Once More...Into the Breach!

This post is a response to a discussion Kevin Baker and I have been having down in comments. He put a longer comment up on his blog, which you can find here, so I thought I would bring my reply out into a full post as well.

I would like to start off by saying that I appreciated the support of everyone who came to my defense down below. I think I am probably a little bit less as skilled of a debater as some of my defenders made me out to be but posting on Kevin's blog has certainly made me tougher, no doubt.

I also want to make it clear, before I respond to what Kevin wrote, that, even thought I may not post again on his blog, I do plan on continuing to read it everyday. In fact, it will probably be the only blog I read everyday, other than my own of course. Many people here think I am nuts for doing this but I have always thought that you can't be intelligently critical of someone's point of view unless you fully understand it. I'm not sure I fully understand the conservative/neo conservative/classical liberal/whatever mindset yet but life is about the journey after all and this journey will most assuredly continue. Why spend that journey reading blogs like The Huffington Post or the Daily Kos who basically give me information that I already know?

At the end of the day, I think all 200-300 of you that read my blog should read his as well. It is informative in more ways than I can possibly count. When I made comments there, I always found myself thinking, man this would make a great column on my blog. So, if I see something that sparks my interest there, more than likely, I will comment on it here. And with that thought, here is my commentary on the post he entitled "All Markadelphia All The Time." I will pull some quotes here and there for this post but if you want to read the full text, I urge you to go to his site.

Let's start out with an oldie but a goodie

Do it again only harder

I have to admit that this has always struck me as being a terribly wrong and short sighted way to characterize liberals/progressives but I couldn't really figure out why....until today. When one suffers from groupthink, as Kevin et al do in regards to libs, they cannot possibly conceive of them as being anything other than a walking monolith of a single thought. One of the reasons Hillary Clinton is doing as poorly as she is in this primary season is that people don't want to hear the same old bullshit anymore. Kevin and company see Obama as no different than Hillary so it is no surprise that the word "again" is in this phrase. It is a mistake that they will regret come November. They will be flabbergasted after the first year of an Obama presidency when they realize that many of their dire predictions never came to pass. I look forward to that moment.

The correct phrase, if they took the time to actually understand where Obama is coming from, is:

DO IT DIFFERENTLY AND WITH ACTUAL THOUGHT BEHIND IT.

Kevin fails to see the effect that Obama style politics can have on an area like....the South Side of Chicago, for example. If he took the time to talk to people there, as I have, they would tell him how Obama helped them out and (Gasp!) did it without the socialism/pile of skulls/boiling pit of sewage propaganda that Kevin's dogmatic belief system predicts.

that little factoid must explain why history doesn't appear to be taught in school much anymore

Actually, the reason why history isn't taught in school anymore is because it is not part of high stakes testing so schools remove it from curriculum at the grade school level. Thanks to No Child Left Behind, all of the focus must be on math, reading, and writing. I have a column coming soon on this topic. The reason why your daughter doesn't know about Pearl Harbor is due to the homogenized hoo rah version of America that has been taught in schools. Again, see Loewen's book. Speaking of which...

So Wilson was quite happy to use the Constitution as toilet paper, too.

Your long analysis of Wilson serves to prove a good point: all history should be looked at from a wide variety of angles and that is the job of educators. The bone I pick with you is that I do it and you don't. I am fully aware of how awful Communists regimes around the world were and still are. I am also aware of how horrible we have been and still are to this day. You aren't. Our government, throughout our entire history, has lied us into war after war. We killed four million people in Vietnam, Kevin, and you say that they were the ones who held the exclusive right to the title "monster" because they were....communists? If you were going by pure body count alone, those dirty commies might have the edge. So what? We have still killed millions ourselves in the name of our ideology. Does it make us better because we killed less people? Sheesh...

You almost grasp that there is no "Third Way" you bend it to suit whatever situation comes up, but it's a system you apply daily.

Yes, it's true. I do bend to various situations and I am terribly sad to report that I do not set my feet in stone regardless of how much the world changes. The major reason we have fallen behind in the world is because we aren't malleable enough. This is the fault of people like you, Kevin. You refuse to change to a world that demands it. For some insane, illogical reason you take that to mean that the world is demanding that we become socialists. That is never going to fly here. We have to become more fluid and I'll tell you why: OUR ENEMIES ARE!!! They bank on us reacting the way you are and plan on us never changing our strategy, maintaining a shoot first, ask questions later policy.

then I suggest that we not darken each others doorsteps again

That's a little flowery, isn't it? Even for you, dude. I hope that won't be the case. You are always welcome to post here and I will be commenting here on ideas you throw out on your blog. As I have said before, I have learned a lot from our debates and hope to learn more.

Personally, I'm against government trying to make people... better.

So am I. But I am also against the government preventing people from becoming better. And that is why Obama is different. At the end of the day it really is going to be up to us, not him. Do you think the people on the south side of Chicago get any help from him anymore? No, he put some programs in place, removed some restrictions and cleared out some dead weight. There is less crime and more people back at work there. It's not perfect but it is better.

And that's what we are really talking about here. Pay attention to what the new wave of Democrats are saying. Take a closer look. They are not advocating a nanny state. That's what Hillary and John McCain are advocating. We are talking about an effort to bring this country back from the disaster that has been the last eight years. A large part of that effort is going to be centered around a return to good capitalism and a rejection of the "free market at gun point philosophy" we have now. Only in America, as Senator Obama says, can we have the freedom to pursue our dreams.

He is a living example of someone who took individual liberty and self reliance and succeeded. He didn't have anything handed to him on a silver platter and he certainly doesn't think that people are entitled to anything....other than to have a government that does not go out of its way to fuck them over by creating economic enemies around the world.

So, I am left wondering with what will happen if your predictions of the direction our country will take are wrong? You say you have history on your side but it is a history that strangely does not include an honest look at our foreign policy starting with the Monroe Doctrine and continuing through to President Bush's Iraq War today. Time and again, history has shown me that our enemies are born out of an abrasive and violent US policy that is little different than their own.

I see good in this country, too, Kevin. Unfortunately, those good people have been, for the most part, demeaned, mischaracterized, and slandered by people like YOU who do the bidding, consciously or unconsciously, of the men in this country who have the most to lose if we actually become decent for a change. Fortunately, most of the American people are pretty much done listening to this crap and they are beginning to see what it truly is going to take to get this country back on track.We are going to hear their voices in November.

It's going to be many voices and they are going to be loud.

Don't Forget Your Rubber Ducky

I think most people thought that Republicans were going to take a bath this fall. But if the special elections of the last few months are any indication, it's going to be a tub the size of the Pacific Ocean. Democrats have won in special elections in IL-14 and LA-3, both are R+7 districts according to the Partisan Voting Index. , which basically means they are Republican strongholds. These two elections alone should make conservatives nervous.

Last night's special election in MS-01 should make them shit pink twinkies.

The Democrat Travis Childers (left) beat the Republican Greg Davis (right) in a R+ fucking 10 district. Are you kidding me!!!?? Even I didn't expect this.

The victory isn't even the best part. The Republican Party poured tons of money into this race and even sent Dick Cheney there to stump for Davis. They ran attack ads linking Childers to Obama and....yep, that's right...Reverend Wright. The slime machine was set to 11 and Childers was everything from a thief to a friend of Osama's.

None of it worked. Not a single fucking bit of it. Perhaps the American people are finally starting to wake up.

