There are only two things that come from Texas...

... steers and ignorant people. (So it seems...)

Poll: 23 Percent of Texans Believe Obama Is a Muslim

I'm wondering how this could be.

My guesses:
1. 23% of Texans lived in their mother's basement with no access to the outside world until they were contacted miraculously by the people who conducted this poll.
2. 23% of Texans can't read or understand English.
3. 23% of Texans rank lower in IQ than their former Governor.

My interview with Ted Stevens

Me: Senator Stevens, are you innocent?


Me: That's all I got. Don't drop the soap.

P.S. Don't worry, odds are good ol' GWB will pardon you anyway. Gotta love the sense of justice in this country and holding people responsible for their actions. Hollywood and the Federal Government... where you do the crime but do no time.

Holy Racism Batman!

Media Analysts Split on Effectiveness of Obama Infomercial

Wow. That's pretty much all I can say after reading this little tidbit(from the link above):

Bill Thompson, a pioneer in direct response marketing who advised Perot in his presidential bid, said if Obama wins next week, the infomercial was worth the money.

"Sorry to be so visceral, but it's based on results; it's not based on image," he said. "The second thing is, it is likely to help him. I don't see how it could hurt him. It was well done."

But Thompson added that Obama was preaching to the choir.

"I'm not convinced he reached undecided voters," he said, adding that he believes a majority of them won't vote for a black candidate.

"He needed to make himself look totally white," he said, adding Obama should have acknowledged that even though his skin is slightly darker, he's still a regular human being.

"It's going to come down to whether the average Joe or Jane accepts Barack Obama as an African-American or a human being," he said.

ARE YOU SERIOUS????? He needs to make himself look totally white? What the f*ck? Is it the 1930s again and I didn't get the memo? Do you need to be white to run for President in this country?

Are people with darker skin not regular human beings? Are African-Americans not human beings? How could Fox not point out the absolutely blatant racism in what this guy was saying????

This stuff is so damn offensive it's unbelievable. Glad to know Fox has no problems giving a platform to speak to a guy that would say racist stuff like this.

Hi! My name is Bill O'Reilly and I'm out of touch with reality...

Further evidence that Bill-O's claim to be unbiased is absolutely hilarious. This is his electoral map, which pretty much spits in the face of every single unbiased poll out there.

I bet McCain saw this and wished he was running for President in O'Reilly world rather than in the real world.

Obama: Pallin' around with Hamburger Thiefs

McCain pushes Obama connection to Khalidi
Palin blasts Obama for ties to Palestinian professor

The McCain's "kitchen sink" approach in attempting to smear Obama continues today. Despite the fact that they lack any evidence that Obama has spent "significant time" with this guy, or that the guy was actually a "PLO spokesman", they continue trying to push this line. It's absolutely ridiculous. Instead of trying to tell us what they'll do for the country (except in very generic terms), they continue to try every guilty-by-association smear they can find. My guess is the last day before the election they are going to try and deliver the knock out punch by tying Obama to the Hamburglar cause he ate at McDonald's once.

Why can't John McCain and his advisors get it through their heads that the American people aren't buying this load of crap? People are losing their jobs, their savings, and their houses... yet all the McCain campaign does is keep throwing out random connections Obama has to certain people in an attempt to scare voters. The only people who buy this crap are either ignorant or easily fooled, and let's be honest... they were probably going to vote for McCain anyway.

Have fun back in Arizona. I heard it's nice there in January.

Fair and Balanced...

or the Obama fan club? You decide.

Sir Charles is going to run for Governor in AL

This is the way to turn this nation around. "The Round Mound of Rebound" will have Alabama shaped up in no time. We need more NBA players in government.

My starting 5 and where I think they would be most effective:
1. Kurt Rambis - Chief Opthalmologist

2. Tree Rollins - "The Intimidator" - Department of Defense

3. Rick Mahorn - "The Baddest Boy of them all" - Department of Prisons

4. Manute Bol - Department of Forestry


5. Spud Webb - Department of Agriculture

More Voter Fraud

Phony flier says Virginians vote on different days

I would encourage everyone to be vigilant in the run up to the election to ensure that our right to a fair election is upheld. This means keeping at eye out for fraudulent fliers such as the one in this article. This is an obvious attempt to disenfranchise Democratic-leaning voters (Hampton Roads also happens to have a large African-American population, what a coincidence).

Republicans, Democrats and Independents should stand together against such malicious practices that take away from the very foundation of this country.

One Hell of a Warning Shot

Man Charged With Wounding Teen Caught Stealing His McCain Sign

I get it. Someone stealing your yard sign is annoying (I recently had someone swipe my Obama magnet off my car). I think if caught, the people should be punished just like they would for stealing anything else off someone's lawn.

HOWEVER.... shooting a gun at someone stealing your McCain or Obama sign is going a little too far. Now the man claims they were "warning shots". Last time I checked warning shots weren't fired directly at the people. This guy has a really bad understanding of what a "warning shot" entails, I am afraid. That, or he was intentionally shooting at these 17-year old kids. Consider one was shot in the arm and that two of the shots hit the van, I think it's kind of hard to argue that these were warning shots.

Hopefully this guy spends some time in jail so he can take some time and think about what a nut case he is. Valuing your John McCain yard sign greater than another human life is pretty sick and twisted.

McCain's Mercenaries

Republicans hire mercenaries for ground war against Barack Obama

This is prime evidence of why the McCain campaign is in trouble. Unlike the Obama campaign, which has legions of passionate volunteers, the McCain campaign has generated little excitement outside of the hardcore Republicans who will do anything to see a Republican win. You know it's bad when you are hiring people for $10/hour to man your ground efforts and some of them don't even support McCain. I wonder how effective that will be....

Wassup?

This is pretty funny... albeit a bit corny at the end.

Politically Motivated Robbery? More Like Politically Motivated Race-baiting

Police: McCain volunteer made up robbery story

I've held off on commenting on this since yesterday. I was highly suspicious of this young woman's story from the beginning, but I wanted to wait and hear the details and facts before I rushed to judgment. The fact that she said was robbed on a public street corner by a Black guy, because he had seen a McCain sticker on her car, seemed a little odd. Also, the fact that he would carve the nice little backwards 'B' on her face with a "dull knife" (since it barely looks like a real cut) to make her a Barack Obama supporter was also strange.

The fact that her Twitter page said this (before she took it down today):
atodd: Oh the blog I will be making soon... Its been a rough night #litf08
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:52:58 +0000
*
atodd: Pretty sure I'm on the wrong side of pittsburgh
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:45:59 +0000
*
atodd: Stubbornly searching for a bank of america to avoid ATM fees.
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:23:21 +0000
*
atodd: This traffic in pittsburgh needs to go away!!!! #litf08

also made it seem like she was trying to create a backstory or alibi for the story she had (because honestly, who's twittering about trying to find an ATM).

Anywho... now that the truth comes out and she confesses that she made the story up... the question becomes WHY? I mean it seems pretty obvious that this is a primetime case of race-baiting. 6'4" Black man attacks a white girl from Texas and carves a 'B' in her face to make her a Barack Obama supporter????? WHAT THE F*CK? The fact that anyone would stoop this low, to make up a story like this to scare up racial fear, is beyond me. It's absolutely sickening.

