no friggin' way

PS!

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:18:42 -0400

PS!

Thanks For Reading

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:44:00 -0400

Hi all. I started this blog for many reasons, but mainly because I had the time. Well, all that’s changed. Thanks for reading, and hopefully for caring.

I’d like to leave on a note of disillusionment — is this not where all roads lead in politics? Barack Obama today voted for unlimited government spying on all international communications into and out of the United States AND retroactive immunity for the telecoms that have been helping the government to do this — illegally — in the past.

Once again, we seem to have a Democratic presidential candidate that thinks the best way to win over the electorate is to act like a Republican. Despite our fears of terror, now is the moment of our party’s ascendancy. Too bad that we’ve been too beaten down over the last ten years to recognize this.

Good luck to all of us — or as some would have it, God bless America,

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/07/09/fisa_vote/index.html

In case you missed it, Obama’s first general election ad.

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:28:27 -0400

In case you missed it, Obama’s first general election ad.

Will Google Eviscerate the "Community Standard" Defense?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:13:19 -0400

Will Google Eviscerate the "Community Standard" Defense?:

A trial lawyer uses Google search data to argue that residents of Pensacola—a relatively conservative place—are “more likely to use Google to search for terms like ‘orgy’ than for ‘apple pie’ or ‘watermelon.’”

Millionaires Club Gets Bigger, Members Richer

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:02:13 -0400

Millionaires Club Gets Bigger, Members Richer:

ho-hum

Good stuff. Pardon the disappearance.

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:56:02 -0400

Good stuff. Pardon the disappearance.

Jim Johnson Quits Obama's VP Team

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:56:55 -0400

Jim Johnson Quits Obama's VP Team:

Earlier, Slate had called for a bit more rectitude from Obama. Looks like he’s delivered.

Who Is David Plouffe?

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:48:35 -0400

Who Is David Plouffe?:

A nice post by Marbury.

McCain: Bringing American forces home from Iraq “not too...

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:28:52 -0400

McCain: Bringing American forces home from Iraq “not too important.” Instead, he argues, we should be concerned with keeping them there safely.

When did Republicans lose so much interest in what the American people want?

Paglia on Politics

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:48:40 -0400

Paglia on Politics:

Among other wonderful bits, her take on Hil’s concession (what a gem!):

“I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised at the ecstatic media lockstep praising Hillary’s so-called concession speech last weekend. This is the same herd of sheep who bleated to Bush’s beat and brought us the Iraq fiasco. I first heard the speech on the radio as I was driving back to Philadelphia from a family event in upstate New York. I was shocked and appalled at Hillary’s inflammatory demagoguery, which was obviously intended to keep her candidacy alive through the August convention and beyond. The echo in the museum’s marble entry hall gave the event an eerily retro quality, as if it were a 1930s fascist rally. Hillary’s turgid, preachy rhythms were condescending and manipulative, and her climaxes were ear-splittingly strident. It was pure Evita, a cult of personality masquerading as populism. When I later saw the speech on TV, I was disgusted by how Hillary undercut her insultingly brief endorsement of Obama with a flat expression and cold, dead eyes. The only thing that got her blood racing was the blatantly stoked hysteria of her screeching worshipers.”

"Michelle is a target-rich environment."

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:18:43 -0400

“Michelle is a target-rich environment.”

- Maureen Dowd on the New Witch, Michelle Obama

"I think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric."

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:03:00 -0400

“I think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric.”

- A shocking confession from none other than George W. Bush. Is this his first one ever? [article via Times Online]

The Jim Webb Story

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:50:00 -0400

The Jim Webb Story:

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Webb is likely to be Obama’s pick for VP. This profile explains why—though it feels a bit thin on skepticism. Nonetheless, a great read. [via New York Review of Books]

UPDATE: Counterpoint.

Senate Intelligence Committee: Bush Admin Deceived Country In Favor of War

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:34:00 -0400

Senate Intelligence Committee: Bush Admin Deceived Country In Favor of War:

My prior link to GiGi references the above. (Click header to read article.)

Says Huffington: “It’s vitally important that we continue to reiterate and document the truth of what happened and who was responsible for perpetrating this fraud on the American public. And here’s why: the war is still going on (and American soldiers continue to die as a result of the deception); the same people responsible for this debacle still have their hands on the wheel; desperate to cover their tracks, they continue to lie about how we got into this mess; and they are currently hitting all the same notes in agitating for war in Iran.”

A great vid of Barack’s pep talk to his HQ staff. Choice...

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:16:00 -0400

A great vid of Barack’s pep talk to his HQ staff. Choice cuts:

“I’m a big believer that the way great things happen is when people are willing to submerge their own egos and just focus on bringing their particular gifts and passion and energy and vision to a common task.”

“If you guys stick with it, if you guys remain invested in it, if you are willing to lift me up and pull me across the finish line, this thing could happen.”

“There was just a good mood, a good heart to this campaign. And that’s what I’m most proud. Even if we had lost, I’d be proud.”

“Collectively, you, all of you, most of who are I’m not even sure of drinking age, you’ve created the best political organization in America and probably the best political organization that we’ve seen in the last 30 to 40 years. That’s a big deal. That’s pretty remarkable. I hope that all of you understand your achievement.”