You see, this is what happens when you you run the country into the ground. People are sick and tired of being lied to and screwed over. They have recognized the Republican Party for what it is and are starting to understand the outcomes of their failed policies. I think many Americans are going to be speaking very loudly and very clearly this fall, folks and if I were a Republican running right now, I might want to consider actually taking responsibility for the mountain of incompetence of the last eight years.

Think it will happen?

He Did and Said....What?

John McCain sure has a lot of 'splaining to do . According to various reports circulating around the web, McCain was at a dinner party in December of 2000 and told Arianna Huffington, Brad Whiteford, and Richarch Schiff that he did NOT vote for Bush in the 2000 election. This comes as no surprise to me after Rove et al fucked him over in South Carolina.

But what I do find very interesting is what he said after that. According to Mr. Whiteford, McCain said that President Bush "doesn’t have the concentration, and you talk for 10 minutes and then the guy wants to talk about baseball. I wanted to tell him how ridiculous and damaging his tax cuts would be to this country."

I am left wondering what a McCain presidency in 2000 would've been like and I suspect it would've been much better than the one we currently have. I think I might have disagreed with the maverick from time to time but he would've been ok and our country would've been in a much better place right now. I also think McCain would've done a better job than the Bush administration on Al Qaeda which would entail actually making an effort against those who attacked us 9-11 as opposed to letting them go.

The McCain of 2008 is old, tired, and desperately trying to be something he is not...pandering to religious conservatives like John Hagee and Rod Parsely and clinging to a failed policy in Iraq. He seems sort of pathetic, really, chomping at the dinner scraps that Bush has left him.

It's a sad thing to watch.

"Liberal" Fascist Thought of The Day

Today marks the beginning of a new regular series here at Notes From The Front: The "Liberal" Fascist Thought Of The Day. It is my hope that it will enter the much enshrined ranks of the Grab Bag and the Shit Sack. So, without further adieu, I give you my "liberal" fascist thought of the day.

In looking for the roots of fascism in this country, one need only look at the reaction of a certain side of the political aisle when a student refuses to stand and recite the pledge of allegiance.

What Color is The Sky in Their World?

I still read Kevin Baker's blog, The Smallest Minority but have felt no real compulsion to post the last few weeks. There are a few reasons why I have taken a time out (perhaps permanent) from posting. The main one is that I have neglected my own blog and would spend a longer amount of my limited time creating responses there and not writing here.

Kevin has been reading Liberal Fascism, the new book by Jonah Goldberg. He put up a quote today from the book that made me laugh for.....oh...about an hour. And then the sheer ignorance of it made me sad. I really have to get this book because from what I have seen so far it could be the finest piece of propaganda of the last century and, thus, an historical artifact. Here is the quote:

"Liberals are never responsible for historic misdeeds, because they feel no compulsion to defend the inherent goodness of America. Conservatives, meanwhile, not only take the blame for events not of their own making, but find themselves defending liberal misdeeds in order to defend America itself."

I would like a conservative to show me detailed examples of how they have taken the blame for events in the last eight years. The only time I can recall is President Bush apologizing for the federal response to Hurricane Katrina after a long amount of time elapsed. It really makes me wonder if Goldberg decided to come up with the largest amount of bullshit he possibly could-bullshit that would enrage the left, provide spanking material for the right, ingratiate him as a perennial butt boy of the thought leaders, and give him one large check from book sales.

Hmm...on second thought, maybe I should just check it out from the library.

Short Time Out

I thought it would be nice to take a short break from politics and turn to sports. All of you know that I live, breathe, eat, sleep, and shit Cardinals Baseball. Last night, Rick Ankiel, the center fielder for the Cardinals, played at a level I don't think I have seen since Willy Mays retired. Check it out here. It is in the video corner at the right.

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=stl

Seriously, did I just witness an optical illusion....TWICE!

And he hit a home run last night too!

Here we go again...

There have been reports on TV and radio today that voters in districts in Indiana, that heavily favor Obama, are being forced to fill out provisional ballots even though they received confirmation of complete voter registration in the mail. This is apparently happening in the Northwest section of Indiana, a heavy Obama support area, which he needs to win the state.

Thus far, it seems to be only happening there which is beginning to raise some eyebrows considering that Hillary Clinton has key superdelegate support in that region.

Let's see what happens with the results tonight. Could it be true?

Time To Sprint

When I first happened upon The Huffington Post, I was pretty turned off. It seemed to be another example of the left trying to be like the right and thus, being a real turn off for me. Generally, I don't mind pointed criticism, even if it is cruel and unusual, but the Hufpost really seemed to be the other side of the same coin. Normally, my first impressions are accurate.

But I have given it a second look lately and I have to admit I think I was wrong. Take, for example, a recent piece by the woman herself entitled Probing the Political Paradox: Why The Right Still Gets To Set The Agenda. I urge all of you to check it out. Here are my favorite lines, with commentary.

"And I concluded that there are three main areas to look at, not only to help us understand how we got in the mess we're in, but also to help us get out: the media, the role of fear in our politics, and the failure of political leadership."

Yes, the "liberal" media is nothing of the sort. All of the news outlets are still on the Jeremiah Wright bandwagon and yet I see no mention of John McCain's skeletons anywhere (e.g. Pastor John Hagee). Fear is a topic I have talked a lot about on this blog and it's really true. Our country is run on half truths and fear. And there most certainly has been a massive failure of political leadership on both sides of the aisle.

"These three factors have combined to allow the lunatic fringe that has taken over the Right to hijack our country, our democracy, and our Constitution. So that 28 percent of the population that continues to support George W. Bush no matter how many bodies pile up in Iraq, how many jobs disappear overseas, how many For Sale signs go up on their block, or how high gas prices get, continues to dominate our politics."

Exactly correct. You really have to give credit to Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld etc.. for being so adept at manipulating that 28 percent into submission. Kind funny that those who yearn for less government and whine about a nanny state have rolled over like little babies in front of these three daddies and continued to vote against their economic interests. But my favorite bit in her post?

"...the media which remains hopelessly addicted to the false belief that in order to be fair and balanced every story needs to be given the "on the one hand... and on the other" treatment. But not every story has two sides -- and the truth is often to be found not in the middle but solidly on one side or the other."

This really resonated with me personally. There have been some emails and lines in comments that have come up, accusing me of being more conciliatory towards conservatives, even weaker in my criticisms. I have really made a concerted effort over the last year or so to see their side and to fully understand it. I felt it was only fair. So, it is true, I have been consciously trying to see the middle of the road more so than I have in the past. Honestly, I'm not sure if I want to anymore. I think I have utterly failed in what Shakespeare championed so long ago:

This above all: To Thine Own Self Be True.

I haven't true to what I know is right and best for this country. It makes me physically ill to think that I have even tried to hear the other side on some key issues or even wasted thought on their delusions. I have come to realize that when you listen to some conservatives talk about the direction they would like to take this country (an unrestrained free market, stay the course in Iraq, no investment in education or health care), it's almost as if they live in a fantasy land...a place where their unhinged emotions and willing ignorance can flourish. Flagrant denial of what is actually happening to our country is the order of the day.

Take a look at Thomas Friedman's piece from yesterday's Times, Who Will Tell The People?

I am in complete agreement with him and, when I think about his piece and Ariana Huffington's piece at the same time, I realize that it is pointless to try to see the middle ground on issues where there is no middle ground. Time is running out folks. We have to face the unpleasant fact that our country is horribly broken and I am simply not going to attempt to appease these psychotic putzes anymore. As Friedman says:

We need a president who is tough enough to tell the truth to the American people....I’m voting for the one who can talk straight to the American people on national TV — at 8 p.m. — from the White House East Room.

