Almost hard to believe

I recently made a vow to be pleasant and nice to Sen. Clinton… seeing as how her or Sen. Obama are going to be the Democratic nominee and I continue to pimp my post that we all get along and vote the ticket in November.

That vow does NOT cover her former chief strategist Mark Penn… whom I blame for the colossal clusterfuck her campaign has e devolved into.

Seems I’m not the only one…

“[I]n a strategy session last year, according to two people who were there[,] [a]s aides looked over the campaign calendar, chief strategist Mark Penn confidently predicted that an early win in California would put her over the top because she would pick up all the state's 370 delegates. . . . Sitting nearby, veteran Democratic insider Harold M. Ickes, who had helped write those rules, was horrified — and let Penn know it. "How can it possibly be," Ickes asked, "that the much vaunted chief strategist doesn't understand proportional allocation?"

Wow… I find it very hard to believe, but it appears that Clinton's chief strategist (whom she still owes millions of contractual dollars to), thought the Democratic primaries/caucuses were winner-take-all and not proportionally allocated… now correct me if I’m wrong, but almost every high school civics student now knows that Democrats, unlike republicans, apportion their delegates according to vote totals, rather than allowing any state to award them winner-take-all.

Penn didn’t know this.

Again… wow.

Rather than scuttle the original campaign calendar he had created and re-do it from scratch because he’s an over-rated putz, her campaign stayed the course and started to insist that big states were the only states that mattered in the campaign.

How’d that strategy work out for ya Ms. Clinton?

Oh wait, that’s right, we already know.

Not well… in fact, I would argue that that strategy, more than anything else, cost Clinton the nomination.

Put another way; Penn cost her the nomination.

Think about this; at this moment we are facing some of the most trying times in our history… and there is no such thing as sufficient experience to lead… that’s why I don’t count experience as a major factor in this election. We’re experiencing things we’ve never experienced or seen before, making it totally new for everyone.

Our next president, more than ever before, has to surround himself/herself with the best and brightest and, this is where Bush failed miserably at; LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.

But in the meantime, I think it’s fair to lay a majority (99.8%) of the blame on Ms. Clinton’s collapse on the hiring of Mark Penn.

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

The weekend is nigh…

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is “alive and well” and must continue as, in her opinion (and MINE), either Democrat would make a great president… certainly better than the current one and the gop nominee… so let’s get crackin people!
• Time magazine has a list of the “Five mistakes Clinton Made.” (Only five… oddly enough, ‘hiring Mark Penn’ is absent from the list, and I would call that the big one)
• “President” Bush said yesterday that Cuba's post-Fidel leadership has made only “empty gestures at reform” and rejected calls for easing of U.S. restrictions on the communist island… (cuz they’ve done oh-so-much, right? Yes, that was sarcasm. The restrictions on Cuba have done nothing from a historical or political standpoint. Designed to oust Castro from power, they did no such thing, so what’s the point? Perhaps eliminating the restrictions would allow for more drastic changes in the nation…)
• Bowing to pressure from House republicans, House Democratic leaders delayed a vote on a $195 billion measure last night that would have not only paid for the war in Iraq but would have also provided educational help to veterans and relief for the jobless…
• Sen. McCain vows to fight “evil” if elected... (good to know, I though he would have fought FOR evil if elected. He is a republican after all…)
• Pentagon records show; “More than 43,000 U.S. troops listed as medically unfit for combat in the weeks before their scheduled deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2003 were sent anyway.” (This should end well…)
• John Bolton was interviewed on Fox “News” yesterday afternoon (which is like the 20th time this week for crissakes) and was asked by host Martha McCallum; “Can you imagine a scenario where President Bush would do that [bomb Iran] before the end of his term?” Bolton’s response; “I think so, definitely.” (I told you, this administration wont be happy until they get us into war with Iran… what part of ‘military stretched to its limit’ do they NOT understand??)
• And have we mentioned? That Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Max Boot has not only drank a TON of Bush kool-aid but is also, apparently, certifiable? He’s been lauding the “success” of the surge in Iraq all week and said in an online debate yesterday that Iraq has met two-thirds of the original 18 benchmarks, that the government’s offensive in Basra was successful, and that the so-called Sons of Iraq will always remain loyal to the Shiite-controlled Iraqi state. He then concluded his spiel by conceding that there are walls separating Sunni neighborhoods from Shia, but dismissed the fact by saying; “It’s true that there are walls around Dora and other Baghdad neighborhoods. … But then there are walls around many gated communities in the U.S. too.” (Yeah… they’re roughly the same thing… what a dumbass. To compare a wall separating two groups that at times are hostile to each other to a gated community in the US shows that you’re an idiot that doesn’t understand the nuances of the various groups in Iraq – a common thread conservative circles…)

Old & Busted: Drill ANWR. New Hotness: Tax oil companies

Let’s take a break from the 2008 presidential campaign and focus on some idiocy from republicans in the Senate.

