The Mad Rants of an Unconventional Soccer Mom

YES WE DID!!!

2008-11-04T22:15:00.002-06:00

BARACK OBAMA IS THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!! Hell Yeah!!!!

Congratulations, America!!! The dawn of a new era is upon us. And the rest of the world can breath a huge sigh of relief.

It isn't a dream anymore, Dr. King. I'm sure you are smiling in heaven right now as you welcome President-elect Obama's grandmother home. You should both be so proud! Free At Last. Free At Last. Thank God Almighty We're Free At Last!

Hoosiers! Hoosiers!

2008-11-04T21:38:00.004-06:00

Good God! I just checked all the counties that have reported in. The red counties are reported in with at 100%. The blue counties of Lake, Vermillion, and Porter are still reporting in. Barack is only 6,000 votes behind...I think Indiana will go BLUE!!!

GAME OVER!!!

2008-11-04T20:34:00.002-06:00

At 8:34PM OHIO is called for Barack!!!! There is NO path for McBush! And even better:

How SWEET IT IS!!!

My Final Predictions

2008-11-04T17:51:00.000-06:00

Polls start closing in Indiana in ten minutes. Here is how I think the election will play out: Obama will win all states won by John Kerry in 2004, in addition to Iowa, New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio, Virginia, Nevada, Florida, and North Carolina, while narrowly losing Missouri and Indiana. He can still pull off wins in the Hoosier state, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I'm guessing that the wins will translate into a popular vote win of about 6%.

For the Senate races I think that the Dem will come up just short of their goal of 60 seats, picking up eight. I think they will pick up Virginia, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, North Carolina and (cross my fingers) Al Franken in Minnesota. There's also a very good chance that there will be a December special election in Georgia, where a runoff election is held in the event that no candidate receives 50 percent plus one of the vote.

In the House I'm sure that the Dems will make more big gains. We'll end up with more than a 100 seat majority.

Time will tell!!!

Game Day!

2008-11-04T08:48:00.002-06:00

So this is it...election day. I have three words for you: YES WE CAN!

I have waited such a long time for this day. I made calls. I canvassed. I donated time and money. I argued my case for an Obama presidency to friends and family. I fought back against smears. I waited in line for two hours on a Saturday morning in Indiana to cast my vote...which is nothing. Lines last night in Florida were eight hours long. I would have stood there througout the night if need be. It's worth a wait in line to change the world.

By the end of this day, we should know who our next president is. Hopefully our long, long national nightmare is coming to an end.

I do have two pieces of advice for tonight if you are waitching any coverage. Number One: any time one of the pundants mention an exit poll stick your fingers in your ears and scream la,la,la as loud as possible. The exit polling today will be wrong. It will reflect who is voting today, but not reflect the totality of the race. Many people voted early. I am sure they have thought of ways to deal with that, but I have little faith in it after 2004. Number two: watch when voting ends in Georgia, Indiana and Virginia. If Barack wins any of the three, he could be on his way to a big victory. My prediction is that he will win Virginia. I think Georgia would be a stretch, but if he can pull off a win in Indiana...that would be icing on the cake for me! Without these eastern states McCain doesn't really have a chance since Barack has clear leads in the red states of Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa and Nevada.

And if anyone out there still needs some inspiration to vote...

Assassination Plot Foiled

2008-10-27T19:49:00.000-05:00

Kudos to the law enforcement for putting a stop to these psychos before anyone was hurt.

WASHINGTON — Two white supremacists allegedly plotted to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, federal authorities said Monday.

In all, the two men whom officials described as neo-Nazi skinheads planned to kill 88 people _ 14 by beheading, according to documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, TN. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community.

It kills me that these people exist at all. According to Kenneth, who knows way too much about Nazis, 14 represents the 14 words written by David Lane: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children." I guess it is the code they live by. 88 means Heil Hitler -- H is the 8th letter in the alphabet.

And if this isn't all sick enough:

Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of the Nashville ATF field office, said the two men sought to go on a national killing spree that included an unnamed African-American school, with Obama as their final target.

These sick assholes wanted to decapitate children for being black! How does anyone hate this much? There is no good in these people. They are pure evil. And even though their plot was foiled, I still kind of want them to fry. It's the rare crimes like this that make me keep from demanding the death penalty be banned altogether.

I really don't know how the Obama family does it. Especially Michelle. I would be spending my day paralyzed with fear that I would lose my husband and the father of my children to some nutjob. It's remarkable that when she was asked about it during the primaries she said: "You can't make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen." They are simply amazing people.

Not Soon Enough...

2008-10-26T21:03:00.001-05:00

The end of the Bush era will soon be here. If you would like to give him a piece of your mind, check this out. Some of them are really hilarious.

85 days to go, Junior. If you can figure out how to get out the door, don't let it hit you in the ass!

WELLSTONE!

2008-10-25T23:58:00.004-05:00

"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
Paul David Wellstone

It's been six years since my hero, Paul Wellstone, died along with his wife and daughter in a small plane crash in Minnesota. For those of you who didn't know who he was, he was the most PROGRESSIVE member of the senate and was the first to speak out loudly against Bush and his despicable war:

He was a great man who believed in the power of ordinary individuals. His measuring stick was not the poll numbers, or the editorial pages, or the political pudits blathering away on tv -- it was the farmers, the students, the seniors, the people of this country. He fought hard for what he believed in -- the environment, labor, and health care. He made the fight for rights of victims of domestic abuse and the mentally ill the focus of his career.

I think, in large part because of Paul, that it is easier to be a liberal today, to be a progressive, to be proud. But back when Paul was fighting against Bush Senior over the Gulf War and then Junior over the latest clusterf#&@, it wasn't. Lliberalism was a dirty word and liberalism in defense of peace was mocked as unpatriotic and treasonous. The crys against liberalism are still there but, today they are faint.

I know he would have been so proud of the campaign that Barack has run and I'm sure he would have been one of his loudest and proudest of his supporters. I can just picture him touring around Minnesota in his green bus. But unfortunately, he died just 11 days before election day in a crucial race to maintain Democratic control of the Senate in 2002. In a fair world, today we'd be watching Paul Wellstone head towards his fourth term in the U.S. Senate. What I can only hope for now is that Al Frankin will absolutely crush Norm Coleman.

Ealry Voting in Indiana

2008-10-25T23:05:00.000-05:00

It took two hours, but...

And man, did it feel great!

Back on the Trail

2008-10-25T08:15:00.000-05:00

HONOLULU – Senator Barack Obama slowly walked up the steps of his campaign plane here on Friday evening, his suit coat slung over his shoulder, as he concluded his one-day visit home to Hawaii.

From touch-down on Thursday to take off on Friday, Mr. Obama spent nearly 22 hours on the ground in Honolulu visiting his ailing grandmother, Madelyn Dunham. He did not say how Mrs. Dunham was feeling and campaign aides did not disclose her condition, but he believes this could be his last time seeing her.

How unbelievably difficult it must be to say goodbye to a loved one, knowing you will probably not see them alive again. My heart goes out to him.

In "Dreams from My Father," Barack wrote how his grandfather was a dreamer and how it was “Toot”, his grandmother, who gave him his grounding. It was Toot that was practical enough to support the family by working her way up from secretary to vice president at a local bank. In his speeches he credits her with raising him to be the man he is now and he often sights her as an example of a strong woman succeeding through intelligence and determination. She really is a remarkable woman if you think about what she accomplished.

I hope that on Novemeber 4th Barack is able to dedicate a towering triumph to her. I hope she can hold on long enough to see the grandson she raised by sworn in as President of the United States.

And one finally thought: Do you remember when McCain fake "suspended" his campaign for a selfish, dishonest political stunt? Now Barack has been accused of fake suspending his campaign. I would like to point out that what Barack did was prioritize and delegate. These are two very Presidential characteristics. What Barack did was out of genuine love and grief, not a stunt. The contrast is overwhelming.

Blue Indiana?

2008-10-23T21:25:00.000-05:00

Can it really happen? Can Indiana turn blue? 35,000 Hoosiers greeted Barack this morning in Indianapolis. That's a huge crowd for a Thursday morning in a "red" state! There were also two new polls out today showing Barack with nice leads in the state.

I wish I could have been there. How awesome! It will be icing on the cake if he can pull off a win here, because I never really thought it was possible. I've done canvassing here, and it was really tough and depressing. There are still a lot of bigots in this state. Hopefully they will be outnumbered at the polls.

But let's not think about that! Let's think happy thought! Here's a really heart-warming story out of Evansville that should make anyone proud. I can't wait until I get to vote on Saturday!

The "Anti-American"...

2008-10-23T07:09:00.000-05:00

Trying to poison our minds with more incendiary rhetoric...

Doesn't he make the McBush campaign look so small and so petty with their chanrges of terrorism and communism? McBush played right into a closing argument that ties together the original theme of Obama's campaign. The whole thing almost seems orchestrated. This is the theme that launched his presidential campaign and some of the words that caused me to support Obama since last summer and throughout the primaries.

He shifted to policy speeches as Americans looked more closely. But, he also predicted that McBush would attack and divide, even to the point of making fun of his name.

Now with less than 2 weeks to go the McBush campaign in full-bore erratic divisive mode and Obama goes back to HOPE! Not a hope in red states or blue states, but in the UNITED States.

What a beautiful campaign, and what a great feeling it is to know that Barack Obama will be our President after the 4th.

A Fallen Soldier

2008-10-19T14:40:00.004-05:00

During Powell’s endorsement on MTP this morning, he ended it very powerfully by the dismantling of McBush's "He's not an Arab... He's a Decent Man” and the "Obama is a Muslim" memes being spread by the right. He told the story of a young soldier named Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan. Kareem was of the Muslim faith. Kareem died in action for this country in Iraq on Aug. 6, 2007. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

"Is there something wrong with being Muslim in America? No, that's not America," he said.

"He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he could go serve his country, and he gave his life," Mr. Powell said. "Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way."

And he finally says what every decent American should be saying - "So what if Obama was a Muslim" and he goes on to tell the story of this heartbreaking photo of Specialist Khan's mother at his grave:

The highly charged rhetoric being spewed by the right must stop. The way McBush and Wolf Slayer are constantly trying to tie Obama to terrorism and Islam is once again an affront to all Muslim Americans. We saw this type of fear and backlash just after 9/11. We are seeing it again with the McCarthy-like invocations of Michele Bachmann. I challenge these repulsive, incendiary bigots to look this grieving mother in the face and tell her that her son was anti-American because of his faith.

We must set a new tone in this country. We must not allow the fringe to keep demonizing anyone of a different race or culture. Hell! They even demonize intelligence and educatation. They prop up Joe-the-Dumb-Ass-Phony-Plumber as a national hero when this real hero nobly sacrificed everything for his country. Who would you rather represent what's great about this country? The idiot who had made himself a houshold name by whining about having to make even the most modest contributions to this society or the young man who paid the ultimate sacrifice to this country before his 20th birthday?

Thank you Specialist Khan for your service. May you rest in peace.

Please go and read more about this All-American patroit here.

Powell Endorses Obama

2008-10-19T09:35:00.000-05:00

Colin Powell has just endorsed Barack. It was a well thought out, moving and articulate endorsement. His slap down of McBush was amazing; just the right amount of respect and disdain. I think this will be absolutely devastating for McBush. A Republican crossover with the popularity and credibility (deserved or not) of Powell completely destroys his closing argument against Barack that he is unsafe and un-American…especially among independents and veterans. It will be interesting to see the impact of this over the next couple of news cycles.

I’m not really a fan of Powell after his performance at the UN, but I have to give him much credit for endorsing, as surely it would have been easier to just sit this one out. He has now placed himself in the crossfire of people running the most vitriolic campaign in decades, who will instantly accuse Powell of endorsing merely because both he and Barack are black. I’m sure he just went from revered general to a "colored guy" endorsing another "n----r" in 60 seconds.

Turning Upside Down

2008-10-18T21:30:00.005-05:00

Do we simply value wealth, or do we value the work that creates it?
Senator Barack Obama, October 18, 2008

"There was the feel of a political world turned upside down on Saturday as Sen. John McCain found himself defending North Carolina and Virginia, while Sen. Barack Obama was greeted by huge crowds in Missouri, which Republicans had also considered safe just months ago," the New York Times reports.

Over 100,000 people welcomed Barck in the red state of Missouri! Amazing! It was Barack's largest US crowd. So many people with so much hope for a better future!

After all of the hate displayed this week at the McBush / Wolf Slayer rallies/riots and the hateful comments by Bachmann, I was loosing my faith that an Obama Presidency could really happen in this country. I really needed this boost to my morale! I am so proud to be an Anti-American, hope-filled Obama supporter!

Update: 75,000 in Kansas City tonight! Did you ever imagine there would that many anti-American, socialist, marxist, communist haters in Missouri!

More Proof That He Is No "Maverick"

2008-10-18T20:00:00.001-05:00

It's beyond clear that desperate McBush is willing to go anywhere and do anything to achieve his own selfish personal ambitions, even at the expense of his family:

ABC News has learned that Warren Tompkins, one of the strategists of then-Gov. George W. Bush's South Carolina campaign in 2000 -- which Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., blamed for his family being slimed -- is now a part of the McCain-Palin campaign team...

Tompkins, a protégé of Lee Atwater, has been dispatched to North Carolina to assess the state for the McCain-Palin campaign, Southern GOP strategists tell ABC News.....

The news of Tompkins being brought on board the McCain campaign brings to a total of three the number of GOP operatives McCain now is using despite the fact that he once held them responsible for the ugly campaign that contributed to his South Carolina primary defeat, a campaign in which McCain's wife Cindy was attacked for her past addiction to painkillers, and the McCains' adopted Bangladeshi daughter Bridget was targeted as his illegitimate black baby....

Eight years ago, of course, McCain was much chattier on the subject of these types of calls.

"A lot of phone calls were made by people who said we should be very ashamed about her, about the color of her skin," McCain told one interviewer. "Thousands and thousands of calls from people to voters saying 'You know the McCains have a black baby.' I believe that there is a special place in hell for people like those."

Apparently, that "special place in hell" is the John McCain for President campaign.

McCarthy Reincarnate

2008-10-17T19:11:00.000-05:00

I walked in the door and Hardball was on. Wingnut extraordinaire Michelle Bachmann was spewing her usual hatred, but tonight she took it even farther. Farther then I have EVER heard before:

Can you believe that??? McCarthyism is back!!! This is very scary. Just BREATHTAKING. My stomach is all twisted in knots. She's dangerous and inciting violence. People like this and Palin are so desperate that they are willing to destroy this country. What's the definition of treason again? What constitutes a threat to the Country?

