Will Everyone Please Calm Down?

Taking a break from politics and turning to sports, people in my home state are once again making the mistake of thinking the Vikings are going to go somewhere in the playoffs. Yes, I know they need one win or one Bears loss and they win the division but let's not break out the big ass drum of boiling oil and have ourselves a clam bake yet.

Only true Vikings fans know (as nearly as long suffering as Cubs fans), they are going to take a dump in these last few weeks. If it's not in the regular season, it will be in the first round of playoffs. So, please, stop with the over hyper predictions of Brad "Denny's Menu" Childress taking this team to the Super Bowl and winning.

It is not going to happen.

My Guy

He's done it again.

President Elect Barack Obama has once again shown what this country is going to start looking like during his presidency. By selecting evangelical Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, our soon to be president has shown that we are not all divided and that many of us, regardless of our political stripes, share common beliefs.

While the left squawks (and man oh man are they squawking-hilarious:)) about Warren's anti gay and pro life beliefs, a more reasoned mind can look at Pastor Warren's beliefs and action regarding world poverty and social injustice. He believes, as I do, that it is every Christian's duty to fight against these two things and make whatever sacrifices are possible to end them.

I also think that Pastor Warren really challenged PE Obama's way of thinking on several issues when he was at the Saddleback debate last summer. If you look at PE Obama's life, these are the kind of people that he has surrounded himself with...people with diverse points of view who will take him to the mat and help him learn and grow. I'm sure Mr. Obama, being the reflective man that he is, realized how unimpressive he was in that discussion last summer and felt that Pastor Warren is someone from whom he could learn.

And it is a great move politically. Evangelicals, some of which believed the paranoid and delusional propaganda that has come out about PE Obama over the last 2 years, can now look at him in a different light. Maybe he's not a terrorist-Muslim-communist-pinko-socialist-baby killer-ultra left wing maniac as we have been lead to believe.

As I have said previously and ad naseaum, Barack Obama is going to piss off the left more than he is the right. So far he is right on track to do that.

That's my guy!

Liberal Media Watch

For being "puppets" of Barack Obama, MSNBC and the New York Times sure have a funny way of showing it. Both have been beating the Governor Blagojovich story into the ground even going as far as teaming up by interviewing each other on what could actually be in the "secret" documents that are going to be released next week regarding the ongoing investigation.

In fact, several anchors on MSNBC as well as reporters for the Times have said that President Elect Obama is answering questions in a manner similar to President Bush. Whether or not you agree that is true, it is kind of a head scratcher considering what the "all media are agin' us" crowd on the right are saying about both of these news organizations.

Ah, well...best not think about it too much. It's been a hard few weeks for some folks on the right and we all know how they need to have their enemies...even if they are, in no way, real.

White Folk Are All A-Feared (cuz he's a comin')

Earlier this week, the Star Tribune ran an article regarding how gun sales have picked up since Barack Obama was elected president. I have tried, very hard, all week to write a column about this but every time I start typing, I start laughing. In fact, I laugh so uncontrollably that my hands and fingers fly around my office, gripping my stomach in the pain of losing oxygen, and I nearly pass out!

After I calm down, one word pops immediately into my head which accurately describes the people that are rushing out to buy weaponry.

SUCKERS.

The NRA and other gun lobbyists are clearly exaggerating Obama's anti gun stance to make more money. And they have a whole line of chuckleheads that are willing to believe anything they say. As Sue Fust puts it in the article:

The anti-Obama vitriol has been a fear-mongering tactic that encourages some very fringe folks who are paranoid and convinced that the United States government will really need to be overthrown one day by citizens with guns. This helps to sell firearms. It is therefore important for those selling guns who want to make money to either try to create new markets or increase sales to existing gun owners.

No shit. I guess Obama's line about clinging to guns and religion may have been more astute than originally thought. Thankfully, not all gun owners are are losing their marbles.

Considering all the problems the country faces, "you have to wonder how high a priority [guns] will be," Joel Rosenberg (local gun enthusiast) said. "It's going to cost millions of dollars" to institute new gun laws, "and how much political capital is he willing to spend right away? I'm telling people who ask, 'Don't do anything you wouldn't do anyway,'" he said. "If you were already thinking of getting a carry permit or ... a semiautomatic, well, maybe go ahead and do it."

No shit. And thank you, Joel for being sane.

Intelligent Minds Think Alike

Check out this video from CNN's web site.

Note to Rush: Buh Bye....

And isn't all of it exactly what I have been saying for the last....um...forever?

Check Out This Blog

My friend, Melissa Lynn, has started her own blog. She writes some pretty intense and wonderful prose.

Click here to check it out. Leave comments as she would much appreciate it!

Freddie Did What?

