What about the poor?

When I read personal stories by Americans who have been hit hard by the economic meltdown like this, I can't help but have a visceral reaction to this type of obscene campaign spending:

Obama, who raised a record $150million in September, has bought ads just about everywhere – even in the virtual world of Xbox video games. At 8 p.m. tomorrow, he will run a 30-minute commercial on NBC, CBS and FOX. Cost: about $3million.

I know this race is still close and, with less than a week to go, getting the message out is crucial for both candidates but what would speak more loudly? Obama yapping on teevee for half and hour or donating that $3 million to charity to help the poor?

Oh but there's a payoff if he wins, his supporters will surely tell you. He plans to lower taxes for some 95% of working families which, as Bloomberg's article points out:

The ``working'' caveat turns out to be crucial: The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimates that, including tax filers with no wages or business income, 81 percent would get a tax cut.

Still, that sounds like good news, doesn't it? Perhaps until you try out a few examples on Obama's tax cut calculator. Let's say you're a single parent with 2 children and your adjusted gross income is $15,000. Your tax savings under Obama's plan would amount to $486.21 which, according to that site, is much more than the $18.69 you'd get under McCain. Quite the difference - but with the price of absolutely everything skyrocketing these days, how much of a difference would $486.21 make in that single parent's life? And don't they have the right to be just a little pissed off at this $3 million ad buy? And what about that $600 million Obama has spent on his campaign?

Having been a poor single parent, I can tell you exactly what it feels like to drown in financial depression while government decides to throw you a sponge as if that's some sort of a life-saving device.

I'm not letting McCain off the hook here - a man who can barely get the phrase "middle class" out of his mouth without choking on his spit. But I do expect more from a presidential candidate who calls himself a progressive and acts as if he alone will lift the struggling out of the stormy seas to stop them from perishing in this flood of financial ruin.

Sure, he has a tax plan (and don't get me started on his refusal to push for true universal health care) but, in these times when there's a global recession looming and he pledges to make more war in Afghanistan, just how much of his platform will he be able to accomplish? And if he's so focused on helping the middle class, what will happen to those who are already living below the poverty line? They seem to have been lost in all of this. Many of them have bought the "hope" and "change" messages and will cast their votes for Obama. But it seems, at this point, that's really all they have left. Frankly, it's just an insult to think that that's enough when the man they're voting for blows another $3 million to promote himself.
 

'Wrecked Iraq'

While both US presidential candidates are fond of using the same talking point about the fact that $10 billion per month is being spent in Iraq, no one seems to have asked the logical follow up question: On what?

Michael Schwartz, writing for the Asia Times takes a look at what that money isn't being spent on in his article, 'Wrecked Iraq'. He also debunks the myth that the Iraqi government has free and unfettered control over its oil revenues, which McCain and Obama both use to chastise Iraq's leaders:

Much has been made in the US presidential campaign of the $70 billion oil surplus the Iraqi government built up in these last years as oil prices soared. In actuality, most of it is currently being held in American financial institutions, with various American politicians threatening to confiscate it if it is not constructively spent. Yet even this bounty reflects the devastation of the war.

De-Ba'athification and subsequent chaos rendered the Iraqi government incapable of effectively administering projects that lay outside the fortified, American-controlled Green Zone in the heart of Baghdad. A vast flight of the educated class to Syria, Jordan, and other countries also deprived it of the managers and technicians needed to undertake serious reconstruction on a large scale.

As a consequence, less than 25% of the funds budgeted for facility construction and reconstruction last year were even spent. Some government ministries spent less than 1% of their allocations. In the meantime, the large oil surpluses have become magnets for massive governmental corruption, further infuriating frustrated citizens who, after five years, still often lack the most basic services. Transparency International's 2008 "corruption perceptions index" listed Iraq as tied for 178th place among the 180 countries evaluated.

The Iraq that has emerged from the American invasion and occupation is now a thoroughly wrecked land, housing a largely dysfunctional society. More than a million Iraqis may have died; millions have fled their homes; many millions of others have been scarred by war, insurgency and counterinsurgency operations, extreme sectarian violence, and soaring levels of common criminality. Education and medical systems have essentially collapsed and, even today, with every kind of violence in decline, Iraq remains one of the most dangerous societies on earth.

So, when McCain and Obama complain about the $10 billion per month being spent there, instead of both of them refusing to consider lowering the Pentagon's budget while they promise a new and improved military effort in equally ravaged Afghanistan, someone needs to ask them what they plan to do about the wretched state of Iraq's infrastructure and why private corporations like KBR, Dyncorp, Blackwater, and Halliburton will still be allowed to flourish under their administrations while the Iraqi and Afghani people continue to suffer.
 

Palin Abused Executive Powers

As I noted here last week, she's Cheney in a dress - in more ways than one.

From the NYT:

Gov. Sarah Palin abused the powers of her office by pressuring subordinates to get her former brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired, a investigation by the Alaska Legislature has concluded.

A report on the bipartisan inquiry that was released Friday by lawmakers in Anchorage, concluded, however, that she was within her right to dismiss her public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, the trooper’s boss.

