T Minus 304/303 Days

"We've tripled the amount of money - I believe it's from $50 million up to $195 million available."

- Lima, Peru, March 23, 2002

To which the Peruvians said, "¿Que?"

The Truth Hurts

"Typical white person." That's what's being twisted around here. "Typical white person."

Senator Barack Obama, speaking off the cuff during a radio interview on a sports show called his grandmother, his own grandmother a "typical white" person.

610 WIP host Angelo Cataldi asked Obama about his Tuesday morning speech on race at the National Constitution Center in which he referenced his own white grandmother and her prejudice. Obama told Cataldi that "The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity, but that she is a typical white person. If she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know - there's a reaction in her that's been bred into our experiences that don't go away and sometimes come out in the wrong way and that's just the nature of race in our society. We have to break through it. What makes me optimistic is you see each generation feeling less like that. And that's pretty powerful stuff."

Unfortunately, the typical white people in media, the blogs and elsewhere are running with this story like OJ in the white Bronco, and distorting it - playing the sound bite and cutting it off after "typical white person" thereby completely twisting its context.

Here is Obama's campaign trying to explain further what Obama was trying to say:

Barack Obama said specifically that he didn't believe his grandmother harbored any racial animosity, but that her fears were understandable and typical of those often shared by her generation..."

The sad part is, if anyone criticizing Obama over this were being as honest as he is about the racism that still exists in this country intead of denying the truth, distorting the words and decrying the man, they'd see that what he has said can't be denied. It's his own experience, his own grandmother he's talking about, and his own reality.

There is no white person on earth that can claim to know what it's like to be a black person in America. You can try to understand it, you can fight the instictiveness of racism, but it is there and no white pundit sitting in a television studio or white blogger on either political side should even dare to touch the race issue as if they know both viewpoints. People like Gretchen Carlson of Fox & Friends would get eaten up for breakfast if someone actually took her up on "honestly discussing the race issue."

As Bob Cesca wrote today:

...Whether it's the Clinton campaign who likely pushed the Wright videos to the press, or the far-right fuckwits who are pretending to suddenly be racially sensitive -- and who, by the way, mistakenly believe you can be racist against the majority race. You can't be racist against white people. Sorry. I'm also looking at you, Geraldine Ferraro.

...to the far-right bloggers, FOX News and Ferraro... The minority population CAN'T be racist against the majority population any more than the poor can subjugate a king or, for that matter, workers can subjugate a CEO. For a white Hannity or a white Ferraro to somehow play the role of a racial victim is hilarious...ly stupid.

Worst of all, the integrity that Obama has shown by tackling an issue such as race during his campaign for the nomination has been cast aside as nothing more than politicking by the more cynical MSM. Putting everything on the line, Obama chose to speak the truth, and strength of his words in a speech that will be remembered by many as one of the great speeches in our modern US political historical landscape was nothing more than fodder for those who heard the words, but didn't listen.

Looking for phrases, words they could latch onto, wondering if he would "disown" his controversial Pastor whom he considers family - all of that was at the forefront for the talking heads, but the punditocracy lost the meaning of his words while looking for a cheap, tawdry sound bite.

The plain fact of the matter was and is that Obama is speaking the truth. And for those that choose to attack, it the truth that hurts.

Chris Wallace Defends Obama and Rips Fox and Friends

I know, right? I couldn't believe it either.

On Fox and Friends this morning, hosts Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, and Gretchen Carlson spent multiple segments sensationalizing a comment Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) made yesterday, in which he referred to his grandmother as “a typical white person” in some of her racial reactions. Obama made the comment while discussing his recent speech on race relations in America on a Philadelphia radio show.

When the trio welcomed Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace onto the show, instead of previewing his show this weekend, Wallace announced that he was going to take his fellow Fox hosts “to task” for their “excessive” and “somewhat distorting” coverage of what Obama said:

Hey listen, I love you guys but I want to take you to task if I may, respectfully, for a moment. I have been watching the show since 6:00 this morning when I got up, and it seems to me that two hours of Obama bashing on this typical white person remark is somewhat excessive and frankly I think you’re somewhat distorting what Obama had to say.

Of course, the Fox & Friends idiots didn't get it, tried to defend themselves and Steve Douche-y sarcastically asked, "So on your Sunday show you're just going to tell people never to watch Fox & Friends again?" What a moron.

Watch the video at Think Progress.

John McCain: Forgetful, Liar or Just Fucking Crazy?

Over the past few days, the media anointed Maverick has said some stunning things I never knew.

Speaking to reporters in Amman, the Jordanian capital, McCain said he and two Senate colleagues traveling with him continue to be concerned about Iranian operatives “taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back.”

McCain said it was “common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that’s well known. And it’s unfortunate.”

He's got to know what he's talking about on foreign policy because of his vast experience, right?... Right?

After his remarks, Joe LIEberman of all people, had to correct his statements. McCain then said, “I’m sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda.” Fuck, even Lindsey Graham was standing next to McCain was trying to whisper "extremists" under his breath.

Hmmm... okay, well it's hot out there in the Jordanian sun, maybe he's just a little tired. Now that he's corrected it, he won't make that mistake again, will he? I mean, obviously five years into the occupation I could probably go down to my local grocer and even he would know, if he were even peripherally following along, that Al-Qaeda is a Sunni extremist group, while Iranians are Shiite and both sects are diametrically opposed to each other. Surely, if I know that, then someone who claims his intimate knowledge of foreign policy makes him the best equipped to answer a phone ringing in the White House late at night would certainly know it. It must have been the sun.

Then the very next day, Mr. Straight Talk said this:

"Today in Iraq, America and our allies stand on the precipice of winning a major victory against radical Islamic extremism. The security gains over the past year have been dramatic and undeniable. Al Qaeda and Shia extremists -- with support from external powers such as Iran -- are on the run but not defeated."

