!
I have always thought that Quest was on some kind of drug because the guy's energy level is that of a four year old boy hopped up on pixie sticks and Jolt cola.
Sadly this does not make me more inclined to watch CNN.
Now if they had caught Zain Verjee in some kinky outfit in the park I would instantly become a loyal viewer. Do you hear that CNN?
Saturday, April 19, 2008
40 journalists write letter to ABC about their tabloid style debate.
We the undersigned deplore the conduct of ABC's George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson at the Democratic presidential debate on April 16. The debate was a revolting descent into tabloid journalism and a gross disservice to Americans concerned about the great issues facing the nation and the world. This is not the first Democratic or Republican presidential debate to emphasize gotcha questions over real discussion. However, it is, so far, the worst.
For 53 minutes, we heard no question about public policy from either moderator. ABC seemed less interested in provoking serious discussion than in trying to generate cheap-shot sound bites for later rebroadcast. The questions asked by Mr. Stephanopoulos and Mr. Gibson were a disgrace, and the subsequent attempts to justify them by claiming that they reflect citizens' interest are an insult to the intelligence of those citizens and ABC's viewers. Many thousands of those viewers have already written to ABC to express their outrage.
The moderators' occasional later forays into substance were nearly as bad. Mr. Gibson's claim that the government can raise revenues by cutting capital gains tax is grossly at odds with what taxation experts believe. Both candidates tried, repeatedly, to bring debate back to the real problems faced by ordinary Americans. Neither moderator allowed them to do this.
We're at a crucial moment in our country's history, facing war, a terrorism threat, recession, and a range of big domestic challenges. Large majorities of our fellow Americans tell pollsters they're deeply worried about the country's direction. In such a context, journalists moderating a debate—who are, after all, entrusted with free public airwaves—have a particular responsibility to push and engage the candidates in serious debate about these matters.
Tough, probing questions on these issues clearly serve the public interest. Demands that candidates make pledges about a future no one can predict or excessive emphasis on tangential "character" issues do not. This applies to candidates of both parties.
Neither Mr. Gibson nor Mr. Stephanopoulos lived up to these responsibilities. In the words of Tom Shales of the Washington Post, Mr. Gibson and Mr. Stephanopoulos turned in "shoddy, despicable performances." As Greg Mitchell of Editor and Publisher describes it, the debate was a "travesty." We hope that the public uproar over ABC's miserable showing will encourage a return to serious journalism in debates between the Democratic and Republican nominees this fall. Anything less would be a betrayal of the basic responsibilities that journalists owe to their public.
Spencer Ackerman, The Washington Independent
Eric Alterman, City University of New York
Dean Baker, The American Prospect Online
Steven Benen, The Carpetbagger Report
Julie Bergman Sender, Balcony Films
Ari Berman, The Nation
Brian Beutler, The Media Consortium
Michael Bérubé, Crooked Timber, Penn. State University
Joel Bleifuss, In These Times
Sam Boyd, The American Prospect
Lakshmi Chaudry, In These Times
Michael Cohen, The New America Foundation
Lark Corbeil, Public News Service
Brad DeLong, Brad DeLong's Semi-Daily Journal and UC Berkeley
Adam Doster, In These Times
Kevin Drum, The Washington Monthly
Gerald Dworkin, UC Davis
Henry Farrell, Crooked Timber,George Washington University
James Galbraith, University of Texas at Austin
Todd Gitlin, Columbia University, TPM Cafe
Merrill Goozner (formerly Chicago Tribune)
Ilan Goldenberg, The National Security Network
Arthur Goldhammer, Harvard University
Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films
Chris Hayes, The Nation
Don Hazen, Alternet
Michael Kazin, Georgetown University
Ed Kilgore, The Democratic Strategist
Charlie Kireker, Air America Media
Richard Kim, The Nation
Ezra Klein, The American Prospect
Mark Kleiman, The Reality Based Community, UCLA
Scott McLemee, Inside Higher Ed
Ari Melber, The Nation
Rick Perlstein, Campaign for America's Future
Katha Pollit, The Nation
David Roberts, Grist
Thomas Schaller, Columnist, The Baltimore Sun
Adele Stan, The Media Consortium
Jonathan Stein, Mother Jones Magazine
Rinku Sen, ColorLines Magazine
Matthew Shugart, UC San Diego
Mark Thoma, The Economist's View
Michael Tomasky, The Guardian
Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks
Tracy Van Slyke, The Media Consortium
Kai Wright, The Root
Matthew Yglesias, The Atlantic Monthly
For 53 minutes, we heard no question about public policy from either moderator. ABC seemed less interested in provoking serious discussion than in trying to generate cheap-shot sound bites for later rebroadcast. The questions asked by Mr. Stephanopoulos and Mr. Gibson were a disgrace, and the subsequent attempts to justify them by claiming that they reflect citizens' interest are an insult to the intelligence of those citizens and ABC's viewers. Many thousands of those viewers have already written to ABC to express their outrage.
The moderators' occasional later forays into substance were nearly as bad. Mr. Gibson's claim that the government can raise revenues by cutting capital gains tax is grossly at odds with what taxation experts believe. Both candidates tried, repeatedly, to bring debate back to the real problems faced by ordinary Americans. Neither moderator allowed them to do this.
We're at a crucial moment in our country's history, facing war, a terrorism threat, recession, and a range of big domestic challenges. Large majorities of our fellow Americans tell pollsters they're deeply worried about the country's direction. In such a context, journalists moderating a debate—who are, after all, entrusted with free public airwaves—have a particular responsibility to push and engage the candidates in serious debate about these matters.
Tough, probing questions on these issues clearly serve the public interest. Demands that candidates make pledges about a future no one can predict or excessive emphasis on tangential "character" issues do not. This applies to candidates of both parties.
