2008 archive
Beyond the Palin 1
From Josh Marshall:
The Final Debate 0
From Harry Shearer:
By the way, the first few minutes of his show on Sunday are well worth a listen, as he dissects Bushonomics. Actually, most all of his shows are worth listening to.
Tempus Fugits 0
Eight days to go.
One day to go until Drinking Liberally, Tangier Restaurant, 18th and Lombard, Philadelphia, Pa., 6 p.
When the Phillies Are Hitting, No Team Can Beat Them 2
Phillies 10, Rays 2.
Phillies up three games to one.
Bushisms (Updated) 0
Facebook 0
Folks really need to remember that social networking sites are, after all, public places.
Those Who Know Her Best 0
Anchorage Daily News endorses Senator Obama:
Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain.
Since his early acknowledgement that economic policy is not his strong suit, Sen. McCain has stumbled and fumbled badly in dealing with the accelerating crisis as it emerged. He declared that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong” at 9 a.m. one day and by 11 a.m. was describing an economy in crisis. He is both a longtime advocate of less market regulation and a supporter of the huge taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout. His behavior in this crisis — erratic is a kind description — shows him to be ill-equipped to lead the essential effort of reining in a runaway financial system and setting an anxious nation on course to economic recovery.
Sen. Obama warned regulators and the nation 19 months ago that the subprime lending crisis was a disaster in the making.
Via Andrew Sullivan.
Play Misty for Me 3
I was checking the rain gauge this morning (one inch fell last night) and noticed mist rising from the tree trunks. Then I noticed it rising from the fence, where, because the light was better, I was able to get a picture fence:
It shows up better in this short video.
(Aside to Phillybits: If you really want to shoot squirrels, come on down. I’ll even lend you my Mossberg.
Michael Smerconish Discovers the “Nut” in Wingnut (Updated) 0
Last week, Michael Smerconish (aka “Waste of Newsprint”) endorsed Senator Obama in his Sunday column in the local rag.
This week, he discussed the fallout (emphasis added):
More than 500 people weighed in immediately, unwilling to consider my argument before criticizing its conclusion.
“You made up your mind a long time ago, you rat,” one wrote to me. “Either you have no core beliefs, or you are just like all the other elitist Main Line snobs. My guess is both,” wrote another. “Smerconish, you’re one awful, greedy, shameless ratings hog. . . . You traded your soul for socialism,” said a detractor.
By the time the column actually reached the newsstand, my critics numbered more than 1,000. . . . An additional 1,000 angry e-mails came in the 24 hours that followed publication.
And, the tone of the objectors actually escalated. Missing from most, however, was any reference to the argument I had advanced: Barack Obama properly recognizes that the central front in the war on terror is the Afghan-Pakistan border, not Iraq; he has more intellectual capacity to deal with the economy than the guy who said its fundamentals were “strong”; Sarah Palin is not ready to be president; Obama represents a role model for black youth, too many of whom are growing up and killing one another; and he presents the best opportunity to unite us after the election and restore our prestige around the globe.
All that fell mostly on deaf ears. Instead, people wondered how I could ever consider voting for a “Marxist” or “socialist” candidate like Sen. Barack “Hussein” Obama.
(snip)
. . . I won’t be bullied by the nasty, doctrinaire types who’ve had a stranglehold on the GOP for far too long. My work is just beginning.
Addendum, a Little Bit Later:
Steve has a take on it.
Godwin’s Law 0
Godwin’s Law states that
A corollary to Godwin’s Law states that
If someone brings up Nazis in any conversation that has been going on too long for one of the parties, it can be used as a fair excuse to end the thread and declare victory for the other side.
Based on Godwin’s Law, the Republicans are toast.
The Reagan Legacy 0
According to the Republican Party, Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War* and Communism is dead, dead, dead.
Except when it isn’t.
_________________
*More likely, it happened to collapse under its own contradictions of history while he happened to be watching.
Nine Days Left 0
One can only hope.
Joe Calls Out a Wingnut 0
Jeez Oh Man. Can’t these people, like, you know, read?
Via HuffPost.
Who’s Pro-America 0
Jon Swift has the answer.
To Quote Charlie Pierce 0
“I thought they already made a movie called Ship of Fools.”