Barack Obama is the first African-American ever to be elected president of the United States. Aside from that achievement, presently there are no African-Americans holding any other national elected office, be it in the executive or the legislative branch of government (House and/or Senate).
I suppose if you go judicial you could count Clarence Thomas.
11.27.2008
11.26.2008
The Turkey Geeker
That turkey geeker from the Sarah Palin turkey snuff film seems to show up everywhere...
That's a Lotta Zeros
Duncan at Eschaton poses the following question regarding the ongoing (and still growing) economic bailout:
I tried to analyze his proposal on my HP-12C programmable financial calculator, but the viewing window doesn't hold enough numbers to calculate the figure.
Adding: The number, by the way, is $10,000 per capita.
Wouldn't it have been easier to just divide $3 trillion by 300 million and mail out some checks?
I tried to analyze his proposal on my HP-12C programmable financial calculator, but the viewing window doesn't hold enough numbers to calculate the figure.
Adding: The number, by the way, is $10,000 per capita.
SNL's Scotched Rahm Emmanuel Skit
This sketch never made it on the air. Taken from an actual transcript perhaps?
"You can see the feathers coming out of their mouths..."
My man Robert Scheer peels back the layers and finds he's none too happy with the Obama economic team...
Maybe Ralph Nader was right in predicting that the same Wall Street hustlers would have a lock on our government no matter which major party won the election. I hate to admit it, since it wasn’t that long ago that I heatedly challenged Nader in a debate on this very point.
But how else is one to respond to Barack Obama’s picking the very folks who helped get us into this financial mess to now lead us out of it? Watching the president-elect’s Monday introduction of his economic team, my brother-in-law Pete said, “You can see the feathers coming out of their mouths” as the foxes were once again put in charge of the henhouse...
11.25.2008
Peter Schiff: He Was Right, They Were Wrong.
This clip is amazing. The first two minutes are indicative of the whole. Watch as economist Peter Schiff accurately predicts every single aspect of the current global economic crisis, from the mortgage meltdown to the liquidity crisis and the stock market crash to the financial house bankruptcies, while every single other so-called "expert" on every single program literally laughs him out of the room. Incredible.
Price of Gas Dropping Like a Stone
Made a trip out of the office at about 9am this morning, gas at the local "cheapest gas in town" station was $2.05/gallon. Out again just now, drove by the same station and the price had dropped 10 cents to $1.95/gallon.
Whatever the heck is going on, I've got a feeling this precipitous drop in the price of fuel is not all the good news is seems to be.
I guess all it took was Total Economic Failure to bring down the price of gas.
Whatever the heck is going on, I've got a feeling this precipitous drop in the price of fuel is not all the good news is seems to be.
I guess all it took was Total Economic Failure to bring down the price of gas.
Sweet Justice
From the New York Post....
We hear...THAT although we didn't think it would be possible to silence Ann Coulter, the leggy reactionary broke her jaw and the mouth that roared has been wired shut . . .I wonder if somebody done finally clocked her.
Think Outside the Box
We often hear these days from the "Big Three" automakers that a large portion of their financial woes stem from the fact that something like $1800 of the revenue of every car they produce goes toward employee health care benefits. That being the case, why don't the "Big Three" get behind some sort of national (dare we say "universal") health care proposal?
If "Big Three" workers -- of which there are millions -- all became eligible for government sponsored health insurance, it would take that $1800 burden off the dinosaurs' backs. I guess they prolly didn't think of that while they were tooling around in their private jets.
Perhaps some crafty legislator in Congress could tie the bailout to such a plan, ergo... instead of just giving the Big Three 25-billion bucks we offer to take over their health plan.
If "Big Three" workers -- of which there are millions -- all became eligible for government sponsored health insurance, it would take that $1800 burden off the dinosaurs' backs. I guess they prolly didn't think of that while they were tooling around in their private jets.
Perhaps some crafty legislator in Congress could tie the bailout to such a plan, ergo... instead of just giving the Big Three 25-billion bucks we offer to take over their health plan.
Wrecking Kids' Thanksgiving
This is just the sort of protest that gives "political correctness" a bad name. While I can understand some Native Americans' anger about certain Indian stereotypes, what's really the harm in having a bunch of kindergartners celebrate the spirit of cooperation that our traditional Thanksgiving fable represents.
For decades, Claremont kindergartners have celebrated Thanksgiving by dressing up as pilgrims and Native Americans and sharing a feast. But on Tuesday, when the youngsters meet for their turkey and songs, they won't be wearing their hand-made bonnets, headdresses and fringed vests.
Parents in this quiet university town are sharply divided over what these construction-paper symbols represent: A simple child's depiction of the traditional (if not wholly accurate) tale of two factions setting aside their differences to give thanks over a shared meal? Or a cartoonish stereotype that would never be allowed of other racial, ethnic or religious groups?
"It's demeaning," Michelle Raheja, the mother of a kindergartner at Condit Elementary School, wrote to her daughter's teacher. "I'm sure you can appreciate the inappropriateness of asking children to dress up like slaves (and kind slave masters), or Jews (and friendly Nazis), or members of any other racial minority group who has struggled in our nation's history."
Raheja, whose mother is a Seneca, wrote the letter upon hearing of a four-decade district tradition, where kindergartners at Condit and Mountain View elementary schools take annual turns dressing up and visiting the other school for a Thanksgiving feast. This year, the Mountain View children would have dressed as Native Americans and walked to Condit, whose students would have dressed as Pilgrims.
Look at that picture. Get over yourselves and let the little kids have their fun.
11.24.2008
Memo
If you work in a "library," it's probably not the best thing to tell everyone you work in a "lie-berry." Doesn't speak well of one's literacy, that's all.
11.22.2008
11.21.2008
Is there gas in the car?
WIKI-- Although the lyrics are, at first glance, typically oblique and allusive, writers Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have stated that it was loosely inspired by the exploits of the infamous 1960s San Francisco-based LSD chemist Owsley Stanley[1] — although it conflates the core story with numerous other images of the Sixties. This is evident in the following lines:
"On the hill the stuff was laced with kerosene
But yours was kitchen clean
Everyone stopped to stare at your Technicolor motor home"
The first two lines draw on the fact that Owsley's acid was famed for its purity, although the last line may be a reference to the famous psychedelic bus named Furthur, which was used by the Merry Pranksters, who were supplied their LSD by Owsley himself.
Who knew?