Neither Mr. Gibson nor Mr. Stephanopoulos lived up to these responsibilities. In the words of Tom Shales of the Washington Post, Mr. Gibson and Mr. Stephanopoulos turned in "shoddy, despicable performances." As Greg Mitchell of Editor and Publisher describes it, the debate was a "travesty." We hope that the public uproar over ABC's miserable showing will encourage a return to serious journalism in debates between the Democratic and Republican nominees this fall. Anything less would be a betrayal of the basic responsibilities that journalists owe to their public.
Spencer Ackerman, The Washington Independent
Eric Alterman, City University of New York
Dean Baker, The American Prospect Online
Steven Benen, The Carpetbagger Report
Julie Bergman Sender, Balcony Films
Ari Berman, The Nation
Brian Beutler, The Media Consortium
Michael Bérubé, Crooked Timber, Penn. State University
Joel Bleifuss, In These Times
Sam Boyd, The American Prospect
Lakshmi Chaudry, In These Times
Michael Cohen, The New America Foundation
Lark Corbeil, Public News Service
Brad DeLong, Brad DeLong's Semi-Daily Journal and UC Berkeley
Adam Doster, In These Times
Kevin Drum, The Washington Monthly
Gerald Dworkin, UC Davis
Henry Farrell, Crooked Timber,George Washington University
James Galbraith, University of Texas at Austin
Todd Gitlin, Columbia University, TPM Cafe
Merrill Goozner (formerly Chicago Tribune)
Ilan Goldenberg, The National Security Network
Arthur Goldhammer, Harvard University
Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films
Chris Hayes, The Nation
Don Hazen, Alternet
Michael Kazin, Georgetown University
Ed Kilgore, The Democratic Strategist
Charlie Kireker, Air America Media
Richard Kim, The Nation
Ezra Klein, The American Prospect
Mark Kleiman, The Reality Based Community, UCLA
Scott McLemee, Inside Higher Ed
Ari Melber, The Nation
Rick Perlstein, Campaign for America's Future
Katha Pollit, The Nation
David Roberts, Grist
Thomas Schaller, Columnist, The Baltimore Sun
Adele Stan, The Media Consortium
Jonathan Stein, Mother Jones Magazine
Rinku Sen, ColorLines Magazine
Matthew Shugart, UC San Diego
Mark Thoma, The Economist's View
Michael Tomasky, The Guardian
Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks
Tracy Van Slyke, The Media Consortium
Kai Wright, The Root
Matthew Yglesias, The Atlantic Monthly
Wow! I am impressed!
This was not a win for ABC News and it was not a win for Hillary. It was a loss for all of us.
You know those Ex-military guys who give the 24 hour news channels the straight poop on military matters? They were all trained to lie to you.
To the public, these men are members of a familiar fraternity, presented tens of thousands of times on television and radio as “military analysts” whose long service has equipped them to give authoritative and unfettered judgments about the most pressing issues of the post-Sept. 11 world.
Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance, an examination by The New York Times has found.
The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.
I have had my suspicions about these so called "experts" for quite some time. But as a civilian you always feel a little unpatriotic questioning the word of men who have served our country.
I should have trusted my first instincts.
Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance, an examination by The New York Times has found.
The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.
I have had my suspicions about these so called "experts" for quite some time. But as a civilian you always feel a little unpatriotic questioning the word of men who have served our country.
I should have trusted my first instincts.
New children's book explains how mommy's plastic surgery made her boobs look like cantaloupes.
What's the market for a children's picture book about moms getting cosmetic surgery? No one specifically tracks the number of tummy-tuck-and-breast-implant combos (or "mommy makeovers," as they're called), but according to the latest numbers from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation was the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure last year, with 348,000 performed (up 6 percent over 2006). Of those, about one-third were for women over 40 who often opt for implants to restore lost volume in their breasts due to aging or pregnancy weight gain. There were 148,000 tummy tucks—up 1 percent from the previous year.
Maybe the next children's book can be entitled "Why does Mommy dress like a hooker?" or "Why does Daddy take that little blue pill before he goes golfing?".
If only there were a procedure or pill that made people into good parents.
Now that might be research worth doing.
Maybe the next children's book can be entitled "Why does Mommy dress like a hooker?" or "Why does Daddy take that little blue pill before he goes golfing?".
If only there were a procedure or pill that made people into good parents.
Now that might be research worth doing.
How is this possible?
Gallup Poll Daily tracking shows that Hillary Clinton now receives 46% of the support of Democrats nationally, compared to 45% for Barack Obama, marking the first time Obama has not led in Gallup's daily tracking since March 18-20.
Nothing about this poll makes sense to me.
Hillary is behind in votes. She is behind in delegates. She is losing financial support by the day. As well as super-delegates. So how then is she supposedly moving ahead of Obama?
Are we to assume it has to do with the ambush from ABC? If anything that should have revealed once and for all just how low Hillary supporters will go to steal the election for her.
I just don't get it.
I hate to be someone who sees a conspiracy under every tree, but this Gallup poll may have to be taken with a grain of salt.
Nothing about this poll makes sense to me.
Hillary is behind in votes. She is behind in delegates. She is losing financial support by the day. As well as super-delegates. So how then is she supposedly moving ahead of Obama?
Are we to assume it has to do with the ambush from ABC? If anything that should have revealed once and for all just how low Hillary supporters will go to steal the election for her.
I just don't get it.
I hate to be someone who sees a conspiracy under every tree, but this Gallup poll may have to be taken with a grain of salt.
Obama attracts a HUGE crowd in Philadelphia last night.
With just days to go before the Pennsylvania primary, Sen. Barack Obama last night appeared before thousands of roaring supporters in Independence Mall, and pledged to "declare independence" from Washington politics.
