Please wait, your request is processed...

austinobserver

Recent comments by this user

Hillary Should Stay in Because She Can

Hillary's voice was recorded on NPR just before the New Hampshire primary saying that she did not take her name off of Michigan's ballot because the election would not count for anything. That was after Obama and Edwards and others had pulled their names off. Then after it is over, she claims "I won! I won!" I do not even know of any Republicans who would try to pull that off. Heck, I do not even know many spoiled brat children who would try to pull that off. She completely ruined her arguments for Florida when she tried to add in Michigan. I know love is blind, and you are blindly in love with her, but wake up! posted 05/16/2008 at 10:55:20

Gay Marriage Ban Overturned By California Supreme Court

Not to put a damper on the parade, but this of course means gay marriage will again be an issue in the presidential election and almost certainly means McCain will win. So Obama and Clinton might as well kiss and make up, as the Democratic primary winner has virtually no chance in November.

Could they have waited until after the election? posted 05/15/2008 at 15:03:48

Hillary Clinton Should Address Race, Now

The point is that the right-wing echo chamber can take any one, or any dozen, of the listed issues and manufacture a "scandal," even if completely rehashed, and even if baseless (note Gore never said he invented the Internet and Kerry was the one in Vietnam, not Bush), and the corporate media with Wright and certainly in 2004 and 2000 showed no hesitation in running with such Republican-manufactured "scandals." Thecorporate media always helps the Republicans turn molehills into mountains and Hillary has an awful lot of molehills that the Republican propagandists have been salivating over for quite some time.

And Obama has not tanked among well-educated progressives, only really among the poorly educated whites. posted 05/15/2008 at 12:01:08

The Republicans can manufacture dozens of "scandals" with more bite than the Rev. Wright fiasco if Hillary is the nominee (and the corporate media will dutifully pick up the storyline as they always have). They have so much material to work with, and they are busy boys and girls. Just a sample: radical Hillary at Wellesley, Yale law Hillary working for communist law firm in SF, Hillary too good to bake cookies or take her husband's name, Hillary defending rapist against 12 year old, "pro-labor" Hillary on Wal-Mart board and central figure in anti-labor DLC, Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Monica, allegations of rape, Vince Foster, meaning of "is," Eleanor Roosevelt seance in WH, Marc Rich, Peter Paul, Kazakhstan dictator and Giustra and other Bill donors, Norman Hsu, peace in N. Ireland-SCHIP-Bosnia lies, for Iraq war before against it, Bill jetsetting with billionaires and models, rumors about Bill affairs and about Hillary lesbian affairs... Don't be so naive. posted 05/15/2008 at 10:41:57

Hillary's entire support is from committed feminists who are in love with her (a love that blinds them to all her lies and her extremely insulting rhetoric that assumes voters are highschool dropouts) and from white racists. Why would she throw the racist half of her coalition under the bus? The part I don't get is how does she win the general election when the racists all defect to McCain and Obama's supporters, especially those in the AA community, have been completely alienated. I guess she just wants to be the first female nominee of a major party and knows she has no chance to be president. posted 05/15/2008 at 10:19:26

John Edwards Endorses Obama... GOP Prospects "Worst Since Watergate"

Edwards dropped out because Hillary had locked up a good portion of the feminist vote and Obama was locking up the African-American vote and he realized that he had no chance to win any state as long as both of them were in the race and neither was about to leave. As for why he did not endorse, it is either that Elizabeth, who obviously supported Hillary, would not allow him to or that Hillary had promised him something big, like VP, and now her promise is meaningless.

But he certainly was the only progressive candidate with any chance to win, no disrespect to Kucinich intended. posted 05/14/2008 at 16:52:12

Politico's Roger Simon Rewrites Own History To Fluff McCain

Very good point. The mainstream corporate media is constantly disrespectful of religion and religious organizations and treats them as unimportant nuisances but then turns a 180 and takes a preacher's statements seriously when they are useful to put down Obama.

Anyone who is not a hopeless simpleton should be able to see that the corporate media has thousands of possible stories and angles it could cover and it makes its selections not just for ratings but also to choose the candidates most in line with the interests of the owners of the media. The stories and angles it selects have always influenced or even determined the outcome. We can only hope that the new media is bringing that period to a close. posted 05/15/2008 at 11:33:16

You Broke It, You Own It -- Obama Style

Hillarious! Obama, is flawed, like all candidates, but Hillary always had zero chance in the general election. Note that the Republicans have not laid a glove on her so far, salivating over the possibility of a Hillary nomination.

