Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Hit the road Jack!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Tiz6INF7I

I repeat.

You are a bully. You and your kind are make rules and then bully people into them.

I'm not doing what you want because 90% of the time I'm NOT EVEN HERE.

SO you take and bundle myself, dog, and harbor up into one mold and you are actually bullying all of us in the name of Revenge for something we haven't done.....

So leave me alone.

There are many people here I really like. just stay away from me.

Stick to UTUBE. Its what your really good at.

It is the Vietnam thing. We are very conflicted about it. Warrior status doesn't count for much now a days with most of the population. Sure, it will get you some respect but then you have to deliver. It does seem to mean more for the Democrats because they are always having to counter the weak on national defense problem they have. So they are always looking for warriors to bring along.

Jack

Good catch, Craig, on the Video TM.

tt

JACK:

THANK YOU, SIR!!

!:^)
viv

I'm still out on who I'd like to see fill his shoes. A tough woman with excellent interviewing experience and skills would be a refreshing take for the next generation of viewers.

Posted by: Rezdog | June 17, 2008 10:58 PM

==================

Megyn Kelly from Fox came to mind .. yeah, I know it's Fox, but I like her style of interview ...

whatcha 'll think out there?

would be different !:^)
viv

NO DEAL: Join The Coalition of Millions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9vHcZLVLSU

"This new video is devastating, utterly factual, and ultimately deeply moving:"

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/06/17/no-deal-join-the-coalition-of-millions/

Very thought-provoking topic, Mr. Crawford.
Jack Kennedy was a war hero , but it was a lot more than that that catapulted him to 1600 Penna Ave.

I am a Viet-vet, but I am for Obama over McCain.
This country needs a NEW image for the world to look at, not tired old John McCain, who is NOT a maverick; he is McBush.
He supported Bush through thick and thin...he's Bush's third term.
Obama simply needs to offset his lack of military experience by tapping the shoulder of Wesley Kanne Clark, a retired general who I have researched a bit and I like as veep.
Clark knows all about how Bush blundered us into Iraq as bin Laden was given a pass.
There's not a day goes by when I don't grit my teeth when I think about Osama bin Laden running around a free man,with all that blood on his hands.
I believe Clark might convince Obama to prioritize the military deployments differently and actually go after Osama bin Laden. OK...so I am overly focussed on bin Laden...but I WANT HIM DEAD SOON.

Alanis Morissette, one of the best musicians in the world, has made a stop here in Holland.....

She had a good performance last week, starting with : "Uninvited"!

:)) !!

It remains to be seen if John McCain will not be Americas choice.
If he was not Americas choice why is BO even lifting a limb. If I knew my victory was certain, I would sit back, relax and enjoy..

Anyone hear about the button being sold at a republican fair: it said: If Obama is president, will we still call it the White House?

Another reason not to vote for JmC.....Another reason to sit it out, or write in HRC

Hmmm another slugfest yesterday here on the trailmix... A Ma Zing that people continue duelling here.....

Anyway,
Team BO scoring high against team JmC with regard to the terrorist plans.
I think team JmC really needs to come more forward and do more research or these GE will end in a landslide for team BO. He still has the momentum... and making use of it.

Dex, don't forget Eisenhower.

tt

Craig, your "War Heroes Not Wanted" video is thought provoking. I would add
that it's not just war heroes that aren't welcome. The postmodern culture
tends to be anti-military, in the sense that it's not that cool to be in the service
in 2008. When I think of history, there were certain decades when NOT to be
in the military was out of fashion. The best and the brightest joined up in the 1940s, at least that's what it seemed like in all the old movies.

By the mid 1960s, it was not at all hip to be in the military. That mindset seemed to continue until Tom Cruise starred in "Top Gun." I remember I taught high school, then, and all my male students wanted to go into the Navy or Air Force to fly fighter planes and become heroes.

Then, by the late 90s and into the 21st century, another era of anti-military sentiment has taken over. Iraq, terrorism and the Bushies probably are at least partly to blame for the cultural shift away from armed heroes dropping bombs on so-called enemies.

Good morning lovely people!

Prof Marcia -- I don't know if we're an anti-military culture/phase, but my judgment might be clouded since I can hear the 50 cal from Quantico from where I type this.

Everything around me is military. Everyone around me is in the military. But more and more I hear military parents saying they don't want their own children to follow them into the military.

Craig, Good trail mix for those left of centric. Lots of statistical facts and corelations available.
Should we stay free from terror here and abroad then people have shot memories and the national defense will become a minor factor - as Oil / energy and economics is leading the way.

Hvae been away - but the BHO Fathers day address is what he will need to do more of.....
Lets not fix what is not broken.

The McClatchy series just gets better
Todays piece is about the pentegon lawyers that twisted the law. There are 5 more names to add to the war criminal list..

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/detainees/story/38886.html

Jack

More evidence of why Obama will not pick Clinton—backlash from his base. Another crowd LOUDLY boos Clinton when mentioned:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/06/16/an_obama_crowd_in_detroit_come.html

Ally
lol

Not a good sign of party unity. If Obama is going to bring this party together he is going to have to address this issue with his base.
Anybody can take on the opposition, now lets see if he has the political courage to confront his base. It will tell a lot about his ability to move to the center. So far he is still over in his box, a candidate of wingnut left and blacks.

Jack

Craig
Thankyou for that video!! Im so thankful for this forum.Hey everyone I know the fighting and name calling sometimes gets us down,especially the Hillary hating talk for me by some but I just look at the real facts I learn here and that saves the day for me.I wish I was as smart and literate as most of you that post here!!!! So glad to be in your company!!!

Obama, talking to reporters on his plane, said he had known Solis Doyle for years and organized with her brother on the southeast side of Chicago years ago.

"I've known the family for a very long time. I think that she will bring not only a set of skills that we're going to need as we put together our ticket, but she's going to be a terrific adviser and offer insight and judgment that will help us win in November," Obama said.

wapo

Military experience isn't the catapult, it's exhibiting tremendous leadership while doing our country's business.

Here's my take of the candidates who popped-up in my mind:

Truman--came in as VP
Eisenhower--leadership, sound judgment
MacArthur--kook
Kennedy--leadership, courage
Johnson--did his duty
Goldwater--kook
Nixon--served as lawyer--null
Reagan--did voice overs while in uniform--null
Bush--did his duty
Dole--did his duty
Kerrey--swift boated
Clark--not viewed as a leader
McCain-swift boated by his own party

Off to support Columbia's medical establishment!

flatus, you left out junior

"I've known the family for a very long time. I think that she will bring not only a set of skills that we're going to need as we put together our ticket, but she's going to be a terrific adviser and offer insight and judgment that will help us win in November," Obama said.

wapo

Posted by: patd | June 18, 2008 7:30 AM

Why shouldn't she help him win in November? She sure as heck helped him win in Iowa.

Sorry to barge in and dive to the bottom like this, but just want to post a response to something I just saw happening on the previous thread last night. Feel free to skip over it. I do not want to redirect the conversation that may be going on.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/06/battles-loom-in-vp-madness.html#comment-103980

Jack,

Thanks for speaking out last night for the well being of this place.

You didn't deserve to be slammed for doing so.
It is so sad to see people called names for trying to do the right thing and you deserve better.

Seems like many who wants things to be better around here, to promote honest and free speech (the positive kind) is immediately stomped on by the same one or two people in the worst way. And it really is only a couple people doing it, but occasionally sets the tone. EVERYONE else is so great and generous. We like the differences in opinion and that's why we come here. We're just working things out. And if someone loses their temper now and them, so be-it. What's wrong with that. It's much different than the systematic stamping out of others who don't agree with you. In a very unfriendly way.

Jason was right in his post yesterday. It is sad to watch sometimes. And frustrating. Like society, it is so very, very few that cause a problem. Most people are nice, good, kind, giving, sincere and always trying to do the right thing.

But it's so easy to focus on the one that isn't. The evil get way too much attention.

Excellent post, Flatus. I have such conflicted feelings about politics and military....first, so many people in my family have been military, and quite a few were career, including the one that just retired as a Navy captain to take a job in private industry. He knew his (3rd) marriage couldn't stand his taking the promotion to Admiral and going to sea.

I believe Eisenhower about the military industrial complex, yet I also hate it when people immediately start trashing career military people who look to politics.

(Loved your to-the-point assessment of MacArthur!)

"Clinton supporter planning "holy chaos" for Obama camp"
http://startelegram.typepad.com/politex/2008/06/clinton-suppo-1.html

lol
You Clinton people are just too fiesty. Trouble makers.

Jack

my previous post made me think of this commercial.
Perhaps the Obama campaign could use their expertise.

Cat Herders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SmgLtg1Izw

"Hey everyone I know the fighting and name calling sometimes gets us down,especially the Hillary hating talk for me by some but I just look at the real facts I learn here and that saves the day for me.I wish I was as smart and literate as most of you that post here!!!! So glad to be in your company!!! " Posted by: tonyb39 | June 18, 2008 7:29 AM

Well said Tony. I feel the same way.

My hero -- Harry Truman -- had a war record that is often just thrown on the pile along with his other formative experiences as a Missouri farmer, failed businessman and Pendergast politico.

But Truman was a truly heroic leader as a mid-thirtyish artillery captain in World War I. He showed courage and calm under fire along with great competence and skill as a field commander. He was front and center during the massive Meuse-Argonne offensive that ended the war. His men -- many of whom credited him with saving their lives on more than one occasion -- loved him deeply, and stayed close to him for the rest of their lives.

Good Morning,

I just came across this as I was web cruising, an article in "U.S. News and World Report" by a seasoned journalist, Bonnie Erbe--

"Obama and the Democrats Owe Hillary Clinton and Her Supporters a Formal Apology for the Campaign's Sexism."

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/erbe/2008/6/9/obama-and-the-democrats-owe-hillary-clinton-and-her-supporters-a-formal-apology-for-the-campaigns-sexism.html

"Why shouldn't she help him win in November? She sure as heck helped him win in Iowa."

Ha -- good point, Ally.

Democracy in Decline

The broad, sneering European-elite response to the plucky Irish vote to oppose the further centralization of governmental power in the European Union and the emerging opinion in China suggest that from Brussels to Shanghai, democracy may be losing its appeal.
http://www.creators.com/opinion/tony-blankley.html

A very interesting take.

I'm really starting to see what my son was talking about re: Russert's death. I was wondering about Meet the Press, and my son said NBC's Washington bureau was a larger issue. And David Gregory spoke about that this morning, saying that everybody -- everybody -- stopped by to get Russert's advice on what they were doing, their "take" on things etc. He did loom large.

Prof Marcia,

Thanks for the link. A good one, and it's about time someone said something.

Apologies don't always mean a lot to me (sometimes they do though!). That said, the last line in the article was my favorite; "This is a 'vote against' election." There's no one for moderates to vote for."

The Republicans did the most damage to the military brand with their "purple heart bandages", electing someone who was awol and trashing the record of someone who did serve.

And David Gregory spoke about that this morning, saying that everybody -- everybody -- stopped by to get Russert's advice on what they were doing, their "take" on things etc. He did loom large. Posted by: Patsi | June 18, 2008 8:38 AM

Patsi,
He will be missed.
What about Chuck Todd. He was supposedly brought in by Russert, and he's such an honest, likable, decent person who is so knowledgeable. I think he may be more like Russert than any of the others. And he is good with people. Trustworthy and believable.

Thanks for bringing up Truman's war record, Lard...he's one of my heroes as well.

No real surprise, but still hilarious news from my old record label affiliation, EMI -- it has been discovered that some employees were writing off their drugs and prostitutes by listing them on expense accounts as "fruit and flowers."

Sturge, are you out there? ROFL!

I liked Chuck Todd better when he was at Hotline. Since he has been with NBC and started having his eyebrows done it appears to have damaged his brain

KGC
Good point
In many ways the Republican right is just as out of touch as the Democratic left when it comes to the military. The purple bandaids were over the line IMO. Notice that many military people have moved into the Democratic column and I suspect some of it has to be the cluelessness of the right.

Jack

New York Times article on Michelle Obama

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/us/politics/18michelle.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Jack

The whole 2004 GOP performance made a joke of military service and certainly Bush's record with the military should make every service member and their family a Democrat.

What kind of a military depends on bakesales to provide body armour.

Hi Dog
Finian is not up! The vines you brought have some new growth and lots of little roots. I think they are going to make it.

ps Dog...full moon tonight you have about fifteen hours to get here for launch

KGC, Dog

If you haven't read it yet, read the McClatchy article I linked to up thread.
Amoung other things buried in the article,
It looks like JAG (military lawyers and justice system) is very pissed at the Bush administration for by passing them to set up Gitmo. The Bushies that pushed it are gone and JAG is left holding the bag.

Jack

Am I the only one who will not miss TR?

Iam sorry for being honest, but may God have his soul....
On the other hand, I will not miss his "insights" in politocs.....

Posted by: Jason | June 18, 2008 9:17 AM

You are not the only one. I don't think Dennis Kucinich or Valerie Plame will miss him. I won't miss him.

I am of course very sorry for his family but as a journalist blah.

And I am sick to death of hearing about Irish Catholics
what happened to separation of Church and state

I don't want my news informed by the rules or tenents of the Catholic church,

As far as the GE goes: The republicans do not deserve to hold the office of the POTUS. Look where their leadership has led us. The screwed the whole country and their own party...

So the Dems screwed over their own in this primary, it comes down to a choice between the lesser of two evils.
Not much any of us can do to change that, at this point. The tide is turning for me, I can not see rewarding a party that lead us straight to the path to hell.

BTW : I think come November everyone will like MO, she's smart and strong. She is undergoing a public make-over, to highlight her good points. She'll help in bringing in the female vote, as will Hillary.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25234989/

As for TR, my co-worker met him, and from what she says, he was a wonderful person. She was in tears when she heard the news. I think if you knew him at all, (on any personal level) you would miss him.

mornin' all.

Good lord.

dog, what kind of vine doesn't grow in VA's climate? Kudzu? Wait, it does.

UB

MO has always been the thing I like best about Obama.
Much as HRC was one of the things I admired about Clinton. It takes a person very secure in themselves to be married to such strong women. I know many men who can't handle it. I suspect John McCain may be one.

Jack

Well I wasted way too much time in here this morning. I've got work to get done.
Jack

Very true Jack, I think many can easily confuse strong with over-bearing- there certainly a huge difference.

"Behind every great man there is a woman"

Isn't that how the saying goes?

dog, Bonnie Erbe isn't trying to prove that Obama's campaign WAS sexist. She's saying, correctly, that a high percentage of Clinton's supporters PERCEIVED the Obama campaign as sexist (and some who post here would agree with that), between a fifth and a fourth of her supporters say they'll vote for McCain, and that an apology, rather than a list of policy positions, is what will be needed to try and get those offended supporters to vote for Obama. In politics, perception is reality to a big extent, so if she is right about how the disaffected Clinton supporters viewed the campaign, she MAY be right about an apology helping. Frankly, I don't agree with her. I think an apology would be seen as an insincere pander to try and get their votes, and I don't expect to see one.

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Posted by: Anonymous | June 18, 2008 9:44 AM

directed at Posted by: Chef Sheila | June 18, 2008 9:39 AM

MSNBC’s Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow are young, geeky and hot
By AARON BARNHART
The Kansas City Star

Editor's Note: This story was published before the death of NBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert.

http://www.kansascity.com/782/story/661526.html

So Anonymous,

I hope that someday you will have somone that treats you well. I think you need a little bit of kindness. Everyone does.

Shelia,
Stick around Shelia, you have every right to be here and be respected.

It stinks whenever someone is attacked from anyone, in any manner.