While Senate Democrats unveiled a new energy legislation this afternoon that would address the root causes of rising gasoline prices, the republicans were keeping an eye out for number 1.

The Democrat’s legislation, titled the Consumer-First Energy Act, proposes to raise taxes on oil companies – so naturally Senate republicans are against it – and would also halt new shipments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, authorize the president to crack down on price gouging and increase regulation against market speculation and price-fixing… so again, naturally, the republicans are against it.

While the Dems were offering a new and worthwhile salvo in the high price of oil and gas, republicans were dragging out a stale and publicly opposed proposal; drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) as well as off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. But this time it has a new name; American Energy Production Act.

There’s nothing that republicans do better than name things to make them sound innocent but in reality screw the people…

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; “Even as it costs Americans more every day to fill up their gas tanks, Bush Republicans only offer more of the same failed energy policies that brought us to this point. […]Instead of helping big oil make more money at the expense of average Americans, we are forcing oil companies to change their ways. […] We will hold them accountable for unconscionable price-gouging and force them to invest in renewable energy or pay a price for refusing to do so.”

So let me see if I get this straight; the Democratic legislation protects consumers and the republican one, I surmise, will, and I realize I’m going out on a limb here, protect the oil companies and screw the environment…

And they wonder why their ‘brand’ is going the way of “President” Bush’s approval ratings…

The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

The day after… next stop; West Virginia.

• Obama won North Carolina (handily) and Clinton won Indiana (narrowly)
• An aide to Ms. Clinton says she lent her campaign $6.4 million over the past month, more than doubling, after giving $5 million earlier this year, her personal investment in her bid for the Democratic nod...
• It’s happened again, more than 20% of those who voted in the republican primary in Indiana yesterday voted for someone other than McCain… still want to tell me the republicans are more unified? Seems they have as big a problem as the Dems do, yet no one is paying attention nor acting to change that. Stay tuned.
• Moratorium on the media for the rest of the campaign season – who’s with me???
• Former Vice President Al Gore says he still may endorse a nominee… (Sigh… I respect you Mr. Gore, but either endorse or get off the stage, you’re not helping matters any with your rhetoric of ‘I might…’ You want to help, convince the one with no mathematical chance to NOT stage a floor fight at the convention…)
• Clinton is vowing to trudge on but her aides see a large uphill battle...
• Vice President Dick “President” Cheney’s COS, David Addington, has been subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee as part of its investigation into the treatment of suspected terrorists. (And I’m sure he’ll answer every question without hesitation and honestly… and if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you in Baghdad)
• Ignoring “President” Bush’s vow of a veto (which is what one should do to a lame-duck president with approval ratings in the crapper) Democratic House leaders unveiled legislation yesterday that funds the war with conditions on withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq…(White House spin of how Democrats don’t support the troops in five, four, three…)
• According to court documents filed this week, the Bush(whacked) Administration has not been able to find disaster recovery files for White House e-mails from a three-month period in 2003, which raises the possibility that messages sent before and after the invasion of Iraq may never be recovered… (And this isn’t a criminal act, how??? Not to go all tin-foil hat here, but this reeks so much of a cover-up, that it’s hard to believe it wasn’t lifted from a bad espionage movie…)
• The House of Representatives is going to begin debate today on a sweeping housing rescue bill that could see the government “buy up $15 billion of abandoned homes.” The bill would also help half million homeowners facing foreclosure by offering “fresh spending, tax credits and a new government guarantee on many risky loans to bolster the national housing market.” Naturally, because it helps the average American, Bush has threatened to veto it… way to show you care George… ya putz.
• How is Rush Limbaugh NOT being investigated for election tampering or election fraud?
• And have we mentioned? That Sen. McCain is trying to woo the conservative base with a pledge of conservative judge appointments? Apparently McCain’s people are the only ones who have noticed that close to a quarter of those voting in the last few republican primaries DIDN’T vote for the presumptive nominee, so they’re working to combat that… (my question though is, with his advanced age, will he remember his pledge? I doubt it…)

A Change is needed

Two more primaries are occurring right now in Indiana and North Carolina, and while the focus is clearly on who will end up with what percentage in these contests, the bottom line still comes down to this:

Super-delegates.