"What I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or Anti-America? I think the American people would love to see an expose like that."

SHE WANTS A WITCH HUNT AGAINST THE LIBERAL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS! I am so tired of these asshats who subvert the Constitution, but call themselves patriots because they wear a flag on their lapel. I am so tired of these asshats that think that are the only ones who love this country and our troops because they stick a yellow magnet on their bumper! And the same thing goes for these un-Christ-like “Christians”. Just today I saw a bumper sticker that said JesUSAves. It is just ridiculous and infuriating what is done in the name of God and Country. None of these morons that spew hate and try to divide this country further have any idea of what it means to be a real American. And this woman IS the Anti-American.

4 -0: Team Obama

2008-10-15T22:30:00.006-05:00

"2/3 of the American people think McCain is an angry candidate, and for 90 minutes, he tried to convince the other third." -- Tom Daschle

That about sums up the debate tonight. McBush did himself no favors. He was seething, gritting his teeth, rolling his eyes and snorting. And guess what? People didn't like him very much. All insta polls show that Obama won big time. Even Fox News.

And there were some really bad moments for McBush that stood out to me:

When speaking about the Supreme Court McBush said: "Senator Obama voted against Justice Breyer and Justice Roberts on the grounds that they didn't meet his ideological standards." Yeah...I don't think so. Breyer was appointed in '94.
McBush said a couple of times that Palin knows more about the issue of autism than nearly anyone because her son has autism. That's not correct. Her son has Downs Syndrome. And what evidence is there of that she would do anything at all to help families with special needs children? Do you really thinks a McBush administration would help fund IDEA? Would they want to expand rights for special-education students to private schools? McBush also said they want to help find a cure. But how? The NIH budget has been slashed in the past eight years. Will McBush propose additional funding, particularly for autism or Down's research? My guess is he would not.
McBush sarcastically paid tribute with snarky air quotes to "the eloquence of Senator Obama. He's for the "health" of mother. You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything." What a wanker! I mean really. Ridiculing an exception in a late-term abortion ban for the life of the mother? Doesn't that tell you everything you need to know about his views about women? I don't think it will go over well with women that he MOCKED and belittled the idea that some women are faced with very heart wrenching life and death choices.
McBush said he would "encourage programs such as Teach for America and Troops to Teachers where people, after having served in the military, can go right to teaching and not have to take these examinations which -- or have the certification that some are required in some states." Did you get that? He wants to put teachers in my children's classrooms who have no training in education, which usually includes some training in how to handle children with special needs. This scares me. It's all I need is some former drill sergeant continually berating my sons to "look me in the eye when I talk to you." I've seen the type; they seem to coach a lot of kids' sports teams around here and it's not what the children in this country need. They need highly trained teachers and programs that are fully funded.
And did anyone else catch McCain's remarks about 27 minutes into the debate??? He called JFK's assassination an "intervention"!!! WTF?? Nice code words!

I'm so glad in 20 days I won't have to listen to him again!

Cheney Must Be So Proud...

2008-10-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

She is now the perfect Republican:

Witch hunter annointed...check!

Hater of science and intellectuals...check!

Race baiter...check!

Warmonger...check!
Hypocrite...check!
Power abuser...check!
Mean spirited...check!
"Christian"...check!
Evil...check!

Reformer My Ass! Breaking...

2008-10-10T20:49:00.002-05:00

This is the best October Suprise ever!:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- A legislative committee investigating Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the Republican vice presidential candidate, issued a report Friday night that found she unlawfully abused her authority by firing the state’s public safety commissioner.

***

"Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: To get Trooper Michael Wooten fired," said the report, which was issued in Anchorage.

She really is Cheney in a skirt! What a smart pick McBush! And by the way, this was a bipartisan report - 10 Republicans and 4 Dems.

Finding Number One

For the reasons explained in section IV of this report, I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) provides

The legislature reaffirms that each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust.

What are the chances that McBush will show his maverickness by casting the wicked, no good, politics as usual Wolf Slayer off his ticket? He needs to be hit hard for his judgement or rather...lack of judgement. This has got to be the worse VP pick ever!

Hope vs. Hate

2008-10-09T19:30:00.001-05:00

What the hell has happened to my country? These people are inciting hatred and violence against a candidate for the presidency for the United States. God forbid some right wing nutjob gets any stupid ideas from Wolf Slayer. But if the worst should happen, she and McBush will have blood on their hands. If their over-the-top crap gets Obama killed, and his wife and kids are grieving in full view of the public, I wonder if they'll finally realize what 20 years of Limbaugh and Hannity and Coulter has wrought. My guess is probably not.

The choice in this election could not be more different. One campaign is attacking the policies of the other side while at the same time offering positive solutions for how we can work together and bring about change. The other side is using McCarthy style attacks on the character of their opponents, inciting their crowds in the worst way possible, and offering no real solutions. It's the ultimate battle of hope vs. hate. And I prayer that for the good of this country that hope trumps fear and hate this time.

Need I say More...

2008-10-09T10:53:00.002-05:00

"When you try to lead the people with the use of ignorance and fear, you only lead the ignorant and fearful."

- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

This is just depressing. I really hope Obama funds public education properly because this country sure needs it:

I am truly fearful and ANGRY at the intolerance, the racism, and the stupidity of these people who probably call themselves Christians.

What I Fear

2008-10-09T07:30:00.001-05:00

The rhetoric of the Wolf Slayer and McBush during the last two weeks has been very unsettling. They love to talk about Barack "Hussein" Obama and they love to accuse him of being dangerous, unamerican and a terrorist. The crowds have responded predictably with shouts of "kill him" and "terrorist" and "treason". My fear is the slimmy tactic that the McBush campaign is engaging in will only take the slightest match to set off a powder keg of racial intolerance and religious fear mongering. In fact it is already starting. Dana Milbank reports:

Worse, Palin's routine attacks have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric's questions for her "less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media." At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, "Sit down, boy."

This is a very, very dangerous game McBush is playing. There are too many nutjobs out there like this one, with just a little bit of encouragement, will do something very bad. Just yesterday, McBush asked the crowd "who is Barack Obama?" Immediately you hear a supporter yell "terrorist." McBush pauses, the audience laughs, and McBush continues on, not acknowledging, not chastising, not correcting. He knows what he is doing. He is fostering hatred and negativity by not standing up to it. He should know better. It's appalling and is destroying whatever is left of his reputation.

$2 Trillion

2008-10-08T22:05:00.000-05:00

The Congressional Budget Office’s top budget analyst said that the prolonged downturn in the stock market:

“has wiped out about $2 trillion in Americans’ retirement savings in the past 15 months, a blow that could force workers to stay on the job longer than planned, rein in spending and possibly further stall an economy reliant on consumer dollars.”

And it was yet another sucky day on Wall Street today. I don't think I will even open my 401 (K) statement when it comes in the mail next week. What's the point, I'll never be able to retire at the rate I'm able to save. Social Security will be gone or "privatized" if the wing-nuts have their way.

How freak'n depressing. Instead of retiring I guess I'll be flip'n burgers or greeting Walmart customers in my "golden" years.

Round Three...

2008-10-07T22:32:00.003-05:00

Easily goes to Team Obama. That makes it 3 - 0. There's no doubt about what the papers and talking heads will be saying tomorrow. In fact here is the focus group of undecideds on CNN:

Who expressed his views more clearly in the debate?
Obama 60
McCain 30

Who spent more time attacking his opponent?
Obama 17
McCain 63

Who seemed to be the stronger leader?
Obama 54
McCain 43

Who was most likeable?
Obama 65
McCain 28

Will people vote for a person that they don't even find likeable? No good news for McCain there...or should I say in a snarky, disrespectful, condensending, asshole way: for that one. That one could not mask his disdain for Senator Obama.

McCain somehow needed to change the game tonight. He didn't. All of his attempts to paint Obama as foreign and dangerous are undercut by his performances, time and time again. Obama once again came off as presidential, while that one came off as peevish and angry. People will trust what they see themselves because they have certainly grown distrusting of McCain's campaign rhetoric.

My guess is that in about two day Obama will pick up another couple of point. Right now he up nationally about 9 points. That's an electorial blowout! I just wish my own state would turn blue. It's trending that way, but I'm not sure there is enough time left for it actually to happen.

Oh...and one last thing before I go dream about an Obama presidency: I love the ekg style tracking on CNN. The insta-response monitors hooked up to the undecideds completely short circuits the ability of the right-wing noise machine to ramp up the "our guy won because the Democrat sighed" bull crap. It's hard for the wingnuts to make their case that McCain won when the numbers are instantly so starkly in the opposition.

GOTV!

2008-10-06T19:36:00.000-05:00

Get Out the Vote: There's 29 days left until election day, but you don't have to wait until then. Starting today registered voters in Indiana can vote. You can vote in person at the County building in Crown Point (for us L.C. people) any weekday between Oct. 6 and Nov. 3, as well as Saturday Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.

Phew!

2008-10-03T22:33:00.002-05:00

I am sooo glad the Stock Market was saved today! That desperately needed bail-out of poor, poor Wall Street with the $7,000,000,000 of taxpayer money sure did put confidence back into the market! Hopefully Main Street will no longer seep its toxic waste onto Wall Street.

Boy-oh-boy I can't wait until Monday when everything will be all better! Now that all of our problems are solved I won't have to worry about losing my job, right!?! Can I please have my shares of AIG now??? I would love to go shopping!!! Isn't that we're suppose to do when we are in a crisis???

Ick!

2008-10-03T21:40:00.006-05:00

Insightful, penetrating, analysis of the Modern Conservative Intellectual:

"Gosh-gee-WALLY! Her dun winked at me!"

I’m sure I’m not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, “Hey, I think she just winked at me.” And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America.

This nutjob must have a weird book-banning-sexy-librarian fetish. So, So, Creepy. I think I need to go clean my eyeballs out. I feel so dirty after ready that.

But seriously...if I ever become so pathetic that I get excited because a complete stranger winks in the direction of a TV camera please push me in front of a flipping train.

She Killed, Alright!

2008-10-03T21:26:00.004-05:00

And this time I'm not even talking about a wolf. See! A "Famous Person" even said so:

Brought to you by the same people responsible for the "McCain Wins Debate!" that was ran BEFORE the freak'n debate took place. Who in the hell is running this train wreck of a "campaign"?

Absolutely hilarious. Urrr...I mean Gosh Durn HEE-LARIOUS!

Loser

2008-10-02T23:44:00.000-05:00

They managed to set her expectations so low that you would have to dig them out of the ground to find them. So I guess if “winning” meant that she didn’t drool on herself then the McBush campaign should be very happy tonight. But after all the spin has been spun, it will be clear that she didn’t do her ticket any favors.

To me she came across as the Stepford VP. Her robotic recitation of Steve Schmidt's talking points was her only role. She didn’t bother listening to any questions because she was too busy trying to stay on script to risk any sort of spontaneity or glimmer of independent thought. After her disastrous Couric interview she certainly couldn’t risk losing her place on her note cards or saying something outrageously stupid for SNL to mock.

Even still she did have a few outrageous moments that should give everyone pause. Like the fact that she stated that she would not answer the questions that were being asked! What the hell! Like the fact that she thinks that she would be able to grab even more executive power than Cheney stole! I don’t know of I will be able to sleep tonight!

She also has the nerve to talk about a 'second Holocaust'. You do NOT politicize the Holocaust. Doing so is an insult to the Jewish people. To make it even more insulting, was her implication is that an attack on Israel is exactly the same as years of oppression, being forced into ghettos and camps, being tortured and experimented upon and then being exterminated by the millions. I’m sure those polls numbers in Florida will keep going south for McBush after that blunder.

Her worst moment…her “Dukakis” moment was towards the end. Palin tried a snarky attack on Joe by claiming that he did not understanding what it's like to raise a family. It was a pretty shitty thing to say to Joe. Apparently no one clued her in on what this man had gone through. After Joe set her straight about losing his wife and daughter and raising his surviving children on his own her response was to not even acknowledge his very authentic, very painful experience. Can you imagine losing a child? Do you think it is something that you ever get over? As a mother I can’t even wrap my mind around it. As I mother I can’t understand Palin’s response. There was no, "I'm so sorry for your loss" or any humanity of any kind. Rather, she talked about how she and McCain were mavericks. So instead of playing the part of the compassionate conservative she acted like the valley girl teenager she speaks like. Cold, obnoxious, empty-headed, blatant, and stupid. And I wouldn't have blamed Joe if he had walked across the stage and punch her in the face. And she surely deserved it.
.
The woman is horrible and her grating, “folksy” voice gives me a headache. But (luckily) now that the debate is over they can put her back in a box only to be propped up when they need her to give her stump speech. I’m sure I don’t have to worry about listening to her giving any more press interviews (Fox doesn’t count) until after Election Night.

Happy Birthday Mr. Kyle

2008-09-28T21:38:00.000-05:00

My baby turned 14 on Thursday. Guess I should stop calling him "my baby". Sigh. They'll both be leaving me before I know it.

M.I.A.

2008-09-28T21:34:00.001-05:00

So…things have been pretty sucky the last couple of weeks. Between the never ending problems in my house, soccer, volunteering at the campaign office, and the crisis in the markets causing absolute chaos at work, I haven’t had the time or the inclination to write.

I do miss writing – it’s therapeutic for me. Hell, maybe that’s why I have been feeling so crappy lately! Maybe if I started writing again I would feel better!?! I just wish there was more time in a day – make that free time!

Brutal, but Effective (I hope)

2008-09-12T18:28:00.000-05:00

Defenders of Wildlife have an ad up in swing states that hits Wolf Slayer on...slaying wolves. It hits her on the disgusting practice of aerial hunting.

It’s no secret that I don’t like hunting at all. I hope my sons never partake in it. But I do understand that there are ethical hunters who also are great stewards of the woods and wildlife. I do understand that there are times when hunting may be warranted – like when deer need to be culled to prevent disease in over-populated areas where they would otherwise starve. I do understand ranchers wanting to protect their herds. That’s not what this is about. This is about exterminating wolves. This is about the slaughter of a beautiful animal.

Warning: This is not for the faint of heart.

This ad literally hurt my heart to watch, but I think it is really going to be effective. It’s the kind of truth people need to see. What’s being allowed to happen is barbaric and idiotic.