The public portion of the report concluded that Ms. Palin violated the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act by allowing pressure to be exerted to get Trooper Michael Wooten, her former brother-in-law, dismissed.

In the 263 pages that were released, the independent investigator, Stephen E. Branchflower, a former Anchorage prosecutor, said that Ms. Palin wrongfully allowed her husband, Todd, to use state resources as part of the effort to have Trooper Wooten dismissed.

The report says she knowingly “permitted Todd Palin to use the governor’s office and the resources of the governor’s office, including access to state employees, to continue to contact subordinate state employees in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired.”

Further, it says, she “knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda.”

I think this proves that Palin is more than qualified to fill Cheney's shoes. You betcha!

Related:

Palin’s Troopergate scandal was fabricated by Bill Ayers — really, read it here first! (h/t bayprarie)

Palin pre-empts state report, clears self in probe

Highlights of and a link to the full Alaska inquiry report
 

The US VP Debate: Cleanup on Aisle 4!

Well, if I ever wanted to know what it feels like to have someone wearing a permanently-plastered smile stab me in the back while pouring a bucket of sickly- sweet syrup on me, I certainly experienced that while watching the US vice presidential candidates' debate.

Is it too much to ask that a potential vice president not use phrases like "you betcha!", "darn right!" and words like "gettin'"? And exactly how does "doggone it" translate into Hebrew, for example? "Oy vey"? I can just see Sarah Palin on the Middle East peace mission circuit now. She'd drive the translators insane. You betcha!

There's no doubt that Palin appealed to that segment of the US population known fondly as Airhead-Americans and that you could hear one gigantic sigh of relief across the country from Republicans once the debate was over. You could tell she's been well-schooled this past week. Her repetition of right-wing talking points showed us that - and her stubborn refusal to answer some questions while so obviously steering her answers back to topics she was most comfortable with reminded me of a tractor pull at a country fair.

Oh, she has "folksy" down. But haven't Americans had just about all of the folksy they can put up with after 8 years of George "the guy you want to have a beer with" Bush? And considering the fact that she has no problem with the overwhelming power grab made by Bush's VP, can we call her Cheney in a Dress now? Let's just hope she doesn't end up shooting somebody in the face (and making him apologize for it later).

Joe Biden won the debate just by keeping his cool (repressing his infamous Inner Angry Joe), not jumping out from behind his podium in response to her inanity and managing to hold back any comment resembling "Jane, you ignorant slut".

I need a shower.

Related:

What? You wanted substance?

Check out the WaPo's Fact Checker and FactCheck.org for that stuff. I have a Canadian leaders' debate to watch now.

And here's the transcript and video. (Don't stare into her eyes for too long. You were warned.)
 

McCain Suspends Campaign

John McCain has announced that he's suspending his campaign to go back to DC to work on the financial meltdown. He's also called for Friday's debate in Mississippi to be canceled/delayed.

Politically, this could go one of two ways. Either McCain will be seen as being a "leader" for making such a bold gesture (suspending his campaign) or he'll look like he's running away from the race and the debate (which I don't think should be canceled/delayed, regardless).

McCain said he is calling on President Bush "to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem."

Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton released a statement reacting to the news.

"At 8:30 this morning, Senator Obama called Senator McCain to ask him if he would join in issuing a joint statement outlining their shared principles and conditions for the Treasury proposal and urging Congress and the White House to act in a bipartisan manner to pass such a proposal," Burton said. "At 2:30 this afternoon, Senator McCain returned Senator Obama's call and agreed to join him in issuing such a statement. The two campaigns are currently working together on the details."

Meanwhile, Paulson and Bernanke are testifying in front of the house financial services committee this afternoon. Online on C-SPAN3.

Paulson: "I'm not looking for extraordinary power."

Excuse me?

Sec. 8. Review.

Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.

More to come, obviously...

Update:

Video of McCain's announcement -



Unofficial Obama campaign response: 'The Debate is On'

Apparently, Obama will be debating himself. Nothing new there (flip flops). Or maybe he could debate Biden since Joe seems to think he's been running against Obama again lately.

Update:

Obama press conference: "I believe we should continue to have the debate."

I'll post a link to the transcript and/or the video when it's available.

The debate commission says 'Game on!' despite McCain's request.

Update:

Video of Obama on the debate issue -


 

Quote du Jour: Obama Flip Flops on Bipartisan Panels

Daily Kos' mcjoan was quite pleased to present this (supposed) red meat quote to the crowd over there today:

Building on Biden's attack on McCain on the economy yesterday, Obama gave a hard-hitting economics speech today in Colorado.

Obama rejected McCain’s call this morning for a national commission modeled after the bipartisan panel that investigated the 9/11 attacks as a desperate ploy, labeling it "the oldest Washington stunt in the book."

"You pass the buck to a commission to study this problem," Obama said, rejecting the measure as unnecessary. "We know how we got into this mess. What we need now is leadership that get us out. I’ll provide it. John McCain won’t."

Impressed?