Sen. Clinton has to perform well in order to continue pushing the message that she is the one who is in a better position to beat Sen. McCain in November, but with the way the Democratic Party assigns delegates, odds are neither one is going to end up with a huge boost in numbers after today’s votes are cast.

The Democratic party needs to make some changes in the way the primaries/caucuses/etc are handled.

My preference; get rid of the caucuses, throw the concept of super-delegates out the door and base the nomination on a truly democratic process… vote in the primary, winner of the states wins the delegates.

Pretty damn straightforward if you ask me… and then, and only then, would we truly have a system where everyone who was eligible to vote had the ability to do so, and the decision of who gets the nomination would be made by the voters themselves…

What a concept… a concept that should seem more vital now that Sen. Clinton’s campaign has openly stated that the campaign will attempt to get their allies on the Democratic Convention’s rules committee to seat the Michigan and Florida delegations… something that would not only give approval to breaking the rules, but would also showcase how dysfunctional the Democratic party can be at times… which is something we do NOT need right now.

(I am going to assume everyone reading this knows about MI and FL and how the legislatures in Michigan and Florida decided to hold early primaries despite the DNC telling them they would be held accountable and that their votes wouldn’t count… and how all the major candidates agreed not to campaign in those states… and that most voters stayed away from the polls in those states because they knew that the results would be insignificant) [Co-editors note: And don't forget that Sen. Obama's name did not even appear on the ballot in Michigan as he knew that the votes would not be counted due to violating the parties previously established and agreed upon rules - sorry for interrupting, Scott]

Ms. Clinton has wanted to seat those delegated for some time (electoral math shows she has no chance in hell to win without those states), and she now plans to use the rules committee that she stocked with her own allies to swing a backroom deal that would, essentially, thwart the will of the majority of Democratic voters.

Big, big mistake.

I personally will vote for whomever gets the Democratic nomination, but I know for certain that others won’t.

If Clinton wins in that manner, not only will a plethora of voters stay home in droves on Election Day, but it would be easy for Sen. McCain to paint her as the candidate who’s willing to do anything to satisfy her (blind?) ambition.

In other words, it’s one thing that might throw the election to the republicans and give us four more years of Bush 2: Electric Bugaboo.

And we can’t have that, can we?

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Another two primaries today… can you stand the excitement? I doubt Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton can…

• First Lady Laura Bush criticized the Myanmar government for not adequately warning the nation's residents of the approaching storm and not doing enough to help with the aftermath… (Seriously? She went there? She either has the blinders that her husband does, or she’s as dim as he is)
• Sen. McCain is wooing Hispanic voters… wonder how that will play with the republican base.
• Senate republicans are blaming the rise of ethanol production for higher food costs so Sen. McCain (in full pandering mode) and a few other gop senators want regulators to ease rules requiring ethanol use… (Yeah, it’s ethanol that’s making costs soar and is in no way related to the actions , or inactions, of the Bush(whacked) Adminsitration… give me an ‘effin’ break…)
• The Pentagon wants to increase US troop levels in Afghanistan (where the true war on terror is) but concede that they can’t send additional troops to Afghanistan until “sizable numbers of forces withdraw from Iraq.” Said a senior military official; “We might be able to generate a little bit more. But not 10,000 to 12,000 more troops,” that we need. (and the forgotten war on terror continues… refresh my memory, but bin Laden was IN Afghanistan and NOT Iraq when this all started, right?)
• The Ron Paul campaign continues…
• Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and the U.S. government’s top psychiatric researcher, Thomas Insel says that the “number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care.” (Why is this being allowed to continue? They risked their lives for their country and the health care they receive when their tours are up is SO inadequate, they take their own lives… this has got to stop and this administration needs to do something about it NOW…)
• Going against what many republicans, including a majority in the Bush White House, think, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke “endorsed the need for government intervention” in stemming home foreclosures last night, arguing that letting markets take their own course could “destabilize communities, reduce the property values of nearby homes and lower municipal tax revenues.” (And this has nothing to do with him bearing a brunt of the blame on the so-called ‘economic slowdown.’ Uh-huh…)
• And have we mentioned? That a new New York Times/CBS News poll shows that more people think the media have been easier on McCain then Obama or Clinton? Respondents were asked to address how the news media have treated each of the three remaining candidates in comparison to each other and 28% say McCain has been treated easier compared to Clinton (12%) and Obama (22%). (I am shocked! Shocked to find gambling in this establishment… sarcasm fever, catch it)