I hope this gives independent fence-straddling animal lover weighing his/her choices between McCain and Obama something to think about. It should also give a gut-check to women by taking off the shine of the “PTA Mom” imagine. What type of person would want to offer a bounty for the severed foreleg of a wolf? And what about hunters…I wonder what their reaction will be to this ad. Do they really respect “canned hunts” or fishing with dynamite? Wouldn’t real hunts see it as unfair and unsportsmanlike? There is no sport to this type of "hunting". It serves no purpose other than to satisfy blood hunger.

Certain Death

2008-09-12T17:44:00.002-05:00

The National Hurricane Center has warned residents of Galveston, Texas, that they "face certain death" if they do not flee before Hurricane Ike comes ashore from the Gulf of Mexico.

Ike will hit Texas within the next few hours. This is one big-ass storm. I can't even imagine. According to the weather service it is 900 miles wide and its tropical storm-force winds extended up to 275 miles -- the length of the Texas coastline -- from its center, for a total reach of about 550 miles. Un-freak'n-believable!

And after all the warnings and all the begging:

Galveston officials said as many as 40 percent of the city's 58,000 residents ignored the evacuation order.

These people are on a tiny stretch of land that will be decimated. I don't get it! Why didn't they get the hell out? They are talking about a twenty foot storm surge. That's a tsunami. Do they all have a death wish?!?

I'm afraid this is going to be a horrible tragedy. I hope I’m wrong.

"A Form of Child Abuse"

2008-09-10T08:13:00.001-05:00

News Week dropped a bombshell of a article this morning about Wolf Slayer's character:

An Anchorage judge three years ago warned Sarah Palin and members of her family to stop "disparaging" the reputation of Alaska State Trooper Michael Wooten, who at the time was undergoing a bitter separation and divorce from Palin's sister Molly.

This is before she became governor. Seriously, is there any doubt that this woman didn't use her power as head of the state to destroy this man, as is now alleged in the "troopergate" scandal?

Court documents show that Judge Suddock was disturbed by the alleged attacks by Palin and her family members on Wooten's behavior and character. "Disparaging will not be tolerated—it is a form of child abuse," the judge told a settlement hearing in October 2005, according to typed notes of the proceedings. The judge added: "Relatives cannot disparage either. If occurs [sic] the parent needs to set boundaries for their relatives."

Do they really want to keep putting her out there as the poster child for Republican "family values". She's looking down right white-trash to me.

"It is the mother's [Hackett's] responsibility to set boundaries for her relatives and insure [sic] they respect them, and the disparagement by either parent, or their surrogates is emotional child abuse," Judge Suddock wrote. He added that: "If the court finds it is necessary due to disparagement in the Mat-Su Valley [the area north of Anchorage where Palin and her extended family live], for the children's best interests, it [the court] will not hesitate to order custody to the father and a move into Anchorage."

No wonder that awful, completely FALSE ad came out of the McBush campaign yesterday claiming that Barrack wanted to teach kindergartners sex-ed. They knew this was coming and wanted to blunt the blow. But my guess is that Barack and Joe have never been warned by a judge that they were committing potential child abuse. Can't say that about the GOP ticket!

Disgraceful

2008-09-09T18:45:00.001-05:00

So far, 4155 families have lost a loved one in Iraq. 584 families have lost a loved one in Afghanistan. And there are tens of thousands of injured soldiers and yet, Megan McCain says: "No one knows what war is like other than my family. Period."

There are millions of familes thru this nation's history that know war or have paid a price in war, not just McBush. I really believe that he and his family honors his service, but do not honor the service of others. His voting record on Veteran issues prove that.

He recent fought against (but didn't bother to show up to vote on) the bi-patisan Webb/Hagel GI Bill. He said bill was "too generous". This bill would have allowed that if you did 3 tours (that's three years in Iraq) and want to get out and go to school, you could with the help of the VA. Did these soldiers not give enough to this country? Do they not deserve a good education?

He also just voted against the bipartisan Webb/Hagel Dwell Time Amendment which would have required troops to be home for the same amount of time as they are deployed. We have soldiers that are being made to return to Iraq for a third tour just 90 days after they had returned home to their families.

Throughout his Senate career he could have championed veteran's issues. As a high profile National hero, he should have championed veteran's issues. He did not. Instead he voted against increasing veterans and military health care 29 times that I could find. Maybe, just maybe, if he would have supported them we would have fully staffed VA hospitals. Instead we have VA hospitals closing, and the conditions at Walter Reed have became a national disgrace.

I believe our soldiers deserve better. Too bad McBush doesn't. Period.

It's O.K. if You're a Republican

2008-09-09T08:14:00.004-05:00

Another in the line of drip-drip mini-scandals that, framed correctly by the Democrats, should completely destroy the Wolf Slayer's claims of being a different kind of Republican and a Reformer:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.

So not only is she an incompetent, fact-avoiding, zealot, but she is personally corrupt as well.

She wrote some form of "Lodging -- own residence" or "Lodging -- Wasilla residence" more than 30 times at the same time she took a per diem, according to the reports. In two dozen undated amendments to the reports, the governor deleted the reference to staying in her home but still charged the per diem.

This woman is a diva. She fires people who look at her wrong -- literally. She feels entitled to being reimbursed for own home. She charged tax payers 707 dollars a night to take her daughter to NY. She just another Republican robbing the tax payers, just like Frank Murkowski, who she replaced. How does this make her any different than Murkowski? I guess it's the lipstick.

More of This Please!

2008-09-08T19:06:00.001-05:00

Finally! And they used the "L" word! This is EXACTLY what we need. Wonderfully done. Now we need another one like it Every. Single. Day. Call them out on all their lies and don't let them control the agenda.

Community Organizers

2008-09-06T23:20:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008, Palin the Wolf Slayer and Rudy Giuliani dismissed the work of all community activists by ridiculing the contributions of Barack Obama in his younger days on the South Side of Chicago.

They were truly some of the most arrogant, anti-reformist statements I have ever heard. Do all of these people, including my own family running with this latest talking point, even know what it is that they are all snaring at? Do they know what role community organizers have played in the history of this country?

Let’s start out by explaining just what it was that Barack chose to do as a twenty four year old – the thing that is soooo mockable to the GOP. Barack left a job on Wall Street to come to Chicago to work for Developing Communities Project, a church-based community organization on the South Side. During his three years as the director he set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization which fought with the City of Chicago to get Chicago Public Schools and housing developments cleaned of asbestos. He had thirteen employees working for him and a budget of nearly half a million dollars. So in his early twenties he was successfully LEADING. But he knew he could only do so much in the position he was in, so he returned to school. When he graduated from Harvard at the top of his class he returned to Chicago. He became a Civil Rights Attorney at a small law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development. He was still fighting for the underprivileged.

Please explain to me how the work he did helping the disadvantaged was not honorable? He could have continued making big bucks on Wall Street; he could have became a corporate lawyer. Instead he decided that he would rather actually do something to improve the lives of those facing discrimination and hard times.

In the history of this country there have been others that had chosen to be community organizers. Here a just a couple examples, but where would we be without their contributions to society:

Susan B. Anthony organized the fight to guarantee women's suffrage in the United States by giving public speeches and uniting with fellow advocates of change.

Martin Luther King Jr. organized to end racial segregation and discrimination by inspiring this nation to come together.

Dorothy Day organized the Catholic Worker movement to help the poor and homeless, and promote social justice.

Hell, the founding fathers of this country were community organizers. John and Samuel Adams organized their communities and made the case for Independence.

It was community organizers who created this country. And it has been community organizers, throughout this country's history, that have been responsible for progressive change -- the change that allows Wolf Slayer to be the first GOP female VP candidate, albeit spouting brainless venom.

So I'll take the first community organizer as President ANY DAY over some person with so-called "executive experience" who remains ignorant and clueless about one of the most honorable professions, in my view, we have in this country.

Bad News, But Not Surprising

2008-09-05T21:56:00.003-05:00

Methinks it’s going to be a rough day at work on Monday:

WASHINGTON — Senior officials from the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve on Friday informed top executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance giants, that the government was preparing to seize the two companies and place them in a conservatorship, officials and company executives briefed on the discussions said.

Yet another example of private companies gobbling up all the profits and saddling the taxpayers with the risks. And another example of the failure of a free market with too-little regulation. And what is it that they want to do with social security? Oh yeah, right…privatize it. Doesn’t that make you feel secure? And what is it that McBush said? My friends the fundamentals of our economy are strong...This is just a mental recession. I guess I should stop being such a whiner.

Seriously though, I think we will be seeing some big banks collapse in the very near term and loans will be non-existent. This is going to continue to be a bumpy ride.

Just Dumb

2008-09-05T21:45:00.000-05:00

Last night during the biggest speech of his life, McBush used the backdrop of a beautiful building. An odd choice, right? I mean, he has been getting beat up about not knowing how many luxury houses he owns. Why would he want to remind everyone of one of his many, many gaffes?

Well, as it turns out, the building is Walter Reed. As in Walter Reed Middle School! You think they would learn to use “the google” a little better. Then maybe they would have downloaded the right picture…the one of Walter Reed Medical Center.

And the school is none too happy about it:

"It has been brought to the school's attention that a picture of the front of our school, Walter Reed Middle School, was used as a backdrop at the Republican National Convention. Permission to use the front of our school for the Republican National Convention was not given by our school nor is the use of our school's picture an endorsement of any political party or view."

It’s funny; the incompetent fool claims to care so much about our wounded soldiers but no one in his campaign could spot the difference between the hospital where we send our wounded soldiers and some middle school in North Hollywood. I guess next time, if they want to get it right, they need to do a little more research before they try to use our troops as a tasteless politcal prop.

And one other thing: have you noticed that no one wants McBush to use their property, but yet he keeps dong it without permission? So far that I know of he has been smacked around by John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, Mike Meyers, Frankie Valli, Van Halen, Jackson Browne, and now today by both Heart and Walter Reed Middle.

Keep Going

2008-09-05T20:45:00.001-05:00

After watching four days of the vitriol and spitefulness that was the Republican Convention I am more energized to fight for what I believe in. We must keep going and keep pushing back against the negativity that is the Republican Party. They have nothing to offer but lies, fear, and hatred. They cannot be allowed to bully themselves into the White House again. They want us to cower in a corner and vote against our own best interest. But not this time.

Thank you Hillary for channeling Harriet Tubman and reminding me of how important this fight is and that I can't become discouraged:

This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.
How do we give this country back to them?
By following the example of a brave New Yorker, a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad.
And on that path to freedom, Harriet Tubman had one piece of advice.
If you hear the dogs, keep going.
If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.
If they're shouting after you, keep going.
Don't ever stop. Keep going.
If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.
Even in the darkest of moments, ordinary Americans have found the faith to keep going.
I've seen it in you. I've seen it in our teachers and firefighters, nurses and police officers, small business owners and union workers, the men and women of our military -- you always keep going.
We are Americans. We're not big on quitting.
But remember, before we can keep going, we have to get going by electing Barack Obama president.

Let's Play a Game...

2008-09-04T18:21:00.000-05:00

A drinking game. Everytime McBush says "My friends" during his speech tonight let's drink a shot. My guess is I'll be passed out from either bordom or alcohol poisoning within the first five minutes.

If He Already Knows…

2008-09-04T14:35:00.003-05:00

Last night McBush said this:

"President Clinton had opportunities to get Osama bin Laden. President Bush had opportunities to get Osama bin Laden. I know how to do it and I'll do it," he told ABC's "World News" in an interview.

Did he just call Shrub…who he supports 95% of the time…a failure?

In any case, if he already knows how to capture bin Laden, then why in the hell has he not shared his little secret with is good buddy? That seems like information that would be valuable to our national security. And everyone should be asking him why he letting our soldiers die when he has the secret knowledge to stop it! How’s that for being patriotic? Sounds to me like he is putting his political ambitions before the good of the country, doesn’t it? McCain would rather win an election than capture the most wanted man in the world.

He’s either a grandiose jackass that thinks we're going to fall for his Nixonian bullshit or a traitor. Either way, he should be called on it.

My Two Cents...

2008-09-04T09:06:00.000-05:00

For what it is worth. The Wolf Slayer did what she needed to last night. She went out there and proved that she can read a teleprompter of a speech that was prepared by Bush’s speech writer week’s ago for someone else. Yes, she made it her own by once again putting her family on display. But to be honest, she is a master at the art of the “pause” and she played to crowd well. I have to give her credit for that. That’s something that even a lot of very seasoned politicians can’t do - like McBush. He’s awful at reading the crowd.

She also undoubtedly solidified the fundie nut-job part of the republican base. Up until last night they weren’t energized by the idea of a McBush presidency. They loved her (again, will someone explain to me just when minors having pre-marital sex became acceptable to the religious nut-jobs?).

But beyond that her speech was just platitudes. She was smug, sarcastic, and nasty, without offering any reason to actually vote for the republican ticket. And she once again told bold faced lies to the American people (that’s a whole other posting).

Do you know what I hope people realize? That’s all they have! They are running on the exact same policies of the current administration and their only hope is that no one notices and no one questions them on it. The one thing that to GOP has perfected is the art of “branding”. They are master marketers. They sold George Bush, the colossal failure, twice! And now they’re trying to sell us the “maverick” and the “reformer”.

Will the American people buy it? Time will tell, but I hope not. I hope they are paying attention this time. I hope they have noticed that there has been not one mention of the economy or how they attend to fix it. I hope they will notice that there has been absolutely no mention of how they plan to change the direction of the country. They can’t win on the issues and they know it. All they can do is lie and attack Obama on what are really their own weaknesses. They are just empty suits and trying to sell to same old, same old and hoping to get away with it once again.

Playing the Sexism Card

2008-09-03T21:16:00.001-05:00

Poor Wolf Slayer. She is now the victim of the mean, mean, evil, chauvinist left and the press and they’re not going to take it!:

ST. PAUL -- Female Republicans embraced identity politics with gusto today, touting the virtues of presumptive vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and suggesting that any attempts to question her qualifications amounted to blatant sexism.

In a "hear me roar"-style press conference, a parade of elected officials and GOP operatives issued a lengthy defense of the Alaska governor's credentials, and former Massachusetts governor Jane Swift said Palin has been the target of "an outrageous smear campaign."

"She has taken on the corrupt special interests in Washington and Alaska. She has stood up for families and made a difference," Swift said. "She is more prepared than Barack Obama to be the president of the United States. ... The Republican Party will not stand by while Sarah Palin is subjected to sexist attacks."