If we have rights to opinions, I am hoping that doesn't mean we all need to embrace the same opinions in order to coexist in a civil manner.

Now I have to walk to work....
peace~

Enough already with this back-and-forth over who's naughty and who's nice. Please! Once points are made four or five times, it becomes stupefyingly repetitive and boring.

"... she's not all that interested in the truth if it tarnishes her hero, Obama. And this truth certainly does just that." Posted by: prof marcia | June 18, 2008 9:44 AM

Professor,
I agree with so much that you post. And the thing is we're not even talking about Obama. This is a completely separate issue. We're not so much complaining about injustice because of ANY kind of prejudice (race, sexism, you name it) as we are trying to understand it and deal with it and rid ourselves of it.

Thanks Burrito,

You are a good woman with integrity. I have really enjoyed our ageements and our disagreements.

I am not going any where. I have been here from the beginning and will not give up my place here.

I am happy you are still here too. I decent voice to have a good converstaion.

Sorry Craig,
Saw your post after I made mine.

Give me effin break
No one attacked you you choose to make it into an attack on yourself so you could climb up on a cross.

As for my life, sounds like you are projecting.

No one is trying to run you off, you are the one who always runs off whining because of perceived slights.

I think there is a handful of people on this blog who truly don't like each other, and then there are those who get caught in the line of fire. (maybe because they don't know the history , whatever, it doesn't matter )

If those who don't care for each other would just "take it outside", maybe there wouldn't be the constant collateral damage.

?

GTG : the longer I stay here the less I want to walk.!

attempt to understand. peace~

Thanks Craig! As usual, you're the voice of sanity.

It is boring to keep going over the same old arguments.

Let's all be nice even if we don't agree about politics.

I don't really dislike anybody on this blog. If I met any one of you, I'd
probably enjoy a lively discussion with you.

Sorry Craig,

I for one have kept silent for a long time.

I will silent up again! But some time, somewhere, someone should stand up for decency. When being pummeled for many many many months.

I just did. Now I am finished.

Hey all, I don't mind arguments at all -- but why not find something new to argue about now and then?

And it sure would be nice to stick to debating issues, politics and politicians instead of insulting each other

here's how Webster defines what i really don't like to see on here:

Adhominem
1 : appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect
2 : marked by or being an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to the contentions made

"I am sorry for being honest, but may God have his soul....
On the other hand, I will not miss his "insights" in politocs.....
Posted by: Jason | June 18, 2008 9:17 AM

Jason,
I didn't know we were 'allowed' to say that.
He wasn't my favorite, either.

Morning, all

Craig -- The Second Wave feminists had a saying, "The personal is political and the political is personal." Have you ever seen politics get this personal?

I was just talking with a friend the other night about how difficult it's been for us to pivot to the DEM nominee THIS time, when in all other time before we just naturally went for whom ever it was.

New polls out show Obama up in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania:

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/06/heres_your_bounce_obama_up_in.php

Woohoo!

Kerry led in the polls too

I am happy that Craig said this to us, and I will try hard to use his advice. I usually wish he would intervene more and guide us in the right direction more often. It's always good to hear from him And he knows more about Politics than anyone else. He is our guiding influence, or at least he should be. This is his site, after all.

Anonymous: What's significant about these polls is that they speak to an Obama "bounce." Frankly, I think it's pretty amazing that he has a slight lead in Florida.

Glenn Greenwald
Monday June 16, 2008 15:45 EDT
Targeting Steny Hoyer for his contempt for the rule of law
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/06/16/hoyer/index.html

This is true about EVERY issue, especially on Iraq. But I will say what Glenn will not - it starts with holding BARACK OBAMA to account. His silence about this proposed capitulation is deafening. Want to be the leader of the Party? Of the Nation? Senator Obama, the time is now. And let's start with a denunciation of this cowardly capitulation by the House Democratic leadership on FISA.
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/6/17/223310/992

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/06/war-heroes-not-wanted.html#comment-104074

Dog's Eye, no one is being shut down. But I am reacting to what i hear offline from many lurkers (which is about 10 times the daily population of those who actually post here). Most rave about the interesting debates and useful links in our Comments section, but they complain about the distracting personal squabbles that go on for hours and hours.

dog, I can assure you that given Craig's and Sheila's long history, and Sheila's repeated calls for civility here over the past few months, his comments were not directed at her.

Kerry had a bounce too
10 point national lead at one point

What's significant about these polls is that they speak to an Obama "bounce." Frankly, I think it's pretty amazing that he has a slight lead in Florida.

These polls aren't always reflective of what's happening, for some reason. They're a good guide line, but I certainly wouldn't take them to the bank. During the primary, he almost always polled high. He would get huge turnouts at his rallies, then lose the state vote to Hillary. He needs to be careful and broaden his base. It's been a while since he's done really well in the votes done. It seemed to go steadily downhill.

PoU, I echo your surprise at the QU FL poll. The anticipated bounce after Clinton conceded (or whatever it was that she did) may have just been delayed.

chloe:

Come on, do you have to bring a rain cloud out on a sunny day? By highlighting the polls, I'm simply pointing to an Obama bounce. This should make democrats happy. Of course, polls change, voters attitudes change, but you have to at least respect the movement he's had post primary.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/fl/florida_mccain_vs_obama-418.html

Other polls paint a different picture in Florida
Like the PPP poll on Ohio yesterday, it looks like there are polling problems with the two showing Obama ahead.

Well I am not and thank you Craig for reminding all that debate is more fun and diatribe.

See you all later. Time for work.

"The Republicans did the most damage to the military brand with their "purple heart bandages", electing someone who was awol and trashing the record of someone who did serve."

Agree totally, KGC.

And chloe, you are right to suggest that the polls are volatile and not necessarily reflective of the ultimate voting outcome. That said, this is unexpectedly good news for the obama campaign. FL & OH, and to a lesser extent, PA stand as tough tests for him - if these results suggest the beginning of a trend toward a dem vote in them, the landslide predictions could come true. And you rcomments about broadening his base are spot on, lwhich is why paying attention to the independent voters' opinions on running mates in the swing states is important. (Clinton supporter who despite accusations to the contrary, recognizes political realities).

Hmm...and Charlie Crist is backing off from his support of the federal ban on offshore oil drilling....bleh

Shrub blamed Bill Clinton for today's gas crisis.. Apparently, since the media and Obama have made the Clinton's the preferred punching bags, Shrub thought he would just pile on.

Yeah, right dog. Everybody else is wrong and you are right. No sexism exists and whatever existed during the campaign is ho-hum. Jeezus. Do you just sit around your mother's house and smoke dope? You seem that far out of touch with reality.

For 7 1/2 years Dems have been asking who was invited to make energy policy. Far from making oil & gas expensive, they don't even know who's doing it to us.

It has been the bush/cheney/mccain policy for 7 1/2 years to boost the price of oil and gas and make the dollar worhtless. What we are experiencing today is no glitch or accident. These are oil patch boys serving the other owners of the oil patch. & mccain is one of them on his mom's side.

The Enron Loophole and Your Gas Prices

The biggest cause is not OPEC, or increased demand from China. Instead, it's that same fun bunch that brought us the collapse in today's housing market: rich speculators, working through global investment banks and hedge funds.
http://www.creators.com/opinion/jim-hightower.html

Taking aim from the inside, though, was Ms. Couric, who herself has faced harsh criticism as the first woman to be the solo anchor of an evening news broadcast. Ms. Couric posted a video on the CBS Web site on Wednesday about the coverage of Mrs. Clinton.

“Like her or not, one of the great lessons of that campaign is the continued — and accepted — role of sexism in American life, particularly in the media,” Ms. Couric said.

She went on to lament the silence of those who did not speak up against it.

Candy Crowley, covering the campaign for CNN, said that for the most part, she did not see a drumbeat of sexism in the daily reporting, “but I certainly did see it in the commentary.”

Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic Party, who says he was slow to pick up on charges of sexism because he is not a regular viewer of cable television, is taking up the cause after hearing an outcry from what he described as a cross-section of women, from individual voters to powerful politicians and chief executives.

“The media took a very sexist approach to Senator Clinton’s campaign,” Mr. Dean said in a recent interview.

“It’s pretty appalling,” he said, adding that the issue resonates because Mrs. Clinton “got treated the way a lot of women got treated their whole lives.”
(I think his wife beat him up)

Cable television has come under the most criticism. Chris Matthews, a host on MSNBC, called Mrs. Clinton a “she-devil” and said she had gotten as far as she had only because her husband had “messed around.”

Mike Barnicle, a panelist on MSNBC, said that Mrs. Clinton was “looking like everyone’s first wife standing outside a probate court.” Tucker Carlson, also on MSNBC, said, “When she comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs.”

The establishment news media were faulted too. The New York Times wrote about Mrs. Clinton’s “cackle” and The Washington Post wrote about her cleavage.

Ken Rudin, an editor at National Public Radio, appeared on CNN, where he equated Mrs. Clinton with the actress Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction.” “She’s going to keep coming back, and they’re not going to stop her,"

For those interested...Michelle Obama is on The View

Ok, folks, gotta rush off. University of Florida's graduate student union, GAU, is beginning contract bargaining this afternoon. Wish us luck!

Beginning to be talk of a September Surprise from the Repubs - it's not the MO video (s). Can you guess? This move by the Repubs would throw the election into chaos.

You say that now. But not just a few short weeks ago

9/11 pointed out the food issues and you just brushed it off.

Anonymous wrote:

"What a load of caca since you have previously announced none of this effects you because you have public transport. You sound like Bush."

Caca? Bush? Here we go again with anonymous' personal attacks and abuse yet again. What a bore.

The one proposal that would have given relief to the people who need it the most, you dismissed as pandering.

What do you propose for people who are choosing between buying gas and eating. Or for people who have quit their jobs because gas is more then their salary. I am sure your empathy will help them out a lot.

ok, it obviously didn't sink in for some, so i will try again. It is disgusting, childish and totally counterproductive to use personal insults to make your points.

Adhominem
1 : appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect
2 : marked by or being an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to the contentions made

Okay Craig. I'll try to play nicer. It's hard though. Because nobody ever taught me the politics of passive aggression and backhanded smearing. I grew up believing in directness. Bad on my parents.

Caca? Bush? Here we go again with anonymous' personal attacks and abuse yet again. What a bore.
Posted by: xrepublican | June 18, 2008 11:05 AM

Again, EVERYONE here is anonymous. If we don't agree with someones opinion, then maybe we should move on to the next post. Why stop to attack. Everyone being anonymous makes us all equal too. Seniority doesn't matter. People should be able to say whatever it is they want to say and move on. period.

Thanks Lushis - got it on now. I don't usually watch that show. Interesting assembly around that table. Oooh she reached out and just touched Elizabeth! She's pandering to the right!

Okay Craig. I'll try to play nicer.
Posted by: Patsi | June 18, 2008 11:08 AM

Patsi,
I know it's none of my business, but I don't think Craig is talking directly to you either.

Your directness is refreshing. Don't change.

KC, you wouldn't expect Dumya to acknowledge that it is his father's executive order he plans to overturn and Reagan's ban on offshore exploration (that was passed on the heels of the gasoline crisis during Carter's term) - they were republicans, right? - or the almost total lack of applications for new refineries - those have to be filed by the oil companies, right? - would you? It's so much easier just to say it's the Democrats' fault, knowing that the American people will pressure their MOCs to DO ANYTHING that MIGHT (as opposed to will) ease energy prices, and knowing that there are probably enough MOCs with too little spine to stand up and call bullshit on him.

Here is the latest Harris Poll

Everyone hates Bush (Cheney more)
Only 14% of Americans think we are on the right track
It begs the question, why is the presidential race still close.

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=915

Pogo,

Bush doesn't remember what happened last week let alone during his father's administration.

The government should subsidize gas prices as a bail out as they have done for big corporations.

If Bush ended the war in Iraq, oil prices could stop climbing. I can't find it now but someone put together a great site explaining the impact of the war on the economy. I think it is part of the BlueAmerica candidates plan to end the war NOW.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/06/war-heroes-not-wanted.html#comment-104116

" People should be able to say whatever it is they want to say and move on. period. -- Posted by: chloe"

-- Couldn't agree more, Chloe. Especially the "move on" part. Enough already of my own ranting. Some good issue discussions underway here today.

http://www.responsibleplan.com/

They don't make new refineries because it is more cost effective to expand old ones. That way, they don't have to build a new harbor & pipeline, or make qa different connection to the electrical grid and highway system.

Irrational exuberance. Look at past elections and poll numbers.

I'm sorry, Chloe, but would you please allow Craig to speak for himself? He seems quite capable of getting his meaning across without assistance.

"1 : appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect "

Uh, Craig....does this mean we can still call people dumb as a box of rocks?

(just kidding....)

KC, it's almost a perfect storm. The dollar has been driven to record lows against almost every major currency, the war has been a drain on the economy, worldwide petrolem production lags slightly behind demand as a policy position of OPEC and other petro exporters to keep oil prices high among the speculators, the government and huge agribusiness boondoggled us with food based ethanol, and the financial markets looked backward to income trends that have since reversed and played their shenanigans with mortgage gizmos that created an ownership class that couldn't afford to own. For the foreseeable future, everything except housing will cost more and we are screwed.

"Enough already of my own ranting."
--Craig Crawford

Yeah, Craig, stop "blog clogging" with all your nasty posts!!

just kidding...

LOLOLOL!!

xr, if that's responding to my post, it's applications for increased refining capacity, not necessarily new standalone facilities that I am referring to. I wasn't clear.

Bipolar Disorder: Is America Divided?
U.S. Politics, Media & Journalism, Elections, Politics

".... Intellectuals and partisans may line up at the extremes, but ordinary people mix and match values from competing menus. ....... "above all moderate," "reluctant to pass judgment," and "tolerant to a fault." Because opinion polls are designed to elicit and categorize disagreements, he concluded, they tend to obscure and even distort this reality."

"...On election day, of course, independents who want to vote almost always have to choose between a Republican and a Democrat....Many of them, however, are undecided until the last moment and aren't particularly happy with either choice."

Politically speaking, our fifty-fifty America is a divisive, rancorous place. The rest of the world should be so lucky.

http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2005/01media_rauch.aspx

Lynn C- if you are still here ... you posted a url to an article written by a lawyer, accusing Steny Hoyer and the House Democratic leadership of caving in on the FISA bill. Unfortunately, the article contained no details about the proposed compromise.
Sen Sheldon Whitehouse, D of Rhode Island also proposed a compromise ... one that is currently available in law, but which the telecoms cannot use at present. That is that anyone with standing be allowed to sue the government, not the telecoms.
IF the telecoms had assurances from the government that the directive was lawful, then they should be off the hook. Since the telecoms have presented no defense, I assume that they received national defense letters.
I do not see why the telecoms should be held liable for what the Bush Administration did, and any compromise that gets them off the hook while not exempting the government from liability ought to be acceptable.

Pogo
One of the interesting arguments about the role of speculation in oil prices, is the failures of the other places where investors felt comfortable. I still think some regulation is in order.

I agree, kgc! Deregulation in many forms and many areas of our economy has caused great havoc with our economy. It appears to be by design...and another means of lining the pockets of the very wealthy.

I read recently about a meeting regarding energy prices in which Cheney simply dismissed one congressman's concerns (a congressman who holds a degree in economics) as the concerns of someone who simply doesn't understand how the country's economy works.

pogo, xrepublican: Based on Congressional testimony, the oil companies have been steadily increasing refinery capacity over the years. In fact, they seem to prefer to do it that way. The latest that I heard was that we were at about 85% of capacity.
Most of those who have recently spoken on the subject blame the commodities futures market -- or, rather, the lack of regulation. An exception was made for the NY commodities market as regards margin and oversight (margin is currently 5% cash to value), whereupon the Texas commodities group began trading in Dubai ... several persons who testified before Congress said that if regulations were put back in place ... as they existed until 2000, the price of crude would come down to about 50/bbl

In past elections the Dem, Indie, rep split was roughly 1/3 each. This year, the polls are consistently showing a huge change in LV party identification.