To summarize why: (1) Pre-2000: radical Wellesley student, as law student worked for communist law firm, defended rapist of 12-year old, Rose Law firm, defended corporations against consumers, on Wal-Mart board, Whitewater, travelgate, Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Monica, Impeachment, other allegations of rape and sexual harassment, Eleanor Roosevelt seance, Lincoln Bedroom, "I don't bake cookies" comment then standing by her adulterous man, troubling Chinese connections; (2) 2000 to campaign: Bill's donors including foreign ones wanting quid pro quo, including Giustra and deal with Kazakhstan dictator, Hillary donor Norman Hsu and other troubling donations, Bill's jetsetting with billionaires and models, fraud case with Peter Paul, Hillary for Iraq war before against it, lead speaker at 2005 DLC convention; (3) In campaign: conflicting statements on NAFTA, pro-labor rhetoric conflicts with Bill and Penn and DLC position, Bosnia snipers, progressive positions at odds with votes on domestic and foreign policy (e.g. voting against banning cluster bombs and landmines), for DNC rules before against them, claims Soviet-style election in Michigan is "fair," and ubiquitous rumors of a lesbian affair or affairs going back many years.

A Hillary nomination would be the greatest gift McCain and the Republicans ever received. posted 05/14/2008 at 16:13:48

Hillary Agonistes: Why Doesn't She Concede?

The 800-pound gorilla in the room is the number of Clinton scandals, real or manufactured, that the Republicans would throw at Hillary. It is an absolute joke that she is more electable. Her hold on the uneducated "Bubba" vote is as tenuous as it can be, and will be easily broken by the shitstorm of dredged up past scandals, new questions about Bill's library donors and affairs, Hillary lies and contradictions regarding Bosnia and NAFTA and who knows what else, and of course rumors and innuendo about Hillary's lesbian affairs. The Republicans could dispatch that white uneducated Reagan Democrat vote (which she has been depending on) in less than a week, and the Democratic superdelegates know this. Obama has tried to stay away from such attacks because he does not want to alienate Hillary supporters, but the Republicans will have no such constraints. The Republicans are keeping their powder dry for now, hoping that Hillary will be the nominee. And if the Democrats are foolish enough to let her have it, the political shitstorm of all time will begin and it will not be pretty. She would be lucky to win more than one state or 40 percent of the national vote. posted 05/14/2008 at 14:48:44

Revenge of the Wimp Factor: The Ironies of Proving Manhood in the Democratic Primary

Obama's race is part of the reason for his reluctance to retaliate, but I believe it is also because he is trying not to alienate Hillary's supporters as he has an eye towards November. Hillary is living one day at a time, and ignoring November, thinking that November is irrelevant if she does not win now. Usually the party leaders will punish a candidate like Hillary who weakens the party's chances in such a self-interested manner, but Hillary has a large number of committed feminist women who will not take kindly to any retaliation by the party and Obama and the party leaders have to just hope they can ride out the storm. posted 05/13/2008 at 11:05:57

Republicans Are on a Different Planet, Posing Problems Into 2009

I mostly agree, but back in the day when I was a law student and attended seminars that discussed theories of justice, I recall that utilitarianism could be viewed in the narrow sense, as you described, where it only concerns what is easily measured (e.g. GDP), but it could also be viewed in a broader sense, taking into account social harmony and other difficult-to-measure factors, which is probably what Bentham intended when he developed the approach. It has become apparent that focusing simply on that which is easily measured leads to unnecessary conflict, pain, and failure. We must do better if we are to survive as a species. posted 05/13/2008 at 09:23:49

Bob Barr Announces Bid For Libertarian Nomination

Hillary would siphon off many more votes than Barr would, so if Hillary does run on the "Clintons forever" party ticket, then we can say hello to President McCain and a host of disasters to come, including more unnecessary war, more terrorist recruitment, more economic upheaval, more delay on seriously addressing global warming (in spite of what McCain says now), and more gigantic budget deficits. posted 05/12/2008 at 12:29:53

The Most Important Piece of Paper in America

The "little people" are not supposed to think too deeply about it. Even a regulated market, which would be intended to and which would to some extent prevent the worst of what you describe, will always be fundamentally flawed. That is because when everyone is dependent on and judged by how much they rake in, then that fact will determine the value system. And the prevailing values in a market system will ensure that those who design the rules for the economy and the society will always warp the rules for their own benefit. So even if ideally such a "free market" or well-regulated market would provide the greatest amount of benefit for the greatest number of people (i.e., it was utilitarian), that ideal could never be approached as the rules would always be twisted and distorted to benefit those who make them and those who have the power to influence those who make them. posted 05/13/2008 at 12:25:20

Why Women Gladly Date Ugly Men (And Probably Even Prefer Them)

I don't know what planet you live on, but as an average looking guy I had quite a few beautiful women pursue me when I was a young man. But I always turned them down, because I sensed they were looking for a relationship in which they had all, or almost all, the power. I found an average-looking woman where we are both equal and it has turned out pretty well, so I have no regrets. posted 05/15/2008 at 12:35:59

Obama's Clinton Dilemma

See, then they would be happy to see her go, to leave the Senate, as she joins the Supreme Court! posted 05/07/2008 at 11:00:11

So Obama has "lost the middle class" by opposing the insane and reckless Bush-Cheney-McCain foreign and domestic policies that have driven this country to the edge of ruin? So the middle class has a death wish and namby pamby Obama doesn't want to help them in this and so they will all vote against him? Interesting viewpoint there. posted 05/07/2008 at 10:47:11