Boo, fu*k'n hoo! The Republican Party, that after 196 years, finally got around to putting a woman on the ticket? The Republican Party whose platform is that women should not have the right to choose what happens to her own body? The Republican Party that has nominated the man who said this about Chelsea Clinton…the man who called his wife a C*nt…the man who told a joke about a woman being raped by an ape. Righhht, they really care about women and would never degrade them.

And I wonder what the Wolf Slayer will say about this line of defense since she had no problem ripping Clinton when she tried that defense:

During the primary Sarah Palin chided Hillary Clinton for complaining about sexism.

"She does herself a disservice to even mention it, really," Palin said. "When I hear a statement like that coming from a woman candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism, or maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, 'Man, that doesn't do us any good, women in politics, or women in general, trying to progress this country,'" Palin said. "I don't think it bodes well for her."

Crickets... I guess she's not a maverick after all. She's just a girl and you better play nice with her or she's going to cry. I sure hope if she becomes VP (god forbid) that Putin plays nice with her and doesn't make her cry. We wouldn't want her smearing all that make-up.

Let Me Ask You This

2008-09-03T20:29:00.002-05:00

Suppose Barack Obama had a pregnant 17 year old daughter and her “baby’s daddy” was some black 18 year old angry high school drop out. What do you think the GOP talking points would be? Would we hear what a blessing it is? How

My guess is we would not. My guess is that we would hear about the baby being another statistic of failed parenting and that we should not elect Obama because he can’t even control what happens in his own home.

But yet, we have Palin the Wolf Slayer, proudly DISPLAYING her pregnant minor daughter and her boyfriend at the GOP convention. Actually flaunting it front and center so the media can take lots of pretty pictures of the cute couple! McBush even took the time out of his “busy” schedule to greet the kid on the airport tarmac when he landed for a photo op...after they cleaned him up.

GAWD…I want to puke. Really. And now we have Cindy, the pill popping thief, sitting with the happy couple at the convention playing with the other baby. What message does this send to young teens? That it glamorous to drop out of school, get knock’d up and have a shot gun wedding?

And if this is supposed to be a private family affair then why in the HELL is the McBush campaign making a circus out of it and blaming it on the press and those evil liberal that have no respect for the Palin family?

Say one thing and do another. The Christian way.

Ooops!

2008-09-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

Gotta love the open mic. It's the only time you can get a real sense of how the pundits actually feel. And when you've lost Peggy Noonan, you've got a problem. She has genuine conservative bona fides. She probably is fuming that her old party taken over by a bunch of wacko, nut-job, zealot theocrats.

I must say this made me happy, but I'm also a little pissed at Chucky T. If this is really what he thinks, then he has been full of shit on the air for the last few days. Quit pandering and do your frack'n job as a political analyst!

The Hypocrisy Makes My Head Spin

2008-09-02T21:00:00.001-05:00

The Washington Post is on fire tonight. Here's their latest reporting:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee who revealed Monday that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, earlier this year used her line-item veto to slash funding for a state program benefiting teen mothers in need of a place to live.

Honestly, at first this was fun to me. The woman is a real nut-job and it was amusing watching McBush try to spin all of the stuff they missed while "vetting" her. Now I am just pissed and worried that there is a chance that people might actually vote this ticket in. I mean Shrub did get selected twice and we are still using diebold voting machines.

According to Passage House's web site, its purpose is to provide "young mothers a place to live with their babies for up to eighteen months while they gain the necessary skills and resources to change their lives" and help teen moms "become productive, successful, independent adults who create and provide a stable environment for themselves and their families."

So this asshole, holier-than-thou nut-job who, as is turns out, was knocked up before she eloped...who believes she has a right to dictate what a woman can and cannot do with her own body...who voted to refuse sex education in schools, and who wants to deny access to protection for teens is now responsible for throwing young mothers and their babies out on to the streets. How very FUCKING Christian of her! I just love how every life is “precious” to them…at least while it is in the womb. After that who cares if the kid starves to death or is homeless or is sent off to die in a war so that Cheney's oil buddies can make a pretty penny.

I am so tired of rules and religious convictions only applying to certain people. If you're the governor and your daughter gets knocked up, she can go live in one of your three houses. If you're some poor girl with no family you get no empathy, no compassion. They call you a sinner and kick you to the curb.

Cry Baby!

2008-09-02T19:37:00.000-05:00

CNN is reporting that McBush is taking his ball and going home. He has canceled the interview that he had lined up with Larry King and is said to now be boycotting CNN. He's all pissy that reporters are actually starting to do their job and have dared to ask questions about if the Wolf Slayer is qualified on national security issues.

And the McBush camp also essentially said today that until the media plays nice, they won't let anyone interview the Wolf Slayer. No MTP. No Face the Nation. Nice. So we all just get to guess whether she's qualified (not).

Here's the interview that their panties are in a wad over:

Any one with two brain cells to rub together can figure out that she has zero relevant "Commander in Chief" experience like they are trying to push. In Fact, here is what the general who runs the Alaska National Guard says:

Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard... said he and Palin play no role in national defense activities, even when they involve the Alaska National Guard. The entire operation is under federal control, and the governor is not briefed on situations.

Another talking point debuked.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

2008-09-02T19:18:00.000-05:00

I’m watching or rather trying to keep my eyes open during the Republican Convention. These people are ridiculous and really boring. Keith just broke in with new “breaking” news being reported at the Washington Post about the Wolf Slayer. Apparently the Palins were part owner in a car wash that got shut down by the State for operating illegally:

State records show the business ran into trouble with Alaska's division of corporations business and professional licensing after Palin became governor of the state in 2006.

A Feb. 11, 2007 letter to the governor's business partner advises that the car wash had "not filed its biennial report and/or paid its biennial fees," which were more than a year overdue.

The warning letter was written on state letterhead, which carried Palin's name at the top, next to the state seal.

On April 3, 2007, the state went further and issued a "certificate of involuntary dissolution" because of the car wash's failure to file its report and pay state licensing fees.

Good God this woman is an incompetent nutcase! I'm laughing so damn much these last few days over this woman. It will be fun over the next few nights to watch the Republicans defend her tooth and nail, when in the end she’s either going to drop out because she needed to “spend for time with her family” or get the kick in the ass from the campaign. I really don’t see her making it until November.

You know, I really I am starting to feel sorry for The Onion. How are they going to top this in it's ridiculousness?

The Party of Family Values...

2008-09-02T08:10:00.000-05:00

Brings you the party with Hookers & Blow:

I love the pink boas! I have to wonder though, when the party organizers were ordering Hookers & Blow do you think they knew they were getting a band?!?

Family Value at it's Finest

2008-09-01T18:27:00.005-05:00

Since the Bush Administration and his wingnut religious zealots took over our country they have spent / wasted over $1 billion of tax payer money in federal funding to promote abstinence only education in schools. Palin the Wolf Slayer and McBush are both strong proponents of abstinence only education. How’s that working out?

The 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant, Palin said on Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.

Bristol Palin, one of Alaska Gov. Palin's five children with her husband, Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, the Palins said in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Hummm…I wonder if Bible-thumpers have more pregnant teen kids than those of us who actually teach responsibility to our kids?

But anyway...the real reason I even touched on this and the real story here is that abstinence only education doesn't work. It's unrealistic and dangerous. Preaching religion, abstinence, and "just say no", does a great disservice to kids. Teenagers are going to have sex. You cannot control human nature with prayer and freaky, creepy Purity Balls. What tennagers need is to be educated on how to protect themselves from diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

And I really, really feel sorry for this girl. Can you imagine how awful this must be for her? She is faced with the daunting task of raising a child and doesn’t deserve to have her personal life exposed to the entire world because of her mother’s political aspirations. I wish her the best of luck.

Btw…I also want to point out that Palin opposes any use of birth control by married couples – condoms included. How well do you think that is going to play with Hillary supporters and your average soccer mom? I don’t think too well.

Absolutely Unbelievable

2008-08-31T22:23:00.001-05:00

There should be no doubt what-so-ever that John Sidney McBush the Third lacks the intelligence and judgment to be the President of the United States. The most important decision that he has made thus far has been his VP selection. Could he have screwed it up any more? Seriously. Three days after he rolls out Palin the Wolf Slayer they have decided that maybe it’s time to vet her:

The campaign of John McCain has sent a staff of eight people into Alaska to conduct background checks and vetting on Governor Sarah Palin.

Word is they have eight rooms reserved at a Wasilla hotel.

Any person that would dare vote for this man does NOT put country first.

The McCain campaign has gone to great lengths to present the selection of Sarah Palin as one made after a careful, meticulous vetting process. But evidence continues to suggest that the Arizona Republican made his VP choice with surprising haste.

On Saturday, a Democrat tasked with opposition research contacted the Huffington Post with this piece of information: as of this weekend, the McCain campaign had not gone through old newspaper articles from the Valley Frontiersman, Palin's hometown newspaper.

How does he know? The paper's (massive) archives are not online. And when he went to research past content, he was told he was the first to inquire.

"No one else had requested access before," said the source. "It's unbelievable. We were the only people to do that, which means the McCain camp didn't."

What an incompetence buffoon. But I guess if the person is your “soulmate” there’s no need to vet, right? I wonder how Cindy felt about him saying that? He is known for leaving his aging wife for a younger version. I hope she has a prenup.

Gustav, the Photo Op

2008-08-31T11:49:00.003-05:00

Well, it is looking like Gustav is going to hit as a Category 3 sometime on Monday. That mean less time to get out and less time to prepare. Luckily it has weakened some after going over Cuba. But as the masses of people in the Gulf Coast region are fleeing their homes, the dynamic duo of Grandpa McSame and Palin the Wolf Slayer are rushing in:

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are traveling to Mississippi on Sunday to check on people getting prepared for Hurricane Gustav. [...]

Aides say McCain and his wife Cindy will join Palin in traveling to Jackson, Miss., Sunday at the invitation of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour because of concerns about people threatened by the storm [...]

The McCains and Palin will receive a briefing at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency — a permanent operations center monitoring hurricane response.

Just what these people need right now! I’m sure they are sooo relieved. I bet they are going to do a "heck of a job." I wonder if they will be handing out bottled hot water to dehydrated babies?

My guess is that man who ate cake as we lost New Orleans the latest time and the beauty queen doesn’t have a lot by way of hurricane disaster relief to offer. And why isn’t the dynamic duo flying to N.O. to see about hurricane prep if they are so concerned? Mississippi isn't in any of the hurricane models as being in the path of the eye of the storm. It’s kinda like how McSame went into the Green Zone in Iraq with heavily locked-down security team to pronounce to America how safe it is in Iraq.

Yeah, yeah, I’m cynical as all hell about this, but let’s remember how much Grandpa McSame cared about the people that lives were destroyed when Katrina hit:

• McCain Voted Twice Against Establishing A Commission To Study The Response To Hurricane Katrina. [ 9/14/2005, 2/2/2006]
• McCain Opposed Granting Financial Relief To Those Affected By Hurricane Katrina. [9/15/2005]
• McCain Voted Against Five Months of Medicaid For Hurricane Katrina Victims. [11/3/2005]
• McCain Voted Against Emergency Funding Bill, Including $28 Billion for Hurricane Relief. [5/4/2006]

You can paint lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig. The people of the Gulf Coast are not going to forget how they were left to drown. The people in this country are not going to forget the thousands of people locked in the Superdome for six days straight with no food, no water, and no medical attention. Or at least that is what I hope.

Tin Foil Hat Time...

2008-08-30T15:22:00.004-05:00

Ok..to all you mothers out there. Does this seem believable?

News of her pregnancy was kept quiet at first while Ms. Palin went about her work as governor, and her water broke while she was attending an energy conference in Texas. She reportedly delivered a 30-minute speech before flying home, where she delivered the baby boy the next morning.

So...lets get this straight. Sarah Palin didn't let anyone know she was pregnant until she was almost full term. Everyone was shocked because she wasn't showing at all. At the end of her pregnancy, knowing that she was high-risk, she goes to Texas to speak. While there her water breaks and she still waits around for her plane, boards it and takes the 7 hour flight back to Alaska. She got home and gave birth the next morning (a Friday) and was back at work on Monday. She took no maternity leave at all - not a single day off after giving birth to a premature baby with Down syndrome. Super woman, indeed!

What mother would put her unborn child at risk like that by getting on that plane? Wouldn't you stay close to your doctor? And would you not immediately get to a hospital when your water broke, knowing that you were high risk? And what about the airline? Do you really think they would have allowed her on the plane?

Something doesn't add up. She must be absolutely stupid and irresponsible for risking the life of her child by getting on that plane or she is lying. Either way it goes against her character.

Gustav

2008-08-30T09:00:00.010-05:00

Yesterday was the third anniversary of when Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans as a category 2. And while they ate cake, over 1,800 people lost their lives. Since then, has the Bush Administration done everything it could to protect our citizens from a repeat of Katrina?

Of course not. According to a complaint to the Office of Special Counsel, the hydraulic pumps manufactured by Moving Waters Industry (MWI) and installed in New Orleans are poorly designed and untested. Everyone should be asking how this is even possible after all of the death and devastation that Katrina caused? Why would the government not do everything possible to ensure the safety of our citizens after Katrina? The answer is simple and appalling:

The pumps were custom-designed and built by Moving Water Industries Corporation (MWI) of Deerfield Beach, Florida, which won the $26.6 million contract after competitive bidding. MWI is owned by J. David Eller, who was once a business partner of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. (From 1989 to 1993 the two operated the company Bush-El, which marketed MWI pumps.)

Does it really surprise anyone to find out that once again Bush put loyalty to family and cronies over the well being of the citizens of this country? And what will he and McCain be doing when the next hurricane hits? They will be together as they celebrate McCain's foregone nomination in St.Paul. I wonder if there will be cake this time?

Gustav is supposed to make landfall sometime in the late night of Monday or the early hours on Tuesday. The path and intensity of Gustav is eerily identical to Katrina. It is being predicted that it will hit as a Category 3 - stronger than Katrina. It's been several days now that its track is not shifting very much. I had been optimistic that it was going to move away from a direct hit near New Orleans, but it is really not looking good. I hope and prayer that everyone in the Gulf Coast region, and especially N.O., are taking the threat seriously and are getting out. Lord knows if I were them I would have absolutely no faith that the levies and the pumps will work.

Senile Egomanic/BeautyQueen '08

2008-08-29T21:51:00.001-05:00

I'm sure this will be comforting to everyone worried that the Wolf Slayer has zero National Security credentials:

Mr. McCain’s advisers said Friday that Mr. McCain was well aware that Ms. Palin would be criticized for her lack of foreign policy experience, but that he viewed her as exceptionally talented and intelligent and that he felt she would be able to be educated quickly.