"In four days, you get the chance to help bring about the change that we need right now, Philadelphia," Obama said. "Here in the city and the state that gave birth to our democracy, we can declare our independence from the politics that has shut us out, let us down, and told us to settle."
In his first public Philadelphia appearance, Obama stood on stage before the Independence Visitor Center, addressing a rapturous crowd of roughly 35,000 that stretched all the way to Independence Hall. His warm up acts included will.i.am, lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas.
35,000? That is a bigger crowd then the Rolling Stones bring in!
Maybe those polls showing Hillary well ahead of Obama are wrong.
Come on Philly! Show the pundits and pollsters that you cannot be put in a box. Vote Obama!
"In four days, you get the chance to help bring about the change that we need right now, Philadelphia," Obama said. "Here in the city and the state that gave birth to our democracy, we can declare our independence from the politics that has shut us out, let us down, and told us to settle."
In his first public Philadelphia appearance, Obama stood on stage before the Independence Visitor Center, addressing a rapturous crowd of roughly 35,000 that stretched all the way to Independence Hall. His warm up acts included will.i.am, lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas.
35,000? That is a bigger crowd then the Rolling Stones bring in!
Maybe those polls showing Hillary well ahead of Obama are wrong.
Come on Philly! Show the pundits and pollsters that you cannot be put in a box. Vote Obama!
Friday, April 18, 2008
My Governor made a human being today. What did your Governor do?
Gov. Sarah Palin gave birth Friday to her fifth child, a boy, about a month before her due date.
Trig Paxson Van Palin weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces. A news release from Palin's office says the 44-year-old governor and the baby are doing well and resting comfortably.
Welcome to our world little man.
We are trying to fix it just for you. And we dearly hope you mommy is going to help us.
Trig Paxson Van Palin weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces. A news release from Palin's office says the 44-year-old governor and the baby are doing well and resting comfortably.
Welcome to our world little man.
We are trying to fix it just for you. And we dearly hope you mommy is going to help us.
Hillary attacks the left wing of the Democratic party! WTF?
At a small closed-door fundraiser after Super Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton blamed what she called the "activist base" of the Democratic Party -- and MoveOn.org in particular -- for many of her electoral defeats, saying activists had "flooded" state caucuses and "intimidated" her supporters, according to an audio recording of the event obtained by The Huffington Post.
"Moveon.org endorsed [Sen. Barack Obama] -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," Clinton said to a meeting of donors. "We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings out the activist base of the Democratic Party. MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean, that's what we're dealing with. And you know they turn out in great numbers. And they are very driven by their view of our positions, and it's primarily national security and foreign policy that drives them. I don't agree with them. They know I don't agree with them. So they flood into these caucuses and dominate them and really intimidate people who actually show up to support me."
Do you like irony?
Moveon.org was created to help protect BILL CLINTON from being impeached!
Hillary is attacking the group that came to her husbands defense because they have the temerity to support her opponent during a democratic presidential nomination process.
In other words SHE IS ATTACKING THEM FOR PARTICIPATING IN DEMOCRACY BECAUSE IT IS NOT WORKING IN HER FAVOR!
You have got to be fucking kidding me!
"Moveon.org endorsed [Sen. Barack Obama] -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," Clinton said to a meeting of donors. "We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings out the activist base of the Democratic Party. MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. I mean, that's what we're dealing with. And you know they turn out in great numbers. And they are very driven by their view of our positions, and it's primarily national security and foreign policy that drives them. I don't agree with them. They know I don't agree with them. So they flood into these caucuses and dominate them and really intimidate people who actually show up to support me."
Do you like irony?
Moveon.org was created to help protect BILL CLINTON from being impeached!
Hillary is attacking the group that came to her husbands defense because they have the temerity to support her opponent during a democratic presidential nomination process.
In other words SHE IS ATTACKING THEM FOR PARTICIPATING IN DEMOCRACY BECAUSE IT IS NOT WORKING IN HER FAVOR!
You have got to be fucking kidding me!
Obama's magnetic personality continues to attract support at an amazing pace.
Hillary is losing support faster then ABC is losing journalistic credibility.
Obama just gained the endorsement of Robert Reich, who was Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labor, as well as ex-Senators Sam Nunn and David Boren.
Fortunately for Hillary she recently received the support of....of....hmm....the Hillary support well is running a little dry isn't it?
Obama just gained the endorsement of Robert Reich, who was Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labor, as well as ex-Senators Sam Nunn and David Boren.
Fortunately for Hillary she recently received the support of....of....hmm....the Hillary support well is running a little dry isn't it?
After all of Hillary's ugly political maneuverings Obama emerges as the strongest candidate against the Republican nominee.
Beulah Barton of Leesburg, Fla., said she initially backed Clinton, partly because she liked Bill Clinton's record as president.
"But the more I hear her talk, and the more I hear him talk, the more put off I am," said Barton, 69. "I think she's brash, I think she's rude. I get the feeling that she feels she deserves to be president" and doesn't need "to earn it."
It seems clear that Hillary suffers from the "curse of Giuliani".
The more the voters see of her, the less they want to vote for her.
"But the more I hear her talk, and the more I hear him talk, the more put off I am," said Barton, 69. "I think she's brash, I think she's rude. I get the feeling that she feels she deserves to be president" and doesn't need "to earn it."
It seems clear that Hillary suffers from the "curse of Giuliani".
The more the voters see of her, the less they want to vote for her.
Comedy Central takes on ABC's Philadelphia Presidential debacle.
Both Hillary and Obama made surprise appearances on "The Colbert Report".
Obama was cool and telegenic, and Hillary smiled way too much, and tried way too hard.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Feeling left out that French President Sarkozy has married a hot model, Putin divorces his wife and marries a hot gymnast.