Well, let's flashback to January 2008:

Unfair to Mr. Obama

Friday, January 25, 2008; A18

Robert J. Samuelson's Jan. 9 column, "Promises They Can't Keep," unfairly singled out Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as not doing enough to address our nation's long-term fiscal imbalance and entitlement program shortfalls.

Mr. Samuelson ignored, for instance, Mr. Obama's support for the approach taken in the Bipartisan Fiscal Task Force bill I have offered with Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.). Our bill would create a bipartisan panel of lawmakers and administration officials tasked with drafting legislation to address the long-term fiscal imbalance and entitlement shortfalls -- legislation on which Congress would be required to vote.

Mr. Obama has indicated he would like to see several changes to our bill -- such as moving back the timing to allow input from the next president and opening the task force's proposal to amendment. But his support for the general task force approach is significant because it marks a break from the status quo and shows a commitment to seeking a bipartisan solution. Mr. Samuelson was told of Mr. Obama's support for this approach, but he didn't follow up with the senator's staff. That's not fair.

Mr. Samuelson is right to be concerned about our nation's long-term budget outlook. But he is wrong to single out Mr. Obama, who is committed to putting our nation back on a sound fiscal course.

KENT CONRAD

U.S. Senator (D-N.D.)

Chairman, Senate Budget Committee

Washington

Busted.

Never forget the power of Teh Googling, Senator Obama.

Update:

Here's the text of S. 2063: Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action Act of 2007
 
 

Quote du Jour: Obama Has a Bush Moment

Via ABC news:

"If we're going to ask questions about, you know, who has been promulgating negative ads that are completely unrelated to the issues at hand, I think I win that contest pretty handily," Obama said.

Video: Olbermann on the Palin Interview

Yes, Keith Olbermann is mainly a bloviating blowhard most nites who could obviously use a very long vacation away from politics considering that, any day now, his head could literally explode but he did a good job of dissecting Charlie Gibson's interviews with Palin on Friday nite:



Sarah Palin: Talking Points Machine

I've long suspected that Republicans are bots. Those interview clips confirmed those suspicions.



That was followed by more analysis by Newsweek's Richard Wolfe:


Sarah Palin is a nightmare waiting to happen.
 

Protesters Removed During McCain's Speech

Via the WaPo. Looks like CODEPINK:

10:27 p.m. Two women sitting beneath the press seats attempted to unfurl a pink banner. They screamed, "Get out of Iraq," before people next to them snatched the sign and started to wrestle them out of the hall. This led to a noticeable disruption of the speech. --Matthew Mosk UPDATE: Two antiwar protesters came down aisle 118 with homemade pink cloth signs. "End the war in Iraq," yelled one, holding up the two-fingered peace sign. The signs were snatched by one man and a scuffle ensued. As one of the protestors continued toward the floor, getting within a few feet of it, she was stopped by two men. One grabbed the credential strap around her neck. The protesters were escorted out, with one McCain supporter yelling: "Sit down you Nazi!" --Kevin Merida

10:25 p.m. Multiple screaming protesters were just taken out up the aisle behind the stage and next to the press risers. The audience drowned their shouts with chants of "USA!"
--Ben Pershing

I'll post the video when it's available.

That's nothing compared to what happened outside:

In another tense showdown, police in riot gear swept into the State Capitol grounds Thursday evening, using snowplows, horses and dump trucks to seal off downtown access to a group of antiwar demonstrators attempting to march on the final night of the Republican National Convention.

The group of more than 700 demonstrators had a permit to rally and march. But the permit expired at 5 p.m. and police refused to let them march, leading to an hourlong standoff on the John Ireland Boulevard bridge over Interstate 94 at rush hour.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said about 50 people had been arrested, but that number was expected to climb as several hundred people were blocked on the Marion Street bridge with their hands on their heads. Police used pepper spray and tear gas to quell some of the unrest.

Update:

It looks like CODEPINK was visible during Palin's speech too . Good for them. Someone needs to speak up, loudly and visibly.

Update #2:

CODEPINK in action during McCain's speech -


 

Palinpalooza

There they are, Mr and Mrs America, in amber waves of nausea.

Those who watched Tuesday nite's coverage of the RNC already know the buzz word Republicans are using to push Sarah Palin: reformer. And that is no doubt what her debut speech to the world will be about tonite.

And, although some pundits have postured that Palin will not serve in the attack dog role that so marks US vice-presidents, a preview of her remarks shows otherwise.

Not only will she come out swinging at the "elite" media (ie. everybody but FOX), she's going for Obama's throat:

Palin, whose revelation earlier this week about the pregnancy of her 17-year-old daughter sparked a media frenzy, is expected to make her case as to why she should be vice-president, citing her record as governor of Alaska and, before that, as a mayor of Wasilla, a town with a population of 6,700.

"Since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves," her text read, taking aim at Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."

You can find a longer excerpt here.