Also, 2004 was a referendum on gay marriage and Kerry's war record. After all the threats of drug-raddled hippies and uppity blacks, the PoWs, abortion, flag-burning, willie horton, Monica, swift boat liars for the deserter, and gay marriage going back 40 years, and the subsequent republican failure to act on any one of these issues after the elections, I seriously doubt that republicans can successfully stimulate lizard brains one more time. Besides, for most Americans, Katrina broke the republicans black magic spell.

Good day all....

Craig, I found your video very instructive and interesting today (not that the other days aren't the same, but I haven't seen the war hero discussion presented in this way before. There's always been this assumption that only someone who has been in the military is qualified to lead our country. Apparently voter majorities tend to disregard such a "qualification". In Bush vs. Kerry, it has to be said that voters tend to not want to change leadership while in a time of war. Also, by making his military service a central issue in the fall 2004 campaign, Mr. Kerry opened himself up to an unprecedented smear campaign that hurt him on election day. Of course the Osama video the weekend before didn't help either.

I often wondered is Osama wanted Bush to win because his "cowboy" image was a good recruiting tool for potential young jihadists willing to conduct further terrorist acts in their warped understanding of Islam.

Anyway, good stuff.

Have any of you read this interesting article right here at CQ? About Sen Obama attempting to woo the women of the Hispanic caucus?

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002898943

Be sure to read on to page 2 -- it's kind of a hoot and speaks to the subject of sexism...not about Hillary but within the caucus itself.

maggs, one of the Repugs' mouthpieces' biggest arguments (of 3) about oil prices is that they haven't been allowed to increase domestic refining capacity. I haven't seen anything that suggests that argument has any merit. The other two are more access to drilling on public land (including ANWR) and offshore. IMHO, the lack of increased refining capacity is one of the oil companies' main mechanisms for manipulating the price of refined petroleum.

As an example, look at what has happened to the price of diesel as compared to gasoline over the past decade or so. What used to cost 3/4 of the other now costs 1 1/4 of it, all from the same raw material. I'm sure there are other factors, but dedication of refining capacity to those two fuels has to have helped manipulate those prices.

lunch

Tom: Good morning.
My view regarding Kerry's candidacy was that his own record presented a terribly mixed message ... yes, he served and valiantly, at least in the eyes of his closest comrades. I personally think the Swift Boat Veterans could have saved their money, however ... it was his Congressional testimony in '71 and his anti-war activism that bled away any benefit he might have derived from his service.
But, let's be honest, it was his gravely Senatorial persona and his foreign-born wife that did him in. For those people who vote only in Presidential general elections and spend most of the rest of their lives totally unaware of what's going on in the world (for whatever reason), it finally comes down to a last-minute decision based on almost nothing at all.

Every few days the White House rattles its saber at Venezuela or Iran. A couple of times a week newsmax, bob novack, timmerman, and kessler pass on neo-con threats and rumors about bombing Iran and invading Venezuela. These threats and rumors of yet war with yet another oil producer incite panic buying in the auctions that set the price.

Consider, if you were the CEO of XOM and wanted desperately to fill 250 million gas tanks in January, you would do your best to buy up as much as you could today, before the lunatic bombs Iran and invades Venezuela destroying their production, too.

Folks who think the Iraq fiasco is about cheap oil don't understand that the White House policy was crafted to end the era of cheap oil. Mission accomplished!

good morning gang....

after staying up half the night to celebrate a Celtics championship..... I'm a tad bit later than usual getting to this party....

Craig..... interesting video.... it really made me think....
yes the infighting is getting old..... but at this point, I honestly think unless you do something about the source.... it will break out again in a few days....

xrepublican..... from your moniker.... I'm assuming you are an ex-republican.... I'd love to read about why you made the switch....

Patsi.... I too struggle with my feelings on the military..... every time I read about $400 toilet seats and $200 screws it makes my blood boil..... but every time I see a young person in uniform, my heart and my respect go out to them...

"For those people who vote only in Presidential general elections and spend most of the rest of their lives totally unaware of what's going on in the world (for whatever reason), it finally comes down to a last-minute decision based on almost nothing at all. "

Sad but true.

pogo: All I know is that when I have seen oil company execs testify before Congress, each of them insists that refining capacity is fine. From time to time one of them mentions the summer fuel vs winter fuel problem but I really haven't heard any of them state in recent years that refinery capacity was a huge burden. Yes, they would like more drilling ... or at least more exploration ... but T Boone Pickens (a man I mostly don't care for) the other day was honest enough to testify that we have no idea how much oil that might give us and he doubts most of the estimates.

dog's eye: I was afraid of that. I am a huge golf fan -- and watched the entirety of the US Open. My daughter has a knee thing (skateboarding--two surgeries) and I was pretty much certain that Tiger's perseverence was costing him. I only hope he doesn't permanently damage his golfing career ...

Renee: With apologies to any Lakers fans here ... wasn't that the most glorious game ever? Usually I don't like blow-outs, but OMG, I have never in my life seen such a demonstration of brilliant basketball.

personally think the Swift Boat Veterans could have saved their money, however ... it was his Congressional testimony in '71 and his anti-war activism that bled away any benefit he might have derived from his service.

[snip]

But, let's be honest, it was his gravely Senatorial persona and his foreign-born wife that did him in.

Posted by: maggisd | June 18, 2008 12:04 PM

Agreed! i was already thinking about what Kerry said against U.S. troops and his wife seemed a bit odd... exotic is the word I think they used !!! Plus, Kerry didn't help by saying "I actually voted FOR that bill before I voted AGAINST it". The masses do not understand the process of how bills move and how voting works. In a moment when the Bush operatives were painting him as a "flip-flopper", he gave them that opening.

And he was such a stone faced candidate. It was like one of those statues at old west tourist places where you have to put wooden nickels in them to make them move around or say anything.... :)

Harriet Christian - Obama scrambles for women's votes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B0yaqiMD7Y

About the oil thing... leave it to Bush to once again try to protect big oil and speculators. Instead of doing the right thing by insisting that this unbridled speculating of oil in the markets be curtailed, he wants to just make more profits for the blood sucking oil companies and their conglomerates.

He is such a toad!

Tom

maggisd,

I think what the execs mean is that refining capacity is fine for them, personally.

EuroTom,

If I were a toad, I would be insulted.

GORDO, Harriet Christian comes across so bad in that video! I've seen it before and all I could think was "this isn't a great image to present of those dissenting from the DNC decision". And what's the point of posting it?

Oh and Craig... i have been reading the back and forth personal comments made today and I think it's great that you let your frustration show. The blog is yours and it's meant to be a place of intelligent discussion, not our emotional drama laden volleys back and forth. And I do understand it because we all feel offended at times. I've already said there is one poster who immediately makes my skin crawl, and I try hard to ignore the messages because I want to go for the jugular !!

We could all try to hold our reflex to "outdo" someone who's really pissed us off. Easier said than done, but it's worth the effort I think. So, for anyone I've offended here during my participation these past months, please know that I don't mean to hurt or piss off anyone, bar one. :-)

Tom: Look at any standard Andrew Jackson portrait and then look at John Kerry. It's a resemblance I've remarked on for many years.

As for the commodities markets ... unless the oil executives themselves are investing in the futures market and selling for short-term gain, I don't think it actually benefits the oil companies.

But here's a question ... one of the panelists at a hearing the other day spoke about re-instituting the short-term capital gains tax. So, I googled this and found that short-term capital gains were taxed as ordinary income, so I don't get what the guy was talking about. But I wonder about taxing short-term capital gains at some really high rate, in order to discourage speculation. Also, the fact that the margin in the oil commodities market is only 5% is just a joke. Strangely, as a TR Republican, McCain ought to be in favor of more regulation on the futures market ... but I don't know that he is conversant enough with the problem to see the solution.

Maggi....
as someone new to the game..... I only have the playoffs to make any comparisons..... I just know I enjoyed that game very much!..... I did feel sorry for Laker's fans.... their team played as horribly as the Celtics played brilliantly...

the time between the Super Bowl and the first baseball game was like a wasteland for me..... now I have basketball....

ETom.... when you talk about Bush "doing the right thing".... I'm assuming you mean the right thing for this country..... I honestly think that Bush doesn't give a rat's ass about the USA and, in his mind, he is doing the "right thing" for his family and friends....

Just to point out that the Lakers were first and foremost the MINNEAPOLIS Lakers... from my home town.

"Nickname:
Named Minneapolis Lakers in reference to the large cargo-carrying ships that traversed the Great Lakes.

First NBA Game Played November 3, 1949
Last Game March 25, 1960
Moved to Los Angeles in 1960
*-Played in NBL 1947/48"

http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/mpls/mplslakers.html

Tom: As an Environmentalist I ought to be pleased that the price of gas has risen so far. Indeed, I am frequently so instructed by some persons who post here.
Realistically, however, when the price increase is so dramatic, it does create real hardships ... particularly for those who live in rural areas, or western states.

Tom: I am old enough to remember when they were the Minneapolis Lakers. If I am correct in my memory, their star player was George Miken.
Strangely, even though I am a native Angeleno, I never really liked the Lakers. Have always been a Celtics fan .... except for the years when Michael Jordan was playing for the Bulls.
What surprised me about last night's game was that Bill Russell and John Hvlacek (sp?) were in attendance, but Larry Bird was not.

Dependency on foreign oil is the problem. We need to consume less, and use alternatives, and develop new eco–friendly energy.

In the meantime, it’s going to be tough for many.

If every American, made it their goal to consume less and waste less, we would actually make an impact.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypSIiI7bbqo

“To change the world it starts with one step, however small the first step is hardest of all, once you get your gait, you’ll be walking tall……” Dave Matthews

when the price increase is so dramatic, it does create real hardships ... particularly for those who live in rural areas, or western states.Posted by: maggisd | June 18, 2008 12:36 PM

And even worse, it creates hardships every where else too. The price of food as well as everything else we buy. As a matter of fact, It's hard to think of anything that isn't being affected.

Soldiers as Presidents

Patd--Sorry for the omission of the second Mr Bush. I would characterize him as a 'phony'

Patsi. Gen MacArthur was a true American Hero in WW1 and again in WW2. Consider this: Medal of Honor, three DSCs, seven Silver Stars, and two Purple Hearts. There were, of course, the aberrations such as the Veterans' March on Washington that he crushed with apparent elan and glee. I assigned the 'kook' rating because he started believing himself to be as good as the Japanese people thought; he wasn't. And, that was followed by the brilliant assault on Inchon followed by his spectacularly foolhardy desire to unload on China. The following couple of years he was openly insubordinate to civilian authority (although that thrilled the Republicans). He did the country a great service by ensconcing himself in the Waldorf Astoria until his ultimate demise.

Lard, Truman was a company grade leader's leader. A competent artilleryman, and a courageous officer. Saint Barbara would have been proud. But, that wasn't why he was selected as Mr Roosevelt's running mate or why he was elected in his own right. I suppose a lot of his military behavior was what was expected of officers in his generation.

Jack, Remember the movie Shane? Let me add my voice to the chorus of people saying Shane, er, Jack, come back, Jack!

chloe: You are so right. It's not so much that prices are going up ... when do they not? ... but that the increase has been so sudden and so large.

maggisd,

Yup. Oil execs want to 'earn' those bonuses so they make certain that their companies don't run out. They buy in the futures market, which in turn, influences the spot market.

mccain's mother's side of the family made a fortune in oil wells. The reality of his mom's oil fortune trumps any pr conceit that he is a TR republican.

Also, EuroTom, the Lakers had nothing to do with the Great Lakes. Minneapolis is called the 'City of Lakes' for it's many small lakes, ponds, and puddles.

We are in real trouble here in Europe. Today there were blockades around Brussels, and the existing Spanish blockades have already cost the European economy 1 billion euro. We have enormous taxes on fuel in Europe and now it's around $9.60 a gallon in Belgium. The problem I see is that goods production requires oil for equipment, transportation etc... and when those costs go up, prices begin rising rapidly. What is happening now here, people have less disposable income, which is further hurting the economy. Personally speaking, when someone drives off without paying, I have the privilege to pay for it myself. Understand I make less than 1 euro cent a litre and with products between €1.40 and €1.65 per litre, you can see that it's a mess... The prices all go up, but my little "less than 1 euro cent" profit per litre stays the same.

I have instituted some little tricks to reduce my energy consumption, simple things like shutting off the water in the shower after I have gotten wet, THEN soaping up and then water back on... I try not to use the clothes dryer. I try to shut off lights when not in the room, shut off power cords when possible... try to keep the heat low in the winter and avoid the air conditioner in the summer... When shopping in the city, I take a bus rather than drive...

I had a whole list of ways people could reduce energy consumption but can't find it now. Personally I think the higher prices could help family and communities to "re bond" together, maybe doing communal grocery shopping trips and the like... I also use my bicycle on nice days.

Other ideas?

maggisd, I am not old enough. I was born in 1959 and they left in 1960 :-)

Flatus: With regard to Gen McArthur ... did you ever read "American Caesar" by Wm Manchester? If not, I highly recommend it.
I know that, on paper, he was a fine soldier...but one has to wonder about his personal attributes given that President Eisenhower (once McArthur's aide) so utterly despised him and that McArthur's own son actually changed his last name and disappeared into obscurity.

Craig,

In Phil Jackson's recent book about the 2004 Lakers season, he relayed the following story about how a coach, who was unhappy with how his team was getting along, decided to fix the problem...I'm not sure what the cyber version of this is but I'm sure you'll think of something...(credit to Bill Simmons for the quote)

"I did hear of one meeting that made quite an impression on players. During a West Coast trip, Jack McMahon, who coached the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960s, called a meeting in his hotel to restore order. The players dreaded it, but according to my former Knicks teammate, Jerry Lucas, they were greeted with two cases of beer, four quarts of whiskey and three hookers. 'Guys, you figure this out,' McMahon said before leaving the room. The Royals figured it out, all right, going on a long winning streak."

Tom: Most of the energy saving ideas you mention we have been doing out here in the desert for years. First, we have chronic water shortages and then we had the Enron mess. I am happy to report that the per-capita carbon footprint of the average Californian has remained stable for almost 20 years now, despite how much we drive.
And, Tom ... you were born the year I graduated from high school. :-)

http://www.duke.edu/web/ESC/10WaystoSaveGas.html

Here's a list of ten ways to conserve Gas...

1111 7777777777
1111 7777777777
1111 7777
1111 7777
1111 7777
1111 7777
1111 7777
1111 7777
1111 7777

substitue local area shops for "campus"

Crap, how did that end up backwards?

Has anyone here seen this documentary yet?

http://www.splitdoc.com/

Jamie tackles Jack on his way out the door...

And just WHERE did you think you were going?

You're armor may be a bit rusty sir knight, but you are needed around here.

MacArthur also designed the horrendous defeat of American and Philippino forces in 1941, by stationing the armies far from their supplies, and for absenting himself through the first 4 days of the Japanese attack.

He messed up again in Korea. First he failed to have a secure line of defense and adequate intelligence system in the Spring of 1950, which resulted in deep infiltration by the NKs & the subsequent near rout of our army.

McArthur blew the advantages he had achieved at Inchon by again failing to secure his front and maintain adequate intelligence. His failure resulted in a second deep infiltration, this time by the ChiComs, and yet another near rout.

