Inspire Political Discourse

John McCain Loves the US Chamber of Commerce

Did John McCain used to be a decent man, or was he always just a sleezy politician doing and saying what would get him re-elected? I vote for option no. 2. Via Think Progress:

Today, while the Senate continued to debate Wall Street reform, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) ventured south of the Capitol to a fundraiser hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Years ago, when McCain still considered himself a “maverick,” McCain and the Chamber clashed bitterly as McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts and pushed for campaign finance reform to rein in corporate power over elections.

ThinkProgress approached McCain as he walked to the fundraiser from his car. Asked if he supports new campaign finance reforms, McCain said no, and said that Rep. Chris Van Hollen’s (D-MD) bill does not include disclosure requirements for unions. In fact, the DISCLOSE Act would force ads funded by unions to reveal the same information as ads funded by corporations. Asked why he was attending a fundraiser hosted by the organization that helped kill his own campaign finance reforms, McCain flashed ThinkProgress a thumbs up and yelled that he “love[s] the Chamber of Commerce”:

The perils of selling yourself to the highest bidder.

Rodney Glassman Democratic Challenger to John McCain (or Hayworth)

A real possibility for a Democratic challenger to McCain or Hayworth, whichever one wins the primary. This guy has the creds. Via Sam Stein:

Glassman's personal story, meanwhile, is an almost absurdly weaved-together set of impressive jobs and achievements that make him all the more compelling. In an interview several months ago with the Huffington Post, he promoted himself as having grown up as a "nice Jewish boy in a Scout troop chartered by the Mormon church."

He hails from California but came to Arizona in 1997. At the age of 23, Glassman started his own non-profit group called the Glassman Foundation, which did charitable work throughout southern Arizona. He volunteered for Grijalva's congressional campaign in 2002, after which he went to D.C. to be part of the congressman's legislative staff.

His time in D.C. was limited, as he went back to Arizona to get his PhD in Arid Land resources at the University of Arizona's college of agriculture. But he kept one foot in politics, holding on to his formal duties on the congressman's staff. As if that wasn't enough for his plate, Glassman than pursued a law degree at UofA, during which a spot on the Tucson City Council opened up. Persuaded to run for the post, he left Girjalva's office and announced his candidacy. That was 2006, his second year of law school.

The actual election took place in 2007 and his admission to the Arizona Bar took place in May 2008. Still, apparently, not internally satisfied, he decided to join the Air Force to become a JAG -- a challenge in its own right, but made even harder by the fact that officials told him he had to lose 60 pounds to qualify. He did it. In six months.

It was during JAG training, Glassman says, that he first was approached about the idea of running for the Senate in 2010. A listening tour followed, during which Glassman took only $20 donations for an exploratory committee. In between, he got married. And on Tuesday, he decided he would officially run for the seat held by an Arizona icon.

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Noting Republican Hypocrisy

The story, via Talking Points Memo:

The White House has just announced that President Obama has made fifteen recess appointments, including several for hot-button nominees. These are appointees Republicans refused to allow votes on and for which the president's supporters have been pressing for recess appointees.

Notable on the list are Craig Becker to NLRB and Chai Feldblum to EEOC.

The Republican rage and hypocrisy, via HuffPost:

President Obama's decision to bypass the vacationing Senate and directly appoint 15 nominees has produced some expected cries of outrage from Republicans.

An overview of GOP obstruction of Obama administration appointments via Think Progress:

Senate Republicans have used parliamentary tactics to hold up the confirmation of critical administration nominees to an unprecedented degree. Yesterday, Obama warned that “if the Senate does not act,” he would be forced to make recess appointments to fill critical jobs, because “we cannot allow politics to stand in the way of a well-functioning government.”

