This week saw the public unveiling of Bill Clinton 3.0 -- twice the finger-pointing rage with half the unload time. But the killer app of this version is the ability to instantly reboot and advise everyone else to "chill out." Politician, heal thyself! John McCain meanwhile touted his relative "self-restraint and mellowness" while desperately trying to distance himself from "the Bush presidency," which would be like Hillary trying to distance herself from "the Clinton presidency." Given the many encomiums both Clintons have offered McCain, if Obama prevails in the Democratic race, maybe McCain can offer Bill his VP slot. It would be Temper Ticket '08. Or a prolonged audition for Grumpy Old Men 3. Elsewhere, Deb Stabinow's husband demonstrated how different the sex-for-hire price list in Michigan is from New York.
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"But the killer ap of this version"
App, I believe, would be the correct spelling as it's an informal shorthand for application. I've never seen "ap" used anywhere.
You people don't know how much fun it is watching the liberal fur fly. Just think, a few months ago Hillary was the presumptive nominee and you guys were slobbering over the impending fight the GOP candidates would offer. Sadly for you karma wins out. The republican race is settled early as the beaten candidates retire for the good of the party. Not so on the left. Hillary won't quit as long as there are delegates left to pressure and threaten. You people don't understand this behavior is nothing new for Clinton, Inc. They could care less for the good of the party or the country. Watch them as the convention approaches. 68' Chicago will seem like a picnic compared to 08' Denver unless she quits. Both of their character is on display and you can bet they won't give up. Notice the return of Al Gore. He will make himself available - just in case!
I am impressed by your erudite ponderings yet you have incorrectly used "could care less". The correct usage is "could NOT care less". I am assuming that you meant that they did not care. Thank you.
Unfortunately the GOPs fell for the "experience" argument as well, which while enticing, fails to take into account the amount of age it took to get the candidate that much experience. While McCain has an amazing record and would be a strong president, he's also an enormous risk. His health is questionable (despite his claims to be in excellent condition, and having a 96 year old mother, nothing is more taxing on one's health than the highest public office in the land) and he's had melanoma before. If the GoP manages to win this one, I pray to god you guys pick a decent running mate. (Hey, Condi's young!)
hahaha -- this post was witty and made me laugh
Not only is Obama 100% infallible, he also has no temper. At all.
You guys want to build a bigger pedestal for Saint Obama, or do you want to continue? Of course, you will continue.
From what I've seen, when confronted with something that would enrage a person with a temper, he's either laughed it off or written a damn fine speech about it. That doesn't mean that his inner Barry isn't hollering in anger, it just means he keeps it under control. "No Drama Obama" is an apt description indeed.
and the best part about St. Obama is that he is both black and white and young and smart and ethical and trustworthy. to be a saint in god's kingdom you must not lie, cheat, commit adultery or make war and you must look after the poor
Boy, you guys are really auto-intoxicated on your own hyperbole. Just because Bill Clinton has a foul temper and demonstrates it frequently and so does John McCain (and people KNOW it), that doesn't mean that ANYBODY claims that Obama is temper-free. Can you site any LEGITIMATE place in which anybody has made such a claim? Hyperbole like this is just another manifestation of how those logic/sanity slip knots that are holding the gray matter of the Clinton supporters tenuously in place are SLIPPING AGAIN.
It is impossible to have a sane discussion with many of the Clinton supporters....everything is all or none with them....no gray areas about anything. And either the Clintons are always by themselves on the side of the angels or EVERYBODY is on the side of the devil, so it doesn't matter when the Clintons demonstrably misbehave, because, hey, EVERYBODY does whatever is the latest offense to decency has been committed by the Clintons.
It must be extremely hard to live with people like this, rigid, unyielding, oblivious to truth. And it is mighty scary that the votes of these people count as much as votes of people who still have some shred of perspective.
What some seem to believe is "no temper" on the part of Obama is actually what is known as "Emotional Intelligence". I highly recommend the book by the same name written by Daniel Goleman. Anger is simply an emotion, not behavior. It is amazing how many individuals confuse the two. Nasty comments, shaming, fits of temper are all behavior that someone's mom should have discouraged by the age of three and instead encouraged using respectful words for discourse when not in agreement with someone else's belief system.
