T Minus 290/289 Days

"I try to be the same person I was yesterday."

Happy 71st Birthday Colin Powell

If Only Life Imitated Art

I just caught the end of The American President while channel surfing.

There Goes The Black Vote

McCain went to Memphis today, the city where Martin Luther King was assassinated 40 years ago on this very day, to give a speech that was met with boos and heckling. Well, what do you expect when you voted against passing a bill to designate the third Monday of every January as a federal holiday in honor of King?

Patrick McHenry Is A Douchebag

McHenry: "We spent the night in the Green Zone, in the poolhouse of one of Saddam’s palaces. A little weird, I got to be honest with you. But I felt safe. And so in the morning, I got up early — not that I make this a great habit — but I went to the gym because I just couldn’t sleep and everything else. Well, sure enough, the guard wouldn’t let me in. Said I didn’t have the correct credentials.

It’s 5:00 in the morning. I haven’t had sleep. I was not very happy with this two-bit security guard. So you know, I said, “I want to see your supervisor.” Thirty minutes later, the supervisor wasn’t happy with me, they escort me back to my room. It happens. I guess I didn’t need to work out anyway."

The "two-bit security guard" in question was a US soldier protecting McHenry's fucking ass while he was in Baghdad. Whenever I watch C-Span (which is getting harder and harder watching these dipshits filibuster everything including their mother) my head explodes every time McHenry opens the gaping shithole in his head. He is the lowest of the low. "Sleezebag" just oozes out of him. Dirty, little fucker.

By the way, where's the "GOP-right wing blog-support the troops" outrage for comments like that? It's only reserved for liberals, Democrats and the media.

Sirota: Duped By Sen. John McCain

I'll admit it: I used to admire John McCain.

To paraphrase the UFO poster from "The X Files," I wanted to believe.

Specifically, I wanted to believe the guy talking tough about campaign finance reform was committed to getting money out of politics. This was the Arizona senator who in 2002 taped a radio ad praising his state's "clean elections" system. It provides public money to candidates so they don't have to finance campaigns with corporate contributions - the kind given in exchange for legislative favors. McCain's support for clean elections, I thought, proved he wanted to end corruption.

But by the time the senator showed up here in Colorado last week for a fundraiser at Denver's Petroleum Club, I knew I had been duped.

As the Washington Post reports, McCain is now "assiduously courting both lobbyists and their wealthy clients, offering them private audiences as part of his fundraising." He has more lobbyists as fundraisers than any other White House contender, and he allows lobbyists to simultaneously work in his campaign and represent business clients. In fact, the Post reported that his chief adviser "said he does a lot of his [lobbying] work by telephone from McCain's Straight Talk Express bus."

Such antics have run that "Straight Talk Express" into the ditch of hypocrisy...

Read the entire article here.

April 4th, 1968

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Kuther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee.

King went to Memphis in support of the black sanitary public works employees, represented by AFSCME Local 1733, who had been on strike since March 12 for higher wages and better treatment. (For example, African American workers, unlike white workers, were not paid when sent home because of inclement weather.)

On April 3, King... addressed a rally, delivering his "I've been to the Mountaintop" address at Mason Temple (Church of God in Christ, Inc. – World Headquarters). King's flight to Memphis had been delayed by a bomb threat against his plane. In the close of the last speech of his career, in reference to the bomb threat, King said the following:

"And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?
Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

He was killed the next day.

Here is the speech.

"I've Been To The Mountaintop" Part One:



Part Two:

Why Does Air America Suck?

I've been meaning to comment about Air America Radio for some time now, and since the shit has hit the fan this week over controversial statements made by Randi Rhodes, one of their main radio personalities, I figured now would be an opportune time.

When Air America first hit the airwaves, I was instantly hooked. Although they had a rough start financially due to shady characters, not for lack of listeners as right wingers would have you believe, AAR took off and did fairly well with their programming. Their main faces at the start included Randi Rhodes and Al Franken - the latter being the high profile name that a startup company like AAR would need to garner some initial interest.