No matter how reportedly jittery some Repubs may be about McCain's VP choice as they sweat in the backrooms of their convention center, there is one certainty: they have the power of the presidency and they plan to keep it - no matter what. Their partisan discipline will keep them together behind the unlikely pairing of their party's so-called maverick and the unknown woman he's chosen as his running mate. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if McCain announced that Palin's going after Osama bin Laden with her moose-hunting rifle all by herself. Obama/Biden will have their hands full until November. (By the way, where are they? Has anybody actually seen them since Friday?? Funny how things change so quickly...)

Afterspeech thoughts:

Not only did Palin serve the red meat, she hunted it down, dressed it in the field (as Fred Thompson said on Tuesday nite), and threw it out raw into the middle of a hungry crowd that acted like it hadn't eaten in weeks.

Complete text.
 

Palin's Daughter is Pregnant

And I have 2 words for Democrats: tread carefully.

To rebut rumors, Palin says daughter, 17, pregnant

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

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

Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby, McCain aides said.

"We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us," the Palins' statement said.

"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support," the Palins said.

The Palins asked the news media to respect the young couple's privacy.

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media, respect our daughter and Levi's privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates," the statement concluded.

Check out some of the responses at Daily Kos where many have been pushing the conspiracy theory that Bristol Palin was actually the mother of Trig, the latest Palin family baby born 4 months ago even though we're learning now that Bristol Palin is 5 months pregnant. Not much humility to be found over there for getting that fabricated story completely wrong.

Instead, there are reactions like this:

Holy shit… (2+ / 0-)


a 17 year old pregnant for 5 months who is not married to the father yet?

When is her birthday, was she 16 when this happened?

And McCain decided that this was ok? Is he freaking nuts, does he even know who the father is or what family he comes from?

Wow, just fucking wow!!!

What we do for ourselves dies with us, what we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. (Albert Pine)

by laughingriver on Mon Sep 01, 2008 at 09:14:23 AM PDT

I was a pregnant 17 year-old too and reactions like that were common 30 years ago when I had my daughter. Not only was being a pregnant teenager shameful in society's eyes then but being a single parent was equally as contemptuous.

I thought things had changed. Obviously not.

And it's even more disgusting that these kinds of attitudes are coming from so-called, left-wing progressives today.

I understand that Sarah Palin is a strong advocate of abstinence-only education (or non-education, if you will). That's a fair angle to go after her on. But don't make her daughter the poster-child for what her mother believes.

Take a moment to think about what this girl is already going through. If you've been there as a teenager facing an unplanned pregnancy, you understand the tremendous wave of anxiety and uncertainty that comes with being in that situation. It's hard to deal with. And it's even more difficult when society views you as a freakish pariah. Multiply that 1,000 times now that this young girl is in the political spotlight because of her mother's candidacy and it will be amazing if Bristol Palin makes it through all of this unscarred emotionally.

Some Obama supporters/Democrats have been absolutely vicious and sexist towards Sarah Palin since her candidacy was announced - just a continuation of their Hillary hatred.

Absolutely appalling.

If she can't control her daughter now? (0+ / 0-)

How is she gonna juggle 5 kids, a grand child, and the axis of evil:[sic]

by starlicious on Mon Sep 01, 2008 at 09:19:38 AM PDT

Does Palin really deserve that? I sure don't think so. Would the same be said of a male candidate? Not a chance.

Democrats should know by now that the Republicans can spin anything to their advantage. An illegal war, torture, the decimation of human and civil rights. Do you really believe this issue will be a problem for them considering that Palins' daughter is doing exactly what the right proscribes in these situations?

1. She's keeping the baby.
2. She's getting married.

So, tread carefully, Democrats. If you don't, all of your glee and celebration over this girl's predicament will come back to bite you in the ass big time. And frankly, if you demonize Bristol Palin because she's pregnant, you'll deserve every single bite you get.

Update:

Obama's response: "Back off these kinds of stories."

And I will say it - I told you so:

Mathew Staver, dean of Liberty University School of Law, said: "We're all sinners."

"We all make mistakes. Certainly, the ideal is not to get pregnant out of wedlock. But she made the right decision after her mistake," he said.

Hurricane Gustav, meet Hurricane Palin

This, from the largest community of so-called "progressives" on the tubes: Daily Kos

Well, Sarah, I'm calling you a liar. And not even a good one. Trig Paxson Van Palin is not your son. He is your grandson. The sooner you come forward with this revelation to the public, the better.

Can you spell "l-a-w-s-u-i-t"?

You'd think they'd embarrassed themselves enough during this campaign. Obviously not.

With so many issues with which to go after a very inexperienced Sarah Palin, one would assume that would be enough to successfully pit the Obama/Biden team against McCain/Palin to make a convincing case for the Democratic candidate. Instead, far too many kossacks have decided that using the nastiest smear campaign they can possibly come up with is the way to win in November. And as if that wasn't enough, one of their female front pagers, georgia10, decided to post a sexist caricature of the Alaskan governor as well. Is it any wonder I left that place years ago? How can anyone take it seriously anymore?

"Progressives", heal thy selves.

The place has turned into a pit of vipers. So much for hopeychanginess.

And, for a laugh: you just knew this was coming... (or should have known, fools).