What the fuck? Did he just say it again?! "Al-Qaeda and Shia extremists with support... from Iran"? Hey asshole, AL-QAEDA IS SUNNI! IRAN IS SHIA! They hate each other. Why? Because they're religious nutbags, that's why. Ask your friend John Hagee, he knows a thing or two about religious nut-ocracy.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is a predominantly Sunni militant group which is blamed for deadly mass killings of Shiites, along with attacks on U.S. forces. Some extremist Sunni consider Shiites to be heretics and therefore legitimate targets of attack.
The schism between Islam's Sunni and Shiite sects grew out of a dispute over the leadership of the faithful following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD.

Six-thirty-fucking-two AD. They've been opposed to each other for over 1,400 years! Ya got that, Sparky?

All this confusion amounts to one of three possible scenarios here.

1 - McCain is forgetful. McNasty is at the age (and I hate to make age an issue, but let's not forget about St. Ronnie) where 10% of people start developing Alzheimer's. Or he's just forgetful. Either way, I don't want that fuckwad anywhere near the red button. Fuck, he'd probably forget where he put his launch codes anyway.

2 - McCain is a liar. He knows the difference between Sunni and Shia, but he's trying to confuse Joe Average.

Equate Iran and Al-Qaeda on Page One and retract it the next day on Page 37 right next to the Wal-Mart discount coupons. Hell, Bush and Cheney did it with Iraq. If it worked for them, it can work for the Double Talk Express. If he's called on it, he can put on the ol' Wilford Brimley charm and shrug it off, with 99% of the media laughing it off, "Hee-hee, that good ol' John MCCain, what a card" while RSVP-ing "Yes" to the next barbecue invitation.

3 - John McCain is bat shit crazy. Everything from his nasty, get-off-my-lawn temper, calling fellow members of Congress chickenshit and telling them to fuck off, and singing "Bomb Iran" to the Beach Boys tune "Barbara Ann." A Republican friend of mine (a dying breed these days) actually defended McCain on the Beach Boys thing, saying it was just a joke, shrugging it off like the MSM does when it comes to the Maverick. But the point is, you don't joke about things like that when you're running for President.

And to be fair, who wouldn't be nuts after spending five years in the Hanoi Hilton? Yes, McCain is a war hero. But a war hero doesn't necessarily make a good leader. Let's not forget that McCain's had a life after Vietnam that's included moral conflict and a Senate corruption scandal. The problem is, he's got to stop pulling "facts" out of where he hid his watch all those years as a POW.

My ultimate analysis is that John McCain is a combination of all three: forgetful or starting to lose it, short-tempered and insane. And those three make a perfect combination to be Commander-in-Chief, don't you think?

The Sunni/Shia/Al-Qaeda/Extremists conflagration is all planned. Once is a mistake, twice is confusion, three or more times is a pattern. Confuse and scare the masses in the guise of national security and they'll follow you off a cliff.

Bill Richardson Endorses... Barack Obama

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, the United States' only hispanic governor , who has served as a Congressman for 14 years, was an ambassador to the United Nations, was Secretary of the Energy Department during Bill Clinton's administration and watched the most recent Super Bowl with Bill Clinton, has endorsed Barack Obama as the nominee for the Democratic Party.

“I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America’s moral leadership in the world,” Mr. Richardson said in the statement, provided by the Obama campaign early Friday morning.

“As a presidential candidate, I know full well Senator Obama’s unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation.”

..."There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama has the judgment and courage we need in a commander in chief when our nation's security is on the line. He showed this judgment by opposing the Iraq war from the start, and he has show it during this campaign by standing up for a new era in American leadership internationally," Richardson said.

There she goes, fear mongering again...

(H/T Jumpypants for the photo)

Music Break! Clark Terry

The whole Obama bashing these past couple of weeks have gotten me a little down, so I thought it would be a good time for a music break with Clark Terry. He always makes me smile.

Obama Passport Breach: A High-Tech "Lynching"?

(UPDATED BELOW)

Submitted without comment (emphasis mine):

HuffPo: MSNBC reported that the State Department official in charge of the Bureau Of Consular Affairs during the first two breaches of Obama's passport has a connection to the Clinton administration. "Mora Hardy was a consular affairs chief until the end of last month when she retired from foreign service work. Before her stint as the assistant secretary of state of consular affairs, Hardy was an ambassador to Paraguay under President Bill Clinton. She was also an executive assistant to Warren Christopher."

The dates of the breaches were January 9, February 21, and March 14 -- last Friday. Those correspond, as TPM's Josh Marshall noted, to the New Hampshire primary, the Democratic debate in Texas, and the day the Reverend Jeremiah Wright story became major political news.

UPDATE: It seems that Obama's was not the only passport breached.

The passport files of the three major presidential candidates have all been breached, officials said Friday.

Way to go, Bush Administration! You'll stop at nothing. Looking for some dirt to cover your asses once you're out of office? Filthy pigs.

T Minus 305 Days

"If the Iranians were to have a nucular* program they could proliferate."

-Washington, DC, March 21, 2006

* - I've taken the liberty to accurately portray how "nuclear" was pronounced.

Olbermann: On 5th Year in Iraq

Also, an interview and analysis from Jon Soltz, Chairman of VoteVets.org

Mommy, Why Do People Hate Me?

Bush Approval Rating Dips To A New Low

US President George W Bush struck a strikingly low approval rating in five years after he gave green light to the invasion of Iraq, with only 31 per cent of Americans approving his handling of the job, according to a latest poll.

...''Bush's approval rating five years ago, at the start of the Iran war was 71 per cent, and that 40-point drop is almost identical to the drop President Lyndon Johnson faced during the Vietnam War,'' director of the survey Keating Holland said.

And we all know how well Vietnam went.