I don't blame McCain for this, however I would hope he lets it be known, and forcefully, that tactics like this are entirely unacceptable.

Voting: Why can't we get it right?

Long lines, glitches reported during early voting

It seems kind of amazing when you think about it. We've managed to put a man on the moon, yet we still can't figure out a reasonable system that allows our electorate to have a fair and reasonable vote.

Already there are nightmarish reports of 3 hour waits in order to vote and people having their votes switched from Barack Obama over to John McCain (so far from what I've heard on NPR and articles I've read like the one I linked to above, there have been no reports of votes intended for McCain being switched to Obama.... hmmm..........). I just hope that we can manage to have a fair and transparent that election that allows the voice of the people to be heard.

People are frustrated due to the economy, the wars, and the political nonsense that's run rampant for years. If it seems like they are getting scammed out of a fair vote I fear all hell will break loose.

I guess this is what you should expect when you put the responsibility for having working voting machines in the hands of private companies who seem to have bilked millions of dollars out of the taxpayers for a shoddy product. Our government should sue these companies and get our damn money back for false advertising and supplying a subpar product.

McCain: The Ultimate Fear-Monger

McCain ad uses Biden to attack Obama on security

This is exactly why McCain is tanking in the polls. Rather than address the looming financial crisis and recession, he chooses to run a campaign based on fear, loose associations, and his opponents kinda-sorta gaffes. He offers NO ANSWERS, NO PLANS, NO HOPE. It's just FEAR, FEAR, FEAR.

McCain, you can try all you want to get me and other reasonable Americans to be scared of Obama. It's not going to work. What we find scary is your inability to recognize a losing strategy that you continue to pursue. It kind of reminds me of the current Republican president, and it's no way to run a campaign, let alone a country.

As Seen on TV: War

Iraq vets and post-traumatic stress: No easy answers

As all of us non-military Americans go about our daily lives there are thousands of soldiers spending years in a desert fighting for our country in a war we probably shouldn't have gotten into in the first place. I can't even imagine having to spend day in and day out on edge wondering what was going to happen next. I truly can't even understand how these young men and women put up with the stress that they do.

Back here in America, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars/occupations have been pretty much put on the back burner. The government tries to limit the images (like pictures of soldiers' caskets) and information that we receive so that we don't turn sour on "fighting for freedom". The wars don't really seem to have much affect on the lives of families who don't have someone in service. We're not really being asked to sacrifice like people were during World War I and II. Heck, our politicians are even telling us we should be giving tax cuts to the rich during a time that we are running a healthy deficit and borrowing from other countries to keep ours running. The wars that are going on just aren't our top priority right now.

The economy is the big issue now. Which brings us to the next problem. With all the recent reports of job cuts and increases in unemployment... isn't it great to know that our soldiers who served this country are going to come home to daunting job prospects? Remember what happened after the Vietnam war? Too many of our veterans ended up receiving lackluster medical and psychological care, job opportunities and support. I really hope we've learned our lessons from that and these young men and women are treated with respect and dignity when they return. This means giving them the care and support they need to transition back into society, regardless of the cost. If we're going to spend billions and billions of dollars to send them over there to fight this war, we better be willing to spend what it takes to bring them back in the best fashion as possible.

Who are the "terrorists"?

I find it hilarious that she doesn't immediately answer the question but starts right in on Bill Ayers again. Hopeless.

Brian Williams: Is an abortion clinic bomber a terrorist under this definition?

Sarah Palin: (Exasperated sigh.) There’s no question that Bill Ayers by his own admittance was one who thought to destroy our U.S. Capitol and our Pentagon. That is a domestic terrorist. There is no question there. Now others who would want to engage in harming innocent Americans or facilities that it would be unacceptable to, I don’t know if you’re gonna use the word "terrorist" there.

Definition of "terrorist" from Merriam-Webster:

ter·ror·ist: some who systematically uses terror, especially as a means of coercion

I would say an abortion clinic bomber sure fits this definition. They are certainly using terror to coerce the end of abortion rights (whether you agree with them or not).

In my opinion, there is no differentiation between wrong and wrong. We can't pretend that you only call someone a "terrorist" when they are from another country, or they are a different race (i.e. not White) or religion (i.e. not an Evangelical Christian). This is the duplicity that the rest of the world has come to expect of privileged White America, and from what I can tell they can't stand it. In fact, I can't stand it. We're quick to chastise other groups or countries for using force as a means to get what they want (i.e. McCain's hilarious statement about Russia invading Georgia), but that's practically the same foundation that our country was built on. Whether it be the systematic destruction of the Native American population of this land, slavery, supporting dictators and the Contras who terrorized Central and South America, etc ... America and especially those who led the charge on these injustices have no claim to innocence.

Now I'm sure someone will be quick to call me part of the "blame America first" crowd. That seems to be such a popular term now a days in dividing the country. However, I am not blaming America first. I am blaming anyone who does injustice to the human race. I am blaming anyone who uses terror to get what they want. I am blaming anyone who supports terrorists but doesn't themselves want to take responsibility for the outcome. If America or certain people in America (Henry Kissinger comes to mind) end up falling into this group, so be it. That's not my fault, that's on them. Calling people "terrorists" and doling out shame-on-you's is pretty empty unless you are going to do the same when it your own people or country act in a similar manner.

Since when did it become un-patriotic to want to see better from your country and fellow citizens? Since when did you become a "blame America first" Benedict Arnold for not wanting injustice or terror done in your name? Since when did ignoring bad behavior in an attempt to be a fake patriot lead to a more perfect society? Last time I checked, constructive criticism was the path to improvement, not treason.

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." - Thomas Jefferson

"True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else."
- Clarence Darrow

Anti-Muslim Rhetoric of the Day

Another example of what seems to be all too common these days, especially coming from the right.

GOP group's head calls Obama 'a Muslim socialist'

This lady even went on to declare that "Muslim are our enemies". WOW.... and the Republicans wonder why their ranks continue to dwindle and they are basically know as the party of old White males. This kind of bigotry needs to be shunned by all sensible people until folks start to realize that spouting out racist and bigoted vitriol will not be acceptable in our society. Don't get me wrong, this lady has every right to state her opinion and I respect her freedom of speech. That doesn't however mean we have to remain silent and go along with it.

If the World Could Vote

This site is pretty interesting. It shows the results from a Gallup poll taken in countries all around the world asking who people would rather see elected in the U.S.

If the World Could Vote

RRIT

McCain's next big push before the election...

(Courtesy of my man Tommy Gunn out the DFW)

BEFORE YOU VOTE...

Praying to Hindu....

This Reverend Arnold Conrad guy pretty much shows his intellectual prowess and ignorance right up front by saying people pray to "Hindu". However, rather than insult him for his lack of knowledge on other religions, let's talk about something he should be very knowledgeable about.... Christianity.

I have a few problems with the crap that spewed out of his mouth at this McCain rally, so I will put it in list form.