The obvious choice is to appoint Hillary to the Supreme Court. After the painful loss in this nomination process, even though she still really wants to be the first female US president, I think she would be able to justify to herself taking a seat on the Court instead. I think it would be a relief for her, to be able to avoid another fight like this, and she could convince herself the opportunity is too great to pass up. And I do not think the Republicans would try to block her, especially when she is one of their Senate colleagues. posted 05/07/2008 at 10:42:57

Turning Point for Obama, Limbaugh Winning Indiana for Hillary

Good point. Democrats in the US have gotten away from the traditional progressive view that one's broader self interest is in conflict with one's narrow self interest, and it is that broader self interest that one is expected to serve when one acts as a citizen and a voter. Bill Clinton, in a Republican-like manner, conflated the broader self interest and the narrow self interest to the Democratic Party's and the nation's detriment. We could use a leader who can articulate the need for individual Americans to personally evolve so that they feel inclined to put more energy and focus into that broader self interest, as the myopic pursuit of narrow self interest has led to our current precarious situation with regard to the economy, the environment, national security, and other areas of serious concern. posted 05/07/2008 at 14:56:08

Why Obama Provides a More Compelling Contrast to McCain than Hillary

It seems that everyone wants to ignore the 800-pound gorilla in the room. Sure, the Republicans will beat the dead horse of the manufactured Wright "scandal" as long as they can, but they fear that an election between Obama and McCain would be mostly about the real issues, and there McCain would get "obliterated." With Hillary, the Republicans know they can focus on Clinton scandals, past and present, real and manufactured, and never even get to the issues. So it is really irrelevant where Hillary positions herself in terms of avoiding all-out Republican assault, though she sure has managed to alienate progressive Democrats with her pandering, war-mongering, coziness to the hard right, use of manufactured issues, support of corporate lobbyists, and general pathological lying, and is doing a good job of alienating African-American voters through her dishonest attacks on Obama.

The Republican operatives are salivating a river thinking about a Hillary nomination. We can only hope that there are not enough ill-informed Democrats to make their dreams come true. posted 05/05/2008 at 10:58:06

Hillary's Psychic Reality

You think Hillary Clinton is a "socialist"? That's funny to me, because I am on the left, and I, along with virtually everyone I know of on the left, believes Hillary is a right-wing fascist. So if the righties think she is a socialist, and the lefties think she is a right-wing fascist, and most people, no matter where on the political spectrum, think she is a pathological liar or has even more serious psychological problems, she should definitely be toast in a general election match-up with McCain. Maybe that is something we can agree on. posted 05/05/2008 at 11:18:19

Poll: Clinton Beats McCain In Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio

Hillaryous! The Republicans haven't even started on Hilliary. When they are finished with her, she will be lucky to be polling in the 30s. Hilliarinistas are hillaryous. posted 05/01/2008 at 15:04:46

It's all a bad joke. If Hillary gets the nomination, the corporate media will pivot and begin 24/7 bashing of her based on allegations of and speculation of marital infidelities and financial improprieties of her and her husband. There is no way on earth she would carry Florida, Michigan, or Pennsylvania, even if McCain announced beforehand he intended to cause a depression and WWIII. She would be lucky to carry Massachusetts and New York as McCain would win a landslide victory of historic proportions. Then he probably does start WWIII and the members of the corporate media will be among the most surprised dead people in our completely "obliterated" nation. posted 05/01/2008 at 14:56:10

Media Jump Ship From Obama To Clinton

Is the corporate media shift part of a long-term and well-executed plan to ensure the Democrats cannot win, and the Republican who will certainly champion media mergers and consolidation gets into the White House? It is hard to tell at this point, though if the discussion does not shift to how the Democrats can manage to nominate Al Gore at a deadlocked convention, I will become pretty suspicious. Hillary has zero chance to win the general, with the negatives she has. Heck, the Republicans could just tell the truth about her and it would be a landslide. That would be new to the Republicans, however, and they might feel better sticking with lies and manufactured stories. But what really makes me suspicious of a long-term plan is that of all the Demcratic candidates, Hillary was the only one likely to lose so badly in the majority of the country that the Democrats could lose control of Congress. And now, if she wins the nomination she alienates the AA community, and it makes it a certainty of Republican control of all three branches again. And I am afraid that is the real reason the corporate media has been determined all along to get Hillary nominated. posted 04/25/2008 at 10:08:22

Destructive Primary? Gee, Who Woulda Thunk It

It seems extremely likely that if a Gore or Edwards were chosen at a deadlocked convention, that Obama would be offered the VP slot. Anything else would be suicide for the nominee. And, as was pointed it, it is also extremely likely that Hillary would offer the VP to Obama if she somehow snatched away the nomination, telling him that it is up to him whether they are going to unify the party and win in November, and she will make sure that if he turns it down he will get all the blame for a loss. She knows that it would be difficult for him to turn it down in such circumstances, and that is why she behaves as she does. After all, LBJ did not turn down JFK, even though they were blood enemies. posted 04/24/2008 at 09:28:38

Thoughts on Pennsylvania, Clinton and Obama from a "Realisticrat"

It is absurd to suggest Hillary Clinton is electable. Not only would progressive Democrats vote for Nader or someone else to the left, but probably many Obama supporters would be too upset to ever support her. And the turnout among the Religious Right would be off the charts.