There is something that is going on...something insanely horrible from an economic standpoint....that is a direct result of the conservative ideology of the last eight years. Friedman quotes Harvard's president, Drew Faust:

"Cutbacks in government research funds were resulting in downsized labs, layoffs of post docs, slipping morale and more conservative science that shies away from the big research questions. China, India, Singapore ... have adopted biomedical research and the building of biotechnology clusters as national goals. Suddenly, those who train in America have significant options elsewhere.”

This is the same part of the world we owe large sums of money to while we sink deeper and deeper into debt fighting a war that is not doing any damage at all to Al Qaeda. The reason why this election is more important than most...probably more important than the one in 1932...is that we are "living on borrowed time and a borrowed dime," as Friedman puts it.

We no longer have the luxury of trying to mollify certain elements of our society and be apologists for neoconservative insanity. Our country as we know it is, quite frankly, doomed if we continue down this path. Take a look around you and see what happens to a country when it is run by someone who has a child like concept of...well....everything. The biggest problem, really, has always been that our nation's worst president was a Republican. If he had been a Democrat, we would've been able to move past the lunacy much quicker. But when you have a belief system where the number one rule is admit you are wrong and all is lost, it becomes tougher to evolve and see with width of vision.

When your feet are made of stone, it's hard to walk. Sadly, we need to start sprinting.

Top Ten List For Barack Obama

Some weekend fun.

Pefectly Summed Up

I pulled this quote off of Kevin Baker's blog, The Smallest Minority. It sums up, in a very eloquent way, how the conservative movement in this country has gone off the rails. It really dove tails nicely with a discussion that has been going in comments regarding national security.

And it was made by a conservative!

Take the republican party over the last 15 years. There is a central group of leaders who control 'conservatism' and conservatism is whatever they say it is right now. And what worse, it works. They can propose an idea that a few years ago would have been seen as profoundly un-conservative and their followers we become rabidly in favor of it. Inconvenient past history is covered up. People who point out the incongruity are denounced as the enemy and thrown out. We even have 'two minute hates' directed at libertarians who refuse to go along with the program.

Truly we've come to love Big Brother--and Big Brother is us.

---Stormy Dragon

His Girl

Michelle Obama is simply extraordinary. This video gives great insight into her as a individual and as the spouse of the man who could change the world.

The last minute and a half is wonderful.

Wrapped Neatly With A Bow

As I flipped through the news channels yesterday morning, I saw something that brought a smile to my face. And it has lasted for the last 24 hours.

Fox News was discussing Hillary Clinton's call for a Lincoln-Douglas style debate with Barack Obama. Take a look at the video and the picture they put up as they were discussing this topic in the above clip.

What a bunch of fucking morons!

The photo they put up is of Frederick Douglas, famed 19th century abolitionist, and not Stephen Douglas, Lincoln's debate opponent in 1958. Why on earth would Lincoln debate someone who was on his side?!!?

I can just see how the knuckle dragging minds at Faux News connected the dots on this one: Lincoln...black people....Douglas ...Frederick Douglas...black...find photo...fire bad...water good...

For those of you on the right who want to be taken seriously and treated as scholars, you are going to have to start by ceasing to defend Fox Noise as reliable news source.

The real question is...did any of their viewers notice?

We Have No Plan

Lost in the "liberal" media's coverage of the latest sound bite that proves that Senator Obama is a Muslim fanatic who hates America and wants to enslave the white race, was the release of the latest, official update on how our country is progressing against Al Qaeda, specifically dealing with the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Remember Al Qaeda? The people who actually attacked us on 9-11? I am sure that it will come to a comfort to all of you that our current leadership still does not give a rat's ass about bin Laden, Zawahari, the Taliban and the complete reconstitution of Al Qaeda to pre-9-11 levels.

Last Thursday, the Government Accounting Office, which is the non partisan, investigative arm of Congress, released a report which confirms virtually everything that I have said on this blog in regards to the Bush administration and its policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The report states that the Bush administration has failed to develop a comprehensive plan to eliminate Al Qaeda and its sanctuary in Pakistan's remote tribal region and that the United States has no plan that "includes all elements of national power — diplomatic, military, intelligence, development assistance, economic and law enforcement support — called for by the various national-security strategies and Congress.

It goes on further to say that "the United States has not met its national security goals to destroy the terrorist threat and close the safe haven in Pakistan's FATA region," referring to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. In addition, the report details how the Bush administration has relied heavily on Pakistani forces to deal with the problem.

All of you may recall a column I put up in December of 2005 entitled Flunk You! , which detailed the Bush Administration's complete ineptitude in enacting nearly all of the 9-11 Commission's recommendations. Here we are, nearly two and a half years later, and guess what? They still don't a have a plan! Great...

So, my question to conservatives is....and I am beginning to tire of this seeming endless broken record....why do you continue to support a policy and an administration that so clearly does not care about national security?

To this day, I am still amazed at the complete ignorance and seeming laissez faire attitude amongst supporters of this policy. I am beginning to feel like Sandy Berger during the transition in 2000....jumping up and down, waving my arms at what I see as being an extremely serious threat...only to be met with laughter and derision by folks on the right who feel that Iraq is more important. Even Barack Obama has been chastised by the right for wanting to bomb targets inside of Pakistan that may be Al Qaeda strongholds.

Huh?

What in the fuck happened to "if you harbor a terrorist than you are a terrorist?"

I guess all of that went out the window when half of our country decided it was more important to elect someone they could drink beer with and invite to a barbecue. A person, I might add, who everyday makes it abundantly clear that we are in Iraq for only one reason. I suppose if you don't know what that reason is, then I would be curious as to what the earth looks like with your head buried so far underneath it.

We are right back to where we were on Sept 10, 2001, complete with wall to wall coverage of shark attacks (see: Fox News) and meaningless gossip about celebrities' blow job habits. Al Qaeda has made it very clear that they want to outdo 9-11 in their next attack. We know what they are capable of doing. Can anyone out there think of a reason why we don't have a plan?

More importantly, does anyone care?

Son of Oh No....

Just a few short hours after I put up the post below, this caught my eye on CNN.com. I thought the Democrats were the only ones that were divided and needed healing. Oh those wacky Ron Paul supporters....

Oh No.....

Did anyone else know that the Republicans had a primary on Tuesday? With all the hubbub on the Democratic side, 807,000 Republicans turned out to vote in a primary that won't make any difference. Slight hitch, though, for John McCain.....215,000 of them voted for either Mike Huckabee or Ron Paul.

If a quarter of the the Republican base vanishes in the general election, either by staying home, voting for the Democrat, or voting independent, you can rest assured that however "weakened" the Democratic candidate is from the primary, they are going to slaughter McCain. All you have to do to see that I am right is look at the voter registration, state by state, and see that the Democrats outnumber the Republicans 4-1 in some cases.

Smells like the beginning of a whole lot of dead elephants.......

The Straight Poop

Have I mentioned that I love Electoral-Vote.Com? I know I gush like a school girl over Andy's site but it really is magnificent. For those of you who love polls and want to check on the hard numbers so far, it is second to none. Here is a quote from today's report which jibes with what I have been saying.

A point that has come up repeatedly with Hillary Clinton's strong wins in blue-collar states is can Obama get downscale whites to vote for him in the general election? The NY Times has a story about polling on this issue in these states. The bottom line is that while many blue-collar workers prefer Clinton, they still prefer any Democrat to John McCain so the Democrats are not in grave danger of losing states like Pennsylvania that they must win in November. What Obama brings to the table is sudden competitiveness in states like Virginia, Iowa, Missouri, and Colorado, which Republicans normally win easily.

