Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

in fairness the moderator said the speakers views on eyerack are well known and this was a chance to talk about other issues. However, when a nyt columnist such as Bobo Brooks says the war is over, the rest of the media is sure to follow.

The reason is because the media is supporting the Shrub claim that the surge worked and /bush is righ

a total bogus line

Touche Obama. Good line.

What struck me most about the debate was just how good all of these candidates are compared to the Republican tribe. They so far out class the Reps that you almost wonder how we will limp along with this total failure of a President until one of these people can get in and start cleaning up the mess.

And this is akin to a coverup, or worse.
How dare they back-burner a war that Bush sent us into, a war that has isolated the US from the rest of the world, the worst policy decision in history!
It's all calculated, and it says little for the American public, who should be demanding a new president who will end this war.
How can the war be deferred to ANY other issue?
Are we truly MORON NATION?
I am not surprised, though, as Bush was elected in 2004, after a horrendous first term.
To all C-Listers who think any Dem will produce a LBJ-like landslide...forget that.
With the war forgotten...and I mean totally forgotten, get ready to welcome President Huckabee.

Ditto, Jamie...what a huge difference in substance.

"when she laughed derisively before he could answer the question as to how he would bring about change when he had so many former Clinton advisors advising him."

I didn't hear that as derisive. The moderator and other candidates laughed at the question as well I actually thought it was a good humored moment all around.

Dex: " all C-Listers who think any Dem will produce a LBJ-like landslide...forget that.
With the war forgotten...and I mean totally forgotten, get ready to welcome President Huckabee."

Agreed Dex...although I don't think the war even has to be forgotten. You watch immigration become a chant and the most dirt heaped upon the Demicrat, no matter who it is....

MSNBC is running the debate through to the end. It will be interesting to see how the CNN commentary differs from the slash and burn we can expect from Matthews.

Are we the moron nation?

Sadly yes

First Betrayous tells us March is to soon to tell, he will have to move his assessment to next year and then Shrub declares victory.

And the media just repeats all the Shubco baloney uncritically

I'm actually afraid that the media will shift even less of its focus from the fact that notwithstanding the reduction in violence in Iraq, no progress toward a self-sustaining country or coalition of factions seems to be occurring - which Ithought was the purpose of the surge.

Now here's my advice to the Dem candidates - drive the point home - stake out your approach clearly, contrast it with the republicans' stance (all are the same except Ron Paul, and his won't count soon), campaign like hell, drop out of the race and throw your support behind the candidate you prefer once it's clear you're going nowhere, and get out the Dem vote for the general next November.

Well, I think I'll mosey on - Little P is bored at the afterschool program and is bugging me to death.

Has anyone noticed all the car bombs blowing people into hamburger meat lately in Iraq?
The Surge is a temporary deal, at best.
Then watch what happens.
Everyone has their own personal issue, all crucial, all important, all extremely sensitive issues.
But we can't continue to not only dump the treasury and keep printing paper to prop up al-Maliki and that match-stick house government, we have to leave Iraq and try to re-connect with our former allies.
Let's debate the #1 issue first...then talk about illegal aliens and everything else.

Jamie...It's interesting how our predispositions lead us to hear things differently, isn't it? I am admittedly not a fan of Hillary's, though not one of Obama's either, but I find her to be rather strident...so her comment sounded derisive to me. I wonder which perception is accurate?

Dex,
Amen. I'm glad Richardson used the opportunity to bring it up.

Yes, dex, I've noticed the increase in bombs in Iraq. I'm watching very closely, for both political and personal reasons. My nephew is still there, still leading convoys in and out of Baghdad. And my son's two best friends are still scheduled to go...one in March, 2008, and the other in August, 2008. Ugh....

I know we all watched the debate...also at the same hour Geo. Mitchell released his baseball/anabolic steroid report.
Many named, Clemens, Pettitte, LoDuca, Bonds, Tejada...on and on...
but...NO DISCIPLINE is recommended..."...time to move on..."

Jamie,
"What struck me most about the debate was just how good all of these candidates are compared to the Republican tribe."

This is precisely why the dems need to nominate the best candidate, not the "most electable." If the dems nominate a candidate that can't unite the congress and the nation, the repubs will tactically use it against the dems in the succeeding election.

Harborwoman:
One encouraging note: the orders for armor plated vehicles declined recently...can that mean anything? I hope so.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I will soon be forced to abandon Dennis Kucinich for Bill Richardson. Full steam ahead, Bill !

dnd,

There is about 25% of the population that will thinkt he election of any Democrat is a disaster. The rest will be so glad to see the rear end of W will give the new president a fairly decent honeymoon. I think that will apply to virtually anyone we elect. I just have preferences as to who I would like to see in the honeymoon suite.

From David Brooks' NYTimes column on 2008 being a post-war election:

"...The number of audience questions about Iraq has dropped precipitously. Republicans don’t want to talk about Iraq because they’re humiliated by the conduct of the war, and Democrats don’t want to talk about it because they were wrong about the surge."

Fatuous on so many levels.

1) American voters realize major change in Iraq is coming post-election, if only because we are running out of troops and majority of general public does not support the Iraq War.

2) GOP problem with "conduct of the war" -- Mr. Brooks: even majority of military family members -- often a wartime president's staunchest supporters -- have realized this war was not justified. Problem goes beyond its "conduct."

3) Dems re surge is working: surge can work all it wants; we are still in a dreadful place. Iraq is a quagmire and we did not need to be there. Ever.

The fatuous Mr. Brooks never mentions the word "Afghanistan" in his column. Maybe he does not consider that a war zone. He's over it.

But again, maybe he thinks the troops are home. Because so many of them live in his affluent suburban Maryland enclave, nestled in among the other members of the upper middle class.