First Day of Spring

Happy Vernal Equinox!

T Minus 306 Days

"No question that the enemy has tried to spread sectarian violence. They use violence as a tool to do that."

-Washington, DC, March, 2006

Journalistic Integrity

So Hillary Clinton finally made available 17,481 pages of documents while she was First Lady which were released by the National Archives today... and what did the intrepid, "liberal" media look for first?

"Hillary Clinton spent the night in the White House on the day her husband had oral sex with Monica Lewinsky, and may have actually been in the White House when it happened..."

Now that's some real journalisitc integrity by Brian Ross and the "Investigative Unit" of ABC News, huh? Not since Geraldo Rivera and Al Capone's vault have we gotten such an amazing analysis of almost 35 reams of paper containing Clinton's schedule while residing in the White House. The first thing these scumbags look for is where Hillary was on the day Bill was getting a hummer from Monica. Un-fucking-believable.

(H/T Atrios)

Arthur C. Clarke Dead at 90

NY Times: Arthur C. Clarke, a writer whose seamless blend of scientific expertise and poetic imagination helped usher in the space age, died early Wednesday in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he had lived since 1956. He was 90.

Rohan de Silva, an aide, confirmed the death and said Mr. Clarke had been experiencing breathing problems, The Associated Press reported. He had suffered from post-polio syndrome for the last two decades.

Cheney Links 9/11 to Iraq AGAIN! -Updated

Someone should reprogram Cheney with some updated information. They keep him alive yet fail to upload the Pentagon's own information that a review of more than 600,000 Iraqi documents captured during the 2003 US invasion found no evidence that Saddam’s regime had any operational links with the al Qaida terrorist network.

Yet here is what Cheney had to say while making a stealth visit to Iraq:

“This long-term struggle became urgent on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.That day we clearly saw that dangers can gather far from our own shores and find us right there at home...

So the United States made a decision: to hunt down the evil of terrorism and kill it where it grows, to hold the supporters of terror to account and to confront regimes that harbor terrorists and threaten the peace... Understanding all the dangers of this new era, we have no intention of abandoning our friends or allowing this country of 170,000 square miles to become a staging area for further attacks against Americans.”

What a douchebag. I can't wait until he disappears.

(H/T C&L)

UPDATE (3/20/08 10:45am): I can physically feel my blood prssure rise when I see this motherfucker's smirking face. DICK Cheney had this to say while being inteview on Good Morning America:

Raddatz: Two-thirds of Americans say it's not worth fighting, and they’re looking at the value gain versus the cost in American lives, certainly, and Iraqi lives.

Cheney: So? [sinister smirk]

Raddatz: So — you don’t care what the American people think?

Cheney: No, I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls. Think about what would have happened if Abraham Lincoln had paid attention to polls, if they had had polls during the Civil War. He never would have succeeded if he hadn’t had a clear objective, a vision for where he wanted to go, and he was willing to withstand the slings and arrows of the political wars in order to get there. And this President has been very courageous, very consistent, very determined to continue down the course we were on and to achieve our objective.

The comparison to Abraham Lincoln is shockingly laughable. And I love this line in his comparison: "[Lincoln] never would have succeeded if he hadn’t had a clear objective, a vision for where he wanted to go..." while laying it completely on Bush's lap, as if he had nothing to do with it. And "fluctuations in public opinion polls"? Are you fucking kidding?! The only flucuation I see in the Bush approval rating is from 34% to a new low 31%. Wow, that's quite a leap.

Guess what, nitwit? Having a clear objective is exactly what everyone's beeen trying to tell you to have the whole fucking time. You have no clear objective. Of course, if your clear objective was for you to and your cronies to treasonously profit from war, sap the Federal Treasury dry, force bank collapses, cause home forclosures by the millions, quadruple the price of oil, make the U.S. less safe and cause the rest of the world to hate and distrust us, then "Mission Accomplished," asshole.

The smirk bothers me most of all, because it shows that he really doesn't give a shit about what anyone thinks, doesn't care about anything and considers us all gnats that he just flicks away with his speared tail. His smirk gives me the feeling that he knows he's getting away with murder - literally - and knows we're not gonna do a damned thing about it. Besides, he couldn't care less about anything other than lining his pockets. He'd sell his family to the Saudis if he could get a decent profit from it. He is truly an evil, sociopathic bastard. The world will be a much better place once Dick Cheney is not only out of office, but pushing daisies.

You can watch the video on C & L if you can stomach it.

The Useless "No-Fly" List

Here's my "no-fly" list story.

For a couple of years now, it's been taking me a little longer to get "okayed" when checking in on domestic flights. The ticket agent always seems to be punching a couple of extra keys when looking at my ID, whether it's my drivers license or my passport.

Last year, my wife and I went to Italy for our honeymoon. After an amazing two weeks, we flew back home, about an eight hour flight, and went through the process of going through customs. I handed the customs officer my passport and he looked at it, looked at the screen, looked at it, looked at the screen, looked at me, looked at the screen... this went on for a bit. He finally asks me how long I was gone.

"Two weeks," I answered.

"Have you left the country before?" asks the nice, but concerned agent.

"A couple of years ago I went to the Bahamas," I said, knowing full well that all he had to do was to look at the stamps in my passport to see where I'd been, but since he seemed nice, I didn't want to get into it. He also asked me if I'd had a hard time getting back into the country when traveling back from the Bahamas. "No. Is there a problem?" was my reply.

And then he said this: "It's just that you have a similar name to someone on the list. You have a very common name (I admit that I do) and I know that this person isn't you (there's something we agree on) but I'm going to have this Homeland Security officer escort you to the Homeland Security office just over there (points to ominous looking, large steel double doors). They'll just ask you a few questions. They have more information than I do. Sorry."