******************

In the real news world, Hurricane Gustav is set to most likely hit NOLA and the Gulf Coast hard on Monday and the Republicans are scrambling to make lemonade out of the impending flood waters:

Convention organizers and McCain advisers watched nervously as Gustav chugged toward land, fearful that the storm could evoke memories of the administration's widely criticized response to Hurricane Katrina three years earlier as Republicans seek to rebrand a party that has been battered under Bush's leadership.

They damn well should be nervous.

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis told reporters that the seven-hour program scheduled for Monday night will be pared down to a bare-bones session of roughly two hours, devoted mainly to meeting the legal requirements involved with opening the convention. He said that there will be no partisan speeches and that officials will assess what to do with the rest of the convention on a "day-to-day" basis until the magnitude of the storm damage becomes clear. He said the GOP will seek to make sure that "nothing we do detracts" from the response efforts in the Gulf states.

Afaic, they should all go down there for the cleanup. Some penance for Katrina is still required.

Updates on Gustav as they come in on Monday. May everyone stay safe.
 

Friday Fun: Got change?

Denver (cnn) - In what was the biggest convention of panhandlers the United States has ever seen, tens of thousands of people demanded "CHANGE" from Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Thursday nite.

Rumour has it that several people were stampeded over when one of Obama's flustered handlers tossed out a few nickels and dimes in an attempt to quell the crowd. However, no serious injuries were reported.

Story courtesy of cnn, the catnip news network.
 

No Drama? Obama's Big Speech

pic borrowed from The Swamp. I hope they don't mind.

Sitting in the stand of the sports arena, waiting for the show to begin.
Red lights, green lights, strawberry wine, a good friend of mine
follows the stars, Venus and Mars are alright tonight.
[...]
If there's a rock show at the Concertgebow, they've got long hair at the Madison Square, you've got rock and roll at the Hollywood Bowl, we'll be there, oo yeah.

- Venus and Mars, Paul McCartney & Wings

"One of the great strengths of this campaign from the very beginning has been the cohesion, the sense of camaraderie, and the lack of drama," said David Axelrod, a leader of the no-drama movement with his casual wardrobe and low-key demeanor.

- Huffington Post, August 3/08

“I know that Senator McCain and his people are shooting barbs on the opulence of our convention from the mountaintop in Sedona from the McCain estate,” said David Axelrod, the campaign’s chief strategist. “I don’t think it warrants a response.”

- NYT, August 28/08

Really? No response required?

Wrong.

If you're one of those "working class" Americans Obama and the Democrats claim to champion and you just lost your home due to foreclosure while watching banks being bailed out; if you desperately need health care or can no longer afford to feed your kids with the proper nutrition they need to thrive; if you scrimped to send $10 to Obama as a campaign contribution; if you can't afford to buy gas; if you're still struggling from the damage Hurricane Katrina and so many other natural disasters have caused; if your job has been outsourced; if your utility bills are making your financial life unmanageable; if you truly want an end to war (all wars); are you going to watch this Rock Show tonite (and it will be a rock show including performers like Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder) on a stage built with Roman or Greco styled-columns made to reflect the opulence of we're not sure exactly what because the Obama campaign isn't offering any clues feeling like Obama's speaking for or to you?

One would think that if your candidate has been tagged as being elitist and arrogant, the first thing he'd want to do is to reflect the common man in this historically important acceptance speech. Instead, the Obama campaign has decided to stretch the limits of grandeur to epic proportions. Is this what MLK Jr. would have wanted on the anniversary of his "I Have a Dream" speech from which Obama borrowed his "fierce urgency of now" rhetoric?

There's pride and then there's gratitude with humility.

Via Black Agenda Report:

To the most hopelessly besotted Obamites, their candidate's speech on Thursday will herald a crack in time, after which posterity will speak of Before-Obama (BO) and After-Obama (AO) eras, and the transcendental Age of Obama.

Having conjured up a nonexistent "mass movement" to describe what is actually a corporate financed and directed electoral campaign that has not championed a single issue worthy of historical note (don't dare cite partial Iraq withdrawal and for-profit health care schemes), the Democrats now patch Dr. King's speech into the prologue to the Book of Obama for the purpose of consigning real mass agitation strategies to the past, for all time.

Yet, the unedited version of history - the real deal - commemorates another imminent anniversary, one that starkly illuminates the true political character of the age: Katrina.

read on...

Perhaps the timing of the ironically named tropical storm Gustav (which means "staff of the gods") is a cosmic reminder of sorts of the continuing inequality Glen Ford writes about. Obama certainly hasn't and will not claim that his nomination is the be all and end all of the civil rights movement - it is merely one step ahead on a very long road - but neither has he promised much in recognition of what the African-American community still sorely needs. He's "post-racial", you see. But I'll leave that analysis to the experts at BAR. They're much more qualified than I am to dissect the mood among what is definitely not a monolithic AA voice - and they do it well.