“She’s going to learn national security at the foot of the master for the next four years, and most doctors think that he’ll be around at least that long,” said Charlie Black, one of Mr. McCain’s top advisers, making light of concerns about Mr. McCain’s health.

I can't decide whether I want to laugh, cry, or vomit right now. I'm so glad the 72 year-old, confused man, that has been diagnosed with cancer multiple time has decided to make a joke out of his choice to replace his old ass (should he drop dead) by picking a trophy VP to go along with his trophy wife.

Love at First Sight?

2008-08-29T18:38:00.000-05:00

Andrea Mitchell just reported on NBC that McCain and Palin only met each other once before she got on stage with him as his VP choice. McCain's campaign chairman Sen. Lindsay Graham admitted that he had never met. Graham is one of the men on his VP vetting team! W.T.F! What a completely reckless act and a total lack of judgement.

Palin, the Wolf Slayer

2008-08-29T17:31:00.000-05:00

The more I learn about this woman, the scarier she becomes. There's a very unethical and disgusting practice in Alaska which involves the shot gunning of animals such as wolves and bears from low, slow-flying airplanes. Thousands of animals are killed in Alaska every year using this method. Sarah Palin not only supports this, she is an avid hunter, herself. Recently, the State of Alaska brutally slaughtered 14 wolf pups that were just weeks old:

State wildlife agency personnel staked out a known wolf denning site -- a practice that is illegal under Alaska law -- and, using helicopters, they gunned down 14 adult wolves from the air, part of an effort to boost caribou populations in Southwest Alaska.

When they landed, they found the 14 helpless pups in the nearby dens -- just weeks old -- and methodically shot each one in the head. 28 wolves gunned down in all.

When the news got out that this has happened, how did Palin respond:

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has even signed off on a $400,000 state-funded propaganda campaign to justify the state's barbaric wolf slaughter from the skies.

Palin, the Wolf Slayer, is also no friend of the polar bears. Palin believes global warming is a farce and that Polar Bears are not endangered. Right now she is suing to get polar bears removed off of the endangered species list. Of course, like all republicans the real reason for her stance is oil:

She and other Alaska elected officials fear a listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off the state's northern and northwestern coasts.

She also supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and anywhere else big oil wants. Big surprise!

It's Palin...

2008-08-29T12:31:00.000-05:00

McCain has settled on someone with 1.5 years of experience as governor of a state with fewer than 700,000 people - an unknown outside of the political junkie circles. Here is what I know about her:

She is currently under legislative investigation, accused of firing the state's public safety commissioner for not firing her former brother-in-law.
She is a hard core proponent of drilling in ANWR, which would make sense - her husband does work for BP.
She is a mother of five who just gave birth in April to a son with Down syndrome.

And she is someone who admittedly doesn’t know what the VP does:

So a month ago she didn't even know what the VP really does... and now by accepting she is implying she is ready to rule the free world if Grandpa McCain keels over? Righhht…

This pick is nothing more then a nakedly desperate political ploy to get women, and I don't think it will work any more than putting Alan Keyes on the ticket would score black voters. My guess is that any of Hillary’s supports that still refused to vote for Obama are going to sit it out if they are true democrats. Surely after the eight years of dealing with ideologues, they won’t risk four more with a completely anti-choice, anti-woman, conservative ticket.

Here’s Obama’s response:

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies -- that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same," said Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman.

Nice.

The Revolution has been Televised!

2008-08-29T08:09:00.000-05:00

McCain is DOOMED! Obama is gonna eat him alive in any debates!

Eight Is Enough!

2008-08-28T22:32:00.000-05:00

I would love to say something profound and brilliant, but damn it…I can't stop crying and my eyes are stinging! Guns. Gay Marriage. Taxes. Social Security. National Security. Patriotism. Temperament. Job well done, Senator Obama! Now let’s get to work and restore America!

McCain's Healthcare Plan

2008-08-28T08:14:00.003-05:00

Wow. Just...Wow.

Mr. Goodman, who helped craft Sen. John McCain's health care policy, said anyone with access to an emergency room effectively has insurance, albeit the government acts as the payer of last resort. (Hospital emergency rooms by law cannot turn away a patient in need of immediate care.)

"So I have a solution. And it will cost not one thin dime," Mr. Goodman said. "The next president of the United States should sign an executive order requiring the Census Bureau to cease and desist from describing any American – even illegal aliens – as uninsured. Instead, the bureau should categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care.

"So, there you have it. Voila! Problem solved."

See it is that simple! What a great solution! Let's flood our ER's! It's not like they're overworked. It's not like they could be doing something more important then cutting out Grandma's ingrown toe nail!

So next time your child needs immunizations, or you need your annual pap smear, or your husband needs a prostate exam, your local ER with be waiting breathlessly for your arrival. No need to call ahead for an appointment. Everything is roses and puppy dogs!

Oh...And I can't wait for HR to get in today so I can tell them that I no longer need to pay the $546 a month in pay check deductions for my kids to have insurance! They're already insured! Happy Days!!! Now I can afford a pony!

The Enormity of This Moment

2008-08-27T21:24:00.001-05:00

In the next 40 years a Negro can achieve the same position that my brother has.
Robert F. Kennedy, 1968

Jelly...Do you remember when we were kids and we watched as Canaryville was almost lit afire with hatred because CPS had decided to desegregate Graham Elementary and bus black children in from Hendricks?

There were news cameras everywhere as people protested and fought in the streets. The Horror of it all! Black children in our schools mixing with our precious white children! How would we ever survive! You would have thought in was 1960 in Alabama…not 1977 in Chicago.

Do you remember when a black man who dared to walk down Union Avenue jumped through Irma’s front window to try to escape from the mob that had tried to kill him? He wasn’t even considered human by those monsters. But back then, that was the norm for us growing up. What a shameful, shame full time.

Tonight, I look back at those dark times and I’m thankful that our country is moving forward. I am so proud tonight that the first Madam Speaker of the House of Representatives slammed down the gavel that officially nominated the first black candidate for president. I’ve been crying for hours! I know we’ve come a long way and we still have more to go, but man does tonight feel great! Hopefully in 8 years I’ll be sitting here crying as we nominate the first female candidate.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963

McSame Loves Him Some Gasolina!

2008-08-27T18:00:00.003-05:00

Last night while Hillary was blowing us all away with her wonderful endorsement of Obama and all things progressive, McSame was in his home state campaigning. Why would he have to do that you might ask? Because his polling is so sucky in the state that knows he best, he’s on the verge of losing it. He can barely hit 45%.

But here’s the funny thing about last night…or the thing that would not be so funny if I were the parents of the girls at the school he was illegally holding his event at…It’s that he was there trying to be “hip” by endorsing the rap artist Daddy Yankee and his song Gasolina... which as it turns out is about f**king! Yes, that’s right. McCain was illegally in a high school gym full of giddy underage girls bopping his head to a song he “loves” about how women like to be filled up with ‘gasolina” hard! Here are some of the lyrics:

Da - ddy Yan- kee !
shake it mambo so that my cat (cat = babe) can turn on the engine,
shake it mambo so that my cat (cat = babe) can turn on the engine,
shake it mambo so that my cat (cat = babe) can turn on the engine,

Get ready, because whats coming is to give it to her, (hard!)
Mamita, I know that you aren't going to take away (hard!)
What I like is that you let yourself get taken away (hard!)
every weekend she goes out to have fun (hard!)
my cat doesn't stop hanging out because ...
She likes gasolina
(give me more gasolina!)
How she loves gasolina (give me more gasolina!)

And what’s gasolina? It’s not fuel!

One has to wonder if the conservative Republican was simply pandering when talking about Gasolina. If so would he have made a point of mentioning the song "Gasolina" which is a reference to semen and the song itself has lyrics loaded with sexual references.

A campaign spokesman said McCain had no comment when asked whether McCain knew about the sexual references in the song.

Brought to you by the party of “family values’!

No Way! No How! No McCain!

2008-08-27T08:02:00.008-05:00

I must admit that Hillary was really on top of her game last night. She delivered a fiery, impassioned speech that should really put to rest the bull shit meme that we are not a united party. Of course it won't...but it should.

I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children,campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family,and fighting for women's rights at home and around the world . . . to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.
And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last
eight years,to suffer through more failed leadership.

No way. No how. No McCain.

And I think she laid it all out there to her most stalwart that if they really cared about the important causes that she has fought so hard for and they really care about the future of this country, that there is no way you could possibly even consider voting for McSame.

I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?

Take the PUMAs! If they are not on board and really to fight to take back the country, it can only mean one of two things:

They are really republican trying to subvert our party by stirring up this shit. or
They are really dumb ass, uninformed voters that would rather sit it out and and give a another four years to the republicans then vote for a black man.

Now can we get on with it and stop with the phony drama?

Principled and Gutsy

2008-08-26T20:05:00.005-05:00

I screwed up last night by watching MSNBC for coverage instead of C-Span or PBS. I needed my Keith fix, but ended up missing an important speech:

"As a Republican, I stand before you with deep respect for the history and traditions of my political party. But it is clear to all Americans that something is out of kilter in our great republic.... Seldom has the case for an inspiring new political ethic been more compelling. And seldom has an emerging leader so matched the needs of the moment.... I stand before you proud of my party's contributions to American history but, as a citizen, proud as well of the good judgment of good people in this good party, in nominating a transcending candidate, an individual whom I am convinced will recapture the American dream and be a truly great president: the senator from Abraham Lincoln's state -- Barack Obama.... This is not a time for politics as usual... Obama will recapture the American dream and be a truly great president."

Former Iowa Rep. Jim Leach, was a leading Republican moderate for 30 years. He is still a well respected Republican - not some wack-job Zell Miller or Joe Lieberman. He knows how important it is to end the destruction that has been caused by the party he once loved and felt it his duty to this country to speak out:

The party that once emphasized individual rights has gravitated in recent years toward regulating values. The party of military responsibility has taken us to war with a country that did not attack us. The party that formerly led the world in arms control has moved to undercut treaties crucial to the defense of the earth. The party that prides itself on conservation has abdicated its responsibilities in the face of global warming. And the party historically anchored in fiscal restraint has nearly doubled the national debt, squandering our precious resources in an undisciplined and unprecedented effort to finance a war with tax cuts.

I realize he was not the most dynamic of speakers and he looked really, really uncomfortable, but he presented a well-reasoned, articulate argument to his fellow republicans that I wish would have gotten some play in the news. Maybe it would have given some of the moderate, middle class republicans that aren't really happen with McBush something more to think about.

Night 2

2008-08-26T19:05:00.003-05:00

Just a couple of hours Hillary Clinton will get on stage and end the suspense. The pundits are all giddy with the anticipation of the big speech. They are all asking gleefully the same freaking questions over and over: "Is Hillary over it"..."Will she deliver" and "what kinds of chaos are the protesters / PUMAs / Clinton's planning?"

I wish the "news" would do just do their damn job instead of continually making asses of themselves with their bullshit meme that Obama has a problem with women voters. They keep finding the most moronic women they can to make their case that the party is divided:

I know that we really need every vote we can get, but quite frankly, why in the hell would we want these idiots in our party. These are either some of the most ignorant voters in the country or actors paid by the RNC to disrupt to convention.

The Future First Lady

2008-08-26T07:36:00.002-05:00

I really hope that everyone took the time yesterday to watch Michelle Obama's speech at the convention. What an absolutely amazing woman she is. She was so elegant and graceful and brilliant. And what strength and faith she has to stand there and offer up to us the man that is her husband and father of her children, when just blocks away the FBI was busy questioning the men who set out the Denver to kill him.

How can anyone doubt that this family is real and that they love and have faith in the best of people and their country, is beyond me.

Keep Safe Barack

2008-08-25T22:21:00.001-05:00

Rocky Mountain News is reporting:

Authorities are investigating a possible assassination plot against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

At least four people have been arrested in connection with a possible plot to kill Obama at his Thursday night acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High, according to CBS4 News. The suspects are being held on either drug or weapons charges.

Aurora police arrested a longtime drug user Sunday afternoon during a routine traffic stop where the man was seen "weaving," sources said. Three possible other accomplices also were arrested, according to police.

Police found four weapons, including two high-powered, scoped rifles along with camouflage clothing, walkie-talkies, a bulletproof vest, a spotting scope, licenses in the names of other people and methamphetamine. One of the rifles is listed as stolen from Kansas.

I'm so glad really stupid, dangerous people - like Ted Bundy - are caught in a routine traffic stop because they can't follow simple rules of the road.

CBS4 reported one of the suspects told authorities they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a ... rifle … sighted at 750 yards."

Law-enforcement sources told CBS4 that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative."

These white supremacist...these domestic terrorist need to be punished to the fullest extent that the law allows. Thank god they were stopped. And do you know what else needs to stop immediately: the bullshit meme that McCain is pushing in his ads like "The One" that paint Obama as the AntiChrist. It's irresponsible. It's dangerous. It's repugnant.

Shameless

2008-08-25T08:33:00.008-05:00

Do you remember during the 2004 elections when John Kerry, the decorated war hero who fought in Vietnam, was completely slimmed and “swift-boated” by republicans? They accused him of being un-patriotic and they wore purple Band-Aids at their convention to mock his war record.

Do you remember Max Cleveland, the Democratic Senator from Georgia, who lost both of his legs and one arm in Vietnam? The republicans questioned his patriotism. How in an ad they morphed his face with that of Bin Laden and Saddam and accused him of serving al-Qaeda? Republicans destroyed these honorable men by trivializing their service to this country, calling them unpatriotic, and making them out to be pansies.

Let’s fast forward to today. We have another war hero running for president, but this time it’s a republican. Democrats are bending over backwards and pussyfoot around him - making sure to “honor” his service at every turn. But what about what McCain is doing myself? Isn't the fact that McCain keeps referring to his own POW status trivializes it? It is his excuse for everything. It's his golden parachute. It's his get out of jail free card:

He has sucky taste in music and loves ABBA because he was a POW.
He admits to cheating on his first wife and leaving her for a bubbly, blond, heiress half his age, but you have absolutely no right to question the character of a POW.
His "healthcare" plan sucks and you may die waiting for a doctor, but screw you...he was a POW .
He skirted the rules of the faith-based forum at Saddleback Church...and what are you going to do about it...question the integrity of a POW? How dare you!
He can't remember how many houses he owned, but why should he have to..he was a POW.
And what about the Keating Five/Savings and Loan Scandal that he was involved in that cost the American tax payers $160 Billion? What nerve you have to bring that up! It reminds him of the time he was a POW and why would you torture him by bringing back those memories!