John McCain was forever spiritually joined at the hip of this most corrupt presidency whhen he rolled over on The Military Commissions act and sided with the Neo-Con torturers. You sold your soul Johnny, you broke my heart Freido.
Maybe Hillary"s religious conservative fundamentalism in the spirit of Calvin supports her propensity for lying. Maybe she has no moral issue with lying to serve her purposes. As I understand it, Calvinism "teaches that fallen humanity is morally and spiritually unable to follow God or escape their condemnation before him and that only by divine intervention in which God must change their unwilling hearts can people be turned from rebellion to willing obedience." It is OK for her to lie. If she keeps attending the Republican Prayer Breakfasts, God will save her. Her lying is not her fault. For her, it is all God"s fault. ( http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html, http://www.alternet.org/election08/80248/, http://artvoice.com/issues/v7n13/getting_a_grip, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-g-brant/say-hillary-what-about-t_b_93435.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvinism )
Americans' interpretation of "left wing" betrays an extraordinary ignorance of what "being left" means to most of the world. In any other democratic industrialized country Obama would be seen as a conservative centrist. There is no left left in America - the centre moved to the right years and years ago and the Democratic Party has cheerfully abetted this disastrous re-definition by abandoning most of its principles.
Superb point. I look forward to Dmitry Orlov's book later this spring which covers this very idea. America has two center-right capitalist parties, with part of the Republican Party occupying the Far Right niche. It's why we don't have, and never will have, socialized medicine or other progressive institutions to solve the real needs of the people. A person advocating real solutions, like Nader or Kucinich, is quickly marginalized as a kook and dreamer. Change will come about only from the collapse of the present system. There's no way to evolve out of it.
This is welcoming news to me. The last thing this country needs is to follow in Europe's footsteps which is exactly what the "left wing" wants in this country. Government entitlements up the whazoo, high unemployment rates with 85% benefits, higher suicide rates, unchecked appeasement to immigrants and obsession with multi-culturism, weak militaries and consistently stagnant economies These ideas, while well-meaning, are what have driven Europe to the brink of irrevelance on the world stage. Europe continues to abondon the very values that have made the West superior. America needs to continue down it's path of greatness while Europe continues to decline and other societies rise past it using the same types of principles the West rose on. Europes goals of a no-border utopia, no militaries and cooperation among established peaceful institutions are nothing more then pie-in-the sky, evidenced by it's need to phone America to put out a pair of Balkan fires in the mid 90's. Turns out peaceful negotiations did not work against a murderous dictator. Americans need to continue to view the world in a practical sense and not through the binoculars of fantasy.
Thanx to both margie4 and wldnswmmr for their comments. If campaign finance laws were changed and people who are not millionaires could compete, we might get a shot at representative government again. Our electoral system is in deep trouble in my opinion.
We have to understand that corporations are not citizens and that it is impossible for an ordinary citizen to compete financially with a corporation.
The McCain V.P. slot to Bill. Very funnny, but also very sad because it strikes a chord of reality
About the Clinton "rage". When Bill Clinton gets that mad, it's not because he's mad, it's because the other people in the room are truly being stupid and he can't reach them with his intellect.
I'm serious.
Losing your temper in front of the people you want to vote for your wife isn't exactly smart.
Bill is intelligent, but he's not wise. He realized early on that he was smarter than most of the people around him and that he could use this to his advantage. He has the charisma, the political savvy, the wit, but he lacks the modulation of wisdom.
Really? Did you know the latest rage from President Bill Clinton was directed at a superdelegate who had been a supporter of Governor Richardson? She simply asked the former President about his rages against Governor Richardson. Is this trying to reach somebody with your intellect, or simply being angry that things didn't go the way you wanted them to go?
I believe it's called a "tantrum."