I always thought the best thing about Kid Charlemagne was Larry Carlton's ripping guitar solo.
The Logo
Here's an interview with the guy who created the Obama logo...Q: Now that Mr. Obama is President-elect Obama, do you see the “O” as having another or extended life?
A: Well, the “O” was the identity for the Obama ’08 campaign and the campaign is over. That doesn’t mean that the mark will be forgotten; I think the memorabilia from this campaign will have a long shelf life and will stand as a visible symbol of pride for people who supported the candidate and for those who see it as a representation of a watershed moment for our country. As far as having another life, I can’t say. Perhaps the 2012 campaign will hark back to it in some way.
Bless the Creatures Great and Small
Sarah Palin is the comedy gift that keeps on giving.
Here she is doing the customary "gubernatorial pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey" thing, after which she gets down to the nitty-gritty. All the while, other less fortunate turkeys can be seen getting whacked in the background.
Details here.
Here she is doing the customary "gubernatorial pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey" thing, after which she gets down to the nitty-gritty. All the while, other less fortunate turkeys can be seen getting whacked in the background.
Details here.
Car Tax Hike
I could be wrong, but isn't an increase in the car tax the thing that got Gray Davis recalled?
Indeed:
SACRAMENTO --State lawmakers began moving toward a deal this week to close California's deficit with the help of steeper car fees that would cost many drivers hundreds of dollars annually, according to people involved in budget talks.
Under the plan, GOP lawmakers -- most of whom have signed anti-tax pledges -- would vote to triple the vehicle license fee that owners pay when they register their cars every year in exchange for a ballot measure that would impose rigid limits on future state spending. Motorists' annual license fees would rise from 0.65% of the value of their vehicles to 2%. For a car or truck valued at $25,000, the increase would be $336.
Indeed:
The last governor to triple the license fee was his predecessor, Gray Davis. Voter anger soared, and the increase played a large role in Davis' removal from office. Schwarzenegger crusaded against the hike throughout the recall campaign, and in his first act in office he cut the fee -- the "car tax," as he and some others call it -- back to its current rate.
Diplomatic Breakdown
Attractive Girls Union Refuses To Enter Into Talks With Mike Greenman
"In most cases like this he would've at least gotten a fake phone number by now, but clearly these attractive girls are playing hardball."
"So they're not giving him anything it seems."
"They're not."
Daschle at HHS
Tom Daschle tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Good on ya, Tom, but dude, what's up with the Sally Jesse glasses?
Global Electoral College
The Economist.com website conducted a "global election" of sorts to see just what the rest of the world thought about the US presidential election. No surpirse, Barack Obama won the polling in an overwhelming landslide. In fact, best I can tell, John McCain won four countries: Cuba, Algeria, the Congo and Iraq. The map is here. The results table is here.
On the Couch
A group in Sweden has created the Typealyzer, which analyzes the psychological patterns of different blogs. I know, I know, sounds a little gimmicky to me too, but here's what the Typealyzer said about Scattershot:
The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.
The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.
Minnesota Recount
Looks like Al Franken is slowly closing the gap on Norm Coleman in the Minnesota senate recount. If you're wondering just how tedious a recount is, MN Public Radio has posted a sampling of "challenged ballots" on its website and lets you be the judge...
The Coleman campaign challenged this ballot, arguing the voter didn't intend to vote for Franken, because of the small dot inside the bubble next to Dean Barkley’s name. (MPR Photo/Curtis Gilbert)
11.20.2008
Happy World Toilet Day!
"You might chuckle or blush, but it's worth taking a moment to acknowledge what the humble loo has done for us.
"Though the word "toilet" is often considered declasse and even rude to utter aloud, much of modern life would not be possible without the commode. Ask yourself this: If you had to live without toilets or electricity, which would you choose?"
11.19.2008
From Pickin' Cotton to Pickin' Presidents
Here's a fascinating examination of the voting patterns of counties across the Deep South...
Check it out.
"Both these maps show the same segment of the southern United States, and demonstrate a similar pattern. Yet each describes a wholly other era and a completely different process."
Check it out.
Lieberman's Greatest Hits
In case the significance of the decision has been lost on you, here are a few clips of the man weasel Democrats just granted the right to chair the Congressional Homeland Security Committee.
Aside from the fact that Lieberman is a traitorous bastard, he's been an abysmal committee chairman:
Aside from the fact that Lieberman is a traitorous bastard, he's been an abysmal committee chairman:
In contrast to his House counterpart, Rep. Henry Waxman, who has chaired dozens of high-profile hearings on the Bush administration’s wrongdoing the past two years, Sen. Lieberman has not held a single hearing on Executive Branch malfeasance nor has he issued any subpoenas demanding information from the administration.
That means Lieberman’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has passed over for hearings issues such as warrantless domestic surveillance, Iraq contracting fraud, “enhanced interrogation” of detainees, and the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina.
11.18.2008
Playing with Fire
What everyone feared most...that the Montecito fire was caused by stupidity.
LA Times -- The fire that destroyed scores of homes in Montecito and Santa Barbara was caused by a group of young people who had built a bonfire, authorities said today.
A group of 10 young men and women described by authorities as locals went to the Tea house, an abandoned mansion, on Wednesday night for a bonfire party. They told Santa Barbara County sheriff's investigators that they had put the fire out before they left that night. But authorities believe the fire continued to smolder through Thursday before breaking out into fire when winds swept in Thursday afternoon.
At this time, it does not appear to be malicious, said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.
Officials described the group that started the fire as "college students," but didn't identify them further.
Firefighters have achieved 95% containment of the 1,940-acre Tea fire, which damaged or destroyed 219 residences.
Last year, officials arrested several people who allegedly started a bonfire in some caves above Corral Canyon in Malibu, where flames burned dozens of homes.
Your Liberal Media
Newsweek magazine caters to the wingnut fringe...
It's going to be a long eight years.
"...people who believe Obama is the Antichrist are perhaps jumping to conclusions, but they're not nuts..."
It's going to be a long eight years.
When a Nativity Scene Just Isn't Enough
Just in time for the holidays, it's the electric burning cross...
[Not recommended for use in Santa Barbara, Yorba Linda, Sylmar or Anaheim Hills.]
[Not recommended for use in Santa Barbara, Yorba Linda, Sylmar or Anaheim Hills.]
Vexatious Litigant
Rolling lawsuit Jared Moleskin put several longtime, family-owned businesses up my way right out of operation. You know, there's the letter of the law and there's the spirit of the law. This ass clearly knew the difference. Now, thankfully, he's done.