A recent issue of Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper said that Russia’s outgoing President Vladimir Putin was going to marry a girl who is 30 years younger. Furthermore, the newspaper wrote that Putin secretly divorced his wife, Lyudmila Putin, in February of the current year. With reference to rumours, La Repubblica wrote that Putin was going to remarry on June 15, Whit Sunday.His new wife will be Alina Kabaeva, the rhythmic gymnast, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and obtained numerous European awards, the newspaper said. According to the newspaper, “Russians consider Kabaeva to be sexier than Sharapova and Kournikova.” After the Olympic Games in Athens Kabaeva gave up sport and decided to try her hand at cinema.
That is Alina Kabaeva on the left and the lovely Carla Bruni on the right.
I find them both to be absolutely gorgeous women, women who are clearly attracted to men with power. I don't really have much power. I do have a car and a house. So I usually attract women who are attracted to driving and shelter.
Sarkozy has had a great bump in his popularity since marrying Bruni. I wonder if Putin is looking for a similar rise in his poll numbers.
All I can say in that it is very entertaining watching powerful men going through their mid life crisis in the public arena.
Nancy Pelosi is gunning for Alaska Representative Don Young.
The Senate has approved a measure requiring the Department of Justice to investigate the controversial Coconut Road earmark connected to Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska).
Perhaps this is why Don Young has spent over 1 million dollars on lawyers.
There many great things about living in Alaska. Don Young is definitely not one of them.
Perhaps this is why Don Young has spent over 1 million dollars on lawyers.
There many great things about living in Alaska. Don Young is definitely not one of them.
More bad news for ABC and their pathetic excuse for a debate.
ABC News drew both record ratings and a heap of complaints about how Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos moderated the Democratic presidential debate, criticism that Stephanopoulos on Thursday called a sign of how much people care.
By midafternoon Thursday, more than 15,600 comments were posted on ABC News' Web site, the tone overwhelmingly negative. A prominent TV critic, Tom Shales of The Washington Post, said Gibson and Stephanopoulos "turned in shoddy, despicable performances."
Will Bunch, a Philadelphia Daily News writer, posted an open letter to Gibson and Stephanopoulos on his blog. He wrote that he was so angry that "it's hard to even type accurately because my hands are shaking." He said the ABC newsmen spent too much time on trivial matters that didn't concern most voters.
"By so badly botching arguably the most critical debate of such an important election, in a time of both war and economic misery, you disgraced the American voters, and in fact even disgraced democracy itself," Bunch wrote.
Greg Mitchell of the trade publication Editor and Publisher said it was "perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate this year."
There were some positive comments in the article as well, but from what I have seen in the news and on the most popular progressive blogs the attitude is that this was an orchestrated attack against Obama by ABC News, ex-Clinton staffer George Stephanopoulos, and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
They also received a little help from Sean Hannity and FOX News, who by the way have taken this ball and run all over the field with it.
Even a child could see this was a set up and Obama recognized it as well, which made him seem hesitant and "off his game".
I am anxious to see how Olbermann and Jon Stewart respond to this tonight.
In my opinion Hillary did not simply "jump the shark" with this one, she landed in its mouth, was digested, and crapped back out into the ocean.
By midafternoon Thursday, more than 15,600 comments were posted on ABC News' Web site, the tone overwhelmingly negative. A prominent TV critic, Tom Shales of The Washington Post, said Gibson and Stephanopoulos "turned in shoddy, despicable performances."
Will Bunch, a Philadelphia Daily News writer, posted an open letter to Gibson and Stephanopoulos on his blog. He wrote that he was so angry that "it's hard to even type accurately because my hands are shaking." He said the ABC newsmen spent too much time on trivial matters that didn't concern most voters.
"By so badly botching arguably the most critical debate of such an important election, in a time of both war and economic misery, you disgraced the American voters, and in fact even disgraced democracy itself," Bunch wrote.
Greg Mitchell of the trade publication Editor and Publisher said it was "perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate this year."
There were some positive comments in the article as well, but from what I have seen in the news and on the most popular progressive blogs the attitude is that this was an orchestrated attack against Obama by ABC News, ex-Clinton staffer George Stephanopoulos, and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
They also received a little help from Sean Hannity and FOX News, who by the way have taken this ball and run all over the field with it.
Even a child could see this was a set up and Obama recognized it as well, which made him seem hesitant and "off his game".
I am anxious to see how Olbermann and Jon Stewart respond to this tonight.
In my opinion Hillary did not simply "jump the shark" with this one, she landed in its mouth, was digested, and crapped back out into the ocean.
ABC News throws away its integrity and joins Hillary in ambushing Obama.
When Barack Obama met Hillary Clinton for another televised Democratic candidates' debate last night, it was more than a step forward in the 2008 presidential election. It was another step downward for network news -- in particular ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances.
For the first 52 minutes of the two-hour, commercial-crammed show, Gibson and Stephanopoulos dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia that already has been hashed and rehashed, in the hope of getting the candidates to claw at one another over disputes that are no longer news. Some were barely news to begin with.
The boyish Stephanopoulos, who has done wonders with the network's Sunday morning hour, "This Week" (as, indeed, has Gibson with the nightly "World News"), looked like an overly ambitious intern helping out at a subcommittee hearing, digging through notes for something smart-alecky and slimy. He came up with such tired tripe as a charge that Obama once associated with a nutty bomb-throwing anarchist. That was "40 years ago, when I was 8 years old," Obama said with exasperation.
Obama was right on the money when he complained about the campaign being bogged down in media-driven inanities and obsessiveness over any misstatement a candidate might make along the way, whether in a speech or while being eavesdropped upon by the opposition. The tactic has been to "take one statement and beat it to death," he said.