With that, he put my passport into a shiny, plastic yellow folder, handed it to the officer and sent me on my way. My wife, meanwhile, was getting a little antsy (she was behind me in line); the agent explained to her that he wished he didn't have to send me to DHS desk, because sometimes the wait can be as long as three hours, but he didn't have a choice. My wife silently cursed me for having such a common name and no middle initial. She had to wait outside the DHS room, in the regular waiting area of the airport.

Once through the DHS doors of death, the officer asked me to have a seat and handed my precious passport in the shiny, yellow folder to an DHS agent, who absolutely had no intention of calling me anytime soon, even though there were five agents available and only two other passengers besides me in the room. Nothing makes my blood boil more than a person who hates his job and the only comfort he gets is the power trip of making other people miserable.

After about 10-15 minutes, and the water cooler chat of the five DHS agents while three of us sat in the waiting area getting sufficiently irritated, my name was called. My evil, terrorist sounding name that is so common, it's the hispanic equivalent of "John Smith."

Then the not so nice agent begins his questioning.

"How long were you gone?"
"Two weeks."

"Have you ever left the country before?"
"Yes. The Bahamas. It's stamped in my passport." I wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by again. Then the kicker.

"Have you ever been convicted of a crime?" to which I gave my most dismissive, 'I hate you' response. Big sigh, eye roll, "...Noooo...." as daggars shot from my eyes. The very large agent was not appreciative of my attitude but really could do nothing about it at this point since he knew I was in the clear. He stamped my passport and handed it back. "You're free to go." I'm free to go! I'm free! I'M FREE!!!

Fast forward to the beginning of this year when my wife and I visited a friend in Toronto for a long weekend. We're coming home and I get to the customs agent on the Canadian side of the border. I hand him my passport. He looked at it, looked at the screen, looked at it, looked at the screen, looked at me, looked at the screen... oh, for fuck's same, not this again. He doesn't even speak to me and puts my passport into a not so shiny, yellow folder (looks like it's been getting some use) and sends me around the corner to a Homeland Security desk.

Only this time, the Homeland Security agent takes a two second look at the screen, literally TWO SECONDS, and says, "Well this is an obvious mistake. You shouldn't have been sent here." With that, she stamps my passport and sends me on my way. As I was about to leave, I turned and asked, "Excuse me, this is the second time this has happened to me in the last few months. Is there anything I can do to get my name off whatever list you're looking at?"

She looks at me and says, "Sorry. Unfortunately, no."

I explain this story because a report released February 28th, 2008 claims that the "No-Fly" list is at approximately 900,000 names long with about 20,000 names added monthly. And while names that are on the list hardly ever get expunged, the FBI admitted that people who truly should be on the list don't get their names added for 10 days, but due to paperwork delays it can take as much as four months. And to top it off, the current list is outdated and full of useless information as much as three years old.

Take a look at this article and you'll be amazed at some of the names on the list, including members of Congress, soldiers returning from combat and deceased 9/11 terrorists.

5th Anniversary of the War in Iraq

Today is a sad day in our nation's history.

The war in Iraq has produced the following:

US Casualties: 3,990
Estimated US Wounded: 100,000
Documented Iraqi Casualties: 89,750
Estimated Iraqi Casualties: 600,000-1,000,000
Estimated Displaced Iraqis: 4.2 Million
Current US Financial Cost of War in Iraq to date: $512 Billion
Estimated US Cost: $3 TRILLION

And this son of a bitch had the nerve to say the following to our troops in Afghanistan just this past Friday:

GEORGE W. BUSH: I must say, I'm a little envious. If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed. It must be exciting for you … in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You're really making history, and thanks.

Gee, George, you've convinced me. The excitement! The romance! Making history! Maybe you shouldn't deprive your daughters of such an experience and talk them into enlisting. Or maybe you should have had a better attitude when you looked like this, you dumb bastard:

Video of "The Speech"

That's what I'm calling it. Just "The Speech."

Barack Obama
"A More Perfect Union"

Constitution Center

Philadelphia, PA - March 18th, 2008

Update (10:40pm): This comes from Lars Thorwald at Daily Kos:

It is possible that we will have a President who not only will speak in full, complete sentences, but who will do so in a manner that is eloquent, and who will also be articulate and eloquent in delivering words he is intelligent enough to know, understand, and use in a speech he is capable of writing
himself.

...After seven years of the worst crumble-bumblings of the nattering nabob from Crawford, think about that.

The Speech

Since the rabid dog we call the mainstream media won't release the Rev. Wirght story out of its frothy jaws, Barack Obama has scheduled a speech in Philadelphia today to address Wright's comments and will take the opportunity to discuss the issue of race in this country.

Didn't he already address the Wright fiasco with this statement?

"...I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue."

I suppose the MSM was in too much of a feeding frenzy to notice because I keep hearing assholes like Joe Scarborough say things like, "Doesn't he have to distance himself from these comments?" Pay attention, Joe. Obama's statement was released five days ago... or is it not good enough for you?

I think that's the main problem - like I said before, a guy like McCain can accept an endorsement like Hagee's with great honor, so what if he's said a few anti-Catholic remarks as long as the candidate doesn't agree with them. But with Obama, the MSM won't be satisfied until he is handed a gun with with one bullet loaded in it, and shoots that "uppity nigger" in the head. Let's face facts - that's what this is really about, isn't it?

The speech will be televised at 10:15am. I'm hoping to have video of it up sometime today.

Update: Obama started his speech at a little after 11am... and what a speech it was. Of course, some "pundits" (like Pat Buchanan) who praised the speech, just didn't get it because they refuse to get it. Video to follow.

T Minus 308 Days

"If we're going to spend federal money, we expect the states to show us whether or not we're achieving simple objectives - like literacy, literacy in math, the ability to read and write."