Whether Jarek Molski is a crusader for the disabled or an extortionist who abused the law for personal gain, the vexatious litigant has filed his last lawsuit.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear the case of Molski vs. Evergreen Dynasty Corp., owner of a Chinese restaurant in Solvang, Calif., in a legal Waterloo for the 38-year-old Woodland Hills man. Molski filed more than 400 suits under the Americans With Disabilities Act before a federal judge barred him from future litigation.
In a highly unusual action in 2004, U.S. District Judge Edward Rafeedie, who has since died, branded Molski a "hit-and-run plaintiff," accusing him of systematic extortion of businesses across California.
Molski, who has used a wheelchair since a motorcycle accident two decades ago, sued restaurants, bowling alleys, wineries and other retail outlets for insufficient handicapped parking, misplaced handrails and other violations of the disabilities act, demanding that business owners be fined $4,000 for every day their facilities failed to meet exacting federal standards.
Fear of adverse judgments compelled many to settle out of court, earning the Polish-born plaintiff hundreds of thousands of dollars in less than two years.
11.17.2008
Why We Live Here
Steve Lopez in the LAT explains...
It's 90 degrees in November, the full glory and perennial curse of Southern California on fierce display. Devil winds, hill-hopping infernos, smoked mansions, torched trailers, barren freeways, and brilliant sunsets lingering in low-hanging canopies of burnt dreams.
Are we all crazy? Don't live here, says the wind, the trembling earth, the parched land whose natural inclination is to explode in flame every year about now.
But we do.
Don't build near the kindling, say the voices of common sense.
But we do, for all the wrong reasons and all the known glories. Our winter snowfall is flakes of ash and flame retardant falling on bougainvillea, so it could be worse.
At least the last big quake was a fake -- a Thursday run-through to test our preparedness. Followed immediately, of course, by a genuine, rip-roaring disaster, the kind of astonishing immolation that allows folks across the nation to feel smug despite their black ice and frozen rain.
I could have gone in any direction to find fire victims Sunday. With flames roaring through Montecito, Sylmar, Corona, Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar and elsewhere, thousands of people had fled. Millionaires on the move, trailer park residents out the door in pajamas.
The Scream
They laughed at him at the time, but Howard Dean's Democratic campaign strategy -- elucidated so memorably in 2004 -- is exactly approach that ultimately led to Barack Obama's landslide Electoral College victory in 2008...
Democrats rule the map these days.
Democrats rule the map these days.
11.16.2008
Overheard...
...in McCarthy's Irish Pub, SLO, CA:
"I could never lie to someone. I'd rather beat someone up than lie to them."
11.15.2008
Helen Philpot on Prop H8
Margaret and Helen are two ladies with a blog. Here's Helen's take on CA's Proposition 8...
[h/t Jill]
If marriage is an institution supported by this country then it must be made available to all of its citizens according to the law. If however, it is strictly a religious institution then a constitutional amendment determining who can and cannot have access to it is sort of missing the point. Religious freedom except for people who are not religious is a mutually exclusive concept.
[...]
But let’s step away from the church and state argument for a second. I posted yesterday that love is about the heart not the body. Trust me, if it was about the body a lot of us would be in a world of trouble. You can’t legislate love between two consenting adults. You just can’t no matter how hard you try. If you want to save marriage, marry someone you love. And that’s all I have to say about that.
[h/t Jill]
11.14.2008
Hugging the Panda
dday at Hullabaloo coins a new phrase...
O'REILLY: As long as I can have the panda, I'm fine.
STEWART: That's not a panda!
O'REILLY: Sure it is! This is a panda! What do you think it is?
STEWART: You've gotta get out of your "luxury Long Island life" and get around and start seeing animals.
"It's really not that he got the name of the animal wrong. It's that he was so sure of it, and immediately when told he was wrong, he clung to it. That's not only his knee-jerk reaction, but the entire conservative movement. Their version of what's right is whatever their opponents say is wrong. Facts are tangential.
"I didn't think we'd ever get such a clear "2+2=5" moment, on national television no less. Maybe I shouldn't make so much out of it, but I'm instituting this feature into my writing: any time a conservative delivers obvious misinformation, they will be heretofore described as "hugging the panda." And when you're in an argument with one of them, over whether this is a center-right nation or whether tax cuts increase revenue or whether the social safety net hurts poor people, remember that these are the kind of people who not only think a teddy bear is a panda, but who insist it even when they are told they are wrong."
First Hand Account in Santa Barbara
The editor of Wonkette happened to be vacationing in Santa Barbara when the fires hit...Here's some of his account:
The radio warned against taking surface streets. All the stoplights were out, and drivers were so bewitched by the flames dancing on the mountains that they were crashing, everywhere. I took the 101 from Las Positas and drove through a hellscape.
In the foothills, dozens of "hot spots" could be seen, with five or six huge estates bursting into flames and a fire line that dropped behind ridges and over hills and went in either direction for as far as you could see. Convoys of fire engines roared up the highway, from Ventura and Los Angeles and Orange County. The radio hosts somberly recounted the tragedies seen and offers of help received.
Mansions and compounds literally exploded as we creeped south on the 101. The Santa Barbara radio stations faded out. I switched to the L.A. news stations, 1070 and 980, both of which were inexplicably reporting that the estates owned by Oprah Winfrey and Rob Lowe were safe. Idiots.
Fire in San Luis Obispo
A new fire just broke out in the hills above San Luis Obispo. Took this photo out the window of our downtown office about 5 minutes ago. Sirens are going off all over the place. It's windy as hell outside, and HOT. Some residences are already threatened and people here are heading home to see what's going on.
"The Hills are Filled With Fire"
Wildfires are raging this morning in Montecito, CA. [How tall is the power line stanchion in that picture Biggest?] The area where this fire burns is just south/east of Santa Barbara. Montecito is where the rich people in Santa Barbara live (and that's sayin' somethin'!). The enclave is home to Oprah Winfrey, Jackson Browne, John Cleese, Michael Douglas, Steve Martin, Rob Lowe and dozens more of Hollywood's power elite. No one is immune when a fire like this gets going.MONTECITO -- A fast-moving brush fire driven by 50- to 70-mph winds erupted Thursday night in the hills above Montecito in Santa Barbara County, burning 1,500 acres, destroying more than 80 homes and forcing evacuations of luxury neighborhoods, authorities said.
