June, 2008 archive
The Candidate’s Speech 1
Kos reports that he has a copy of Senator Obama’s planned speech for tonight.
“It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To,” as sung by H. Clinton 0
The Demon Princess looks at Senator Clinton’s campaign’s conduct and the flap over the Michigan and Florida primaries.
Yeah, the flap appears to be flapping more and more slowly, though agonized supporters of Senator Clinton appear to be swearing to destroy the Democratic Party, since the Senator’s attempt to end run the rules has been stopped with only a five yard gain (and no touchdown in sight). Follow the link for the full demonic analysis:
Seems to your Demon, that, as Donna Brasile noted, if Hillary had followed through on her promise to play by the rules in Florida and Michigan, where voters were told well in advance that their votes wouldn’t matter if they insisted on defying party rules about not trying to race around and cut in line ahead of other states without waivers from the DNC to do so, she couldn’t now be accused (justly) of whining that the rules should be changed to benefit her.
I used to know someone from Massachusetts. I once asked, “How can you take the city name Hav-er-hill and turn it into Hav-rill?” (That’s “Hav” with a long a, by the way.) The response: “I don’t make the rules.”
As I have pointed out, Senator Clinton agreed to the rules. But apparently with crossed fingers.
I’m tired of crossed fingers from our elected (and appointed and civil service and military) officials.
Why Do Republicans Hate America? 1
After all, they keep attacking it. In a column about Dick Cheney’s “joke” about West Virginia, the New York Times points out
One of the first pages in the Republican playbook these days is to run against “San Francisco values.†This campaign cycle, in Missouri, Republican Congressman Sam Graves is already using the phrase in television commercials against his Democratic opponent.
In his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, President Bush took a swipe at Hollywood.
Massachusetts is also a frequent target. A few years ago, then-Senator Rick Santorum, commenting on the Catholic Church sex scandal, said it was “no suprise†there were revelations coming out of Boston, because it was a liberal bastion.
Attacks on New York used to be common. They seem to have declined in recent years — perhaps as a reaction to Sept. 11, perhaps because San Francisco and Hollywood are glitzier targets.
Throw away the Key 0
The Guardian:
In one sense, the use of ships is wholly predictable, following the Guantánamo pattern: the Bush administration planned its secret prisons to be law-free zones, totally controlled by the US, far away from prying media eyes or annoying lawyers’ writs. What better place, some White House strategist no doubt suggested, than a boat in the middle of the ocean?
Prison Ships 0
What Digby said.
From a commenter quoted in the post:
I should keep reminding myself not to be surprised by the capability of the Current Federal Administration to do evil.
Traffax 0
On the way home from the hospital today, we almost got caught in this.
The truck was already burning, but the backup from hell was just starting.
Scare Tactics 3
On the answering machine:
“Due to the recent rise in the crime rate in your area we are offering the latest” blah blah blah [DELETE] over-priced unnecessary electronic security system.
There has, natch, been no recent rise in the crime rate on my street. The score is still one in the 23 years I’ve lived here, and that was five years ago and we know who did it (couple of teens heisted my neighbor’s ATV).
Needless to say, the call came from my BFF, “Unknown Name/Tollfree Number.”
McBush: Fact Challenged 1
And this is supposed to be a foreign policy maven.
Dick Polman has the facts (emphasis added):
Well, we can look McCain right in the eye and remind him that, as a matter of fact, we have not drawn down to pre-Surge levels. It’s just a matter of comparing the actual numbers. Before President Bush ordered his troop escalation in January 2007, we had 128,569 soldiers in Iraq; today, we have 155,000 soldiers in Iraq. In accordance with how math generally works, the latter number is larger than the former.
Putting aside MCain’s claim that Mosul is “quiet,” on the same day that Mosul reportedly suffered three suicide bombings . . . .
The problem, of course, is that McCain was declaring the draw-down to pre-Surge levels as Mission Accomplished, whereas, in factual reality, it is no such thing.
(snip)
McCain has twice confused the Sunnis and the Shiites.
(snip)
He has insisted that Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the most powerful figure in that country, whereas, in reality, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran’s national security council are the powers that run the show. (McCain is fine with the idea of repeating the error about Ahmadinejad: “I think of you asked any average American who the leader of Iran is, I think they’d know.”) And after a recent clash between Iraqi government troops and Shiite insurgents pledged to Moqtada al-Sadr, McCain erroneously stated that a chastened Sadr had sought a ceasefire, whereas, in reality, the ceasefire was kick-started when the Iraqi government asked its allies in Iran to broke the process; in the end, Sadr’s forces were left virtually intact.
Mr. Polman goes on the wonder what the reaction might have been had Senator Obama made even one of these mistakes.
Slowboats (Updated) 4
I’ve mentioned my qualms about Senator Clinton on several occasions. I have been taken aback by a number of things that she and official spokespersons for her campaign have said and done.
Nevertheless, some of her supporters have, as far as I can tell, frankly fallen off the edge of reality, weaving themselves a fabric of fantasy, lies, delusion (remember delusion?), sometimes with very nasty overtones of the vilest racism.
(Aside: Senator Clinton, of course, is not responsible for the conduct of individuals who support her, but are not part of her campaign, though it can be argued that some of her campaign’s tactics and claims have helped create an atmosphere in which such comments could be seen as legitimate.)
Phillybits has been following one such story with dogged determination. The story is of some significance, since it has already surfaced on the wingnut version of Pravda Fox News (see Phillybits for a discussion of this).
Now the Booman appears to have the scoop.
I have met the Booman. I seriously doubt that he would have published this unless he had the goods.
Addendum, Later That Same Morning:
John Cole has more.
Drinking Liberally: the Legend 3
(snip)
Baratunde Thurston, 30, a stand-up comedian, performs around New York City with Laughing Liberally.
“After the 2004 election, Drinking Liberally meetings were like a support group,†said Mr. Thurston, who was a co-host of the Boston chapter at the time. “There were a lot of questions: ‘What happened? How could fellow Americans re-elect this man? How exactly do you move to Canada?’ In 2006, the mood started changing from pity party to newfound hope regarding the midterm elections. Local politicians would come by and make their pitches. We did joint events with human-rights groups and abortion-rights groups. It was like a swap meet of liberalism.â€
Be a part of the legend.
Tangier Restaurant, 18th and Lombard, Philadelphia, 6 p. m. to 9 p. m. Tuesday.
Link via Atrios.
Cold Case Files 2
Kathleen Parker’s take: Scottie McClelland not only is dishonorable for being late to the game, he also needs to stop snitchin’ (emphasis added):
Unfortunately for the short, unhappy political life of Scott McClellan, the boy who squealed all the way home may be stuck with the title after all. Because no matter how sweet the revenge, on the playground, the snitch is trusted by no one.
Guess her take on the situation is appropriate, given the mafia-esque “we’re doing what we want and to hell with principles, morals, and the Constitution” culture of the Current Federal Administration.