At the end, Gibson pompously thanked the candidates -- or was he really patting himself on the back? -- for "what I think has been a fascinating debate." He's entitled to his opinion, but the most fascinating aspect was waiting to see how low he and Stephanopoulos would go, and then being appalled at the answer.
This was the biggest debacle in the history of political debate in this country.
ABC News traded its very integrity away for....what? What could have the Clinton campaign possibly have promised them that would have convinced them to attack Obama in such an obvious and indefensible manner? Even ex-Clinton White House staffer George Stephanopouos must have known that he was throwing away his journalistic career in a desperate gamble to stop Obama's meteoric rise to the top of the Democratic ticket.
If you think that I am simply another Obama supporter who is overly sensitive to his candidate being asked tough questions, I encourage you to visit the ABC News debate page and read the comment section. As of this writing there are 12, 639 comments. In my estimation over 90% of them are negative, and many of them are absolutely horrified at what they witnessed last night.
But both ABC News and Hillary Clinton made a giant mistake last night. If they think they have tarnished Obama in the eyes of the voters, or stopped his momentum, then they have completely misunderstood the central theme of his unique campaign.
You see when others try to suggest that we cannot win this nomination, we simply remind them that Yes We Can!
For the first 52 minutes of the two-hour, commercial-crammed show, Gibson and Stephanopoulos dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia that already has been hashed and rehashed, in the hope of getting the candidates to claw at one another over disputes that are no longer news. Some were barely news to begin with.
The boyish Stephanopoulos, who has done wonders with the network's Sunday morning hour, "This Week" (as, indeed, has Gibson with the nightly "World News"), looked like an overly ambitious intern helping out at a subcommittee hearing, digging through notes for something smart-alecky and slimy. He came up with such tired tripe as a charge that Obama once associated with a nutty bomb-throwing anarchist. That was "40 years ago, when I was 8 years old," Obama said with exasperation.
Obama was right on the money when he complained about the campaign being bogged down in media-driven inanities and obsessiveness over any misstatement a candidate might make along the way, whether in a speech or while being eavesdropped upon by the opposition. The tactic has been to "take one statement and beat it to death," he said.
At the end, Gibson pompously thanked the candidates -- or was he really patting himself on the back? -- for "what I think has been a fascinating debate." He's entitled to his opinion, but the most fascinating aspect was waiting to see how low he and Stephanopoulos would go, and then being appalled at the answer.
This was the biggest debacle in the history of political debate in this country.
ABC News traded its very integrity away for....what? What could have the Clinton campaign possibly have promised them that would have convinced them to attack Obama in such an obvious and indefensible manner? Even ex-Clinton White House staffer George Stephanopouos must have known that he was throwing away his journalistic career in a desperate gamble to stop Obama's meteoric rise to the top of the Democratic ticket.
If you think that I am simply another Obama supporter who is overly sensitive to his candidate being asked tough questions, I encourage you to visit the ABC News debate page and read the comment section. As of this writing there are 12, 639 comments. In my estimation over 90% of them are negative, and many of them are absolutely horrified at what they witnessed last night.
But both ABC News and Hillary Clinton made a giant mistake last night. If they think they have tarnished Obama in the eyes of the voters, or stopped his momentum, then they have completely misunderstood the central theme of his unique campaign.
You see when others try to suggest that we cannot win this nomination, we simply remind them that Yes We Can!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Springsteen endorses Obama!
Dear Friends and Fans:LIke most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."
At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams of My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.
Damn! Bruce gives good endorsement!
Get out your popcorn kids, it is debate time again!
I was pretty much done with these things after the last one. But now I am looking forward to Obama confronting Hillary with some of the scurrilous things she has said.
He should also express his relief that she was not injured during that Bosnia trip while dodging all of that sniper fire.
"I had not idea that trip was so dangerous. The media said absolutely nothing about incoming fire and I am just glad that you emerged unscathed. I am sure those shooting lessons your father gave you when you were just a girl served you well in that frightening situation. I certainly hope you were able to take out one of those bastards."
Oh yeah I will be watching today.
He should also express his relief that she was not injured during that Bosnia trip while dodging all of that sniper fire.
"I had not idea that trip was so dangerous. The media said absolutely nothing about incoming fire and I am just glad that you emerged unscathed. I am sure those shooting lessons your father gave you when you were just a girl served you well in that frightening situation. I certainly hope you were able to take out one of those bastards."
Oh yeah I will be watching today.
Fighting gets too intense in Iraq so the Iraqi military simply take their bullets and go home.
A company of Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions on Tuesday night in Sadr City, defying American soldiers who implored them to hold the line against Shiite militias.
The retreat left a crucial stretch of road on the front lines undefended for hours and led to a tense series of exchanges between American soldiers and about 50 Iraqi troops who were fleeing.
Capt. Logan Veath, a company commander in the 25th Infantry Division, pleaded with the Iraqi major who was leading his troops away from the Sadr City fight, urging him to return to the front.
“If you turn around and go back up the street those soldiers will follow you,” Captain Veath said. “If you tuck tail and cowardly run away they will follow up that way, too.”
Captain Veath’s pleas failed, and senior American and Iraqi commanders mounted an urgent effort to regain the lost ground. An elite Iraqi unit was rushed in and with the support of the Americans began to fight its way north.
Oh yeah these guys are almost ready to stand on there own.
How long have we been training these guys now?
Apparently if they are not running from a fight, they are being a little too proactive.
One big problem is that the Iraqi troops have responded to militia gunfire with such intense fusillades that the soldiers have endangered civilians, American soldiers and even their own forces. The barrage of Iraqi Army fire has become such a regular occurrence that some American soldiers are worried that militia fighters have tried to insert themselves between nearby Iraqi units to induce the Iraqi soldiers to fire on one another.
Okay now that is just ridiculous.
Does anybody else get the idea that they are screwing up on purpose?