-Washington, DC, April 2005

What a Weekend! Collapses, Campaigns and Criticisms

Weekends are hard for me to do any blogging since they are two of my three longest work days of the week (the other being Wednesday if you've noticed a pattern... all three of you) so when so many things happen at once, it's hard to get it all down.

I'll start with the horrible crane collapse in New York City since that's where I'm based. They just pulled another body out of the rubble today, making the death toll 5 so far. It's amazing it was only 5 people when you think about it, but two people are still missing. Here's are a couple of pictures a co-worker took with his cell phone.

It seems the crane was doing an imitation of Bear Stearns and it's financial collapse. Bear Stearns was bailed out by JP Morgan Trust today for about $236 million. This was a company that was worth $20 BILLION about 14 months ago. I smell something fishy.

Speaking of collapses, another Bush speech this morning, another stock market nose dive. And what else would you expect when the President of the United States, amid $4 per gallon gasoline, oil at $112 a barrel, soaring food prices, federal bailouts of major banks, millions of homes in forclosure and the stock market tanking would have the idiocy to say the economy is fine?!

Then you have this whole Obama/Rev. Wright thing being comepletely blown out of proportion - where's the outrage on Hagee?

Compare this statement...

Obama: "...I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit. In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue."

...with this one -

McCain: "Well I think it's important to note that pastor John Hagee who has supported and endorsed my candidacy supports what I stand for and believe in. When he endorses me, it does not mean that I embrace everything that he stands for and believes. And I am very proud of the Pastor John Hagee's spiritual leadership to thousands of people and I am proud of his commitment to the independence and the freedom of the state of Israel. That does not mean that I support or endorse or agree with some of the things that Pastor John Hagee might have said or positions that he may have taken on other issues. I don't have to agree with everyone who endorses my candidacy. They are supporting my candidacy. I am not endorsing some of their positions."

McCain's statement is so tepid, yet he completely dismisses any notion that it should be an issue. And to tell the truth, I happen to agree with McCain that issues like these are distracting from what is important. Who gives a shit about what these pastors, ministers, rabbis, shamans or witch doctors think? They are not a part of their respective campaigns.

But what's good for the goose should good for the very old vulture. Despite Obama "vehemently disagree[ing] and strongly condemn[ing]" Rev. Wright's comments, the MSM continues to throw Wright's statements in Obama's face, but gives McCain a pass with his 'we're not going to agree on everything' trivial dismissal. Where's the logic?

What else does he have to do? If Obama had answered Tim Russert's Farrakhan question with the McCain line, "I don't have to agree with everyone who endorses my candidacy," we'd be crowning Hillary Clinton the Democratic nominee by now. The hypocrisy astounds.

And there's one onther thing that the MSM has dropped the ball on. Does anyone remember Vicki Iseman? Chris Kelly does, and put a little perspective on it.

Eliot Spitzer's hooker has a song and we still haven't even heard John McCain's lobbyist speak. What gives?
How the hell did someone named Vicki Iseman become the only American since 9/11 entitled to privacy?

It's not about sex. It's about accountability, transparency and being honest. And speaking of transparency, I guess that's no longer part of Hillary Clinton's platform, since to this point, she's refusing to disclose a list of earmarks she's proposed since being in the Senate like Obama has.

T Minus 309 Days

"I like the idea of people running for office. There's a positive effect when you run for office. Maybe some will run for office and say, vote for me, I look forward to blowing up America. I don't know, I don't know if that will be their platform or not. But it's - I don't think so. I think people who generally run for office say, vote for me, I'm looking forward to fixing your potholes, or making sure you get bread on the table."

- Washington, DC, March 2005, about the Middle East elections

Happy St. Patrick's Day

T Minus 311/310 Days

"I repeat: personal accounts do not permanently fix the solution."

-Washington, DC, March 16, 2005, at a press conference discussing Social Security

Bill Bradley Nails It

Bill Bradley: "[Hillary's] symtomatic of what I call the old politics... There have been conscious misrepresentations of [Obama's] positions and it's very clear in the areas and it's been fully reported. And it doesn't go remarked, so I thought I'd call it what it is...

...[Obama] represents a new kind of politics and he has a whole new generation of Americans that are involved in this. His whole effort is to tell people the truth and put country ahead of party. He appeals to Independents, to Republicans. He's won more delegates and more popular vote than any other candidate in the race. And he sees that the American people want someone to be positive, they want them to lay out where the direction is that the country should go, and to convey to them that we can get there...

When most politicians speak and the spotlight shines on them, they swell. But when Barack speaks and the light shines on him, he reflects the light back on the people and empowers them, because he knows that if he's going to defeat the special interests in Washington, he's going to need the people, not simply for their vote but for the long term.

That is a new kind of politics and that's been the narrative of this campaign from the very beginning."

Bush Speaks, Market Tanks

The correlation is astounding. Every time Curious George speaks on the economy, the stock market goes into a frenzy... and not in a good way.

In a wide-ranging speech on the economy today, President George Bush
acknowledged that the US economy is going through a 'tough time,' but was
optimistic that government-led attempts to help struggling homeowners and the
prospect of a pending income tax rebate will help improve the situation
shortly.
'Our economy is obviously going through a tough time,' Bush said in remarks
to the Economic Club of New York today.

The Dow is currently down 244 points. And he still refuses to use the "R" word.

Surprise! Surprise!

Petraeus: Iraqis Not Making "Sufficient Progress"

Well slap my ass and call me Sally! More proof that the surge "worked."

Petraeus, who is preparing to testify to Congress next month on the Iraq war, said in an interview that "no one" in the U.S. and Iraqi governments "feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation," or in the provision of basic public services.

The general's comments appeared to be his sternest to date on Iraqis' failure to achieve political reconciliation...

And before you go making up excuses about reduced violence, blah, blah, blah, let us not forget why we started the surge in the first place.