When Mcarthur wasn't planning a major offensive, he seemed to get bored and depressed. When he got bored and depressed, he got his ass kicked. Unfortunately, it was the soldiers and civilians under his care who really suffered from these bipolar bouts. McArthur never suffered anything but embarrassment.

He was a big hero to the republicans, but please remember, they haven't won a war since the Spanish American War of 1898. That is 110 years of futility and fiasco.

I'm going on a limb to offer a point that there is way too much sexual tension in this room and hence all of the trouble...

At least the Boston Celtics are kings of the basketball world!!! Corey, the Pistons failed but at least you have the WNBA shock to cheer for! lol

"Flatus: With regard to Gen McArthur ... did you ever read "American Caesar" by Wm Manchester? If not, I highly recommend it."

Magee, an absolutely outstanding book! Gave away another copy of it last year to a friend whose son was entering West Point. Both she and her husband are retired Army officers. They were planning a visit with their 'residence' being the Hotel Thayer (yes, it's still there).

Anyone who has read Manchester will recall his fascination with MacArthur's mother who followed him around the world during his career. Being an NCO, I simply couldn't imagine any USMA cadet lasting until graduation with his mother setting up a four-year residence in the on-post hotel, the Thayer. But, that didn't seem to phase MacArthur at all.

The contrast between MacArthur and Omar Bradley was stark. While Mac was largely held in disdain by enlisted people, Bradley was their hero. Years later, in the late '70s, I went to Ft Bliss on 'business'. Bradley lived on post. Everyplace we went, there was a reserved parking place for his exclusive use. People hoped beyond hope that he would stop in for a visit. He died not long after.

http://i26.tinypic.com/246wbk8.jpg

xrepublican: First Gulf War?

Interesting that you should mention the Spanish American War. The history of our invasion of the Philippines (under the rubric of freeing them) contains a lot of similarities to Iraq ... including, but not limited to, the use of waterboarding.

Renee, congratulations to you and your Celtics. KG was absolutely beside himself in the post game interview. There was something nice to watch a man "lost" in his victory. Is that the way you celebrated last night?

Flatus: I had forgotten about the indominatable mother ... sort of an interesting historical coincidence that the great President of WWII and his General in the Pacific both had "mommy" issues...

Maggs and Dog...re Tiger: Thanks for that update. You know, I was glued to the set for the entire Open as well, and though I was repeatedly amazed at Johnny Miller's expert color commentary, I was thoroughly annoyed with NBC's journalistic failure to cover key questions in the story of Tiger's injured knee. They blabbed and blabbed about grimaces and the effect of certain swing shapes and the drama of him playing through the pain -- but they failed to ever raise the issue of whether he might be causing lasting damage to the knee and also glossed over the whole question of what kind of pain relievers you can take that could kill that kind of pain yet not totally screw up your golf game. Those were basic questions that any reporter worth his or her salt would have been raising with outside experts, doctors, etc. And now, the story is coming back to bite them in the ass.

Bear...sexual tension? Here? Except for just now when EuroTom was describing himself lathering up in the shower, I've never felt the slightest twinge of it.

maggs, like i said, it's the big oil mouthpieces making the refining capacity argument - and it is simply to shift blame for the high price of fuel to the Dems and environmental lobby - irrespective of what the CEOs say to Congress. I believe it's part of a long term strategy to open public lands to develppment, lessen regulation of the industry and to divert the discussion from development of alternative energy sources.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/06/war-heroes-not-wanted.html#comment-104165

UB, exactly.

flatus, since we all know - at least those of us who were of age during VN why people went into the guard during vietnam, your omission of Dumya is understandable, John Kerry's high road as he was being swiftboated notwithstanding.

RR, what a great game last night.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25237798/

Americans and the economy

Nearly 39 percent of those surveyed said they were considering changing vacation plans, while 31 percent plan to eat out less often. The poll of 1,113 likely voters found that 58 percent intended to drive less, and 2 out of 10 said they would rely more heavily on mass transportation.

About 10 percent said they were pondering moving nearer to work, while roughly the same percentage said they were thinking about finding a job closer to home.

dog's-I know what you mean about Manchester not finishing the Churchill series ... I feel as if I have somehow been cheated.
I read an article about him that discussed the fact that he had done much of the research on the book and that various persons had offered to help him finish it (including, I believe, a family member) over the ten years of his illness ... but he refused believing that he would recover and be able to write it himself.
As for other good writers of history ... aside from McCullough and Doris Kearns Goodwin ... both eminently readable. I am trying to remember the name of the historian who got in hot water for teaching a course on Vietnam in a manner that referred to his own experiences when he had not actually been there ... has written several books on the founding fathers. Regardless of his reputation for personal honesty, the books he writes are really quite readable.

XR, I think you're being unduly harsh on MacArthur. While there were lapses at the onset of Japanese aggression, they were across the board. I'm not going to verify, but wasn't Mac in the employ of the Philippine government at the time, not ours?

While people are quick to criticize him during the campaigns in
the Pacific, there is no denying that he was a brilliant strategist. His forces, while accomplishing every objective, did so with a small fraction of the casualties borne by our gallant Marines.

He was brilliant in the opening days of the Korean War. His strategic withdrawal to the Naktong River, and the subsequent advances by Task Force Smith, followed by the Inchon invasion were simply brilliant. What followed were mistakes brought about by his equally magnificent hubris.

Dog

Awhile back I did a book meme on my blog and one of the questions was, "What book do you wish you had written?" and the answer:

Almost anything by David McCullough, Doris Kearns Goodwin, or Shelby Foote. We are blessed now to have historians who are great story tellers. I would love to have written even one of their books.

Manchester was another of those "conversational historians" that are to be treasured.

Bear...sexual tension? Here? Except for just now when EuroTom was describing himself lathering up in the shower, I've never felt the slightest twinge of it.

Posted by: LardassLiberal | June 18, 2008 1:30 PM

Heh heh heh... I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to be so descriptive :D

LL: I have to tell you that I consistently find NBC's coverage of sporting events ... particularly Golf and Tennis ... to be so self-referential and anchor-focused that I cringe when I learn they are covering a major event. Johnny Miller seemed to feel that because he, to, had recently had arthroscopic knee surgery, he was qualified to opine on Tiger's condition. And, I agree with you, not one of them ... who profess to so admire the man ... said one word about what he might be doing to himself.

maggie

That is Joseph Ellis. He wrote "Founding Brothers" among many other books.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Ellis

He's okay, but I consider him a little glib compared to the others.

Jamie: Oh...Shelby Foote. I had forgotten him. A talented family, that one.
Although I have to admit that Bruce on the Civil War.

maggisd,

In 1990, bush's ambassador to Iraq, april glasby, invited saddam to invade Kuwait. So, in foiling saddam, we might say that we gained a very expensive victory over our own stated foreign policy.

Sure, we decisively defeated the Iraqi Army in minutes back in '91, but then we retreated as if we'd lost. And, in doing so, we did lose.

A bush decision to push on to Baghdad would have embroiled our allies the Iranians, Turks, Saudis, Syrians, and French in the re-organization of Iraq.

Things would have been much easier than they are now, if we had only done the right thing in either the first place or the second place.

Jamie: Thanks for the name ... I was fixated on Joseph Evans and I just knew that wasn't right.
I don't know that I would have thought of the word glib, but it seems apt. He does, however, it seems to me, meet the accessibility criterion.
My ultimate favorite "historical writer" is actually Gore Vidal ... but, of course, he is not really considered to be an historian.

Dog, I thought Lord Moran's autobiographical bio of Churchill very interesting. And, Churchill's own series was interesting, as well. From the German perspective, Hitler's architect, what the devil was his name, wrote a very interesting history of the period. Tuchman's bio of Stilwell is excellent.

Now, I'm at the stage where I'll buy books, but I can't really enjoy (read) them because my eyes give out after a few minutes.

Oh, I think the New Yorker on DVD is an absolute must have for anyone seriously interested in the history of the period.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/06/battles-loom-in-vp-madness.html#comment-103946

Lard,
Your joke on your 1:30 post reminded me of the post you had last night about your new language rejection. That was laugh out loud funny, including the part about your dog on the key board.

Sorry to hear it wasn't approved though.
Maybe resubmit it at a later date. Who knows.

Maggs...I agree that Johnny Miller is definitely more grating than, say, Nick Faldo. He makes his expert points in much more smartassed fashion, with less of the charm and self-deprecation of Faldo. That said, it never ceases to amaze me how both of those guys are able to instantly analyze any shot, any swing...any putt.

Thanks for the encouragement, Chloe. Maybe I'll do exactly that.

xrepublican: Oh, I remember the events quite well. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for April Glasby.
I may be the only person who now recalls that Bush I's initial reaction to the invasion was rather tepid. Within the week he found himself at one of those Aspen Conferences with Maggie Thatcher ... my recollection now is that it was she who first stated "this will not stand" ... and in joint TV interviews with the President she more or less took the lead.
As to the success of the war, I was speaking only in military terms. Personally, I think that the post-Gulf War mistake was not in not going on to Baghdad, but in pushing the Kurds and southern Shias to rise up and then taking on the "chore" of patrolling the no-fly zone and defending the Saudis ... that was the proximate cause of our need to finally get rid of Saddam after 9/11 ... to get our planes off of Saudi soil without causing the Saudis to wig out completely.

Maggie

Gore Vidal is one of the best of the writers of "historical fiction". It is very well researched while still having the entertainment value of fictional characters in a story line. I like him because he is ascerbic, witty, and very insightful. Michener may be more comfortable, but Gore really makes you think. Here's a good website for him and his books.

http://www.pitt.edu/~kloman/vidalframe.html

My favorite Vidal quote: "There is not one human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise. "

flatus - that architect was Albert Speer.

Jamie: Oh I love that quote ... it is so him.
On one of the two occasions I visited London, I stayed at a hotel very near Hatcherd's books. As it happens, Vidal was signing copies of his memoir Pentimento on one of the days I was there ... that year almost everyone on my gift list received a signed copy of that book ... that was in the good old days when the exchange rate was "only" 1.60.

Ah, thanks, Pogo. Speer, of course.

Flatus: The New Yorker is 90% of my reading these days. Like you, my eyes do not hold out as they once did, a really sad problem for someone whose main joy in life has always been reading.

The local news said today that eating LESS is good for your body and your pocketbook.

I see the 1930's coming around again only instead of a dust bowl, its a flood bowl this time around.

tt

Muslims barred from picture at Obama event

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11168.html

Renee,

If I put on my chauvinist pig hat, I often wonder when some of the cougars in the group last got some...did I mention I like older women? LOL!

I've thought that the problem with some of "gay folk" (yes I know if I said colored folk it would offend...I mean to categorize only with that comment) is you are trying to tell us in your smug way that you get too much...lol

MacArthur worked for the Philippines, AND was also charged with directing the US forces, eqpt, ammo, supply lines. He treated the job as a sinecure.

He was missing in the first days of the Japanese invasion, despite warnings from the War Department that a Japanese attack might occur. His batboy claimed that MacArthur was at a love nest deep in the woods, with a Philippino prostitute, attending to personal business. Kimmel and Short were cashiered for the same lack of preparation, but they were US employees in Hawaii rather than Philippines employees with important business connections to the Philippino president. Had he not been Magsaysay's favorite, his name would probably be as obscure today as Kimmel's and Short's.

Later, MacArthur designed the wonderful New Guinea landings, a flanking movement that would foreshadow his brilliant Inchon operation, and take the pressure off of our Australian ally.

After he was caught with his intelligence down in Korea, he was indeed active, coming to the front immediately, and organizing the retreat and the brilliant counter-attack at Inchon. Then, once again, bipolarity or hubris - take your pick - lulled him into ignoring the reports that the ChiComs were surrounding him.

His idiotic threat to use the Abomb against China encroached on the President's prerogatives. MacArthur didn't have a single Abomb to his name and had been informed that he would never get one.
Empty threats only make situations worse. MacArthur despised Truman as an amatuer artillery Major. Not so brilliant, after all.

He should have been canned in 1950. By luck and fame he lasted long enough to be responsible for a third disaster in 1952.

Barack Obama aide: Why Winnie the Pooh should shape US foreign policy

"Winnie the Pooh, Luke Skywalker and British football hooligans could shape the foreign policy of Barack Obama if he becomes US President, according to a key adviser."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2139573/Barack-Obama-aide-Why-Winnie-the-Pooh-should-shape-US-foreign-policy.html

Thanks for mentioning Michener--that made me think of Pearl Buck. Although she is best know for The Good Earth, I thought her Korean book, The Living Reed most interesting.

Like many books, unauthorized translations were made immediately. Some Koreans took offense at the book because they thought it demeaning. That's too bad; I think their pride was bruised for whatever reason.

xrepublican: For someone just beginning to be aware of the world outside her own surroundings in those years, the McArthur-Truman fracas was a lasting lesson in Constitutional history. And one that some of us either forget or never knew ... that the civilians control the military. Sometimes, of course, we have crack-brained civilians in charge ... like Rumsfeld.

Bear

The candlestick lasts much longer than the candle.

Jamie,

I'm battling a stomach bug and the last thing I need from you is comedy...lol

Flatus: For some reason, the elementary school I attended included the film of The Good Earth as part of our required curriculum. I only saw it the one time but if I close my eyes, I can still see it in my head. I have no idea why we were shown this film ... perhaps so we could understand all the children in China for whom we were finishing our spinach?

Flatus

Their pride was bruised because unlike other countries involved in the Korean conflict, the United States left it's half Korean half American children behind. These children were ostracized from the Korean culture and one of the few safe places for them were the Catholic orphanages.

Pearl Bush established a charitable foundation to assist those children with their education and later relocation that has since spread world wide for children's services.

http://www.psbi.org/site/PageServer

Another area where rampant prejudice on the part of Americans really fouled up.

Flatus....
I LOVE Pearl Buck.....
I didn't know the Koreans took exception to "The Living Reed"..... that's too bad because it was a really good read....

the Red Sox are beating the Phillies 7-1..... it's so much fun being a Boston sports fan the past few years!

Jamie: I find it so very interesting...the dichotomy between what we believe ourselves to be -- the people of Emma Lazarus's poem -- and what we actually are. Am currently reading an article in the New Yorker about our new policy with regard to asylum seekers ... that is, we scoop them up and confine them (even families with small children) in privately-run prisons. In one or two places, "they" are experimenting with ankle bracelets and close monitoring, apparently a less expensive proposition, but Mr Chertoff seems to prefer treating asylum seekers as if they were felons.

"The impression my contact got from her discussions with her friends within the party is that Hillary is not out of it and she expects Obama to be so damaged by the time the convention rolls around that he will either drop out of the race or not get the nomination. The Dems know how the Clinton's roll and they must not be sleeping very well because they do not know when the 16 ton anvil is going to be dropped on Obama. They also know that some of Obama's dirty laundry would be enough to kill his campaign if it came out."

http://hillbuzz.blogspot.com/

rebellious renee,

how'd that football season work out for your team in the end?

¡yo soy Horsedooty!

maggisd,

Thanks for reminding me that senile bush had to be led to the fight by Thatcher.

Yes, the bush/quayle,cheney/ baker administration's cynical betrayal of the Kurds and Shia after the success of our combats in '91, was both shameful and criminal.

Similarly, it is a shameful and criminal betrayal to put our service people in harm's way and keep them there, when the situation cannot be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. We cannot force the Kurds and Sunni and Shia Arabs to WANT to live together. This is an insuperable problem. Not all the lift, firepower, or midnight advice from Jesus' mouth to george's ear will ever cure this dreadful hatred. Only the Iraqis can do that. And, in the work of reconciliation, guns and bombs retard the accomplishment of anything good.