1. Hey, bud, you realize Obama is a Christian, right? So you, him, McCain.... you all worship the same God. You're an idiot.
2. You are directly challenging God. You, as a preacher, should know better than this. Who are you to say that God's "reputation" is on the line. So wait... if he allows something to happen that YOU and McCain don't agree with... he has tarnished his reputation??? ARE YOU SERIOUS? Please tell me you were at least improvising here and didn't actually write this nonsense down.
3. According to many scholars... Allah in Islam is the same God prayed to by Jews and Christians. (Allah is the standard Arabic word for "God" for all Jews, Muslims and Christians. )
4. People like you, Rev. Conrad, are the reason why some non-religious and even religious folks in this country are turned off by Christianity. You speak in ways that creates animosity between people of different faiths. You talk as if you alone know what should be God's will.

Matthew 4:7 - Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'

Beating up 57 year old ladies... NICE

Obama Campaign Worker Allegedly Attacked

I will clarify up front that no arrests have been made in this case yet, so I will reserve ultimate judgment until all the details come out.

However... this kind of violence, much like the reporter who was kicked at a McCain rally last week, is what is to be expected when you hold rallies that use inflammatory language like "socialist" and "pallin' around with terrorists". I expect it to get only worse as McCain continues to sink in the polls because of most moderate and reasonable Americans being turned off by his dishonorable campaign. As his numbers drop, it's going to make the far-right hardliners and other fervent supporters of McCain even more angry and desperate, which will lead to incidents like this.

Trying to rile up and mislead supporters by pushing inflammatory issues like the ACORN scandal (which isn't so much a scandal if you actually read the facts, which unfortunately most Americans won't do), Bill Ayers, and the "Socialist"garb is patently irresponsible and McCain and Palin should take personal responsibility for its results. They might not have intended for things to get this ugly... but honestly... what did they expect? Whether they intended this to happen or not, it did, so they need to accept that and try and bring the country back together rather than continuing to push a wedge between Americans in order to win an election. This is not what Americans need from our leaders.

I think this campaign is finally wearing on McCain...

Huh?

I've been to western PA and grew up in central PA. Nothing against the place, but how do you deem it the "most patriotic" part of the country? The McCain campaign is losing it. They have nothing left but to try and incite hate and label people "real" or "patriotic" Americans, as if those of us who McCain doesn't bestow that label on are somehow "fake" or "un-patriotic".

In the past few days you've seen three glaring examples of this from his campaign:
Palin telling us who is "pro-America"
Nancy Pfotenhauer telling us that Northern VA is not "real Virginia"
Rep. Hayes letting us know that "liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God."

I find this all despicable. It's an attempt to take America back to the culture wars of the 1960s or the Bush I years. It's an attempt to incite ire and hatred between Americans who would be better served by working together, Republican and Democrat, liberal and conservative, to face the huge problems facing us (like the nationalization of our banks, two wars, torture, huge job losses across the nation, foreclosure, a credit crunch, breaches of the constitution by our own leaders, etc etc).

Once this election is over... I think some politicians will realize that Americans have started to wake up and take a look at the issues rather than being led like sheep to the slaughter through fear, smears, and negative attacks.

This isn't the America I believe in...

US drops charges against 5 Guantanamo prisoners

"America's first war-crimes trials since the close of World War II have come under persistent criticism, including from officers appointed to prosecute them. Some of the harshest words came this month from the very man who was to prosecute the five men against whom charges were dropped.

Army Lt. Col. Darrel Vandeveld said during a pretrial hearing for a sixth detainee this month that the war-crimes trials are unfair. Vandeveld said the military was withholding exculpatory evidence from the defense in that case, and was doing so in others. He resigned over his concerns."

You know it's bad when the prosecutors are claiming the trials are unfair. Is this really how we want the world to see us? Keeping prisoners indefinitely, not giving them a timely fair trial, withholding evidence.... there really is no precedence for actions like this in the modern world.

We can't claim to be all about freedom, liberty and justice and not back it up with our actions.

Celebrating their liberation and freedom

... oh wait... they're protesting our occupation. My bad.

Iraq seeking changes to US deal

Looks like a deal is close for a drawdown of U.S. troops by 2011. The sticking point seems to be immunity for U.S. troops and contractors. I can understand how Iraqis may be a little weary of giving immunity after some of the issues with contractors like Blackwater and the deaths of innocent citizens. I believe the overwhelming majority of U.S. military personnel and even the contractors are admirably serving their country like they signed up to do. Sadly, like in anything in like, there will always be a few bad apples. I don't think the U.S. should merely hand over those accused or convicted of breaking the law, but they shouldn't go unpunished. Iraqis would understandably be pissed if people were allowed to get away with whatever they wanted just because they were American. How we handle this situation will speak volumes about our commitment to justice as a country. I just hope we make the right chocie. Too many innocent lives have been lost in this conflict to not do so.

It's officially crazy time...

Palin dubs Obama: 'Barack the Wealth Spender'

With two weeks to the election, the attacks from McCain and Palin have become even more ridiculous and nefarious. Besides blaming the Obama campaign for anything the media does, like Palin does when the media looks into the background of "Joe the Plumber", they have tried to sell lower and middle class people on the idea that giving them a tax break is "socialist" and going to dash their hopes and dreams.

ARE YOU SERIOUS???????

If you thought about this idea rationally, for one second, you would see how ridiculous it is. The majority of working Americans (the ones who are struggling) would get a bigger tax break under Obama than they would under McCain. So how is it that Palin and McCain are convincing these same people that that's a bad thing? The Republicans have become so good at twisting and spinning issues in order to get people to vote against their own self interests, it's actually quite remarkable (and scary).

For example, you have this...
"Palin said Munoz isn’t the only worker standing up against Obama — other taxpayers like “Phil the bricklayer” and “Rose the teacher” can expect to have their “dreams dashed by the Obama tax increase.”

ARE YOU F*CKING SERIOUS????????

Obama will increase taxes on those making over $250,000. Do you know any bricklayers or teachers that make over $250,000? It's patently absurd, but people are still buying it for some reason. (Unless I am wrong, and teachers and bricklayers do make that much money, in which case... anyone looking for a teacher or bricklayer? I'm willing to learn for $250,000+.)

It's like you can just say anything (true or not), the media reports it, and the people start going nuts. I mean even Joe the Plumber was forced to admit he would get a bigger tax break under Obama and that the business he was thinking of buying didn't make anywhere near $250,000 (which pretty much made his claims about him being prevented from owning a business because of Obama's tax increases ridiculous in the first place, and further convinces me that he was working in conjunction with the McCain campaign).

In case anyone can't comprehend this.... let's do some examples.

If you, John the Construction Worker, make $75,000 a year... you are going to get a bigger tax cut under Obama than you would under McCain. NOT A TAX INCREASE.

If you, Tina the Baker, make $87,000 a year.... you are going to get a bigger tax cut under Obama than you would under McCain.... NOT A TAX INCREASE.

See how that works Sarah Palin? Stop f*cking lying to and misleading the American people.

P.S. Why is the "liberal media" not doing their job and calling her out on this????? The stuff she is preaching is pretty irrational, but for some reason she gets a pass.

Hats off to these McCain supporters...

This is exactly what needs to be done to the bigots and preachers of intolerance, regardless of who they are supporting. It's good to see McCain supporters stand up to these people. We may disagree on some issues, but I'm glad that one we do agree on is that fear, bigotry, racism, hate and intolerance have no place in our politics.