What I do know is this: if those are indeed Roman columns, that symbolism is all too fitting for a nation whose stint as a empire is crumbling under the weight of its hubris - and that hubris is not limited only the Republicans. Both parties have created this monster and neither is willing to take full responsibility for it and the Democrats refuse to hold the Bush administration responsible for its crimes in furtherance of that empire.

So, the American people are left to literally clean up the mess and you don't do that by simply showing up at a voting booth in November, hoping you've picked the best new emperor. You change the system from the ground up and you don't rely on a president or congress to do what you want them to. How often does the voting public need to be let down to figure that out? Is it any wonder congress has a 9% approval rating? And, yet, 2 senators are the presidential candidates both promising "change"? Does that make any sense?

Change happens when citizens make it happen. That's why real, on the ground movements are absolutely critical. In an era of big government trashing human and civil rights (with both parties enabling the police state), the voices of opposition to the entrenched, corrupted government are even more important. Where are they? They're out there, if you know where to look. Sending your hard-earned $10 to the Democrats is not an answer. How much of one of those columns did your $10 buy? Is that what you wanted?

And, if those Mile High Stadium columns are in fact Greco-inspired, can there be a more obvious statement of god(s)-like power about to descend from on high? Holy Mother of Zeus. Greece - the birthplace of democracy. Plato must be rolling over in his grave as Obama tries to sell himself as a philosopher king.

When a close circle of his top advisers presented Mr. Obama with $6 million plans to move his acceptance speech to the football stadium in early July, the candidate asked one question, said Anita Dunn, a senior strategist: “Will it rain?”

Update: Text of Obama's speech. (h/t marisa)
 

Meet Joebama O'Biden

Jonah Goldberg may have coined "O'Biden" today, but I'm claiming "Joebama". Madman gets the bonus points for putting the names together.

Saturday was definitely mush mouth day for pundits and politicians alike. Both of MSNBC's head bloviators, Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, slipped and called Biden "O'Biden" today - more than once - while Biden couldn't seem to manage to get Obama's name right during his coming out speech, ending it by calling him "Barack America" after Obama had introduced Joe as the "next president". (Freudian slip.) Whoops all around.

Just one question about the pick: If Biden is so beloved, why has his presidential bid failed - twice?

Fear not though, suddenly most Democrats (and their biased pundit puppets) are madly in lust with Biden as the attack dog - the guy who can flash his (really bright) pearly whites while biting your arm and smiling at the same time. In other words, he's a better-looking Dick Cheney.

Yes, not only will Joebama fix the ills the world but he'll do it by 10 pm and travel home by train to spend the nite with his family. Awesome. On top of that, he has a "drop dead gorgeous wife", as he reminded the crowd in Springfield on Saturday. Beats Lynn Cheney, doesn't it? Or maybe he's trying to reassure the voting public that he's not another John what affair? Edwards.

Of course, the big question of the day was whether Biden could manage to keep his big mouth shut so he doesn't embarrass poor Barack. Good luck with that. Biden as The Invisible Man? It's just not.gonna.happen. and as much as Dems like his attack-dog style, you can bet that Joebama will say something incredibly stupid during the next few months. That's just his way. (You know that horrified cringe you'd feel if your new puppy just pissed on your boss's leg? That'll be the vibe Dem supporters will have to fight off when Joe pulls one of his infamous boners.)

I'll say one thing: it'll be interesting to see if all of the Democratic supporters who had their ageism on full display as they've gone after McCain will now actually eat some crow and stop the age-based jokes and slams. I kind of doubt it though. Howard Fineman called Biden a "young 65" this afternoon. See. That's the trick. McCain is an old 71. Biden is young-er "codger" and he proved that by running up onto the platform to deliver his speech. Plus he has more hair than McSurge. That has to count for something.

I have a feeling the next few months are going to be absolutely intolerable. Thank Dog a new and improved 90210 is back. And that I actually have a life (of sorts). And stuff to crochet. That should help.
 

Quote du Jour: Tease

Is Obama taking the tease too far?

That was CNN's Wolf Blitzer today, commenting on the Big Wait for Obama's VP announcement.

The "tease"?

What is this to you, Blitzer? Foreplay?

Update: It's Joe Biden or "Obama Picks Older White Male Washington Insider" to be his changeyness VP. (At least he's clean and articulate.)



Wolfie must be orgasmic.

Bonus flashback to an old post of mine: Why Joe Biden Should Never Be President

Bonus humiliating moment: Poor Markos. Here he was, all excited that Obama was going to get those new-fangled text messages about his VP pick out to the masses before the MSM, so he decided to mock the "old media". (I guess that's like "old Europe".)

And is there a better example than this that old media is getting left out in the cold?

Wolf Blitzer on the Situation Room begging viewers to stay tuned so CNN can bring them coverage of a text message.

Brilliant! We've got a lot of campaign a head [sic] of us, but this has been the Obama campaign's finest operation thus far.

But...ooops! As it turns out, that "old media" channel CNN got the breaking news about Biden Friday nite while Obamakins will just have to wait til the morning for those text messages. Yes kos, "Brilliant". You showed 'em!