Last from Mr. Brooks: "The tragedy of the Republican race is that Mitt Romney and Giuliani, who could have offered a new kind of Republicanism, opted to run as conventional Bush-era Republicans."

Mr. B: the tragedy of the Republican race is that these are two of its brightest lights, and they're terminally flawed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/opinion/11brooks.html

Dex,
Where was Skinny Dennis today? There were several questions I would've like to hear him answer during the debate.

Jamie,
"The rest will be so glad to see the rear end of W will give the new president a fairly decent honeymoon."

I think that would be a huge mistake. Because when the honeymoon's over, then what? The next president should have to earn our respect from the get-go.

Oooh Fox commentary not happy campers. Their "undecided group" is smiling from ear to ear. There were sharply climbing bars on the audience response meters. and Brit Hume looks like he's eating pickles. Barnes et al are really pushing for Obama and downing Clinton and Edwards.

I think ALL of the Dems will have respect from all except the die hards. The honeymoon just allows the new president, whoever that might be, about three months to push their agenda through Congress without a lot of sniping from the media.

All of them will still be respected after that period if that agenda bears fruit.

Dex,

Dennis was not invited because his rep works out of the home without an office or staff. That didn't qualify for the debate rules. Gravel also didn't qualify.

skinny dennis and mike gravel did not get enough response in the poll to be included.

Jamie.... that's how I felt too watching this debate..... all the Dem candidates make me feel proudly.....

I was glad to see the congeniality among them also..... particularly liked when Obama defended Biden on his so-called "racist" remarks....

dnd..... I don't know why, but Kucinich didn't qualify for the debate..... and quite frankly..... I was glad...... I liked seeing only 6 candidates... I thought this debate featured the lower tier more than any other debate I've seen.... and it was refreshing.....

Dog,

You can now add Algeria to Afghanistan and Iraq. This war has so totally disestablished the Middle East and Now Northern Africa, that it could get a lot worse for people just trying to live. If these car bombings spread to Turkistan/Turkey or you start having more problems is Azerbijan and Chechnya it will go way beyond ugly.

W has turned a once cohesive group pretty well confined to Afghanistan into uncontrolled splinter groups all over the world. Sort of the difference between an operable tumor to metastasized cells attacking everywhere.

The CNN undecideds ranked the candidates

Edwards
Clinton
Obama

Jamie....
I saw the CNN poll differently.... the rankings I saw were

Edwards
Obama
Clinton

BTW..... of the top 3, I was most impressed with Edwards....

Jamie...Thanks for posting both the Fox report (made me happy to think of Brit looking like he was eating pickles...sour ones, I presume!) and the CNN undecideds ranking.

I thought Edwards and Biden gave the most thoughtful and powerful responses when asked about resolutions. And I agree with those of you who say that this field of Democratic candidates makes me feel pride. It's wonderful to see such and exceptional group of candidates. Now...one of them just has to win the presidency!

BTW....

CNN just announced that Bill Shaheen has stepped down as an advisor to Hillary's campaign.....

that remark about Obama's drug use as a teenager was mucho stupido....

Renee,

My rankings were the poll results from the machines. The ones you heard were a show of hands report from the focus groups. Either way, Brian should be clicking his heels together. Edwards did have the strongest performance and I still haven't put my finger on what still turns me off slightly about him.

Jamie: that he's not Hillary?

Now the fun begins. I'll try to take it for as long as possible before screaming and changing channels. Any bets on how many sentences Tweety gets out before slamming Hillary?

One sentence with the Shaheen resignation opening. Sentence two with campaign shake up rumor.

Immediately into the drug dealing with Schuster.

Maybe this is how you enjoy Matthews ... counting the number of times he says something nasty about Hillary.

Third question slashes campaign (Obama campaign using drug issues as a fund raiser).

Now the cackle

How does he hate Clintons. Let me count the way?

Five minutes in still negative Hillary with no real report of the debate. Leading question to Fineman.

dogs eye

Don't be catty. :-) I genuinely like Hillary. No question about that. I like Biden better. Previously stated. I like Richardson, but feel the pack is leaving him too far behind. I'm leery about Obama's experience, but I like him (not too fond of Michelle). I really like Mrs. Edwards. Something about Edwards makes me edgy and while I would vote for him, just haven't figured it out.

Something about Edwards makes me edgy and while I would vote for him, just haven't figured it out.

Imus feels the same way, and always checks to see if he still has his watch.

Are we not allowed to post links?

Fry: why not go back to the last column and read Craig's response to you

Had to go back a few threads as this place is ~blazing~ now.

Thank rr.

horse, "Keep Austin Weird". *L*

tt

Fry,

No more than two links in any one message or it holds the message for approval. Craig did respond to you.

Jamie...Brian isn't the only one who's happy that Edwards did so well. I've been an Edwards supporter for a long time...just reminding you....

Did Edwards do well? I just walked in, was at a clients all afternoon. Do tell?

I don't think there were any clear winners or losers in today's debate. Nobody had a major gaff, nobody landed a knockout punch and nobody hit one out of the park. Neither Clinton or Obama had an edge, which by definition, means they didn't meet expectations. But at least they didn't snipe at each other. And no food fight which must've disappointed Tweety.

I though Richardson did well, but that's because I'm tuned to his message and am biased. I thought Biden did really well. Dodd and Edwards were pretty good too. And as Renee said, Obama backing Biden on the race question showed a lot of class, or at least political prowess.

If I had to pick a winner, it'd be the moderator.

harborwoman, Brian and I are on the same page.