IPD Political News Summary: Monday, April 13, 2009

Political News Summary: Friday, April 10 – Sunday, April 12, 2009

| The hostage crisis near the Somali coast was resolved on Sunday, when Navy Seals engaged in a brief firefight with the pirates, killing 3  of them, and wounding one. The hostage, Captain Richard Phillips, has been rescued, and is not injured. Thanks to President Obama who managed the crisis, and to the Navy Seals who accomplished it. It is so nice to have an adult once again in charge.  AP article:

[Unlike Bush] “Obama didn't go before the cameras Sunday to trumpet the success, instead releasing a written statement that saluted the bravery of the military and Phillips but claimed no credit for himself.”

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| The “teabagging” insanity continues, generating massive sales in related merchandise, and demagoguery: Tea Party Insanity: "Burn The Books!" (VIDEO)

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| Mayor Bloomberg will seek re-election to a third term this fall by running as a Republican.

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| First she was for it, then she was against it. Last Tuesday, Texas lawmaker, State Rep. Betty Brown (R), set herself up for an enormous amount of criticism when she said that Asian-Americans should change their names because they’re too hard to pronounce:

“Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese — I understand it’s a rather difficult language — do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?” source

She was called upon to apologize or to resign, and up until a couple of days ago, she resisted either course of action, . Her spokesman suggested that Democrats “want this to just be about race.”. Ahem.
Brown finally issued an apology, saying that “the remark came during a conversation on the difficulty of translating names and that she was referring to transliteration issues when she asked a representative of the Organization of Chinese Americans whether Asian-Americans could adopt names that "we could deal with more readily here."”

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| Certain news organizations have intentionally mischaracterized President Obama’s stance on supplemental spending bills having to do with the Iraq War, claiming that his war funding request is the same type of supplemental war spending that he [Obama] opposed during the Bush administration. In point of fact, in 2007, when Obama opposed those spending bills, he made the statement then that he opposed them because they contained NO timeline for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. source
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| John McCain’s former economic adviser, and ex-CBO director, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, flipped re his stance on the Bush tax cuts. Throughout the presidential campaign, not only was Eakin very vocally in favor of McCain’s plan to retain the Bush tax cuts, he wanted to double these cuts for the very wealthy. He has now said that he believes the tax cuts should be allowed to expire in 2010 for fear of a fiscal meltdown, and rising deficits. Said Holtz-Eakin:

"If you ask: 'Who pays the taxes?', it's the first step toward not having the answer be: 'Our kids.”

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| MEDIA MATTERS log, April 13 - April 19, 2009

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IPD Political News Summary: Monday, April 6, 2009

Friday, April 3 – Sunday, April 5, 2009

| For 18 years, in a practice begun by George H.W. Bush, the government has banned the media from providing coverage of returning war dead.
At President Obama’s request, the Pentagon has now lifted the ban, although permission from the service member’s family is required. “The arrival of the remains of Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, a 30-year-old supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, at Dover Air Force Base at 11 p.m. today [ipd note: Sunday, Apr. 5] marked the first time that the transfer of any of the nearly 5,000 U.S. troops who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan was open to the media. The transfer of the flag-draped casket was carried out with great dignity, for the seven family members present.” source
AP/Reuters photo
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ABC News Vs. Sarah Palin-the-Not-a-Fiscal-Conservative

Sarah Palin continually amazes me. You would think, as a long time political operative, she would understand that responding to well-deserved bad press will only draw more attention to it. And yet......Palin still does so, this time, she took on ABC News, or more specifically, Jake Tapper at ABC News.

Tapper is a conservative who can be counted upon to point out conservative and liberal faults, and thus is that exceedingly rare reporter, the one who struggles to report in an unbiased manner.

Last Thursday, Tapper invoked a hissy fit from Palin when he posted the following article on his blog, Political Punch(bolding is mine):

Palin's Back to Lovin' Her Some Earmarks

March 12, 2009 9:55 PM

Not only are earmarks a bipartisan affliction, but the double-talk and hypocrisy surrounding them are as well.