Let's just get our people out of there and let these Keystone Kops work it out for themselves. I bet the learning curve will straighten out pretty damn fast if there are not American troops standing around to do it for them if they get it wrong.
The retreat left a crucial stretch of road on the front lines undefended for hours and led to a tense series of exchanges between American soldiers and about 50 Iraqi troops who were fleeing.
Capt. Logan Veath, a company commander in the 25th Infantry Division, pleaded with the Iraqi major who was leading his troops away from the Sadr City fight, urging him to return to the front.
“If you turn around and go back up the street those soldiers will follow you,” Captain Veath said. “If you tuck tail and cowardly run away they will follow up that way, too.”
Captain Veath’s pleas failed, and senior American and Iraqi commanders mounted an urgent effort to regain the lost ground. An elite Iraqi unit was rushed in and with the support of the Americans began to fight its way north.
Oh yeah these guys are almost ready to stand on there own.
How long have we been training these guys now?
Apparently if they are not running from a fight, they are being a little too proactive.
One big problem is that the Iraqi troops have responded to militia gunfire with such intense fusillades that the soldiers have endangered civilians, American soldiers and even their own forces. The barrage of Iraqi Army fire has become such a regular occurrence that some American soldiers are worried that militia fighters have tried to insert themselves between nearby Iraqi units to induce the Iraqi soldiers to fire on one another.
Okay now that is just ridiculous.
Does anybody else get the idea that they are screwing up on purpose?
Let's just get our people out of there and let these Keystone Kops work it out for themselves. I bet the learning curve will straighten out pretty damn fast if there are not American troops standing around to do it for them if they get it wrong.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Jon Stewart makes a fascinating discovery about Bush's words and reality.
You know I have actually been doing this for some time.
Send money to Obama now! He is our best hope to finally receive justice in this country.
Tonight I had an opportunity to ask Barack Obama a question that is on the minds of many Americans, yet rarely rises to the surface in the great ruckus of the 2008 presidential race -- and that is whether an Obama administration would seek to prosecute officials of a former Bush administration on the revelations that they greenlighted torture, or for other potential crimes that took place in the White House.
Obama said that as president he would indeed ask his new Attorney General and his deputies to "immediately review the information that's already there" and determine if an inquiry is warranted -- but he also tread carefully on the issue, in line with his reputation for seeking to bridge the partisan divide. He worried that such a probe could be spun as "a partisan witch hunt." However, he said that equation changes if there was willful criminality, because "nobody is above the law."
I am finished being subtle. I want Hillary out today!
My overwhelming issue in voting for a Democrat is the desire to see the Bush administration pay for their crimes against this country.
I care more about this then I do about the economy, the war, and global warming. Now that may make me seem a little fixated, but that is only because I am!
If Barack is willing to say this now, even though he knows it may cost him some support from possible Republicans crossing over in the general election, that convinces me that he really will investigate this criminal regime.
It is my opinion that this country will not recover fully from the damage done by the Bush administration until these criminals are prosecuted for their criminal activities.
I have long felt, and continue to believe, that Hillary made some sort of deal not not to prosecute the Bush administration. I base this on the early comments by Karl Rove, and other Bush operatives that Hillary was definitely going to be the Democratic candidate. That and the fact that Bill is so buddy buddy with George H. Bush.
For every lover of justice Barack Obama must be our choice for President of the United States in 2008.
Obama said that as president he would indeed ask his new Attorney General and his deputies to "immediately review the information that's already there" and determine if an inquiry is warranted -- but he also tread carefully on the issue, in line with his reputation for seeking to bridge the partisan divide. He worried that such a probe could be spun as "a partisan witch hunt." However, he said that equation changes if there was willful criminality, because "nobody is above the law."
I am finished being subtle. I want Hillary out today!
My overwhelming issue in voting for a Democrat is the desire to see the Bush administration pay for their crimes against this country.
I care more about this then I do about the economy, the war, and global warming. Now that may make me seem a little fixated, but that is only because I am!
If Barack is willing to say this now, even though he knows it may cost him some support from possible Republicans crossing over in the general election, that convinces me that he really will investigate this criminal regime.
It is my opinion that this country will not recover fully from the damage done by the Bush administration until these criminals are prosecuted for their criminal activities.
I have long felt, and continue to believe, that Hillary made some sort of deal not not to prosecute the Bush administration. I base this on the early comments by Karl Rove, and other Bush operatives that Hillary was definitely going to be the Democratic candidate. That and the fact that Bill is so buddy buddy with George H. Bush.
For every lover of justice Barack Obama must be our choice for President of the United States in 2008.
Christians turn on Oprah.
So Oprah comes under attack by the Christian community for daring to make the argument that there may be other ways to access God other then through the church?
She is still embracing the concept of God she is simply suggesting that perhaps understanding Him does not require being a Christian. And for that she is vilified.
She is still embracing the concept of God she is simply suggesting that perhaps understanding Him does not require being a Christian. And for that she is vilified.
This is truly the real ugliness of the Christian religion. They pretend that they are an open society that does not judge people of differing faiths and that promotes the idea of religious freedom in this country. But what they are really arguing for is their own religious freedom. They do not give a shit about anybody elses religious freedom, they just want to make sure their faith is protected.
Wow, first Oprah endorses Barack Obama, and now she gets attacked by the Christian community! I hate to say it, but I might be becoming an Oprah fan.
Her "new age" sensibilities are much more in line with my own open minded search for truth.
Remember that any belief system that fears scrutiny and attacks opposing views as evil must have something to hide. Are Christians afraid that if people have an open mind they will reject their religion?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Hillary gets booed for Obama attacks in Pennsylvania.
"I understand my opponent came this morning and spent a lot of his time attacking me," she said at the beginning of her remarks here.