**~*EDWARDS*~**

tt

well tt, I told you that almost a year ago! LOL

dog,
As for T-shirts, Doots is right that Chuy's has some good ones. I'd think that Billy Bob's in Ft. Worth would too. There's a Mexican restaurant called Juanita's up in Boulder that has their theme on the back: "Praise the Lard!" And of course there's the Stockman's Cafe in Missoula, MT which says "Liquor up front, poker in the rear" The bar's in the front and the poker tables are in the back. When I went there back in the '70s there was a sign by the poker tables that said: "Check you guns at the bar." I told my brother that was cute. He told me they weren't kidding.

Edwards steals watches from people? If he gets caught , will he have to do time? And now for something completely different:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdKBd-DLZQ4

I'd like to remind everyone that earlier in the week Tweety said Biden was moving into third place.

So far Tweety's score for the election year is 0-463

Ft. Worth had "freezing fog" this morning. This place is so very weird.

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/357936.html

tt

dnd, or someone else upthread, said the next President will have to earn our respect. I'm hopeful that the next President will be someone we'll start out respecting, and further hope that he or she will do nothing to change that perception.

Freezing Fog pix.

*only in TX*

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/357936.html

tt

Tweety thinks he is painting Hillary clinton has a big horrible meany but all he is doing is creating the image that obama was more than an experimenter with drugs. The issue of his seling drugs has come up before. If you google coverage during his senate campaign it came up then.

Tweety thinks he is painting Hillary clinton has a big horrible meany but all he is doing is creating the image that obama was more than an experimenter with drugs. The issue of his seling drugs has come up before. If you google coverage during his senate campaign it came up then.

BTW am I the only one who finds William Shaheen's remark a tad racist?

I thought Edwards was especially effective today. And I'm still pissed at Obama for dissing baby boomers.

msgop was reporting almost a year ago the obama used cocaine
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?p=1017085

I just found Shaheen's remark stupid not racist.

OTH, every time someone says "Obama's not playing the race card", they are playing the race card.

If Tweety gets anymore obvious about his total hatred of everything Clinton, I'll suspect they have him on the payroll, to drive people to her campaign as a reaction against extreme ignorant prejudice.

"Ike Turner dead at 76"

http://ca.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idCAN125183820071213

tt

KGC

It wasn't exactly breaking news. He said he used cocaine in his book.

poor obama everytime he get's a attacked it's because he is black. We shouldn't elect him then because it will be too distracting.

I find the drug dealer remark racist. And yes Jamie, this is very old news.

Jamie
Exactly but Noron is saying cocaine like it never came up before although msgop did a story on how Obama's cocaine use could be a problem and raised the same issues last January. So for them to pretend this is something horrifying is ridiculous.

Plus shaheen didn't bring it up the reporter did so all of this is a lot media driven crap

and I don't think it is racist ...
interesting you see racism everywhere but not sexism

KC I don't see racism everyone, mostly! But think making an aside about the only black candidate. being a drug dealer racist. And why are you defending him? Oh yeah, female candidate gets automatic pass from you.

Brian
this is a bunch of baloney. The media raised the same questions a year ago and suckered this guy into revisiting them. The cocaine thing is on the table and the dealing thing has come up before so I don't think it is racist. One rumor is he sold enough to pay for his own -- I think a fairly common practice a little risk, put up the cash and basically free coke.

In Jan 2007 MSGOP had the cocaine story on its website and wondered if it would cause trouble for the campaign and raised all the same questions. Was that racist?

TT said this, "horse, "Keep Austin Weird". *L*"

Tiptoe, that has been a bumper sticker slogan in Austin for over 20 years now. Another one is "Onward thru the Fog" I don't know much about that one but I would bet it started in the head shops that used to be in Austin. Austin also bills itself as the live music capital of the world. They used to have a very nice live music concert hall called the Armadillo World Headquarters but it has been closed for about 25 year now.

yo soy Horsedooty!

Yes KC, I don't care who raised it, and as I said to fry several months when he raised the same stupid, racist question. Did it occur to you ask Bush if he was a drug dealer? And the question is racist no matter who brings it up. And this is not some low level campaign worker making these statements, this a co-chair, it was disgusting, and shows the level of desperation in the Clinton camp.

Washington Post Jan 2007
unease about Obama's drug candor

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/02/AR2007010201359_pf.html

and this was a post reporter this time too
gee

blah blah I don't think it is racist.
But if you do you should write to the washington post and msgop they raised the issue first

Yet again KC I ask YOU, why are you defending this?

Obama has kept the story alive so they can fund raise from it...so

In other words you can't or won't answer my question, you're going to maintain an evasive tact. No wonder you admire Hillary!

Because I think it's a bogus story. I don't believe her campaign ever spread the drug story. I think the reporter asked him about him and he responded.

To all you MSNBC addicts, Jeanne Moos had the best assessment of the debates on CNN's Situation Room. That girl is a scream, and wicked smart. I'll put a link to it as soon as I can find it on the internets.

So think he resigned for nothing, and Hillary was just apologizing because?

I'm impressed, Tweety uses a Warhol reference! Gay! :)

I think he resigned because it was the easiest way to end a story. They shouldn't have apologized in my view they should have circulated the prior stories and pointed out they were just echoing Chris Mathews.

Matthews slamed the Des Moine Register debates
what an ass.
every survey indicates a discussion of issues is what people want...not gotcha crapfests and certainly his rating show that...

Obama didn't experiment with cocaine. He used cocaine over a period of years high school and college.

"Obama didn't experiment with cocaine. He used cocaine over a period of years high school and college."

So?

Where's Dog at tonight?

Next tweety is going to say Clinton raised the drug issue to bring down obama even if it costs her....because she needs to stop Obama.

Well done Trippi! Well done!