Next stop part 1,210: Iran

Former US Ambassador to the UN, John “I am the Walrus” Bolton appeared on Fox “News” and discussed whether the US is close to striking Iranian targets, as new reports indicate the Bush(whacked) Administration is drawing up plans for a “surgical strike” on the country.

Bolton said that while there are “obviously risks associated” with a strike on Iran (that’s a massive understatement) the risks of not doing something are “far higher” at this point… though no one can say why.

Bolton said that attacking Iran would be the “most prudent thing to do” (especially if you’re a neo-con, war-mongering, chicken-hawk dumbass) and said; “I think they’re dead wrong on this. I think this is a case where the use of military force against a training camp to show the Iranians we’re not going to tolerate this is really the most prudent thing to do. Then the ball would be in Iran’s court to draw the appropriate lesson to stop harming our troops.”

This administration won’t be happy until they attack Iran and further deplete our military.

1/20/2009 can NOT come soon enough…

The Monday ‘BushWhack’ing

Another week with 2 more primaries tomorrow in the 2008 presidential race, can you stand the excitement?

• Senators Obama and Clinton split the Guam delegates…
• Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District had been republican for decades… not any more. Democratic State Rep. Don Cazayoux beat republican Woody Jenkins in a special election this past Saturday in a race that Democratic leaders say is foreshadowing the elections in November. (this is similar to Bill Foster winning Dennis Hastert’s republican seat in Illinois in February. If this trend continues to November, Democrats should have the majority in the House AND Senate. Stay tuned…)
• The Bush(whacked) administration wants to give Libya, 20 years after the terror bombing aboard Pan Am Flight 103 that killed 189 Americans that the country admitted to have planned, a waiver on a law that allows terror victims to sue the country as well as the U.S. companies that are eager to do business with Libya… (Nice… screw the citizenry for this country and do business with terrorists… why am I not surprised?)
• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, appearing on Israeli television, dismissed any near future war with Iran, saying that because of U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, war with Iran would be “a very significant challenge for the United States right now to get into a third conflict in that part of the world.” (Why is it everyone in the world can see that EXCEPT for the people who make the decision to go to war??)
• “President” Bush says the US will “weather this rough period” while also claiming that his administration has been “clear and candid” about the nation's economy and that they “saw the economic slowdown coming, we were upfront about these concerns with the American people, and we've been taking decisive action.” (How? By refusing to call it what it is? By initially rejecting an economic stimulus package? By not doing a damn thing about oil and gas prices? By you and your cronies insistence that the economy is ‘sound’?? How exactly have you been taking decisive action? Remember, ignoring it doesn’t count…)
• Sen. Clinton appeared at an online town hall meeting this past Saturday and tried to boost her appeal to mothers…
• Sen. Obama is tearing into Sen. Clinton about her proposed gas tax holiday (with most economists agreeing with him that it won’t do a damn thing) and her statement that the US could “obliterate” Iran – accusing her of echoing the “bluster” of President Bush (oooo, low blow… but true. While I will support whichever Dem gets the nod, Clinton has been pandering to liberal conservatives for some time now, and she needs to realize that that will hurt her in the end with the Democratic base…)
• And have we mentioned? That Vice President Dick “President” Cheney is delusional? He spoke to more than 400 people this past Friday night at a hotel in Tulsa, Oklahoma and believes that history will be very favorable to the Bush presidency, saying; “When the history is written, it will be said this is a safer country and more hopeful world because George Bush was president,” (Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah… wait, he was serious? OMG, he’s senile like McCain…)

The Weekly Rewind

Greetings loyal readers. Unless you are living under a rock, you know that we are coming up on two more important primaries this Tuesday. So instead of beating you over the head with anything primary related, lets take a look at some of the other news items you may have missed. Here is a little piece we like to call The Weekly Rewind.

