Quote of the Week

Now I know smack downs. And this friends is a smack down. Don't be steppin' up on the foreign policy front...if you ain't got no back...because Z-Breeze ain't haven' it!



"Son. I was rocking peace accords when you were sippin' Yoo Hoo in your rubber diapies!"

For the TLDR set:

Zbig to Joe: "You have a such stunningly superficial knowledge of what went on it's almost embarrassing to listen to you."

-Cheers

When called to defend....

Something that is stupid and possibly indefensible, you just make shit up.



Now I am no defender of the good Reverend Sharpton, but at no point did he make any of the statements Ms. Obenshain claims. As Ta-Nehisi Coates so ably points out:

"Hey, Barack Obama has picked up another endorsement: Halfrican American actress Halle Berry. "As a Halfrican American, I am honored to have Ms. Berry's support, as well as the support of other Halfrican Americans."

"That would be Rush Limbaugh talking. The same Rush Limbaugh who we are to believe was defending Barack Obama from this mythical claim by Sharpton. Amazing."

Satire very much as a place in politics, you see, the problem here is not an issue of satire gone awry, it of simple bigotry. The whole construction of the "Magic Negro" fable is to assuage a sense of guilt. The sort of bigotry that needs a fictional construction of a people to help ameliorate feelings of discomfort. A way of saying, "I can like individual black people, but I don't have to like 'black culture'!". But here, you can read the original article (which as opposed to the lyrical milieu is actually insightful. ) written by David Ehrenstein here.

Anyway I give Ms. Hall much credit for handling the situation with grace. I would have lost it and probably went all Wayne Brady on her ass.

-cheers

They still don't get it....

I have resisted the urge to right a lengthy post excoriating the RNC and the republican party in general for validating the stereotypes directed its way.

But instead I will just say this, if they do not get the idea that Barack the Magic Negro is offensive, then they absolutely deserve their place in political purgatory, and more pointedly can just kiss my shiny black ass, if they think they will ever be getting my vote.

Which is sad, I absolutely wish there was a vibrant intellectually honest conservative party/movement. I think it is necessary to have a robust and legitimate opposition. That way you can have an honest discussion on any subject. Idelogical orthodxy is what we should be afraid of, and those who hide behind it. Not the honest disagreement borne of rigorous intellectual debate.

The republican party as it exists now is not that. It has become a cartoon.

Add to that the absolute acceptance of torture that both parties have sucumbed to, and there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

The notion that the perfidy of even my home state governor, has taken precedence over the admition, by no less then the Vice President himself, that they conducted torturous acts.

Our own government admits it tortured people?

Or I guess more accurately would be our government engaged in activities that in the past we have prosecuted and exectuted individuals for doing. But what is more chilling then that is, the idea that the executive holds itself above even the Constitution, and the press ignores it?

You have Cheney, expressing both his opinion that the Presidents powers can set aside the Constitution and more disturbing that as long as the President believes he is working in the best interest of the nation then his actions are by definition not illegal.

That instead the press is busy patting itself on its back over this tripe, is illuminating.

I know that my Civics class was many moons ago, but I am pretty sure that the founding fathers intended the Constitution to bind us all and that no man or woman was above it. That the laws that constrain us, constrain us all equally.

Even if you believe that by breaking the law you are saving lives, you are still breaking the law and are subject to its arbitration and punishment.

Absolution is for the next life not this one.

Seasons Greetings

Had some computer problems over the last week that seriously impacted my Internet surfage but it seems to be fixed now.

So I thought I would drop some holiday cheer on y'all. I was looking over some old Christmas lists and came across some real gems.

Not sure which of these is more awesome...though I suspect it could be a tie....Enjoy, and have a safe and enjoyable holiday season.






And for some reason I can't help picturing Cation doing that rendition of Wonderwall...
-Cheers

Last Night.....

For the record....I hate Tyler, Scot and Woody.

With every fiber of my being.

Whoever decided it was a good idea to go out on campus deserves a good throttling about the neck and shoulders.....

Also yeah, if you wondered why Scot and I were whistling like idiots this is why....

It's like the love child of Micheal Jackson, Duran Duran, all rolled up with the uncomfortable androgyny of Peter Pan.

-cheers

Gogo Science!

I know, I know....it is just so pleasant to hear a president say such things.



If you don't want to watch the video the salient quote would be:

"Because the truth is that promoting science isn't just about providing resources -- it's about protecting free and open inquiry. It's about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology. It's about listening to what our scientists have to say, even when it's inconvenient -- especially when it's inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science is the search for knowledge, truth and a greater understanding of the world around us. [...]

"I am confident that if we recommit ourselves to discovery; if we support science education to create the next generation of scientists and engineers right here in America; if we have the vision to believe and invest in things unseen, then we can lead the world into a new future of peace and prosperity."

This is the type of change I can believe in.

-cheers

Mired in Warrens.

The hubbub over the Pastor Rick Warren's inclusion in the Inauguration. I am of two minds on the subject, I don't really have a horse in this race but it has been lighting up the blogosphere. I recommend checking out Glenn Greenwald over at Salon. He makes an interesting argument on the subject.

Also for the the postings by Michelle Goldberg at Religion Dispatches and John Cole over at Balloon-Juice have a nice take on the various sides to that argument. Must reads.

The thing is, I think I agree with Greenwald in this regard, over the last 20-30 years "liberals" are always painted as fringe, deeply unserious, and patently unprepared for the rigors of reality. That being said, why is it when the conservative ideology that has held sway and completely failed by any available metric, it is progressives who must be conciliatory?

At no point over the last 8 years has there been even one acknowledgment from the right, that there is even a left leaning portion of the nation, except possibly to denigrate or demean. Yet once a relatively progressive ideology seems to be on the ascendancy, all we hear is how pragmatism and "reaching out to the other side of the isle" should be the order of the new day.

It may be divisive, but so what? There absolutely should be consequences for bad decisions.

If in your completely myopic pursuit of intellectual orthodoxy, you have led us to the precipice of ruin all the while telling me how foolish, naive and unserious I was. I am going to need a bit of contrite behavior on your part, before I listen to anything you say.

I am going to need to see some real intellectual rigor on their part. Not just invocations of "free market rules" and lower taxes in times of trouble.

If they want to be included they need to earn that right.

-Cheers

Less Awesome!

I wanted to just post the Table here, but the hyperlink wasn't really working in the way I liked.