After spending sigificant time and airspace bashing the earmark process as the running mate of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin requested an unspecified number of earmarks in the omnibus spending bill, Jonathan Stein and David Corn report at Mother Jones.

One hundred earmarks worth $144 million are headed for Alaska, Taxpayers for Common Sense says. That works out to $209.71 per state resident -- more money, per capita, than any other state.

"We have drastically, drastically reduced our earmark request since I came into office," Palin told ABC News' Charles Gibson last year after he pointed out that Alaska received $231 per person in earmarks in 2008.

"The abuse of earmarks, it's un-American, it's undemocratic, and it's not going to be accepted in a McCain-Palin administration," she said. "Earmark abuse will stop."

Palin went on to call it "an embarrassment that abuse of the . . . earmark process has been accepted in Congress. And that's what John McCain has fought. And that's what I joined him in fighting."

Palin then made the egregious error of contacting ABC News to complain, and in return, she got this from Tapper(bolding is mine):

Alarmed, I asked McAllister how Palin was "literally" injured. Was she okay? Was she infirm?
"I didn't say physically injured," he wrote back. "Certainly her reputation was injured by the erroneous reporting."
Ah.
In any case, the point is, Gov. Palin as a vice presidential candidate claimed that she "championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending of Congress."
And yet, she has asked for and is still asking for -- and receiving -- tens of millions of dollars in earmarks -- pork barrel spending that does not go through the normal appropriations process.
Including, you might be interested to know, moneys for alcohol bootlegging interdiction and North Pacific fisheries programs.
Her former running mate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., requests no earmarks.
That's a fiscally conservative position.
We've never hesitated to point out political mixed messages, on earmarks or other subjects, whether they come from Democrats such as President Obama (read HERE or watch HERE) or Republicans such as Gov. Palin.
We will continue to do so.
Have a great weekend, everybody.

Be sure to read the entirety of Tapper's response which details the letter received from lt. gov Bill McAllister---very amusing.

And just think, had she not responded, it would not have required a public response by Tapper, nor would it have landed on The Huffington Post, or many, many liberal blogs, including this one.

A comment posted on Huffpost:

What is so offensive about the process is the abject hypocrisy of those who piously claim no association with or opposition to earmarks but seek and/or take the money anyway.
You paying attention Sarah? You've got our attention, unfortunately, and in return we're keeping score. Sound like a good deal?

Brilliant move, Palin.

Finally, Palin on earmarks in September 2008:

PS....note to Jake --- DAMN IT! Now Palin is going to start ranting again about "bloggers sitting in their parent's basement in their pajamas". Just sayin'......

Image courtesy of The Huffington Post.
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McCain to Help Obama Get a Line-Item Veto

:: McCain, angry at all the pork in the omnibus budget (from the last/110th Congress), blasted President Obama for deciding to sign the spending bill.

"The measure has over 9,000 unnecessarily and wasteful earmarks. So much for the promise of change," McCain said. "What are we doing here? Not only business as usual; an outrageous insult to the American people."

Within a few hours, McCain did an about face, and said that he would reintroduce legislation to give the president a line-item veto right, in order to enable him to go after wasteful spending.

On Tuesday, McCain, along with Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), announced that he would reintroduce legislation to provide the president with a line-item veto to target wasteful spending. This came just one week after the president's press secretary, Robert Gibbs, told reporters that Obama would "love to take [a line-item veto] for a test drive."

Had McCain deliberately greased the legislative wheels to give the president the tool he desired? Or was he simply acting on a long-held view about how best to combat wasteful spending? The Senator's office did not immediately say whether they had talked to the White House about the measure.