Mark Penn disgusts me.

Matthews attacking Penn for attacking Russert after he just attacked the Des Moine register moderator.

so how come his head doesn't explode

I just got an invitation to go see Edwards, Bonnie Riatt & Jackson Browne in Nashua, NH next week.

Guess what? I'm going.

if those three guys represent the state of politics
I say yuck.

I'd swim through ice water to see Jackson Browne!

both those three guys, I meant the ones on Chris matthews show not the Bonnie Raitt show for Edwards

Horse,

I went to the Aramdillo. Drove all the way from upstate New York. After Commander Cody recorded their Live From the Armadillo World Headquarters album there, I had to go see the place. I had such a good time there I will always remember most of that night. It was a long drive especially since we stopped off at Sheppard AFB up in the panhandle first.

I got to see David Blue and Jackson Brown in the old Club 47 (now Passims) in Harvard Square one cold night about 35 years ago. They called the show "The Brown and Blue Review".

it was excellent.

yo soy Horsedooty!

I'll take my share of the broken ankles to see Bonnie Raitt

You gotta give Edwards A+ for entertainment.

Bowmanc,
Will Sheeheen chastise Edwards because Browne and Raitt used coke?

Craig,

How do they report Caucus numbers? How long does a contested election usually take to resolve. How about a lesson for those of us who have never been involved in one?

dnd the proper questions would be:

Will Shaheen express concern for the Edwards' campaign that they will be attacked by local republicans for bringing in known coke users.

Oh geez KC how many times tonight are you going to say coke or cocaine. THERE IS NOT STORY REGARDING OBAMA'S DRUG USE. The story here is the Clinton campaigns attempt at swift boating!

KGC,
I wouldn't be too worried, unless Edwards brought in David Lindley and Ry Cooder. Or the Dead.

dnd,

Can't speak for Billy Shaheen ( and it looks like he won't be speaking for Hill either) but I don't care about their pharmacological history.

Now if you will excuse me, I have a rather large berm of snow at the end of my driveway that needs attention.

Brian,
Edwards and Obama's new campaign song:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0PIJdRs-jGo

hey brian lighten up dnd and I are joking around

"The story here is the Clinton campaigns attempt at swift boating! "

No the story is that a very old story is being reported as headline news for the sake of ratings, and MSNBC is really, really guilty of squeezing every last ounce of noise out of it long after the campaigns involved just want it dead and settled because it isn't helping either one of them.

These people are getting too old to indulge in that abuse. However, we did have a 80 year old get arrested in Nashua for shooting a gun at some punks that were trying to steal his cocaine.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071201/NEWS01/312010084/-1/news

dnd I didn't know you're a Dead Head.

Bowmanc,
"Now if you will excuse me, I have a rather large berm of snow at the end of my driveway that needs attention."

"snow" that "needs attention" LOL! Ok, that's runnin' on empty...

Have fun at the Browne and Raitt rally for Edwards.

No Jamie, this is not an old story, it's about the Hillary camp trying to make hay from an old story. Geez I can't believe how naive you people seem to be. My god they are still defending the kindergarten piece. "Hey folks we were making a joke." How lame is that? I knew Hillary wasn't going to be a gracious loser but I never had any idea they would stoop to pettiness of this level, and so quickly too!

Just in from another hunter/gatherer trip...otherwise known as grocery shopping....

Forgot you were on board with Edwards, too, tt. Hooray! That makes three of us!

bowmanc...May I please be your chaperone to Jackson Browne/Bonnie Raitt event for Edwards???

Why is it considered dirty politics to ask probing questions about your opponent's past when it was your opponent who first revealed the basic information.

H. Clinton and her people should not only be allowed to ask Obama questions about his alleged drug use, but they should be allow to check his story out to the fullest extent without being tagged dirty politics. For what amounted to about 1 page of Obama;s own account of his teenage drug use, sure has been the topic of conversation. But that may also be the reason for so much conversation, scant details presented almost as a passing thought. Too much details may unearth others, and they may remember things differently than you. So it best to admit your failings as quickly as possible and move on. Now Obama being a Liberal D, knows how Liberal D's think:

There will be high tolerance for marijuana use among voters because many baby boomers probably tried the drug in the '60s.

"Who's going to cast that first stone?"

Democratic primary voters, who are typically more liberal, would be more understanding of his drug use -- "and if he makes it to a general election, it will be old news."

Obama's supporters said his admissions in the book could work to his advantage.

"I think it will be received as refreshing," said Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Obama's fellow Democrat from Illinois.

From Obama's book. "We were always playing on the white man's court . . . by the white man's rules," he writes. "If the principal, or the coach, or a teacher . . . wanted to spit in your face, he could, because he had the power and you didn't. . . . The only thing you could choose was withdrawal into a smaller and smaller coil of rage.

"And the final irony: should you refuse this defeat and lash out at your captors . . . they would have a name for that too. Paranoid. Militant."

What is he saying here? The white man expects the worse from blacks, they don't respect us, and I'll furnish them that tale. I'll play right into their biases and they will buy the whole package, because that is what they expect from a 1970's Black youth.

"Obama has not expressed any regrets for his candor. In a preface to the new edition, he says that he would tell the same story today "even if certain passages have proven to be inconvenient politically."

"In the book, Obama acknowledges that he used cocaine as a high school student but rejected heroin. "Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though," he says."

"In an interview during his Senate race two years ago, Obama said he admitted using drugs because he thought it was important for "young people who are already in circumstances that are far more difficult than mine to know that you can make mistakes and still recover."

"I think that, at this stage, my life is an open book, literally and figuratively," he said. "Voters can make a judgment as to whether dumb things that I did when I was a teenager are relevant to the work that I've done since that time."