Definitely less awesome.

So instead you will have to do some work and the click on the text to check out the Periodic Table of Awesoments!

Could there have been any doubt what the number one spot would be?

Also did some formatting and color changes on the site. Possibly more to come. Trying to get back on a regular post regiment, so we should get back to the weekly mishmash of current events and trans-dimensional bric-a-brac pretty soon! Besides it has been ages since we had a new word of the week!

-Cheers

*Thanks to Dr. Jones for passing this along to me.

Luddites...

It is not secret that I was extremely motivated to see Senator Obama elected president. I had many reasons for why I chose to put my time and money into making that happen, but honestly the biggest reason would probably be this, the chance at having a pro-science president/government.

In his selection of Dr. Stephen Chu, Nobel Prize winning physicist, the President-Elect had this to say:

"His appointment should send a signal to all that my administration will value science, we will make decisions based on the facts, and we understand that the facts demand bold action."

I have to echo Steve Benen at the Washington Monthly when he says:

"Now, I realize this may sound like the soft bigotry of low expectations, but we've reached a point at which hearing a president praise "science" and "facts" emphatically is so refreshing, and so encouraging, it raises hopes about the new-found importance of reality in government."

It seems like a very small thing to say. That this is such a radical departure from what has become the status quo from the Bush administration is the truly sickening thing. We have become a country of Luddites. Where dogma and ideology supersede, actual observable data. That is the world this administration has brought us to.

So yeah, I am happy that there are some real scientist heading up science agencies under and Obama administration. Not saying they will be perfect, but what has been happening has been disheartening to say the least. At a time when we need innovation and scientific know how we are sorely ill-equipped for it.

With all that being said, this little article just reminds us of what a sorry state our educational system is in .

37% of Americans can't find America on a map

--Yes I know it is satire....but tell me you didn't kind of believe it at first.....

Stuck in my craw.....

I finally have figured out what has been bothering me about the Gov. Blago debacle, it is the absolutely vacuous coverage that the media has undertaken. Everyone seems to agree that, at least, at this point no one in the Obama transition team has done anything illegal, yet that is not what they spend time reporting. Matt Yglesias over at Think Progress has encapsulated what it is that is bothering me.

New Rules

Also, what I find disturbing, is at the same time a new report was put out by the Senate, that linked many recent administration officials to detainee torture and homicide. Glenn Greenwald delves into those brackish waters.

My only question is where is the outrage for that? Our government has actively broken its own laws and abused the trust and reputation of this country yet, there is no outcry. All the pundits wish to bloviate on is the possible connections people have to the governor, not whether there is any merit to the thinly veiled assertions but that those assertions can be made. Yet they absolutely ignore, that a government sponsored report found that those running the government were involved in murder. I would think that should cause some alarm.

Now none of this is an attack on investigative or probing journalism. If nothing else the arrest of Rod is a huge point in favor of that type of jounalism. No this is more an issue of boredom on the part of the media. Obama as savior has run its course now, it is time to delve into Obama as corrupt Chicago Pol!
-Cheers

Food for your brain hole.

I know I have not commented much on the Blageovich. Not really much to say, we in Illinois knew he was the amoral bastard he has shown himself to be, before we re-elected him. So in that regard, we only have our own selves to blame for the mess we see today. Now I do have an issue with the smearing of "all" Illinois politicians because they are in the same state and may have had contact with the, you know, governor of said state.

Regardless of if the lead prosecutor says that these individuals have done nothing wrong. You are still guilty because you "may have had contact with". That is just plain silly. Of course most politicians on the state and even federal level will have had some contact with the governor of that state. It is their job after all and the people did overwhelmingly re-elect that person. The way the media has tarred anyone who has Illinois political roots, is disingenuous at best and down right malpractice at worst. It isn't like people are running to Blago's aide? The state, virtually all the pols, and anyone who isn't related to him by blood or marriage wants him to a) lose his job, b) go to jail. How much more consensus do you need? So in short I kind of feel sorry for Jesse Jackson Jr. by all accounts he as been an exemplary Representative for his constituents and was interested in the vacated senate seat (also he does at least have the qualifications to hold such a seat). But because he actually pursued that, he has been sullied by this whole affair. If you are interested in a position it is only logical that you would try to speak with the person in charge of hiring for that seat. That isn't unethical, though there are ways it could become so. From what U.S Attorney Fitzgerald has said, JJ hasn't done anything worth investigating.
----

On the auto bail-out/flame-out. I find it ironic ( in the non-humorous way), how quickly the government as a whole swooped in to provide aide for Wall Street, yet the stance and demeanor taken with the U.S Auto industry has been decidedly different. Far more criticism (which in general I applaud, but the way in which it has been applied is amazingly asymmetric) then the previous bailout received and a lot more blame placing. In particular the disproportionate vigor with which Republicans have attacked the UAW. Now that is not to say the UAW is not complicit in the current state that the auto industry is in, they are not the sole antagonist. But the general tenor is off. Different rules for white-collar industries versus blue-collar ones, is the way it is being played out in the press. This seems like very sloppy reporting.

----
Over at the Nation, Chris Hayes has an interesting piece up on Ideology vs. Pragmatism. It is a piece mainly in defense of ideology, about it's usefulness and about the moral ambiguity of that pragmatism can foster. Ta-Nehisi Coasts over at the Atlantic has some interesting analysis on the article and general observations as well, that are very much worth the read.

My basic read on the subject is this. The fetishization of Pragmatism has become a catchall and cover for those that have been wrong over the last 8-10 years. Since the current administration was so wrong on so many things, the obvious conclusion was that ideology itself was the problem not, god forbid, the ideology in question. Therefore you push for a pragmatic solution to all problems. This is not a good idea, supporting any sort of policy even pragmatism, can lead to a far to stringent orthodoxy. What we need is not people devoid of ideology, but who couple that with occasional pragmatism and most importantly exhibit a healthy skepticism of even their own ideology. Colluding with
evil acts (torture, rendition, preemptive war) purely for pragmatic reasons is not a solution, but merely a deepening of the problem.

-Cheers

Do or Do not!

Ain't gonna lie...if I had the cash...I would totally have bought it.....

Must complete with your training.

You simply can't put a price on childhood memories. But I am betting 200 thousand dollars is probably pretty close!

-Cheers

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

It's like some cosmic deity is laughing at me. I do not know how many ways to say this....