Heckle: to stirring up the rhetoric to justify another ‘war’. U.S. and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad “have been targeted with 251 improvised bombs this month — nearly double the monthly average — as fighting in and around Sadr City intensified.” U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mike Milano said that “some of the attacks involved deadly armor-piercing bombs that the U.S. military has linked to Iran.” Here is an idea, stick to the facts and the truth. If Iran is involved, obtain solid prrof and then we can deal with it. Otherwise stop twisting our troop casualties to fit your warped views.

Heckle: to running unrestrained. With Americans facing record levels of credit card debt, financial institutions have sharply raised rates for credit card customers — even those who pay on time — as they grapple with losses from other bad consumer loans. Banks are also imposing higher fees for late payments and ATM withdrawals to boost profits. Leave it to the financial sector to once again find ways to screw the American public for their own greed. The economy is in bad shape and the faster everyone acknowledges that and pays heed, the better off we will be when the inevitable happens.

Heckle: to another area of the financial sector screwing us. As the Federal Reserve completes work on rules to root out abuses by mortgage lenders, the mortgage industry has begun an intensive campaign to fight back. The industry’s criticism has already prompted the Fed to consider narrowing the scope of the plan so it applies to fewer loans. Once again, the administration shows it’s contempt for the average American, in favor of big business. Does anyone truly think that a McCain administration would be any different?

Heckle: to your own words biting you in the ass. Three years before Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was arguing for a 100 year presence in Iraq, he told MSNBC, “I would hope that we could bring them all home.” “I think one of our big problems has been the fact that many Iraqis resent American military presence,” McCain said. “[A]s soon as we can reduce our visibility as much as possible, the better I think it is going to be.” Excuse me Senator, would you like a swimsuit to go with those flip-flops?

Heckle: to the continuing erosion of the American dream. “Home foreclosure filings jumped 23 percent in the first quarter…and more than doubled from a year a earlier,” according to new RealtyTrac data. “One of every 194 households received a notice of default, auction sale or bank repossession between January and March, for the seventh straight quarter of rising foreclosure activity.” But remember, we are only in an economic slowdown….

Applaud: to another reason we respect him. In remarks made in Kansas City, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said that “the military was being stretched and a lot was being asked of the all-volunteer force at a time when the entire country isn’t committed to war,” the AP reports. “I think it would be hard to respond to another crisis if it was like these two,” Powell said. Thank you Mr. Secretary for saying what more people with influence need to say.

Applaud: to putting the info out for all to see. A report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq predicts that “Iraq’s oil revenue will top a record $70 billion this year, adding fuel to a congressional push to force the Iraqi government to assume more responsibility for rebuilding the country.” “The cost of a barrel of Iraqi oil has increased by 250% since 2003.” You know I wish I would have thought of this before….oh wait a minute I did. Let’s stop footing the bill and keep some of our tax dollars back here in this country where they are needed.

Applaud: to taking some of the wind out of the sails of a litigious society. The Supreme Court’s recent rulings upholding Indiana’s voter ID law and Kentucky’s use of lethal injections exemplify a shift in the court’s approach to deciding constitutional questions. By rejecting broad legal challenges, the court is sending the message that legal advocates need to “produce evidence that a law has actually violated someone’s rights” rather than asserting that rights could be violated. Maybe now we can stop making laws to ‘protect the stupid’ just because they ‘might’ do something dumb….stupid should hurt.

Heckle: to a possible employment related ‘ponzi’ scheme. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Federal, state and local governments are hiring new workers at the fastest pace in six years, helping offset job losses in the private sector,” adding “76,800 jobs in the first three months of 2008.” By contrast, “private companies collectively shed 286,000 workers in the first three months of 2008″ leading “many economists to declare the country is in a recession.” Do we really need that many more people on the government payrolls? Hmmmm, could it be that the administration is actively working to ‘artificially’ lower the unemployment rate? Something to think about..

Heckle: to saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Though he’s promised to not raise taxes, Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) campaign acknowledged yesterday “that the health plan he outlined this week would” effectively increase tax payments for some workers, primarily those with high incomes and expensive health plans.” The campaign will not yet say “how many taxpayers might see their taxes go up.” I am sure they are hoping this will go away quietly.