Maybe McCain should worry about his own party's voter fraud

GOP voter registration fraud case leads to arrest

With all the talk of ACORN this week (McCain seems to be using the kitchen sink strategy of throwing everything and seeing what sticks), it's kind of funny that the only person arrested so far for voter fraud is the head of a firm hired by the CA Republican Party. Supposedly his firm was tricking voters into registering as Republicans "by saying they were signing a petition to toughen penalties against child molesters." Nice.

Meanwhile, it seems some have been riled up by McCain and Palin's recent ire for ACORN so much that they decided to trash ACORN offices and leave them racist hate emails and voicemails. Once again.... Nice.

ACORN Deluged with Threatening and Racist Voicemails and Emails

Then you have this McCain supporter hanging an effigy of Obama with Husain (sic) and the Star of David on it...



Looks like the racism is spilling out in droves. This kind of stuff needs to stop and if McCain and Palin don't come out strong against things like this and continue with their race-baiting.... they deserve their loss on Nov. 4th.

Robocalls and McCain

McCain continues to go against his word by vowing to not stop the vicious robocalls that his campaign is sending out to voters all over the country. These robocalls don't deal with any issues and are extremely misleading for uninformed voters and citizens. John McCain continues to lose my respect for his recent behavior. I understand he wants to be president... but at what cost? All the honor he has left?

There is a bipartisan call for these calls to stop and even Fox News is calling him on it. That's when you know it's bad...

Women for McCain

Funny... but also true.

What the hell is wrong with people? - Friday Edition

Seriously? You don't think it's racist? Mexicans, spaghetti and meatballs, you eat watermelon? That's how you justify this blatant racism? These people must be from another planet or something. Just because someone marries someone from another country (note that "Mexican" is a nationality, not a race) or eats watermelon doesn't mean that person can't be racist or perpetrate racial stereotypes. Man... I almost can't even deal with this level of idiocy.

White privilege and ignorance rears its ugly head once again.

Mark Wahlberg responds...

Get a sense of humor Wahlberg, right after your done "Feeling the Vibrations". Man, for a guy who basically used to be a one-man boy band he really takes himself seriously.

I hope Andy Samberg kicks his ass. That would just be too funny.

Seriously... who is working for McCain's campaign?

Must be the child that was left behind. Notice at 00:12 into the ad the McCain campaign's spelling of "everybody". Yes... that's an "everbody" (sic). Seriously guys...

Joe the Plumber campaign ad: $40,000 (?)
Air time on television: $10,000 for a 30 second spot
Misspelling the word "Everybody": Priceless

Now everbody in the McCain campaign get tipsy,
Everbody in the McCain campaign get tipsy.

Joe the Plumber

Somehow Presidential election season always manages to draw out terms that enter the common vernacular that make me want to jam a rusty screwdriver through my ear drums.

Some that come to mind:
1. Joe Sixpack
2. Hockey Moms
3. Joe the Motherflippin Plumber

Too bad Joe Blow me hasn't quite made it to the primetime yet.

There is something that I find pretty rich about the most recent addition to this list besides him being a pretty obvious McCain plant and the media frenzy surrounding him (I mean come on, they had reporters there to interview and photograph him watching last nights debate, and the McCain campaign had his cellphone number, so clearly people knew he was going to come up during the debate).

Look no further than this court document to see just how hilarious him complaining about Obama raising his taxes is. It turns out that Mr. Joe the Plumber has a little problem paying the taxes he already owes. No wonder why he doesn't want them raised.

It also turns out that Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, AKA Joe the Plumber, isn't even a licensed plumber. If that's how it's going to work around these parts I want to change my profession too.

If anyone out there is wondering what to call me next time they see me, take your pick:
1. Matt the Navy Seal
2. Matt the Lawyer
3. Matt the Neurosurgeon
4. Matt the Pilot
5. Matt the Astrophysicist

I'm not technically trained or licensed to do any of those jobs, but then again, neither is Joe when it comes to being a plumber. It's not fair if he gets a sweet name and I don't.

What do you want your new name to be?

I wonder how they'll spin this...

Obama's Iraq plans vindicated as US agrees to pull out by 2011

Looks like there is finally an ending in sight. Thank the Lord. We could sure use all the money we are pumping over there to try and stabilize our economy and avoid the recession we are about to enter.

I was just thinking the other day how it feels like the Iraq Occupation has just dragged on for what seems like a lifetime with no clear definition of what "winning" means even though that's why we couldn't leave. I'm glad the Iraqi government is beginning to stand up for itself. Hopefully they'll be able to bring some stability to that country and create a better life for the people there. The reality of the situation is that a military solution was never going to make Iraq a better or more stable place.

Ever heard of Visine?

You really can't tell from this picture, but anyone who watched the debate last night, especially on CNN HD or another HD channel, had to take notice of McCain's bloodshot eyes. Has his campaign never heard of Visine? It's not like they didn't know this was going to be on television for an hour and a half and someone might take notice.

That's your plan? Really?

Rebuild my savings? Grow my investments again? Drill?

Are you f*cking serious??????? No wonder McCain is tanking in the polls. Who the hell is running his campaign, Captain Vague McNothingnew?

That's not a plan... that's overarching generalities that mean absolutely zilch.

Why not tell me I'm going to be a Billionaire movie star astronaut with magical powers that give me X-ray vision and free Sun Chips while you're listing things that you have no actual plan to make happen? Give me something I can feel good about.

Get Your War On

These new episodes are hilarious... Enjoy...

Sarah Palin and the Rape Kits

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Bailout?!

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Dominating the News Cycle:

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Moose Meat:

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

The Cross:

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Cindy McCain:

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Maybe this is why he won a Nobel prize...

These clips show the FOX hacks trying to take it to Krugman by yelling him down and talking about 9/11. It's pretty funny cause the points he makes in these clips were pretty much validated over the last couple of months. I guess he gets the last laugh.

Cavuto Vs. Krugman


O'Reilly Vs. Krugman

"History will not judge us kindly..."

CIA Tactics Endorsed In Secret Memos

So now it appears the Bush Administration was aware of and cooperative with the "enhanced interrogation methods" (read: torture) performed by the CIA all along. We had to all know that this was the case, but at least now there is evidence.

If history is given the chance to judge this time in American history (meaning they don't try to keep all the documents and evidence classified for the next 300 years), I think it will do so very unkindly. Our willingness to throw our values and moral high ground out the window at the first sign of danger and strife will speak volumes about the character of the nation and those who led it in the turbulent days of the last 7 years.

CIA Tactics Endorsed In Secret Memos

A tale of two Americas...

These people are like cartoons. Seriously... what the hell is wrong with them?

SNL: Still not as funny as it used to be, but...

At least they are trying...

This skit was pretty funny...


I also found this one entertaining for some reason too...

When is John McCain going to take a stand?

I think John McCain is a decent man. I have qualms with his policies and his sometimes erratic behavior, but I understand that he's under a lot of pressure right now being so far behind in the polls.

What I don't understand is his unwillingness to take a strong stance and fight back against the hate being spewed forth by some of his supporters. Every time someone yells out "terrorist!" or "kill him!" in reference to Obama, right in front of McCain, and McCain doesn't harshly rebuke it, I lose a little respect for him. If he truly wants to be the President for all Americans (not just the pasty white ones that show up to his rallies), then he needs to stand up for all Americans to the intolerance and hate that seems to be taking over his and Palin's rallies lately.