What was his message? I'm just like you, so vote for me? Obama plays a mighty nice fiddle, one that makes you want to get up and dance.

The perfect tale, it is an open omission of guilt, wrong doing, with a plausible reason why, but the acts are viewed by no one, it can't be proved or disproved as there are no witnesses, no known accomplices have come forth. The only person who knows the full truth is stroking his chin, and the Liberal Whites are lining up shouting "Dirty politics" at anyone who dare ask any further questions pertaining to Obama;s early self-proclaimed drug use. Sort of like admitting to a crime you never committed, and no complaints have been files to support your self confession. Until other information comes to light to support the self confessed crime, either from the perpetrator or other accomplices, the case is closed.

Jamie,
I can answer some of your Iowa Caucus questions in a condensed version. The numbers reported are the number of delegates each candidate receives. At 7 p.m. the night of the caucus, participants are asked to move into preference groups for their respective candidates. Any group which does not consist of 15% of the total registered dems in attendance, will be allowed to realign with a viable group, try to get another group to join them to become viable, or leave.

Each precinct is assigned a certain amount of delegates. They are apportioned to the viable groups using a formula. Once each group have been given their number they elect members to be delegates to the county convention. At that time the precinct chair touchtones the numbers into headquarters who tabulate the numbers and submit them to a soon-to-be-website.

The caucus continues with platform discussions and committee elections. The state totals were known before my caucus ended last time so they are pretty quick about reporting. As I know more about where to get totals, etc. I will post it. I am missing my meeting tonight so I don't have all the information yet

For more info:.

http://www.iowafirstcaucus.org/

And Fry proves my point KC, you two are going to make strange bed fellows, ahhhhhhhhh politics!

Brian,
Politics doesn't build character. It reveals it.

dog,

It is probably worth reading since it was published in one of the leading Liberal Holy Grail newspaper.

Just to set the record straight this is the message I received earlier and I'm still receiving.
Craig Crawford's
Trail Mix
Thank you for commenting.
Your comment has been received and held for approval by the blog owner.
Return to the original entry.

Now this is what I tried posting earlier.

If you are or are not a dog owner you may already be aware of the affliction known as 'tail chasing syndrome'. This is where the dog will chase their tail until they catch it, and it has been documented in some cases where the dog has actually chewed off its own tail. Apparently the Democratic Party is currently undergoing this same misfortune.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/12/AR2007121202837_pf.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119750838630225395.html?mod=politics_first_element_hs

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/12/AR2007121201791_pf.html

http://thehill.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=70300&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=70

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/12/our-view-on-war.html

Hi Corey; just checking in.

Didn't get to see debate live, but C-Span will rebroadcast at 9. Will find out which C-Span channel and let you know.

doots: thanks again for more T shirt recommendations. Praise the Lard sounds like a winner.

Jamie: I was indeed being catty! One of those posts where one wished for another 10 seconds before hitting "submit."

BUT I do think you and KGC and Patsi are giving Hillary too much of a free ride because she is the first woman to get such serious attention. (Did you guys feel as invested with Elizabeth Dole?) Suspect it's sticking up for one's age cohort (within 30 years!)

Then again: that CBS Evening News crew shot from 1971. A fraternity.

Last: I would be more thrilled with the "first woman" business if Hillary was Harriet Woods (RIP) or Christie Todd Whitman or Olympia Snowe or ANYONE who was not First Lady first.

Too much like crowing about making it to home plate when one started on third base.

dog,

It is probably worth reading since it was published in one of the leading Liberal Holy Grail newspaper.

Just to set the record straight this is the message I received earlier and I'm still receiving.
Craig Crawford's
Trail Mix
Thank you for commenting.
Your comment has been received and held for approval by the blog owner.
Return to the original entry.

And every time I try to submit this post I get the same message. So I am guessing it has to do with the links.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/12/AR2007121202837_pf.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119750838630225395.html?mod=politics_first_element_hs

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/12/AR2007121201791_pf.html

http://thehill.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=70300&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=70

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/12/our-view-on-war.html

If you are or are not a dog owner you may already be aware of the affliction known as 'tail chasing syndrome'. This is where the dog will chase their tail until they catch it, and it has been documented in some cases where the dog has actually chewed off its own tail. Apparently the Democratic Party is currently undergoing this same misfortune.

Read the 5 previous links.

dog,
"Last: I would be more thrilled with the "first woman" business if Hillary was Harriet Woods (RIP) or Christie Todd Whitman or Olympia Snowe or ANYONE who was not First Lady first."

I agree. I'd have voted for Shirley Chisholm. I thought she was great.

better than having OCD

Amen to Shirley Chisholm, she was great!

The new Senator Clinton ad with her mom is great. I think it will do wel for her in Iowa.

Brian: "Yet again KC I ask YOU, why are you defending this? "

Brian, I understand your crush on John Edwards. And I think Edwards is great even though I don't have your lust for him.

But if you think that what was said about Obama and drugs won't be used by Republicans, then you are one dumb MoFo. But drugs will be the least of it. Obama started this when he said Hillary has electibility issues, walking dangerously close to Bill's pecadillos....

Give me an eff-ing break! And I'm serious as a heart attack. I supported Harold Ford and heard the attacks. I had rednecks -- male and female -- give me the finger because of my Ford for TN stickers. You live in NYC....maybe you don't know the asshole side of this country. It is RACIST. And sexist, I might add. And homophobic in case you don't remember gay marriage in the 2004 election. In many ways, you are probably right. Edwards IS the candidate we should float. A white Southerner. On the other hand, he couldn't pull any states in 2004.

But your snark has started to remind me of talk radio. Make an ugly statment, then immediately call it a joke and DARE anyone to question you.