What if Bush-Cheney manipulated oil prices? They have managed to devalue the dollar and drive up oil prices on the world market. Gas prices have been rising steadily for the last few years, but disconnected from world oil prices. When asked for a reaction to $2.00 gasoline Bush's comment was "Get used to it." Turns out it was a policy statement.
We can never forget Cheney's illegal secret summit with oil industry execs to draw up public energy policies that spoke of consuming more not conserving. If I am not mistaken Cheney was under investigation in 1999 for illegal business dealings with Iraq and Iran while the CEO of Halliburton. Did he ever divest himself of Halliburton stock and futures?
Republican profits-for-big-business-at-all-costs fiscal policy has slowly been destroying this country since January 20, 1981. It is time someone shed some light on the biggest pair of crooks in human history.
Lets open up that oil industry summit issue again and get Dickie before congress, under oath to explain to the people he represents what exactly he said and did. We are being royally screwed by a few neocons who are getting fabulously wealthy because of their war and that oil industry summit.
Corporatists are, by nature, greedy and selfish. This is proven by the actions of the likes of Bush and Cheney and the trolls they appoint. The welfare of the citizens and the country is a far distant second to their own personal greed. We need to impeach both Bush and Cheney. Get them under oath and before congress. Make them accountable.
"What if Bush-Cheney manipulated oil prices?" How? Did they predict Katrina knocking the bulk of US refineries (the ones that turn oil into gasoline) offline for an extended period of time? Did they cause the various refinery fires in North America that knocked others offline?
"Gas prices have been rising steadily for the last few years, but disconnected from world oil prices."
WHAT? Here is a chart (you may have to change the year to 2000) showing oil prices in the year 2000, topping out at $35/bbl. Today it's trading around $105. How can you possibly think that gas prices are disconnected from world oil prices?
Living in Alberta, Canada, where oil gets pulled from the oilsands (and also pumped from a diminishing number of wells) and then shipped via pipeline to the US and eastern Canada for processing, then shipped back to us, we are paying $1.10+ per litre (or about $4.40/gallon). Five years ago, we were paying about $0.40/ltr (or roughly $1.60/gallon without taking exchange into consideration, which would probably drop that to around $1/gallon).
I'm no fan of either Bush or Cheney, but give your head a shake.
In case the links didn't work:
oil prices/bbl in 2000 http://tfc-charts.w2d.com/hist_CO.html
gas prices http://www.albertagasprices.com/retail_price_chart.aspx
Hot headed bully Bill would be OK for VP but dont forget that Bobby Knight is also looking for work now. I would rather see chair throwing Bobby as VP and perhaps Bill as Secy of State or Defense. What a team!
PS- All the anti-Iranian talk about funding and weapons goes on.
You'd think that with all the assertions being made, somebody somewhere would be able to actually present a case based on verifiable facts.
Instead, just like pre-Iraq intelligence, it gets repeated again and again as if we don't deserve or can't handle the truth.
BTW, the corporate media completely ignored the bi-partisan consensus reached by former Secretaries of State which essentially endorsed Obama's foreign policy.
You'd think that such a consensus that stands in stark contrast to current policy would have been considered "news". Go figure
I think Bill plagiarised Rep. Lewis with that comment... or are we beyond that?
Here we are where Surge+ Pause= permanent Escalation, and the media keeps insisting on the focus group tested catch words.
On the positive side, I don't know if Schieffer on Face the Nation is scrambling out from under establishment control as he nears retirement, but his guests accurately pointed out that Maliki was using military force to solve an internal political problem, AND that the US military COULD NOT have been out of the loop on that decision. In other words, our "democratic ally" is killing political opponents they think they can't beat in the upcoming elections, with official US support. What success!
I love how the neocons are using the failure in Basra to attack Iran.
Iranian help in reaching a peaceful resolution is now being touted as proof of their "influence".
One begins to wonder if peace is the last kind of success the neocons want.
Lindsay Graham on This Week ignored US military statistics that show that the majority of foreign fighters captured in Iraq come from Saudi Arabia and other Sunni countries when he went after Iran this morning. He also claimed that Anbar would "fall to Al Quaida if we withdraw" despite the "Awakening" that is the "first Arab uprising against Bin Laden" as Bush touts it.