(Maybe one of these days he'll figure out that, since Obama didn't make one appearance on his site throughout this entire campaign, all of this "netroots" hoopla the Obama campaign was pushing was just an effort to max out campaign contributions from so-called progressives who gathered round the Daily Obama watercooler ATM.)
 

Breaking News: John McCain is Rich

What? You already knew that?

"We can be a party that tries to beat the other side by practicing the same do-anything, say-anything, divisive politics that has stood in the way of progress, or we can be a party that puts an end to it," he said.

- Barack Obama, January 2008

Barack Obama, today:



Obama campaign to deploy surrogates to hit McCain's houses

I'm still waiting (but not holding my breath) for this brand of "new politics" Obama promised.

Can I just say: WHO CARES HOW MANY HOUSES McCAIN HAS? The yanks are involved in 2 wars in which people are being killed every day. Hello?
 

Who has the biggest halo?

Here we go again. On Saturday nite, CNN will once again be holding a "faith forum" so all of America can decide if the presidential candidates pass the religious test. Don't expect an actual debate though. Instead, Pastor Rick Warren will be interviewing Obama and McCain separately for one hour in front of a crowd of evangelical Christians - one of the most over-pandered to lobby groups of this century.

According to the so-called "best political team on television", and as the name of their daily news show and all of the polls this year declare, "Issue #1" is actually the economy. So where's the CNN economic forum with Obama and McCain being grilled by economic experts? Or how about one led by foreign policy experts considering the global mess the US government has created? Energy policy, anyone?

No. It's more important for Obama to defend himself against the secret Muslim charges and for McCain to prove that he won't wobble on abortion or let teh gays take over the country. And, of course, everybody knows that you can't actually have values or morals unless you're religious.

I'll tell you what: name one Christian president who's faithfully followed the commandment 'thou shalt not kill' and then we'll talk about why it's so bloody important that whoever is in the White House believe in Jesus.

Just in time for the media mass, an ad touting Obama's religiosity is also being released:

(CNN) — A political action committee organized by Christian voters who support Barack Obama will run an ad this weekend suggesting “the character and faith of each candidate” should be a major factor for religious voters making their presidential pick – and that the presumptive Democratic nominee may hold an edge on that front.

Really? And just how do you measure somebody's faith and the impact that will have on a future president?

Let's flashback to 2001.



Excuse me if I really don't care who or what these politicians claim to pray to - or if they pray at all. I'm just amazed that Onward, Christian Soldiers hasn't yet replaced the US national anthem.
 

US Election '08: Reasons Not to Pay Attention

Really.

With stuff like this going on right now, what's the point?

1. Far be it for me to ever link to Newsbusters, but here it is. NYT columnist Bob Herbert sees phallic symbols in the McCain ad comparing Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Really, Bob? Sheesh.

(And can y'all drop the race card discussion about that ad? It was about a lack of substance, clearly. You pundits out there who are asking why the ad didn't compare Obama to Denzel Washington or Oprah and then go on to compare it to the ridiculous 2006 anti Harold Ford ad clearly need some naps...or vacations...or lives...or something.)

2. Reason #346 Countdown With Keith Olbermann is becoming increasingly annoying to watch: this evening, Keith announced the heave ho "resignation" of WaPo correspondent Dana Milbank. Was that Milbank's "You can't fire me. I quit!" moment? As Olbermann explained to his audience, it seems Milbank's refusal to correct a quote he made in a column about Obama last week was the final straw for Big Keith.

Funny thing though - just prior to that little announcement, Olbermann had played the latest Obama campaign ad, "New Energy for America". The problem is that it seems Keith's staff forgot to actually fact check the ad. Who's going to be forced to resign for not giving those corrections, Olbermann?

Sidebar: TPM reports that "Multiple Oil Company Executives Gave Huge Contributions To Electing McCain Just Days After Offshore Drilling Reversal". We'll see how that pans out. I would add, however, that both campaigns have taken money from execs/employees/families of people in various industries throughout this campaign season and the point has been beaten to death that while actual corporate donations can't be accepted, both campaigns are equally guilty of receiving money in this roundabout way. Don't let the glossy ads fool you.

What happened to the "new" politics both of these candidates promised? I know it's officially the "silly season" but I have a suspicion the tenor of both campaigns is going to be this slow, grinding, nails on a chalkboard style until November. Wonderful.

(And Obama supporting offshore drilling now? Mon dieu. I hope someone's keeping a scorecard of his ever-changing positions. I sure can't keep up.)

Is it over yet?
 

Spare Me the Shiny Objects

Alright. I started writing a post about how the CIA is still up to the same things it's always been, despite this facade of "reform" that the public has been presented but I'm a bit out of practice when it comes to blogging and I was boring myself.

What's really been on my mind, politically speaking, has been the coverage of Obama's Big Adventure in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, and wherever else he's taking his rock show on the road. "Perfect", cooed Keith Olbermann about the trip when I caught a quick clip of him last nite. Really?

I found myself agreeing with whatever other talking head it was last nite who said that Obama's trotting around over there as if he's already the president is a bit "presumptuous"? No kidding.