The blaze, dubbed the Tea fire, broke out about 6 p.m. in the wealthy Cold Springs area of Montecito, where a number of celebrities live, and quickly overwhelmed firefighters with its speed.
Overnight, the fire continued to move slowly west toward Santa Barbara. High winds that had wreaked havoc earlier in the night evaporated by midnight, allowing firefirefighters to concentrate on dousing embers and spot fires, said Geri Ventura, a Montecito Fire District spokeswoman.
But forecasters are calling for a resumption of Santa Ana winds this morning. Gusts are expected to be weaker than the 70 mph winds that firefighters encountered early in the blaze. "Some were having a tough time keeping their chin straps on,'' Ventura said.
UPDATE: This is NOT good.
11.13.2008
Keith Olbermann on Prop H8
So many people have been talking about this "Special Comment" by Keith Olbermann that I thought I'd post it for anyone who hasn't seen it...
What is this, to you? Nobody is asking you to embrace their expression of love. But don’t you, as human beings, have to embrace… that love? The world is barren enough.
It is stacked against love, and against hope, and against those very few and precious emotions that enable us to go forward. Your marriage only stands a 50-50 chance of lasting, no matter how much you feel and how hard you work.
And here are people overjoyed at the prospect of just that chance, and that work, just for the hope of having that feeling. With so much hate in the world, with so much meaningless division, and people pitted against people for no good reason, this is what your religion tells you to do? With your experience of life and this world and all its sadnesses, this is what your conscience tells you to do?
With your knowledge that life, with endless vigor, seems to tilt the playing field on which we all live, in favor of unhappiness and hate… this is what your heart tells you to do? You want to sanctify marriage? You want to honor your God and the universal love you believe he represents? Then spread happiness—this tiny, symbolic, semantical grain of happiness—share it with all those who seek it. Quote me anything from your religious leader or book of choice telling you to stand against this. And then tell me how you can believe both that statement and another statement, another one which reads only “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
From the Fringe
More from the Appraisers' Free Forum....
What a freaking tool. Here was my two word reply to the above drivel: "Scoreboard bitch."
I am LIBERAL, hear me roar!!!
"...liberals tend to be pretty self-loathing and, generally, respect nothing. Many liberals, if one looks closely, come from dysfunctional, non-religious families who grew up devoid of love or compassion. All they understand is hate....which is why most liberals want to tear down America and bring everyone down to their pathetic level..."
What a freaking tool. Here was my two word reply to the above drivel: "Scoreboard bitch."
I am LIBERAL, hear me roar!!!
Media Punked: Sarah Palin Not [Quite] as Dumb as First Believed
It looks like Carl Cameron at FOX News got punked and ended up making Sarah Palin look even dumber than she really is.
More from the New York Times...
More from the New York Times...
It was among the juicier post-election recriminations: Fox News Channel quoted an unnamed McCain campaign figure as saying that Sarah Palin did not know that Africa was a continent.
Who would say such a thing? On Monday the answer popped up on a blog and popped out of the mouth of David Shuster, an MSNBC anchor. “Turns out it was Martin Eisenstadt, a McCain policy adviser, who has come forward today to identify himself as the source of the leaks,” Mr. Shuster said.
Trouble is, Martin Eisenstadt doesn’t exist. His blog does, but it’s a put-on. The think tank where he is a senior fellow — the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy — is just a Web site. The TV clips of him on YouTube are fakes.
Are You Experienced?
Mitch Mitchell, drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, has died at the age of 61.
Obama Action Figures
The Village Voice commissioned a bunch of artists to create their own Barack Obama action figures....
11.12.2008
Potty Mouth @ Casa Cornejo
I remember one time I was working at a restaurant washing dishes when I was about 15 years old. I was toiling away in the back and making conversation with one of the owners, a lady probably in her late 40s, and I just dropped the F-bomb, plain-as-day, like I was talking to one of my buddies or something.
I don't even remember what I said, but it might as well have been, "It sure is fuckin' hot today, isn't it?" or "I can't wait 'til I fuckin' get off work."
She looked at me with a face that said, "Wha......?"
I knew I'd gone out of bounds almost soon as the forbidden word tumbled out of my adolescent mouth, but there it was, hanging in the air...never to be recalled. I was totally embarrassed, red as a tomato, apologized four billion times. I think she knew I was a good kid though, and we genuinely liked each other, so she didn't sweat it much.
I learned a valuable lesson that day about filtering your vocabulary.
But I was 15 years old. Joe Scarborough is 45.
I don't even remember what I said, but it might as well have been, "It sure is fuckin' hot today, isn't it?" or "I can't wait 'til I fuckin' get off work."
She looked at me with a face that said, "Wha......?"
I knew I'd gone out of bounds almost soon as the forbidden word tumbled out of my adolescent mouth, but there it was, hanging in the air...never to be recalled. I was totally embarrassed, red as a tomato, apologized four billion times. I think she knew I was a good kid though, and we genuinely liked each other, so she didn't sweat it much.
I learned a valuable lesson that day about filtering your vocabulary.
But I was 15 years old. Joe Scarborough is 45.
This Oughta Be Good
Apparently they don't cater to them new-fangled religions in Pleasant Grove City, Utah...
Michael Daniels, the Mayor of Pleasant Grove City, Utah, is dancing on a tightrope as he explains why the City accepted "an imposing red granite monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments" for display in a city park, but won't accept for display a monument that depicts the Seven Aphorisms of the Summum religion. A similar dance will be performed in the Supreme Court tomorrow as the Court hears argument about the constitutionality of that choice.
The Dumbing Down of America
If Chris Hedges at Truthdig is to be believed, the future of the printed word is mighty bleak...
I'm not exactly clear on why fewer college graduates read books than do high school grads, but the numbers are sad either way. I can't for the life of me find time to read all the books I've got on my list. They just keep pilin' up.
We live in two Americas. One America, now the minority, functions in a print-based, literate world. It can cope with complexity and has the intellectual tools to separate illusion from truth. The other America, which constitutes the majority, exists in a non-reality-based belief system. This America, dependent on skillfully manipulated images for information, has severed itself from the literate, print-based culture. It cannot differentiate between lies and truth. It is informed by simplistic, childish narratives and clichés. It is thrown into confusion by ambiguity, nuance and self-reflection. This divide, more than race, class or gender, more than rural or urban, believer or nonbeliever, red state or blue state, has split the country into radically distinct, unbridgeable and antagonistic entities.