I realize that not all McCain supporters condone this sort of behavior, which is exactly why they too need to take a stand. There is no room for this sort of behavior to become acceptable in the United States. It's downright frightening actually. Regardless of who our candidate in this election is, those of us who are reasonable and decent people need to stand together to say "hell no" to this kind of racist, intolerant, and vile hatred.

Not as long as T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T have something to say about it...

Free WiFi? That's So 22nd Century

The U.S. currently ranks 15th in the world in Broadband penetration. We're #15! We're #15!

Now part of that probably has to do with the vast size of the U.S., but Canada is also pretty big (albeit concentrated near the U.S. border), and they are ahead of us. What happened to this American "exceptionalism" that Sarah Palin recently loves so much? We don't seem to be the leader in much anymore outside of putting the world economy into turmoil.

This is another example of an area where a great benefit to the common person will be sacrificed in order to benefit big business and corporate America. If everyone has access to free Broadband, companies like T-Mobile and Verizon think they'll disappear or have to change their business model. Boo hoo. The world changes, and they have to learn to deal with it. Corporate America is getting to the point where they are becoming an inhibitor to the progress of America and its citizens and they need to be reigned in. Their greed should not take precedence over the progress of this country.

Palin Land: A magical place where logic and facts don't apply

Officials warned Palin aides about trooper feud, report finds

Despite the fact that the report found that Gov. Palin violated ethics laws in trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired, here's how she saw it:

She told reporters she was "cleared of any legal wrongdoing, any hint of any kind of unethical activity there."

Really?????????

Cause that seems to be the exact opposite of what the report said, and for some reason no one in the media is covering this. I mean it's patently false.

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! You can now tell outright and obvious lies and the media buys it.

If you or I were that bad at our job we would be collecting unemployment. Hey media.... do your damn job.

Campbell Brown might be one of the best things coming out of the MSM...

Commentary: So what if Obama were a Muslim or an Arab?

She seems to be one of the few people in the MSM interested in actually cutting through the spin and election season hysteria and taking people to task for saying dumb shit. She challenged Tucker Bounds on live TV to address the Sarah Palin experience issue (which he didn't) and called for more access to Mrs. Palin when the campaign was keeping her hidden in a bomb shelter somewhere for the first 6 weeks of this campaign (which they kind of still are). Kudos to her. Americans need reporters and journalists willing to stand up to the politicians in this country and demand some truth and openness.

Conservatives blaming poor people for this financial crisis...

Private sector loans, not Fannie or Freddie, triggered crisis

It's kind of funny. I mean... I guess it couldn't be their corrupt governance or rampant deregulation. I'm not saying liberals, or Democrats, or whatever the hell you want to try and label them as, are innocent either. I think there is plenty of blame to go around in our current government, and I hope to see some people out of a job very soon.

But poor people? Really? It's the poor people's fault? Cause they don't have it bad enough, we should blame this financial meltdown on them too. It's not the people that made tons of money off of the subprime mess, it's the poor people. Right....

Neil Cavuto seems to have some thoughts on this:
""I don't remember a clarion call that said Fannie and Freddie are a disaster. Loaning to minorities and risky folks is a disaster," said Neil Cavuto of Fox News."

Really?

Seems there's a problem with blaming the CRA laws and poor people for the crisis:
"In a book on the sub-prime lending collapse published in June 2007, the late Federal Reserve Governor Ed Gramlich wrote that only one-third of all CRA loans had interest rates high enough to be considered sub-prime and that to the pleasant surprise of commercial banks there were low default rates. Banks that participated in CRA lending had found, he wrote, "that this new lending is good business.""

Can we PLEASE finally put it to rest?

The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama

For those of us capable of rational thought, I don't believe the "Obama is a Muslim" fallacy ever really caught on. But for some reason, among Republican and far-right zealots, this lie really hit paydirt. I'm not even going to get into how ridiculous the "Muslim as slur" idea is, as I have addressed it in the past as intolerance and bigotry at the highest levels, which should offend any person who believes in tolerance and religious freedom (which last time I checked were pretty big with the Founding Fathers of this country).

Now finally (how many months later) a mainstream media organizaion addresses the source of this falsity and exposes him for the anti-Semitic lover of frivolous lawsuits that he is. Why do we allow bigots like this guy to have such a sway in our political process??? It's seriously sickening.

And for all you s0-called Christians, I'm calling you out. I don't think Jesus said anywhere in the Bible to accuse your fellow Christian brethren of being from other religions and all other kinds of crazy stuff. If you're a Christian, start acting like one. Remember, being non-white doesn't automatically rule you out of the Christian faith (I know it's hard to understand for some of you). I mean... come on... let's not forget the fact that Jesus wasn't a WASP.

It's actually come down to this...

GOP Head Compares Obama to Bin Laden

I fully realized this race was bound to get might ugly, especially considering McCain is in the dumps and on the verge of losing GOP strongholds like VA and NC, but wow.

Bin Laden? Really? I mean despite the fact that Ayers didn't actually bomb the Pentagon (pesky facts), this is just one hell of a stretch. A despicable one at that.

This is what politics have become.

I'm really starting to wonder how this time in our nation will be looked upon by future generations. Probably not positively.

Racism is dead...

United's Crayton goes after Dynamo fan after racist insult

...right...

Who is the real John McCain?

Make-Believe Maverick

(This is a relatively long piece, but probably one of the best I've read this political season as it is extremely well written with clearly identified sources. Do yourself a favor and read this.)

As the nation nears 3 weeks until the election, I think it's important to bring up a question that no one seems to want to answer. McCain and his surrogates continue to laud his "maverickyness" and the fact that he was a P.O.W., but it all seems like a Hollywood facade. When you look into the real history and story of John McCain, it's not nearly as glamorous and honorable as he and his supporters make it out to be. Now I'm not saying he's not honorable or a good person, don't get me wrong, I'm just saying the myth doesn't match the actual story. So as he continues to question Barack Obama and his story, maybe it's time we do the same to John McCain.

Maybe we need two Americas...

Because I'm not entirely sure I want to share a country with these ignorant people. I'm all for free speech... but wow. Maybe the terrorists really do hate our freedom.... the freedom to say dumb shit like these people.



Almost makes me embarrassed to say I grew up in Pennsylvania.

Is there such a thing as reverse evolution? Because I may have just found some substantiating evidence.

One hell of a Curveball...

Source of Iraq WMD intelligence tells his story

Calling this the biggest intelligence failure in the history of the U.S. is probably an understatement. Pearl Harbor and 9/11 were pretty bad, but already the number of American lives lost in the Iraq war and occupation is higher than both of those events (and I won't even get into the number of Iraqi lives lost, estimated to be between 88,000 - 96,000 http://www.iraqbodycount.org/ or 150,000 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17970231).

Now the question I have is... why does it seem like no one is being held responsible for this? Is our government above the law and reprehension? If you messed up this bad at your job and thousands upon thousands of people died, do you think they would keep you around?

So please... someone... anyone... explain to me why no one is getting fired? I think we need to call in Donald Trump, give him some Red Bull, and let him go nuts on the Bush Administration and any of their co-conspirators in the Defense Department.

Aren't you glad you voted for this guy?