Heckle: to a steaming pile. This week marked the fifth anniversary of President Bush’s infamous “Mission Accomplished” moment aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. Editor and Publisher takes a look at the back at the media coverage on May 1, 2003, when reporters rushed to report that the Bush administration was “planning to withdraw most United States combat forces from Iraq over the next several months.” And now that the American people are asking why we are still there fighting after 5 years the WH is trying to say that the banner was only meant for the troops on the ship…..Bull**it….sorry I had to cough.

Heckle: to another indicator of a faltering economy. Auto loan delinquency in the United States “hit a 17-year high in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to the American Bankers Association. Some 3.13 percent of car loans were “overdue 30 days or more.” Edmunds.com, which provides automotive information, estimates that nearly a fourth of borrowers are ‘upside down‘ in their car loans, meaning the car is worth less than the loan balance. Sounds very similar to…..anyone…..yes that’s right, the real estate market. Watch, the next story will be about the large increase in the number of automobile repossessions. Which also sounds very similar to …..anyone….yes, that’s right the real estate market. But remember, we are only in an economic slowdown…

And Finally, at his final White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday, President Bush poked fun at his potential successors. Explaining why none had attended the dinner, the ‘President’ said Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “probably wanted to distance himself from me,” adding that “Hillary Clinton couldn’t get in because of sniper fire and Senator Obama’s at church.” Sorry, I think they all wanted to distance themselves from you. Kind of like Southern Methodist University does by voting to prevent your future Presidential Library from being built on their campus. Wow, when the Methodists don’t want to have anything to do with you….

That’s it folks.

Be good, stay informed….later.

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

We rewind the week that was in the 2008 race, there are 26 weeks until Election Day.

• Read my “Plea to Democrats” AND “Read my words, hear my words, let it sink in people!” They’re both moral imperatives…


• The gop attacked a DNC ad this week because it had the audacity to criticize Sen. McCain’s ‘100 years’ in Iraq strategy. The gop says the ad “falsely and maliciously accuses Sen. McCain of stating that prolonging the Iraq war for '100 years' would be 'fine' with him.” (Semantics… he may not flat-out say it, but it’s implied… besides, republicans have no problems using false and malicious ads when it suits them, but as soon as it’s against them, they whine like a pushed 5-year old on the playground. Man up gop…)


• Clinton and Obama are statistically neck and neck in Gallup's national tracking poll this past week…


• Sen. Obama had it with ReverendGate this week… so did Mrs. Obama… hell, so had I…


• Sen. Clinton and Sen. McCain support eliminating the gas tax temporarily while Sen. Obama doesn’t, and Obama has a majority of economists on his side saying it wouldn’t do much help and would further harm the US economy…


• Ron Paul is still hanging around the gop ticket… just like an albatross.


• All three (major) candidates have spent $110 million on TV ads already… and it’s only going to get worse… wake me when it’s over.


• CNN evident headline of the week; “Wild cards could determine deadlocked Indiana” (well duhhhhhhhh)


• Both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama picked up new super-delegates this week… and are chasing the “blue-collar” vote in Indiana… (I thought they were seeking wild cards… which is it?)


• After Sen. Clinton said earlier this week that the United States could “totally obliterate” Iran if it made a nuclear attack on Israel, the Iranian government sent a letter of protest, to the UN and the U.N. Security Council over her remarks, calling them “provocative, unwarranted and irresponsible.” (This should end well…)


• Sen. McCain released his health care plan this week whose basis are tax credits to help individuals and families buy health insurance… the announcement was met with a unified; ‘meh’ and bares a striking similarity to the healthcare plan “Bush put forth in his 2007 State of the Union address”… but I’m sure that’s just pure coincidence, right?


• Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) is not happy with Sen. McCain. The pair is in an intense debate over the (supposed) shared value of education benefits for veterans. Webb is upset that McCain is refusing to endorse his GI education bill and instead got behind a Republican alternative. McCain shot back and said that Webb’s Senate staff “has not been eager to negotiate” on the bill. Webb replied; “He’s so full of it. […] I have personally talked to John three times. I made a personal call to [McCain aide] Mark Salter months ago asking that they look at this.” (Hmmmm Vice President Webb… has a nice sound to it, doesn’t it?)