There are over 42 million American adults, 20 percent of whom hold high school diplomas, who cannot read, as well as the 50 million who read at a fourth- or fifth-grade level. Nearly a third of the nation’s population is illiterate or barely literate. And their numbers are growing by an estimated 2 million a year. But even those who are supposedly literate retreat in huge numbers into this image-based existence. A third of high school graduates, along with 42 percent of college graduates, never read a book after they finish school. Eighty percent of the families in the United States last year did not buy a book.
I'm not exactly clear on why fewer college graduates read books than do high school grads, but the numbers are sad either way. I can't for the life of me find time to read all the books I've got on my list. They just keep pilin' up.
Fashion Notes
Took a walk downtown on my break this morning and I feel I have to offer this observation: I'm pretty sure that, unless your name is Angus Young, it's not such a hot idea for a grown man to wear short pants, dress shoes and a tie -- especially after Labor Day.
Now She Tells Us
It's beyond ridiculous for Sarah Palin to make the media rounds now, after the election, and claim all the reports about her being a know-nothing diva beeyotch are wrong and "if only someone would have asked me." Um, hello? She didn't have even one press conference before the election and -- after the disastrous Charles Gibson and Katie Couric interviews -- her only appearances were on the boot-licking FAUX News Channel. I'm sorry, but Sean Hannity was not the one who was gonna clear any of this up.
Maureen Dowd has a bit more at the NYT...
Maureen Dowd has a bit more at the NYT...
"...Sarah Palin can come across as utterly unready to lead the world — or even find the world on a map..."
Scarborough's F-Bomb Incident
What struck me about the Scarborough incident was how he dropped the bomb so matter-of-factly. He didn't even realize that he'd said it, and at first he denied and just plowed ahead. Everybody elses' jaws were dropped on the desk in front of them.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's kinda stupid that we are so offended by this, but that's America for you.
And J-Scar earns himself a 7-second delay, on his own show.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's kinda stupid that we are so offended by this, but that's America for you.
And J-Scar earns himself a 7-second delay, on his own show.
11.11.2008
Roasting Rahm
Barack Obama answers a few more lingering questions about just who is this Rahm Emanuel guy...?
Impeach Cheney!!
It's not too late. His comments today at Veteran's Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery are an outrage.
Completely Clueless
Right-wing bloggers are complete idiots...
Obama thinks he is a good talker, but he is often undisciplined when he speaks. He needs to understand that as President, his words will be scrutinized and will have impact whether he intends it or not. In this regard, President Bush is an excellent model; Obama should take a lesson from his example. Bush never gets sloppy when he is speaking publicly. He chooses his words with care and precision, which is why his style sometimes seems halting. In the eight years he has been President, it is remarkable how few gaffes or verbal blunders he has committed. If Obama doesn't raise his standards, he will exceed Bush's total before he is inaugurated.
Now We Know How Lehman Bros. Feel
When does somebody come along to help me make my mortgage payments?
I'm not sure what the solution is, but it seems to me that helping struggling real estate borrowers by giving them a better deal while leaving responsible homeowners to keep paying at their agreed upon terms is a bit unfair.
I'm not sure what the solution is, but it seems to me that helping struggling real estate borrowers by giving them a better deal while leaving responsible homeowners to keep paying at their agreed upon terms is a bit unfair.
The Truth Will Out
Another reason why I can't wait for the end of the imperial Bush presidency...whistleblowers!
Too Big to Fail? GM Circling
Things are not looking good for The General, at all...
LAT Business -- Shares in General Motors Corp. hit a 59-year low Monday after a Wall Street firm forecast the company's stock value could drop to zero within a year.
The automaker's stock declined $1, or 23%, to finish at $3.36. That's the lowest it has closed since June 17, 1949, when it was $3.35, according to Global Financial Data.
On Friday, GM posted a $2.5-billion net loss for the third quarter, including operating losses of $4.2 billion. Through the first nine months of the year, GM has lost $21.3 billion, and in its earnings Friday, it warned that in the first two quarters of next year, "the company's estimated liquidity will fall significantly short" without outside help.
That prompted Deutsche Bank analyst Rod Lache to downgrade GM, putting a one-year price target of zero for the company's stock. "Even if GM succeeds in averting a bankruptcy," Lache wrote, "we believe that the company's future path is likely to be bankruptcy-like."
The Onion Has Some Stiff Competition: Real Life
From the "I had no idea it would offend anyone department"...
PALM BEACH -- Employees at a Palm Beach County restaurant say their boss posted racist notes in the kitchen and on their time sheets on election night.
Patricia Gatti said she "got crazy with FOX News."
She acknowledged writing "KKK" on signs and employee time sheets, but said it was a joke and she tried tearing up the papers before they were seen.
Gatti's co-owner at 264 The Grill is black. She said she was an ardent McCain supporter, but was just trying to tease her business partner.
Meeting with the Enemy
A reader at Talking Points Memo comments on Barack Obama's meeting with Dubya yesterday at the White House...
"I can't believe Obama is already sitting down with an unpopular, aggressive world leader without preconditions."
From the Fox to the Henhouse
It's worth remembering that now-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson worked for Goldman, Sachs from 1973 through 2006. He resigned amid spiraling losses after 8 years as CEO, only to be tapped to lead the Treasury Department in June of 2006...
LAT -- Goldman, Sachs & Co. urged some of its big clients to place investment bets against California bonds this year despite having collected millions of dollars in fees to help the state sell some of those same bonds.
The giant investment firm did not inform the office of California Treasurer Bill Lockyer that it was proposing a way for investment clients to profit from California's deepening financial misery. In Sacramento, officials said they were concerned that Goldman's strategy could raise the interest rate the state would have to pay to borrow money, thus harming taxpayers.
11.10.2008
Sign the Petition
Equality California (eqca.org) is circulating a petition....
Dear friends,
The overwhelming amount of anger and sadness at our loss on Proposition 8 on November 4 is now turning into action at Equality California.
First of all, we are crafting a strategy to overturn this outrageous loss of our rights. Equality California, represented by NCLR, ACLU, Lambda Legal and Munger, Tolles, Olson has filed a suit with the California Supreme Court asking that the election—the result of outrageous lies and questionable tactics by the other side, be thrown out. We know our rights cannot be taken away by a mob
vote.