"That bitch's butt is HUGE!" Oh, giggle giggle -- it was a JOKE....so it's just fine. And if you question it, then you are just a Feminazi.

Fry: I actually did take a peek at your links from earlier; scanned the WaPost story on dissent among Democratic leadership. Will read it more closely later.

But, why does the Post not write similar articles about Republicans in Congress?

"GOP Continues to Support President; Critics Hail Perfect Lemming Like Formation"

To me, bitching and whining sounds like -- accountability! And dealing with people who can see more than one possible outcome.

ooo alpacas. I want one.

I'm done with my Christmas cards! Huzzah!

"Brian, I understand your crush on John Edwards. And I think Edwards is great even though I don't have your lust for him."

Oh Patsi, you really make me laugh, nice try.

Craig Crawford had a brilliant appearance on Countdown.

KGC,
"Craig Crawford had a brilliant appearance on Countdown."

Yes he did. His analysis of how the Clinton campaign was keeping the drug thing in the press was brilliant.

Yes I thought Craig did a fine job of showing how Hillary is helping out the repugs.

Come on Brian....you are the one who talked about the "sexiest".....:) Just making a joke that doesn't involve a woman's butt.

patsi,

Amen to the demographic that loves its demagogues.

With that in mind, here is the deeply thoughtful and cutting cheese genius of Don Imus with the infinitely brighter and wiser Jay Severin --

IMUS: Why don't you like Huckabee? Because you're gay, or what?

McCORD: Oh, come on, what the hell was that?

RUFINO: What is that?

McCORD: Where did that come from? Jeez.

IMUS: I don't know.

RUFINO: Stand by for the drive-by.

IMUS: Charles made -- Charles made --

McCORD: Oh God.

Interesting that he tried to pass the responsibility to the appalled McCord... having tried the same with Bernie over Rutgers.

I don't know why Imus likes Huckabee so much -- he really is responsible for introducing him nationally on repeated visits to the Arkansas Statehouse (modest Christian Mikee like him some attention). Because he is a hell of a lot more like Rudy -- he lies, his skin is even thinner than his wife and he has only ONE criterion for respect -- which he admits he just violated grandly:

IMUS: Here's what you have to wonder, is here I am picking on poor Jay Severin, who couldn't be more loyal to me --

McCORD: No.

IMUS: -- unless he were Sean Hannity, who was magnificent in his support of me, and I don't know why I'm being mean to you. But, so I apologize.

Miss Birdies says I win the bet: he's new persona will be the I-Apologize Man. That is all he learned. He got fired. He got rehired. Anyone who fires him again will have to pay the pooper out of his contract.

Also that in media there is no principal's office anymore. As long as you can make a buck, you can fuck every ethic that ever was.

By the way.... I understand that RFD was a non-profit company until they made that infomericial they called a doc about the Imus Ranch. They were non-profit on the basis of serving an audience which was not getting served on television.

Then -- poof -- they are a for profit company and paying Donnie millions.

What happens if this strategy doesn't work -- if Imus is not a great loss leader for them? The money to be made in their approach is less from advertisers (except from whatever Imus makes ) than it is from what cable companies would pay them per viewer.

The viewers who watched RFD TV for the programming it provided as a non-profit probably will be left with dead air.

One more thought --

What if Don had said that to a guest who actually was gay?

Would "loyalty" trump dignity?

Brian you are now being totally right about everything for ever and a day.

Dang; managed to miss Craig. (Served dinner late.)

RE GOP using Obama's reefer madness past:

you can get past using drugs. Stupidity is timeless.

Craig,

Is your ankle better?

Jamie said "Brian you are now being totally right about everything for ever and a day."

Finally something we can agree on! I knew it would happen someday!

So with KO putting Imus on today's worse person in the world list I guess a lot of you will now be singing "Torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool..."

:)

9/11 Don't worry about Imus calling Severin gay. Severin is always talking about what a stud he is up here in Boston. We all know that his show persona is a bunch of BS. Severin doesn't like Huckabee (he calls him suckabee) and is really pissed that suckabee is dissing Romney.

I guess Don won't out Jay Severin....

Craig,
I'm begging you, can you get a gig on the Newshour with Jim Lehrer? It's on the same time here as KO, so I rarely watch KO. And tonight after KO put Imus on the worse person in the world, for a statement taken completely out of context, I've decided enough is enough. I know KO has a visceral hatred for Imus. Don't know why. Don't care.

I'm not worried about Severin.

I'm just worried about what will happen to Christmas if it turns out -- despite ALL appearances -- O'Reilly is NOT an eight hundred year old vampire and won't be around to win the war against Christmas forever more.

It's kind of fun that he has made this his big storyline for a few years as he looks a hell of a lot more like the Grinch than Jim Carrey ever did -- and for a lot less money.

Of course, it's not just Bill's heart that's two sizes too small.

The War On Terror Marches On!

Al "Robespierre" Gonzalez's case against Miami's Liberty 7 made them just that -- 7 guys at liberty -- one gets exonerated, six get a mistrial.

This clearly was not because there was no case and there could never be a case --

It happened because there's no waterboarding of defendants, defense attorneys and, most importantly, juries.

dnd,

Here's the transcript. Would you take a moment to read it and explain to me exactly how it is a) funny, b) political commentary or c) what is the actual context of the remark that KO and hundreds of others keep missing?

Thanks!

IMUS: What do you like on the other side. Well, Huckabee, is he for real?

SEVERIN: I don't think so. First of all, full disclosure, I'm for Mitt Romney, always have been. I believe he'd be a great president of the United States, also a great candidate against the Democrats, and I believe Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee. That having been said, certainly Huckabee is making mischief, and he could make serious mischief such that he could throw the Republican thing back out into the, you know, completely up in the air.