• Joe Andrew, DNC chairman from 1999-2001 under President Clinton and a current super-delegate, switched his allegiance to Sen. Obama this week and encouraged fellow Democrats to unite behind the Illinois senator as well in order to “heal the rift in our party”. (This has to be a smack in the face to the Clintons, along the same lines as Gov. Richardson… regardless of who gets the nod though, I will vote for the Democratic candidate…)


• And this week’s winner of “Obvious Statement of the Week” goes to Sen. McCain, who said this past week on MSNBC that the gop brand is harmed… well, duhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
  Is Sen. McCain old? I hadn’t noticed… though it does explain that younger nurse always by his side… what’s that? That’s his wife… oh, my bad…


• A new poll by NBC News/Wall Street Journal shows that 43% of registered voters say they have major concerns that McCain is too closely aligned with the current administration, proving that his greatest liability this November is “President” Bush… oh that’s a shame… what, that didn’t sound sincere?
• Sen. Obama is losing national support according to one poll... gaining national support on another poll...
  
• And have we mentioned? That Sen. Clinton has… how shall we say this… um… she has… you know what, I’m just going to come right out and say it. According to Paul Gipson, president of a steelworker’s local in Indiana, Ms. Clinton has “testicular fortitude.” Um… okay? Perhaps she got Bill’s after the Lewinsky episode… but, on second thought, I think I’m just gonna leave it at that…
  

Color me NOT surprised

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll finds that 71% of Americans disapproves of the job “President” Bush is doing, marking the first time EVER that a president, any president, has had disapproval ratings over the 70% mark.

Is it any wonder George W. Bush is the first?

While his approval rating of 28% in the same poll remains better than the all-time lows (give him time, he’ll get there) set by President’s Truman (22%) and Nixon (24%) even those two presidents NEVER got a disapproval rating in the 70’s.

Ignoring for a moment what kind of mindless, sycophantic sheep the 28% are, does this surprise anyone that has use of their own brain?

Not me… but you knew that already, didn’t you?

I think it’s now safe to label him; Worst. President. Ever.

McCain's Liability

While I beg for Democrats to unite and vote the ticket this November, a primary reason for my belief that we have an above average chance to win the White House this November is finally getting the recognition from the so-called MSM.

Sen. McCain’s greatest liability this November isn’t his age (though he is too old in my opinion), it isn’t his lack of understanding about economics (a gas tax holiday? Really, that's the best you and Clinton for that matter - can come up with?), it’s not his desire to see Iraq through, it's not his failure to see the food "crisis" (for lack of a better term) for what it is, and it isn’t his Bush-repeated healthcare plan...

It’s “President” Bush himself…

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows that 43% of registered voters have major concerns about McCain because he’s too closely aligned with the Bush(whacked) Administration.

Now, McCain shouldn't feel too bad as Bush is, unfortunately, EVERYONE'S problem… but McCain has brought this on himself.

For the last 2 years McCain has been kissing (and hugging) up to Bush and his supporters in a ramp-up to the presidential race, and now, seeing the effects that strategy was having, he’s desperately trying to separate himself from Bush now… criticizing the federal response to hurricane Katrina and blaming the administration for it’s lack of leadership in Iraq are just the latest examples, but it’s too late… especially when you have Liberal and Grass Roots blogs keeping the image of McCain hugging Bush in everyone’s heads.

I believe McCain to be a hero for what he went through in Vietnam, but I don't trust him to have the proper judgment to deal with the war, soldiers care or foreign policy, but my question is how someone who went through such an experience subject another generation of fellow soldiers with his “stay the course” mantra?

As I’ve said before, I would have considered voting for the 2000 version of McCain, but this is not the same guy that was running in 2000.

(BTW, the same poll says 36% believe Sen. Clinton’s biggest problem is shifting her position on issues after realizing Liberals don’t support them and 34% say they are bothered by Sen. Obama’s “bitterness” issue – the weakest argument of the three in my opinion.

The same poll that found that voters think McCain is too close to Bush also reports that 73% of voters disapprove of Bush’s handling of the economy (no wonder when he continually maintains we’re only in a ‘slowdown’) and 81% believe the US is in a recession… a feeling shared by a majority on national and international economists… but let’s get back to the topic at hand – McBush, I mean; McCain)

It’s no secret that the political landscape is skewed to the Democrats this cycle (much like it was in the 2006 mid-terms), and the gop is going to need a LOT of help to keep the White House.

Let’s all make sure that doesn’t happen. To help with that affect, here’s the picture I reference above…



Awwwwm, isn’t that sweet... and highly disturbing?