Anyone who has any power in the Democratic Party and who thinks Obama is unelectable needs to form a movement to draft Gore or to settle on Edwards. It is preposterous to argue that Democrats should support the Republicans' dream opponent on the basis of her being more electable. posted 04/22/2008 at 17:33:32

Obama Praises McCain, Clinton Responds

I guess according to Hillary that McCain is not any better than Bush but McCain is better than Obama. So that means she thinks Bush is better than Obama. Now why again is she in the Democratic Party? posted 04/21/2008 at 14:58:39

Hillary Clinton Slams MoveOn With Karl Rove's Lies

With the highest negatives of any serious presidential contender ever, certainly Hillary has virtually zero chance to win the general election. I can just imagine now the questioning in the general election debate by tools like Gibson and Stephanopolous (Ms. Clinton, did you kill Vince Foster, and, as a followup, why did you kill him? Was it because he knew of your illegal activities... Now let us play the Bosnia tape... Why did you flip-flop on NAFTA and on Iraq if not to pander... ).

So if Hillary is really worried about the Democrats losing in the Fall, one would think she would immediately pull out and urge all her pledged delegates, her supporters, and the superdelegates to support Edwards or Gore or someone electable. Fat chance she will do that! posted 04/19/2008 at 23:32:00

Obama Hamas Ties Pushed In McCain Letter: So Much For "Respectful" Campaign

Hillary has zero chance. Obama is not attacked for his actual positions, but just for connections and associations, connections and associations such as those that every significant figure in public life has (i.e. every national politician could be attacked as much as Obama is, and every possible Democratic nominee would be so attacked, just as Gore and Kerry were). Hillary has real vulnerabilities -- the Republicans could actually tell the truth and stick to real issues and sink her, which would be a new strategy for them. If she were serious about helping the Democrats win the presidency, she would pull out and urge all her delegates and all the superdelegates to go for Edwards or Gore. Fat chance. posted 04/18/2008 at 17:38:13

Important Questions For George Stephanopoulos To Ask John McCain This Sunday

McCain appears on so many "hard news programs" because the most difficult questions he is ever asked are:
"What is it like to be a hero?"
"Do you feel insulted that the Democrats do not just concede to such a superior candidate such as yourself?"
"Will you come back on this program when you are President?"
"Does it make you angry when others point out your irrelevant and minor errors when they do not even demand Obama's deportation because he fails to wear a flag pin?"
"Where do you get the infinite wisdom and fortitude to tolerate Democrats and their foolishness?"
. posted 04/18/2008 at 17:31:41

Krugman: Obama Clinging To A Stereotype

I have long admired Krugman, but this piece really eroded my respect for him. Part of the reason little progress is made in sociology and social science in general is that social science research, unlike the research in hard science where all the important variables can be tightly controlled in experiments which can be repeated, is subject to innumerable interpretations.

Krugman, along with his colleague Mr. Bartels, forgets that political evolution is inevitable, and so it is not convincing that the working class voters in the small towns have trended Democratic, as one could argue that because of the changing conditions the trends should have been much more pronounced. Also, the stronger connection between the voting patterns of affluent voters and religiosity could be explained by increasing Democratic focus on social issues, as economically elite fiscally conservative secular liberals became more likely to vote for DLC liberals (liberal on social issues only) than Republicans.

From my own personal experience, growing up in the rural South, I know that people who are economically insecure often feel powerless, and that makes the comfort of religion more appealing and the illusory power that gun ownership provides more seductive.

I continue to find Frank's arguments compelling, and find Krugman's sophistry insulting. posted 04/18/2008 at 12:30:23

The Very Serious Debate, Starring The Very Serious George & Charlie

The only positive moment was when Stephanopolous forced Hillary to say that she believed that Obama could win the general election, though it was like pulling teeth. I think she would rather have lit herself on fire than admit that. If she is so sure that Obama would lose, and if she is so determined to "save" the Democratic Party, given that the majority of Americans find her dishonest and untrustworthy and that she is therefore unelectable, she should immediately declare that all her pledged delegates and all the superdelegates should switch to supporting someone electable like Edwards or Gore. Yea, she is going to do that, when hell freezes over. posted 04/17/2008 at 16:58:43

Et Tu, ABC?

So that is how Hillary supporters think? I was wondering what was going on.