LEGGINGS....ARE.......NOT.......PANTS!!!!!!!!

Damn you LiLo....damn you to hell.

---------edit: Normally this topic could take its own post, but I needed a good counter weight to LiLo. For all my gal pals out there who are fretting getting older. A Sasha Fierce salute to you all!

Women feel Sexiest at age 34!

The age at which a women feels most sexy is 34, according to a new study, that also found those in their twenties and thirties have the most sex - 10.4 times a month on average.

This figure is double the amount middle-aged women have, which works out at just 4.5 times a month, but the research suggests the older women take more pleasure from it.

More than half - 56 per cent - said they enjoyed sex more than they did when they were younger. When asked what age they had felt most sexy, the average was 34.

Once every 3 days. Awesome. Now when I am out and wonder "where all the women at?!" I will know.




-Cheers

Video killed the Radio Star....

If you haven't checked out Tv on the Radio, then you are seriously missing out. I am sure the true hipsters out there have been rocking this Brooklyn band for a couple of years. But if you haven't they are quite the treat. Their combination of constructed dissonance and intelligent lyrics makes for a unique sound.



-Cheers

Once again....

If you haven't checked out Pushing Daisies, well I blame you for it being canceled!



How can you not bow down to the awesomeness of Kristen Chenowith!!??? How?!!!?? I ask!

And if you have not checked out Dr. Horrible's Sing a-long Blog I can't recommend it enough. Joss Whedon is gifted writer and I fear that Fox is going to screw him over again on his new show coming after the new year Dollhouse.

-cheers

Dyna-mite

Another snippet/trailer has gotten out for Black Dynamite.

edit-they pulled down the Dr. Wu vid. If I find it again I will be sure to repost it.

I am not sure if I will survive the awesomeness of this movie.

Kung-fu treachery indeed.......

Also the new trailer as well (NSWF).



-Cheers jive-ass turkeys

Pwnd!

I would also add right-wing pundits to this pile. Specially if they are maintaining that the country is still center-right.

When a majority of the American people are agitating for greater government involvement in the markets, that is most definitely not a center-right solution.

Sometimes gamer speech conveys just the right amount derision a situation requires.


*edit- I had to add this when I came across it. I found it amusing and mildly offensive but since this post was spawned by gamer speaks, I figured it was appropriate. Or for the TLDR set, dropping knowledge via GIF!

Smoot Hawley indeed!

This YouTube video has been circulating for a bit, but in case people had not seen it I thought would give it a post here.



I do think Obama tagged it correctly, "It is like they take pride in being ignorant.". No cogent argument counter, just mocking and derision.

Now I don't agree with everything Peter Schiff says in general ( he was an adviser to Ron Paul after all), but you have to give the man credit he was connecting the dots 2 years ago......

-Cheers

Giving Thanks!

Wishing everyone a peaceful and relaxing Thanksgiving.

It is a good time to remind one's self the things they are grateful and thankful for.

Though, life can be trying at times, and in specific the last month or so have been rough, on my family and I. I am still thankful for the friends I have made this year, the friends I have had for many years, the friends I may make in the coming year, and in particular happy, that I am still friends with a peculiar individual even after all these years.

It's four years later, and you are on a Award Tour. The one person who I do not have to explain why each Thanksgiving is a small victory. Thanks for simply being there.

Thankful for getting to share in the weddings, of four the most beautiful people I have ever known (Ed & Kelly, Leigh & Louis).

Thankful for my family being relatively healthy, marginally sane, and somewhat accommodating of my weirdness.

Thankful that the world is a little bit more hopeful then I have ever seen it before.

Okay, getting a bit too touchy feely here. So I will kind of conclude here.

To my peeps far and wide, from St. Louis to France (Rock it X-tina), Chicago to Thailand (Get back to us safely M & K-Shave), Arizona to New York, Oregon to South Carolina and everything in between. You are in my thoughts* and my family's prayers. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Off to make the most evil potato casserole I can manage, sour cream, cheese, butter, whole milk, and bacon. I may try to deep fry it.

I will now turn it over to that melodious bard Bill Withers and wish you all:



* (Yes you all are even clothed except Tony, Ed and Boom-Boom! You know why!)

-Cheers

Just in time for x-mas!

Lots of people know I am huge John Legend fan.....so I have to post this....

John Legends Nutmeg:



"the only residue [he] wants you wiping off your face."

AWESOME.

Watch yo mouth....

Mike set the date, I will bring the popcorn....

I suspect another empty theater....filled to overflowing with Awesomeness!

Behold! Black Dynamite!

So maybe there is one out there .....

....Where I have superpowers! So discovery has an article up today on the idea that the universe is not a singular thing.

The Multi-verse in comic book speak.

I could go on and on about the topic, from Earth-1 and Earth-2 and it's various denizens, to Crisis on Infinite Earths, to the pictured Planetary. If you haven't had the pleasure of checking them out I would highly recommend it.

Planetary in particular can at times be a good yarn. Weaving in standard superhero tropes as well as combining that with sci-fi, hard boiled detective tales, western themes, super-spy drama, and horror tales of the weird. But the main reason I decided to invoke Planetary, is that it primarily deals with a group of "mystery archaeologist", who are attempting to map the unknown history of the earth. That goes through many twists and turns, but they tackle various alternate realities and the effects it may or may not have had on their own reality. So multi-verse spanning adventures are actually part and parcel with the ongoing story.

Good stuff.

Anyway, I would give this article from Discover Magazine a good read. It is at the very least imagination expanding.

-cheers

New dining frontiers....

That would actually be Nude Dining Frontiers.....

Some stories are just so eye catching you have to comment on them!

My favorite quote:

There are two types of people: those who look better dressed (Gwyneth Paltrow), and those who look better naked (Pamela Anderson), and one of the former was sitting directly across from me, a thin bank teller who was quite foxy clothed. But naked, she was thin and somehow unappetizing, and for reasons I can’t articulate, looking at her breasts six inches from the bread, I lost my appetite. I felt guilty about this.

Make sure to tip the waiter.

I know I am a prude. I would sooner give an ad hoc lecture on the nature of existential French expressionist water color at the Louvre, then be nude in front of a group of people. The thought of chowing down on some KFC with 12 other naked folks would make me absolutely apoplectic!

Besides I would just keep making jokes about passing the buns....or buttering the buns.....


-cheers

Programing note.....

