Who has the unity problem again?

During yesterday’s ‘Daily’ I mentioned Oklahoma Congressional Democrat Dan Boren who said he is refusing to endorse his party’s nominee, Sen. Obama.

One Democrat says he won’t endorse his party’s candidate and it dominates the news. You surf news sites and you see headlines like ‘Not all Democrats falling for Obama” and “Not all Democrats going for Obama”…

News about 14 of them coming out and saying they wont’ endorse their party’s candidate should be BIG news too, right?

Apparently not, because that’s what’s happening to Sen. McCain, and so far the main-stream media has been abnormally silent on the subject.

From The Hill; “At least 14 Republican members of Congress have refused to endorse or publicly support Sen. John McCain for president, and more than a dozen others declined to answer whether they back the Arizona senator [...] McCain’s campaign seized on some Democrats’ reticence about Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), issuing a release on Tuesday that highlighted that Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) is not endorsing the presumptive nominee. While some conservative Democrats have yet to endorse Obama and didn’t back Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004, there are both centrist and conservative Republicans representing various parts of the country who are not embracing McCain. [ …] Republican members who have not endorsed or publicly backed McCain include Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Reps. Jones, Peterson, John Doolittle (Calif.), Randy Forbes (Va.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.), Virgil Goode (Va.), Tim Murphy (Pa.), Ron Paul (Texas), Ted Poe (Texas), Todd Tiahrt (Kan.), Dave Weldon (Fla.) and Frank Wolf (Va.).”

Now… unless my math is wrong (and it’s not), I count at the least 26 republicans that are trying to distance themselves from McCain.

Some of the names included are meaningless as they are not running for re-election and are lame-ducks; would YOU want an endorsement from Larry Craig?

We knew Ron Paul and his supporters wouldn’t support McCain (especially since they still have a notion of getting the nomination), and Hagel isn’t a surprise either considering that Hagel is a very vocal opponent to the Bush(whacked) Administration's policies on Iraq (and thus McCain’s policies on Iraq) and is a co-sponsor of the Webb GI Bill proposal that McCain vehemently opposes.

Having said all that, while some of the names are meaningless, some aren’t and carry a stigma with not getting their endorsement.

Some of those refusing to endorse McCain are facing serious challenges to retaining their seats such as Virgil Goode, Don Young and possibly Frank Wolf.

And still others seem in no jeopardy to lose re-election (Jeff Sessions, Buck McKeon, Rodney Frelinghuysen, Rep. Randy Forbes) and one is forced to wonder why they have either the opposition or the reluctance to endorse McCain?

We know McCain is not the favorite of quite a few republican Senators (Pete Domenici and Chuck Grassley immediately come to mind when you consider Senators who have been turned off by McCain's previous actions and words), but these lists represent a substantial chunk of the republican membership of the 110th Congress.

That’s not even taking the Bob Barr campaign into account.

And consider this also; last week, Simon Rosenberg, head of the New Democratic Network, said at a forum that McCain was the “worst presidential candidate” in the nation’s modern political history, and contended that there was a “25% chance” that he would be replaced as the Party’s nominee.

Could you imagine that? While it’s true that there is no role for super-delegates in the republican party like we have in the Democratic party, there are more than a few republicans worried that McCain's campaign has the potential of inflicting some serious damage down-ballot.

They see the gaffes, the mis-statements, the disorganization and worry that at some point the press narrative might flip-flop themselves and, rather than be overtly friendly and give McCain a pass on his screw-ups, and start delving deeper into this errs, thus making the narrative, implicitly, raise questions about McCain's readiness for high office… could enough stories about him not remembering his own legislation or statements he has previously made on the record be the start of a discussion of whether he is too old or lacks the "necessities" of meeting the demands of the office?

We Democrats are right to not take anything for granted, especially when we’re still this far out from the actual election… before VP selections are made and convention speeches are given and joint appearances are made… but I AM encouraged by the apparent disunity in the gop…

Granted, some of Clinton's voters are still being antagonistic, but almost all of the Congressionals that HAD supported her are now moving their support to Obama… and when you contrast that with the lists above, it makes you want to know one thing.