So, basically, when you hear the "liberal" media talk about how Obama can't close the deal with white, blue collar voters, they are sensationalizing the story to make the race seem more exciting. He will win all the states John Kerry won plus Ohio, Iowa, Colorado, and very possibly two of the following four states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Texas.

Sounds shocking, I know, but these states are totally in play. Dean's 50 state strategy may be more realistic than was thought a few months ago. Hillary has no clue what she is talking about when she says that the Democrats have no chance of winning them. It is so demonstrative of how this election really is about folks who are trapped in the old way of doing politics simply not getting it.

Speaking of not getting it, the North Carolina GOP is running attack ads against Obama, courtesy of the guy who brought us Willie Horton. Thanks, GOP NC and please keep it up. We are starting to see a correlation between more votes for Obama when people go negative on him.

I suggest mentioning his middle name a few times.....

Pennsylvania Wrap Up

The Hildawg won by 10 points last night. Here are the numbers:

Senator Clinton: 1,258,245 votes, 80 delegates
Senator Obama: 1,042,297, 66 delegates

Looking at the percentages, she wins 55-45, 3 more points than I had predicted. The percentages look bad but the actual numbers look pretty even...depends on how you want to look at it. The "liberal" media is spinning that Obama can't connect with the white, beer drinking, bowling, gun loving crowd so McCain will some of those votes. I think it is complete crap and here's why.

First of all, Hillary had the entire Pennsylvania machine behind her...Governor Rendell, both mayors and tons of elected officials. Obama had Senator Casey and Rep Murphy. If Obama gets the nomination, they will be working to get the vote out for him.

Second, take a look at this map from CNN of all the counties in Pennsylvania. At first glance, you might say that Hillary was more in touch with the rural vote with all the light blue. Scroll your mouse over...say...Buck's County, which is basically the crowd with whom Obama supposedly can't connect. He gets 42,000 votes to her 71,000...a large victory for her to be sure but he is still getting a good chunk of people in these areas. Take a look at some of the smaller counties. She gets around 60 percent of the vote but he still gets people in these very rural counties. It doesn't seem like they ALL were for Hillary as the media makes it appear.

If I were the Obama campaign, I would interview some of these folks and find out why they voted for him. He needs to know this so he can use it in Indiana. If he can win Indiana, it's over. Remember, he won in Iowa and Wisconsin, states that have similar demographics.

Here's my question....two million people voted...what happened to the other two million?

Pennsylvania Prognostication

I think I am just going to predict tonight's results and save the rest of the primary predictions for later next week. I have been doing some training this week and have not had time to fully prepare a rest of the contest crystal ball illumination.

So, I think Hillary will win tonight by 7 points. This is more than what most are predicting but less than the large margin she needs to convince superdelegates that she should still be in the race. It's going to be interesting to see how she does in the "Alabama" part of the state. If she wins 70-30 or more than I think we can safely say that Obama offended the white, beer drinking, bowling gun nuts. Anything less than that and I don't think his comments made much of a difference and I would call it a small victory for him.

I also want to say to those Democrats who are expressing concern that Obama, should he get the nomination, will not be able to win Pennsylvania....You are idiots. Please shut the fuck up. John Kerry carried that state in 2004. If HE can carry Pennsylvania, Obama will win there for sure, given the fact that people are even more dissatisfied with the shape of the country.

Gee, I'm Shocked

The lead story in today's New York Times discusses the Pentagon's influence on the various news networks guest military analysts and how they cover the war. The article contains several points which have been made on this blog for the last 4+ years, one of which is that the media is not "liberal" and will help sell whatever its corporate owners want it to sell, in this case the war in Iraq.

But the best part of the Time's investigation is the exploration of the links between these retired military officers and defense contractors. From the article...

The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.

Those business relationships are hardly ever disclosed to the viewers, and sometimes not even to the networks themselves. But collectively, the men on the plane and several dozen other military analysts represent more than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants. The companies include defense heavyweights, but also scores of smaller companies, all part of a vast assemblage of contractors scrambling for hundreds of billions in military business generated by the administration’s war on terror. It is a furious competition, one in which inside information and easy access to senior officials are highly prized.

Records and interviews show how the Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks.

The entire article is filled with confirmations of all of the general points I have made about the Iraq, the defense industry, and the media. It also confirms that the Bush administration has waged an undeniable propaganda campaign whose form and success rivals Joseph Goebbels. Check out these official documents which describe how the propaganda campaign worked. Try not throw up when you read them.

To the people out there who still support the war....do you understand what is going on here and why we are really in Iraq? Or is this just another traitorous article from the Times?

If you answered yes to the last question, put down your cup of Kool Aid and please report to your local neurosurgeon for your annual checkup on the lobotomy you received in November of 2000.

.....then you are an Idiot.

I can always rely on Bill Maher. Below are two clips from last Friday's show. The first is from the New Rules segment at the end of the show. His final new rule is usually the best and he really drove it out of the park with this one. My favorite line?

"If you think Barack Obama is going to take away your guns, the you are an armed idiot."

This leads quite nicely into the next clip, shown earlier in the show, in which author Jeremy Scahill goes into some small towns in rural Pennsylvania and sees if Obama offended anyone with his "bitter" remarks. As I had hoped, the "Alabama" which is in between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, is more pro Obama than one might think. I think some folks over on Kevin Baker's blog aren't going to be too happy.

They are probably going to blow a bowel when, in the last part of the segment, Scahill visits a gun range and finds Obama supporters there as well. I am reminded of the 2004 election and how out of touch liberals seemed with what was really driving voters to the polls (fear, gays, doom etc..). This time around it is apparent to me that conservative pundits and much of the "liberal" media don't have a fucking clue what is really on people's minds.

Shh....let's not tell them.

Aw, who I am kidding? Like they would be reflective, change their mind, and listen.

Sheeya....right!

Clip#1

Clip #2

An Excellent Strategy

Rather than ripping ABC news commentators Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulis, as Tom Shales has done wonderfully in the Washington Post, I think maybe I should be commending them. I also think that I should thank the right wing douche bag brigade, especially those in the blogsphere, for continuing to fight their battles using 2004 technology (Guns of August anyone?).

Why?

Since the debate Obama has picked up five more superdelegates which add to his overall delegate lead. I think it is very likely, based on the polls as well as the "man on the street" reaction to the debate, that in the last few primaries, as well as the general election in the fall, the American people aren't going to react kindly to "gotcha" politics any longer. Sure, they might vote against Obama because they think Hillary will do a better job on health care or they don't want government running their health care. That's fine by me. They are voting on the issues and they should keep drilling Obama on why he is not being specific enough on some of his key policy points, my chief complaint about him thus far.

But the rest of it? The flag pin-Ayers-Wright-elitist stuff? I spent most of the week pissed off that people weren't focusing on the issues. Actually, they are. ABC received 15,ooo negative emails in anger that it took 52 minutes to get to an actual issue in the debate last Tuesday. Some conservatives I know are lamenting the fact that we didn't get to see Obama's stance on certain issues so people could really see how off base he is in regards to some of these topics. Even John McCain, recently a guest on the Hardball college tour with Chris Matthews, said he is going to stop any 527s that are running these kind of attacks against Obama. He asked Obama to do the same.