Posting will probably be a bit sparse. A funeral to attend, and then hopefully I will wash that away with hours and hours of Wrath of the Lich King.

So you all will have to read your own news for a week or so!


-Cheers

Who knew....

Awesome!

Thoughts....

Where to start?

First my apologies for the light posting of the last week or so. Too much campaigning, too much drinking, too much reveling, and too little sleep are to blame.

Secondly, wow. In the oft repeated line of the week, what a historic event. I have been struggling to put words to what I have witnessed this past week, and I find that I simply have none.

How do you express to your friends, the enormity of an event that has completely altered your perception of the world you inhabit? The only corollaries I can muster would be, it is the moment after Neil Armstrong stepped out onto the lunar surface, it is the instant after the first atomic bomb detonated, the wobbly seconds at Kitty Hawk when the impossible became possible. When improbabilities converged and were given he force of actuality. It simply is Before and After.

Our collective history has now be segmented between events that happened before Tuesday, November 4th 2008 and events that took place after.

Before Tuesday night, I honestly could not imagine an African-American ascending to the White House. This is coming from someone who did his level best to get that person elected. That is how deep the skepticism was. I exhorted people to vote and to register, not because I believed he could win (though I hoped that he would), but because I knew that each new person who felt a part of the system would move us closer to the day when some one like him could win. Or more to the point, someone who is not like him could win. A place where it is not so important that the person running for office is a woman, or Hispanic, or homosexual, they are merely a candidate.

So I am sure you could guess at my surprise when the states started falling in President-Elect Obama's (I smile just saying it, I am sure that will change, I am sure I will become hyper-criticalof him in time, but for now, it just feels good) favor. It was 9:30, and the weight of what was happening was beginning to sink in. The sheer size of the moment put a lump the size of a baseball in my throat. I was having trouble breathing, trying to take all of the moment in at once. Fighting back tears, I didn't know I had. I was never hosed in Birmingham, I did not march for equal representation, nor did I have to suffer under the blatant shadow of Jim Crow. I had not suffered in the ways that so many others had.

Yet there I was struggling to keep it together (though several trips to the bathroom and copious application of Natural Light did help!). All I could muster during those initial moments was the matter of fact statement, a koan if you will, "The world I went to sleep in, was not the world I have woken up in.".

That's it. One of the most historic events in our nations history and all I had was a fortune cookie response. Further away from the moment I am bit disappointed in my performance. It was like being struck dumb and blind. The waves of emotion were intense, immense pride in the Senator from the great state of Illinois, a sense of acceptance that I hadn't even known that I craved, when the American, in African-American, was finally the most important part. How do you put that into words, when you did not know it was even something you craved?

While the election did not change the problems I faced, bills still due, a cratering economy. Nor has it erased the injustices of old, racism is still well and truly alive, bigotry still is quite vibrant. I could look at my nieces and nephews and honestly tell them, that they could be anything their hearts desire. I could look look my parents in the eye and say, "All that you suffered, all that you have sacrificed and endured, was not for naught. Your sacrifices made this moment possible. You belong. This is your country too. You are home. You did overcome.". And to my own children, someday, I can say to them, "Though the world can be cruel, never forget this moment, when a people where finally embraced by their fellow citizens. Where the first shot fired at Fort Sumter was finally joined by a deafening chorus of 'Yes we can!'. Where we as a people took another step closer to the 'perfect union'. You can be anything you wish. The world is strange, and lets keep it that way.".

Though we still have all the problems we had on Monday, by Wednesday something was fundamentally different. I saw hope on people's faces, I heard it in their voices. It was not a magic wand, but people now seemed ready to join the fight. Our country, our world, our lives need fixing and we need to get to work.

So in closing, I am reminded of something once said by another famous Illinoisian:

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations." Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865.

At least on this morning, those wounds look better bound, then they have ever looked before.

Anyway, that is all I got for now. I am sure I will edit and re-edit this thing multiple times.

Peace out,

Glenn

It's kind of like the inverse...

....of Christmas right now....there is excitement mixed with several layers of dread. Our collective futures are at hand tomorrow. I don't really have much to say at this point.

This has been an exhausting campaign, on so many levels. The arguments, the late night diatribes, the pedantic rants and polemic screeds....ahh...the memories.

Tomorrow, each of us has a choice to make. I will not presume to tell you who to vote for, instead, all I ask is that you think about where this country has been and where you wish to see it go, then cast your vote for that future.

Do so with a clear conscience, with out shame. Because then you have done all that can be asked of any citizen.

You have exercised our/ your right, and have made your voice heard.

A reminder of how some of us got to this point.

Don't start none.....

I am not getting complacent, but we all know I am aggressively pessimistic at times. So it is good to remember......

This time it is personal.....

I thought you might take some time off Ed, to enjoy your honeymoon but I see now that all you were really doing is laying in wait....this mysterious "Ed Whelan" strikes again.....

What's with the Obama hate? But that's fine.....I got a Glenn all up in yo' grill!


:-)

-cheers

Bachmann redux....

So yeah, I have been aware of Rep. Bachmann for sometime...but here is another of her greatest hits. The woman, just has no clue.



Really children watching cable? That is what caused the riots?

Odds and ends...

Lot of political news over the last couple days. There was Rep. Michele Bachmann's meteoric rise in the public consciousness (and by meteoric I mean the massive crater one leaves in the ground). There was the ret. Gen. Colin Powell endorsement, if you have not seen it I recommend it in it's entirety. I have rarely seen a more cogent defense for a candidate.

Also I would recommend reading Fivethirtyeight.com. Silver and crew are doing a great job of digesting the polling information of the day.

Inferno....

It's only Tuesday and there are loads of things to talk about from this weekend. But because things have been a bit charged of late I thought I might post something, simply to lighten the mood.....



I am not even sure what the most humorous part of this is.....but that leisure suit is bumpin'!

Crossing the Rubicon....

There are moments in history when you get an example of the worst impulses we as a society posses. On Friday Rep. Michelle Bachmann appeared on Hardball and showed what is increasingly becoming the face of the Republican/conservative movement in this country.

Obviously this lady has no idea what the HUAC was, or if she does, she probably agreed with it. Sen. McCarthy would be proud. It is now the mainstream view of the Republican party that if you dissent from the party line you are un-American, un-patriotic, and possibly socialist.