Here's my beef with Air America. Their flagship station is supposedly based in New York City, although you wouldn't know it since they've changed bands from 1190AM to 1600AM, practically to the breaking point on the radio dial. There are certain times when I'm driving where the weak ass signal is so bad, that stepping on the brakes causes interference. You can also drive in sections of NYC when you get the sense that AAR is constantly playing background music for their hosts, only to realize that its another station overlapping and competing for the same frequency.

This is supposed to be the flagship station and it's become a fucking joke. Not to mention the programming changes that have happened over the last 3 years or so. They've rid themselves of shows like Mark and Marc with Mark Reilly and Marc Maron, who were very entertaining and spoke of progressive issues. They were bumped for a short lived Jerry Springer show which, believe it or not, wasn't bad. But then AAR got rid of him for a show hosted by Sam Greenfield and Armstrong Williams. Armstrong Fucking Williams! The conservative commentator embroiled in controversy after being paid to promote Bush administration policies. What the fuck was he doing on a progressive talk station?! If I wanted to listen to someone like him, I wouldn't be tuning in to AAR. Mike Malloy was on for a while at night but he's been gone for a couple of years now, summarily fired without warning or reason.

And now AAR is in the middle of another programming shake up. The "flagship" station of New York's progressive talk has bumped morning Air America talk completely off it's scheduling in favor of health talk and some guy named Coz Carson. Progressive talk doesn't even start until noon. The noon hour would start off with a bang bringing Thom Hartmann's syndicated show to New York, but now even he's been replaced with Ed Schultz. Yeah, you heard me, Ed Schultz. Randi Rhodes, the only mainstay for the entire Air America run so far is on from 3pm to 6pm; Rachel Maddow has been bumped around from her early days in the morning, to a weekend show and now luckily, is on daily from 6pm to 8pm. Just this week AAR has decided to add Al Sharpton to its lineup from 8pm to 10pm. Alan Colmes rounds out the evening from 10pm to 1am and then it's back to crap for 11 hours.

Mark Green, President of AAR who took over a little over a year ago is in the middle of running the company into the ground. And speaking of Green, I have to talk briefly about the Rhodes suspension.

Randi Rhodes was suspended after a public appearance on behalf of AAR in San Francisco in which she called Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton "big fucking whores." If you don't already know, Mark Green is a Clinton supporter. Here's the video.




Was it over the top? Perhaps. But to me it looked like a comedy routine. A slap on the wrist may have been in order if she were there on behalf of AAR, but a suspension? For something she said off the air? Here are a couple of comments on the blogs at AAR.

Less happy every day
As if it wasn't bad enough that the website is rediculously [sic] slow, and I can't even listen online anymore without having media player "buffer" every 30 seconds, AAR is now censoring it's talent over crap they said OFF AIR?? What is this, Murdock? We're no better than the neo-cons when we start punishing people about what they do off air. So.... can't listen online, can't read online, and when I do get to a radio... I can't listen to one of my favorite talents on this station because she offended Hillary Clinton? This is a load of crap and a surefire way to guarantee ANOTHER bankruptcy for this station.
By magplad April 3, 2008 - 3:40pm

I can't believe this
Randi gone??? What a disaster. I just watched the clip on the Huffington Post side. She was doing stand up, what's the big deal??!!?! I hope I will listen to Randi, Sam and Mark Maron on NovaM soon. Please hire them!!!!! The CEO's of Air America have destroyed the greatest radio station there was. Very sad
By daboerst April 3, 2008 - 9:16pm

Greene- Get a Set
Randi's stand up was unfortunate. I disagree with her approach. But her show is one of the very few left on AAR that make it worth even scrounging around looking for. But for Hartman, Rhodes, and Maddow the network now sucks. I listen less and less to AAR. You are losing stations and now even "streamers". I can admire 16 year old debaters, but I really don't want to listen to them for days on end any more than I want to listen to your weird science. You don't want to eat meat, good for you. But that message is not why I tune in. At a time when Limbaugh is gaming the electoral system on hundreds of stations, you are worried about one off air performance? WTF are you thinking about?
By hamblin02906 April 4, 2008

There you have it. Randi was "Shustered." Apparently Randi Rhodes was planning on going back home but I don't know if she was planning on continuing her show from Florida. Put on your tinfoil hats because it seems really strange to me to be doing all these programming changes, losing even more hours to vegan shows and endless drivel about what vitamins to take and now the suspension of their most popular host just six months before the 2008 general election.