Bottom line, the more these topics come up, the more it benefits Obama. I think McCain knows this and is trying to get the loud mouth putzes in his party to shut the hell up. McCain is a smart guy and he has been out there talking to people. They don't want to hear this crap anymore. It is also becoming evident that these attacks on Obama toughen him up for the fall and exposes, a think a bit prematurely, the right's game plan.

So, by all means, keep piling on. It seems to be working for Obama. Thanks!

Last Night

I was appalled at last night's debate and it further proves my point that we may not deserve someone like Barack Obama. One would think that that the first 45 minutes would cover important issues like the economy, Iraq, health care, and education. The four topics discussed?

-whether or not Obama is an elitist vis a vis his comments in San Francisco
-Reverend Wright
-William Ayers
-Flag pins.

If these are the issues that people want to focus on, our country is doomed. There is no other way to put it. I am hoping that voters in 2008 are smarter than that.

We'll see.....

So far, no effect

There seems to be little or no effect in the polls taken after Barack Obama's comments. Andy over at electoral vote. com has several polls up if you want to take a look.

I'd like to see what the polls show later in the week after the 24-7 news coverage of the comments by the "liberal" media soaks in a little more. Those will be the ones that will really show the effect.

Crabmaster threw down the gauntlet over on Kevin's blog that I haven't made any predictions because I'm (gasp!, sniffle sniffle) scared that I will be wrong. So, I have decided that on Monday I will predict how the rest of the primary season will play out.

Nice Quote

I don't read the Huffington Post often but this one caught my attention:

By cynically twisting Obama's comments about small town voters in a way that confirms every right-wing demagogic caricature of her own Party, Hillary Clinton has adopted the frames, lies, stereotypes and destructive clichés long embraced by the likes of Lee Atwater and Karl Rove. She has clearly decided that the road to victory runs through scorched earth. The question is, if she succeeds, what kind of Party will she be left to lead? She's burning down the village to save it -- or to prove that she would make the best fire chief. But the village won't be saved; only one house will be left standing. A house with room for just two occupants: Hill and Bill.

We Don't Deserve It

About two weeks ago, Senator Obama was on Hardball and told the audience that he believed that marriage was defined as being between a man and a woman. There was little or no reaction to this comment, the "liberal" media did not cover it wall to wall for two days, and the gay community did not go ape shit. In addition, there was no faux concern over Obama's electability.

But in this day and age, when you make a comment like this:

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow those communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.And it's not surprising to me then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti immigrant sentiment or anti trade sentiment as to way to explain their frustrations."

well, you are God Damned all to hell!!

And Tinkerbell's light goes out and she dies.

Because as all good Americans know when you make any kind of remark that even is slightly negative about guns or religion (even if it is true), you are the pure embodiment of evil and are against all that is wholesome and good. One need only look at fellow blogger Kevin Baker's site to see the all too predictable reaction. I wonder if any of them will compare the reaction of Senator Obama's comments on gay marriage with the most recent ones and see a difference.

Probably not.

Anyway, I think when you look at the reaction to his statement on small towns, it becomes quite obvious that it is accurate. This reaction is typical of the "rock granite" stubborn refusal of some people to look at who is actually fucking them over and continually blame the "other" which, ironically, is what Obama is describing. It's a distraction from the serious issues of the day and it puts energy into something that will ultimately solve no problems--which works out perfectly for the people (Bush, Cheney and pundit machine) who supposedly are on their side. The people they should really be pissed off at are laughing all the way to the bank.....the people that have manipulated their bitterness and their honesty into votes.

Some people that post here lament long and hard about how liberals are "sheeple" who follow along with whatever their side says. To a certain extent and with certain liberals, this is true. However, the art of getting people to become sheeple has never been more perfected than it has with the "stupid rednecks in flyover country who believe in God, guns and country, " as Kevin describes on his blog. This recent flap is an excellent example.

It illustrates how the "fake outrage machine" works in this country. A bunch of people will now get angry at Obama for being "condescending" or the terribly false belief that he actually looks at people as Kevin says he does So, by all means, let's continue to debate, ad nauseaum, how Senator Obama is an "elitist" or a hater of Meanwhile, Bush Co will dance with glee as it continues to pull several layers of wool over millions of eyes and the real problems out there...the ones that Senator Obama is best equipped to face....continue to get worse.

A while back, a friend of mine told me that she didn't think we were ready for BarackObama..that our country was too petty and stupid to want a real leader who would actually take this country to the next level. If this bullshit continues on into next week, I fear she might be right. In which case, we deserve people like John McCain or Hillary Clinton, who most assuredly will be business as usual and definitely make the majority of our country's problems even worse.

Perhaps now is not the time for change because I'm not sure if we deserve it.

The Rankings

Over at Electoral Vote.Com, the votemaster has put up a list of all senators and where they rank-from liberal to conservative. I was surprised to find Hillary Clinton ranked slightly more liberal than Obama. Obama himself is only slightly more liberal than Joe Lieberman.

And McCain is more conservative than everyone, save four senators. This is based on their voting record and the median of 7 liberal interest groups. This seems to jibe with many of the other rankings out there.

So, why do conservatives hate McCain so much? His voting record is clearly more conservative than people like Saxby Chambliss or Sam Brownback.

The Ronulan Invasion

Great article in the Strib today about how Ron Paul has managed to get some delegates to got to the National Convention. The media is making an awful lot of ballyhoo out of the fight on the Democratic side of the race but methinks the Republican Convention, here in my home state, is going to be mighty interesting.

There a lot of pissed off people in the Republican Party. McCain has basically been propped up because the country club Republicans (aka money guys) know he is the best chance to win and they know that if they let the other two thirds of their loony bin put up someone (that would be the evangelicals and the Waco brigade) they will lose the election to the Democrats.

So, enter Ron Paul. He doesn't have a prayer of getting the nomination but there are enough people that love his libertarian booty that he will get some say at the convention and could lay the groundwork for a real revolution.

Check this out!

Hey folks. Just got back from Pop's funeral. I will be putting up some posts throughout the week on my thoughts. It was a very intense experience. I'm glad I went through it.

In the meantime, check out this site. It is hilarious. I have been raving about it to friends for the last two weeks and last Friday they decided to get political. Check out the comments. Sounds like the usual debate on this blog.

A Heavy Heart

It is with a heavy heart that I must report that my grandfather, Harvey Smith aged 92, has passed away. He had struggled these last few years with small strokes, falls which resulted in back problems, and some skin cancer.

The last few weeks had been particularly bad and his quality of life was terrible. He passed away in his sleep Tuesday morning April 1. The photo to the left was taken two years ago as he was reading to my son.

For the last day I have been thinking about all of the things he saw in his full life...the first automobiles (he was born in 1916!) and a man on the moon, two world wars and the birth of some nations, the first calculator, the first computer, and the Internet. What an amazing life and all the things he saw come to pass!

He served in the Army from 1942-1945 as a cartographer, sometimes going behind enemy lines in the South Pacific to map out areas so our guys could figure out their way around. He was one of the first men to land in Korea and take it from the Japanese in 1945. I just found out today that his service, this Saturday in St Louis, will be a military service with a 21 gun salute, as he is one of the last WWI vets in the area. I am looking forward to being there to honor this great man.

The pride that I have in him is something that cannot be put into words. I will miss him very much but I am happy that he had a full life and was there for me well into my adulthood. Rest In Peace, Poppo, my heart will be always be with you and I know that you went home with more integrity that anyone I know.

It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City

This week, Forest Lake High School, in Forest Lake, Minnesota, is on spring break. Thank goodness they are because if the last week has been any indication, the school was about to be attacked and taken over....by the Right Wing Putz Brigade.

