February 27, 2008
February 26, 2008
No Flag Pin? Shame on You!
The right wingers have been making a big deal about Obama "refusing" to wear an American flag pin (the last refuge of scoundrels and all that.) Barack had a good response:
“A party that presided over a war in which our troops did not get the body armor they needed, or were sending troops over who were untrained because of poor planning, or are not fulfilling the veterans’ benefits that these troops need when they come home, or are undermining our Constitution with warrantless wiretaps that are unnecessary?
“That is a debate I am very happy to have. We’ll see what the American people think is the true definition of patriotism.”
Jack Kingston (R-GA) went on Real Time with Bill Maher to question Obama's patriotism:
One of the memes he was pushing was about Obama refusing to wear his flag pin. But wait, where is his flag pin??
Another variation on this theme is the "refusal" to put his hand over his heart during the national anthem. But wait.....
One conservative whose patriotism you CANNOT question is Larry Craig, from his mugshot:
Courtesy of TRex.Fetishsizing salutes and flag pins is, of course, not unique in history. From Time Magazine, October 23rd, 1933:
Jewelers and novelty shops all over the Reich did a brisk business last week selling lapel pins enameled or embossed with foreign flags. In many cases the pins doubtless worked, saved their wearers from instant Nazi assault for failure to salute passing Storm Troop banners. But one day last week in the smoky Ruhr metropolis of Dusseldorf, inoffensive Roland Velz, a U. S. citizen and superintendent of a group of Germany's Woolworth stores, went walking, pinless, with his wife. Cheering Dusseldorfers stood massed along the curbstone six deep as a Storm Battalion marched past, grim-faced with blaring horns and throbbing drums. Mr. & Mrs. Velz, as they edged down the sidewalk behind the packed standees failed to salute the Storm Troop's swastika flag. Smack!—a uniformed Nazi edging the other way down the sidewalk bashed Mr. Velz on the mouth. Smack!—he bashed him again. U. S. Citizen Velz's lips and nose gushed blood. Spying a policeman, Mr. Velz cried, "Arrest this man—he hit me!" "You can appeal, if you like," shrugged the policeman, "to our police lieutenant on the corner." "Herr Leutnant!" spluttered Mr. Velz, but the officer cut him short. "You did not salute the flag? It is always advisable to give the Nazi salute. Raise your arm, like this—so!—and you will be all right." In no mood to practice Nazi salutes, bleeding Citizen Velz rushed off to the U. S. consulate in Berlin, swore to the facts of his bashing and waited to see what action would be taken by that detached, God-fearing Baptist, U. S. Ambassador William Edward Dodd.
February 25, 2008
Quote of the Day
What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal." - JFK, September 14, 1960
February 23, 2008
Shrillary goes on the attack
Hillary manages to manufacture some outrage over Obama mailers attacking her on Health Care and NAFTA. So much for going out with class, as many assumed would be the case after the end of the Austin debate. She crosses the line, comparing the attacks to Karl Rove tactics. Only problem, these mailers have been around for a while, belying her claim that she was just handed one. On NAFTA, Hillary has stated that is was a victory for Bill's administration, though her campaign is now pushing the meme that she was alwary critical behind closed doors.Obama's response:
You can’t be for something or take credit for an administration and 35 years of experience and then when you run for president suggest somehow you didn’t really mean what you said back then," Obama said to applause at a rally of about 5,000. "It doesn't work that way."
He said Clinton had in fact supported the trade deal that is blamed for thousands of job losses in the industrial hub of this state and that is viewed as something akin to cancer by Ohio Democrats.
"The truth is that Sen. Clinton supported NAFTA before she ran for president. That is indisupatable. She called it 'a victory' in her book. She told people it has proved its worth. Those are facts."
D-Mac and Daughter at Obama Rally
On the stage behind Barack - she's the girl on the right holding the "Obama March 4" sign & I'm behind her.
February 21, 2008
February 20, 2008
Quote of the Day
Via the Daily Irrelevant :
David Letterman:
“Many observers believe Fidel Castro will either be replaced by his brother Raul, or by his idiot son, Fidel W. Castro.”
David Letterman:
“Many observers believe Fidel Castro will either be replaced by his brother Raul, or by his idiot son, Fidel W. Castro.”