I was told the AAR was sold not too long ago by the Green family although Mark Green remained its president. I haven't done it yet, but follow the money and maybe we'll see why this station has gone into the crapper. I'm sure there will be more to emerge out of this situation.

T Minus 291 Days

"My mom used to say, 'The trouble with W' - although, she didn't put that to words."

- Washington, DC, April 2002

Obama Raised $40 Million in March

So much for Rev. Wright.

Sen. Barack Obama, second to none in the race for campaign cash, raised more than $40 million in March and boosted his vast network of donors to nearly 1.3 million, the campaign announced Thursday.

...Clinton is expected to have raised about $20 million in March, but her campaign has not announced any totals. Details of their March fundraising will be made public in official reports filed with the Federal Election Commission April 20.

The Obama campaign said it attracted more than 218,000 first-time donors in March.

Why Rush Limbaugh's Heart Should Explode

I never thought I'd hate someone as much as I hate Rush Limbaugh. The latest ramblings this vomitous, drug-addled waste of space leaves me dumbfounded that someone can be so devoid of any feeling or reality. Just goes to show how incredibly self-aggrandizing he is- and how sad his listeners must be to eat his shit on a daily basis with a smile on their faces.

LIMBAUGH: "[Y]ou have to understand the mindset of a lot of these feminists and women. They think they're owed this -- just like Obama supporters think they're owed this." Limbaugh continued: "These women have paid their dues. They've been married two or three times; they've had two or three abortions; they've done everything that feminism asked them to do. They have cut men out of their lives; they have devoted themselves to causes and careers. And this -- the candidacy of Hillary Clinton -- is the culmination of all of these women's efforts." He further stated: "And if it gets stolen from them, in their minds -- not actually stolen, but if the country or if the Democrat Party rejects this wonderfully great, lying woman in exchange for a rookie, radical black guy who can't tell the time of day, they are going to be so miffed. They are going to be so upset."

Feminists have asked women to have multiple marriages and abortions? "A radical black guy who can't tell the time of day"? What the fuck?!

I can't wait until Limbaugh is caught on his next trip to the Dominican Republic during the middle of a oxycontin-addicted, viagra swallowing rage with his dick in some poor boy's ass - then jailed and sitting in a Dominican prison cell, left there to rot while he plays a cowardly, punk girlfriend to a very large, angry man.

Something... like this:



Or I'd just be happy watching streaming video of his radio program when his heart painfully explodes. That would get an amazing amount of YouTube hits, enough to bring the site down, don't you think? The sun will shine a little brighter when that day comes.

Richardson Disputes Bill Clinton's Claim

"The Clintons should get over this," said Bill Richardson regarding the vitriol that has been thrown after his endorsement of Barack Obama.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Wednesday sharply disputed Bill Clinton's reported claim that Richardson promised to endorse Hillary Clinton's bid for the White House.

"I never did," Richardson told CNN. "I never saw [President Clinton] five times. I saw him when he watched the Super Bowl with me. We made it very clear to him that he shouldn't expect an endorsement after that meeting."

He continued by adding that he was close to a Clinton endorsement but backed off when the campaign got nasty.

Here's his CNN interview with John King. What I find appalling are some of the comments left by Clinton supporters calling Richardson a "traitor" or assuming he sold out for a veep nomination. A traitor! We're living through and watching the most corrupt administration in the history of our nation steal elections, dry up our treasury, start illegal wars for oil under the guise of national defense, profit from war while shredding the civil liberties not only of supposed "enemies" but of American citizens - and Richardson is a traitor? Sometimes people throw that word around too lightly.

Richardson chose to endorse Obama for the same reasons millions upon millions of other people are supporting him - why is that so wrong? He's closer to either of these campaigns that any of the ridiculous commenters on a CNN news page. Don't you think he'd have a little more understanding of the situation?

What also strikes me is the fact that the Clinton campaign tried to downplay this endorsement as insignificant. Well, if it was so insignificant, then why was Bill so upset about it? Maybe they just assumed Richardson was in their pocket and didn't treat him well. 'Oh, that chubby, brown boy will be on our side, don't worry 'bout him.'