Explain to me which party has the ‘unity’ problem again…

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

The weekend is nigh! The weekend is nigh! Must be why today’s ‘Daily’ is so damn long…

• A new a new CNN poll of polls indicates that Sen. Obama is increasing his lead over Sen. John “not too important” McCain…
• With quite a few evangelical groups saying they'll sit this election out because they’re disaffected with the gop’s leadership and nominee, Sen. Obama's campaign has revealed an effort to court young evangelicals and Catholics. (It could work… especially with the younger crowd. If Obama can make any inroads with evangelicals, his chances of winning will increase quite a bit. Stay tuned…) Another poll shows that Obama is picking up support from older female voters; aka – former Sen. Clinton supporters. Again, if this trend continues, November could be huge…
• Not surprisingly, a certain member of Obama’s VP search team has resigned his post as Jim Johnson stepped down following questions about a mortgage he received. I agree this was a mis-step by Obama’s campaign, but rather than let it play out in the press and let it fester, McCain’s camp tried to make it out to be something larger that it was and brought their own judgment within their campaign into question. Tucker Bonds, a McCain spokesman, said Johnson's resignation "raises serious questions about Barack Obama's judgment. […] By entrusting this process to a man who has now been forced to step down because of questionable loans, the American people have reason to question the judgment of a candidate who has shown he will only make the right call when under pressure from the news media. […] America can't afford a president who flip-flops on key questions in the course of 24 hours. That's not change we can believe in.” Naturally, Obama’s camp responded much more strongly when spokesman Bill Burton said, "We don't need any lectures from a campaign that waited 15 months to purge the lobbyists from their staff and only did so because they said it was a 'perception problem.” (Pwned…)
• Dennis Kucinich’s impeach effort is, not surprisingly, trapped in congressional limbo… (where it will, unfortunately, probably stay… or not)
• The U.S. military released video today from an unmanned drone that shows airstrikes along the Afghan-Pakistan border. The strikes targeted fighters engaged with coalition forces.
• A new WSJ/NBC poll finds that voters don’t like “President” Bush on a personal level. From the survey; “By 60% to 30%, they have negative views of him, his worst showing ever. […] By a majority of 54% to 42%, voters say they’d ‘prefer a president ‘who will bring greater changes’ over one who is ‘more experienced and tested.’” (Hmmmmm…)
• The House passed a nearly $15 billion Amtrak bill that will fund the railroad over the next five years. The passage was a stunning example of bipartisanship as it passed 311-104. Naturally, because it aims to help the average American, the White House is threatening a veto because they say the bill doesn't hold Amtrak accountable (hello pot, this is the White House – you’re black). Problem with that threat is that it’s empty because similar legislation has passed the Senate already and both houses have more than enough support to override a veto… so it seems the White House will get pwned and something that could help ease travel costs on the average American will be passed. Way to go Congress, keep it up)
• In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court ruled this morning that “foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have rights under the Constitution to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts.” (Ouch, talk about a slap in the face of this administration. I love it…)
• Obama and McCain are talking about their tax plan this week, and a non-partisan analysis of them shows that Obama’s “offers three times the break for middle class families” than McCain’s that would “steer the bulk of the benefits to the wealthiest families.” (Nooooooo???? Realllllllyyyyy??? McCain’s would benefit wealthy families more?? I can’t accept that, damn liberal media bias… it’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written form)
• And have we mentioned? That Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice banged the war drums at Iran once again? Speaking during Bush’s Euro Trip, she warned Iran that the “world” is losing “patience” with them… (of course by ‘world’ she means “President” Bush and by ‘patience’ she means “before the end of his term.” That reminds me, I should really finish that bomb shelter...)

Are you kidding me?

Sen. McCain, in an interview on NBC’s Today Show, told host Matt Lauer about his support for the war in Iraq.

Lauer: “If it’s working, senator, do you now have a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq?”

McCain: “No, but that’s not too important…”

Are you fucking kidding me??

Having an estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq is “not too important”???

Even though the media continues to give McCain a free pass, a few of his peers in the Senate aren’t…

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) remarks; “McCain’s statement today that withdrawing troops doesn’t matter is a crystal clear indicator that he just doesn’t get the grave national-security consequences of staying the course -- Osama bin Laden is freely plotting attacks, our efforts in Afghanistan are undermanned, and our military readiness has been dangerously diminished. We need a smart change in strategy to make America more secure, not a commitment to indefinitely keep our troops in an intractable civil war.”

And Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) added; “I think many of our brave soldiers and their families would disagree that it’s ‘not too important’ when they come home.”
This is the man who wants to run the country?

The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Hump day… yeah, that’s all I got.