READ MORE HERE.
AP photo.
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IPD Random Politics Weekly - February 1, 2009

Cartoon by Dan Wasserman

 

Where's the loyalty? Phil Gingrey, in his short-lived blast @ Rush Limbaugh, thoroughly emasculated in front of the world. The two GOP tools he was defending, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, watched without lifting the proverbial finger. Gingrey is forced to apologize to Limbaugh. McConnell and Boehner are completely pathetic asses. [H/T Jason Linkins]

Johnny and Rush -  John McCain, who has long loved to call himself bipartisan, and sure as hell shoved it down our throats falsely when campaigning, stands up for NO. 1 GOP partisan, Rush Limbaugh in his assholishness towards President Obama.
McCain.YOU.SUCK. Limbaugh.YOU.SUCK.MORE.

The Dems and the business tax cuts -  Give it up. The partisan Repugs are not holding out a vote, they are holding out forked, sharp sticks. Take the damn business tax cuts back out, and tell 'em to screw themselves. We have a freaking majority. Use that power. Repugs = IRRELEVANT.

President Obama, and the 111th Congress -  Wall Street needs to understand that they can not take taxpayer money and then proceed to do business as freaking usual. Make them take back those bonuses and put someone in place to monitor their every idiotic move. You owe it to us. The American taxpayers. Really. DO. IT. 2012 is approaching.

That's it for this week, unless you have something to add via a comment.

Take it to the People

Never mind the damn Republican obstructers, and the Blue Dog Democrats. Screw 'em. They wish to play politics when this country is in deeply serious trouble, tell 'em to take their balls and go home, because they aren't working for the people who not only voted them in to office, but pay their freaking salaries!.Take it to the people, Obama!

That really is all you need to do.

UPDATE - Jan. 26 - One of the "eggers-on" of the obstructionists, Bill Kristol, seemingly lost his position as a columnist at the NYT. For further info, read Jason Linkins on the HuffPost, and to view Kristol's last, pathetic lying column, click here. So long, Billy, we will not miss ya. In my collage below, Kristol is Old Neocon No.3.

UPDATE - Jan. 26 - Nobel prize winning economist, Paul Krugman weighs in. Bolding is mine. From the Int. Herald Tribune (NYT global):

As the debate over President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan gets under way, one thing is certain: Many of the plan's opponents aren't arguing in good faith. Conservatives really, really don't want to see a second New Deal, and they certainly don't want to see government activism vindicated. So they are reaching for any stick they can find with which to beat proposals for increased government spending.

 

Weekend Political News Summary: January 24-25, 2009

:: SURPRISE....No comprehensive case files on many Guantanamo detainees. From the Washington Post:

President Obama's plans to expeditiously determine the fates of about 245 terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and quickly close the military prison there were set back last week when incoming legal and national security officials -- barred until the inauguration from examining classified material on the detainees -- discovered that there were no comprehensive case files on many of them.

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:: Palin aides being charged with new ethics violations. From HUFFPOST:

In her current complaint against McAllister, McLeod sites a series of activities that she contends violate Alaska's "Executive Branch Code of Ethics," which prohibits public officials from using or authorizing "the use of state funds, facilities, equipment, services, or another government asset or resource for partisan political purposes."

"These campaign activities have absolutely nothing to do with the public's business, and everything to do with promoting Palin's personal endeavors and political aspirations," McLeod declared in an exclusive interview. "This must not go unchallenged."

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:: According to the complete dick, Rush Limbaugh, Republicans should be against the stimulus plan because it could hurt their electoral chances. Politics as usual. From Think Progress:

Journey to the Inauguration of Barack Obama

Prior to November 4, I had been filled with nerves and trepidation regarding the future of this country. I had, for the most part, ignored politics for years, especially after the 2000 election as I believed and still believe, that the Republican machine intentionally and knowingly, stole it from the Democrats.

Then, I woke up. Sarah Palin was on a stage with John McCain, and she set off every alarm in my being. From the first minute that I saw her and listened to her speak, I understood that she was a phony, a straw man set up by McCain to lure the disappointed Hillary supporters.