Please think hard about how you'll cast your vote this year... PLEASE. Seriously... I'm not kidding. This isn't like choosing between a baked potato and a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger on the Wendy's value menu. Your vote has consequences.... and I would like to urge all those who voted for Bush in the last two elections to think hard about what they're going to do this time around.

It's time to throw the "I'm a Democrat" or "I'm a Republican" nonsense under the bus and vote for the guy who will actually lead this nation out of the crisis we are in. I think when you do the math and read up on the issues it's pretty clear who that is.

Freaky Friday Video: 2 Live Crew on the Phil Donahue Show

Notice: Definitely not safe for work and contains some explicit language. If you don't like that sort of thing, then don't watch this.



2 Live Crew - Face Down, A$$ Up performed live on the Phil Donahue Show in 1990

Watching the faces on all the people in the crowd as they stare in sheer bewilderment and horror is probably one of my top 5 activities at this point in life.

I believe this was back during the days when 2 Live Crew was on trial for obscenity charges which ended up leading to the nice little "Parental Advisory" stickers that found their way onto CDs and cassettes.

Are your proof readers retarded monkeys?

New York county prints ‘Barack Osama’ on ballots

Barack 'Osama' on Rensselaer County ballots

I'm not a statistician (but if you are and can crunch the numbers on this please get back to me), but I find it hard to believe that something like this making it by 3 rounds of proof readers is just a coincidence. I mean seriously... either someone's trying to be sneaky or they have Ray Charles, Hellen Keller and Stevie Wonder as their proof-reading team.

My reasons:
1. It's one of the presidential candidates, which I'm sure they usually pay extra attention to.
2. Any time people see the word "Osama" in post-9/11-Bush-They-Hate-Our-Freedom-World people practically soil their drawers.

Energy expert? Really?

Palin suggest wrongly Congress bans oil exports

Since her knowledge of energy issues is supposed to be what she is bringing to the ticket, why does she come off quite often sounding like she doesn't know what she's talking about? I mean this is the lady that McCain said "knows more about energy than probably anyone in the United States of America". Really? You almost had me fooled.

The more they let Palin out of her little protective media bubble the more clear it is that her choice for VP was purely political and not in the best interests of this country, which speaks volumes about John McCain. It shows that despite all the double-speak about putting "Country First", he really isn't. He's putting winning a presidential election first, and they way the election is trending it looks like the people are starting to catch on.

It really is too bad McCain had to sell out to try and become president. He shouldn't blame Obama or the Democrats or the people that aren't supporting him though. He should blame his own party who nominated the talking monkey George Bush in 2000 when clearly McCain was the more qualified candidate. Hell, I would have probably voted for McCain in 2000 since I wasn't a huge Gore fan and actually liked McCain quite a bit. Just imagine how different this country would have been had Bush not been the Republican nominee. I'm sure McCain would have had his missteps as president, just like any president does, but in 2000 before making his hard move to the right, McCain was definitely much more competent to run this country.

AGILENT ACTIVATES MEGA SOLAR-POWER SYSTEM

I just saw this in our company newsletter and thought it was pretty cool. I'm happy to see them investing in renewable energy and lessening the company's impact on the earth (not to sound like a hippie).

AGILENT ACTIVATES MEGA SOLAR-POWER SYSTEM -- On Oct. 3, Agilent dedicated the largest carport tracking solar-power generation system in North America, which doubles as a canopy for a three-acre employee parking lot at the company’s Santa Rosa (Calif.) site. At its peak, the solar system will generate more than 1 megawatt, or up to 20 percent of Agilent’s required energy for the site. The system is expected to displace more than 90 million pounds of carbon dioxide over the next 30 years, which is equivalent to the emissions from approximately 7,500 cars.

Two celebrations were held onsite that day – one that drew more than 500 employees in the morning, and another for local elected officials and community leaders in the afternoon. Agilent President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Sullivan spoke at both events, hosted by Wireless Business Unit and Santa Rosa Site Vice President Ron Nersesian. In the afternoon, a smaller indoor gathering of community officials heard presentations by Santa Rosa Vice Mayor Susan Gorin, representatives from power company Pacific Gas & Electric and U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey’s office, and CEO Tom Werner of SunPower, which installed the solar system.

Also announced at the celebration was the site’s new “Commute Alternative Program” for employees, which includes preferential parking for those who carpool or drive hybrid or all-electric vehicles. In addition, employees who drive electric vehicles can double their advantage by using preferred parking spaces under the panels to plug into one of four charging stations built into the solar power system.

McCain... please get with the program...

Petraeus Talk Bolsters Obama

If you listened to John McCain on Tuesday night during the debate, you found out from him that he 'knows' a lot of things. He 'knows' how to win wars. He 'knows' how to catch Bin Laden (note: uh.... hey buddy, how bout doling out that knowledge?). It's pretty amazing that with all that he 'knows', he doesn't seem to have the support of the supposed experts on the topics that he 'knows' so much about. Economists don't support him when it comes to the economy, and it appears Petraeus' view on Iraq and Afghanistan aligns with Obama's, not McCains.

What's funny is even the Bush Administration is falling into line with Obama's proposals, talking about time horizons and passing control over to the Iraqi government.

Why can't John McCain get with the program? I guess he's just too mavericky...

Hooray! We need another digit! Go America!

US debt clock runs out of digits

I guess this is what continued deficit spending during the Bush Administration will get you. I think it's time for the American people to become alarmed at the fact that our country is now kept running by borrowing from the Chinese and other countries, which gives them leverage over our foreign policy, whether we like it or not.

The question is whether we will buck this trend or keep walking the tight rope until it breaks.


Source

Racism dead? Pulling the race card? Rrrrrrrright........

Look no further than the majority of the comments responding to this article to see just how well and alive racism and white privilege are in this country. Makes me sick.

Black Congressmen Declare Racism In Palin’s Rhetoric

The headline is a bit misleading as none of the congressman say that Palin said anything racist. They just said she seems to be trying to appeal to the racist crowd by trying to push that Obama is "not one of 'us'". It's actually a decent articel.

And as far as all of the white people responding about these Congressmen playing the 'race card', read this Tim Wise article that basically explains why the 'race card' claims are patently absurd.

What Kind of Card is Race?

It's a decently long essay but one that pretty much everyone would do well to read.

Listen: TV on the Radio - Dear Science

If you're a fan of TV On The Radio, you won't be disappointed by this album. If you're not a fan already, this is a great album to pick up, cause you likely will be afterwards. The vocals and melodies really carry the album, but the production is stellar also.

Give it a listen (the whole album is up):
http://www.myspace.com/tvotr

May I suggest 'Stork and Owl' or 'Crying' as a start. If you like it check out their earlier albums Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes and Return to Cookie Mountain.

Awkward: Did anyone buy him some suits?

No wonder Al Franken is giving Norm Coleman a run for his money in their Minnesota Senate race. This Cullen Sheehan guy could have been Bush's White House Press Secretary with answers like these. This is straight out of the Dana Perino playbook.

Is everyone in our government corrupt? Holy crap.

Set us free! I'm sick of being a prisoner.