• Our thoughts and prayers go out to all in the Midwest that are battling flooding.
• “President” Bush said today that he has no regrets about Iraq. (Not a surprise. You have to have a heart and a brain to feel regret… he has neither)
• Iraqi officials are objecting to US attempts to establish permanent bases in the country. Sami al-Askari, a senior Shiite politician close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said; “The Americans are making demands that would lead to the colonization of Iraq. […] If we can’t reach a fair agreement, many people think we should say, ‘Goodbye, U.S. troops. We don’t need you here anymore.’”
• The main stream media apparently got the memo that someone in Congress introduced articles of impeachment against Bush… on Monday… way to stay with the news there guys.
• Bush will met with German Chancellor Angela “If you rub my shoulders again I will break you in half” Merkel Wednesday and the meeting is expected to focus on Iran, the Middle East peace process, Afghanistan and the G8 summit. (How much influence does Bush have over any of the leaders in Europe is anyone’s guess, but it can’t be much, especially for nations that have cast a downward eye regarding his invasion of Iraq. Stay tuned, the meeting could be interesting… or it could be dull as a Fox “News” special…)
• Now that each party has their presumptive nominee, the candidates are now able to focus on each other and their presidential policies, with Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama talking about the economy yesterday. McCain told a group of small-business owners Tuesday that his goal as president will be “to get our economy running at full strength again.” Later in the day Obama blasted McCain's economic plan as a “continuation of Bush economic policies: more tax cuts to the wealthy, more corporate tax breaks, more mountains of debt and little to no relief for families struggling with the rising costs of everything from health care to gas prices to a college education.” McCain then volleyed back and said that “under Sen. Obama's tax plan, Americans of every background would see their taxes rise: seniors, parents, small-business owners” which caused Obama to shoot back again and said McCain's prescription for the economy is “wrong for the country” and McCain's characterization of his plan is “just wrong.” (How many more months do we have to listen to this? 5? Oi… will we be able to stand it?)
• While McCain seeks Independent voters, Obama is trolling for religious leaders…
• Sen. Obama’s campaign has a VP short-list with about 20 names on it. Stay tuned…
• Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said yesterday that, regardless of who winds up being the next president, he is likely to “take a sensible approach” to the Iraq war… (which would be a first. And truth be told, hearing McCain’s plan, the only person with a sensible approach is Sen. Obama)
• An Oklahoma Democrat is refusing to endorse Sen. Obama because he says his constituents don’t want him to. Rep. Dan Boren went on to say that the people who voted for him are “much more conservative.” (that’s one way to put it… or you could say you’re a republican who wanted to look like a Democrat in order to get elected. I wouldn’t expect any nice committee-ships if Obama wins Dan…)
• And have we mentioned? That, per ThinkProgress, one of the men behind the Iraq invasion just purchased a scooter? And we’re not talking about Scooter Libby. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recently purchased a “LXV 150 scooter.” When asked about his purchase, Rummy refused to comment… (Sometimes words fail me. This is one of those times. Seriously Don, a scooter??)

Here we go again: Part 256

Last week I posted about an Israeli press report that during a recent meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was going to urge “President” Bush to prepare an attack on Iran.

Naturally the White House has not commented extensively on the meeting, but Israeli press is commenting extensively and reported earlier this week that Olmert has dropped hints that a “U.S. action against Iran is imminent.”

From the article; “Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted after his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush Wednesday that U.S. action against Iran is imminent. While he avoided saying anything clear and specific on the matter, Olmert did mention a “timetable” and said action would take place before Bush leaves the White House. […] We reached agreement on the need to take care of the Iranian threat,” Olmert said after the meeting. “I left with a lot less question marks [than I had entered with] regarding the means, the timetable restrictions and America’s resoluteness to deal with the problem. […] George Bush understands the severity of the Iranian threat and the need to vanquish it, and intends to act on the matter before the end of his term in the White House,” Olmert reportedly said after his 90 minute long one-on-one meeting with the American Commander in Chief.”

I know I’ve said it before, but it’s officially the mantra of this administration now.

‘Here we go again…’

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Another day older and deeper in debt…