Remember all that talk in psycho conservative land about how Freddie Mac was all fucked up because the government was running the show? Well, it turns out (as it often does) that was all a big, steamy pile of shit.

In records obtained by the Associated Press, Freddie Mac fended off regulation by (gasp!) paying off a bunch of people in Washington to keep the government off their backs. Internal Freddie Mac budget records show $11.7 million was paid to 52 outside lobbyists and consultants in 2006. Power brokers such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich were recruited with six-figure contracts. Freddie Mac paid the following amounts to the firms of former Republican lawmakers or ex-GOP staffers in 2006:

-Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of New York, at Park Strategies, $240,000.

-Rep. Vin Weber of Minnesota, at Clark & Weinstock, $360,297.

-Rep. Susan Molinari of New York, at Washington Group, $300,062.

-Susan Hirschmann at Williams & Jensen, former chief of staff to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, $240,790.

The tactics worked - for a time. Freddie Mac was able to operate with a relatively free hand until the housing bubble ultimately burst in 2007. The internal Freddie Mac documents also show that 17 of the lobbying firms and consultants paid in 2006 were specifically directed to focus on Republicans and four on Democrats, with varying targets for the rest.

So, can someone...some conservative someone who has been bemoaning too much government interference as the cause of all our financial woes...explain to me how less regulation is the answer when it seems like less regulation was the intent and goal that got us into trouble in the first place?

Retribution

On February 25, 2003, General Eric Ken Shinsecki testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding the invasion of Iraq. When asked about the size of force required, he responded

I would say that what's been mobilized to this point -- something on the order of several hundred thousand soldiers are probably, you know, a figure that would be required. We're talking about post hostilities control over a piece of geography that's fairly significant, with the kinds of ethnic tensions that could lead to other problems. And so it takes a significant ground-force presence.

Shortly afterward, then SecDef Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Sec Paul Wolfowitz called Shinsecki's estimate "far off the mark" and "wildly off the mark" repsectively. Wolfowitz went on to say that it was "hard to believe" that more troops, than the 150,000 that he and Rumsfeld recommended, would be required to stabilize Iraq.

Five years later....Rumsfeld was asked to resign after the 2006 elections, Wolfowitz resigned in disgrace as President of the World Bank, and General Eric Ken Shinsecki is President Elect Barack Obama's pick to be Secretary of Veteran's Affairs.

It just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

This Just In: Hell Frozen Over

Earlier this week, my staunch conservative and evangelical friend at the gym walked over to me and said the following:

"I'm happy to be wrong."

For a moment I thought I was in a parallel universe in which men flew, cars ran on garbage, and commenters on Kevin Baker's blog were rational. I asked him what he meant and what exactly he was wrong about. He went on to tell me how happy he was that President Elect Barack Obama picked James Jones to be National Security Adviser. He repeated how wrong he was about Obama being "soft" on military issues and even went as far to say that it was a better pick than Condeleeza Rice. Wow!

It does my heart proud to see this type of reflection coming from someone who I thought incapable of looking inward. It gives me...hope:)

Send in the Marines...Finally!

As I have told many of my conservative friends over the last few months, President Elect Obama is no softie when it comes to the security of this nation. In fact, I think there are going to be many ways in which he will be tougher (and clearly smarter) than President Bush when it comes to taking out Al Qaeda.

I realize this goes against all of the right wing propaganda out there about Barack Obama, surely eliciting the usual EEP! BLURP! QUARK! from some brainwashed minds, but with the nomination of former Marine Commandant James Jones (to the right of President Elect Obama and Senator Clinton in the photo) to be National Security Advisor, it is now a fact that our next president is determined to take out those who would use terror as a weapon.

In addition to being a 40 year Marine veteran, Jones has served as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and as Special Envoy to the Middle East. He also acted as key advisor to President Bush early in his first administration. Jones is a Republican and has been described by many as a "warrior-diplomat." That is exactly what we need right now...someone who has the intellect to defeat the enemy in addition to being a blunt instrument, which is what ALL marines are.

This pick sends a message to Al Qaeda in Pakistan: Your days are numbered. With the head of the marines (and PE Obama) calling for months for a troop redeployment to Afghanistan, I think we can safely predict a major strategy shift in that part of the world. Factor in the recent attacks in India and there is no doubt in my mind that our future president is going to be pretty darned hawkish in the region.

With his plate full of economic woes, the pick of Jones, the continuance of Gates tenure as SecDef, and the choice of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, President Elect Obama has a team in place rife with experience and knowledge. He can spend more of his time trying to get our financial difficulties straightened out and rest easy knowing that the marines are on the job.

It's about fucking time.

A Quitter?

Of all of the things I have written about President George W. Bush, I never thought I would write the following line: He is a quitter.