Reading List: Attention Deficit Democracy by James Bovard

Written from a Libertarian point of view, Bovard takes Presidents and members of our government over the past 50 or so years to task for their attempts to grab power and for doing wrong in the name of the American people. His book has meticulous footnotes and evidence making it hard to argue with his premises. It's focused heavily on the Clinton and Bush II presidencies but goes back even further at certain points to illustrate that misbehavior on the part of our leaders isn't usually an aberration, it's more a rule.

In a time when Americans are probably more ignorant than ever about the workings of our government and the world, it is people like Bovard who can truly illustrate the calamity that such a situation represents. If we as the American people continue to allow our leaders to break the constitution and overreach their powers (which is exactly what the Founding Fathers feared) without any recourse, it could spell the end of our great nation.

I think this book is a must read for those looking to get up to speed about what our leaders, both Democrat and Republican, have been up to. It also delves into the comfy symbiotic relationship between the media and the government that allows the public to be misled. Overall, I highly recommend this book for all those who care about the future of our country.

Quote from the book:
"America needs a higher grade of patriotism. It is not patriotic to ignore violations of the Constitution. It is not patriotic to "look the other way" when politicians ravage rights. It is not patriotic to pretend that politicians are entitled to all the power they can grab, at least until they get impeached or indicted. It is not patriotic to give the benefit of the doubt to people trying to shackle you.
Americans must begin to think again as free citizens, and not like wholly owned subsidiaries of Washington. We will know that Americans have regained the right perspective towards Washington when a negligent congressman dreads a public meeting with his constituents the same way the average citizen anticipates an IRS audit.
Government is far more likely to destroy us than to raise us. Americans have long been taught to count on their rulers to protect and rescue them. But a bogus panacea is worse than no panacea at all. And Leviathan (note: he's referring to our corrupted government) is the most bogus panacea of them all."

James Bovard's blog:
http://jimbovard.com/blog/

Because these bailouts haven't already put the taxpayers on the hook enough...

McCain mortgage plan shifts costs to taxpayers

It seems like McCain and some other Republicans should start up a new party, because they don't seem to be sticking to the small government and low taxes that is called for under the Republican brand.

In my mind, the original plan to have the banks write down these mortgages made a lot more sense. Think of it this way. If someone is about to foreclose on their house, and can't pay their mortgage any longer, the bank is going to take the loss of the whole mortgage and the housing market will continue to erode. However, if they write off some of the mortgage and refinance these mortgages so that the people can afford them and stay in their house, the banks don't lose the entire mortgage, people stay in the house and continue paying on the new lower mortgage, and the housing market stabilizes a bit. This seems like a win-win situation.

Why should the American taxpayer continually be expected to pay for the bad decisions of banks, mortgage companies, and their customers? There has to be a little corporate and personal responsibility at some point.

Reading List: The Future of Freedom by Fareed Zakaria

After the first few years of Bush's administration and being told "Democracy-spreading" was a justification for just about anything, Fareed Zakaria delves into what actually makes a Democracy succeed in our world, and what we need to do to strengthen Democracy here in our own country after being led astray by politicians and power hungry corporations. He does a good job of outlining why merely holding an election isn't a proper goal for a young democracy and makes the case for having civil liberties and a rule-of-law before even attempting to begin democratization.

All in all the book was a good read and Zakaria does a good job of giving footnotes and backing up his theories. His articles, books, and TV show (GPS on CNN on Sundays) are all well thought out and offer great insight into international issues.

A quote from the book:
"Modern democracies will face difficult new challenges - fighting terrorism, adjusting to globalization, adapting to an aging society - and they will have to make their system work much better than it currently does. That means making democratic decision-making effective, reintegrating constitutional liberalism into the practice of democracy, rebuilding broken political institutions and civic associations. Perhaps most difficult of all, it requires that those with immense power in our societies embrace their responsibilities, lead, and set standards that are not only legal, but moral. Without this inner stuffing, democracy will become an empty shell, not simply inadequate but potentially dangerous, bringing with it the erosion of liberty, the manipulation of freedom, and the decay of common life."

Throwing Rocks in a Glass House

Politics of Attack

Now that the second debate is over with a majority of the country considering Obama the winner, it's clear that McCain's only tactic going forward will be to try and tear down Obama. McCain, with the assistance of Pitbull Palin, is running a campaign with over-the-top negativity and has all but given up on the issues. This is understandable from their point of view (though it sucks to see McCain dishonor his legacy like this), considering their positions on the issues are not all that popular.

My favorite thing to come out of the last couple days of McCain and Palin's campaigning has been the new question: "Who is the real Barack Obama?". I just find it utterly hilarious that the irony of this question flies over the heads of Republicans. Obama has been on the national stage for two years now with people (especially right wingers) running through the man's record with a fine tooth comb to try and dig up dirt. So far they tried to throw the Ayers and Rev. Wright guilt-by-association fallacies at him, but they just aren't going to stick because sane, rational people see through these tactics. The really funny part is that Palin, who has been on the national stage for 6 weeks now and has done everything but go to the moon in order to hide from the media, is calling Obama's record and history into question. This is the woman who in 6 weeks already has issues arising regarding attempts to ban books, make rape victims pay for their rape kits, the Troopergate scandal, her husband being a member of an Alaskan seccessionist party, having what some would call a witch doctor publicly blessing her, her connections to indicted Senator Ted Stevens, and charging the state of Alaska per diem for travel while she was staying at her own home. This is in just the 6 weeks she was announced as McCain's VP pick, which speaks volumes about not only her, but also McCain's job of vetting this woman. She's already shown her ability to bend and abuse the truth with her claims about saying no to the Bridge to Nowhere and her inability to answer simple questions like what media sources she uses.

So I think the real question is not "Who is the real Barack Obama?", but "Why aren't McCain and Palin focusing on the issues instead of throwing rocks in a glass house?".

It's getting out of hand...

Unleashed, Palin Makes a Pit Bull Look Tame

We all knew the McCain campaign would need to resort to character assassination to try and stay competitive with Obama. The Republican brand is tarnished beyond belief and John McCain has admitted he's not keen on the economy, which is the issue on everyone's minds right now as our savings and investments melt away.

I expected these attacks (most of which have and continue to be refuted by independent fact checking organizations). Despite the fact that they have mostly zero merit, they are great for fear-mongering and rallying Americans who are either xenophobic, racist, ignorant, or just too lazy to do the research themselves.

Is this what we want from the political conversation in our country? Instead of solutions to the problems we face... we talk about loose associations with some unsavory characters that any politician on the national stage is bound to have (let's not pretend that McCain hasn't meshed with a few of his own). As long as the American people allow this to continue and allow it to decide elections... we are a slave to fear-mongering and a dishonest government. Both Democrats and Republicans play the negative attack and slander game. Voters should let both of them know that it is unacceptable when our nation faces the grave problems that we do today.


Here's a choice excerpt from the Washington Post article:
"Worse, Palin's routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric's questions for her "less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media." At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, "Sit down, boy." "

Wow is about all I can say.

Update on the OJ trial

Key Simpson witness changes his story

This is exactly the kind of thing I was referring to in my last blog about this situation. I'm not saying O.J. is totally innocent in this situation, but it seems obvious that there is much more to this story than O.J. trying to organize an armed robbery. Even the key witness repeats multiple times "'they' wanted him and 'they' got him".