• Rep. Dennis Kucinich delivered an impassioned 35 articles of impeachment against “President” Bush last night on the floor of the House of Representatives. I would link to it, but the main stream media is ignoring it with all their might, which is a sad and pathetic display and I hope they get called on it. By whom I don’t know, but I hope it happens.
• Regardless of Sen. Clinton calling for them to unite behind Sen. Obama, some in the leadership of the Democratic Party are nervous about some of the grumbling that Clinton supporters are doing. It seems that some of them may consider voting for McCain, Nader, or not at all rather than vote for Obama. I call Bullshit on them and you can expect a post about this later… unite the party dumbasses, don’t let the republicans steal the election because of party infighting…
• Sen. McCain is once again calling for a gas tax holiday, despite every economist AND Vice President Cheney thinking it’s a bad idea… I would say senility has set in, but he’s already shown signs of senility and that proves, once again, that he’s too damn old to be president.
  “President” Bush says his current Euro Trip will be his last… Europe explodes in applause upon hearing the news. Too bad we couldn’t convince Europe to keep him…
• Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has recommended new Air Force leaders to replace Michael Wynne and Gen. Michael Moseley whom he fired last week following the mistaken transport of nuclear-tipped missiles across US states in 2007 and missile components being sent erroneously to Taiwan in 2006. (mistakes like this don’t surprise me considering how this administration operates. I’m more surprised that something worse hasn’t happened)
• MOAA, Military Officers Association of America, “strongly supports” Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-VA) 21st Century GI Bill and says, while the “understand the concerns of those who would prefer to see enhanced GI Bill benefits tied to extended military service, the GI Bill has always been a veterans’ benefit, not a military retention benefit.” (Game. Set. Match. Webb. Get behind it McCain, or you’re going to lose a LOT of support among military voters. On second thought, continue to oppose it, it will only help Obama in November…)
• Throughout the whole Jack Abramoff story, the White House has said this administration only had passive ties to him and that he had met “President” Bush in passing. Prepare yourselves, it turns out the White House lied (I know, it’s hard to believe isn’t it?) and the administration had stronger ties to Abramoff than it had publicly admitted. A new House Oversight Committee report shows that Bush himself met Abramoff on at least six occasions, even though the White House had previously acknowledged only two… (and the plot thickens…)
• And have we mentioned? That, considering who they’re looking to for help, Senate republicans must be desperate? Senate republicans are “hungry” for the advice of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with hopes that he can be an election guru for “the harshest climate for their party in over a decade.” And Gingrich is working it as he is “quietly expanding his influence in the upper chamber, where he is selling ideas on refurbishing the GOP’s image.” (First of all, Gingrich has never done anything quietly in his life. Second, why would you pin the hopes of your party on someone who was swept out the last time the republicans saw their fortunes ebb? Gingrich is not a savior, and if they’re looking to him for that, my hopes – and expectations – for November have just increased 3 fold…)

The Monday ‘BushWhacking’

Another start of another week, can you stand the excitement?

• Sen. Clinton delivered a poignant, declarative speech on Saturday that HAD to be tough to deliver. In the speech she asked for party unity, praised her supporters, praised Sen. Obama and asked for her supporters to throw themselves behind Obama. Let’s hope it works…
• “President” Bush is heading out for a six-nation trip to Europe to highlight improved US relations… (What relations are improved is what I want to know… US relations won’t be improved until, at the earliest, January 20, 2009)
• Both Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain’s campaigns have rejected an offer from NYC Mayor Bloomberg to host a town-hall meeting that would have aired solely on ABC. While both Obama and McCain are anxious to debate, both of the campaigns said any Town Hall meetings or debates would have to be available for broadcast on ALL networks and news outlets, so stay tuned.
• On Bloomberg TV this past weekend, one of McCain’s policy advisers, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, tried to brushback attempts that McCain is running to continue Bush’s policies by claiming (are you sitting down?) that Obama would be like President Bush and that Obama is “dedicated to the recent Bush tradition of spending money on everything.” (Wait… he’s trying to say that Obama will be a continuation of Bush’s policies? Are you kidding me? Hell, even conservative putz stalwart Bob Novak says that Eakin’s claim is “the silliest thing I have ever heard!” And if you’ve lost Novak, you’ve lost a lot… what the hell was Eakin thinking? Bringing this up will only keep the McCain as Bush talk in the public’s eyes more… is Eakin taking lessons from Mark Penn???)
• Sen. McCain is on a fundraising tour of Virginia and Washington D.C. while Sen. Obama is poised to start a 2-week tour entitled “Change That Works For You”, starting today at the North Carolina State fairgrounds. Game on…
• 78% of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research poll rate current US economic conditions as poor, up from 75% in March. What’s even more telling is that a scant 22% rate the economic conditions in the country as good… (and one has to wonder what the HELL those 22% are smoking…)
• White House lawyers are worried that Scott McClellan’s book will reignite the Valerie Plame story and will cause lawmakers to again ask questions about the CIA leak scandal. (Good. I still think the wrong person got nailed for that. And if Scott’s book does reignite interest and illicit hearings, that’s a good thing. Stay tuned)
• And have we mentioned? That despite anything “President” Bush does now, he is still likely to end up as the worst president ever? In an informal poll of scholars this past Spring, only two out of 109 historians said Bush would be judged a success while the majority of those questions deemed him the “worst president ever.” (Ouch. How does one combat that? You really can’t. If people of this time view him as the worst ever, it would take an absolutely astounding event to alter enough minds to vindicate him. And I don’t think that’s possible)