That is the only card that is left in the deck. When the country turns against your ideology all you have left is naked tribalism.

edited for a less edited video-Roman

@Weekend

It has been a long week...so I thought I would end it by offending some people....this video made me laugh....I apologize to all the ladies in advance.....it's all about the people in the background...



thanks to Eric

Et tu Ed?

.....I know you are are still giddy in your post-nuptial bliss....but this is just mean bra'! I know you aren't sold on Obama but seriously why you got to be hatin' on a brother! I mean diss'in on his moms? That is harsh.

Even worse, be all hiding behind another name, and not even a very clever one...think I wouldn't notice you hiding at NRO, but I got peoples son! And they be tellin' me about you hatin' on my boy B-rock!

Former Fetus Barack Obama [by Ed Whelan]

Nearly 48 years ago, a young woman, not yet 18, became pregnant in her freshman year of college. Living in a time and place in which abortion was generally illegal, she proceeded to marry the father of her child and gave birth to a son. Perhaps she would have done so irrespective of the abortion laws at the time, even if, say, she lived in a legal culture that celebrated abortion as a fundamental right. Very possibly not. (I haven’t found any statistics on the percentage of pregnant college freshmen who abort their pregnancies, but indirect indications suggest that it’s very high.)

No....he...didn't!

Just messing with you Ed! I did do a double take when I saw the article though! :-)

You see something like that in print and you have to wonder about where this country is going when this is the sort of thing that passes as "discourse". First read through, I got angry....really angry..tried to write a post about it, but that didn't work so well. So I opted for humor instead.

Sickening.

Debate Night!

Tonight is the final debate between the two presidential nominees. This one has the potential to be a real barn burner and provide the pundit class with the conflict that they have been craving.

So since it has become a ritual, I am deciding on what my drinking "buzzwords" of the evening will be.

My list so far is:
"My friends"
"Ayers"
"Unrepentant terrorist"
"risky"
"erratic"

Any other suggestions?

Bill Kristol thinks you are stupid....

For those who like to keep score on such things, this has to go down as one of the faster 180's in modern political thought.

Last week Kristol had this to say in the NY Times:

Palin also made clear that she was eager for the McCain-Palin campaign to be more aggressive in helping the American people understand “who the real Barack Obama is.” Part of who Obama is, she said, has to do with his past associations, such as with the former bomber Bill Ayers. Palin had raised the topic of Ayers Saturday on the campaign trail, and she maintained to me that Obama, who’s minimized his relationship with Ayers, “hasn’t been wholly truthful” about this.

I pointed out that Obama surely had a closer connection to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright than to Ayers — and so, I asked, if Ayers is a legitimate issue, what about Reverend Wright?.........

I asked at the end of our conversation whether Palin, fresh off her own debate, had any advice for McCain. “I’m going to tell him the same thing he told me. I talked to him just a few minutes before I walked out there on stage. And he just said: ‘Have fun. Be yourself, and have fun.’ And Senator McCain can do the same.” She paused, and I was about to thank her for the interview, but she had one more thing to say. “Only maybe I’d add just a couple more words, and that would be: ‘Take the gloves off.’ ”

And maybe I’d add, Hockey Mom knows best.

Now today Mr. Kristol had this to say:

It’s time for John McCain to fire his campaign..........

And let McCain go back to what he’s been good at in the past — running as a cheerful, open and accessible candidate. Palin should follow suit. The two of them are attractive and competent politicians. They’re happy warriors and good campaigners. Set them free.

Provide total media accessibility on their campaign planes and buses. Kick most of the aides off and send them out to swing states to work for the state coordinators on getting voters to the polls. Keep just a minimal staff to help organize the press conferences McCain and Palin should have at every stop and the TV interviews they should do at every location. Do town halls, do the Sunday TV shows, do talk radio — and invite Obama and Biden to join them in some of these venues, on the ground that more joint appearances might restore civility and substance to the contest.

The hope for McCain and Palin is that they still have pretty good favorable ratings from the voters. The American people have by no means turned decisively against them.

The bad news, of course, is that right now Obama’s approval/disapproval rating is better than McCain’s. Indeed, Obama’s is a bit higher than it was a month ago. That suggests the failure of the McCain campaign’s attacks on Obama.

So drop them.

Not because they’re illegitimate. I think many of them are reasonable. Obama’s relationship to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright is, I believe, a legitimate issue. But McCain ruled it out of bounds, and he’s sticking to that. And for whatever reason — the public mood, campaign ineptness, McCain’s alternation between hesitancy and harshness, which reflects the fact that he’s uncomfortable in the attack role — the other attacks on Obama just aren’t working. There’s no reason to think they’re suddenly going to.

So lets get this straight, "The big idea I trumpeted as the only way for the candidate I support has completely failed, so I suggest you do the exact opposite of what I said. But I blame the ineptitude of your staff, not my faulty grasp of what the electorate wants. ".

Simply breathtaking, the sheer level of perfidy is absolutely amazing.

After exhorting the McCain camp to engage in such tactics, as we have seen over the past week, having in large part failed to accomplish the stated goals. It will instead be turned around and blamed on the message men of the McCain Campaign. No it is not the message they are peddling that is the problem...but the packaging.

Congratulations...

To Dr. Paul Krugman as the newest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics, if you don't know who he is, you should. He is arguably one of the most gifted economists of this generation, and his prescience has been startling, with regards to the current financial mess we have found ourselves in.

Though, I had some disagreements with him earlier this year over the democratic primary, his analysis of economics, fiscal and financial policy are extremely clear and concise for the economically challenged. His columns and blog at the New York times are always informative. If you haven't checked him out, I really would suggest doing so.

We are not alone...

At the very least I am not alone.

Overfeeding on Information
(nice grab Tyler)

I won't admit to whether I have DVR'ed any political shows or anything.....

Lots of stuff to cover this week, "Trooper-gate" report released, McCain's journey to the darkside is nearly complete, Bailout Plans galore, Rich Davis' mendacity knows no bounds, brief glimmer of the old McCain, oh wait, and Rep. John Lewis smack down.

Grab your hats kiddies, you have one hour, bring a number two pencil as well.

There will be a test.

-cheers

Break...

Taking a couple of days off from actually writing about politics. The last couple of days have been filled with such vitriol that I let it get under my skin. That combined with the market crisis is a heady tonic, if you are inclined towards ranting. I am, and it is. Gonna try and decompress and enjoy the Crackmonkey celebratory extravaganza this weekend.