Pre-Omaba Thinking
You heard it here first - I'm claiming it. Inspired by a story about new words inspired by Obama (Obamamania, Obamamentun, etc. ) Used in the same context as "pre-9-11 thinking" , ie. the frames through which we formerly viewed the world are no longer valid in a post-Obama world. In context, "Domestic wiretaps and torture of prisoners is pre-Obama thinking".
February 19, 2008
MEMO TO KIRK WATSON:
More "just words"
I guess there really is nothing new under the sun:
And the 1st-century B.C. Roman statesman and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero once declared, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country."
A chicken in every pot....
and a conservative in every closet. Via TalkLeft , Bush Appointed Federal Judge resigns after DUI Cross-Dressing arrest.
Ready to lead on day.......60?
From Philly.com Clinton failed to file a full slate of convention delegates for PA Primary:
Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign failed to file a full slate of convention delegate candidates for Pennsylvania's April 22 primary.
This despite the possibility the primary proves critical and despite Clinton owning the full-throated support of Gov. Rendell, state Democratic Party leadership, Mayor Nutter and, presumably, the organizational skill all that entails.
And despite a Rendell-ordered extension of the filing deadline that could be viewed as more than just coincidental.
"There are a number of Clinton delegates that did not file for reasons of illness or other issues," Democratic state chairman T.J. Rooney conceded yesterday after being questioned by the Daily News.
He initially said he was unaware of the fact, but confirmed it after checking with Clinton's state delegate petition organizer.
It appears Clinton came up 10 or 11 candidates short across a number of congressional districts, including two in Philadelphia.
That's close to 10 percent of the 103 delegates to be decided by voters.
It appears the shortage would've been double that if Rendell hadn't extended last week's candidate filing deadline by a day and a half, ostensibly due to bad weather.
This at a time when Clinton's campaign, like Barack Obama's - which did file a full slate in the state - hoards delegates like diamonds. Going into today's Wisconsin primary, Obama leads Clinton by just 61 delegates (1,322 to 1,262 with 2,025 needed to win).
But Clinton's faux pas is more of an image problem than a practical one. Under Democratic Party rules (and does any organization on the planet have more rules or more complex rules?) a presidential candidate winning in a congressional district gets delegates from that district (assigned at a later date) whether he or she files slates delegates or not.
Still.
For a national campaign stressing competence, experience, "ready day one," one might expect a full slate in what could be a key state.
Especially given the backing of big-shot party leaders.
"The Clinton people had the support of the ward structure here in Philadelphia," says Philly attorney Seth Williams, Obama's eastern Pennsylvania coordinator. "We just had grass-roots volunteers."
Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign failed to file a full slate of convention delegate candidates for Pennsylvania's April 22 primary.
This despite the possibility the primary proves critical and despite Clinton owning the full-throated support of Gov. Rendell, state Democratic Party leadership, Mayor Nutter and, presumably, the organizational skill all that entails.
And despite a Rendell-ordered extension of the filing deadline that could be viewed as more than just coincidental.
"There are a number of Clinton delegates that did not file for reasons of illness or other issues," Democratic state chairman T.J. Rooney conceded yesterday after being questioned by the Daily News.
He initially said he was unaware of the fact, but confirmed it after checking with Clinton's state delegate petition organizer.
It appears Clinton came up 10 or 11 candidates short across a number of congressional districts, including two in Philadelphia.
That's close to 10 percent of the 103 delegates to be decided by voters.
It appears the shortage would've been double that if Rendell hadn't extended last week's candidate filing deadline by a day and a half, ostensibly due to bad weather.
This at a time when Clinton's campaign, like Barack Obama's - which did file a full slate in the state - hoards delegates like diamonds. Going into today's Wisconsin primary, Obama leads Clinton by just 61 delegates (1,322 to 1,262 with 2,025 needed to win).
But Clinton's faux pas is more of an image problem than a practical one. Under Democratic Party rules (and does any organization on the planet have more rules or more complex rules?) a presidential candidate winning in a congressional district gets delegates from that district (assigned at a later date) whether he or she files slates delegates or not.
Still.
For a national campaign stressing competence, experience, "ready day one," one might expect a full slate in what could be a key state.