It is very important for all of us to ensure our actions result in a victory in the court—our best chance to reverse the elimination of our rights as soon as possible. So gatherings of everyone who supports justice and equality sends an important message to the court that there IS popular support for marriage equality in California. Join your community in peaceful marches and gatherings around the state.
Second, you can also help by signing our petition saying "I demand my equality back" and that you commit to getting marriage equality back on the ballot if we don't win in court.
Third, send the petition to everyone you know. We will need over one million valid signatures to put a new measure on the ballot and we need everyone to agree to carry petitions.
Really, Everybody HATES Dubya
CNN sez he's plumbing depths lower than Nixon...
With 71 days left in office, President Bush is less popular than President Nixon was at the time of his resignation, according to data released Monday by CNN and Opinion Research Corporation.
The new poll, taken Thursday through Sunday, showed an approval rating of 24 percent and a disapproval rating of 76 percent.
So It Goes
Lest we forget, there's still a [couple of] war[s] going on...
BAGHDAD — At least two blasts targeting a row of busy cafes and businesses in a Shiite section of northeastern Baghdad early Monday killed at least 28 people, police said.
It was one of the worst attacks in the capital in several weeks and came as the Iraqi government takes more responsibility for security from U.S. forces.
BAGHDAD — At least two blasts targeting a row of busy cafes and businesses in a Shiite section of northeastern Baghdad early Monday killed at least 28 people, police said.
It was one of the worst attacks in the capital in several weeks and came as the Iraqi government takes more responsibility for security from U.S. forces.
11.09.2008
Why Blacks Wouldn't Support "No on H8"
African-Americans voted 2-to-1 against CA's Proposition 8....
I am a perfect example of why the fight against Proposition 8, which amends the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, failed to win black support.
I am black. I am a political activist who cares deeply about social justice issues.
I am a lesbian. This year, I canvassed the streets of South Los Angeles and Compton, knocking on doors, talking politics to passers-by and working as I never had before to ensure a large voter turnout among African Americans. But even I wasn't inspired to encourage black people to vote against the proposition.
Why? Because I don't see why the right to marry should be a priority for me or other black people. Gay marriage? Please. At a time when blacks are still more likely than whites to be pulled over for no reason, more likely to be unemployed than whites, more likely to live at or below the poverty line, I was too busy trying to get black people registered to vote, period; I wasn't about to focus my attention on what couldn't help but feel like a secondary issue.
It's a New Day
"I went to sleep last night
tired from the fight.
I been fightin' for tomorrow
all my life.
I woke up this mornin'
feeling brand new
'Cause the dreams that I been dreamin'
has finally came true."
-- will.i.am "It's a New Day"
New Flag
From the Get Your War On clip below:
"Listen, if you have any American flags, you need to hide them okay? There's gonna be a new flag."
"NO! Not my flag!"
"Yes, America's new flag is just a white flag, but there's a picture of a burning American flag on it."
11.08.2008
It's Official, Nebraska Sees Some Blue
Omaha World Herald sez Barack Obama has won that one last Electoral Vote....
OMAHA -- For the first time ever, a blue circle will appear in Nebraska on national electoral maps.
Democrat Barack Obama won the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District on Friday, scooping up one of the state's five electoral votes.
In the process, he made history and shone the spotlight on Nebraska's unusual electoral college system.
Obama won 8,434 of 15,039 mail-in ballots counted Friday by Douglas County election officials. These early ballots arrived in the election commissioner's office too late to be included in Tuesday's election results.
The additional votes gave Obama a 1,260-vote lead over Republican John McCain in unofficial returns. McCain won the popular vote statewide and four electoral votes.
[...]
The Nebraska results give Obama his 365th electoral vote. McCain's tally stands at 162. Only Missouri's 11 electoral votes remain undecided.
11.07.2008
True Confession
If someone had walked up to me and said, "Name all the countries in NAFTA," I probably would have gotten Canada, Mexico and the United States, but I certainly wouldn't have known any others that might have been included, of which there are a number of possibilities.
The correct answer, of course, is Canada, Mexico and the US.
The correct answer, of course, is Canada, Mexico and the US.
Racial Divide
See if you can follow me here: There's a bit of a spurious argument going around that many, if not most, African-American Obama supporters voted for Barack "solely" because of his race, and so were as guilty of racism as white McCain supporters who voted GOP solely because they would never support a black candidate. This theory was put to me during some water cooler talk at work this very day. The rumor is that blacks split for Obama over McCain 95%-to-5%, and somehow that makes for reverse racism.
Really?
Let's review, shall we?
2004 Voting by Race: Black voters supported John Kerry over George Bush 88%-11%.
2000 Voting by Race: Black voters supported Al Gore over George Bush 90%-9%.
In fact, if you look back even further, blacks supported Bill Clinton 84-12 over Bob Dole and 83-10 over George H.W. Bush.
So no, the overwhelming support black voters showed Barack Obama was not reverse racism. It was the natural culmination of blacks' decades-long repudiation of the Republican Party. This racial divide actually dates back to the early 1960s, when southern Democrats who opposed the Civil Rights movement were welcomed into the Republican Party with open arms.
At the time he signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, Lyndon Johnson remarked that, by taking a stand for equality, the Democrats had "lost the South for a generation."
Republicans, on the other hand, incorporated institutionalized racism as a part of their platform, calling it "the Southern strategy" and cynically riding it -- and its trove of southern state electoral votes -- into the White House repeatedly, from Nixon to George W. Bush, with only the brief interludes of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton (both Southern governors at that).
Make no mistake about, Black America did not reject the Republican Party in this election, the Republican Party rejected Black America in the 20th century.
Only now are they beginning to pay.
Really?
Let's review, shall we?
2004 Voting by Race: Black voters supported John Kerry over George Bush 88%-11%.
2000 Voting by Race: Black voters supported Al Gore over George Bush 90%-9%.
In fact, if you look back even further, blacks supported Bill Clinton 84-12 over Bob Dole and 83-10 over George H.W. Bush.
So no, the overwhelming support black voters showed Barack Obama was not reverse racism. It was the natural culmination of blacks' decades-long repudiation of the Republican Party. This racial divide actually dates back to the early 1960s, when southern Democrats who opposed the Civil Rights movement were welcomed into the Republican Party with open arms.
At the time he signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, Lyndon Johnson remarked that, by taking a stand for equality, the Democrats had "lost the South for a generation."