Shouldn't our "pundits" be analysing these claims?
Another fine example of the media trying to turn rumors into fact.
On Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer tried to perpetuate a rumor that the Clintons are racists based on his own false assumptions.
He said to Howard Dean, "Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton are telling, they're telling superdelegates, they're telling anybody who will listen, they say this in private, but they, we keep hearing it, so there must be something to this. That they are saying that Barack Obama simply can't win and maybe the suggestion is 'can't win because he is an African-American.'"
You can hear the audio at
http://inewstube.com/content/view/101/64/
I don't think anybody is claiming either Clinton is a racist. I think the question is if there is any limit to the things they will use (including race) if they believe it will benefit Senator Clinton's attempt to procure 3/4 of the superdelegates (what she would need to get the nomination) in Denver.
I think it is a legitimate question based on the fact that we are indeed hearing that the Clinton campaign is telling the superdelegates some fairly dodgy things. But, obviously, this is a free country and you are welcome to ask the media ignore this sort of thing. Personally, I think the media should be telling us about anything which helps us understand the lengths to which any candidate will go to win. In my humble opinion (and the opinion of President Lincoln) an immoral act cannot be justified politically. Also, in my humble opinion, it is one of the primary purposes of the 4th estate (reporters and the press) to explore issues like this one.
Bill Clinton is the last Democrat to be twice elected to the office of President since FDR. Does he not deserve some credit for that accomplishment? He quite probably rescued the Democratic party from the type of obliteration that should be facing the Republican party in November. Ironically, for a group with a reputation for being for more gun control, liberals sure seem to love circular firing squads.
Yeah, And I'm wondering, has Arianna ever voted for a democrat?
I doubt it. I think she is dealing with her own guilt. But sadly her right wing, Clinton hating narrative from her wingnut days stays with her. It is disgusting what this site has done to an accomplished woman like Hillary. Arianna will never come close to achieving all Hillary has when it comes to human rights, women's rights and children's rights. Instead she chooses to bash another woman with power. How sad for all women.
Thank you Jjc2006 for that post. You are now and forever on my favorites list.
If we are in the mood to hop into the Way Back Machine with McCain's trip down war memory lane...then lets walk down Hillary's genesis of lying and political dirty tricks.
Of course, not mentioned on any MSM. Too many worms to slither out from this ugly story that stained the nation and allowed a younger Hillary Rodham to begin her career of lies and political manipulation.
Arianna- I hope you lead the nation is ensuring voters know where Clinton got started. If this was an Obama story, it would be front page, run on a loop. No doubt. Time we stop protect the Clintons.
http://www.northstarwriters.com/dc163.htm
I agree with Bill Clinton. Chill out and let the voters decide. Isn't that what Democracy is all about? And I am pretty sure that McCain will choose Collin Powell as his running mate. You can guess why.
Hmm I hear it may be Condi Rice????
no, why don't you tell us why .......
ps. colin powell will not accept
There is an old saying "Be careful what you wish for it may come true"..The Huff Post along with all levels of the Media are relentless in their bashing of Hillary. She cannot even get the full support of her own party in allowing full delegate representation. Many Democratic voters favoring Hillary are not happy with all of this and the end result may be tragic for the Democratic Party. Hillary has shown her strength and resiliency through all of this and out of the three she may be our best hope to turn this country around. The continued bashing of Hillary by the Media will certainly give Obama the edge in securing the Democratic nomination and the Republican "Swift boat" machine can then begin its ugly work. What can they say about Hillary that hasn't already been said?..but Obama is another story. Add that to the many disappointed Hillary voters and you will have a Party switch of allegiance to either McCain or Nader. A vote for Nader will be a vote for McCain so either way McCain will win. The American people do not fully realize just how influential the Media is in shaping our daily lives. With 24/7 mainly biased news the Media influenced the outcome of the two past Presidential Elections and will once again be the main determining factor in the outcome of this one.
Posted April 5, 2008 | 09:35 PM (EST)