I think Michelle may have missed a class or two in poli-sci.

DAY SIX: Barack Obama Chicago Gay Pride Parade Watch

"Barack Obama has never marched in a Gay Pride Parade, in his three years of Senate service, or during his time in the Illinois state legislature.

Here are some people who have marched in Gay Pride Parades, and who do so on a regular basis, because they support their LGBT constituents (and not just the week before an election when they are trying to score votes):"

http://hillbuzz.blogspot.com/

Ally

"You know, there's no hidden agenda to this guy. He is decent, he is sincere, he is authentic, he isn't manufactured."

This may very well be true. Unfortunately, neither his management team or many of his supporters are of equal caliber. He did actually seem to lose his temper a bit with the audience that was booing Hillary the other night, but he did allow the Axelrod campaign to engage in sliming the Clintons as racists with that circulated email talking points.

It is an area where as the Probable nominee, he now needs to take responsibility and stand up to the handlers to make them reflect his ideals. Michelle was extremely gracious, strong and pleasant on The View today. Maybe he needs lessons from his wife rather than her needing "grooming" by the campaign.

Dooty.....
the Patriots season was a blast!..... yes.... the Super Bowl was a disappointment.... but that's sports....

I haven't looked at the overall standings for a while..... but I do hope your Texas Rangers are having a good season.....

QFA,

As a strategy, "hope" worked in 1992 and 1996 after the first incompetent and criminous bush administration. In '92 the housing market was dead. The S & L scandal (think neil bush, charles keating, and john mccain) had nearly destroyed our financial industry, we were bogged down in the north and south ends of Iraq, and were losing a second war in Somalia. The administration had been squandering money for 12 years in a way that made Democrats seem like fiscal conservatives. Gas and food costs were way up, and a million people were homeless. Sound familiar?

Ya, "hope" worked as a strategy then. It will work even better today.

Renee, Texas just thanks its lucky stars that Seattle is around. Sorry 'doots.

maggisd, I have to ask, what does your nickname mean? At first I thought it was "Maggie" but it isn't... So no assumptions here but are you male or female?

Tom

XR, i just hope Somalia isn't the glue that held that package together.

Jamie: After all these months of sliming, it is going to take a bit for his supporters to come around. I think they are confused. Hillary Clinton Bad, now Hillary Clinton Good. What to do, what to do.

I have to admit, Renee and Pogo, that I haven't a clue about sports ... I only knew the history of The Minneapolis Lakers because I remember older people being pissed off at it being gone. In Europe people go NUTS over football which we would call "soccer" in the USA. When the Turks win a major match, the turkish people here are out on the streets honking horns, driving around screaming, holding up the Turkish flag, etc. etc. I like their enthusiasm, but I just don't get the game. My Mauro used to play and he loves European football. Go figure.

"Being an NCO, I simply couldn't imagine any USMA cadet lasting until graduation with his mother setting up a four-year residence in the on-post hotel, the Thayer. But, that didn't seem to phase MacArthur at all."

!!!!Talk about a stage mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I find it odd that some of Hillary's biggest supporters are subjecting Michelle to the same disgraceful behavior Hillary had to endure during Bil''s first run for the White House,

The same disgraceful behavior the Obamabots subjected Clinton to during the presidential campaign.
It's called karma.

Jamie, you are indeed correct about the prejudice. When Stinky and I were married, we had to go through a tremendous effort to get military approval (we succeeded). And then, it was still illegal for us to be together in some states. But, the prejudice wasn't just from the American side, it was also from the Korean.

Currently, there are a fair number of well respected mixed race entertainers in Korea. But, still they are just now allowing mixed race individuals to be drafted or to enlist in the military.

Our adopted children are not mixed--but they were girls, who, because of their sex and age (they were six) were of no worth and would have spent their youth in orphanages or worse.

Our mixed race grandchildren exhibit the wonderful attributes of both races. They have no problems fending for themselves against their non-mixed peers of any race.

And, while we were in Korea last month...but, that story is not quite ready to be told.

Part of their fear about losing their racial integrity may be their history of having been invaded from both Japan and China. If they have racial integrity, then they think there will be total loyalty to Korea.

...I saw it coming...

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/06/war-heroes-not-wanted.html#comment-104013

Saw Jacks post this morning, but didn't realize that he had linked something. Interesting little tidbit:
"The Texas rancher's web site for Hillary Clinton supporters planning to back John McCain over Barack Obama has attracted thousands of supporters along with ridicule and investigations online.

Now he's launching a 527 political action committee intent on sending a message to the Democratic National Committee: put Clinton at the top of the ticket or her die-hard supporters will defect to the GOP"
last post on that site:
"Wow - such hateful biased comments coming from the elite, enlightened Dems? Who would have thought???"
http://startelegram.typepad.com/politex/2008/06/clinton-suppo-1.html

"A blogger who supported Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton circulates unfounded claims that Mrs. Obama gave an accusatory speech in her church about the sins of “whitey.” Mrs. Obama shakes her head."

GORDO, is THAT what you're doing when not posting here? :D

Aref said she replied by thanking Burton, but requested Obama apologize directly to her and Abdelfadeel, as well as invitations to sit behind him at a future campaign event. Obama spokeswoman Amy Brundage said the campaign has apologized.

"He needs to take the matter seriously and send a strong message against any kind of discrimination," Aref said.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/06/18/politics/p103018D37.DTL&tsp=1

Muslim woman: Scarf kept her from seat near Obama
By JEFF KAROUB, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

(06-18) 11:28 PDT DETROIT, (AP) --

A young Muslim woman said she and another woman were refused seats directly behind Barack Obama — and in front of TV cameras — at a Detroit rally because they wear head scarfs.

Hebba Aref said Wednesday that she and Shimaa Abdelfadeel were among 20,000 supporters who gathered to see the Democratic presidential hopeful on Monday at the Joe Louis Arena when the groups they were with were separately invited by Obama campaign volunteers to sit behind the podium. But Aref said the volunteers told members of both parties in separate discussions that women wearing hijabs, the traditional Muslim head scarves, weren't included in the invitation and couldn't sit behind the podium.

Cougers getting laid?

ROFL -- Come on, Bear....when was the last time you saw some product that artificially "enhanced" women's sex organs because they arrived at a certain age? We don't have ED.....that's facing you....

Michelle Obama on "The View"
"....Obama greeted the guests with her signature fist bump (also known, in some circles, as a terrorist fist jab!). She admitted, like the adorable square she is, "I got this from the young staff … it's the new high-five."
http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/?last_story=/mwt/broadsheet/2008/06/18/michelle_obama/

OK, petrojunkies, this should keep you busy for a while.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/

What I love about all these Republicans wanting to drill in pristine areas of the nation is that they fail to mention that it will have no impact on the price now, and that it will take about 12 years to get what little oil there is to market. By that time we will in all probability be driving electric or fuel cell cars.

Again...re the "fist-bump" being anything remotely resembling a "new thing". I must repeat, I have been fist-bumping for years with my 81-year-old golf partner whenever we make a par.
Or have I just fallen through one of those cosmic, time-space wormholes and re-emerged in the year 1994?

Jamie. That post is dead on. I saw Mort Zuckerman ranting unchallenged on MSNBC today about how prices will drop the minute they start poking holes in the Gulf or ANWR.

I haven't seen any solid analysis of exactly how a few more drops of oil (relatively speaking) are supposed to alter the currents of world demand that are really driving the prices.

I wonder if Craig is at the Kennedy Center for the Russert Memorial?

Lardass: Fist bump? Gag me with a spoon. (Get it?)

LL, they know that won't change the supply/demand analysis much - I imagine Zuckerman thinks it will affect the commodities market by stabilizing the oil supply. I think they're nutz.

Lard, aren't the fist bumps just a reincarnation of the daps that we saw in the '60s?

I was just busting your chops Renee. Pats had a great season and were probably the best team in the NFL just not that day.

"I haven't looked at the overall standings for a while..... but I do hope your Texas Rangers are having a good season....."

Pogo, "Renee, Texas just thanks its lucky stars that Seattle is around. Sorry 'doots."

The Mariners are truly having an ugly season. As to the Texas Rangers we are at .500 which is a major surprise to everyone. We were picked to be the Mariners this year and we still could be. With this group, you can never tell. The Rangers have always had a need for arms from Starting Pitching and long relief to set up guys and then closers.

Hitters we got. Look up Josh Hamilton and his stats 63 games in he has about 74 rbi's so far and that leads the AL and he also has 19 Home Runs. Then Milton Bradley (nickname GameBoard) leads the AL with a batting average of .330 Milton is leading the league with .628 slugging % and Josh is at .595 and is tied for 2nd with Jason Giambi of NYY. like I said hitters we got. Michael Young has had 5 straight years of over 200 hits. Only Wade Boggs and Ichiro Suzuki and Michael Young are the only players to achieve that since 1940.

For whatever reason Texas can never seem to draft and bring stars to the bigs if they are pitchers. Someday...we remain optimistic.

¡yo soy Horsedooty!

Obama Yes
I am supporting him because the prospect of my daughter’s grandchildren having to show up for that hundredth year in Iraq terrifies me. At least Obama had the sense to oppose the war even when doing so risked getting painted by the unpatriotic brush. I am supporting him because, frankly, the win-at-all-cost mentality of the other side disgusts me.
http://www.progressive.org/mag_danticat0508

Obama No
He's a vacuous opportunist.I’ve never been an Obama supporter. I’ve known him since the very beginning of his political career, which was his campaign for the seat in my state senate district in Chicago. He struck me then as a vacuous opportunist, a good performer with an ear for how to make white liberals like him. I argued at the time that his fundamental political center of gravity, beneath an empty rhetoric of hope and change and new directions, is neoliberal.
http://www.progressive.org/mag_reed0508

I haven't watch tv for about a month now....I go out to the living room to check out the "pocket square" ...and there are 3 freekin 'remotes all look pretty similar....I finally got to the correct one.....geez...

btw -that is a pocket square may actually be a tablecloth.

yeah, doots, baseball, like almost all ball sports, is a game of offense and defense. .500 is playoff threshold isn't it?

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-greencar15-2008jun15,0,1376394,full.story

stars and hydrogen cars

well, as much fun as this is, I need to go hay the north 40.

Pogo, get a goat.

you know, I hate to say this, but the Americans are mostly to blame for the oil crises. We have had proof positive for years that oil was not going to last forever.. the major car manufacturers have had warnings to make their cars far more fuel efficient, but they refused. We have all been told to drive less... use public transport more, carpool, and buy smaller autos. Last time I was in the states, it was still pretty much single person occupancy autos on the road, through traffic jam to traffic jam. The government could have invested in major rail transport such as in Europe to help with commuting, but they have dug their heels in... We are too consumed with the notion of individuality... we don't think socially in the states, at least not in numbers large enough to make the necessary changes.

Sadly we've always felt that our incursions in other lands would keep oil prices low and a steady supply to ensure that we'd keep smiles on our faces. We have refused to acknowledge that we have been the consumers of 30% of the Earth's resources when we are... what? ... 5% of the population? Ok now we have India and China in on the game and it compounds the problems even more.

grrrr... I have to stop...

Not much to say today. I will say one thing about last night's basketball game. If I was much younger , I probably would be depressed for about a week after last night's game. That's how seriously I used to take those games. I'm happy that the Red Wings won a few weeks ago. That was the most important thing to me. On another side note , some woman I work with was wearing jeans with designs under her side pockets last night. I said to the woman who was standing next to me, "It looks like somebody's got a Bedazzler at home." All the other women I work with burst out laughing. Well , except for the woman who was wearing the jeans. She told me to "Kiss her butt!" LOL!

I agree with you Tom.

There were gas lines in the 70's we knew this was coming one way or another. If Detroit wanted to regain market share they should have gone into development of alternative fuel, and/ higher mileage.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/08/10/gm_revives_chevrolet_camaro_muscle_car/

But the muscle cars go on sale as buyers are turning to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars and hybrid vehicles to combat gas prices that some say could rise as high as $4 per gallon.

Despite gas prices, the Camaro will sell, said Jim Sanfilippo, senior industry analyst for Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc.

"Four-dollar gas isn't going to mitigate people's wishes to look good in their vehicles," Sanfilippo said, adding that Americans want fuel efficiency, but they also want their cars to stand out.

EuroTom,

Carp. They are bottom feeders. Or maybe the leech.

I think walleyes are the Prohibitionist totem.

I have an 1880 Hancock-English Presidential Campaign medallion that shows the Crowing Rooster was the Dem totem.

Gosh, Corey, I'm _so_ dated--had to google to find out what a bedazzler is.

I vote for the leech, they suck the blood out of living things...

EuroTom: One thing I have noticed in my neighborhood is that all of the "Moms" drive Suburbans with the excuse that they have to be able to haul kids around. Thing is: I rarely see kids in the back of the SUV (especially as they zoom around all day while the kids are in school). It is clearly a status symbol. Since money is not an option with most of these families, if it is really an issue of big families, then they could purchase a Prius to do their running around during the day and save the Suburbans for when they actually do haul their kids around. (Again, the reason they don't do this is because those Suburbans signify upper middle class, or even rich, mom who can afford to stay at home and have a big family.)

chloe,

We stayed briefly with some friends in Hyde Park last summer. The Obamas live almost right across the street. I feel that politics begins at home, so I asked the homies about the Obamas, and how the Obamas have been with the neighbors when there have been neighborhood issues and meetingds Every single one spoke highly of Barack Obama. While they like him a great deal, they adored Michele.

Executives and managers have different jobs. I think some people see Obama's "broad brush strokes" as evidence that he won't be a good manager. And, they mistake that for being an empty suit.

I am not saying the concern is not legitimate, or that you are wrong. I am only saying it as a possible alternative explanation for evidence you have found.

I want a visionary executive in the White House, a strong ethical anchor. As we have seen in the last 7.5 years, having a vision and having hallucinations are different.

Anyway, chloe, I hope that you are wrong about the empty suit business, because the opponent is in a muddle, flip-flops hourly, and has demonstrated his inability to act as the executive his own campaign committee, is wrong on Iraq, is wrong on energy, and plans to pay for his 100 years of unbalanced war budgets through the use of raging inflation.

The media is doing a great job for McCain. Although people hate Republicans according to the latest polls, they do not see McCain as a Republican.

Speaking of doing a good job for McCain, what's up with McCain's self labeled "!@#@" plagiarizing cookie recipes?

Is it really that hard to tweak a chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie recipe?

Am I the only person who think of Luke Russert, after watching him deliver his father's eulogy, that this kid has more poise that our current President?

doing damn well for a 22 yr old......

Clinton takes month off

"...She is not expected to return to the Senate until July 7 or July 8 after the Independence Day recess, according to two Democratic sources....she’ll be fighting harder than ever for the issues she has throughout her public life. Reines would not say where Clinton is vacationing, and most senators said they did not know her location either."
“She has been great. She has returned every time we needed her.”

Sure others have seen and heard this, but haven't seen it reported anywhere else.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/clinton-takes-month-off-2008-06-17.html

EuroTom------------------------------

"A blogger who supported Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton circulates unfounded claims that Mrs. Obama gave an accusatory speech in her church about the sins of “whitey.” Mrs. Obama shakes her head."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/us/politics/18michelle.html?em&ex=1213934400&en=b566af03f49e489a&ei=5087

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is no point in going into all the details, but that sentence conflates two possible MO videos described on two different sites. The Obama campaign was aware of the "story" in April, Larry Johnson of NQ did not go public until mid-May. It doesn't include the latest info. Both Bob Beckel (Dem) and Roger Stone (Repub) believe there is substance to the rumors.