The Huckabee surge in Iowa is attributable to a singe factor, and that is Iowa is unique in that the largest group of Republican voters, the largest discernible group of Republican voters in Iowa are self-described evangelical Christians.

IMUS: Why don't you like Huckabee? Because you're gay, or what?

McCORD: Oh, come on, what the hell was that?

RUFINO: What is that?

McCORD: Where did that come from? Jeez.

IMUS: I don't know.

RUFINO: Stand by for the drive-by.

IMUS: Charles made -- Charles made --

McCORD: Oh God.

SEVERIN: I would like to make another admission on the Imus in the Morning program. I am, I am very happy, yes. And no, I would think that would make me -- I would think that would make me like Huckabee, think a little different than what I see of this guy.

IMUS: Here's what you have to wonder, is here I am picking on poor Jay Severin, who couldn't be more loyal to me --

McCORD: No.

IMUS: -- unless he were Sean Hannity, who was magnificent in his support of me, and I don't know why I'm being mean to you. But, so I apologize.

SEVERIN: I knew I wasn't calling into, you know, C-SPAN.

I second Craig getting a gig on The News Hour. Would be a good deal all around.

Parallel: always thought CBS might have improved their evening newscast if they went with Gwen Ifill rather than Katie Couric, since they'd been pulling good ratings due to viewers' enthusiasm for Bob Schieffer. IF they could have gotten Gwen Ifill away from The News Hour, which is the Tiffany standard of dinnertime news programs.

In same vein, would rather see some other deserving female politician contend for presidential nomination. I think Hillary is the Katie Couric type there -- the one presumed to have a following -- but not really.

dog,

Have you ever had a chance to watch the news BBC America produces?

It's World News America with Matt Frei and Katty Kay.

I'm hooked on it.

9/11,
I heard it on the radio. The transcript does not reflect the context. Nor the banter.

I'm not an Imus apologist. And I think Jay Severin is a nut-job. But I guess Imus haters like KO will use anything to attack him. So much for tolerance of different opinions.

BTW, did you catch on the transcript of how Imus was raising money or awareness for three charities and causes (other than his own) this morning? When was the last time KO did that?

dnd,

Digby wrote this in the context of not only what Imus said but the side whose support he doesn't seem as interested in acknowledging:

I don't know why he didn't mention all the Democratic politicians who supported him too. He really is mean.

I actually believe him that he doesn't know why he said it. Being an asshole is just a reflexive, uncontrollable response for him. Bullies are like that --- it's lizard brain, primitive pecking order stuff. He was just making sure that Severin and other supporters understand that just because they spoke up for him it doesn't change the fact that Imus is the alpha. And he is.

Yep 9/11,
I watch BBC World News America ever since I swore off Tweety. I am much calmer now.

zoey,

Isn't it amazing that genuine news -- news that covers things honestly and vividly in a way the majority of our media passes on -- is actually more calming to watch than Screamin' Chris Matthews?

dog,
Who can we petition at PBS to get Craig on The News Hour?

ps. I agree that Gwen Ifill would have been better taking over for Scheiffer than Couric. Couric was perfect at the Today show.

9/11,
You are wrong about Imus. Right about BBC.

But perception is reality, so enjoy the dance.

Timing on the west coast is such that I can get BBC America without impinging on any of the other programs.

You really get hooked on it for excellent reporting of the news by people with wit and brains.

Interesting that you mention that.

Keith Olbermann has appeared at many, many benefits in the NYC area over the past two decades. He is also, like many philanthropists, private in his charities. But I know a number of them which have benefited from Olbermann's participation. (Yes, he also has visited kids in hospitals to talk baseball.)

Olbermann also was outspoken and censored by MSNBC for his campaign against smoking.

He stood up to a creeped out Rick Kaplan who really was disgusted by Olbermann's literal and visual directness about oral cancer and smoking.

The oncological community and the survivor community embraced this -- it was the rare, unsentimental, non-feel good discussion of cancer on a news network.

Gupta used to do well on the subject on CNN but he has stayed away from it for awhile.

As a newscaster, Olbermann was simply ballsier and more direct about cancer's (and smoking's) reality than anyone else has been in years -- including Peter Jennings.

Let me lend my support to dnd. Those who don't listen to Imus, and who don't like Imus, are welcome to their opinions. But I suspect you might as well stop trying to change the opinions of those of us who enjoy him and at least think we 'get' him. For every misstep he makes, or every perceived misstatement, he does much more good by simply continuing to bring up issues like how our wounded soldiers are so poorly taken care of, or how toxins are imperiling our world. And that's my opinion. So there, said Edith Ann....

9/11...I see your support of KO in much the same way I see my (or dnd's or EdVB's or others') support of Imus. Keith has an incredibly mean streak. He never met another celebrity - especially one who's in a bit of trouble - that he couldn't try to push over the brink. Methinks he's guilty of schadenfreude on a grand scale...he does have a pretty bully pulpit from which to excoriate those he sets his sights on, after all. But I listen to him as I listen to Imus...I take away what I consider to be the good parts of both men's broadcasts.

But jan, KO is so sexy!

*L* @ Brian...

Well...certainly...Stephanie Miller seems to think so....

harborwoman and dnd,

Okay.

If anyone NOT named Don Imus was as unswerving in his support of the war in Iraq and his treating TV coverage of it as entertainment as Bernie and he accused any protester or opponent of it as treason...

What would you say about that person?

I mean, don't you find it just plain weak-minded and self-absorbed that if any man should rail against Dick Cheney as a war criminal and then support vigorously on the campaigns of Cheney's loudest coast enablers, Joe Lieberman and Rick Santorum?