“This campaign has been about you and your guys’ discovering your collective ability to make history and just move an entire nation in a new direction. And that is a remarkable feat — an astonishing feat. Everybody’s marveling at it. And so I hope this weekend when you guys are hopefully given a little time to savor it, you really think about what you’ve done. And understand that it’s not because of the candidate. It’s because of you. And so I owe thanks to you. I’m grateful to you. And you’ve inspired me. What you’ve done is something that continually restores my faith in people, in America, in the world, in what’s possible. And that’s a great gift you’ve given to me.”

“As I’ve traveled over the course of 17 months, and I’ve met people who are struggling. I meet single moms who don’t have health insurance for their kids… There are entire towns that are basically dying because they’ve lost their factory. And when you see these things you have an enormous sense of obligation. We don’t have an option now… If I had lost Iowa, it would’ve been ok… But because we’ve won we now have no choice. We have to win.”

“I want everybody to catch your breath. Take some this weekend or next weekend. Do what you do to get your ya-yas out… And then understand that coming back we’re gonna have to work twice as hard as we’ve been working. We are gonna have to be smarter. We’re gonna have to be tougher. Our game is gonna have to be tighter. We are gonna be attacked more viciously. We’re gonna have to respond more rapidly. We are gonna have to raise more money. I am gonna have to be a better candidate. Each and every one of you, whatever it is that you do, you are gonna have to do it better, longer and probably without break between now and November 4th. And we don’t have a choice. Because now, if we screw this up, all those people that I’ve met who really need help. They’re not gonna get help.”

“Now everybody’s counting on you, not just me. I know that’s a heavy weight, but also what a magnificent position to find yourselves in… Here you are, five months away from having transformed the country, having made history, and transformed the world… I love you guys. Let’s go win the election!”

Clear Evidence That Pentagon Obstructed Justice In Terror Cases

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:52:58 -0400

Clear Evidence That Pentagon Obstructed Justice In Terror Cases:

Unbelievable. Are we fighting for freedom, or what?

Michael Hirsh talks to Cenk Uygur on his Young Turks radio...

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:30:00 -0400

Michael Hirsh talks to Cenk Uygur on his Young Turks radio show about the Media’s failure to admit wrongdoing in the buildup to war, and the consequences of that failure. Mainly audio, but utterly riveting. (Watch and read the transcript here.)

This article prompted the interview. “What’s really extraordinary is how few prominent pundits and columnists have gone even half the length that McClellan has in acknowledging that they got things utterly wrong.”

More Gorgeousness From GiGi

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:09:00 -0400

More Gorgeousness From GiGi:

“The only news made by that Senate report is that, in our country, a report like this—documenting that the Government lied us into a war—is no longer news at all…

“When Scott McClellan used the term ‘complicit enablers’ to describe our press corps, this is the face of that: soothingly assuring the public that there is nothing at all unusual or radical about what’s going on in our Government…

“The same stars of the Liberal Media who paralyzed the country for two years with their fixation on Bill Clinton’s sex scandal… have spent the last seven years calmly telling us that there is no reason to get all excited or upset by what the administration has been doing.”

McCain's Lobbyist Problem: Why It Matters

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:52:00 -0400

McCain's Lobbyist Problem: Why It Matters:

A great article in Salon (use this link first to bypass ads). Highlights:

“John McCain is a saber-rattler when it comes to Russia… A long-term confidant of the candidate, [Randy] Scheunemann also supports a very tough stance toward Russia. Unlike McCain, until very recently he was paid to support that stance.”

“Bad press sparked efforts inside the McCain campaign to purge any real or perceived conflicts of interest. On May 15, the campaign instituted a new policy that bars staff from also working as ‘registered’ lobbyists… The new policy was drafted by McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis, himself a lobbyist until 2006.”

“The policy does not state that a campaign staffer can’t be a former lobbyist. According to Justice Department records, Scheunemann halted his lobbying activities on March 12… Scheunemann’s partner continues to lobby on behalf of Georgia and Macedonia.”

“In 2002, prior to the invasion of Iraq, Scheunemann helped lead the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, a nongovernmental, pro-invasion group that counted McCain as a member.”

“Lobbying disclosure records for Scheunemann’s two-person company, Orion Strategies, show… regular contributions to McCain’s campaign and political action committee.”

“Incidentally, China also took it on the chin [from McCain]. At the time, Scheunemann was working for Taiwan.”

“During the presidential campaign, the presumptive Republican nominee has shown remarkable interest in Scheunemann’s client, Georgia, a country of 4 million.”

Pundits Weigh In On Clinton's Failures

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:53:00 -0400

Pundits Weigh In On Clinton's Failures:

A series of short opinion pieces by 13 pundits, including Mark Penn, Clinton’s chief advisor, and Ana Maria Cox, the founding editor of Wonkette. A few blame sexism—a ridiculous argument, I think. Clinton lost for the simplest and most obvious reason: Obama has more chops. But if we have to blame one of her choices, Kathleen Hall Jamieson gets it most right. Hil’s refusal to apologize for her Iraq War vote probably cost her more than anything else.

At the time, early on in the race, Clinton had a tough choice to make. Should she play to the party’s base, and apologize for her vote? Or, should she play to the general electorate, taking a tougher stance to win over some right-leaning independents? Hillary & Co. knew that her stand would cost her support among anti-war liberals, but (and they weren’t wrong about this) it would probably increase her all-around base if she were the nominee.

She gambled away some primary voters in the hopes of securing victory come November. Not a dumb call, just overconfident. Obviously she should have focused on the race at hand.