But from the "I told you so." file. Oh, yeah the Bush Administration was abusing its authority. Worse yet, it was on troops, and journalist....

Also some Racontuers for you all:

Down the rabbit hole....

You know, I generally am more then willing to cut people some slack. But after doing some calling banks and some voter registration drives for the Obama campaign, I am far less inclined.

Actually I will just post the videos. I have been called worse, but the ignorance on display here is shocking.



So when you are wondering why it is that I am in a "mood", this is why. This is the sort of ignorance that makes me sad for our country. These are the sorts of myopic, know-nothings, that are allowed have an impact on my life, and that (to co-opt a phrase) my friends, makes me very angry.

My parents raised me to look at peoples deeds and words, not where they were born or the hue of their skin. How they comported themselves was of greater import then whether they venerate Muhammad, Jesus, Vishnu or even if they wish to fight the machinations of Xenu. Or as Mama Roman would say, "Don't start nuthin'. Won't be nuthin'. ". There is nothing in the above statements that resembles a coherent thought, no differences on policy, just naked xenophobia.

Simply because you choose to affiliate yourself with one political entity or another does not make the opposition evil. Hell it doesn't even make them misguided, it just means they think differently then you. However in the case of the videos above, I hesitate to call what they are doing "thinking".

On last caveat, on the nature of the opposition being evil. If the best you can summon to oppose an argument is that, that person or persons should die, or are communists, or socialist faggots (the mind simply boggles at that one), or that somehow ACORN is responsible for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's failure let alone the CRA, then you sir/madame are an idiot. It makes you look bad, and those evil malicious protesters who are peaceably holding signs and chanting non-violent or insulting slogans are not the evil ones in this dynamic. You are with your rush towards ignorance.

But if there is the upside to all this, too all my Caucasian friends I hope you now know how it feels for me when they interview that "brotha", on the evening news at the crime scene/tornado/hurricane, who is missing teeth, rocking a wife beater oh hell....lets just go to the video shall we...


-cheers

Debate Night Part 2

I really don't have a lot to say about the debate last night. Mainly because it has been thoroughly covered by the media. Most people it seems did not respond well to Senator McCain. I am okay with that, however, McCain's disdain for Obama is palpable and unseemly. It is nice to see that being picked up by the viewers. While I understand the concept of disliking your enemy, but in polite society we show at least a modicum of respect. Your opponent sir, is a United States Senator, he has a name and a title. Use them. I know that at the very least. My mama raised me better then that.

But the real reason I don't have a lot to say is because I just got my first copy of Gourmet magazine! *giggle*

Also if you ever wonder, "Hey Roman why don't ever visit West Virginia and rural Alabama?".

Yeah, not so interested in that.


-Cheers

Race to the bottom.....

Okay the morning before the big debate tonight.

I had the chance to sit down with some old friends last night, who fall on opposite end of the political spectrum and I was reminded of how bias works. We got into a bit of a kerfuffle over whether Fox News channel was as biased as MSNBC. I took the position that they are both fairly partisan networks. I was disagreed with vehemently. Not exactly sure why that is. Simply because you happen to agree with the commentary doesn't make it less partisan. And that is problem. People intrinsically believe their own opinions to be correct, even if that isn't the case (yes I know the irony present in that statement).

Whether you support one candidate or another, you shouldn't allow your perspective to be completely shrouded by partisan leanings. That is in my estimation, is the difference between MSNBC and Fox News. Fox will run stories on Obama's possible terrorist leanings, his supposed Muslim faith and the "angryness" of his wife Michelle. Yet MSNBC has yet to run a story decrying McCain as a "Manchurian Candidate" or delving into his wife's substance abuse problems. All those charges are disingenuous at best and down right scurrilous to say the least.

Also to my knowledge MSNBC does not have any convicted felons with their own shows (Oliver North was convicted of obstruction of justice and admitted to lying to Congress, that is a felony). So it is going to take a little bit before there is parity between the two networks at least in that regard.

But anyways, back to the point, the McCain Campaign has begun to take that last dangerous path. When this is the sort of rhetoric showing up at your rallies, you really need to check the message you are trying to send. Dana Millbank over that Washington Post has a disturbing anecdote:

Worse, Palin's routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric's questions for her "less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media." At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, "Sit down, boy."

To my conservative friends, when you wonder about the vitriol you see spewed in your directions, it has little to do with your own personal beliefs and more to do with this sort of commentary. The individuals who make these sorts of comments are what is seen as the face of the modern conservative movement. That is the stereotype you are up against. Whether conservative principles or thought has any merit is lost in the demagoguery that has replaced most of the mainstream conservative echo chamber.

So each time a member at a rally calls Obama a terrorist, or threatens to kill him or a racial epithet is used I hold the entire conservative movement culpable. When you party has been in veritable control of the government for 14 of the past 20 years, you bear some amount of responsibility for the current state of things.

Almost as a bookend to this statement Gallup just released a new poll on the general feeling of the electorate basically 9 out of 10 respondents think the country is headed on the wrong track.

Sorry for the rambling post, still parsing a lot of data this morning on the competing Fed plan as well as the pending debate, and the sleaze-o-matic tactics the McCain camp has unveiled this week.

AWESOME....part deux!

Some things are so awesome you just have to respect them.

I feel the Princess Bride sums it up best.

Fezzik:	Why do you wear a mask? Were you burned by acid, or something like that?
Westley:	Oh no. It's just they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future.

Into the fray....

So today after being confronted with continued market instability, the McCain camp has decided that their only path to the White House lays through direct character assassination. What we see today are the fruits of that epiphany, much talk about William Ayers, and Rev. Wright. Little talk of the economic crisis.

But even with all that, this video has perhaps the most offensive comment I have heard from a public official this cycle.

I am sure the spin would be, "Well, I didn't say I was quoting Mrs. Albright!". First off Mrs. Albright was not running for office when she made that statement. Secondly she was referencing helping women in oppressive societies.

It is notable that she did not mean it to imply that you should vote for her and her running mate because if you don't you will burn in a lake of fire for eternity.

Back in the Saddle....

Back from Ed and Kelly's wedding this past weekend. Boy am I exhausted. But I will offer a quick round up before I dive head long back into politics this week.

It was loads of fun, the bride looked lovely as did the bridesmaids. Not to be out done, all the groomsman looked rather dapper as well. Also the families were exceptionally nice. Jack Mullin (father of the bride) was more then happy to chauffeur....my marginally intoxicated butt around.