Somebody should tell McCain that a Purple Heart and a Silver Star does not entitle you to the Presidency. Nothing entitles you to the Presidency. And being a POW is not a cloak of invincibility. A cheater is still a cheater - even if that cheater was a POW. And we, as citizens of this country, have every right to question his character...especially after the eight years of torture we have just endured.

Outside of the Box, Alright...

2008-08-24T12:58:00.010-05:00

One of my loyal readers asked about Ron Paul. I'm not sure if he was serious, but here are my thoughts on Ron Paul. He is definitely outside of the box - but not in a good way. Sure his forceful, eloquent anti-war rhetoric sticks out like a sore thumb from the yammerings of the other republicans, but he has a lot of truly crazy ultra conservative viewpoints:

He is against any environmental regulations. He is another oil man. His abysmal record on the environment is driven in large measure by his love of oil: in the 109th Congress alone, he voted to voted allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to shield oil companies from MTBE contamination lawsuits, against increasing gas mileage standards, to allow new offshore drilling, and to stop making oil companies pay royalties to the government for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

He wants to overturn Roe vs Wade. He wants to criminalize women and their doctors for murder, so he introduced a bill that would define life as being at conception. He also is against stem cell research.

He wants to abolish social security.

Say goodbye to funding for public education. He wants to abolish the Department of Education. He believes children should be taught through home schooling & private school via tax write-offs.

He marches in lock-step with the xenophobic right wing on immigration. He even proposed a bill that would repeal the fourteenth Amendment. He wants to criminalize doctors that treat illegal immigrants.

He is an extreme racist. I think he makes David Duke look like a saint. That’s why his biggest supports are the KKK and Neo-Nazi groups. He has voted against the Civil Rights Act and the Voters Right Act.

He is an extreme homophobe. He equates homosexuality with sexual deviance. Doesn’t believe that gay people should be able to serve in the military, or adopt children or have any other rights at all.

He does not believe in the Separation of Church and State.

That's not the change I'm looking for. In fact, it seems more of the same. But if you really think that he is the answer, you can join other like-minded followers in "Paulville". Seems appropriate that it's located in Texas with the rest of the wack jobs!

The Biden Factor

2008-08-23T19:25:00.005-05:00

So... there's some waffling among my friends. Who did you think he should have picked? Hillary? Bayh? Tim Kaine? Richardson? Someone totally unknown? Just curious. I think he did the right thing. Sure it would have been cool if he found someone that fit the bill that was totally off the radar. It would have at least made the traditional media look dumb.

But still...I’m really ecstatic about Obama’s choice. I think he brings a lot to the ticket and is a perfect complement to Obama. Does he have a perfect voting record? No. There are votes that he made that I don’t agree with. The Bankruptcy bill is one and so was his initial vote on the war, which he has said was a mistake. But he has done a lot of good for progressive causes and for protecting the people of this country:

Women/Health/Family: He authored the Violence against Women Act. He has fought to protect Roe vs. Wade. He supports Title X which funds the family planning program that provides information, services, support, and research for family planning. He sponsored the Fair Pay Restoration Act to overturn a Supreme Court decision that makes it more difficult for women to bring pay discrimination cases. He co-sponsored the bill increasing the federal minimum wage to $7.25. He helped author the Family and Medical leave act to give families up to twelve weeks leave without losing their jobs. He sponsored the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He has fought to allow Medicaid to provide home- and community-based support services needed by disabled individuals to remain out of institutions. He also fought to allow low-income families with disabled children to buy into the Medicaid program.

Education: He authored College ACCESS legislation that would increase the Pell Grant to $6,300 and also provide families with a tax credit up to 12,000 over a four year college career. Of course this is currently being blocked by Republicans. He co-sponsored the original Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which has enabled millions of children with disabilities to have equal educational opportunities. You know – like my children who have IEP because of their disabilities. He co-authored KIDS 2000, a program which established a public/private partnership to provide computer centers and internet access in schools. He co-authored cosponsored the Facilitating Outstanding Classrooms Using Size Reduction (FOCUS) Act, which would provide $2 billion in funding to hire 100,000 new teachers to reduce class size, particularly in the
early grades.

Crime and Civil Rights: He authored the COPS Program and fought to put an additional 100,000 police on the streets to make them safer. He authored the bill to establish an FBI registry of sexual offenders. He sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to prohibit job discrimination of any kind. He sponsored the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act to expand federal and state coordination to fight hate crimes. He authored an expansion of the Voting Rights Act that helps protect minorities. He has fought for paper trials in the voting booths so that elections won’t be stolen again.

Listen, I can go on and on about his record, but to be honest, I don’t think it is about his record or his experience. In fact, I haven’t even touched on what are known to be his strong points – Defense, Veterans rights, Labor Rights, and Foreign Affairs. Neither did Obama or Biden in their speeches today. The fact is Obama needs him to be the attack dog. Obama needs him to be his ambassador to blue collar America. He may be little inarticulate and prone to putting his foot in his mouth, but that is the appeal. He is a “regular” guy. Yes, he’s an old white guy. Yes, he’s spent his whole life in public service. But unlike most politicians, he has spent his time actually doing his job and not hobnobbing with lobbyist for golf trips and special favors (unlike McCain). The man has a total worth of $100,000. He has not used his position for power and greed. He is a true public servant. There’s nothing pretentious about him. In fact, look at how the media is fawning over him talking about his "American story." About how he is a wonderful family man who takes the train home every day to Wilmington. About how he lost his wife and daughter. About how is a fighter and not afraid to get in the mud.

And a word about the primaries: Every single candidate in the democratic primary bashed Obama and bashed each other, as did all of their surrogates’. That is what happens during primaries. You try to make the other guy look weak or evil. The voters didn't buy it. The McCain campaign had an ad ready to go for whatever person Obama decided to go with. It’s no surprise. Do you remember during the 1980 primaries when Bush Sr. attacked Reagan and accused him of using “voodoo economics’? That was used against him and yet he was chosen as the VP. Or an even better example…what about this years republican primary? Romney ripped on McCain over his lack of economic experience and vowed never to run with him because he would be an awful president and McCain literally called Romney a pig and accused Romney of a "wholesale deception of voters". Guess who is currently #1 on McCain’s VP list?

Biden is likable. But yes, he is imperfect. Even so, he brings a lot to the table. He appeals to the rust belt. He appeals to the working class. He appeals to the elderly. He will help shore up more of Hillary’s people and will secure Pennsylvania. He is a strong pick…and again…I’m really happy with it. Obama did what he needed to do. That was to pick someone that would help him win the Presidency, so that he can advance the causes and changes that are needed in America.

There will be change. I have no doubt about it – even with the old white guy on the ticket. Obama is still about ending the war and preventing more. He is still about saving social security. He is still about advancing clean energies and reducing oil dependence. He is still about improving healthcare for everyone. He is still about appointing Supreme Court Judges that will protect women’s rights. He is stilling about restoring our reputation around the world. He is still about transperency in government. He is still about change.

Obama/Biden

2008-08-23T07:26:00.001-05:00

2:38am. That's when I got my text message. I was thinking how poetic it would be if he sent it out at exactly 3am, but maybe that would have been viewed as a slap in the face to Hillary. Anyway...I can't wait until people really get to know Joe. And I can't wait to see him at the debate! He is a little prone to gaffes, but he knows his stuff, especially on foreign affairs. This is going to be fun!

John McCain, Man of the People

2008-08-22T07:53:00.000-05:00

People worth over $5 Million that is.

Get the Popcorn Ready!!!

2008-08-21T20:29:00.002-05:00

I may be the only person excited about this, but the debate schedule has been annouced!

9/26 - The first debate will be at the University of Mississippi. The focus will be on foreign policy and national security. The candidates will stand at podiums and the debate will include nine, nine-minute segments where each candidate will have two minutes to speak and then five minutes for debate. Jim Lehrer will moderate.

10/7 - The second debate will be at Belmont University (in Nashville). This one will be a town hall style forum where questions will come from the audience and on-line viewers. Each candidate will have two minutes to respond to questions, and it will not be topic-specific. Tom Brokaw will moderate.

10/15 - The third debate will be at Hofstra University (New York) and will focus on domestic and economic policy. The candidates will be seated at a table, and the question format will be the same as the first debate, with nine, nine-minute segments. Bob Schieffer will moderate.

Not sure the first debate will really be the best format for Obama, but he should do great at the other two. He will surely blow McBush away on domestic and economic policy at the third debate. I'm glad that one is last.

There will also be a VP debate moderated by Gwin Ifill on 10/2. And I know there is less than 36 hours until we find out who our VP will be, but the waiting is KILLING ME! Can you imagine Joe Biden (yes, I thinkg it will be Joe) shredding Tom Pawlenty? That would be soooo awsome! If only I would get that damn text message from the campaign! GIVE IT UP ALREADY! STOP TEASING ME! I'm tired of sleeping with my cell phone next the me in bed!

Is he Out of Touch or Senile?

2008-08-21T08:14:00.004-05:00

From today's Politico:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own.

"I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M.

According to Newsweek the answer is eight houses. No wonder why Cindy says that the only way to get around is by private jet. With so many houses to keep up with they certainly can't be expected to have to sit in traffic with the common man getting to them all. Oh, that's right! The McCains have servants for all of that anyway. Servants that they paid $273,000.00 to just last year.

But seriously, how rich do you have to be, or how cognitively impaired, to not remember how many homes you have? Poor, Poor, John Sidney McCain the Third. So much to keep straight.

McCain’s comments came four days after he initially told Pastor Rick Warren during a faith forum on Sunday his threshold for considering someone rich is $5 million.

- And Obama is the out of touch "elitist".

Approval Ratings...

2008-08-15T08:13:00.002-05:00

Do you support Bush today more than you did four years ago? John McCain does. Whole-heartedly. 100% of the time. What a maverick!

Demonizing Women

2008-08-03T00:28:00.001-05:00

Is this nightmare even going to end? I am so tired of this wing nut administration pushing its kooky, backwards, chauvinistic ideology on us. The latest is that the Department of Health and Human Services has decided to define the pill and IUD’s as abortion methods under its new rule. That’s right. Any woman trying to responsibly prevent an unwanted pregnancy is an abortionist according to the United States government. The new rule also states that it would “deny federal money to healthcare centers that punish workers who refuse to take part in anything from a clinical abortion to prescribing birth control pills.” The rule would also allow “insurers that get federal money to drop their coverage of contraceptives.” WTF! Where is the outrage from the Hillary-supporting feminist? Where is Emily’s list and why aren’t they all screaming at the top of their lungs?

Here's what I want to know - are men who wear condoms committing abortion too? What about male masturbation? Aren’t those both acts that deny the procreation of another little miracle life to populate the pews at fundie churches??

Margaret Atwood predicted this.

The Rapture

2008-08-02T09:38:00.004-05:00

Back in the mid nineties everyone was talking about this “great” book called Left Behind. I’m very particular about what I read, so I wasn’t interested in it. Unfortunately, at one point it was assigned to the book club I was in. Let me summarize the plot for anyone who has been fortunate enough not to have read it: the Rapture has come so, all the true believer go to see God, while those left behind get the worst of it. They are stuck on earth, being lead by a man named Nicholae who is a young, charismatic and forceful politician that rises from nowhere to become the corrupt, evil uniter of a post-rapture world. He is the Antichrist.

You may be asking yourself why I am writing about this violent, racist, homophobic crappy novel. This is why:

Do you see where I am going? McCain is defining Obama as Nicholae the Antichrist. It’s a dog whistler to all nut job evangelists that the Rapture is coming!

Think I’m crazy and really reaching here? The same day McCain released this ad, the Right-wing Christian Evangelical leader Hal Lindsey, who popularized the modern, Fundamentalist Christian interpretation of the Book of Revelations and the Apocalypse, wrote this:

Obama's world tour provided a foretaste of the reception he can expect to receive.

He will probably also stand in some European capital, addressing the people of the world and telling them that he is the one that they have been waiting for. And he can expect as wildly enthusiastic a greeting as Obama got in Berlin.

The Bible calls that leader the Antichrist. And it seems apparent that the world is now ready to make his acquaintance.

Think it is a coincidence? I don’t. And it is dangerous. There are too many unbalanced religious freaks out there that will believe this crap. And put yourself in their heads. If you are a true believer and the Antichrist has come to end the world, what with you do?

I'm getting soooo old...

2008-06-17T22:45:00.006-05:00

Happy 17th Birthday Kenneth!

It's unbelievable how quickly time flies by. My little boy isn't so little anymore.

Articles of Impeachment

2008-06-10T19:58:00.003-05:00

Last night, for five hours, 35 Articles of Impeachment against G.W. were read into the record of Congress. You would have thought that it would have been a news-worthy event, but apparently the "dap" a.k.a. "terrorist fist jab" is still what is on every one's mind. Here are the first ten articles:

Article I
Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War against Iraq.
Article II
Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression.
Article III
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War.
Article IV
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States.
Article V
Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression.
Article VI
Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of HJRes114.
Article VII
Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.
Article VIII
Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter.
Article IX
Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor.
Article X
Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes.

You can read the entire resolution here. There's no doubt in my mind that he is guilty of each and every one of the 35 crimes, but nothing will ever come of it. He will never be held accountable for all the people that have died because of his war. It seems the only thing in this day and age that can get you impeached is a blow job.

How....Mavericky

2008-06-05T19:04:00.005-05:00

I have to hand it to him, the Maverick sure is original! NOT!

I think this one fits the Bush lov'n, beer furtune heir much better:

The Next President of the United States!

2008-06-03T21:25:00.004-05:00

"We may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first.

We are always Americans first."

Barack Obama, Democratic Nominee - June 3, 2008

I am so proud! Tears of joy are stinging my eyes. Barack has clinched the nomination! I have had the privilege of not only witnessing, but being part of this defining moment in our history and I am the better for it.

America, more than any other country, is based around an idea. Most of the time, that idea just lives in the abstract world. Occasionally---like right now---the idea is actually happening. Who would have thought sixteen months ago that a young, upstart, black man with a funky name and no money would build a nation-wide grass roots coalition and win against the Clinton brand, the DLC establishment, and "operation chaos"? MLK and Bobby are smiling down on us right now. They aspired for something better for us and I believe we are now finally realizing it.