Does that make real sense to you?

Doesn't that pin responsibility on Imus for all those wounded soldiers these two voted to create and then voted for reductions in support of their families and their medical care?

There were THOUSANDS of complaints about the military's medical care in the press. But Imus accused the WaPo of treason before he learned what an easy mark he is for PR bs.

When will any Imus supporter actually draw a line of responsibility for the things Imus has done that created this war and which he continues to do for the pols who support it?

For the record -- no one was less green than Rick Santorum (though plenty were equally so) -- or more hypocritical about industry and the environment than Joe Lieberman.

I brought up Olbermann only because of some of his history I know personally -- and, of course, because of his stand on smoking and oral cancer.

I have not watched an Olbermann live show or rerun in many months.

I didn't watch him on SportsCenter.

I don't have anything against. Life (and Mickey Rooney) are much to short to not read and listen to music a lot more than watch anything or anyone on TV.

9/11

speaking of music, I'm finally getting to see Hairspray tonight. Elijah Kelley is great!

9/11...

Imus doesn't support the war in Iraq. Either that is true, or I've completely lost it. If he supported it initially, that was before I began watching him.

I "discovered" Imus because he speaks out against toxins (including those in vaccines) as a possible cause of autism. That's a subject that's near and dear to my heart.

I make allowances for Imus' support of politicians I don't support, just as I do for everyone else. He doesn't have to believe everything I believe, or support only those politicans I support, in order for me to get something positive from his program. But yes, there is cognitive disonance, when he supports Santorum or Lieberman at the same time that he pillories things they believe. He currently supports McCain for President, though I know McCain holds a number of positions Imus abhors. I assume there are greater reasons for Imus' support.

I do want to thank you for giving me a look at KO's charitable side. I'm glad to know he has one, and to learn it from someone who actually knows whereof they speak.

So apparently NJ is about to abolish the death penalty! Good for them!

At the same time that they (NJ) force several additional vaccines, with all their attendant toxins, onto unsuspecting children...bad for them! NJ has the worst autism ratio in the country - 1 in 64.

On a happier note, Santa just cruised my neighborhood on his firetruck...gave all us little kids a candy cane and some Christmas cheer! Very cute!

I wouldn't mind having some fireman's candy cane. Did you get his number?

LOL @ Brian

Imus was an avid supporter of the Bush-Cheney campaign of lies.

He endlessly mocked the U.N. WMD specialists. HE knew better. HE knew powerful people because.... well, they suck up to him. And they were loyal to him. Therefore... he was their loud mouthpiece.

And, yes, he accused citizens (like me) who protested the war of treason.

I don't feel it is just cognitive dissonance.

To Imus -- like to Bush and to Rudy -- loyalty -- read "narcissistic supply" -- is everything.

And to "pillory" people -- you withdraw support and condemn them.

To pillory is to punish and then ostracize.

Don loves the powerful. He fell in love with the powerful when he no longer was one of them in radio.

Severin is the one who is the Neanderthal. Imus loves to get him goin' a little bit , to fire him up, because Severin is rather good with his banter. Imus just likes to f_ _ k with him.
That's Imus.
I for another join Harborwoman in joy that he's back.
I abandoned Scarbucket and Mika long ago and had switched to listening to Opie and Anthony. Little Jimmy Norton was about to drive me over the cliff with his vulgarity and nastiness...I am SO GLAD to have Imus back.
Besides, that special show on old German (and other) tractors that you start WITH A SHOTGUN BLAST (!) was fascinating!
I just re-watched the dem-debate , totally focussed with no distractions.
I really like Richardson, Dodd, Edwards, Biden, and ...I guess that's it...I can't recall who the other two were there on the podium Thursday! yuck yuck.

wasn't it Bernie that said that missionary girl that was kidnapped in Iraq was preggers with a terrorist baby? How nice is that? That is when I turned away from Imus in the Morning.

yo soy Horsedooty!

9/11,

Not sure why you're spending so much time on Imus tonight, but I feel the need to weigh in. I know I've said this on C-List before, but you're correct when you accuse Imus of being a bully, and he often says and does stupid things, but that's part of his schtick.

I know that he did not mean to bully those Rutgers kids. He's not above being rude to an anonymous caller, but it's his MO to lean on people with some power or celebrity to push them in a direction that he thinks, or probably more correctly, his wife thinks is for the public good. In the Rutgers case, he went over the top with a bad joke.

I listen to his show for entertainment, and to get some feel for what's going on in the world, and I watch Jon Stewart and Colbert for the same reason.

Imus backs politicians from both sides of the aisle, usually because there's something about the person that he likes. More often than not, his favorite loses, and blaming him for Leiberman ignores the fact that he backed Kerry against Bush.

I think you're wrong on some of the positions you ascribe to Imus, but they could be positions he's held at one time. Charles and Bernard both confess to being conservatives, but no one has been more opposed to Bush's rush to war than Bernard. Early on, he pointed out the chickenhawks for what they are.

Again, I'm not trying to convert anyone to become an Imus fan. I woke up the other morning just in time to hear the Severin exchange that's been quoted here. The quotes are accurate, but they're still not in context. What's missing is tone of voice. Charles and Lou were reining him in, and he came back. The humor will continue to be sophomoric, but the entire team has learned from their mistake. They'll make others.

Good night all.

Jill Carroll.
Like Carlin sez:
Don't want kidnapped or your head sawed off?
Then STAY HOME !

I still get sick when I see Nick Berg's head being lopped off.
That's a video I never should have looked at.
Later, for comparison, I watched a couple others.
I concluded they were real.
Too damn real.