The Weekly Rewind: The Return

It’s back and better than ever… TBWA’s Weekly Rewind. After a brief hiatus, it’s back with a vengeance… doling out snark, criticism, prognostication and opinion on all that is in the world of politics. Let’s get busy…

Applaud: to the incredible shrinking approval numbers. A new CBS News poll shows that “President” Bush’s approval rating has plummeted to 25%, an “all-time low for him and among the lowest approval ratings ever recorded for a President.” And before you Bush apologists cry about this disapproval numbers don’t indicate the same, the same poll pegs those at 67%. Only Richard Nixon and Harry Truman have had lower approval ratings than Bush with 24% and 22%, respectively… (history is not being kind to George, and I doubt that that will change over the next 5, 10, 25, 75, 100 years. Worst. President. Ever.)

Heckle: to idiotic housing arrangements. The Army is assigning soldiers with PTSD at Fort Benning to housing that is located 200 yards away from firing ranges… Complaints to medical personnel and officers have brought no relief despite the fact that the sounds of rifles and machine guns make these wounded soldiers “cringe” and “stay awake and on edge,” and recently sent one soldier to the emergency room with an anxiety attack… (How stupid is this? Are you honestly telling me that the Army doesn’t see anything wrong with this tactic? Scary… absolutely scary…)

Applaud: to Sen. Hillary Clinton for an impressive campaign. After winning one of the final 2 primaries this past week, she endorsed Sen. Obama today and ended her 17-month campaign for the White House. The two of them met this week in private and word is that the discussions went well and she will do everything she can to help Obama win the White House in November… just as I said she would all along. Yes, she was committed to winning and was doing what politicians do, sling mud, accusations, etc. But, and this was the harder part to get across to people, she is also dedicated to the Democratic party and wants to see a Dem get elected in November… prepare for the juggernaught.

Heckle: to even more depressing economic news. Fidelity Investments, the nation’s largest retirement plan administrator, shows that the number of people making hardship withdrawals rose 17% last year as more and more Americans raid their retirement savings in order to make their mortgage payments, pay medical bills, and cope with rising food and fuel costs… (have no fear, the stimulus checks will be here soon and that will solve all the problems… what’s that? A lot of people have already received them and, as a majority of polls suggested, used them to pay down debt or buy essentials like food and gas which doesn’t help the economy? Wow, who would have thunk it… oh wait, everyone NOT in the Bush White House… where’s your economic messiah now?)

Applaud: to the American people who are waking up to see what’s going on in the world. A new poll from Public Agenda shows that 50% of those following the situation in Iran say “the one” best way to deal with Iran is through the use of diplomacy to “establish better relations” with a scant 7% favoring military action… but, as we know of this administration, they don’t care what the American people think, they’ll do whatever the hell they want and ignore the repercussions…

Heckle: to being the laughingstock of the G-8. Unlike all the other G8 nations, the US will not be able to meet large cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 despite the EU’s pledge to cut emissions by 30% by that year. Said the US’s chief climate negotiator (with this administration that has to be one heckuva easy job) told Reuters, “It’s frankly not do-able for us.” (Sad… just sad and pathetic…)

Applaud: to the NY Times (I know, I know – bear with me) for having the guts to say what many of us are saying of the prosecution of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman, that it’s “time for Michael Mukasey, the attorney general, to stand up for justice by enforcing Congress’s subpoenas. […] If he will not do that, Congress must ensure that its investigative authority is not thwarted. Mr. Rove seems willing to talk about this case everywhere except where he is required to.” (Bam!)

Heckle: to sad and pathetic news. Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) declared yesterday that cost overruns for Pentagon weapons had “reached crisis proportions” and because of that he proposed an independent office at the Defense Department that would attempt to ensure the accuracy of cost estimates used in defense contracts… (and the actions of this administration continues to screw this country more and more… sad and pathetic)

Applaud: to pulling the rug our from under one of the most inanely conservative members of the Senate, Kit Bond (r-MO). The Bush(whacked) Administration is bypassing Bond, the top republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and is talking directly with Democrats about re-writing the nation’s surveillance laws. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), “bond, he’s just complicating things.” (Ouch, being snubbed by the leader of your own party – that’s gotta hoit… and is EXTREMELY funny…)

Heckle: to VA psychologist Norma Perez, who wrote an e-mail discouraging diagnosing veterans with post-trauamtic stress disorder… naturally she says it wasn’t a suggestion brought up because of financial concerns… considering the VA’s track record under this administration, I have no problem believing that the email was written because of the money… who agrees with me?