I could always rely on W to be the "decider guy" out there making all the bonehead moves he has made over the years. But to give up? Nah, say it ain't so.

Well, it is. With two months left in his presidency and in the middle of the worst economic crisis this nation has seen since The Great Depression, George Bush has basically handed the keys to Barack Obama. Never mind the fact that, by law, he has to serve us until January 20th.

As we have seen for the last eight years, Bush has no clue what the fuck is going on. His incompetence in handling this crisis is monumental and so, rather than trot out his usual propaganda of "everything is fine, don't believe your eyes," he has elected to head on down the road to pasture.

Because he knows that everything is not fine and it is probably going to get worse. And, by and large, it is his fault for mainly doing nothing (due to the fact that he knows nothing) and partially thinking, erroneously, that the free market would take care of itself.

So, I guess his complete and utter failure is now complete....well, except for the 24 percent of the country (see the real "victim culture" on the right) who think it is all someone else's fault. I guess it's time for someone who is actually competent to clean up the mess. The cynic in me wonders if he can.

That Darned Commie!

Well, President Elect Obama has really done it this time. He went and nominated Timothy Gethiner to be the new Treasury Secretary. Gethiner is currently the President of the New York Federal Reserve. He is also the Vice Chariman of the Federal Open Market Committee. He started his career working for Henry Kissinger’s consulting firm, then moved on to work under George Bush Sr. in the treasury department. Geithner then moved on to work for the Council on Foreign Relations, a conservative foreign policy think tank.

Add all this up and what do you get? Our future president is looking for someone more pragmatic to run the Treasury. Someone who, perhaps, doesn't believe the government should fund business. Someone who will probably do a good job.

Sadly, though...

Add all this up in looney land and what do you get? Communist! Pinko! Stealer of my money! I want my money! Wah!!!

Well, at least those are just a few of the comments I have heard thus far since the announcement of Gethiner's appointment. Ah well, as long as they continue to make sense:)

A Great Reason To Own An Arsenal

Recently, in comments, a debate sprang up on why anyone would "need" an assault rifle. After reading this article in the Monitor, I think the reason why I would want one makes itself quite clear.

Heck the photo of the D bag alone is reason enough.

Oh, So Sad...

This is bloody priceless.

I have a friend who was an election judge on November 4th. When they opened up the absentee ballots from military bases around the world, including Iraq, the Republican representatives went berserk. Apparently, President Elect Obama (something I try to say at least 10 times a day these days) received many more votes than Senator McCain. And the Republicans couldn't take it.

EEP! BLURP! QUARK! Military loves all Republicans. EEP! SPLAT! All soldiers love only conservatives. EEP! BLURP! SMACK! Poison gas...can't breathe...EEP! ZAP!

Something tells me there's going to be a lot more cognitive dissonance in the next few months. Imagine what will happen if (Gasp!) President Elect Obama actually succeeds at something.

EEP! BLURP! He actually failed. EEP! BLURP! He is evil. Don't believe your eyes. EEP! BLURP! Muslim terrorist EEP! BLURP!

Why Is She Still Around?

Sarah Palin seems to be everywhere. I realize she is the flavor of the month but the election is over and her side lost. Yet, she acts as if it is Dec 2011 and the Iowa caucuses are one month off. She has been giving interview after interview on all the major news networks. President Elect Obama hasn't even taken office yet!!!

Andy, over at Electoral-Vote.com, has a good take on this.

In an interview with Fox's Greta Van Susteren, Sarah Palin has said she is open to running for President in 2012 if God shows her the way. This remark demonstrates her inexperience. The protocol for running for President dictates that you do not express any interest in the job before the midterms. The correct answer (which she didn't give) was: "Greta, now that the election is over I am going back to Alaska and will be entirely focused on being the best possible governor that I can be for the great and wonderful people of Alaska. My term expires in 2010, and with God's help, I will make a decision about my future in 2010." The problem with announcing now is that her opponents (and she has plenty of them) will have ample time to carefully plot their strategy for making her look bad before the primaries even start.

Palin's exact quote, regarding God, was this.

I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door. And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door.

I'm like, OK...wondering why seemingly, like, intelligent people on the right, like, still think she is, like qualified and junk.

Whither The Republicans...

Tim Pawlenty, governor of my home state of Minnesota, delivered a speech yesterday at the Governor's Convention in Florida, in which he raised several key points regarding the future of the Republican Party. The essential jist of what he said was that Republicans must change or face irrelevancy. I couldn't agree with him more.

Unfortunately, when it comes to change, Republicans have an incredibly hard time. Their party's ideology has essentially become so set in deep granite that any kind of movement seems impossible. In fact, the center piece of their platform is to be as immovable as possible.