I am impressed that Hillary is so concerned about Obama losing the election for the Democratic Party in the Fall. She is such a team player! Well, since the majority of voters do not trust her and think she is dishonest, surely even Hillary and her voters recognize she has zero chance in the Fall, so she must keep herself from winning the nomination as well. So, as a devoted member of the party the choice for her is clear -- she must immediately pull out and urge all her pledged delegates and the superdelegates to support Edwards, who was always the most electable of the group, or Gore, if he is interested. And I am sure Hillary will do the right thing, as she always does. posted 04/18/2008 at 09:25:25

Hillary And The Commies

Hillary, like Bill, and like Dick Cheney, is 100 percent cynical. She will say or do anything to get elected, but she really does not appear to believe in any ideology. She may at one time had principles and ideals, but her life with Bill and her experiences in Washington have clearly rubbed all that off. She is pure cynical opportunist, hoping to make her name in history as the first woman president of the US, and probably hoping to cash in afterwards as Bill has done. Whether the majority of people in the US benefit, or even whether they suffer immeasurably from coming wars and economic catastrophe, it has become apparent she really could not care less. posted 04/17/2008 at 11:06:31

Hill, You've Got $100 Million; Show Some Class

According to all the polls, half of the electorate believe Hillary has no credibility and also half of the electorate has an unfavorable view of her. That means that virtually all people who do not have an unfavorable view need to vote for her in order for her to win. It would be easier to get a camel through an eye of a needle than to get Hillary Clinton successfully through a general election campaign. Hillary had no chance last year, she has no chance today, and she will have no chance in the fall. And thanks to Hillary, Obama's chances are getting slimmer all the time. And no matter what she thinks, she will be blamed by most Democrats if Obama loses, and so she will have no chance in 2012 or 2016. posted 04/16/2008 at 14:41:48

Obama, The Rookie

Fund, as a Republican propagandist, is just doing his job. Like the others, he makes mountains out of Democratic gaffe or scandal molehills, and makes molehills out of Republican gaffe or scandal mountains. He is not a disinterested observer, but is trying to influence the outcome. It is difficult to take his analysis seriously. As some have nothed, G. W. Bush made a great many mountain-sized gaffes that were reduced to molehills by Fund and most of the corporate media, while Gore and Kerry made minor gaffes that were turned into mountains. It is business as usual. posted 04/16/2008 at 11:31:56

Bloomberg, Focusing On Gun Violence, Disagrees With Obama's Remarks

I grew up in a rural area in the South where most people do cling to guns and religion. And it is obvious to virtually anyone who leaves such an area and obtains a university education that Obama was basically right and that Bloomberg's comments are completely irrelevant. People who lose their jobs, or feel economically threatened, begin to feel powerless and are then drawn to both religion and guns as they offer some feeling, some hope, of regaining control. The religion gives them hope that their future might not be totally bleak even though short-term prospects do not look good, and guns give them a very basic feeling of power, as guns reassure someone feeling vulnerable that no one can push them around anymore.

Obama's mistake was not in telling an untruth but in telling what is an unflattering truth with regard to the voters Obama is interested in, and politicians tell unflattering truths at their peril. posted 04/15/2008 at 10:50:42

Obama Would "Immediately Review" Potential Of Crimes In Bush White House

Okay, not it is Hillary's turn. This is a big issue that I have been waiting for the candidates to address. Let us see how Hillary addresses this issue. Will she claim that Obama's concern with Bush administration illegalities proves Obama is "out of touch?" posted 04/15/2008 at 11:36:20

Rep. Geoff Davis On Obama: "That Boy" Could Not Be Commander-In-Chief

I guess it does not need to be said that Mr. Geoff Davis's name sounds awfully like the name of the president of the Confederacy, one Jeff Davis. I wonder whether that is what his parents had in mind? Hmmm...

As for Reverend Wright, he certainly would be fully justified in saying "GD Geoff Davis and the America that he represents!" posted 04/16/2008 at 10:18:43

A Republican told the truth? When? Where? Quick, record it, because we need to save this for posterity! Otherwise people will never believe it. posted 04/16/2008 at 10:15:50

Clinton Heckled, Obama Cheered Over 'Bitter' Remarks

Hillary was originally going to say that Obama's remarks prove he is "uppity," but then her advisors got her to change it to "elitist." posted 04/14/2008 at 16:15:57

John McCain Should Go on Vacation, Hillary Clinton is Doing His Job for Him

Last year Hillary had zero chance to win the general, today she has zero chance to win the general, and in the fall she will have zero chance to win the general. She is not a Democrat, but is a DLC-ican and always has been, i.e. Republican-lite, and voters have shown repeatedly that the only Republican-lite they ever preferred to a real Republican was Bill. If Hillary does somehow manage to pull this nomination off, I not only will vote for Nader, but I will cheer when McCain wins, knowing that he will bring about an economic collapse, with the hope that we can rebuild from the ashes. That slim hope will be all we will have left. posted 04/14/2008 at 16:28:17

Thomas Frank On Obama: Not That Controversial

Obama is trying to tell the potential customers at the political carnival that they should not fall for the snake oil salesmen and other carnival barkers who have been treating them as suckers. Then Clinton and McCain bark out that Obama is talking down to the customers and insulting them, and they should keep on buying all the snake oil they need. posted 04/15/2008 at 12:05:16