As I look at my children, I will cherish this incredible time that we have come to as a nation. I have invested so much hope in this moment. I know a lot of people think that I am foolish and naive for it, but it makes tonight all the more sweeter for me. Like Barack said tonight "This is our moment, our time to offer a new direction, but we have a long journey ahead". So tonight I will sleep restfully and prepare to volunteer for the next battle ahead. Peace!

Graceful exit?

2008-06-03T20:40:00.000-05:00

Of course not. Clinton just gave her "celebration" speech. In her first sentence she dissed Montana by saying that South Dakota was the last voice and they elected her. Montana polls don't close for another 20 minutes, but I guess they don't count.

She's still is campaigning - this was her normal stump speech. She is still claiming that she won the "popular vote" even though there is no such thing. Oh...and she used Bushes favorite line: Stay the Course. What the hell! This speech was not in furtherance of the party; it was nothing but a final dig into her party's nominee. So much for unity. I'm sorry but I really hate her right now.

2008-05-31T22:59:00.003-05:00

I sat all morning watching the Democratic Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting. Yes, I know. I have no real life to speak of. But I was on pins and needles waiting to see how they would determine what to do about seating the Florida and Michigan delegates - the two states that broke the rules by moving their primaries up. The end result was what I expected. The states will be seated at the convention at half strength.

Obama emerged from the RBC proceedings with a grand total of 2,052 delegates, just 66 short of the now 2,118 required to win the nomination. Clinton has 1,877.5 delegates, 240.5 short of the number needed to win. There are only 290 delegates left. On Tuesday, after the polls close in Montana and South Dakota, Obama will have clinched the nomination. On to the general!!!

The one that bothered me about the proceedings was some of the very ignorant Clinton supports in attendance causing a ruckus with their protest inside and outside of the meeting. What an embarrassment these people are. It's hard for me to fathom that these people are really part of the democratic party -- the Big Tent Party. If you don't know what I am talking about, check this out:

For her to say Barack Obama, who is Harvard educated and a SENATOR, is an "inadequate" black man is truly disgusting. Imagine what type of message that would send to any young African American striving for something better in life.

So these "feminists" who support Hillary are going to vote for the Anti-Choice, Anti-civil rights policy, conservative Bush-cronie McCain over the Pro-Choice, Pro-civil rights Democrat Obama.
That makes these people one of the following:

1. RACISTS.
2. MISANDRISTS (man-haters)
3. REPUBLICANS.

What an embarrassment these people are. It's hard for me to fathom that these people are really part of the democratic party -- the Big Tent Party.

Shamelss and Unforgivable

2008-05-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

I’ve been writing very little lately because I’ve been so angered at how the primaries have been playing out, and I felt that I was just beating a dead horse with my complaints. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not angry that they are still going on. I’m angry that Clinton has decided that she would rather stay in and tear the party apart by playing victim, then focusing on defeating McCain. In the last few weeks she and her surrogates have blamed her fall on misogyny, bribed super delegates, and threatened to leadership that if Clinton was not the nominee they would take their money and leave the party.

Let them. After the unforgivable thing she said yesterday, she needs to be thrown out of the party and she can take all of her corrupt, old establishment with her. This is about a new time in our history. What she said should be the final nail in her coffin. And she of all people should have known better.

Death threats came early to Obama judging by how early the Secret Service stepped in to try to protect him. I suspect, the death threats come in greater numbers for him than any Presidential candidate before him. And yet, he still stands before us. He stands before us with his family by his side. Think about that.

Think about what it would take for any of us here to believe so strongly in the need to change our country that we could handle constant death threats. That we could handle the danger inherent in our campaign not just to our spouse, but to our children?

Think about Wing-Nut radio show hosts who feel free to joke about the possibility of him being assassinated. And the good Rev. Mike Huckabee? Didn’t he joke just last week about someone shooting at Obama? How funny, right!?! Apparently, it's still OK in this country to many people to joke about shooting and killing a black man – even if he is probably the next president.
And yet, Obama stands before us, offering himself to us. He does it in venues of 15,000, 30,000, 50,000, 75,000 people. Do you think all of them have gone through metal detectors? We've seen reports of the Secret Service getting a certain percentage of people close to the stage through screening with metal detectors, but no way can they get everybody through. And yet, he stands before us, an act of courage day after day.

While he stood before crowds of people yesterday talking about change and making our country better, Clinton was talking about her political gain through the possibility of his assassination.
To take jokes from Republicans and wing-nut radio hosts is one thing, but to take it from a Democrat is something else. And to take it from a person claiming to be fit to be President, is something else entirely. All I can say is that she is shockingly despicable.
Don’t you think that she should know better then anyone else what it is like to protect your family against all the wing-nuts? All the threats?

Yes, she knows what it's like to need the kind of protection Obama has - for her daughter to need it and her husband to need it. And don’t you think it has to be even worse for Obama, a black man who dares to think he can break through hundreds of years of racism in this country and be President?

It is unforgivable. And don’t let her brush it off as some kind of mistake when she spoke. It wasn’t the first time she used the assassination of Bobby either. Here she is in a Time interview two months ago:

TIME: Can you envision a point at which--if the race stays this close--Democratic Party elders would step in and say, "This is now hurting the party and whoever will be the nominee in the fall"?

CLINTON: No, I really can't. I think people have short memories. Primary contests used to last a lot longer. We all remember the great tragedy of Bobby Kennedy being assassinated in June in L.A. My husband didn't wrap up the nomination in 1992 until June. Having a primary contest go through June is nothing particularly unusual.

So it has nothing to do with the excuse she gave that the Kennedy’s were on her mind this week because of Teddy’s terminal cancer diagnoses. This is a tactic of hers. What a shameless, horrible person she is. She is not fit to be president.

Cluster Bombs

2008-05-20T21:06:00.005-05:00

This week in Dublin, representatives from more than 100 nations gathered to develop a treaty that would ban the use of cluster bombs:

Cluster munitions are among the weapons which pose the gravest dangers to civilians, according to the CMC.

Dropped from warplanes or fired from artillery guns, they explode in mid-air, randomly scattering bomblets -- ramping up the risk of civilians being killed or maimed by their indiscriminate, wide-area effect.
They pose a lasting threat to civilians as well, as many bomblets fail to explode on impact.

Cluster munitions caused more civilian casualties in Kosovo in 1999 and Iraq in 2003 than any other weapon system.

In the Middle East, Israel's widespread use of cluster bombs during the 2006 war in Lebanon caused more than 200 civilian casualties in the year following the ceasefire, the CMC said.

Under the draft treaty, signatories would never use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer cluster munitions. They would also have six years to destroy their stockpiles.

Guess what countries weren’t represented there and why:

Notably absent from the conference include China, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia and the United States -- all major producers and stockpilers.

The United States of America is the largest manufacturer of cluster bombs. This weaponry maims and kills thousands of innocent human beings globally each year but reaps huge profits for the defense industry. Thus, our absence is no grand mystery. It’s always about profits.

In 2006 a vote came up in the senate. It was senate amendment 4882: Statement of Purpose: To protect civilian lives from unexploded cluster munitions.

Here’s the full text:

No funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act my [sic] be obligated or expended to acquire, utilize, sell, or transfer any cluster munitions unless the rules of engagement applicable to the cluster munitions ensure that the cluster munitions will not be used in or near any concentrated population of civilians, whether permanent or temporary, including inhabited parts of cities or villages, camps or columns of refugees or evacuees, or camps or groups of nomads.

Not a single republican voted in favor of this amendment and neither did Clinton.

Did that sink in? Clinton voted against banning the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas. Think about that: Should our military be permitted to use cluster bombs in civilian areas, with each exploding bomb covering the range of a football field? Yes or no? Senator Clinton said yes. Senator Obama said no.

I guess Clinton didn’t want to appear to be soft on terror. I can just hear the rational from the supposedly progressive women fiercely pushing for her "Yes, she does vote for horrible things, but she is a woman! Vote for her anyway.”

Enabling the Enemy

2008-05-16T20:08:00.006-05:00

It amazes me that the grandson of Prescott Bush has the nerve to bring up Nazi enablers and giving comfort to enemies:

George Bush's grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany. The Guardian has obtained confirmation from newly discovered files in the US National Archives that a firm of which Prescott Bush was a director was involved with the financial architects of Nazism.

His business dealings, which continued until his company's assets were seized in 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act, has led more than 60 years later to a civil action for damages being brought in Germany against the Bush family by two former slave laborers at Auschwitz.
The evidence has also prompted one former US Nazi war crimes prosecutor to argue that the late senator's action should have been grounds for prosecution for giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

You see, Prescott Bush made a considerable share of the family fortune through his dealings with Nazi Germany. Prescott Bush was a partner and executive in the Brown Brothers Harriman holding company on Wall Street and a director of one of its key financial components, the Union Banking Corporation (UBC).

Together with his father-in-law George Herbert Walker, Prescott Bush owned the Hamburg-Amerika shipping line, which was utilized by the Nazi regime to transport its agents in and out of North America.

Another subsidiary of the Harriman group, Harriman International Co., struck a deal with Hitler’s regime in 1933 to coordinate German exports to the US market.

You can read the Federal Register from November 7, 1942 here were you can see Prescott Bust listed as having assets seized under the Trading with the Enemy Act.

And if you act now you can own the china used by Adolf Hitler’s elite bodyguard on Prescott Bush’s ships. They are being auctioned off tomorrow:

Nazi guards would eat their meals served on the 30-piece set as they traveled incognito on the Hamburg-American shipping line, protecting Hitler against communist attack.

All the plates and dishes carry the symbol of the “Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler” (LAH), the name of the elite guard, in elaborate gold lettering. They would only be used in the guard’s private quarters.
The Leibstandarte-SS lived in comfort on board the ships, which were partly owned by George W Bush’s great grandfather, Prescott Bush, often posing as passengers or crew.

The Fracture with Women

2008-05-16T11:05:00.005-05:00

I look forward to the day that I vote for the first woman President of the United States, but it won’t be this November. I know a lot of Hillary’s most stalwart female supporters feel that their candidate is a victim of misogyny. I don’t believe so. Sure there are some idiots out there that don’t believe a woman should be president, but there are also many idiots who don’t believe there should ever be a black president. The fact is that this is a truly historic time. We have the first viable woman candidate and the first viable African American candidate. Unfortunately that means that one long oppressed voice has to end up being disappointed.

But to think that Hillary’s downfall was that she is a woman is wrong in my opinion. Up until February she was believed to be the presumptive nominee. Her average lead in national polls was 20% over Barack. Did all of the sudden an epidemic of sexism infect the country? I don’t think so. Hillary’s downfall was her own making. She didn’t read the political climate correctly. This is a change election, and yet she decided to align herself with the establishment and also on the wrong side of the ideological divide. I was more then disappointed that she chose to use divisive tactics and to make herself a comparatively conservative candidate when all indications were that people are tired of Rovian politics. Her votes on the AUMF and Kyl-Lierberman were absolutely egregious and unforgivable. And I never in my life thought I would hear a democratic candidate so flippantly talk about obliterating a nation.

So Hillary being a woman has nothing to do with why she fell behind. I think if a white man were running the exact same way against Barack that he would lose, as well.

I hope that feminist groups like Emily’s List realize this soon before it is too late. I know they are deeply disappointed, but this call to boycott Barack is reckless and has the potential to severely damage the women’s rights movement for generations. Is tying yourself to Hillary’s failed candidacy really worth it? How does working to destroy Barack’s chances in the general get you anything? Do you really want to risk a McCain presidency? Is he not the man who said just last week that he would not support equal pay for women? Is he not the man that said he would install Supreme Court judges in the tradition of Scalia? Are you really that spiteful that you would risk young girls having to resort to back alley abortions rather then supporting another progressive candidate? How sad is that?

Barack has a stellar record of defending woman’s right. Yet you would rather deny the Presidency to this man - this man who was raised by an extraordinary, progressive woman and also married one - just because Hillary is not the nominee. All this talk of voting for McCain is foolishness if what your true goal is to promote women’s rights. The only thing that should really matter is that a president is elected that would be a champion of women. Please think about this. Why would you cut your nose off to spite your face?

Statesmanship versus Pandering Demagoguery

2008-05-15T17:48:00.004-05:00

Washington met with the British; Eisenhower met with Stalin; Truman met with Korea; Nixon met with China; Reagan met with Russia and IRAN; GHW Bush met with Quaddafi. And yet, according to W’s foreign policy doctrine you should never talk to the “enemy” - that is unless he’s doing, like when he was negotiating with North Korea, which is a state sponsor of terrorism. That’s ok! Or maybe the only time it is wrong is when a democratic leader wants to find a peaceful, diplomatic solution with an adversarial nation instead of attacking it – then they are no different than “Nazi appeasers”:

In a particularly sharp blast from halfway around the world, President Bush suggested Thursday that Sen. Barack Obama and other Democrats are in favor of “appeasement” of terrorists in the same way U.S. leaders appeased Nazis in the run-up to World War II.

“Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along,” said Bush, in what White House aides privately acknowledged was a reference to calls by Obama and other Democrats for the U.S. president to sit down for talks with leaders like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“We have heard this foolish delusion before,” Bush said in remarks to the Israeli Knesset. “As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American Senator declared: ‘Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.’ We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.”

The remarks seemed to be a not-so-subtle attempt to continue to raise doubts about Obama with Jewish-Americans.

What a sad little war mongering pathetic man. All Mr. 28% has is fear. He certainly doesn’t have any class, intelligence, or honor. He flew halfway around the world only to deliver a cheap and foolish political shot at the Obama. You know, I expect this kind of behavior from a half-assed third world strongman like Robert Mugabe, but not the President of the United States of America. Oh and will someone please get him a dictionary already? In his illiterate mind diplomacy is equivalent to appeasement. It is not.

Luckily, we will soon have a President that believes in statesmanship and diplomacy. It will be none too soon. Obama immediately responded:

"It is sad that President Bush would use a speech to the Knesset on the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence to launch a false political attack," Obama said in the statement his aides distributed. "George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists, and the president's extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel."

Oh and McCain decided that he wanted to jump into it and stuck his foot in his mouth when the press asked him about it:

“Yes, there have been appeasers in the past, and the president is exactly right, and one of them is Neville Chamberlain,'’ Mr. McCain told reporters on his campaign bus after a speech in Columbus, Ohio. “I believe that it’s not an accident that our hostages came home from Iran when President Reagan was president of the United States. He didn’t sit down in a negotiation with the religious extremists in Iran, he made it very clear that those hostages were coming home.'’