The contradicitions continue with Clinton and her campaign and it just smacks of more desperation - and frankly I'm tired of the entitlement attitude. I'm not suggesting she bow out. In fact, I hope she stays in and continues to get her ass kicked. Instead of a graceful exit, she'll walk away with her tail between her legs and lose more political clout in the process - something that may turn out to be a good thing in the end.

So let her go on to barely win Pennsylvania by a few points while Obama continues to cut into her lead as recent polls show. It won't be enough. And then what happens when she loses North Carolina and Oregon? Stay in the race, Hillary. But don't look to keep changing the rules after its all over. That would be criminal.

T Minus 292 Days

"But Iraq has - have got people that are willing to kill, and they're hard-nosed killers. And we will work with Iraqis to secure their future."

- Washington, DC, April 2005

Clinton: Obama Can't Win

Interesting that although Clinton is losing to Obama in pledged delegates and the popular vote, she is now stirring with pot with the latest in a string of her campaign's arguments: Barack Obama cannot win the general election against John McCain. It would be very sad indeed if she actually believed that.

Sources with direct knowledge of the conversation between Sen. Clinton and Governor Bill Richardson, D-N.M., prior to the Governor's endorsement of Obama say she told him flatly, "He cannot win, Bill. He cannot win."

This news come on the heels of an incident that took place during a superdelegate meeting with Bill Clinton (in which he was trying to garner support for Hillary) where he exploded when Rachel Binah - a former Richardson delegate who now supports Hillary Clinton - told Bill how "sorry" she was to have heard former Clinton campaign manager James Carville call Richardson a "Judas" for backing Obama.

I expect that the exchange went something like this:




Hillary Clinton may be comparing herself to Rocky Balboa, but saying Obama can't win sounds more like Adrian to me.

Oh, and one more thing - I believe that Sylvester Stallone is a McCain supporter which fits right in with the Clinton rhetoric.
















(H/T TRex for the pic)

Quote of the Day

Chris Matthews: "Let me ask you, any time in this campaign, did you have a chuckle that you just couldn’t get rid of? Something weird that happened; it was so crazy that you just went to bed laughing about it."

Barack Obama: "I think that happens once a day. But then I stopped watching cable news."

T Minus 293 Days

"Sometimes when I sleep at night I think of [Dr. Seuss'] Hop on Pop."

-Washington, DC, April 2, 2002, discussing education

Completely Laughable

When asked if Senator Hillary Clinton should drop out of the race for the good of the party as Senator Patrick Leahy had suggested, Senator Barack Obama said:

"My attitude is that Sen. Clinton can run as long as she wants. Her name is on the ballot ... she should be able to compete and her supporters should be able to support her for as long as they are willing or able."

..."Some time in early June that at that point there are no more contests and I think it is important to pivot as quickly as possible, for the super delegates or others to make a decision as quickly as possible so that we can settle on a nominee and give that nominee some time before the convention to select a vice president or presidential nominee to start thinking about how the convention should be conducted," he said.

..."We will have had contests in all 50 states plus several territories," he said. "We will have tallied up the pledge delegate vote. We will have tallied up the popular vote, we will have tallied up how many states that were won by who. And then at that point I think people should have more than enough information to make a decision."

Classy, right? I thought so too. So what was Clinton's response today?

"My take on it is a lot of Senator Obama's supporters want to end this race because they don't want people to keep voting," she told CBS affiliate KTVQ in Billings, Mont. "That's just the opposite of what I believe. We want people to vote. I want the people of Montana to vote, don't you?"

Obama's campaign called that assertion "completely laughable."

Responding to Clinton, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said: "That is completely laughable from a campaign that thought the race would be over on February 5. We have encouraged our supporters to do no such thing and Senator Obama was very clear he supports her carrying on in this race."

That pretty much says it all right there. Clinton's campaign has been one of shooting from the hip, the "kitchen sink" of horrible desperation and prompting a Democratic leader to characterize her attacks as the "Tonya Harding option" ever since the February 5th Super Tuesday contests, when they though it would be over and the Queen would be anointed the Democratic nominee. And that is what sickens me.