And Steve Massey, principal of the high school and his staff would have been tarred and feathered in the public square for treason. Why?

Last Tuesday, March 25th, the Vets For Freedom National Heroes Tour was scheduled to stop at the school and speak to a social studies class on politics and the war in Iraq. This event was worked out between Massey and Forest Lake alum Pete Hegseth, an Iraq veteran who heads the Heroes group. The group decided, however, to contact the press and make an "event" out of the visit, complete with rally outside before class. Soon it was learned that Michelle Bachmann, last seen ejaculating on President Bush during his walk in to the State of the Union speech in 2007, was going to attend and speak. Hmm....

Sniff Sniff. What's that I smell? Ah yes, not an educational event at all really. Sounds to me like a propaganda tour to me. A propaganda tour selling a bill half truths and outright lies. You know the kind of horse shit I am talking about....something like this...

"We are in Iraq to protect our freedom and safeguard the world from tyranny."

Does anyone out there actually believe this anymore or are they that fucking clueless?

It would've been one thing if Hegseth had come to the school and had a low key classroom discussion. But no. Oh no. That's not how it works with these people. It has to be a big show because they have a point to make and if you don't agree with it...well....guess what happens?

Since relocating the event to the American Legion, mainly due to security concerns over protest groups also wanting a chance to speak, Massey has received 1200 emails and about 250 phone calling him a coward, a Communist, and a spineless America hater.

Remember this photo?

















After the comments that Massey, his staff, and several students have received, you are all going to have to excuse me while I tell the putz brigade, who lately have been amusing me with their Jonah Goldberg loving assess, that if you want to find a group of people most likely to be fascists, TAKE A LOOK IN THE FUCKING MIRROR, DOUCHE BAGS. The Michelle Malkins of the world need to realize that when they behave like this, they are acting in the EXACT SAME WAY THE SS DID!!!!

They call people like me "unpatriotic" when all I really want is for our troops to be sent in harm's way when they are actually protecting us (Afghanistan) as opposed to fighting for the interests of very select group of people on the world in two very specific industries (Iraq).

I have to say that in many ways I am soooo tired of this idiocy. Can't we be done with these people now? My patience is at an end and when they behave in this fashion, I really have to say that there is no hope in building any bridges. The last eight years of Bush Co have basically given them a license to tap into their jingoistic, inner moron and make up whatever bullshit they want about they world and then have the audacity to play the victim when someone like me calls them on their complete ignorance.

President Obama (aka an intelligent adult) can't come soon enough....

Obama Discusses Iraq and McCain in Fayetteville, NC

The Full Speech

Here is the full speech. I have some problems posting from YouTube these days. Sorry about the technical malfunctions.

I was listening to Michael Medved yesterday and he was talking about this speech. He said that, with this speech, Obama has aligned himself with the reparations section of the civil rights movement. Did he hear the same speech I did? Perhaps he might want to listen again.

I wonder how minds like his (and the people who is speaking to) actually work with all the cognitive dissonance kicking around in there. Of course, they do pay him to shape and frame thinking:)

We Got Bill!

We finally got Bill. Not Clinton, of course, but the big man from New Mexico: Bill Richardson. His endorsement of Barack Obama, in my opinion, is the beginning of the end of the Hillary Clinton candidacy.

Richardson is a huge power player in the Democratic Party, second only to Al Gore perhaps, and his endorsement yesterday of Senator Obama was a huge boost. I'll be the first to admit that my guy had a bad week, even with the instantly historical speech made on Tuesday. In my view, this erases any negativity felt about Senator Obama within the the ranks of the Democratic leadership.

Governor Richardson called Barack Obama a "once in a lifetime" leader.

Oooo...you damn right!

Really?

For some reason I am having trouble linking from YouTube so that is why I have not put up Parts 3 and 4 of Obama's speech. I may try a different link tomorrow, possibly a video with the whole speech.

Meanwhile, over in warrantless wiretap land.....someone or a few someones have been looking into Senator Obama's passport information....illegally. CNN has the story.

Obama's Historical Speech On Race 3-18-08 Pt. 2 of 4

I have to admit the cynical side of me thought this speech would be more of the same. Boy was I wrong! On Hardball yesterday, Chris Matthews called a speech that will read and examined for years to come like the Gettysburg Address or Wilson's 14 points. I agree. It was stunning.

Think about what this man is going to be like as president. Think of the poise and intelligence he is going to use when he tackles issues that are as big as this.

Part 3 tomorrow...

Obama's Historical Speech On Race 3-18-08 Pt. 1 of 4

I had planned to write a column about the Reverend Wright business but apparently someone can speak more eloquently on it than I.....

Parts 2, 3, and 4 to follow.

Failed?

General David Patraeus has betrayed us! Listen to what the traitor has said:

Iraqi leaders have failed to take advantage of a reduction in violence to make adequate progress toward resolving their political differences. No one in the U.S. and Iraqi governments feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation or in the provision of basic public services.

Hold on a second...does this mean that the surge has failed? How dare he! Doesn't he know that everything is going according to plan in Iraq?

I guess he missed the interdepartmental memo.

My Birthday Horoscope!

OK. This is fucking hilarious. Here is my horoscope for today...my 41st birthday.

It's not that you ALWAYS should get your way, but often you should. And you have the necessary diplomacy to do it now. Furthermore, it just so happens that the whole world will be a better place when you do.

Yeah, baby!

The Bootlicker Brigade

I had an epiphany this week. The main reason why conservatives tend to champion the free market is because they consider attaining wealth to be one of the most admirable qualities. I offer as an example this article from the Times regarding a recent visit to Congress by several prominent CEOs in the financial services industry in an attempt to justify their large payout packages. My favorite quote:

Many Republicans on the committee fought the very premise of the hearing. “This is a hearing in search of bad guys,” said Darrell E. Issa, Republican of California. “Are there bad guys in front of me? I’m not seeing it.”

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Ferraro's Foolishness

The really sad thing about Geraldine Ferraro is that she has cancer. Multiple myeloma in fact. In typical fashion, the media has not really reported this, focusing instead on her comments regarding Barack Obama and race. When one suffers from MM as long as she has (10 years), the amount of drugs you take really exacts a toll on your system. In fact, it has been proven to alter your moods and mental state. You are also in a great deal of physical pain constantly. I know this from personal experience as my mother in law suffers from this. It is horrible.

So, I guess I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the bizarre statements she has made in the last few days regarding why Barack Obama is doing as well as he is in the election. I really have my doubts that she is racist. Out of her mind and out of touch, partially due to drugs? Yes.

Racist? No.

Hello Larry!

Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld and creator of the uber hilarious Curb Your Enthusiasm, has officially chimed in on the election. His recent column on the Huffington Post is so dead on right it's scary. The best quote from the piece.

I watched, transfixed, as she took the 3 a.m. call...and I was afraid...very afraid. Suddenly, I realized the last thing this country needs is that woman anywhere near a phone. I don't care if it's 3 a.m. or 10 p.m. or any other time. I don't want her talking to Putin, I don't want her talking to Kim Jong Il, I don't want her talking to my nephew. She needs a long rest. She needs to put on a sarong and some sun block and get away from things for a while, a nice beach somewhere -- somewhere far away, where there are...no phones.

An Open Letter

The following is an open letter to all voting Democrats in Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Guam, North Carolina, Indiana, West Virgina, Oregon, Kentucky, Montana, South Dakota, Puerto Rico, and the 300 or so remaining Superdelegates who are about to vote in primaries an caucuses.