Applaud: to savory disagreements. Among all the people in the world that think Sen. McCain’s gas tax holiday is a bad idea, you can add Vice President Dick Cheney to that list as Cheney also believes that McCain’s gax tax holiday is a bad idea, saying; “I think it’s a false notion, in the sense that you’re not going to have much of an impact, given the size of the gasoline tax on the total cost of the gallon of gas.” (Hah hah hah hah hah hah hah)

Heckle: to the same shit, same as the old shit… opponents of teaching evolution in schools have adopted a new strategy that wants the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution taught instead of pushing for the so-called “intelligent design” curriculum. (Give me a break… the phrase may sound innocent but it’s still an attempt to undermine the teaching of evolution… and that’s just wrong>)

Applaud: to the Senate Intelligence Committee. They will release the last in a series of reports on the Bush(whacked) Administration’s use of false intelligence ahead of the Iraq invasion which “reinvigorates a longstanding debate over whether the intelligence failures in the lead-up to the Iraq war were largely because of faulty intelligence or because of policy makers’ faulty use of intelligence.” (And which they’re doing again for Iran…)

Heckle: to the 70’s repeating themselves. Many economists are saying that “[p]rices have been soaring long enough and fast enough” and the US is at danger of a “self-reinforcing cycle of inflation like that experienced in the 1970s.” (Could be worse… disco could be making a comeback)

Applaud: to a new report by NASA’s inspector general that concludes (not at all surprisingly) that the Bush(whacked) Administration’s “distortion and suppression of climate science” is “‘inconsistent’” with the law that established the space program 50 years ago and found a “sustained pattern of activities, largely supervised by senior political appointees, that included muting or withholding news releases on global warming” and blocking scientists from the media. (Wow… color me, NOT surprised. The glaciers could be melting all over his Crawford Ranch and Bush would STILL deny global warming… what a putz)

Heckle: to yet another ‘senior moment’ from Sen. McCain.” Earlier this week he was speaking at a campaign rally in Nashville and said; “If we do everything right — and we can and we will — I will win in January, and I will be the next President of the United States.” (Who wants to tell the elder statesman of the Senate that the election is in November/)

Applaud: to proof that sometimes kids know more than they let on. During the recent National Spelling Bee, a newspaper asked some of the contestants about their thoughts on national politics… their responses show that Bush’s legacy is not going to improve with age. When asked if “President” Bush can spell “constitutional”, Jessica Shakesprere, an 11-year-old from West Virginia, replied that she doesn’t think he could (pretty safe bet)… Raymond Soriano, a 14 year old from Texas, remembered that Bush had misspelled ‘business’ one time and said of that, “That’s embarrassing.” And 11-year-old Vincent Medina from Florida had the best response when he told the paper, “Anyone can out-spell Bush.” (Smackedown by a middle-schooler, that’s gotta hoit…)

And finally…

This week’s conservative TOTW is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Acting like a spoiled brat earlier this week, he basically shut down the Senate floor week by “forcing the Senate clerk to read aloud the entire 500 page global warming bill.” His reason? He alleges that the Democratic leadership “refused to honor its commitments” and push through a significant number of judicial nominees… stop the work of the government because they didn’t do something you wanted them to do? Sounds rather republican childish to me… and for that pathetic display of immaturity, we give McConnel, our Tool… of the week.
All I have, take ‘em as you will…

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing Blogger Bites It

EDITORS NOTE: Blogger bites it. The post was done, posted, and BAM! SOmething happened and I lost much of it and it looked like this: TBWA apologizes and hopes blogger comes back soon...


Thursday… but you knew that already, didn’t you?

With his nomination all but official, Sen. Obama has hit the campaign trail with a running start. Watch for him in YOUR town…
It’s being reported that Sen. Clinton will bow out of the race and endorse Obama on Saturday. Like I said yesterday, she deserves some time and I knew she would make the prudent decision. To say she ran a tough campaign would be the understatement of the year, and no one, no one can or should ever forget the trail she blazed, as significant a breakthrough for women as Obama is for African-Americans.
The Veep stakes continue…
Former President Jimmy Carter says an Obama/Clinton ticket would be a mistake. I tend to agree with him… what do YOU think?
Sen. McCain wants to face Obama in dueling Town Hall meetings. I’m sorry, with McCain’s wish-washiness and pandering, these should be no contest and Obama should agree to many of them as it would be the best way to get his policies out to the masses.

Why?

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is having a White House meeting today and, according to the Israeli press, Olmert will urge President Bush to prepare an attack on Iran; “Citing sources close to the Israeli prime minister, Yediot Achronot reported on its front page Wednesday that Olmert, who is due to hold closed-door talks with Bush in Washington, will say that “time is running out” on diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program.”