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

Friday eve… let’s get to it…

• In case you didn’t read my post from earlier this morning, it was five years ago today that “President” Bush stood on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared “major combat operations in Iraq have ended.” Since then; 3,924 US service men and women have been killed in combat. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the families touched by this superfluous war…
• Sen. Obama’s wife, Michelle, agrees with me and want us to move past ReverendGate and focus on the issues… (what a concept! Issues in a presidential campaign, who would have thunk it?)
• Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan say they feel military recruiters sold them on how the GI Bill would benefit them feel cheated, baited and switched as they maintain that they aren’t given enough funds from the bill to cover college expenses even though the recruiters promised them they would. (preying on the young is what recruiters do… but if it comes out that they are blatantly and implicitly lying, then a change need to be made)
• Secretary of the Interior Dick Kempthorne is proposing to allow people to carry concealed weapons in some national parks and wildlife refuges… I guess to help the onslaught of national park attacks… WTF? Ignoring that the rule would “overturn a 25-year-old regulation” in these areas, what is the point?
• “Wild cards could determine deadlocked Indiana” (that’s some crack journalistic work there CNN… this would be different than any other state in this election HOW?)
• Both Democratic candidates picked up new super-delegates this week…
• The slow rate of growth in the U.S. economy has disappointed the Bush(whacked) Administration… though they’re not nearly as disappointed as the people who Bush leads (a term I use loosely).
• Former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) introduced the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, or CARD earlier this week that looks to shield consumers from harmful, and in some instances, predatory practices, by the credit card industry while also requiring credit card applicants under 21 years of age to get a parent’s signature before getting the card… (Good news indeed, but I’ll believe it when I see it and shan’t be holding my breath)
• Two republican lawmakers are proposing a curtailing of ethanol subsidies because the duo, Jeff Flake (r-AZ) and Kay Bailey Hutchinson (r-TX), blame a corn-for-fuel policy for soaring food prices… huh?
• And have we mentioned? That Sen. McCain is blaming last year’s Minnesota bridge collapse on Congress? Yup, he said that it wouldn’t have happened if Congress hadn’t wasted so much money on pork-barrel spending. (Uh-uh… now I’m no engineer, but the bridge probably collapsed because it wasn't strong enough to hold the weight that was travelling over it every day… yes, it would have been beneficial if there was money to strengthen it, but let’s keep in mind who was in charge of Congress for the last 12 years; republicans… republicans that neglected infrastructure investment un the US because they were more concerned with more-republican things like tax cuts for the rich… I’m just sayin’)

Five years ago today...

"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed." - "President" George "Flightsuit" Bush - May 1, 2003 aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln

and I see the world in a nice shade of rose...

Keep in mind:

• Days since Bush's speech under the 'Mission Accomplished' banner: 1,827
• Days 'til Bush leaves office: 263 and counting...
• Bush’s favorability rating: 29% according to Pollingreport.com
• U.S. combat deaths before 'Mission Accomplished': 139 according to icasualties.org
• U.S. combat deaths after 'Mission Accomplished': 3,924 according to icasualties.org. Meaning that more than 97% of total troop deaths occurred after ‘major combat operations ended’
• Percent of Americans who believe invading Iraq was a mistake: 63% according to Gallup
• Current cost of the war in Iraq: $516,000,000,000 according to National priorities project

Stop the inanity

Since the media, and Reverend Wright himself, can’t seem to let ReverendGate die, it seems that more action was needed by Sen. Obama.

Yesterday, he did just that.

Obama Took Reverend Wright to task yesterday, saying he is not only “outraged” by comments Wright made Monday at the National Press Club, but he’s also “saddened by the spectacle” and believes (rightfully in my humble opinion) that Wright seems to be more concerned with taking center stage than anything else.

Not the actions of a friend…

Rather than rightfully allowing the (non)story to die down, Wright is instead perpetuating it… and he needs to stop.

Now action is required by us, the American electorate.

When this whole ReverendGate nonsense popped up, I was absolutely amazed that a politician could be held accountable for something said by a friend, confidante, counsel, etc…

The fact that this story will not go away, shows the absolute absurdity of this process… rather than speak on the issues that, according to polls, we as a nation are concenrned with (Iraq war, economy, jobs, terrorism) we’re being spoon-fed this inane Reverend, Bosnia, wife’s private plane crap.

Enough.

Issues people… let’s focus on the issues and NOT the inane. After 8 years of Bush, haven’t we had enough inanity?