Many in the crowd responded with audible groans, and a few shouted, "No!"
Obama spoke to the same forum earlier in the morning and ribbed Clinton for doing a shot of whiskey in front of TV cameras on Saturday in Indiana.
Clinton continued, "I know that many of you, like me, were disappointed by the recent remarks he made."
This time, a louder, sustained chorus of "No!" emanated from the audience. Clinton soldiered on.
"I am well aware that at a fundraiser in San Francisco he said some things that many people in Pennsylvania and beyond Pennsylvania have found offensive," she said.
This time, a smaller smattering of jeers.
Just keep showing them who you are Hillary.
That is really the best thing you can do to help Obama get the nomination.
And it sure makes our job easier.
Many in the crowd responded with audible groans, and a few shouted, "No!"
Obama spoke to the same forum earlier in the morning and ribbed Clinton for doing a shot of whiskey in front of TV cameras on Saturday in Indiana.
Clinton continued, "I know that many of you, like me, were disappointed by the recent remarks he made."
This time, a louder, sustained chorus of "No!" emanated from the audience. Clinton soldiered on.
"I am well aware that at a fundraiser in San Francisco he said some things that many people in Pennsylvania and beyond Pennsylvania have found offensive," she said.
This time, a smaller smattering of jeers.
Just keep showing them who you are Hillary.
That is really the best thing you can do to help Obama get the nomination.
And it sure makes our job easier.
There is really no way I could resist the urge to report this story.
My Wall Street Journal, a parody of the Wall Street Journal on newsstands this week to mark the April 15 tax deadline, has rankled News Corp executives so much that they're trying to make sure no one sees it. The New York Times' Richard Perez-Pena reports that a WSJ representative attempted to snatch up all the copies in the Los Angeles area, where they made public a bit ahead of schedule.Highlights of the My Wall Street Journal parody — brought to you by the same team that created the 1982 Off The Wall Street Journal, led by editor-in-chief Tony Hendra — a full-page spread of a topless Ann Coulter (in WSJ stipple-style), a gossip section called "Page Sex," headlines like "Cleaning Lady Sees Virgin In Merrill Lynch Q4 Loss," and "Obitcharies," wishful-thinking obituaries for people vilified by the far right, including Susan Sarandon and Paul Krugman.
Wow!
That is just awesome! It simply could not have happened to a more deserving publication.
I have imposed a personal moratorium on posting stories about Ann "Crypt Keeper" Coulter, but I simply could not resist posting that nasty picture. You will notice that they gave Coultergeist a much more feminine woman's body instead of the adolescent boy body that she has in real life.
I think that just shows a certain level of respect. Don't you?
McCain tells staff to "chill out" in attacking Hillary in attempt to help her win Democratic nomination.
Republican presidential hopeful John McCain has confided to his inner circle that Hillary Clinton may yet be the Democratic nominee, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, a development the senator from Arizona would personally welcome!
"Look, I know something about long odds, they had me written off last summer," McCain explained over the weekend, according to a top source.
McCain would prefer to go up against Clinton in the general election, insiders reveal.
He has instructed his campaign staff to "chill out" on countering Hillary Clinton's torrent of claims and promises as primary voting comes to end over the next 6 weeks.
McCain made the tactical decision to downplay Clinton's tale of Bosnia sniper fire, leaving some McCain staffers frustrated and perplexed. Instead, the critical focus has been on Barack Obama.
McCain's official website features 14 press releases taking on Obama since the first of the year, only 3 for the former first lady.
I am loathe to quote the Drudge Report since I think they are sometimes to quick to report unsubstantiated information, but I have little problem believing this story since it fits in with several other reports that we have heard about Republicans wanting to run against Hillary rather then Obama.
In my opinion anybody still supporting Hillary may want to ask themselves who is keeping her alive in the race, and why?
"Look, I know something about long odds, they had me written off last summer," McCain explained over the weekend, according to a top source.
McCain would prefer to go up against Clinton in the general election, insiders reveal.
He has instructed his campaign staff to "chill out" on countering Hillary Clinton's torrent of claims and promises as primary voting comes to end over the next 6 weeks.
McCain made the tactical decision to downplay Clinton's tale of Bosnia sniper fire, leaving some McCain staffers frustrated and perplexed. Instead, the critical focus has been on Barack Obama.
McCain's official website features 14 press releases taking on Obama since the first of the year, only 3 for the former first lady.
I am loathe to quote the Drudge Report since I think they are sometimes to quick to report unsubstantiated information, but I have little problem believing this story since it fits in with several other reports that we have heard about Republicans wanting to run against Hillary rather then Obama.
In my opinion anybody still supporting Hillary may want to ask themselves who is keeping her alive in the race, and why?
Sunday, April 13, 2008
If this is true both Carter and Gore will go down in history as heroes of Democracy.
Democrat grandees Jimmy Carter and Al Gore are being lined-up to deliver the coup de grâce to Hillary Clinton and end her campaign to become president.
Falling poll numbers and a string of high-profile blunders have convinced party elders that she must now bow out of the primary race.
Former president Carter and former vice-president Gore have already held high-level discussions about delivering the message that she must stand down for the good of the Democrats.
"They're in discussions," a source close to Carter told Scotland on Sunday. "Carter has been talking to Gore. They will act, possibly together, or in sequence."
I don't know how valid this story is, the internet is full of false stories, but I certainly hope that somebody is finally going to talk some sense into the Clinton's and convince them to withdrawal for the good of the party, as well as the country.
Update: There is now information that this in fact may be a false story. But keep in mind that in this world of faster then light information sharing, the fact that it is false may be the real falsehood, that was actually put out by the principles who did not want to reveal their hand too early. Besides I heard this was false by watching FOX News, so take a grain of salt and pass the shaker.