Son of a…

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but how could diplomatic efforts be running out of time when we haven’t talked to them because that would be appeasement???

This is troubling, especially coming on the heels of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s “unusually sharp” verbal assault against Iran while giving a speech at AIPAC yesterday, this is news that should make conservatives nervous.

When you consider that Olmert himself told the AIPAC audience that “We must stop the Iranian threat by all possible means”… you get the feeling that the decision has already been made and they’re only waiting for a time that will benefit Sen. McCain’s campaign divert attention away from Olmert’s problems at home work from a logistical standpoint.

As Bush’s presidency gets nearer and nearer to the end, the rumors of a military strike on Iran are increasing at an alarming rate, with conservative lemmings like John Bolton and Norman Podhoretz coming out of the woodwork and suggesting an attack is near… and then there was the story last month in the Jerusalem Post that said a senior Bush(whacked) Administration official told Israeli officials to anticipate such an attack.

We’re boned…

The clock is ticking…

Following Sen. Barack Obama's ascension to the needed number of delegates to ensure the Democratic nomination, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA), Democratic Governors Association Chairman Joe Manchin and DNC Chairman Howard Dean have issued a statement;

"We have come to the end of an exciting primary and caucus process - the voters have spoken. As the Democratic leaders of the Senate, House of Representatives, the Governors and the Democratic National Committee we commend all of the participants of the 2008 primary process, especially Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, for making this such a transformational election.

Because of the enthusiasm our candidates have inspired, our party has brought record numbers of voters to the polls, gained millions of newly registered Democrats and now has advantages in states many thought were difficult to win. We are grateful to the millions of Independents and Republicans who have crossed over to vote for a Democratic candidate for president.

Democrats must now turn our full attention to the general election. To that end, we are urging all remaining uncommitted super delegates to make their decisions known by Friday of this week so that our party can stand united and begin our march toward reversing the eight years of failed Bush/McCain policies that have weakened our country.

We once again congratulate all of the candidates for their leadership and dedication to providing this country with a new direction. We look forward to working with them and with all Democrats to win the White House, congressional seats and state capitals so we can deliver the change the American people deserve and demand.”

There you have it… if you’re a super-delegate, you have until Friday.

Otherwise the DNC will be sending Vito and Bruno over to ‘help’ you make your decision…

The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Hump day, let’s get a humpin’…

• It begins…
• While Sen. Clinton won the South Dakota primary and Sen. Obama won Montana’s primary, the real story of the night was Obama passing the needed delegate threshold, making him the presumptive nominee.
• “The Giant Slayer”… seriously?
• Clinton’s speech was not a ceding to Obama, nor did she even congratulate him… listening to the pundits last night, you could feel the hostility towards her for not making a play to heal the party last night. I’m not a Clinton apologist, but I say give her a day or two to think things out in her head before she makes the right decision and accepts the realization that Obama won…
• Even Sen. McCain recognized that Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee as he made a point to slam Obama in his speech last night in New Orleans with him rejecting Democratic strategy that ties him to “President” Bush by noting his opposition to Bush's initial policies in Iraq, his energy policy and his climate change policy… (I can sum up McCain’s attempt to distance himself from Bush in 2 words; Epic. Fail. The 2000, and perhaps 2004, version of McCain opposed Bush’s policies, but in the last four years he’s pandered to the conservative base and embraced Bush’s policies. Get this straight, a vote for McCain is a vote for Bush Episode 3…
• Yes, there are other political going-ons besides the election… The Department of Homeland Security reported yesterday that travelers from England, France, Germany, Japan and two dozen other “Visa Waiver” countries are going to have to register electronically before travelling to the United States… (some experts don’t think the program will do much to prevent ‘unsavory characters’ from entering the country, but the problem is that it’s hard to measure how this works… so for now, I withhold judgment until it’s actually in place…)
• The administration’s beating of war drums towards Iran took another step forward yesterday in a speech by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In a speech at AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) yesterday Rice escalated the administration’s anti-Iran rhetoric and said; “We would be willing to meet with them but not while they continue to inch toward nuclear weapons under the cover of talks. […] The real question isn’t why won’t the Bush administration talk to Iran. The real question is why won’t Iran talk to us.” (Hmmmmmm… interesting question, but I have a feeling that if the US offered talks, Iran might accept. But that would require abandoning the plan to attack, and Bush will have none of that… he’s so focused on attacking Iran, I think it will happen sooner rather than later…)
• Sen. Byrd is still in the hospital…
• “Actress” Gina Gershon is demanding that Vanity Fair magazine issue a retraction after the magazine reported that former President Clinton “has been seen visiting” her in California… (Meh)
• Economists are saying that prices have been “soaring long enough and fast enough” that the US is now at risk of a self-reinforcing cycle of inflation like the 70s… (Lovely…)
• And have we mentioned? That the US is being left in the greenhouse gas emission dust by European G8 nations? While the European Union has made a pledge to cut emissions by 30% by 2020, the chief climate negotiator for the U.S. told Reuters that “It’s frankly not do-able for us.” (Not doable... or unwilling to do? Knowing this administration and this party, I have to go for the latter…)