So, I would like to know, as does Governor Pawlenty, how exactly are the Republicans going to be far sighted on issues like energy, health care, and education? How, specifically, are they going to broaden their appeal to working class families and small business owners as Mr. Pawlenty suggested is vital?

When one looks at all of these issues, as I have said many times over the last few years, the Republicans completely and utterly lack any kind of forward thinking. In energy, it's "Drill Baby Drill" which is akin to a person, in 1988, saying "We must expand the use of the typewriter." With health care, it's "Fuck you, get your own damn health care" and "Let's make all of my pals in the industry more wealthy by ripping people off." With education, it's "let's censor all that commie pinko bullshit and tell the story of the 'real America.'"

The worst, by far, is their "appeal" to working class families. Essentially the only thing working class families have gotten from the GOP is a giant sucking sound of all their money going to pad the linings of the oil industry, the defense industry, pharmaceuticals, the insurance industry, and HMOs. The cost of living has gone up and wages haven't risen to meet the demand of these new prices. The largest transfer of wealth in the history of the world has occurred under the direction of the Republican Party. Why on earth would the middle class want to support them? More to the point, the Republican's raison d'etre is fuck the little guy over and make damn sure that they have all the toys.

I applaud Governor Pawlenty for at least taking a step towards admitting things must change for the elephants but I think he is incredibly naive to think that it is even possible.

When the only tool in your tool kit is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Really? Fox News?

Is Fox News jumping on the Obama bandwagon? Or are they center right like all of my conservative friends say they are?

I do know that Rush Limbaugh has called Karl Cameron a traitor now that this story has come out. So...a traitor is someone who calls out Sarah Palin for being ignorant?

Given this new information, I want to go on record here at Notes From the Front and say that I think that Sarah Palin should be the Republican nominee in 2012.

In fact, I am praying for it.

Cheese Slowly Slipping Off Cracker

My ol' buddy Matt used to have a phrase for people that were loony. He would say that "their cheese has slipped off their cracker." Well, folks, I think conservatives' cheese has slowly been slipping off their cracker after Barack Obama's victory last week. I have selected a few choice quotes from various emails and conversations over the course of the last week for your reading pleasure.

"Our country is now going to descend into communism."

This one was from my uncle. He is completely and utterly serious. He thinks that this is actually going to happen. He has also convinced his wife, my mom's younger sister, that this is true and she has been physically ill for the last week...unable to eat or sleep. She has also had a non stop headache. Both of them believe that Obama is going to destroy our country by installing a communist regime with himself as supreme leader.

"There go all of my guns. "
"I am going to buy as many guns as I can before HE is sworn in."
"I just bought ten guns and I am going to hide them so Barack Obama can't find them."

These were three emails I received on Wednesday morning after the election. While President Elect Obama has called to ban certain types of assault rifles, I have yet to see him express an interest in any bans on shotguns, rifles, hand guns, and many other weapons let alone going house to house and confiscating guns.

"He is going to hand the keys of the country to terrorists."

Beginning to sense a theme here? I had at least five emails with similar themes. Hmm...let's see....worst terrorist attack occurs on Bush's watch....bin Laden and Zawahari at large....Al Qaeda stronger than ever....Bush beholden to Saudi oil men which churns out terrorists like play doh...and they think Obama is going to be worse? Their paranoia knows no bounds.

"More babies are going to die."

Yes, that's right. Barack Obama kills babies. Really? Seriously think about fucking stupid that sounds. Talk about hyper overreaction and, in no way, anything close to reality as Obama has done more to bring down the abortion rate through his support of sex education programs.

"There goes all of my money."

As opposed to all of the money you have now as a result of the stellar management of the economy by the Bush Administration. Let me see if I can be clear on this one...THEY TOOK ALL OF YOUR MONEY YOU FUCKING MORON! WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO VOTE FOR THEM?!?

Perhaps the me of a few years ago would've gloated and enjoyed watching these people descend into madness. Instead, I find it to be extremely frustrating, and somewhat sickening, that they are so bloody brainwashed that they can't think clearly. Even sadder is that there is no reasoning with them. They don't want to calm down. They want to remain in a constant state of fear and pants soiling. They are beyond reasoning.

So, what do we do?

From the Notes From The Front Middle East Bureau....

Our Girl Friday posted this in comments. I wanted to bring it out front.

May God Bless America, and you Mr new President . . who are the peoples' choice and with your new team, their hope for a reality, truth & humanity based, better future.

Amen, soul sister.

The Dream Realized

I don't think there are many words to say today.

It's still sinking in. I can't believe it.

It took 45 years and much pain and heartache but Dr. King's dream has been fulfilled.

In the 41 years I have lived on this planet, I have never been more proud of our country.