Falling poll numbers and a string of high-profile blunders have convinced party elders that she must now bow out of the primary race.
Former president Carter and former vice-president Gore have already held high-level discussions about delivering the message that she must stand down for the good of the Democrats.
"They're in discussions," a source close to Carter told Scotland on Sunday. "Carter has been talking to Gore. They will act, possibly together, or in sequence."
I don't know how valid this story is, the internet is full of false stories, but I certainly hope that somebody is finally going to talk some sense into the Clinton's and convince them to withdrawal for the good of the party, as well as the country.
Update: There is now information that this in fact may be a false story. But keep in mind that in this world of faster then light information sharing, the fact that it is false may be the real falsehood, that was actually put out by the principles who did not want to reveal their hand too early. Besides I heard this was false by watching FOX News, so take a grain of salt and pass the shaker.
In an act of desperation Hillary seems to be channeling John Kerry.
Hillary Clinton appealed to Second Amendment supporters on Saturday by hinting that she has some experience of her own pulling triggers.“I disagree with Sen. Obama’s assertion that people in our country cling to guns and have certain attitudes about trade and immigration simply out of frustration,” she began, referring to the Obama comments on small-town Americans that set off a political tumult on Friday.
She then introduced a fond memory from her youth.
“You know, my dad took me out behind the cottage that my grandfather built on a little lake called Lake Winola outside of Scranton and taught me how to shoot when I was a little girl,” she said.
“You know, some people now continue to teach their children and their grandchildren. It’s part of culture. It’s part of a way of life. People enjoy hunting and shooting because it’s an important part of who they are. Not because they are bitter.”
Why? Why do Democrats feel that as soon as their poll numbers start to slip that they need to talk about shooting and killing small animals?
How the hell does that prepare you to be the Commander in Chief? "Hell yeah I can lead the military! I killed those ducks with no remorse whatsoever! I can certainly send our troops to some back water country to kill brown skinned people without losing an ounce of sleep!"
In my opinion pandering to the NRA should be how we determine a Democratic candidate is losing.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Hillary tries to steal message of hope from Obama.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton managed to co-opt Mr. Obama’s message of hope and optimism, beginning a speech in Valparaiso, Ind., by talking about how positive and “fundamentally optimistic” Americans are.
“We don’t get bogged down and looking back – we’re always looking forward,” she said, as heavy applause nearly drowned out her words. “Whatever obstacle we see, we get over it.
Whatever challenge we have, we meet it. We’re the problem-solvers, we’re the innovators, we’re the people who make the better future.”
For the third time since Mr. Obama’s remarks were made public Friday night, Mrs. Clinton criticized him at length, saying his comments seemed “kind of elitist and out of touch.”
“I disagree with Senator Obama’s assertion that people in our country cling to guns and have certain attitudes about immigration or trade simply out of frustration,” she said.
Of course Hillary is totally misrepresenting what Obama said, but that is certainly nothing new for her.
If you want to know what was really said at that fundraiser on April 6th then go here. ( I will warn you ahead of time that the audio is really bad.)
I have to say I am very disappointed that MSNBC, which is often seen as more pro-Obama, is spending hours of air time dealing with this so called "controversy", while CNN essentially swatted it aside as not particularly newsworthy.
I may have to change my viewing habits again.
“We don’t get bogged down and looking back – we’re always looking forward,” she said, as heavy applause nearly drowned out her words. “Whatever obstacle we see, we get over it.
Whatever challenge we have, we meet it. We’re the problem-solvers, we’re the innovators, we’re the people who make the better future.”
For the third time since Mr. Obama’s remarks were made public Friday night, Mrs. Clinton criticized him at length, saying his comments seemed “kind of elitist and out of touch.”
“I disagree with Senator Obama’s assertion that people in our country cling to guns and have certain attitudes about immigration or trade simply out of frustration,” she said.
Of course Hillary is totally misrepresenting what Obama said, but that is certainly nothing new for her.
If you want to know what was really said at that fundraiser on April 6th then go here. ( I will warn you ahead of time that the audio is really bad.)
I have to say I am very disappointed that MSNBC, which is often seen as more pro-Obama, is spending hours of air time dealing with this so called "controversy", while CNN essentially swatted it aside as not particularly newsworthy.
I may have to change my viewing habits again.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Obama is actually 2 to 3 million votes ahead of Hillary in the nomination process.
Many DNC insiders fear that if Hillary Clinton manages to lose the pledged delegates, she may still take the lead in the popular vote, thereby causing the superdelegates to make a hard decision as to which candidate they should choose come August. Their fears are rooted in the notion that Clinton is only behind by roughly 800,000 votes, and that she could feasibly catch up with a big win in Pennsylvania.
They'd be wrong.
In fact, Obama leads in the popular vote by anywhere between 2 million to 3 million voters. How is this possible? The reason lies in the ever elusive math of the Democratic caucus.
I don't know about you, but this made me feel much better about this election process.
They'd be wrong.
In fact, Obama leads in the popular vote by anywhere between 2 million to 3 million voters. How is this possible? The reason lies in the ever elusive math of the Democratic caucus.
I don't know about you, but this made me feel much better about this election process.
In this race, Barack Obama is the true feminist. Hillary Clinton, unfortunately, still does not get it.
The title is the last line of an article written by Ariel Garfinkel, a sophomore at Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts who's majoring in the Politics of Inequality.
The article does an excellent job of pointing out why older women may support Hillary but the younger women are all for Obama.
Go ahead, give it a read.
The article does an excellent job of pointing out why older women may support Hillary but the younger women are all for Obama.
Go ahead, give it a read.
The Daily Shows John Oliver takes on FOX News.
You know it almost seems like overkill to parody FOX News.
I mean aren't they themselves a parody of serious news channels?
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