Republicans, on the other hand, incorporated institutionalized racism as a part of their platform, calling it "the Southern strategy" and cynically riding it -- and its trove of southern state electoral votes -- into the White House repeatedly, from Nixon to George W. Bush, with only the brief interludes of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton (both Southern governors at that).
Make no mistake about, Black America did not reject the Republican Party in this election, the Republican Party rejected Black America in the 20th century.
Only now are they beginning to pay.
Prediction: SCHIP Passes within 100 Days
President-elect Obama has an extremely ambitious national health care proposal that is likely to face strong debate -- at minimum -- if and when he puts it in front of the American people, but look for him and the Democrats in Congress to pass the SCHIP [State Children's Health Insurance Program] legislation, which was vetoed twice by George W. Bush, of course, within the first 100 days of the Obama presidency.
The benefits of passage will be two-fold.
First, expansion of SCHIP will vastly improve the health care options for thousands of low-income families with children.
Second, SCHIP will help clear the path toward comprehensive national health insurance by providing concrete evidence -- like the Medicare and Healthy Families programs before it -- that government can indeed run a health insurance program efficiently and effectively.
The benefits of passage will be two-fold.
First, expansion of SCHIP will vastly improve the health care options for thousands of low-income families with children.
Second, SCHIP will help clear the path toward comprehensive national health insurance by providing concrete evidence -- like the Medicare and Healthy Families programs before it -- that government can indeed run a health insurance program efficiently and effectively.
Electoral College Technicality
FYI -- The reason the Electoral College vote currently adds up to only 537 votes, rather than the full 538, is because in the state of Nebraska (which allocates its 5 EC votes proportionally), the balloting in the Second Congressional District remains too close to call.
More from the NYT on Electoral College politics here.
More from the NYT on Electoral College politics here.
Wingnut Dream Ticket
Bobby Jindal? Intelligent design? Check. Abstinence Sex Ed? Check. Anti-abortion in all instances? Check. Chemical castration of sex-offenders? Check.
Pretty sure he won't know Africa's a continent either.
Not Out of the Woods Yet
Dubya still has the nuclear codes, and more than 2 months left.
And in one glance to today's LA Times Business page, look at the heaping wreckage of a US economy he'll be leaving behind...
-- Unemployment hits 6.5%, 14-year high
-- Ford annouces huge loss, more layoffs
-- Retailers post grim October
-- Disney's profit down 13%
As goes the Mouse, so goes the country.
11.06.2008
It's Not Over
Election Day was Tuesday, but the fight against Prop. H8 goes on...
WESTWOOD -- More than a thousand gay-rights activists gathered Thursday afternoon outside the Mormon temple in Westwood to protest the role Mormons played in passing Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California.
It was the latest in an escalating campaign directed against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its role in marshaling millions of dollars in contributions from its members for the successful campaign to take away same-sex marriage rights.
[...]
Leaders of the No-on-8 campaign said they did not believe they were engaged in Mormon-bashing. "This is not about religion," said Jacobs. "This is about a church that put itself in the middle of politics."
Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said she had grown up in the Mormon Church and thought it was "very disappointing what the church has done and the alliances they have made with churches that don't even like them and have called the church a cult."
WESTWOOD -- More than a thousand gay-rights activists gathered Thursday afternoon outside the Mormon temple in Westwood to protest the role Mormons played in passing Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California.
It was the latest in an escalating campaign directed against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its role in marshaling millions of dollars in contributions from its members for the successful campaign to take away same-sex marriage rights.
[...]
Leaders of the No-on-8 campaign said they did not believe they were engaged in Mormon-bashing. "This is not about religion," said Jacobs. "This is about a church that put itself in the middle of politics."
Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said she had grown up in the Mormon Church and thought it was "very disappointing what the church has done and the alliances they have made with churches that don't even like them and have called the church a cult."
Claim the Dream
More thoughts on the Obama victory. Credit Keturah for these wonderful words...
I am disappointed with the limits of the English language. 24 hours after "THE" election, the language I adore so much has failed me, supplying me with precious few words to fully explain even the most basic of feelings, the most obligatory reactions I have/had to the news we all received late last night. I search for the right modifiers, the most precise metaphor to make everyone in my life understand what is swarming inside my head, but the inadequate words that make up our language get caught in my throat and refuse to come out.
I can not stop thinking about my students.
That does not surprise me because I often think about the 400 girls at The Young Women's Leadership School. I became a teacher for them; so it is little wonder that the day after Obama whipped the butt of John McCain, the same thought that took root in my head last night has remained a full day later: "Now, my girls actually have a shot."
As I have tried to explain to many people, while I am proud that a man who looks like me now runs this country, the reasons why I am pensive and quietly elated have little to do with the covert historic moment Obama's presidency brings this country. Yes, he is black. Yes, he, in a rather embarassing ass-whippping, annilihated the guy who, quite frankly, had 200 years worth of reasons to underestimate him. But, more importantly, the more significant historic moment, for me, is that at long last we have a president who, with his mere winning of the title has sent a message to my girls: MEDIOCRITY IS NO LONGER SUFFICIENT.
I do not subscribe to the Obama-as-Jesus narrative; I realize that he has inherited a country that is in shambles. He is only a man who has the misfortune of being a very good politician. He is limited. However, he understands, in the most crucial way, that for far too long this country has allowed mediocrity to become the new excellence. An Obama presidency will go far in requiring more from us than the okey-doke.
Today, I had each of my classes do a free write to this writing prompt: As a member of the Obama generation…
Here is mine:
As a Member of the Obama generation…
"This is just fine," is no longer good enough. I can no longer claim that it is impossible for me to finish my book. (Who has the time?) I can longer neglect my duty to leave this country at least once a year (who has the money?). I can no longer walk around speaking only one language yet have the audacity to claim I am an "intellectual." Such things are not acceptable when you are a member of the Obama generation.
As a member of the Obama generation…
Any wayward thoughts of making my class easier for students will be chased away before these thoughts grow into real-life actions. I will continue to work hard, which will force them to do so as well. As I strive to shed my mediocre teacher self, I will challenge them to aspire to become excellent learners. In an Obama generation, the okey-doke just ain't good enough.
I have listened to the call our president made and I must answer it. I will claim the dream my president has reminded me is yet unrealized, making good on the promise this country made such a short time ago.
I will save this country, offering it as inheritance to my 400 daughters.
Tell It!
"You know the only person in the world happier than the Hornet that Obama won?"
Levi Johnston.