George W. Bush, January 10th, 2007:

I've made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq's other leaders that America's commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people -- and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people. Now is the time to act. The Prime Minister understands this. Here is what he told his people just last week: "The Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation."

...A successful strategy for Iraq goes beyond military operations. Ordinary Iraqi citizens must see that military operations are accompanied by visible improvements in their neighborhoods and communities. So America will hold the Iraqi government to the benchmarks it has announced.

To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November. To give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country's economy, Iraq will pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis. To show that it is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi government will spend $10 billion of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure projects that will create new jobs. To empower local leaders, Iraqis plan to hold provincial elections later this year. And to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation's political life, the government will reform de-Baathification laws, and establish a fair process for considering amendments to Iraq's constitution.

Our purpose for the surge was to give the Iraqi government more time to get its shit together. That hasn't even begun to happen. In fact, while our troops were dying over the summer, the Iraqi Parliament took a vacation. A fucking vacation! The surge has not worked. No benchmarks met equals failure.

T Minus 312 Days

"[I'm] occasionally reading, I want you to know, in the second term."

-Washington , DC, March 2005

When Will Mark Penn Shut The Fuck Up?

Total pandemonium! Dogs and cats sleeping together! Why does the Clinton campaign seem to be in constant shambles?

USA Today:

Though the campaign later argued that he hadn't said it, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's chief campaign strategist told reporters this morning that Sen. Barack Obama "can't win the general election.

...in the last 20 seconds or so [of his opening remarks, Mark Penn] says Obama "really can't win the general election." As you'll hear, he also says that "if Barack Obama can't win" in Pennsylvania, "how could he win the general election?" [You can listen to the audio here.]

Later, a reporter asks what he meant. Clinton campaign communications chief Howard Wolfson jumps in to say that "Mark did not say that." Then Penn says that if Obama doesn't win the Pennsylvania primary, it "raises serious questions" about whether he can win the general election.

All this on the basis of a memo on the Obama site by David Plouffe, apparently trying to be spun by the Clinton camp as derogatory or dismissive of Pennsylvania and its voters. The irony is the fact that it's the Clinton campaign that has a history of being dismissive of states or voters that they've lost, as the Plouffe memo sums up:

When we won Iowa, the Clinton campaign said it's not the number of states you win, it's "a contest for delegates." When we won a significant lead in delegates, they said it's really about which states you win. When we won South Carolina, they discounted the votes of African-Americans. When we won predominantly white, rural states like Idaho, Utah, and Nebraska, they said those didn't count because they won't be competitive in the general election. When we won in Washington State, Wisconsin, and Missouri -- general election battlegrounds where polls show Barack is a stronger candidate against John McCain -- the Clinton campaign attacked those voters as "latte-sipping" elitists.

And now that we've won more than twice as many states, the Clinton spin is that only certain states really count.

...We're ready to take on John McCain. But we also need to build operations in places like Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, and Oregon that will hold their primaries in April and May.

And from this they are claiming the Obama camp is tossing Pennsylvania to the side? Mark Penn and the Clinton campaign seems to be winning the same state over and over again: the state of Disarray.

New US $5 Bill Released Today

According to the article, "Fittingly, the new bill will be spent for the first time on Thursday at the gift shop of President Lincoln's Cottage located on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in northwest Washington."

Maybe they should have used the first new bill to buy a ticket at Ford's Theatre?

Of course the new bill is currently only worth about €3.00, but hey, now I can look forward to having the new challenge of trying to convince New York City cab drivers and bodega owners that it's real currency.

The Ferraro Insanity Continues

It's time for the Clinton campaign to tell this nutball to shut up whether she has any connection to Clinton or not.

Ferraro's very first statement in a Wednesday night interview, when asked why she resigned from Clinton's finance committee, was because she wanted to get this story out of the headlines... yet she's being interviewed on national television! Get off the screen, Geraldine! Your time was 25 year ago. It's over. Go away.

Then she says the Obama campaign should apologize to her for calling her a racist!
Some family member should make sure this woman is taking her medication and check her mouth afterwards to make sure she swallowed.




I wonder who asked her to be on the show? Was she there to clear her sullied name or could it be that since now she has "nothing" to do with the Clinton campaign and can "speak for herself", she can trash Obama all she wants with no accountability?

Music Break! Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie

Eliot Spitz the Bit

T Minus 313 Days

"There's nothing more deep than recognizing Israel's right to exist That the most deep thought of all. [ ... ] I can't think of anything more deep than that right."

-Washington, DC, March 13, 2002

Keith Olbermann: Special Comment on Ferraro Uproar

No comment necessary.




Update: From Andrew Sullivan -

Ferraro's original gaffe was an accident. The compounding of it is a strategy. A reader comments:

...Throwing the kitchen sink apparently means turning the Democratic Party into an all out race versus gender war, ultimately allowing Bill and Hillary to either emerge on top or for Obama to be so badly damaged that the Superdelegates will fear he's lost the white vote in the general election. That's exactly the game the Clinton's have set in motion here.

Ferraro Quits - But Still Doesn't Get It

What a completely unhinged person.

CNN - Geraldine Ferraro has stepped down from her role as a member of Hillary Clinton's finance committee.

In a letter to Clinton obtained by CNN's Suzanne Malveaux — who spoke with the former vice presidential candidate shortly after she sent it to Clinton — Ferraro said she is stepping down so, "I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign."

In a phone conversation with Malveaux, Ferraro said she was not asked to step down by Senator Clinton or her campaign...

"I am who I am and I will continue to speak up." She added that she thought it was a shame that the Obama campaign was trying to block her First Amendment rights...

Full letter:

Dear Hillary –

I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign.

The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won't let that happen. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren.

You have my deep admiration and respect.