MO's whitey tape........lots of smoke, no heat, no fire.....

show me the tape.

speaking of orgasms...

VIRTUAL ORGASM SIMULATOR

http://www.santorine.org/adolph/ohyes.html

ROTFLMHLAO!!!

Report from Sinclair Press Conference

http://texasdarlin.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/report-from-sinclair-press-conference/#more-344

sturgeone-----------------------------

If there is a video (s), the release will be at a time when it is most damaging to MO and BO. Depends on who has the video (s) - Team Clinton or the Repubs. I've posted possible scenarios.

A little bit of Cyd Charisse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1RvAibZNmg

Gordo..........love your smoke......such a nice shade of gray......goes well with the mirrors.......

Cool Cyd Charisse piece, Corey!

GORDO:

At this point, since it's been beaten to death so much in advance, that precious video will probably have no impact even if it does exist. It could never live up to all the billing.

I think the country has picked up its collective, hypothetically dropped jaw and moved on. Sorry to break it to you.

WRT Cyd Charisse as a young man just in puberty, I have a very soft spot for Cyd and her legs. She musta been the first woman I ever saw that had legs like that. Peace be with you Cyd.

¡yo soy Horsedooty!

Craig started this discussion with war heroes in politics as the theme, and I guess hardly anyone has wanted to go there.

Anyway, as war heroes go, I don't think merely spending years in a dungeon qualifies. It's not as if he made the choice to be a prisoner for his country. It was a terrible hardship and unthinkable pain, however, Max Cleland he ain't. Sargent York, he ain't.

Reagan wasnt a war hero, he just played one in the movies.....

XRep --

It's funny. I posted about Harry Truman earlier today and was hoping others might chip in with nominations for their own favorite war-hero presidents. Flatus did a nice list of presidents and major party nominees in recent history. Here's more from me in that vein, but including only ranking actual presidents:

1 George Washington -- The Ultimate War Hero
2 Teddy Roosevelt -- 2nd Greatest
3 Andy Jackson -- Maybe Number 3?
4 JFK -- PT-109 glory
5 Harry Truman -- See post above
6 Zachary Taylor -- Did he really have Hickory nuts?
7 George HW Bush 41 -- Can't be denied
8 Jimmy Carter -- Solid Navy record

I'm sure I'm leaving out some obvious ones. Meanwhile, let's flip it over and look at the list of presidential "Draft Dodgers." I'm just shooting from the hip here (hence the question marks), but I know nothing of any of these having any military record

1. Abe Lincoln?
2. Thomas Jefferson?
3. John Adams?
4. Grover Cleveland?
5. Woodrow Wilson?
6. Others?

I think the whole "the president has to have a military background" is kind of a made-up requirement from modern years. But I beg to stand corrected by greater historians here than I.

McCain could have bailed out being a POW due to his father and did not. There is plenty to dislike about McCain without minimizing his service.

I think anyone who serves is a hero.

Flatus...if you're on, I hope you can come in behind me and clean up my list. I would certainly respect your rankings more than my own.

teddy roosevelt and his rough walkers had to go up san juan hill (or some other hill) on foot because they didnt have the horses......TR was a joke.......

"John McCain: He crashed a $26-million fighter jet built with taxpayers hard-earned dollars."

Very simple attack ad.

"John McCain: While American soldiers were dying all around him in Vietnam, he was a live-in guest at the Hanoi Hilton."

Very simple attack ad. Take two.

Lest anyone take offense that I am belittling John McCain's horrifying experience as a POW, that's not my intent. I am simply illustrating what a Reverse Swiftboat looks like. If only Dems had the balls to try it. Who would have thought they could do it to someone like John Kerry?

Steam engine in trousers, Sturge. A steam engine in trousers.

Lardass

Wasn't Carter in the Navy during a period of peace.

As for war hero presidents. I like Ike. (Although I never would have voted for him.)

Sturge: Yeah , but....

Lardass

You do know about Ted Sampley

http://www.usvetdsp.com/smith_mc.htm

Here ya go, Bear....looks like this cougar is still rockin' (sort of)....

Woman, 52, sues Victoria's Secret, claims injury from defective thong

JUNE 17--As she was attempting to put on a Victoria's Secret thong, a Los Angeles woman claims that a decorative metallic piece flew off the garment and struck her in the eye, causing injuries and a new product liability lawsuit against the underwear giant. Macrida Patterson, 52, alleges that she was hurt last May by a defective "low-rise v-string" from the Victoria's Secret "Sexy Little Thing" line, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Hi Lard and Sturg,

I think this "must be a Military Hero" addage is just for this election. (1) perception of needing someone with experience to get us out. (2) George Bush as an example of what we don't want and he never served...really. ;0)

I know you know this, but I must voice it. McCain, God Bless His Suffering, never saw that full extent of the war in Vietnam. As Jet Jockie (Navyism) he was his own person in charge of a very expensive machine and never in charge of human beings in war.

I think this is why we are seeing such a disconnect from him. Really. Whereas somone like Hagel or Bob Kerry or John Kerry are appauled.

I think McCain is a danger over and above his War Heor status.

So my favorites from the list are, Teddy Roosevelt and of course JFK who was bigger than life when I was little.

Man, oh man - I take a quick visit to San Jose to see my nephew-in-law get a doctorate in psychology and enjoy a convivial gemuetlichkeit barbecue afterward with babies and toddlers galore and extended families and not one cross word. No one yelled at the kids. In fact, they were the hit of the day.

I get back and catch up with my reading, and can't believe I'm in the same universe.

The thought occurs to me that some people must like to be insulted, and/or some people like to get angry. I have to tell you, or warn you, you have to really work at insulting me. It's so easy to just ignore anyone who gets mad at me and calls me a name.

I am very glad that Champ let everyone know what it was that he took as an insult. It's not ovbious to most of the others, usually, why someone feels insulted and then we have to listen to the tennis game of outrage which follows - we can't understand what it's all about.
It's just a lot of sturm und drang.

Me, on recent news:

I'm very sorry for Russert's family and friends. It was not only sudden, it was way too early. My mother went slowly and my father was hit by a car. They were both old, but even that didn't make it easy. It hurts and nothing is ever really the same.

I'm sure he was a wonderful friend and acquaintance, but I just won't miss him. That's all - I'm not glad he's gone, but I won't miss him.

I'd love to see Gwen Iffil succed him, or Tom Brokaw, but I think the latter wants to be retired. Who was it who referred to Iffil as a cleaning lady? It was some buffon who was in trouble for a lot of racist talk.

I'm completely befuddled with the election. I hate the thought of either of these men being pres. I disagree that no one has called them names on this blog. I think they've all been called names. My problems are that I have only suspicions.

I suspect that Obama is a fraud. It occurs to me that he's never really been even a senator. I also don't like the first actions he's taken since Hillary got out. I don't know what it would take for me to trust him - I'll just wait and see.

McCain just hasn't done much, to me. I'll wait and see from both of them. I hope this is not a sign of how the campaign will be played.

I can go along with a lot, and don't expect to love and adore any big shot. My biggest demand is the govet and church don't mix, which would seem to push me to Obama - but McCain as pres would be hemmed in by a dem congress.

One thing, I really cannot imagine is liking Michelle. I've heard too much from her. Her statement that as a black man, her husband was in danger just by going to a gas station. That brought to my mind the sniper attacks in Va etc several years ago. Those men were black and they killed a lot of people, and if I remember, there were some gaas stations involved. Her use of that scenario makes me really really doubt her perspective.

KGC -- man, that boat's got two 110-horse inboards workin' on it. Who knew?

Patsi -- Wonder if the woman looking for Thong Comp ever worked with Corey. At the very least, sounds like the metallic thong and the jeans would go together nicely.

LIncoln

He was elected captain of an Illinois militia company drawn from New Salem during the Black Hawk War, and later wrote that he had not had "any such success in life which gave him so much satisfaction.

Sheila...I just don't think we're going to have to worry about McCain. If the GOP had picked Romney, he would have run as the President From Central Casting and trounced Obama I believe. But I just don't see anyone ultimately getting that excited about the 2008 version of McCain. He's his own worst enemy on the campaign trail. He really does come off as feeble and temperamental.

STurgeon

TR was a bit of a glory hound but I wouldn't call him a joke. Mornings on Horseback is a good read and he was an outdoorsman ... not exactly a wimp.

Gen. U.S. Grant (my #2) but a lousy pres.

Gen. James Garfield

LBJ and Nixon rode desks.

Gen. Andrew Jackson was a racist monster.

I think Wm. McKinley was in the Navy briefly.

FDR was Navy Sec. in WW I Does that count?

Gen. Wm. Henry Harrison erased Gen. Sinclair's Fallen Timbers defeat at nearby Tippecanoe. However, he wasn't facing that great general, Little Turtle.

I think jingoist president James Knox Polk may have been in the Navy also.

Wow, Jamie. Good for you. I was wondering if I'd be proven wrong on Lincoln. So...does he go over to the "war hero" list based on that?

Damn, XRep...I can't believe I forgot Grant. I've got his damn memoirs and a great bio of him sitting right on my shelf! Good work, Lardass.
I think I may just skulk away now.

Give a sissy a gun and he will kill everything in sight. TR's slaughter of the animals in the Badlands outdoes in spades the butcheries of that sissy of a later era, Ernest Hemingway. Elks, grizzly bears, blacktail bucks are killed joyously while a bear cub is shot, TR reports proudly, "clean through . . . from end to end" (the Teddy bear was yet to be invented). "By Godfrey, but this is fun!" TR was still very much the prig, at least in speech: "He immortalized himself along the Little Missouri by calling to one of his cowboys, 'Hasten forward quickly here!'" Years later he wrote: "There were all kinds of things of which I was afraid at first, ranging from grizzly bears to 'mean' horses and gunfighters; but by acting as if I was not afraid I gradually ceased to be afraid."

There is something strangely infantile in this obsession with dice-loaded physical courage when the only courage that matters in political or even "real" life is moral. Although TR was often reckless and always domineering in politics, he never showed much real courage, and despite some trust-busting, he never took on the great ring of corruption that ruled and rules in this republic. But then, he was born a part of it. At best, he was just a dude with the reform play. Fortunately, foreign affairs would bring him glory. As Lincoln was the Bismarck of the American states, Theodore Roosevelt was the Kaiser Wilhelm II, a more fortunate and intelligent figure than the Kaiser but every bit as bellicose and conceited. Edith Wharton described with what pride TR showed her a photograph of himself and the Kaiser with the Kaiser's inscription: "President Roosevelt shows the Emperor of Germany how to command an attack."

Theodore Roosevelt, an American Sissy, by gore vidal
http://www.randomhouse.com/boldtype/0501/vidal/essay_us.html

Sturge...don't rub it in, dude. I'm already skulking away.

Although, Hemingway most DEFINITELY could have kicked Gore Vidal's scrawny little ass.

Hell, Bill Buckley damn near kicked Vidal's ass.

Of course, Norman Mailer actually DID kick Vidal's ass on the Dick Cavett show that time. But Vidal's response was the moral equivalent of kicking Mailer's ass.

So I guess it's all a wash in the end.

corey..........And??

really as far as TR goes I dont care a lot.....i happen to think he was a big jerk, but then so am i........lol

Bethyboo, that geriatric junkie sexist pig, don imus, is the one who called Gwen Ifill a cleaning lady. I appreciate cleaning ladies and wish I could afford one, but Gwen Ifill is not a cleaning lady

But, TR was great in "A Night At The Museum"!

Lardsass

I place the blame for the Swiftboating entirely on the media and pundits who said things like "Kerry response showed he was slow and weak."

I remember as though it was yesterday seeing Joe Scarborough talking to Frank Luntz (doing focus groups for NBC/MSNBC and not being id'd as a Republican) after the Democratic Convention. Scarborough said he had confidence in Kerry as a leader. Luntz said, the people of Southern Ohio agreed with Scarborough and they would be comfortable voting for Kerry. Bad news for Republicans.

The first time I heard the swiftboat story was on eithr Scarborough or Hardball and Thomas Oliphant and Mike Barnicle were both on and said these are all old charges and they have all been refuted. They came up in the Senate campaigns there is nothing to them.

And yet. Everyday on NBC/MSNBC was so cockamamie crap with the swiftboaters even when
they knew the charges were completely false.

And then to attack Kerry for not responding - from clown professors like Kathleen Hall Jamieson of Anneberg who said it made Kerry looks weak. The media takes place in a false frenzy and it's his fault.
What a piece of work.

The American media and in particular every Republican owes John Kerry an apology and what did they do instead, the made up the joke controversy and other Democrats went along with it.

Lard,

Agreed. But we must not be too arrogant about it. Obama is humble as I've seen in a while. I'm glad of that. I believe he is just about fork tender done and the country is seeing it too.

Here is one heck of how the polls look today. I receieved this from "Hipster" today.

So its going to be be interesting to see what the RNC has up its sleeve and if there is anything they can do to stop the bleeding blue.

I am wondering if they would pull the ultimate Coup De Gras and appoint someone like Jeb Bush Ala Convention over throw....

Sorry, here is the link.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/06/todays-polls-618.html

An amazing visual on the polls for now.

cavett has a nice blog entry at the ny times about the mailer vidal brouhaha.......

the best in my estimation of that trio's interaction was vidal's and buckley's dueling articles in the Esquire magazine......it seems buckley slithered away after vidal got into some bizarre incidents in the buckley childhood......but of course I could mis-remember.......

Lardo

Well the Indian Wars were dangerous. How much actual engagement he saw I wouldn't know without research, but a great number of the political figures of his era were involved on the frontier (if you can conceive of Illinois being very much on the frontier).

Patsi,

Didn't she know that a thong isn't supposed to be worn on her head?

Okay. Found it. Lincoln never saw combat, but several future Presidents did. Just do a search on "Lincoln" on this page about the Black Hawk War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_War

Excellent link, Chef.

If McCain can't hold Florida...all is indeed lost.

KGC...I agree with you on the whole evolution of Swiftboat. I remember just being in denial that it could actually be happening. But it did.

Heavens! I wouldn't want to kick Vidal's ass. Who knows where it's been and with what it has been in contact. Ick.

Sturge...the cattiest of the cats was Truman Capote. He put both Vidal and Mailer to shame. The guy used to traffic in stories about Jackie's feminine hygeine regimen, for crying out loud. Sicko. Even though he was a brilliant writer, I will always reserve a little piece of hate for him just for that reason alone.

xrepub.........you might not be as "x" as you imagine.......

XRep...you really need to do yourself a favor and find the Vidal-Buckley confrontation on YouTube. I'm sure it's still there. I'm assuming -- as an XRep -- that Buckley is a saint to you. And you'll be proud of his throwdown on Vidal.

yep.....capote could spin a nice tale, but I wouldnt want to have to depend upon him for anything.........

"I remember just being in denial that it could actually be happening. But it did."

Day after day and pretending it was an open question.
Ever since then I have had total contempt for American journalism especially national political journalism. It was close before that but that was the end. Not too mention the mean spirited coverage of Mrs. Heinz Kerry who friends from Pa said "everyone will love her
she is fabulous." By the end of the campaign she was the wicked witch.

KGC...I think you may have just explained why I couldn't bear watching Tim Russert's coffin borne out of a hearse today as if he were a head of state.

I'm sorry. That was just way too much. And, of course, you could -- as predicted -- see all the Washington networking going on among the "mourners."

Gag me.

Sturge: I'm glad Truman Capote is dead. Nuff said.

Buckley Vidal Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXLTDUPJqsU&feature=related

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AzjZrtqCIw&feature=related

Oh, and the corollary: I'm glad Harper Lee is still alive.