[h/t Baughb]
Levi Johnston.
[h/t Baughb]
Diamonds!
I've been trying to think of a song that captures the sprightly and lighthearted feeling of joy that has lifted the hearts of so many Americans this week. Lady Liberty has a spring in her step these days, doesn't she? The road ahead will have its ups and downs, but taking the walk together, with Diamonds on the Soles of Our Shoes, is sure going make for a wonderful adventure.
Here are Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo to get you going...
Here are Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo to get you going...
They Live [and Work] Among Us
So glad to see that the American people have thoroughly repudiated everything that ignorant racists like this guy believe...
--The above posts are from a professional online forum I am sometimes compelled to frequent. It must be hard to live your life in such ignorance and fear. Get a load of this fool's avatar and tell me he's not a racist asshole:
Post 1 (of many): "We're going to impeach his ass when we get a copy of his real birth certificate. I think the country will be in the mood. We'll be in several months of the Obama recession before he even takes the Oath. The recession is based on the anticipation theory of his Presidency, and we are where we are because of the liberal policies he will try to do...They need to get that birth certificate out and Impeach his terrorist ass before he gets innaugurated."
Post 2 (of many): "Now that we are about to inaugurate a possible foreign Kenyan born militant Islamic terrorist to office, I have a question. Will Obama swear on the Bible or on the Koran? We already know he doesn't hold his hand over his heart during the singing of the Nat. Anthem and does not swear allegience with his hand over his heart and so forth. We already know that our enemies are dancing in the streets, possibly hoping to further infiltrate our nation via immigration.
Goodness Ihate to think he'll be in there on his knees with his face facing Mecca every morning and evening. I'm hoping they'll break that birth certificate open and we can start articles of impeachment right away.
So will he be placing his hand on the Koran, or Bible?
I'll bet Bible, just to further fool the weak "jaywalking" minded idiots of our country, but he'd rather it be a Koran.
What says you."
--The above posts are from a professional online forum I am sometimes compelled to frequent. It must be hard to live your life in such ignorance and fear. Get a load of this fool's avatar and tell me he's not a racist asshole:
Obama Wins North Carolina
President-elect Barack Obama has officially turned North Carolina Blue and will be taking its 15 Electoral Votes with him to Washington. The result puts the final EC tally at 364-173 and renders my pre-election prediction of a 348-190 Obama victory moot.
But look at all the Blue in that map!
On a side note, among the interesting results of Tuesday's election is this: There are no -- none, zero, nada, zilch -- Republican congresspersons in all of New England. The bloody chowdaheads hella tossed every last one of them out on their keisters, like a regular Boston Tea Party.
But look at all the Blue in that map!
On a side note, among the interesting results of Tuesday's election is this: There are no -- none, zero, nada, zilch -- Republican congresspersons in all of New England. The bloody chowdaheads hella tossed every last one of them out on their keisters, like a regular Boston Tea Party.
Blame Game
It should be noted that, while Sarah Palin might not have been self-possessed enough to decline John McCain's invitation to be his "runeen mate," John McCain apparently lacked the huevos to stand up to his advisers and "just say no" to the Palin nod. So the Maverick did ultimately offer a neophyte political ignoramus the #2 spot on the Republican ticket. For that, she's going to pay.
The slagging continues...
The slagging continues...
There WAS tension between John McCain staff members and Sarah Palin (as other news outlets previously reported), and part of it stemmed from some rather glaring gaps in what the governor of Alaska knew about the rest of the world.Here's Cameron dishing a whole lot more dirt on O'Reilly....
[Carl] Cameron, the Fox beat reporter for the Republican presidential ticket, said he had been told by unnamed sources -- and on the condition he not report the details during the campaign -- that Palin could not name all of the countries that are part of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
He did not mention which one (or ones) she whiffed on, but there are only three: Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
Nor, according to Cameron, was Palin aware that Africa is a continent. (Perhaps she was hamstrung by the fact that no part of that land mass can be viewed from her homestate.)
Memo to George W. Bush
Dubya,
Googled up some important info for you here. Now get your ass out of Barack's house.
Best Regards Happy Trails,
Hornet
PS -- Leave the Dubyas on the keyboards please.
Googled up some important info for you here. Now get your ass out of Barack's house.
Hornet
PS -- Leave the Dubyas on the keyboards please.
Rahm Emanuel Doesn't Like Republicans
Time to Barack the White House...
Who is Rahm Emanuel?
LAT -- President-elect Barack Obama began to assemble his new administration Wednesday, offering the White House chief of staff job to a hard-charging member of the Democratic congressional leadership and announcing the heads of a transition staff that will help fill his Cabinet and lay out an agenda for his four-year term.
[...]
Smart and intense, the 48-year-old Emanuel is a veteran of Bill Clinton's White House. He is among the most charismatic figures on Capitol Hill, revered by many Democrats for restoring the party's clout and loathed by some Republicans for his partisan tactics. In the multitude of Emanuel stories, one stands out: the time he boxed up a dead fish and sent it to a political foe, "Godfather"-style.
Who is Rahm Emanuel?
Welcome [Back] to the World, America
Not to put too sharp a point on it but...as much as everybody really hates Dubya, everybody really, really loves Obama:
LONDON -- If history records a sudden surge in carbon emissions on Wednesday, it may be due to the collective exhalation of relief and joy by the hundreds of millions -- perhaps billions -- of people around the globe who watched, waited and prayed for Barack Obama to be elected president of the United States.
In country after country, elation over Obama's victory was palpable, the hunger for a change of American leadership as strong outside the U.S. as in it. And there was wonderment that, in the world's most powerful democracy, a man with African roots and the middle name Hussein, an upstart fighter who took on political heavyweights, could capture the highest office in the land.
11.05.2008
Fall Gal
I think we can be fairly certain who's going to take the fall for the McCain campaign's Epic Failure...
NEWSWEEK has also learned that [Sarah] Palin's shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family—clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent "tens of thousands" more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.
The "Best" Political Team on Telelvision
Um, not so much...
Clearly, neither Campbell Brown nor John King have ever heard of George W. Bush, whose administration had a Republican Senate and a Republican House for six of his eight years in office!!
Nice holograms though, you tools.
The stoopid, it buuuurns.
Clearly, neither Campbell Brown nor John King have ever heard of George W. Bush, whose administration had a Republican Senate and a Republican House for six of his eight years in office!!
Nice holograms though, you tools.
The stoopid, it buuuurns.
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