Gerry

Unacceptable comments followed by a resignation with no apology. If it sounds like a racist, and it smells like a racist, chances are, it's a racist. There is no spinning this any other way. And to top it off, Clinton did absolutely nothing to squelch the comments other than to disagree with them. For a person who believes there's a difference between "reject" and "denounce", Clinton did neither. No "rejection", no "denunciation", no "repudiation", nothing. Just "disagreement."

Now Ferraro can freely "speak for herself" and continue her attacks with no repercussion on the Clinton campaign. Brilliant!

One begs the ironic question: was Geraldine Ferraro the VP nominee in 1984 because she was female? She just doesn't get it.

(H/T Bob Cesca for the awesome video!)

Ferraro Attacked Jesse Jackson in 1988 With Same Comment

Ben Smith:

"If Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race," she said.

Really. The cite is an April 15, 1988 Washington Post story (byline: Howard Kurtz), available only on Nexis.

Here's the full context:

Placid of demeanor but pointed in his rhetoric, Jackson struck out repeatedly today against those who suggest his race has been an asset in the campaign. President Reagan suggested Tuesday that people don't ask Jackson tough questions because of his race. And former representative Geraldine A. Ferraro (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that because of his "radical" views, "if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race."

Asked about this at a campaign stop in Buffalo, Jackson at first seemed ready to pounce fiercely on his critics. But then he stopped, took a breath, and said quietly, "Millions of Americans have a point of view different from" Ferraro's.

Discussing the same point in Washington, Jackson said, "We campaigned across the South . . . without a single catcall or boo. It was not until we got North to New York that we began to hear this from Koch, President Reagan and then Mrs. Ferraro . . . . Some people are making hysteria while I'm making history."

(H/T Randi Rhodes)

Bush: NAFTA Good. Me Want Banana

Chimpy tried to act all smart and presidential-like today by trashing Clinton and Obama on their NAFTA stances.

Although he did not name Clinton or Obama, he left little doubt who he was talking about, at one point even mocking Clinton's promise to take a "timeout" from free trade agreements if she becomes president. "You know, some have called for a 'timeout' from trade," he told the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce shortly after Clinton addressed the group. "I guess that's probably popular with the focus group. You know, they toss out the word 'timeout' from trade -- it's got this kind of catchy little title to it. In the 21st century, a timeout from trade would be a timeout from growth, a timeout from jobs and a timeout from good results."

Growth, jobs and good results for what country, Raisinbrain?

NY Governor Eliot Spitzer Resigns... (Updated With a Clinton Twist)

...and the ridicuousness of the whole day was the "news" coverage complete with a chopper following the Spitzer motorcade for a half hour through midtown Manhattan traffic.... at 3 miles per hour.

...Riveting. A white Bronco it was not.

Update: What is up with Hillary Clinton and her non-comment comment on Spitzer? Isn't this something she should be addressing considering the fact that they are, or at least used to be, political allies?

"I don't have any comment on that. Obviously I am sending my best wishes and thoughts to the governor and to his family."

You meant "soon to be former Governor," didn't you, Hillary? Whoops! There goes another superdelegate. First Spitzer fucks Hillary on the drivers license for illegal immigrants thing, then he fucks her by fucking around...not that she's unaccustomed to that situation.

Obama Wins Mississippi

O-mentum was apparently only slightly delayed.

Obama wins Mississippi 61% to 37%

Clinton's "Outrage"...

... at Ferraro's comments.

Clinton: “I do not agree with that and you know it’s regrettable that any of our supporters on both sides say things that veer off into the personal. We ought to keep this focused on the issues. That’s what this campaign should be about.”

How about it Hillary? Are you going to ask her to resign from your finance comittee? Do you denounce her comments? Do you reject her comments? Obama got rid of Samantha Power for her comments. Now it's your turn.

Update (11am) - Rachel Maddow on Countdown last night (H/T C&L):

For anybody to be saying that Barack Obama is only where he is because he is black, that black men are so privileged in America that that’s the only thing that explains his success because he’s otherwise unqualified - which is the implication of her comment, would be absolutely offensive, more than regrettable, from anybody commenting seriously on the campaign. Honestly, you know it, you know it would be. But for this to come from somebody whose [sic] an official part of the campaign and the campaign did not to disavow that person and distance themselves, is, it’s an incredible decision and therefore does make us question whether they’re doing this on purpose for some reason.

Ferraro has gone off the deep end with this comment defending her remarks:

"Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let's address reality and the problems we're facing in this world, you're accused of being racist, so you have to shut up," Ferraro said. "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?... "

Yeah... okay. Are you fucking kidding me?! Hell hath no fury like a bigot scorned. Maybe you're being attacked because of your patently racist comments, Gerry. Did you ever think of that?

This is becoming a major issue. Obama gets rid of a foreign policy advisor because she called Hillary a "monster" and has to "reject" an endorsement from Farrakhan that he never sought, but it's okay for McCain to actively seek and accept the endorsement of a religious nutball like Hagee, and it's okay for Clinton to react to Ferraro's comments with what amounts to a slap on the wrist?

And now that Ferraro's defended her remarks, in essence calling it reverse racism, if Clinton does anything less than ask her to step down, I'll just equate it as another "kitchen sink" tactic.

Sinbad Calls Bullshit On Hillary

You know you're in the shitter when you're gettin' schooled by Sinbad.

In an interview with the Sleuth Monday, he said the "scariest" part of the trip was wondering where he'd eat next. "I think the only 'red-phone' moment was: 'Do we eat here or at the next place.'"

...In her Iowa stump speech, Clinton also said, "We used to say in the White House that if a place is too dangerous, too small or too poor, send the First Lady."
Say what? As Sinbad put it: "What kind of president would say, 'Hey, man, I can't go 'cause I might get shot so I'm going to send my wife...oh, and take a guitar player and a comedian with you.'