Umm...McCain isn't doing a very bad job of remembering history? The Iran-Contra scandal, where Reagan funneled weapons to Iran in return for hostage releases, was kind of a big story. Mr. Foreign Policy Experience has been making a lot of gaffes lately.

More on West Virginia and What it Meant or Didn't Mean

2008-05-15T09:46:00.006-05:00

Puzzled raised some questions in a comment in my last post, so let me clarify. I believe that everybody has a duty to vote. That is why I am a volunteer with Vote for Change, which is a six-month 50-state voter registration and mobilization drive to try to get everyone involved in the process - not just “eggheads and African Americans” (as Clinton talking head Paul Begela calls Obama’s base). Clinton has targeted a specific base of voters - women and the one’s she calls “white, hard working Americans” (which I find insulting). She does extremely well in rural or mountainous white areas, especially if there are a lot of elderly. If you look at the voting patterns for both candidates you will see what I mean:

This graph shows the counties that Clinton received at least 65% of the votes during the primaries (pre West Virginia). Do you see a pattern? She does phenomenal through Appalachia and Arkansas and virtually no where else in the country. And it can’t be denied that there is also a huge racial divide throughout these areas as well.

You can take a look at the exit poll data from the West Virginia primary here. It's depressing to me.

Look...I was not pointing out the demographics in my last post to be a snob or an “elitist” or to demean anybody. The areas that she does well in are white, rural, poor areas where women and elderly make up the majority. Like I said, those are the facts. Her West Virginia win was expected. It was not a game changer. And if you want a sports analogy: her win was like a 12/0 team (Obama) losing to a 6/4 team (Clinton) during the last game of regular season. Does it change who goes to the championships? No. And Clinton acting like it was the most important contest and saying that Obama shouldn't be the nominee because he can't get "white, hardworking Americans" to vote for him does nothing to start healing the party and unifying it. How does Clinton and her surrogates going around to every news channel proclaiming that this win means that Obama would fail in November because he didn't win West Virginia help anything?

And yes, I do want every voter to have their say. Clinton has every right to stay in as long as she wants, but she shouldn't be trying to kneecap Obama, since it is clear that he is the nominee and the only way that Clinton can win is if she somehow steals the election. What she should be doing is helping to bring everyone together by stressing the weakness of McCain. She has the power to reach out to her base and start the healing process. She hasn't used it. Instead she has constantly said that Obama is not electable and has praised McCain. It is ludicrous and only hurts our chances in the fall.

And another point that I want to be very clear on is that I don’t look down at the people in these regions at all. The only issue I take with any person is if their sole reason for supporting or not supporting someone is the color of their skin and almost 22% of the people polled in West Virginia admitted that they would not vote for a black man. And I’m sorry, but racist are abhorrent to me. That’s it. It has nothing to do with their educational level, their age, the type of house they live in or the job they have.

The people in the Appalachian area don’t have it easy. They are farmers and coal miners. They do work hard and some in very terrible, hazardous conditions. My guess is that very few people in these areas have the luxury of coming home after a hard days work and flipping on cable TV or searching the web. In this day and age I think that puts them at a disadvantage. They don’t have access to the tools and probably don’t have the time to actually research the candidates and their positions. They know the Clinton brand and Obama is an unknown who has been successfully painted as an "elitist" who will take their guns away by them. I don’t think that I am being “elitist” in pointing out any of these facts.

This graph shows the counties that Obama received at least 55% of the votes during the primaries (pre West Virginia). Is it surprising that he does extremely well in black urban areas and in college towns? No. That’s where the demographics favor him. But the thing is that this Clinton/media narrative that he can’t win among “white, hard working Americans” is false. He won big in Iowa and Utah and Nebraska and Wyoming, so I’m tired of hearing the Clintons speak as if the “white, hardworking Americans” that votes for her are the only ones that matter. The 50-state coalition that Obama has built is impressive and all-encompassing. He has NEVER dismissed a state or an electorate as being not important. Clinton has time and time again.

Ok...I feel like I am just rambling now. Hopefully I have gotten the points I wanted to make across.

Selling a Dead Parrot

2008-05-13T22:13:00.006-05:00

Customer: "Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now."

Pet-shop owner: "No, no he's not dead, he's -- he's resting! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian blue, isn't it, aye? Beautiful plumage!"

Customer: "That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not half an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it being tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk."

Pet-shop owner: "Well, he's, he's, ah, probably pining for the fiords."

Customer: "He's not pining! He's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! He's expired and gone to meet his maker! He's a stiff! Bereft of life, he rests in peace! . . . His metabolic processes are now history! He's off the twig! He's kicked the bucket, he's shuffled off his mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleeding choir invisible! This is an ex-parrot!"

-- From "Monty Python's Flying Circus"

Results are trickling in from West Virginia. BIG SURPRISE! Hillary was declared the winner the second that the polls closed. West Virginia happens to be her base: white, poor, rural, and uneducated. Facts are facts – those are the demographics of the voters in the state:

• 95% are white
• 3% are black
• 51% live in rural areas
• 26% are elderly
• 51% are women
• 76% have no college
• Median household income is $33,993

West Virginia is one of the least representative states in the nation as a whole, but an ideal Clinton state. She will win with about 68% of the vote. She will net maybe 10 delegates from the state. But you know what, even if she won every single delegate in WV, she would only have offset Obama's gain in super delegates in the last seven day (29 supers).

And big deal! Do you know how many states that Obama has blown her away with over 60% if the vote? 15 States + DC + VI + Dems Abroad

* Virgin Islands (89.9%) * Idaho (79%)
* Hawaii (76%) * Alaska (75%)
* Washington, DC (75%) * Kansas (74%)
* Washington (68%) * Nebraska (68%)
* Minnesota (67%) * Colorado (67%)
* Georgia (67%) * Illinois (65%)
* Virginia (64%) * Maryland (62%)
* North Dakota (61%) * Wyoming (61%)
* Mississippi (61%)

Clinton: 2 States
* Arkansas (70%) – Bill’s home state
* West Virginia (??)

At the end of the evening she's got bragging rights and that's it. Nothing more. She needs to win 91% of the remaining delegates to catch up to Obama. That’s NEVER going to happen! She’s is selling a dead parrot.

You Women Need to get Over it

2008-05-10T23:55:00.001-05:00

Seriously. You idiots are doing something so reckless and stupid that you will destroy everything that the women’s movement has worked hard to protect since January 11, 1973 – Roe vs. Wade.

For those of you who do not know what Emily's List is, it is a progressive organization that helps pro-choice Democratic women get elected to public office. It is an important cause and I have a lot of respect for them, but they have lost sight of what is important in their blind devotion to Clinton:

"So here we are in the fourth quarter of the nominating process and the game is too close to call. Once again, the opponents and the media are calling for Hillary to quit. The first woman ever to win a presidential primary is supposed to stop competing, to curtsy and exit stage right."

Give me a break. She is behind in every possible measurement and is deeply in debt. It has NOTHING to do with her being a woman. It has to do with her running a terrible and divisive campaign that is aimed at destroying Obama. You know - the progressive candidate that has actually won more contest, more votes, and more delegates and has done it by running a respectable, well organized grass roots campaign.

"Hillary Clinton certainly has the right to compete till the end. But I believe Hillary also has a responsibility to play the game to its conclusion. For the women of my generation who learned to find and channel their competitiveness, for the working women who never falter in the face of pressure, for the younger women who still believe women can do anything, Hillary is a champion. She's shown us over and over that winners never quit and that quitters never win. We'll cheer her on until the game is over. And we hope that when the final whistle blows, we will have elected the first female president and the best president our country has ever had."

"Why on earth should one candidate quit before the contest is finished? Democrats need not be so fainthearted.” Both of the party's remaining candidates have raised tens of millions of dollars. Both have the respect of Democrats nationwide. So why are some Democrats so afraid? We simply need to count every vote, let the remaining states have their say and see the process through to its conclusion."

Afraid? Are you kidding me? There are not enough votes left in the remaining states that would put Clinton in the lead. She says she is still in this because she wants every last Democrat in every last state -- including Michigan and Florida -- to have his or her say. And then what?!? What happens when that glorious democratic process ends on the sunny isle of Puerto Rico? She will still need to bribe and threaten the super delegates to overturn the will of the people in order to win. So much for every vote counting!

Give it up. She lost. Get behind the true nominee and stop insulting my intelligence. No one held Hillary back because she is a woman. In fact, as a white, wealthy person with the last name Clinton, she's been the privileged one in this race. And on top of that, don’t true feminist believe that men and women are equal and should be treated as such. What are you whining about? You are undercutting the womens' movement with this shit.

The only thing that all of these women that are threatening to take their ball and go home should be thinking about is getting a progressive president elected. That should be the bottom line. What do they think will happen to Roe vs. Wade if McCain gets elected? What about the dreams of women that will be squashed by a President McCain, and his replacements for Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Paul Stevens? What about every woman’s right to control her body, and earn an equal wage? Is Hillary really worth losing everything for?

And let me ask you this, too: what about the dreams of Obama's black followers, the dreams that Hillary is destroying for no reason other then her delusions of grandeur? Don't they count too? Or are some dreams more equal than others…like the dreams of post-menopausal, well-connected women.

Republicans don't like their Mothers

2008-05-10T00:06:00.006-05:00

The party of "family values" actually voted against Motherhood today:

It was already shaping up to be a difficult year for congressional Republicans. Now, on the cusp of Mother's Day, comes this: A majority of the House GOP has voted against motherhood.

On Wednesday afternoon, the House had just voted, 412 to 0, to pass H. Res. 1113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day," when Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), rose in protest.

"Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote," he announced.

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has two young daughters, moved to table Tiahrt’s request, setting up a revote. This time, 178 Republicans cast their votes against mothers.

It has long been the custom to compare a popular piece of legislation to motherhood and apple pie. Evidently, that is no longer the standard. Worse, Republicans are now
confronted with a John Kerry-esque predicament: They actually voted for motherhood before they voted against it.

What a bunch of gasbags! Did all their mothers beat them with wire hangers and make them eat brussle sprouts?

I somehow don't think that all of these Goopers have Crawford-esque mothers (although that might explain some of their derangement), so what's the deal? Petty Politics.

The minority, lock-step Republicans are going to stop votes on EVERYTHING until they get what they want: lame-duck Bush's Emergency Supplemental War Spending Bill. Goopers will be using Motions To Reconsider on every single bill presented until they get this passed.

As House Democrats tried to pass legislation to ease the mortgage crisis on Wednesday, Republicans served up hours of procedural delays, demanding a scoreof roll call votes: 10 motions to adjourn, half a dozen motions to reconsider, various and sundry amendments, a motion to approve the daily journal, a motion to instruct and a “motion to rise.”

The high point came just after 6 p.m., when, after one of the motions to adjourn, 61 members lined up to change their votes, one by one. Forty-six went from aye to no, while 15 changed from no to aye. The maneuver ate up 28 minutes in all — and caused an eruption by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who accused the minority of a “filibuster by vote changing.”

“I know that probably all of you did polls on that and focus groups on whether or not you should vote aye or nay,” Hoyer mocked. “What just happened is not appropriate for the House for either side, to simply use a device of changing votes, of voting late, of lining up in the aisle and coming down every 30 seconds or so with one more vote.”

But the dilatory maneuvers continued, and the Democrats finally announced that they would postpone the vote on the mortgage bill until Thursday,thereby pushing a war spending bill to next week.

This is what our government has become. The minority is stopping the government from functioning until they get what they want - more money that won't be accounted for to be wasted on a war that was supposed to pay for itself.

And this is why it is soooooo important to build up the party down ticket. I know I keep harping on it, but right now the democratic party doesn't have enough of a majority to do anything. We need to gain enough seats in the House and Senate so that we are no longer at the mercy of GOP tactics.

That Is It!!!

2008-05-07T23:58:00.003-05:00

Screw the Clintons! I am so pissed. Let her be stuck paying off her debt for the next twenty years. I WANT HER OUT OF MY PARTY NOW!!! Not at the Convention. Not after the last primary in June. NOW!!!

I can't believe that this is the road she has chosen to go down:

"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article "that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."

"There's a pattern emerging here," she said.

Clinton's blunt remarks about race came a day after primaries in Indiana and North Carolina dealt symbolic and mathematical blows to her White House ambitions.

Hillary Clinton: The Great White Hope. She is a F*(#in@ RACIST! She has not misspoken here. Just look at what is left: West Virginia. Kentucky. Oregon. South Dakota. Montana. Not that many African Americans or "elitist" in the remaining states are there? She took a look at the five remaining states and said, "Now I can toss aside the dog whistle and say what I really think. Blacks are lazy. Liberals are elitist. Real Americans vote for ME."

Clinton and her Jim-Crow-era-racist base can kiss my white-chia-drinking-elite-ass. She is pathetic and desperate and disgusting and bitter.

2008-05-07T18:42:00.003-05:00

There are 11,400,000 reasons...

2008-05-07T17:39:00.007-05:00

and counting why Hillary won't drop out until she is forced out kicking and screaming. Her campaign has major debt that she needs to pay off. Political campaigns can't dismiss debt owed to vendors - it must be paid back. So I understand her out there today on the stump. She needs to convince people she can still win so they will open their wallets up. That's all fine and good as long as she realizes her place and behaves. Problem is I don't think she can. The tone of her campaign is still defiant. They are still pushing the meme that Obama is not electable:

Clinton allies still worry Obama hasn't proved he can win the white working-class voters who make up the party's core - and are key to winning battleground states like Ohio and Missouri."We cannot win with eggheads and African-Americans," Democratic strategist Paul Begala said last night on CNN. He said that's the coalition Michael Dukakis had in 1988 - and won only 10 states.

If this continues she will need to be taken out to the woodshed. She can't be allowed to continue to harm our candidate. The focus of the party needs to be healing the division and attacking McCain.

What a Feeling of Elation!

2008-05-07T09:10:00.008-05:00

Hope -- Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.

Despite a bruising month of attacks on his pastor... Despite questions of his patriotism. ..Despite being labeled an "elitist"... Despite a significant amount of voters still believing he is a Muslim... Despite his name...Despite being falsely tied to a radical extremist...Despite "Operation Chaos"... Despite being a black man... Despite having to campaign not only against Hillary Clinton, but also Bill Clinton and the whole DLC machine... Despite what was "inevitable", Senator Obama is our nominee. What a beautiful day for my party; what a beautiful day for my country!