Especially given the backing of big-shot party leaders.
"The Clinton people had the support of the ward structure here in Philadelphia," says Philly attorney Seth Williams, Obama's eastern Pennsylvania coordinator. "We just had grass-roots volunteers."
February 18, 2008
Here's an interesting tidbit
Via the great Josh Marshall at TalkingPointsMemo:
There's an interesting dynamic in play if Barack Obama becomes the Democratic nominee this summer. John McCain has been lying for several years about negotiations he held early in this decade over leaving the Republican party and either joining the Democratic party or, probably more likely, becoming an independent and caucusing with the Democrats as Sen. Jeffords (I-VT) was then doing.
The person who knows most about those discussions is former Sen. Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). And Daschle is not only a supporter of Obama. He's played a key role in putting together the team of staffers and campaign operatives who make up Obama's inner circle.
Daschle has touched on this in the past but pretty lightly. And of course it wasn't until recently that McCain was running again as Mr. Republican. But I would think that at some point -- should Obama become the nominee, and possibly even if Clinton does -- Daschle's role in the campaign and what he knows about McCain will come into some tension.
St. John the Maverick
More Keating Five memories via Slate:
After McCain's election to the House in 1982, he and his family made at least nine trips at Keating's expense, three of which were to Keating's Bahamas retreat. McCain did not disclose the trips (as he was required to under House rules) until the scandal broke in 1989. At that point, he paid Keating $13,433 for the flights.
And in April 1986, one year before the meeting with the regulators, McCain's wife, Cindy, and her father invested $359,100 in a Keating strip mall.
The Senate Ethics Committee probe of the Keating Five began in November 1990, and committee Special Counsel Robert Bennett recommended that McCain and Glenn be dropped from the investigation. They were not. McCain believes Democrats on the committee blocked Bennett's recommendation because he was the lone Keating Five Republican.
McCain - proud Keating Five Member
Why haven't we heard more about THIS? I'm guessing we will this summer.
February 17, 2008
Caller Times Endorses Obama
A bit surprising to me - I thought it would go the other way. It is a thoughtful article as well.
Go See Obama!
Here is his schedule so far on BOR including a link to get free tickets by email in Houston at the Toyota Center.
February 16, 2008
Fox Radio Host Compares Obama to Hitler
Following Godwin's Law, Fox Radio Host Tom Sullivan aires "side-by-side comparison" of speaches by Obama and Hitler.
February 15, 2008
The Conservatives Have no Clothes
Watch it here. - Greg Anrig, Eric Alterman and Hendrik Hertzberg on FORA.tv. I'm not familiar with the other two, but I really like Alterman. You can pre-order his new book, Why We're Liberals: a Political Handbook for Post-Bush America on Amazon.
Jim Hightower endorses Obama
From an article in the Nation . I'm not sure how much these endorsements matter (aside from the Union endorsements, which are huge, having the organization to mobilize voters/members in place), but every little bit helps.
New poll has Hillary up by 8 in Texas
I'm not so sure about this poll , but that number wouldn't surprise me. We have work to do people.
February 14, 2008
Republicans stage a walkout
and refuse to vote on contempt charges against Miers and Bolton re: the U.S. Attorney firing scandal. Boehner speaks just proir to the walkout, breaking out the classic Otter speach tactic:
The motion passes in their absence
The motion passes in their absence
New Obama Response Ad
Responding to Hillary's ad claiming that he's askeered to debate her. Her ad smells like desperation to me - hoping for a Dan Quayle, "your no Jack Kenedy" moment.....well, Obama is no Dan Quayle.
Let the voters decide!
As you know, this thing may be decided by the "super delegates". Please sign MoveOn.org's petiton to the super delegates requesting that they respect the will of the voters and pledge their support to whoever has the most voter support. These people are not elected and are not accountable to the voters. They sould NOT decide who our nominee is.
Burnt Orange Report Endorsement
Burnt Orange Report Endorsed Obama today http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=EF4D753006B58355978C81321ED2D84A?diaryId=4937
They have a good breakdown of the numbers and delegate apportionment in Texas.
They have a good breakdown of the numbers and delegate apportionment in Texas.
Electability
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