T Minus 314 Days

"They didn't think we were a nation that could conceivably sacrifice for something greater than out self; that we were soft, that we were so self-absorbed and so materialistic that we wouldn't defend anything we believed in. My, were they wrong. They just were reading the wrong magazine or watching the wrong Springer show."

- Washington, DC, March 12, 2002

CENTCOM Chief Fallon Quits

NY Times: Adm. William J. Fallon, the commander of American forces in the Middle East whose outspoken public statements on Iran and other issues had seemed to put him at odds with the Bush administration, is retiring early, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.

Admiral Fallon had rankled senior officials of the Bush administration in recent months with comments that emphasized diplomacy over conflict in dealing with Iran, that endorsed further troop withdrawals from Iraq beyond those already under way and that suggested the United States had taken its eye off the military mission in Afghanistan.

...In a statement issued by his headquarters, he acknowledged that “recent press reports suggesting a disconnect between my views and the president’s policy objectives have become a distraction at a critical time and hamper efforts” across his region.

Yet another in a continuing line of military brass that couldn't eat the shit that Bush was doling out and decided to resign rather than be a "Yes" man.

According to Esquire Magazine, Admiral Fallon was the one man that was preventing the Bush administration from provoking war wih Iran. Chimpy's still got 10 months left to initiate the beginning of the rapture. Hold your breath.

Now all Fallon has to do is endorse Obama and all hell will break loose!

Geraldine Ferrraro: Obama's Lucky He's Black

Smells like mothballs.

Former Democratic VP nominee Geraldine Ferraro came back from the dead to give us this little nugget of wisdom:

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position," she continued. "And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

..."I was reading an article that said young Republicans are out there campaigning for Obama because they believe he's going to be able to put an end to partisanship," Ferraro said, clearly annoyed. "Dear God! Anyone that has worked in the Congress knows that for over 200 years this country has had partisanship - that's the way our country is."

Yes, Geraldine, we all know how easy it is to be a black man in America. They get everything handed to them on a silver platter... except for taxi cabs. But you're at least partially right. If Obama were a white man, he wouldn't be in this position. He would have had the nomination sewn up by now.

Another old, white woman with the "Hope is not good" message. Do you see any Republicans campaigning for Hillary? Lawd, lawd, lawd! He's just an uppity ol' nigger who doesn't know his place, isn't he Geraldine?

Please go back to whatever coffin crawled out of and have a nice, long nap you stupid fool.

T Minus 315 Days

"The march to war hurt the economy. Laura reminded me a while ago that remember what was on the TV screens - she calls me 'George W.' - 'George W.' I call her 'First Lady.' No, anyway - she said, we said, march to war on our TV screen."

-Bay Shore, NY, March 11, 2004

I usually don't comment on these, as the quotes speak for themselves, but what the fuck is this supposed to mean?!

Tucker Replaced By... David Gregory?!

This David Gregory?!

...Sigh...

Huffington Post: MSNBC announced a slate of changes this afternoon, leading with their new election-themed show: "Race For The White House" with David Gregory... fear not for the fate of poor usurped Tucker Carlson— he remains with the network as Senior Campaign Correspondent and will continue to be sprinkled throughout the schedule as a panelist and contributor.

Countdown with Keith Olbermann will now run in its regular slot at 8pm and will be rebroadcast at 10pm and 2am. Three hours of Keith. I wonder what Billo will have to say about that?

David Gregory?... sigh...

For your viewing pleasure...

NY Governor Spitzer Link to Prostitution Ring

ALBANY - Gov. Eliot Spitzer has informed his most senior administration officials that he had been involved in a prostitution ring, an administration official said this morning.

Mr. Spitzer, who was huddled with his top aides inside his Fifth Avenue apartment early this afternoon, had hours earlier abruptly canceled his scheduled public events for the day. He scheduled an announcement for 2:15 after inquiries from the Times.

Update: Press conference moved to 3:15pm

Update #2 - Spitzer expected to resign.

Quote of the Day

Former senator Bill Bradley, a leading supporter of Obama and who ran for president in 2000, accused the Clintons of "lying" in pursuit of victory.

"The bigger the lie, the better the chance they think they've got. That's been their whole approach," he said. "She's going to lose a whole generation of people who got involved in politics believing it could be something different."

Tucker's Gone

C & L: Tucker Carlson’s 6pmET show Tucker is getting the axe, but Carlson stays on as a political contributor to all MSNBC shows at least through the 2008 election. The official announcement, expected tomorrow, will include details about who will replace Tucker at 6pmET as well as other political programming additions.

All I can muster is, "Heh-heh..."

I'd rather stare at this Tucker for an hour than that putrid, now thankfully, cancelled show. I'd probably get more out of it.

Another Obama E-Mail Smear...

...landed in my mailbox today. It's the "Obama won't put his hand over his heart or recite the Pledge of Allegiance" smear, complete with picture.

Sigh. What a sad state of affairs when the patriotism of someone is questioned by whether or not they wear an American flag lapel pin or put their hand over their heart during the National Anthem.

Here is the quote from Snopes.com:

The text accompanying some versions of the e-mailed photo claimed that Sen. Obama "refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance." The activity taking place during the scene in the photograph involved the playing of the U.S. national anthem, not a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

(Click on screen capture for further Flag Code from experts.)







And just for fun, here's Dan Abrams schooling Rep. Jack Kingston for the same ridiculous smear. When are these idiots going to realize that patiotism is judged by your actions, not what you wear on your lapel or what magnet you put on your car?

By the way, the title of the e-mail is "A picture is worth a thousand words." Well, a picture may be worth a thousand words, but the truth is priceless.

T Minus 316 Days

"And so I'm for medical liability at the federal level."

- Washington, DC, March 10, 2006