It has become obvious to me that Hillary Clinton wants to be president so deeply that she is willing to become a monster in order to do it. It's odd to note that I wrote this sentence two days before an Obama aide, Samantha Power, resigned for saying the same thing. It's true, though, she is a monster and she has reminded us what defines her. In your upcoming primary or caucus, please keep the following in mind.

For the last week, Hillary Clinton has played the fear card (the 3am phone call ad), lied about who winked to Canada regarding NAFTA, and, on at least two occasions, placed herself and John McCain as being more qualified to be president. Similar to the end of nearly every Scooby Doo episode, Hillary has been unmasked and revealed to be.......KARL ROVE!!

There is no mathematical way she can win the election, even if she wins all 11 of the remaining contests by a large majority. She is also behind in the popular vote. The only way she can win is by bribing the superdelegates and, if that happens, she will have become the second person to steal a third election in the last eight years. If you are a superdelegate and you are reading this, imagine what the party will become if this happens. You are going to alienate ALL of the Obama voters. The Democrats will be terribly weak going into the general election and she WILL lose to John McCain.In poll after poll, Barack Obama is the stronger candidate against McCain. Imagine all of the crap that is going to come out against her in the general election.

Even if she somehow manages to win, both the nomination and the White House, get ready for four years of a mountain of bullshit, scandals, daily rectals, and maniacal tirades from both sides that will make the last eight years look like a church fucking social. Folks, we have done the Clinton thing and, while it was fine in the 90s, it is woefully shop worn. They had their time in the White House and it is time to move on.

In essence, that is what this election is really all about. That is why people like Hillary Clinton and her supporters are throwing the kitchen sink at Barack Obama. She can see the writing on the wall. This is her only shot and if she loses and he wins...and wins the general election against McCain...people like her and others in DC that benefit the most from the current schema, will lose forever. If Barack Obama becomes president, their party will be over.

I have watched with great interest the bemusement of conservatives commenting on the Democrats infighting. As usual, they don't get it. This primary is not about petty liberal squabbling. This election is about the past versus the future. We can see this divide clearly in each of their supporters. Hillary supporters will follow Obama. Obama supporters will not follow Hillary because to them she represents everything that is wrong with this country in the same way George Bush represents everything that is wrong with this country. She is about the past, the status quo, and the fucked up way things have always been done in Washington. Senator Obama is about the future. He is about turning the page.

People are excited about politics again. They are inspired and motivated to make this country a better place and it is because of Barack Obama, not Hillary Clinton. Give her the nomination and you lose all of that.You have a chance to stop an insanely retarded tendency to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Don't fuck it up.

Message to Republicans: You Are Fucked!

I just pulled this story off of Electoral-Vote.com.

In case you missed the news yesterday, Democrat Bill Foster beat Republican Jim Oberweis for Dennis Hastert's seat in a very special election in IL-14 west of Chicago. The NRCC spent $1.3 million of the $6,4 million it has in the bank to hold a seat they have owned for more than 20 years in a district that is strongly Republican (PVI R+5) and lost to a nuclear physicist who has never run for public office before. Now Foster is a very smart guy, no doubt about that, but he is a newbie to politics. Obama helped Foster and McCain helped Oberweis but this race was in Illinois not Arizona so it is not really Obama vs. McCain, the prequel. Still, many GOP congressmen may be starting to think carefully if this might not be a good time retire voluntarily, rather than involuntarily.

29 of them already have retired. Combine that with the 19 Senate seats that Republicans are defending...precariously...and you have all the makings of a bloodbath in the fall. This is assuming, though, that Obama gets the nomination. If Hillary does, the Dems won't get their filibuster proof majority.

A Republican loss in an R+5 district? Wow. Somebody gone and done fucked things up for conservatives right good....gee, wonder who that could be?

Hillary Clinton angling for McCain VP Spot

Seriously, why is anyone in the Democratic party voting for this....person? After this, I can understand why Republicans would....

Hillary Rove-Bush-Cheney

Here is the commercial, airing in Texas, that everyone is talking about. This proves, undoubtedly, that my assessment of her is correct: She is no different than Bush and will use the same old tired tactics (i.e. do anything) to win.

Sad and pathetic.

A Welcome Return

I thought I would bring the following comment out front for two reasons. First, it marks the return, after a unbearably long hiatus, of PL. Yeah!! Second, he asks some important questions that I would like to address.

This conservative, for what it's worth, welcomes a win by Mr. Obama. Normally I might feel somewhat dirty after typing such a sentence, but in this case I have my reasons. Long story short, I see two primary benefits:

1) Too much of a good thing is bad, and for too long businesses in this country have lived the good life with respect to the US being an economic superpower. A return to liberal domination in the executive and legislative branches, while undoubtedly painful at the microeconomic level for many, should force many companies to adjust their perspective to focus on service/quality. We'll get killed in the international markets, but that's happening already, so there's only so much more damage that can be done. The upside will hopefully be that fewer people will be living their lives boiling over with rage, and I have to think that's a good thing.

2) An attack on the wealthy means that more money will be in the hands of those who are too stupid to hold onto it, offering an attractive opportunity for more of it to end up in my hands.

I would, however, issue the following challenge to those on this blog who are going on record with the predictable and tedious conservative bashing. I challenge you to now go on record with what scorecard you are going to use for Mr. Obama should he be elected President. You cannot measure "hope" or "good will", except perhaps via grossly subjective polls, so I want to know from you when, if ever, you might ever conclude that Mr. Obama is failing as President.

Long-timers on this blog know that despite my political allegiance I didn't vote for GWB in '04. Common sense clearly indicated that in no circumstance would GWB actually be able to accomplish anything in his second term, no matter how valid or viable his ideas might be, therefore a vote for him was a vote for nothingness. At the time I laid out that "accomplish" meant things like implementing tax reform, education improvement, health of economic indicators, and so on. As predicted, he has failed to accomplish almost anything of significance in the past four years.

So Markadelphia, et al....let's hear it. How and by when will we know that Mr. Obama (presumably with a continuing majority in the Senate and House) is proving to be the leader that we [conservatives] are told he will be?

NOTE: It goes without saying that Mr. Obama winning the White House will be accompanied by four years of the predictable and tedious blame game with respect to whose fault whatever the problem-du-jour truly is. Here's your chance to prove yourself more than just another liberal sycophant by holding up an objective measuring stick to your boy. (No, Markadelphia, not that boy....I meant Mr. Obama.) Are you as open-minded and visionary as you profess to be?

I think we will know, PL, what kind of a leader Senator Obama will be in the first 100 days. That is usually the barometer for seeing how effective a presidency can be. As far as how, I think you need to measure how he energizes the country. Will more people get involved to make our country a better place? Or will they expect government handouts? Will special interests put up a big fight? Another good test is to see how the good ol boys in the Democratic Party react once their playhouse is torn down. Will they go quietly into that good night?

I think I will be open minded for this main reason. Mr. Obama has a lot to live up to, in my eyes, and I will be just as critical with him, possibly more so, than I have been with President Bush. I predict that, if elected, Senator Obama will make mistakes, one or two of which will be enormous. The test for me will be how he learns from those mistakes. Will he self actualize or will he be an eight year old putz, as we have now?

Of course, I am not going to FIND things to fault him with if I think and feel there are none. As we learn more about Barack Obama, we can begin to see a level of maturity in him that is really going to be difficult for the eight year olds, on the right, to attack. So, I guess the final measure for me, in regards to Mr. Obama, is going to be how much he rises above that crap and even nullifies it.