Was O.J.'s sentence revenge for the 1995 acquittal? I guess only the jurors and prosecutors really know, but it appears from the story told by the key witness on Nancy Grace that his sentence and involvement in the crimes definitely can be questioned.

The Veteran Candidate

This is an article from one of my favorite blogs that deals with Veterans Issues (2 Dinar, www.2dinar.com). It discusses the voting records of McCain and Obama when it comes to veteran's issues.

This really hits on one of my issues with McCain and some of his fellow Republicans. They talk a good game about supporting the troops and use it as a campaign issue, but then when it comes time to cast the vote and put their money where their mouth is they vote against it. This was extremely evident during the vote for the Hagel-Webb GI Bill which had lackluster support among Republicans.

Anyway... this article does a better job of analyzing the issue than I could... so here you go...

McCain Can’t Claim Us

There Is NO De Facto Veterans Candidate

Sen. McCain has staked his brand on three key points. First, that he’s a “maverick” with a history of “bucking” his party’s system. Second, that he is the candidate for governmental reform, the guy who fought against pork barrel spending and will continue to do so. And third, that he’s the veterans’ candidate in this election, a claim predicated entirely on the fact that he himself is a veteran. For regular Americans and vets like myself, that claim was probably strong enough to last completely unchecked- up until the showdown over the Webb-Hagel GI Bill. Sen. Webb (a Vietnam veteran and an appointed member of the Regan Administration), backed by Republican senators and war veterans Chuck Hagel and John Warner, introduced the “Post 9/11 GI Bill,” which we called in this magazine, the “GI Bill Overhaul”. This bill sought to scale the existing educational benefits for veterans up to their equivalent worth when originally introduced. The DoD, Bush administration, and several Republicans, including many hawks who claim to be advocates for veterans, began to deride the bill as too expensive and introduced a counter bill with watered down benefits which were actually rewards linked to longer service requirements. The main sponsor of this counter bill was John McCain. After all the rhetoric about “supporting the troops” that we troops have had to endure, the Post 9/11 GI Bill was an opportunity to actually support troops in a literal, logical, and needed way. But McCain campaigned heavily against the bipartisan GI Bill and then abstained from voting on it. Veterans, myself included, were stunned. John McCain, who had become something of an icon for independent veterans, was drawing a line in the sand and putting himself on the other side. At this time, I began wondering what McCain’s position really was on veterans’ issues; he was a war veteran himself and I had often given him the benefit of the doubt. In the debate last week, McCain made what has become for him a trademark comment about us veterans: “I love them and I’ll take care of them and they know that I’ll take care of them.” In the past those comments had seemed heartfelt, but after the GI Bill showdown, they seemed like transparent political double talk, aimed at sympathetic voters. But what was the actual score? Was the GI Bill the tip of the iceberg or just a red herring? I did a search of recent veteran-related legislation and how the candidates have voted: Title Description McCain Obama Result S Amdt 4803 to HR 2642: In the nature of substitute. 22 May 08 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 [Includes Webb-Hagel Post 9/11 GI Bill] NV Y Accepted Webb Amdt. No. 2909. 19 Sep 07 To specify minimum periods between deployment of units and members of the Armed Forces deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. [A/K/A "dwell time"] N Y Rejected Thune Amdt. No. 3704. 4 May 06 To provide, with an offset, $20,000,000 for the Department of Veterans Affairs for Medical Facilities. N N Rejected Akaka Amdt. No. 3642 as Amended. 26 Apr 06 To provide an additional $430,000,000 for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans. N Y Rejected Akaka Amdt. No. 3007. 14 Mar 06 To increase Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes. N Y Rejected Burns Amdt. No. 2999. 14 Mar 06 To provide increased funding for veterans health programs, and to negate the need for enrollment fees and increase in pharmacy co-payments. Y Y Accepted Motion to Waive CBA Boxer Amdt. No. 2634. 17 Nov 05 To provide an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder. N Y Rejected Motion to Waive CBA Stabenow Amdt. No. 1937. 5 Oct 05 To ensure that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation. N Y Rejected Murray Amdt. No. 1052 As Amended. 29 Jun 05 Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, for the Veterans Health Administration. NV Y Accepted Nelson Amdt. No. 2745. 10 Mar 04 To create a reserve fund to allow for an increase in Veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion by eliminating abusive tax loopholes. N N/A Rejected Motion To Table Dodd Amdt. No. 1817. 2 Oct 03 [Amendment would] provide an additional $322,000,000 for safety equipment for United States forces in Iraq and to reduce the amount provided for reconstruction in Iraq by $322,000,000. Y N/A Tabled Motion to Table Landrieu Amdt. No. 452. 2 Apr 03 [Amendment would] appropriate $1,047,000,000 for procurement for the National Guard and Reserves. Y N/A Tabled Original language from senate.gov, my notes in brackets Y: Yea, N: Nay, NV: No Vote, N/A: Not in Office, CBA: Budget Act McCain’s website lists several major topics on the Veterans’ Issues page. Some noteworthy ones include “Improving Veterans’ Health Care”, “Caring for Our Disabled Veterans”, and “Providing Veterans with the Benefits They Have Earned”. His voting record, shown above, says otherwise. To be fair, I am simplifying the legislative process substantially. Legislation has many layers and is interwoven with individual delegates’ political goals, its own fiscal impact, the influence of lobbyists, and the agendas of each party. Some counter arguments (that I haven’t heard yet) could be: 1. John McCain voted against some of those amendments because they were bundled with appropriations requests he didn’t support or were in themselves superfluous. Fine. If John McCain is going to be the anti pork barrel reformer he claims to be, than some consistency in that arena will convince me he’s serious. But he’s also shown consistency in voting against legislation to support the veterans for whom he claims to be the ultimate representative. If fiscal conservatism is his excuse for his voting record, then I think that is a compelling description of his actual priorities. We need a president who is able to tell the difference between wasted government spending (which certainly abounds) and caring for American veterans. You cannot say our country’s veterans deserve the best care and benefits we can give them but then be too stingy to pay for them, especially when several of these veteran care initiatives sought to be paid for by closing tax loopholes. But, what about McCain’s 90% + voting record in support of President Bush? President Bush’s administration has outspent Lyndon Johnson and has turned a year 2000 government surplus of $236 billion into a deficit in 2002 and every year beyond, including a projected record $482 billion deficit in 2009. Where’s the fiscal conservatism in that? 2. I can hear the whiners saying that these votes were symbolic. The congressional resolution to congratulate the Boston Celtics for winning the 2008 NBA Championship was symbolic. Appropriating funds to provide body armor for National Guard troops, improvements in veterans’ healthcare, and upgrades to veterans’ educational benefits is anything but symbolic; this is as real as it gets when it comes to “supporting the troops”. And even so, what symbolism can we draw from a consistent voting record to defeat these bills? Sen. McCain has been flooding the media with his pro-veteran rhetoric, and convincingly so. Except, that it’s just not true. Take nothing away from his personal sacrifice as a warrior during Vietnam but understand this: that service does not entitle him to claim America’s veterans as an automatic endorsement, particularly when his voting record on veterans’ issues receives a “D” from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and a 20% score by the Disabled American Veterans. John McCain wants to convince America he's the candidate the veterans prefer. Certainly, we once did. Today, we can't afford to.