I thought it was supposed to be a "fact-finding" mission. Obviously not. What else can you conclude when he blows off Petraeus in Iraq? He might as well have "I'm the decider" already tattooed on his forehead. No facts to be found there, apparently. Not that I have any great love for Petraeus (and definitely not for that illegal, immoral war) but didn't Obama say he'd consult with and actually listen to the commanders on the ground? Why do I smell shades of dubya here? Not good.

You want more presumptuousness? The fact that he's going to give his speech at the Dem convention - not like the rest of the average schmoes who win the nomination and speak on the convention floor - but in a stadium that holds tens of thousands of people - as if he's the second coming of Martin Luther Ling Jr. Spare me.

And spare me this too. (I'd post the transcript but it isn't up yet.) On Larry King's show tonite, someone dared call Obama "arrogant" to which a black female guest immediately reacted in anger saying (paraphrased) that she's tired of confident black men/people being labeled that way. (Of course, what she really meant was that as far as she was concerned the other person had just called Obama "uppity" because - you know - black people are never arrogant, right? She obviously couldn't miss the chance to turn a perfectly valid criticism about Obama's behaviour into a race issue. I'll tell you what, lady. Check out Condi Rice's history and then get back to me on the subject of those invisible "arrogant" black people.) Sheesh. Tired.of.it. And guess what? I can say that and it's not racist, so get over it.

So riddle me this, Obama supporters: what exactly is new about Obama's policies? Where's the "change"? He wants a surge in Afghanistan (as if he can send in the calvary and "win" that war. Good luck. Ain't gonna happen.) He wants the troops out of Iraq - a longstanding Dem party position. He wants to be Israel's bestest friend. Again, no "change" there. And yet he's running around like the New Superman with clean & improved tights. "New". What's new? Oh. I forgot to mention Africa. Google AFRICOM. He supports it.

Sidebar: speaking of arrogant politicians and Africa, did you know that the price of oil went up a bit last week because, as reported in The Independent:

Gordon Brown is being accused of preparing for a military adventure in Africa after he pledged to provide backing to the Nigerian security forces. His announcement prompted the collapse of a ceasefire in the oil-rich Niger Delta and helped to drive up crude oil prices on world markets.

Name me one world leader (or presumptive US Democratic or Republican presidential nominee) who doesn't support the ever destructive policy of "intervention" - that innocuous word we like to use when we're pretending to help other countries while we actually want to steal their resources and/or change their government. For another example, see: Iran - that "grave threat", as Obama calls it, that's actually...probably...10 years away from making a nuclear weapon according to the NIE. But the US MUST intervene to save the world. Right? Haven't we seen this movie before? And did we like the ending the last time? No. And do we want a sequel? Hell no. Not me, at least.

If I sound cranky about this overblown Obama hype (which seems to be some sort of contagious disease that, despite my defective immune system, I haven't managed to catch), it's because I am.

I haven't been around the blogs and the world o' news lately as much as I usually am. Life's been happening. But I did catch Obamalama supporters like Arianna Huffington lamenting the undeniable fact that Obama is actually a centrist. This was news to her, apparently. Not surprising, I guess, since so many Obama supporters seemed to want to spend more time being dazzled by his image (ooo...he scored a 3-pointer with the US troops in Iraq...he's so dreamy) to really pay attention to his actual proposed policies. That's just wonkish stuff. Besides, as more than one Obamamite recently wrote about his boneheaded FISA vote, once he's president he'll change. And how many failed marriages started with exactly that premise? I rest my case.

I'll tell you what though, Obama supporters: you're going to get exactly what you deserve if he does win. You think he's somehow not beholden to lobbies because he hasn't taken campaign contributions from them? (Well, he did from many of corporate America's "employees", but that doesn't count, right?) Wrong. You have 2 corporation-driven parties in the US: the Republicans and the Democrats. If you seriously think Obama's going to change that, I have a shiny barrel of oil that I just dug up in my back yard to sell you. FISA FISA FISA. Once again, I rest my case. (I have more than a little problem with politicians who sell out civil and human rights. Sue me.)

And take a moment to think about which special interests (hint: the oil companies) are currently benefiting from all of this sabre-rattling against Iran coming from both candidates. Isn't that just a little bit of a problem for us peasants out here? Both: guilty as charged of pointing at scary objects while the rest of us pay for it. "Change"? I don't think so.

In the end, I don't know how Obama can't win though. McCain is about as interesting as the latest image of the Virgin Mary found on a piece of toast. Been there, done that. (Mind you, they do still sell on eBay™. That's why McCain will get votes. Some people like stale novelties.) But, please, in the meantime spare me the Obama as superhero coverage. Really. He's not Superman™ and he's not even Underdog™. He's just another Dem politician and I've had just about enough of those, thank you very much.

You want "change"? Make it happen. The Democrats are not going to do it for you. Exhibit A: the refusal to impeach Bush. That should tell you just about everything you need to know about the Democratic party and its presumptive nominee today. And that's just sad. You want shiny objects? How about handcuffs around Bush's wrists?