The Language of Hope and Healing

Over the course of the last week I have felt the intense rush of serendipity. Conservatives from all walks of my life have inundated me with their opinions of Barack Obama. His rise to the probable nomination for the Democratic party have left conservatives scratching their heads. They simply don't understand why his message is resonating with so many people. In fact, they don't understand his message at all. The question is why. Why? Why is it so difficult to understand what hope actually means?

Coming from the party that allegedly follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, it is even more perplexing.What is uncanny and terribly ironic about what the right is saying about Obama is that it sounds eerily familiar to what the "non believers" said about Christ during his time on earth. Let's take a look at some recent quotes.

"I think Obama is a charlatan and I think his follows are brain dead zealots who either lack the education, intelligence or insight to see through his empty rhetoric. I think his followers are a cultish lot with some type of messiah complex and hope that he will fulfill whatever needs they're missing in their lives. Empty, sad, shells of people looking for someone else to make them whole. And when it's President Obama, the veil will be pulled back and the awakening will be very rude." (just Dave from comments)

"Barack Obama, ladies and gentlemen, is a blank canvas upon which anybody can project their fantasies, or their desires." (Rush Limbaugh)

"if you’re running for president not as an unexceptional first-term senator with a thin resume but as the new Messiah..." (Mark Steyn)

"Barack Obama shares the same ideology as Hitler and Stalin: socialism" (Dennis from comments on The Smallest Minority)

Dave's comments are actually accurate...if you are describing certain conservatives who laughingly call themselves "Christians." Sadly, what Dave and others fail to see that what is really happening is that people are sick and tired of criminals running and ruining our country. They are energized because they think they can make a difference again and make out country strong and respected again, as opposed to weak and reviled. They see Barack Obama as a shining example of FINALLY having a leader with whom we can be proud. Michelle Obama said last week that she can "be proud of her country again." Right wingers went nuts. How dare she say America, in the recent past, is something that we shouldn't be proud of!!

Well, she's right. Deal with it. Stop trying to blame the media, our education system, or any of your other usual suspects that you point to when you hilariously shift the blame for the ills that befall our country. You sound like children, pointing to the guy next to you saying, "He did it! It's his fault."

I don't know about the rest of you, dear readers, but I can't be proud of a country that bemoans political prisoners in Cuba and yet has hundreds of its own. I can't be proud of a country that claims to stand for human rights and yet has people in it that think that water boarding is not torture AND want to fight for the right to water board (!). I can't be proud of a country that has millions of people who claim to be pro life and yet condone the murder of thousands of Iraqi children calling it "self defense."

Fellow blogger Kevin Baker asked me this question on his blog the other day: how will Obama heal our souls? The question reminded of another question that was asked in comments last week: how will Obama get able bodied men to work who are lazy and don't want to? The answer to both questions is the same.

Barack Obama is not the messiah. He will not heal our souls. What he can do is lead us to the beginning of the path and the rest of it is up to us. In effect, each one of us is a messiah to ourselves. Believe me when I tell you, we really NEED to start down that path or it's over for our country.

Each of us has that Christ power that inside of us. Every one of us has the capacity for love, hope, and peace. Everyone of us has the power to take these three fundamental traits and put them into action, not just in our communities but in our country at large. We can do this by picking an issue in our communities, getting involved and making it better. I think the reason why most conservatives don't grasp this concept is that they don't understand the difference between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. They can't understand people who are motivated to do the things purely for the joy of doing them. Most conservatives believe the only way to motivate people is through money...and fear. It really doesn't have to be that way.

When you break out of that system, you gain power.

Believe me when I tell you that people like Dick Cheney, Grover Norquist, and James Dobson don't want us to get in touch with that power. They view Christ as a means to an end to control people. They believe in structure and steel enforced granite rules with a select few people in control. The reason why you see conservatives so upset right now and making comments like the ones above is that they are afraid of losing that control.

People are starting to realize how much power they have. Obama is telling them that they can break out of it. Many, many people are believing him and, thus, believing in themselves. And that's why people are worried about him getting shot. Not because of Steyn's death messiah fantasy talked about in comments. It's because people that understand these things know what has happened before...with JFK, Dr. King, Bobby Kennedy....these leaders who would have made things better for more people were killed because they represented a threat to those who want power for few and hate, misery, and fear for the rest of us.When you lose these three things, you lose control. It is starting to slip away and that's why we are starting to hear people say things like the above mentioned quotes.

I have to admit that I felt a lot of anger when I read some of these comments. I mean...seriously!....They take a message of restoring simple human dignity to Americans and becoming better ambassadors to the world then twist into a cynical distortion that would make Goebbels proud. Scary, huh? It's almost as if they have a filter in their brain that transforms all words said by anyone that doesn't think exactly the way they do into the foolishness we see above.

After a day or two...well....now I just feel pity, really. I think it is tremendously sad that there is such a large group of people in this country who see villains around every corner.....who constantly give into fear and fall into backwards thinking (e.g. Barack Obama is a communist)....who are so insecure with the word change that they demonize that which could be helpful....who are so trapped inside of an ideology that they will never realize their true potential as human beings.

All of this begs the question...do conservatives understand the language of hope and healing?

Family Vacation-RUINED!!

I just got this photo, courtesy of Zombie Girl. I thought you would all think it was as special as I did.

I have a few more she sent me which I will be trotting out in the weeks to come as a nice break to all the political banter.

Enjoy!

Johnny....Johnny...Johnny.....(sigh)

John McCain was quoted yesterday as saying that he hopes that "Fidal Castro gets the chance to meet Karl Marx very soon." Let's pause for a moment and put this comment into the CDBRM (conservative douche bag reprocessing machine).

beep....blurp...wham....boff....squirt

Ah, here it is. What he was really saying. "I am saying this to rally more of the conservative base to my cause who will mistakenly believe that the only reason why America hates Cuba is because Fidal Castro is a murderer, fornicator, and communist. I, of course, know that the main reason why our government doesn't like Cuba is because Castro, instead of American industry, is pillaging and financially raping his own people. Dang, it'd be great to get a crack at that cheap labor and make all that money that Castro is making instead of us. Fucker....!"

Perhaps ol' Johnny Boy should more worried about this.......

Are You FUCKING kidding me?

Check out this story in the Dallas Star Telegram. Apparently the Secret Service ordered the Dallas police to stop security checks an hour before an Obama rally. They wanted the lines to move faster. As of this writing, none of the major news networks have picked this story up. Ed Schulze has been talking about it on his radio show but that's it.

Folks, I can see this shit happening all over again. The people (and you know who the fuck I am talking about) who have the most to lose from an Obama presidency are going to try to take him out and blame some crazed racist.

Was this a test run?

What is the Story?

So, is this story that the New York Times published today about John McCain's "improper" relationship with lobbyist Vicki Iseman about McCain or the New York Times? Has the New York Times gone too far and stepped out of its normal parameters of reporting news? Will they still be the "paper of record?"

This could be a unbelievably damaging story to the Republican Party, not so much from the standpoint of McCain having an affair, but from the fact that he did favors for Isemen when he was the head of the Commerce committee.

Before I render any judgment, the sources that are saying McCain did have an improper relationship need to go on record. The New York Times has a lot of explaining to do and I really need to hear all that from Bill Keller, executive editor of the Times, and not the writers of the story. And by improper, I mean from the lobbyist angle not the sexual angle. Can we please move past this crap in this country? I don't give shit if McCain had group sex with the entire east wing of the Shady Oaks retirement home. The fact that we are obsessed with our leader's sex lives means we have much growing up to do.