On that note thanks to Mike for making sure I got home in one piece, a special shout out to Bill and Scot for keeping me entertained...though that "bet" was wildly inappropriate....for the record if you had put that cash up for the golf course option, I would have taken you fools' money! Woody and Julia also were keeping it real as well. I have to give it up for the newly minted Woodards, they can cut a mean rug. I was quite impressed with Mrs. Woodard's "get low" skillz. In closing Mike did a bang up job at announcing, he kept the party rolling and then jumped out on the dance floor to bust a move all over the place. There was inappropriate dancing with the bride and groom, even a bit of octogenarian dancing action!

All in all a good time was had by all.

And to end things on a high note a comic for you all.

Post debate wrap-up...

I am sure I could go on about many aspects of the debate, however instead of doing that, I will post what I feel was the most disturbing non-answer by Sarah Palin.

"Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again. You preferenced [sic] your whole comment with the Bush administration. Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future. You mentioned education and I'm glad you did. I know education you are passionate about with your wife being a teacher for 30 years, and god bless her. Her reward is in heaven, right? I say, too, with education, America needs to be putting a lot more focus on that and our schools have got to be really ramped up in terms of the funding that they are deserving. Teachers needed to be paid more. I come from a house full of school teachers. My grandma was, my dad who is in the audience today, he's a schoolteacher, had been for many years. My brother, who I think is the best schoolteacher in the year, and here's a shout-out to all those third graders at Gladys Wood Elementary School, you get extra credit for watching the debate,"

That was her response to a question about education reform. That is all I have to say on the subject.


-Cheers

Inside Baseball.....

This totally "political porn" as Mike would say, but I have to point anyone who has any interest in the statistical analysis in poll gathering, and its interpretation to Fivethirtyeight.com. Nate Silver and crew are a top notch crew. They churn through cross tabs and internals like no bodies business.

-Cheers

It's not you....it's me...

Okay so I have fumbled around with this issue for a while. I have been trying to get my mind around what it is that really bothers me about the Gov. Palin pick and I just could not put my finger on it. Well lo and behold, I finally stumbled upon it today thanks to the ignoble Hugh Hewitt.

Since Gov. Palin has had some difficulties with such media firebrands as Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson, her handlers decided it would be best if she spent some time doing a tour, in more friendly climbs. That of the well balanced and factually accurate land that is conservative talk radio. After her lackluster performances with the old guard media, it was felt she needed a more friendly environment to showcase her appeal to the American people. Here is a sampling of that interview:

For those who can't view videos at work this is the salient text in my estimation.

Hewitt: Governor, your candidacy has ignited extreme hostility, even some hatred on the left and in some parts of the media. Are you surprised? And what do you attribute this reaction to?

Palin: Oh, I think they're just not used to someone coming in from the outside saying you know what? It's time that normal Joe six-pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency, and I think that that's kind of taken some people off guard, and they're out of sorts, and they're ticked off about it.

As painful as it is to admit this, she is right. I do not want "Joe six-pack", anywhere near the White House, except maybe to take pictures on a family vacation. Why? Mr. Six-Pack is an idiot. That's why.

Call me an elitist, call me arrogant, but forgive me for wanting someone at the levers of power with more then a passing familiarity with fiscal policy, nuclear proliferation, legal acumen, or an understanding of energy policy. The aggrandizement of the "common man" is blatant play to the unwashed masses, it says, "Yes you too could be President! With out work or study just luck and plucky determination!". That has got to be the biggest canard of all time. It labors under the belief that simple common sense can solve most problems. Some (if not most) problems on a governmental/international scale are so massive that they require thought outside of the normal vein. While the solution itself may be "simple", the thought process that derives that from complicate morass that most "crisis" are composed of most definitely is not.

That is pretty much it. Confidence is not enough. Some hardcore knowledge or a first rate thought process is required for any sort of complicated solution. Gov. Palin, simply has not shown that. It is not so much a pure command of facts, or figures that I am looking for, it is the complete lack of intellectual curiousness, that I find most disturbing. Here is the last in the series of interviews with Katie Couric, where Mrs. Couric posed the same question to both candidates:

You see, now I know I am not a typical voter. I know that. I am probably much more slanted to the elitist side of things. I do not deny that, but expecting our political leaders to have a firm grasp of our collective history and to be able to speak cogently on that, is not a partisan attack. Has the bar been lowered that much. I expect more of those who are called to, or wish to lead. They have a higher bar they must meet, because the costs of their failures are felt by more people. That is not sexist, that is not a hatred for the common man. That is just wanting someone competent doing the job they are asked to do.

I want the people who are going to be able to affect me life, to be smarter then me. Even if you do not agree with any Joe Biden on anything, he does at the very least seem to have a grasp on history, and to an understanding of government. Gov. Palin did not, she just mouthed talking point after talking point, trying to deflect. There are many cases out there, that could be argued either way. Plessy vs. Ferguson, Dred Scott, the recent strike down of the D.C gun ban, Lilly Ledbetter (equal pay for women), or even the recent decision that lowered the damages versus Exxon to paid to the state of Alaska. Yes the Alaska she was governor of.

I am no judicial scholar and those are the "other" cases I came up with off the top of my head. I am sure a conservative could come up with a different set of decisions. But they are definitely out there. It doesn't take a doctorate to know these things, but I do expect our leaders to possess uncommon knowledge, especially on the workings of the government they wish to lead. But a possible leader of this great nation should be able to come up with something, specially if her office issued a statement on the Exxon ruling.

Just to reiterate I say no to "Joe Six-Pack". While field dressing a moose is a nifty skill to posses, it is no substitute for critical thinking skills. Charm is no replacement for critical thinking. That people will choose folksy over solid reasoning is the reason we have the mess we see today in this country.

I say again, Gov. Palin you are correct. I do expect my leaders to be smarter then I. I do expect them to have a width and breadth of knowledge that exceeds that of the common man. I expect them to be able to discourse on a wide variety of subject in regards to governance, whether it be economic principles, or energy policy, or how the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand impacted the 20th century. If you can not do that, you are not qualified to hold a position as mayor let alone President. I don't care if you are a woman or a man, black or white if you can't hold you own intellectual weight, you do not deserve the privilege of Presidency.