It has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with the Clinton sense of entitlement and trying to change the rules of the game after the contest begins. Why else would she say she would follow Democratic Party rules and remove her name from the ballot in Michigan, as did Obama and Edwards, and then leave her name on? Why have a celebration for her "victory" in Florida when there was no contest in Florida? And then to cast blame on Obama as if he was the sole reason that Florida (with a Republican led state party) and Michigan aren't having revotes is just ridiculous. Those states voted not to have revotes. Contrary to Clinton, Obama has been vocal about following the rules set forth by the DNC, and not trying to change them during the game.

Obama has been picking up superdelegates at a rapid clip while Clinton's success with that group has slowed considerably.

"I don't even keep track of it, I can't even tell you that figure," Clinton said when asked by Pittsburgh CBS affiliate KDKA how many superdelegates had endorsed her in recent weeks.

As she spoke, her husband, former President Clinton, was in Oregon, lobbying uncommitted superdelegates.

Aren't you tired of the bold-face lying that continues to come from the Clinton campaign?

Music Break! Mel Tormé

Happy April!

There's No Fool Like An April Fool

Happy April Fool's Day

T Minus 294 Days

"It means your own money would grow better than that which the government can make it grow. And that's important."

-Discussing the privitization of Social Security - Falls Church, VA, April 2005

Cotton Pickin' Politicians

Lou Dobbs almost stepped in shit when speaking out against black politicians like Condi Rice and Barack Obama having the nerve to state the obvious: that race is still an issue in the United States. Yes, we are the most racially diverse country on earth, but that doesn't mean that racism does not exist.



Yassir, Massa Dobbs! We be good niggas from now on.

(H/T TPM & Cesca)

Opening Day!

This is one on my favorite days of the year. The trees are blooming, the birds are singing, and baseball is back!

I know the season officially started in Japan last Tuesday, and the US home opener happened last night at a beautiful new Nationals Park in DC (even if Bush did sully the night a little), but my official season starts with the first game of the year played by my beloved Mets. Anyone that knows me well, knows my rabid Mets fanaticism.

So for at least one day this year, I'm going to concentrate my energies on enjoying the Mets season opener and try not to let the horror of Iraq and our corrupt administration ruin it. I'm also waiting in anticipation for the final home opening day at Shea Stadium.

LET'S GO METS!

T Minus 295 Days

"If they pre-decease or die early, there's an asset base to be able to pass on to a loved one, to help that loved one transition."

-Discussing privatized Social Security, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, March 2005

You Gotta Love Baseball...

... and you gotta love baseball fans that voice their opinion of their Commander in Chief.



Baltimore Sun:

“It seemed there were more cheers than boos, but not by much,’’ the pool reporter reported tonight. The president “walked quickly to the mound and almost immediately, with a high delivery, threw a high fastball that would have been a ball to anyone other than Yao Ming.

Washington Post:

President Bush had enough to worry about _ like not flubbing the first pitch in front of a crowd that might not exactly be his biggest fans anyway.
So before the game, when a couple of Atlanta Braves gave him a team jersey and suggested he wear it to throw out the first pitch at Nationals Park, Bush laughed. Uh, no thanks, guys. Might as well put on a sign that says "Boo me."
"I'm not going to give them any excuses," Bush said of the 40,000-plus people gathered for the opening of Washington's gleaming baseball stadium.
... By the time Bush emerged onto the baseball field, he had ditched the gray sports coat and popped out of the home dugout in a red Nationals jacket. He was greeted by plenty of loud jeers, but also determined cheers, as if the fans in both camps were trying to outduel each other.

ESPN:

...the place was pretty close to full when President Bush strode to the mound in a red Nationals warmup jacket to renew an old baseball tradition.
Greeted by a fugue of cheers and jeers, Bush -- former owner of the Texas Rangers -- threw the ceremonial first pitch to [Nationals manager Manny] Acta.

Not About Race or Gender?

Asked whether Obama could win in November, Clinton deflected the question. "I'm saying I have a better chance," she said. "You cannot as a Democrat win the White House without a very big women's vote. What I believe is that women will turn out for me."