Please God, make it stop

The Associated Press is reporting that, according to their own tally of convention delegates, Sen. Obama has effectively clinched the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

It’s AP, so take it with a grain of salt and stay tuned…

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

It’s almost all over but the shouting…

• Our thoughts and prayers are with Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) and his family.
• The last two primaries are today… and with it should come the end of the line for at least one of the Democratic campaigns, though I’m not saying whose (cough cough Hillary). Stay tuned…
• On what is probably the beginning of an avalanche of endorsements coming this week, House majority whip Rep. James Clyburn officially came out in support for Sen. Obama today… others will undoubtedly follow, so stay tuned.
• During an interview Tuesday on CNN, retired Adm. William Fallon (he who resigned back in March as leader of the U.S. military's Central Command) not only said that he wasn’t forced out because of his stance against attacking Iraq, but also that “President” Bush doesn’t want war with Iran… (Why am I having a hard time believing him?)
• CNN’s Jack Cafferty asks the question that’s on everyone’s mind; Will Clinton exit the race gracefully… or will she have to be dragged kicking and screaming like a child going for their first hair cut? I, personally, think she will make a quick and graceful exit. Despite all the things she has done in this primary season, she still recognizes the need for her party to win in November, and she will do everything she can to help achieve that goal…
• Vice President Dick “President” Cheney made an off-the-cuff joke the other day that implied inbreeding is common among West Virginians… he has since apologized… though I don’t think he should have been forced to. It’s a joke people, get over it. Perhaps if people in this country weren’t so thin-skinned and could take a joke, we wouldn’t be devolving into a nanny-state… but that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong
• Sen. Kennedy is improving…
• And have we mentioned? That Vice President Cheney even thinks that Sen. McCain’s gas tax holiday is a bad idea? Said Dick; “I think it’s a false notion, in the sense that you’re not going to have much of an impact, given the size of the gasoline tax on the total cost of the gallon of gas.” (I don’t know what’s scarier, that Cheney disagrees with his party’s presumptive nominee, or that I agree with Dick Cheney… my vote is for the latter… agreeing with Cheney… there’s something downright scary about that)

The Monday ‘BushWhack’ing

TGIM… wait, that’s not right…

• Our thoughts and prayers are with Sen. Ted Kenney (D-MA) and his family today as he has surgery to treat his malignant brain tumor.
• There was a decision over the weekend, ruled on by the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, about what to do with Florida and Michigan… it was decided to seat all their delegates and to give those delegates half a vote… which is more than I would have given them. The people in those states have no one to blame but their state legislatures and the ones screaming that the DNC is ignoring them or treating them badly is preposterous. You have an issue, take it up with your state, they’re the ones that decided to shun the rules and ignore the party… and they deserve ALL of the blame.
• There was a primary in Puerto Rico yesterday (won by Sen. Clinton) and 2 more tomorrow…
• The problem with reverends. Sen. Obama resigned from the church where Rev. Jeremiah Wright was a pastor… this comes on the heels of comments made by Catholic priest Michael Pfleger mocked Sen. Clinton… (ya see, the key fact here is that the comments were NOT made by Obama but people who Obama knows… pretty damn stupid to hold people accountable for what others say if you ask me…)
• Sen. McCain said he was wrong to use an image of Gen. David Petraeus in fundraising material, and vowed it “will not happen again.” (Until the next time it happens and he apologizes again…McCain, thy name is pandering)
• The McClellan book fallout continues…
• The number of other troops in Iraq has gotten significantly lower again as all Australian troops have “ended their main combat mission” this past Sunday. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, elected last November, had pledged during his campaign to “end his country’s frontline military role in Iraq” and he did just that… (and the number of foreign military assistance in Iraq grows ever smaller…)
• And have we mentioned? That it’s hard for the president to draw applause… at a gop event? Appearing at the South Carolina state gop convention this past Saturday, “President” Bush was introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (r-SC) and when Graham first mentioned Bush’s name, the gop crowd stayed silent, refusing to applaud the President until Graham prompted a round of applause from the crowd. (Hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah… sorry… I tried to stifle my laugh but couldn’t… it’s just so deliciously funny…)