Clinton Becomes A Gun Lover

People should not question Hillary's experience as a hunter. I have heard that virtually every time Mitt Romney when hunting, he took Hillary with him. posted 04/14/2008 at 13:22:59

Cindy McCain Responds To Vicki Iseman Allegations: "I Knew The Truth"

In the modern era, with the corporate media on the same team as the Republican politicians, i.e. the Wall Street-Business Roundtable-Chamber of Commerce team, even the wives of Republican politicians know that it is not wrong if a Republican politician does it. I think Vitter's wife has forgiven him just as McCain's wife has managed to block all his indiscretions out of her mind. Except for the one Times piece, the corporate media has ignored this story as it is too busy figuring out ways to turn certain "shortcomings" of Democrats into glaring weaknesses, e.g. ineptitude at that all-important sport of bowling or loyalty to preachers who let their passion get the best of them on occasion. posted 04/11/2008 at 10:50:59

Misogyny, Momism and Militarism

There are thousands and thousands of brilliant and admirable women, and thousands and thousands of brilliant and admirable men, but do not look for them in the political arena! The corporate media long ago perfected the practice of kneecapping any brilliant man or woman who truly wanted to help the great majority of people. All we are going to get are mediocre waterboys and watergirls for the Business Roundtable, the Chamber of Commerce, AIPAC, and the military-industrial complex.

Of course both Hillary and Obama were brilliant in their younger years, but as they have become servants of the powers that be, they have become poor imitations of their younger selves. And since Hillary has been genuflecting and fetching longer, she has fallen farther, and is the more sold out and more compromised of the two. So I would choose Obama. posted 04/10/2008 at 16:28:24

Bush: General Petraeus "Will Have All The Time He Needs"

No, we can't ask sacrifices from the rich! They create jobs, except when they don't. They grow our economy, except when they don't. They are our role models, except when they aren't. They pick our presidents, except... well, I guess I have run out of excepts. posted 04/10/2008 at 15:29:53

Why America Won't Boycott the Olympics

Absolutely right. And what really sickens me is that the ghouls of the military-industrial complex must be laughing with glee as liberals help them further demonize China. Oh yes, that is all the ghouls need, to ramp up hatred and fear of China so that they can propose even more insane military budgets and can support the invasions and bombings of even more countries. I wish some of the protestors would reacquaint themselves with the old term "useful idiot." posted 04/10/2008 at 10:28:40

Obama's Dukakis Moment: Bowling Blunders Matter

McCain would want a cuss off. He knows he has few peers there, especially since Dick Cheney would not be participating. posted 04/10/2008 at 11:14:38

New Book: McCain Once Physically Attacked Fellow Congressman

Republicans do hatchet jobs on Democrats and they not only get away with it, but win because of it. The only way to stop hatchet jobs is for Democrats to give Republicans a taste of their own medicine until they are willing to call a truce. posted 04/08/2008 at 15:37:10

Tibet, The French, & The Rights of Man

Before the Chinese invaded, Tibet was a feudal theocracy, where the great majority of the people were serfs who were forced to serve large landowners. Some of the biggest landowners were wealthy monks, and the Dalai Lama was at the top of the pyramid. Young boys among the serfs were often forced to join monasteries, where some of them became sex slaves of elite monks.

The Dalai Lamas were typically chosen at birth, through the use of arbitrary signs (e.g. crows cawing on the roof of a newborn), by the leading monks after the previous Dalai Lama passed away. The main purpose of having a Dalai Lama appears to have been to convince all the commoners and serfs that the regime was divine and so they had no right to oppose it.

The military industrial complex has been promoting China as "The Enemy" since the demise of the Soviet Union, as some great enemy is necessary to justify spending more on weaponry than the rest of the world put together. Osama bin Laden has done his best to earn that title, but too many people protest that such armaments are unnecessary to counter a small group of fanatics armed with only boxcutters and words. Given the long relationship between the Dalai Lama and the CIA, some might even call the protestors "unwitting tools." posted 04/09/2008 at 09:25:39

Clinton Wants Bush To Boycott Olympic Opening Ceremonies

Exactly. How on earth is a US leader like Mr. Bush, who started an unnecessary war that has led to the death of hundreds of thousands, and which almost everyone on the planet knows was motivated by oil, supposed to take the moral high ground with China? What on earth? And Hillary, who supported the invasion, is not in a significantly better position. Just shut up, Hillary. Gosh. posted 04/07/2008 at 17:12:23

Obama: No Need For Foreign Policy Help From V.P.