Jamie...I do hope Jack comes back. You shouldn't have to do double YouTube duty.
Thanks for finding that.

"The American media and in particular every Republican owes John Kerry an apology and what did they do instead, the made up the joke controversy and other Democrats went along with it."

Yes, indeed, KGC.

Do you believe this? Blackwater is trying to get a law suit decided through Islamic Law so that they can get away with shawdy Flight Schedules and procedures that caused a crash in Afganistan.

http://www.newsobserver.com/917/story/1112708.html

Blackwater wants lawsuit decided under Islamic law

Need to get another government in soon....I'm surprised Blackwater hasn't left for Dubai to avoid taxes too.

"Didn't she know that a thong isn't supposed to be worn on her head?"

No kidding, Burrito...kind of leaves you wondering exactly how that incident happened....

Mr. Fish

If you were in the same room with me, I would throttle you!!!! I adore Dick Cavett and didn't know he had a blog. How I missed it before now I don't know.

Do you have a clue, how much reading I have to do now... You sir are a fiend!!!!!

Good one today on the nature of reunions, age, and death.

"KGC...I think you may have just explained why I couldn't bear watching Tim Russert's coffin borne out of a hearse today as if he were a head of state."

fist bump!

how's this?

Mika = BabaWawa + Rosie O'Donnell + Anna
Nicole
Smith

Those Vidal and Buckley you tube clips are priceless...

Some station should do a time warp special in B&W, one camera shoot, simple sets, and let two current day pundits try to top that.

Posted by: bethyboo | June 18, 2008 7:58 PM

Wow you really don't like Mika.

Lardo

"You shouldn't have to do double YouTube duty. "

No problem. The Google and The You Tube and I are great friends.

Maggisd

Here are two stories about FISA .

The first link is to a USA Today story about Qwest, the company that did not cooperate.
The second is an editorial from the NYTimes about the proposed legislation. Forget the tone, it explains the bill.

Jamie...Google? YouTube? What is this of which you speak?

Remember, I fell through the wormhole and am still trying to fight my way back to the present from 1994, pre Fist Bump territory.

Among the big telecommunications companies, only Qwest has refused to help the NSA, the sources said. According to multiple sources, Qwest declined to participate because it was uneasy about the legal implications of handing over customer information to the government without warrants.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm
Editorial
Mr. Bush v. the Bill of Rights
Published: June 18, 2008
In the waning months of his tenure, President Bush and his allies are once again trying to scare Congress into expanding the president’s powers to spy on Americans without a court order.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/opinion/18wed1.html?_r=2&ref=opinion&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

David Horsey Strikes again!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/horsey/viewbydate.asp?ID=1777

"Not too mention the mean spirited coverage of Mrs. Heinz Kerry who friends from Pa said "everyone will love her
she is fabulous." By the end of the campaign she was the wicked witch."

KGC -- I still wear my 2004 t-shirt that says:

"SHOVE IT! You go, Teresa!"

McCain says wants 45 new nuclear reactors by 2030

"If I am elected president, I will set this nation on a course to building 45 new reactors by the year 2030, with the ultimate goal of 100 new plants to power the homes and factories and cities of America," he said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSWBT00921120080618?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews

- wonder where he thinks he is going to put these ? niby

And with that Burrito,

Where does he think he can dispose of present nuclear waste, let alone the new stuff...

Here I am…the troll, as someone called me, but I do read every once in a while. I actually stay pretty much in tune with everything I can with regard to politics in print, online and…even here. I know, I said I would be on vacation but that begins tomorrow for 11 days, so I will pretty much be completely out of touch with everything happening. It seems every time I go on vacation I am so out of touch and come back to learn something really, really big happened. Oh well...probably couldn’t have done anything about it anyway.

While I respect anyone who has served our country and especially who has been a prisoner of war, that does not make that person, even a flip-flopping senator, ready to be president. There are many who are much more qualified, especially when the candidate cannot get the names of the tribes fighting against each other correct.

I’m happy with the way things (meaning the polls) are going right now and hope they continue that way.

Yes, the fighting on here is very stupid and petty compared to everything happening with the lives of many in this country and with the soldiers and their families fighting for our country.

You Clinton people need to move on. She is ready to do so and one much wonder why you are still fighting about her loss, especially when we have so many issues at hand for the people of this country. We did use a democratic process to determine the outcome, didn’t we?

God Bless Tim Russert’s wife, son, father and the rest of the family. He was truly a great person.

Happy and “congenial” debating all.

He's not worried about those details....in 2030 he'll be 93 and radio-active already

Chef Sheila
So nice reading your posts!!! I wish I could see this Humble Sen. Obama you speak of. Man is it sad for me.I support no one to lead this great country!! I know we share the feeling that we will be so glad to see Bush gone though!!!!!

That thought is funny Burrito!

Karolenna. good to see your name again and good to see a post that is calm and quite good. Hope that vacation is great. Come one back when you are through.

Lets get civil and try our hardest to become a neighborhood again!

Has anybody been following the Larry Sinclair press conference today at the National Press Club. The guy got arrested right afterwards. You can't make this up.

They have a clip of him taking questions

http://texasdarlin.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/report-from-sinclair-press-conference/

I can't believe this guy is still getting attention. It's like a pain that will never go away.

Tony,

Good to see you too. Have patience my friend. Most likely either you will look back and say, "I am glad he became president" or you will say, "HEY! Chef Sheila! Damn you were wrong!" LOL

No doubt everything is a risk. I myself have become quite good at calculated risk. But I can always be wrong.....although this time, I think I'm right. ;0)

But, I'll have you hold me to that. OK?

Some more info on what's happening http://wordpress.com/tag/larry-sinclair/

I see that the Rev Manning might of been around that news conference.

This is the first election year I have ever seen that one off the wall person after another is coming out and getting their minute of fame. It's on June. What's next. Also these same ones keep reappearing.

Chef Sheila
Thanks and I will hold you to that!!! I hope you are right about Sen. Obama for the country and all of us.

The Google is a way station on the tubes of the internets ... just wait over by that lamp post. A new street car will be along any second.

LAL, No. When I got religion, I put away childish things like the buckleys.

In my book, the last good republican was Thaddeus Stevens. Teedie Roosevelt is okay, especially at the end, when he greived the loss of his son, and finally recognized that his love of violence had nasty consequences.

I can tolerate Ike, because he followed Truman's policy of containment, but didn't seek a hot war. I shook Ike's hand in '57. It was a magic moment, but I was young and impressionable. He was a great general, the one that everyone else could work with. My father despised him, because Ike increased the allowable amount of rat droppings in wheat used for making bread. That was about '58, around the time of the Sherman Adams vicuna coat scandal. I think that about closes the list of nationally known republicans I could stomach. PA's Senator Scott was a nice man.

" We did use a democratic process to determine the outcome, didn’t we?"

Actually, no. He was selected.

But Hillary's loss is not what some of us are angry about.

xrep - thanks for the imus identification. I knew it was somebody I didn't like. Not only was it dismissive of cleaning ladies and Gwen Iffil, it was racist. I don't understand how anybody can listen to such mean-spirited and vicious talk. It's really bad for my health to hear.

KGC - yea, I do dislike Mika. I think she is an airhead with appalling bad manners. She is also an unabashed wannabe - she's so intent on being one of the gang that she doesn't pay attention to them. She twitches and says, uh huh, and oh, yeah. I tried to watch and she interrupted constantly, as bad as tweety,
and that's saying a lot. She is taking up space that plenty of other women would love a chance at - and would do better. Actually, I think she's an embarrassment to women. She makes the stereotype and so offends me.

I suppose I'll catch it from some women, but it's just my opinion and I know it. I don't claim it as fact but I don't need to. It's just an opinion, and I'm entitled to it.

here's a great mellow out song...... it's up to us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KC7uhMY9s

Marvin Gaye

peace everyone~

Bethyboo,

Some ya like and some ya don't. i think its a matter of personal taste and nothing to get critisized for, as long as its not horrible prejudiced and you are not.

I happen to like Mika and the whole George and Gracie thiing on Morning Joe. I like the interviews and I will admit She has a ways to go in the interview department.

But don't they all.

Luv Mercy Me!

Ya know what? I have to expand.

The greatest compliment I ever received was that I reminded a man of a cleaning lady, his mother.

The man was black and was raised, with his sister, by his mother with no help from his dad who had decided to "pass." With his aunt,a seamstress, this woman had worked un-imaginable hours in a job most see as menial, and probably been invisible to an awful lot of people.

That man had a lot of depth, which he didn't always show, and we were friends only, but I'll bet he remembers me fondly as I do him.

He wa almost in awe of his mother, and when he said I reminded him of her, I was stupified. I wish I could say I deserved the compliment, but I don't know - I wish I did.

Don Imus's sin is that he was trying to insult cleaning ladies and Gwen Iffil.

Did anybody see Hillary and Bill today at Russert tribute at the Kennedy Center. MSNBC shown them saying goobye to Luke.

Sheila, help me understand. Please see this paragraph extracted from Karolenna's 8:46 PM:

"You Clinton people need to move on. She is ready to do so and one much wonder why you are still fighting about her loss, especially when we have so many issues at hand for the people of this country. We did use a democratic process to determine the outcome, didn’t we?"

To which you replied at 8:53 PM:

"Karolenna. good to see your name again and good to see a post that is calm and quite good. Hope that vacation is great. Come one back when you are through.

Lets get civil and try our hardest to become a neighborhood again!"

Are you suggesting that the quote from Karolenna was civil and neighborly, or were you suggesting that her future posts adopt that tone?

Did I just hear Hannity say that McCain has two sons currently in the military. If so I am shocked he is not using that in his stump speeches. Good for him. Most candidates would use it to their advantage.

In light of our recent pledges of civility, this blog article today by one of my favorite ladies to read daily might be of interest:

http://thiseclecticlife.com/

The crazy larry story has another update:

http://elect2009.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/sinclair-update/

Flatus she was better than she ever was,

If she had been seriously rude, I'd have spoken against it.

I don't hold "you people need to get over it" any harder than, "Obama is an Empty Suit" which rankles my nerves and I don't react.

Because you people deserve to speak your peace. ;0)

Karolenna is not as bad today as the stuff GORDO plants here and I don't pay him any mind either. But some here really appreciate his links.

Thanks Jamie. ;0)

Chef Sheila,

I think they go to Dubai to avoid having prosecutors seize the evidence - their records - and evade arrest, arraignments, hearings, trials, convictions, and incarcerations. I think the bush-mccain administration subsidizes companies to move to Caribbean havens, but Blackwater may think that Grenada or Anguila are too close, and thus, too dangerous.

re: buckley v vidal. I remember it vividly. vidal, full of hubris didn't take it seriously and therefore didn't bone up for the scrap. However, buckley was well aware that it was a great PR moment. Despite his more narrow view, he seemed competent, because he had studied for the event. I remember hearing many people (even leftists) commment that vidal sounded silly. To my cultured eye, vidal just looked like an lazy, insouciant, upperclass twit -a sort of snide Bertie Wooster. And of course, he felt compelled to hawk acceptence the most outrageous sexual practices between consenting poisoners and cannibals just to alarm the yokels in Dog Patch. 2 priceless prigs on steroids with microphones. Now, I'll have nightmares.

Polygraph Examination of Larry Sinclair I found this guy interesting. He is registered IND. but spports Obama and gave him money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc8Ys8iXTiU

Jamie: Thank you so much for that url. I particularly appreciated the little morality tale about finding what you expect to find in people.

Vadaryl: Mrs McCain talks about the two boys from time to time but -- like Sen Webb -- Sen McCain does not. Considering the family history, one could hardly expect them not to be in the Armed Services.

I am going to correct myself Flatus,

But please feel free to help here along with Jamie and anyone else who feels the need cor leadership too.

There was a time where I was a Hall Monitor here. Not since I was pummeled to death for it.

Now I am going to ask you to help. Because you are a leader.

If all could explain why this sentance was hard to take when Karolenna says it and then give an alternative, she may respond better.

I detected a while back that she wanted to fit in and become a regular. So if she can be included, by some information, she will probably appreciate it.

I know we can't do that for everyone, but my experience says that most will share the same thought.

If you are game so am I. There are many sentances that make the other side wince and could be said another way.

I will resurface as a person who does the same in the name of civility if I can have your assurance and understanding
All I'm saying.

Going to make Cheese sauce, Back in a while ;0)

In the beginning Obama grew on people with Change, and he was making moves that were in that direction but now he is starting to fall into the old trap of doing whatever it takes to win. He nows has a pin on, hired a speech writer for his wife, making sure he does nothing wrong. Sounds like old washington to me.

At the risk of sounding like an ignoramus, could someone please explain to me why the Russert memorial service began with a color guard? So far as I know, Mr Russert saw no military service and was not a government official ... Maybe someone here knows the protocol better than I.

Maybe I missed something but what's the story with Russert Mother. I never heard a word about her. Is she still alive and what about his sisters?

vadaryl: Not old Washington ... old Chicago.

I, for one, have no quarrel with politicians per se. If you're gonna do politics, you oughta be a politician. One of the reasons I voted for Gerry Ford ... 'cuz I thought he had a better chance of working with Congress than did Jimmy Carter.

Now I fear that Sen Obama has too good a chance to work with Congress, if that makes any sense. I am very liberal on most social issues, but more of a moderate on other things and I really dread the idea of a very liberal President unchecked by a very liberal Congress. The reverse of what we had for six years ... but still a little scary to me.

vadaryl: I have often wondered about his mother. She is not still alive, that much I know ... but for all I have ever heard or read about her, she could just as well have been a cipher. Maria Shriver did say that when her own mother was so very ill, Russert called and spoke with her about how he coped with his mother's death...her anecdote was the most I have ever heard about Mrs. Russert. I tried googling her, but didn't get very far.
I have a mantra that I repeat to all my younger female friends ... never choose a man who doesn't love his mother. Not saying that Russert didn't love his mother, but my own experience has been that men who are close to their Mom always treat their girl friends and wives with respect.

Patsi
Oh your right!! Selected thats exactly what I told the DNC.I called them today and asked them to remove me from there e-mail and mailing list.I was asked why and I told them Sen. Obama was selected in a un-democratic process and that I was now a registered Independent.I also took the time to say the DNC was silent on the sexism against Sen. Clinton but H. D. didn't fail to call out the the mention of Rev. W. as race baiting. No answers just Thankyou.

What about his sisters?

Jamie, Xrepublican -- my computer won't "do" YouTube ... I'd be interested to know if what you are discussing is the infamous incident when Vidal called Buckley a fascist? (Or did he actually call him a Nazi).

"You people"
"learning to be calculating"
"Now I am going to ask you to help. Because you are a leader. "
"Going to make Cheese sauce"

ROFL....Jack was probably right to resign.

vadaryl: They were sitting in the front row at the Memorial. One of them ... she appeared to be the elder of the two ... looked so very much like her brother that it was almost eerie.

Patsi, indeed.

Patsi: Don't you just despise that phrase "you people." It's one of those phrases that has a surface meaning so entirely bland ... and yet the connotations just rankle. I would bet that almost no one wants to be a "you people."

Vadaryl-
I read Russert's book a couple of years ago. He wrote of his parent's divorce- it did not occur when he was young, forget when. He wrote overwhelmingly of his dad- and while there was nothing negative about his mom, that stuck out to me.

I heard in an interview this weekend that his mom died fairly quickly of cancer a couple of years back.

He has I believe 2 or 3 sisters- and someone mentioned that he was supposed to fly home on father's day to spend the day with one of them and his dad.