-cheers

Word of the week

It has been a while since we had one. But in honor of a Ed and Kelly's pending nuptials, I thought I would dip into the way back machine and pull out a word that Ed dropped on me some time ago. Also it is appropriate cause of an discussion Mike and I had. So it was the perfect storm.

Forgive me if I have already used it...it is just so fun to say!

Do I need to add, I doubt we will hear this one in the debate tomorrow.

Sesquipedalian

Mike: Dude you misspelled "Lyme" disease.

Roman: Dammit I thought so!

Mike: You used an "i" instead of a "y"! I thought you were some sort of sesquipedalian or something. I am gravely disappointed in you!

Roman: Just cause I use big words doesn't mean I know how to spell them!

-Cheers

Palin Prelude

Long weekend. Took a bit out of me. Caught the debate, ate some chili, got absolutely savaged by some tick like creatures, and hung out at the most unlikely of places!

So I have been a little slow on the post-debate commentary. For what it is worth, I actually thought it was a pretty good debate. Devoid of most of the histrionics that have characterized past "good" debates. Not many consumable sound bites, but a decent amount of insight into the ideology of the men who seek to occupy the highest office in the land.

By and large I thought the evening was a draw at best. Depending on which parts you weighted more heavily, I could see a compelling argument for either having narrowly "won". If economics was your primary concern, I could see you pointing to Senator Obama as the victor, if your greatest concern was world instability, I could see how one might look at the concise pronouncements of Senator McCain on foreign powers and feel a sense of reassurance. That all being said, make no mistake. A draw on the "Foriegn Policy" debate with John McCain is a win for Obama. Senator McCain was obviously trying to show his opponent for the political neophyte that he thinks he is. Senator Obama did not come off as that at all. So in that regard, McCain's major message in the debate failed to find any purchase.

I was obviously watching the debate differently then most viewers. I was weighing each argument on its merits. The average voter was much more focused. They listened more intently to the economic sections, and by extension felt Obama did much better. When you couple that with the off putting demeanor of Senator McCain and you get a generally beneficial evening for Obama. To most of the audience watching he crossed the presidential threshold. He came off as knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics despite McCain's protesting to the contrary.

In that context the meeting between Gov. Palin and Sen. Binden, ought to be interesting. Seeing as this will be Gov. Palin's first "adversarial" engagement this campaign season. It should be at least informative on her thought process.


-cheers

Diversions...

This video has been making the rounds. I have to say it is impressive. The concentration necessary is amazing....


Got me a beer and chili festival this afternoon, and I still need to digest the debate. I felt it was a draw. But considering it was supposed to be Senator McCain's strong suit, a draw is probably good for Senator Obama.

Debate Night Part 1

Well tonight is the big debate. I have my bottle of vodka all ready to go. I think the words to watch this evening will be "Bailout", "change agent", and "surge". We shall see if I can walk after the debate ends.

On a serious note. Pay attention tone, and the candidates responses. I expect Senator McCain to be direct and forceful, and I expect Senator Obama to be thoughtful and circumspect in his answers. If the debate stays on issues, I think it is a win for Obama, because McCain will be forced into defending the positions of the last 8 years.

It is at 8 p.m Central time. See what the candidates have to say.

-cheers

Ridiculous....

If you haven't seen Gov. Palin's interview with Katie Couric it is worth a look. At this point I am absolutely at a loss. It is no longer about "experience", I have railed about how that is not a true measure of a persons judgment nor their fitness to govern for about a year now, so honestly I think that point is moot. What I do have a problem with is someone who shows an absolutely no interest in matters outside of their own specialized arena. I give you Gov. Palin on her foriegn policy experience.

Watch CBS Videos Online

What the hell does that mean? Seriously, I think she just summarized the plot to "Red Dawn".

Has the last 8 years taught us nothing. People who are intellectually incurious are dangerous. I feel here is a good time to echo John Cole over at Balloon Juice

Additionally, McCain has suggested that he and Obama could debate next Thursday instead of the VP candidates.

Let me unpack this for the rest of you retrograde morons out there who are still undecided and can not figure out whether you will vote for Obama or McCain. And no, I am not with the Obama campaign on any official or unofficial level, so I feel perfectly comfortable calling you a total moron if you are an undecided at this point.

1.) McCain is not putting politics aside. He is injecting a massive dose of politics into this debate. Now, when the negotiators stick on points over the next 36 hours, they will have to wonder if it is being done in bad faith in order to suspend the debate.

2.) Sarah Palin is clearly not ready to debate next week, and the McCain campaign is desperate for a way to postpone her appearance.

3.) McCain is giving you another glimpse of his temperament. Obama quietly, without alerting the press, approached McCain. McCain staged a media stunt. Wait till you all hear the statement from McCain to Katie Couric in which he derided Obama’s attempt to issue a joint statement.

4.) If you want some moron to run around like his hair is on fire in a time of crisis, McCain is your man.

My god, this is the easiest choice in an election in my lifetime.

So yeah, I have had my fill of Senator McCain. Since their campaign refuses to respect my intelligence, I refuse to respect their campaign from this point on, and if they should win. I will become one of those granola eating, patchouli wearing, hemp smoking, "libruls", they are always lashing out at. Because seriously, these guys are embarrassing. This is a game to them. Our lives and well beings are just the coinage of them settling scores with their daddy's ghost.


-cheers

Summing things up....

Yep that about sums it up.

-cheers

thanks for the catch Andy

Suspension.....

For those that haven't heard, Senator John McCain has suspended his campaign this afternoon. I have been spend the day trying to get my head around. There are a lot of moving parts and the blogosphere is absolutely a twitter with commentary.

Just a couple of points first. Evidently Senator Obama, called Senator McCain this morning to work on a joint statement. While Obama was waiting for a response from team McCain, a press conference was called by the McCain campaign, and his decision to suspend his campaigning "during this immediate crisis" was made to the nation.

That being said, I do not understand this. This "crisis" has been well known and fairly diagnosis for over a week. And now, Senator McCain decides it is important enough to take a time out? Now on the eve of the first Presidential Debate? Some suspect it has more to do with the changing polling data, more so then conviction.

It just seems wrong. It seem too gimmicky. It seems crass and feckless.

It seems un-presidential.

If you are looking for more commentary, you can hit here, here and here.

What I really do not get, is this. The two presidential candidates should be kept as far away from this legislation as possible, because they are inherently partisan. This crisis is tense enough, adding a heated and divisive presidential
contest to the mix doesn't seem that wise.

-Cheers