Actually, I want a "cocky" president who is willing to stand up to all the miscreants who run Wall Street and the military industrial complex, as well as their co-conspirators in Congress. Geez, we have had seven years of an idiot who is so afraid of his masters (though he may act "cocky" when he is addressing the rest of us, "the little people") on Wall Street that he cannot even begin to try to tame them. posted 04/07/2008 at 13:05:10

Whigs, Dodos, The Democratic Party?: The Last Chance

Good post. And as some have mentioned, Pelosi is almost as toxic to progressives as Clinton is. How come Pelosi is so upset about Chinese abuses and seems completely oblivious to abuses by her own government? While she complains vehemently about the Chinese murdering a few hundred, she looks the other way while her own government murders hundreds of thousands. She is obsessed with her new bff Dalai Lama and totally ignores what she should be focused on -- the Bush/Cheney cabal's determination to destroy our country and trash our constitution. posted 04/07/2008 at 09:52:49

Just Because They Can

Good post. I would add that it is of course pleasurable to take in the positive feedback for oneself and painful to consider contrary information. So it is impossible for anyone to be objective about themselves and unless someone with power has the benefit of consistent objective or contrary input, such as the returning conquerors in Rome who had the slave accompany them in their parade to continually whisper "All glory is fleeting," hubris and overreaching become inevitable. So the most deluded and dangerous leaders are the most insulated ones, who are protected from objective and contrary input, and boy do we have a good example to remind us of that everyday! posted 04/07/2008 at 10:45:38

What's Clinton's Story?

It seems that almost everyone forgets that Hillary Clinton has never proved herself as a politician and is in way over her head. She was given a Senate nomination by the Democratic Party, and lucked into having an incredibly weak Republican opponent, twice, in a heavily Democratic state. Now, running for the presidency, in spite of having a seasoned politician as a husband and being surrounded by poltical pros, she cannot hide the fact that she is still an amateur.

She started off having 30 percent of the Democratic primary voters committed to her because of her gender. These voters judge her the way they would their own mother or their own daughter, and give her every benefit of the doubt. And once Edwards and the other Dems dropped out and Obama was her only remaining opponent, Hillary was able to add more voters from the remaining racists in the Democratic Party.

Hillary has shown no ability to draw voters who are not committed to her because of her gender or her race. That does not mean she is not bright or even that she is not a good human being. Few people are natural politicians, as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are. And it is about time she figured out she is one of the many like the rest of us, not one of those few. posted 04/02/2008 at 10:33:07

What's Happened to the Great American Century?

I have spent some time in China and it was obvious, at least to me, why so many of the urban Chinese kids performed well in school. It was not that China spent more on kids, or had small class sizes, or even had fantastic teachers. It was that most Chinese kids were not nearly as distracted by video games, television, sex, drugs, and rock and roll and other modern forms of music, though all that is beginning to change.

My wife and I have an 11 year-old son in the sixth grade who performs well in all subjects and even performs at a highschool level in math. And that is primarily because, so far, we have kept him from becoming distracted. We know we are swimming upstream, however, given current US culture, and we do not know how much longer we can protect him, especially in a culture where protecting children is considered by many to be inappropriate. But with the government making little effort to protect children from harmful or distracting influences, the parents are all that the kids have standing between them and a future filled with failure and sorrow. And if it is both easy and politically correct to stand aside and offer one's children up to those who may profit from corrupting them, not many parents are going to stand in the way.

And that is my politically incorrect opinion. posted 04/02/2008 at 16:53:24

Feingold Calls Out Intel Chief For Saying Dems Want To Imprison Bush

It was just a simple case of projection. McConnell was thinking that Bush should be impeached and go to jail and so he somehow got confused and associated those thoughts with the Senate debate. That's all. posted 04/01/2008 at 14:55:34

Clinton Compares Herself To Rocky Balboa: We "Have A Lot In Common"

She is right. Like the movie "Rocky," she has designed her message to appeal to the low-brow element of the electorate, just like Bush and Cheney. posted 04/01/2008 at 15:37:09

Clinton Says Obama Wants to Stop Votes

To Hillary the only thing more important than allowing all the Democrats to vote is to allow the superdelegates to overrule all those votes.

She apparently thinks that casting a vote is the important thing, and it does not actually matter whether that vote counts. From her perspective the hoi polloi is placated that way and they think they have a role to play and it is important for "democracy" that people who are not important think that they are important. Silly hoi polloi. posted 04/01/2008 at 09:44:50

Clinton: Stick It Out or Withdraw?

I had thought that Mitt Romney was the supreme egoist among the 2008 presidential candidates, but even he withdrew for the good of his party when his chances dipped below five percent. I guess Mitt is more of a team player than Hillary is. I could never have predicted that before this year began. posted 03/31/2008 at 12:02:07

Time Mag Cover: "How Al Gore Could Save The Democrats"

Brilliant namecalling. It is inspiring to come across deep thinkers like you. I guess you have plenty of time to think up pejorative names because you obviously do not spend much time reading about politics and current events, and certainly not about all the Clinton machinations that reveal her Machiavellian streak and lack of concern for the Democratic Party or the nation. posted 03/27/2008 at 11:49:07

It is ludicrous to suggest that Gore would consider Hillary as a VP. Gore knows the Clintons, and so he knows that Hillary would only take a VP slot with the goal of undermining the president, e.g. secretly helping the Republicans frame him and impeach him so she could become president. posted 03/27/2008 at 11:13:12

A Misunderstanding on Iraq

I think Ms. Vanden Heuval missed the most important flaw in the Klein-Scahill piece. Clinton is not a serious alternative for anti-war voters and they should know that. Back when the field was more crowded, it made sense for anti-war groups to pressure the candidates to adopt their positions. But now virtually everyone knows that Obama is the least bad option and certainly Obama knows that anti-war voters have no other viable alternative, other than casting a protest vote for Nader that may end up electing McCain.