I have heard a lot of people now are asking the DNC to take their name off the mailing list. I thought for a weeks or so people would be upset and then let it go but not this election year. We are talking about over 17 million people. That's a lot of people that have to get over this and the way it came down. Most of them and the 17 million Obama got are still not over the results of 2000 and maybe 2004 too. So when you jump of people to get over it think about how you feel about what happened in 2000 and how long it took you to get over that one if you ever did.

Luke looked so much like his dad too. I can relate to that because I look so much like my Dad that when he was alive I used to introduce him as my older brother.

At out local democratic meeting this week, it was interesting that there are so many elections this fall that matter- to me at least- from my local state reps to executive council, to US senate (excellent pick up opportunity for D's) and
congressmen.
There was an Obama rep there, and while he was clearly focused on that race, there are many others to work on and choose from this Nov too.

Vadaryl
Yes!! I also told the DNC that the party who said lets count every vote forgot the lessons of 2000.Thankyou your post is spot on.

Ok,

Since I guess you are loud and clear. I will stop. You obviously like what is going on. So next time I speak to someone, please don't critisize. You have no right.

Kathy: Thank you so much for that information. I had not read Russert's book and always wondered.

Vadaryl: Personally, I'm waiting for the apology. I don't even really mind the heavy-handed political moves (the Michigan thing, hiring Patty Solis Doyle) ... it was trashing the Clinton accomplishments and turning them into racists that offended me. And still do. And yes, a little bit the lack of acknowledgment that this was no landslide victory.

I just hope everyone does go out and vote because there is other races going on even if they don't want to vote for Obama or McCain. There is plenty of time still left before November to make that final choice. Listen to both candidates, get as much info you need to make your choice and don't count on the media for that information.

VADaryl

Here is an article about Russert's family. The picture with his mother, he is quite young. I found a couple of other places where he barely mentions her. I get the feeling that she may have died when he was still a child. If my father was any guide, he refused to talk about her. It was a deep sadness and an anger that never went away.

http://www.livingprimetime.com/tr2.htm

Sheila: I am so glad you are back. I did want to discuss with you ... or at least offer my opinion on the subject you were discussing before Chef-dom got in the way.
Perhaps I am just a grumpy old lady, but it's my feeling that there are some people -- such as yourself -- who are in a position to express the wish that we can all get over our disappointment and move forward together, since even your most fervent posts are civil and free of name calling.
Other people, I think, perhaps ought to review what they have posted in the past and consider expressing at least some regret.
Just one perspective.

Based on that bottom picture his mother was alive in May 2003. So his parents were divorced?

I see up above that she has passed away, but not young and that there was a divorce from his mother. Probably still some anger there from one or both causes.

Jamie: Kathy posted that she had read Russert's book and that his parents had divorced and not when he was particularly young. But that his mother died not that long ago. From the picture at the site you found, she was obviously still alive in 2003.
I have to think that his very close relationship with Sister Lucille might be very telling ...

Jamie- this weekend I saw a replay of a Brokaw interview of Russert, in which he spoke of his mom's death which was fairly recent,- how he and sisters were there and he held her hand. She had died of cancer I believe, and went down hill sooner than anyone thought she would-

He mentioned that even at that time n her deathbed, she looked into his eyes and asked him if he had a sore throat because he did not look so well- and he stated that sure enough he had felt fine but had a sore throat the next day. He mentioned the mother's intuition.

He also described how she made them all sit at the table to do their homework, and she would cook dinner nearby but they were not allowed to eat until they were all done-

Did Tim write that first book when she was still alive? If so I wonder how she felt about that.

Jamie, Vadaryl: You know, I had wondered about his mother for some time; it's odd how a death ... even of someone one doesn't really know ... can really pique one's curiosity.

You are right, but after hours of coverage and the constant mention of Big Russ, one starts to wonder about the rest of the family.

I cut off too soon-

My feeling form the book was that Russert revered his dad- not that he did not love him mom too- but the book was mostly about him and his dad. There was absolutely nothing bad about mom-

Kathy: Thanks for that info. It's nice to know that he had good things to say about his Mom.

While I have become accepting of Sen. Obama as the probable nominee and I find that I genuinely like his wife, warming up to him may take some time.

Now being told to "get over it" doesn't do much to improve my attitude in that direction. It isn't so much an undying allegiance to Senator Clinton as a real displeasure both with the primary system (caucus/weighted districts etc.) and with the DNC's obvious bias against the moderate branch of the party.

I'm willing to acknowledge that the Clinton folks made errors. At the same time, I feel that Sen. Obama was selected by the Kennedy Pelosi Dean faction and that they did everything possible to assist his victory.

So having some of the Obama folks storm in here swearing, calling Sen. Clinton foul names, and generally behaving as if her supporters had no right to exist didn't go over very well. Have there been Clinton supporters who engaged in some of the same behavior? Yes, but I honestly do not think to the same degree or with the same level of anger towards her supporters.

Glad to hear he did have good things to say about his mom. Maybe it's more the media spin on this that makes us wonder what happened. They got all caught up in this like they did this primary season and lost focus and did not present the whole picture.

Kathy: I do not think Russert was the type of person who would have written anything bad about his Mom, even if there had been anything bad to say. Perhaps it was just one of those old-fashioned families where Mom took charge of the girls and Dad took charge of the boy.

Jamie: You have said it so well, and you speak for many of us. As you say, it's not that we have this undying loyalty to Senator Clinton, but that we feel the deck was stacked against her -- and the moderates in the Democratic Party -- by very powerful forces.

Returning to the Russert Memorial ... I was particularly moved by Brokaw, Barnicle (unexpectedly so) and Maria Shriver.

Tim's relationship with his father and son were special and he wrote a book about it, his relationship with him Mom and sisters were not. Not sure about his wife. But this week the networks zeroed in on that book. So all we saw was that partial picture.

And speaking of his son ... didn't he turn out well? A young man of that age to have such poise in speaking of his just-deceased father ... I found it remarkable.

The Barnicle police story was great. I did not know that they were that close. Brokaw was good. Even though he has been retired for awhile he has not lost a step. When he announced Tim's death you could feel the emotion. That night even Keith O was good too. It was the first time I watched MSNBC in months.

vadaryl: I was very surprised at how emotional KO seemed to be that evening.
Of course, we expected Brokaw to be good. And even Barnicle; although I do not care for him, he does write for a living. I guess I was most surprised at Maria Shriver...she has the Kennedy gift.

Luke is a great kid. I fell apart when my Dad died I could not of done what he did. The Today show and then today's events. He's got a great future ahead of him. Maybe some day he will bring that chair back and he will be firing the questions on Meet the Press.

I was not impressed by Maria, but I liked the story she said that Tim asked her to come up to the booth at the convention before her hubby spoke.

vadaryl: I know what you mean. Neither my brother nor I could have managed to speak at either of our grandparent's funerals. And they had lived long and full lives and their deaths were not unexpected.

As for Meet the Press ... my candidate is David Gregory. Or, perhaps they'll bring back the panel, as they used to have.

Getting dark ... time to turn off the computer and turn on the lights.

Maggisd,

Sorry, had to finish Chef duties. Thank you Soooo much.

You are a kind and gentle soul and I hope we can mend fences with at least some here. After all, I feel very fervently that our country is at stake. A blog may be a small place, but we are all in this together. So thanks for listening to me.

Jamie,

i appreciate your candor. But when you are feeling slighted you tend to see things a bit differently than the other side.

Like I said, When somone calls him an empty suit and so many other slights all day long, while you think it is rather benign, the lurkers don't. While we have learned to be silent,

Don't think it is any more wincing. You guys seem to think we don't know what you have gone through. Well we do.

The only way this is all going to stop is to respect and empathise. I don't see very many CLinton Regulars open to empathy as demonstrated up a ways by Flatus and Patsi tonight.

The crazy thing is, I DO empathise. But Ya'll are spending so much time being hurt and bitter there is no room for any of us to help.

We keep getting kicked in the stomach. So I am going to beware of my backside again. ;0)

I hope you can understand.

Obama has a secret plan to kill Osama bin Laden that somehow doesn't make him a martyr.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday he would bring Osama bin Laden to justice in a way that wouldn't allow the terrorist mastermind to become a martyr, but he may be killed if the U.S. government finds him.

Obama has a secret plan to kill Osama bin Laden that somehow doesn't make him a martyr.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday he would bring Osama bin Laden to justice in a way that wouldn't allow the terrorist mastermind to become a martyr, but he may be killed if the U.S. government finds him.

Obama has a secret plan to kill Osama bin Laden that somehow doesn't make him a martyr.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday he would bring Osama bin Laden to justice in a way that wouldn't allow the terrorist mastermind to become a martyr, but he may be killed if the U.S. government finds him.

http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/

Exploration and oil production are an issue that is absolutely explosive for Democrats, given their perennial resistance to ANWR, coastal and deep ocean drilling, tar sands, shale, liquid coal, and nuclear. And the irony is that their opposition to drilling — dismissing each potential find or field with the reductionist “it would be only 500,000 barrels,” “a mere million barrels,” or “just a few cents off a gallon of gas” — is classically illiberal to the point of either callousness or abject madness

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=N2RkMGQzM2E2NWU4Y2IzZTFlZWRkYWIwZDFkNmJhOTc=

Sheila

Not to be difficult but an "inexperienced empty suit" is quite gentle compared to a lying, murdering f******** Whore and b****.

So I will refrain from mentioning Sen. Obama's somewhat slight credentials and will encourage other Clinton supporters to be more respectful. It would be nice if the favor could be returned.

The Repubs may have a surprise for us. I'm picking up hints that they might have McCain drop out if the numbers start to look bad for him - would use the health excuse.

Thanks Jamie,

I'll try hard. Maybe between the two of us, some headway can be made.

By the way more than Empty Suit has been said, but no Tit for Tat anymore.

Thanks

GORDO,

That Grodo guys is back. Heads up!

Empty suit?

Name: Bobby Jindal
Age: 36

Governor of Louisiana, former two-term congressman from the first district

He's got an impressive resume for his age. He has been a Rhodes scholar, a consultant for McKinsey, the head of Louisiana's Department of Health and Hospitals, the executive director of the Breaux-Thomas commission on Medicare reform, president of the University of Louisiana system, and an assistant secretary of the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Jindal claims credit for converting the state's Medicaid deficit into a surplus while he ran the state health department (media observers have also credited him).

Grodo is not GORDO.

Check this out: ????

"Friends of Countdown"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24656280/

tt

Empty suit?

Name: Barack Obama
Age: 47

has dedicated his life to public service as a community organizer, civil rights attorney, and leader in the Illinois state Senate. Obama now continues his fight for working families following his election to the United States Senate

Sheila - thanks for the perfect term - a personal taste.
I know I have a personal taste against yelling and railing which don't seem to bother other people very much. In fact, I don't think others understand just how much I hate it. I could never have married.

I also have a personal distaste against emotional appeals. Some of that I have learned from watching Reagan, but I think I might have been born that way. I do not trust people very much, but that blends with my distrust of emotional appeals. The KKK is nothing more than emotion.

I have a distaste for having fallen for somehting I should have known better than to trust. I think that is why I am not sold on Obama - I have no reason to believe in him, other than that he is black and that is a long-held hope of mine, to vote for a black president.

All the insults that have been thrown around here are worthless; they have changed no minds, and what they are really aimed at is the fact that we have different tastes and ways of seeing things.

As for the women in Russert's life, I heard him talk quite a bit about his book and his father and his son. I never heard him mention his mother, wife, sister, or any other women. I hope he did get to hold his mom's hand before she died. I held mine as she died.

Since my nieces have had children in the last five years, I have been almost engulfed with fear as I see the result of the bonding between these mothers and their babies. I had heard of it but seeing it straight out is a body blow. As the kids have become toddlers, they have bonded with their fathers as well, but that first year or so, mommie is the one. For Russert to have not mentioned her, there must have been a major separation and lots of issues. No wonder he came across to some of us as a mysoginist, whether he was one or not.

Frankly I think all the men at msnbc have problems with women. Does KO really have a live-in girlfriend, of any age?

Bethyboo,

KO has a live in Gal. He is also well known through FOX, ESPN, and NBC as a huge advocate for women. Stories are many of his protective attitude for women's rights and his past personal witness and defense of many women in the profession.

No matter what you may think, there are always surprises.

Russert was a well known advocate too. Now Tweet?....LOL Not so much!

I am stunned by the repeated claims that Tim Russert failed to mention his mother. I've heard him speak of her many times...and in ONLY glowing terms. Perhaps you simply were not watching the programs on which the topic came up. I know some of you dislike Imus, but he spoke of her there on many occasions. His book was about his relationship with his father, and was an effort to demonstrate the bonds that tie fathers and sons. It isn't sinful that he wrote about his dad, but not his mom.

As I said, I find your efforts at making up stories about Tim Russert's life stunning. Your efforts are only wild speculation. I don't understand the impulse to try to know something you cannot know.

McCain dropping out? Too good to be true.

tt

If Team Clinton has the MO video (s), there could be an August Surprise for BO.

Posted this earlier:

"The impression my contact got from her discussions with her friends within the party is that Hillary is not out of it and she expects Obama to be so damaged by the time the convention rolls around that he will either drop out of the race or not get the nomination. The Dems know how the Clinton's roll and they must not be sleeping very well because they do not know when the 16 ton anvil is going to be dropped on Obama. They also know that some of Obama's dirty laundry would be enough to kill his campaign if it came out."

http://hillbuzz.blogspot.com/

If there were a tape, and if Team Clinton had it and used it to derail O, then fellow Dems would cut HRC as cold as we cut Senator Loosecannon (I-CT), and with an even better reason.

However, unlike the mediocre Joe Loosecannon, HRC is brilliant, and therefore, if her team has a tape, it will never see the light of day.

If the Cainites had such a tape, we would already have seen it. In fact, there is no such tape.

Let's see how the ripuplican line on offshore drilling works:

george herbert walker bush ended offshore drilling because he hates America and wants to weaken it and strengthen our Islamo-fascistist terrorist enemies. If ghwb had not stopped offshore drilling, the Towers would still be standing.

ronald reagan so hated America that he opposed off shore drilling, and wanted us to become dependent on slave-produced Commie oil.

But mccain hates reagan and bush and will overturn all their pro-terrorist schemes.

I guess that sounds about right. Who do I contact in the bushmccain campaign to help them get out their vital message?

"I just hope everyone does go out and vote because there is other races going on even if they don't want to vote for Obama or McCain."

Absolutely right, vadaryl....

" It isn't so much an undying allegiance to Senator Clinton as a real displeasure both with the primary system (caucus/weighted districts etc.) and with the DNC's obvious bias against the moderate branch of the party."

Jamie -- as usual, your entire 10:44 post was spot on. Likewise, Maggi's followup.

"Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday he would bring Osama bin Laden to justice in a way that wouldn't allow the terrorist mastermind to become a martyr, but he may be killed if the U.S. government finds him."

Gordo, I'm sure you meant this post as somehow negative, but despite my personal feelings about this election process and the Democratic candidate -- this is sound thinking. I've long wondered if bin Laden's death wouldn't turn him into even a bigger Mid East hero than he now is.....

Ah -- I should have scrolled on down.....that was a "grado" post. ROFL. I should have known Gordo wouldn't have posted it.

"If Team Clinton has the MO video (s), there could be an August Surprise for BO. "

Gordo, that is patently ridiculous. If they'd had a tape and planned on using it, I hardly expect they'd have waited until now. This so-called bombshell is fairly mild anyway.

New Thread

This so-called bombshell is fairly mild anyway.
Posted by: Patsi Author Profile Page | June 19, 2008 5:42 AM

No telling til you see it Patsi.

NEW THREAD