It just strains credibility to claim that Hillary, the candidate who supported the Iraq armed robbery, who supports the use of cluster bombs and landmines that kill children, and who did her best to authorize Bush to bomb Iran, remains an alternative for the anti-war movement. posted 03/27/2008 at 11:00:08

Breaking: Condi Rice Flirts With VP Possibility -- Speaks to Grover Norquist's Wednesday Group Meeting

Choosing Condi as VP would be a poor tactical move on McCain's part. I, for one, believe the Republicans are just blowing smoke. If Obama is the Dem nominee, the Republicans will depend on the racist vote, and they would lose much of it with Condi as VP. But by talking about Condi as a possible VP, the Republicans are hoping to attract as much anti-racist vote as they can and reassure the independent non-racists that they have no intention of playing the race card (even though they have every intention). They are walking a tightrope, though it probably is not too dangerous because they can always count on the corporate media to catch them if they fall. posted 03/26/2008 at 11:25:20

Hillary's Diversionary Tactic Is Feeding The GOP Noise Machine

Hillary, in focusing on the Reverend Wright controversy and engaging in typical underhanded politics, has made the decision to throw African-American voters under the bus along with Obama. She is not getting many AA voters anyway, so she figures they are expendable. The problem is that this strategy reaches a dead end in the general election as she cannot possibly win in the Fall without AA voters. Not only that, by depressing the potential AA turnout in the Fall, she harms the entire Democratic Party and makes it possible for the Republicans to retake Congress, something that seemed impossible a short while ago.

As some have suggested, she may be thinking that even if she fails to get the nomination in 2008, her tactics are setting her up as the favorite in 2012. But since she will have likely alienated the AA voters for a long time to come, it seems probable that what's left of the Democratic Party's elected officials and bigwigs will have to, for survival, support the non-Hillary candidate in 2012.

Her suicidal/fratricidal attacks make absolutely no sense in the short term or the long term. She is just thrashing about in uncontrolled fury as she cannot accept the inevitable bitter end to her lifelong dream. posted 03/26/2008 at 10:09:05

Barack Obama on the U.S. Constitution

Does Hoagland recognize that historical analyses and constitutional analyses are open-ended? There are no limits to the possible depth and complexity. Obama, as a politician, must pick some level of depth and complexity at which he can talk to the public and secure their support. He chose a level much deeper and complex than what has been common for politicians going back to WWII. That does not mean he cannot choose a deeper or more nuanced level or that he should (when he taught law, he most likely did, but that was a far different audience), or even that no politicians in history have sought to communicate at a more advanced level.

I was not impressed so much by the sophistication of the speech (it was not that sophisticated or on that deep of a level), but by how it was crafted to connect to a wide audience on a non-trivial level. posted 03/25/2008 at 12:41:39

I believe S1mon had a much better point that you want to give him credit for. I think almost all attorneys in the US, and most non-attorneys, understand the basic idea of strict constructionism (sc). However, the right applies the label sc to any decisions that support the right's position. Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Co. (USSC 1886), which determined that corporations had the rights of persons, Dodge v. Ford Motor Company (Mich. 1919), with reasoning that was adopted throughout the country and which ruled that CEOs must always put the bottom line first, and Buckley v. Valeo (USSC 1976), equating money with speech, are decisions (like many others) that the right would never claim violate sc, though they appear, especially Santa Clara County, to be made from whole cloth. posted 03/25/2008 at 12:12:36

Jesus for President, a Book Review for Atheists; Part 1, What is Shane Claiborne?

As long as Christianity was used as a club against communism and socialism, it had the full support of the corporatists. And when it continued to be used by the corporatists after the fall of the Soviet Union in order to consolidate control, it was completely safe. But once Christianity becomes more of a threat than an aid to corporatism, don't worry, the corporatists will shut it down so fast it will make your head spin. posted 03/25/2008 at 10:07:38

Economics -- and Life -- In a Post-Fact World

The passage provided a fascinating and very disturbing implication that Orwellian governments would find fertile ground in societies where the technology is so advanced that it is indistinguishable from magic for the great majority of the inhabitants. That means that the great majority would have no idea what is really going on and so there would be no limit to spin and manipulation, which of course the elites would find useful with regard to elections.

And the pervasiveness and influence of religion in US society cannot be helpful in limiting the level of magical thinking.
posted 03/24/2008 at 10:00:57

Fans of this user

carlz
ECJLA

Log in to become a fan of this user.

Fan of

This user isn't a fan of anybody yet!

Bloggers I Like