That's when I began political blogging, and I turned my support from Hillary to Obama, as with McCain's nomination of Sarah Palin, I finally understood that John McCain was not just a poor second to Hillary, but that he was nothing more than a scared, egotistical little man who would sell out his country for a chance at the power of the presidency, and I knew that we must defeat him for ourselves, our children, and our country.

The Right Wing Stuff That Seriously Annoyed Me This Past Week

The G.O.P. Economic Stimulus Plan

Wrapping themselves in their usual partisan rhetoric, the right-wing bloggers are fiercely deriding any GOP pol who dares to voice support for, or even just remain silent about, Obama's stimulus plan. An example, from Hot Air:

“Like the rest of America’s economic braintrust, he’s not sure it’ll work at all. The furthest he’ll go is to say he’s “confident” it’ll “save or create” three million jobs; if you’re wondering what that means in real terms, just pick the number of jobs that you expect will be lost by 2010 and add three million to that. That’s how many we’ll be told would have been lost if this hadn’t passed. In fact, it’s his own pessimism that explains why he’s been so conciliatory towards the Blue Dogs and the GOP: It’s not about “changing the tone,” it’s about knowing that the ship’s going down and wanting Republicans on deck with him so that they don’t capitalize in the midterms. For reasons that escape me, the GOP’s evidently going to play along even though they’re powerless to stop the stimulus anyway. Maybe McConnell realized that opposing it is now semi-officially unpatriotic.”

And from Michelle Malkin:

Political News - Weekend Update - Saturday-Sunday, December 13-14, 2008

:: Bush attacked with flying shoes by Iraqi reporter.

I've seen this story on numerous blogs for several hours now, and I didn't add it to the update because I couldn't make up my mind how I felt about it. It was just too weird. I was torn between thinking that this kind of thing should not be laughed at, and wanting to laugh because it just seemed so fitting for the end of W's failed presidency. The quote is from Matt Stewart on the Huffington Post. Re the weirdness, he said it better than I could.

It's a strange capstone to a presidency, one of those semi-absurd semi-scary incidents like the pretzel-choking, the back-shooting, the bike-crashing. Yet somehow those ten seconds seem to say everything about the man, about guts and intelligence, humor and luck, the dangerous world Bush has helped make worse. For what the world hopes to be the last time, we've watched the man do just enough to keep himself afloat.

Image from Huffpo.

Watch the video here.

:: The Shoe As A Campaign Metaphor - NPR

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:: The Hill Gossip Mill: Word is that Karl Rove will be leading the fight to oppose the nomination of Eric Holder as Attorney General.

The dissension loving Rove doing what Rove always does.

Ceci Connolly, national staff writer for the Washington Post, said as much on Sunday, when she passed on a bit of hill gossip in the waning moments of "The Chris Matthews Show."

"Word on the street is that Karl Rove is going to be helping lead the fight against Eric Holder when his nomination for Attorney General heads up to the Senate," she said.  HUFFPO

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A final tally from the RNC on Palin's campaign spending.

Politico reported today on the latest RNC expense reports, which show that in total, approximately $180,000 was spent on personal "accessories" for Palin and her family during the campaign.

What is of real note, is that recently, Palin has been telling a huge lie about the clothing purchased for her by the RNC, caught on tape in network interviews stating that she only wore those clothes for three days during the GOP convention. She really is one of the dimmest bulbs to happen upon the political scene in my lifetime.   

“Salons and spas, including $350 at Escape Skin Care and Day Spa in New York, were the latest unusual expenses to appear in the Republican National Committee’s coordinated expenses account with the McCain-Palin campaign, according to November reports released late Thursday.
Overall, the RNC has reported spending a total of about $180,000 for clothes and various accessories for the family of vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, Federal Election Commission records show.”  POLITICO

According to the NYT, the latest RNC report also reports additional $ paid to Palin stylists. In total, a whopping $110,000 was spent on Palin's stylist, for the stylist's work during a two-month period of time. Unbelievable.

“Ms. Palin’s makeup artist, Amy Strozzi — who was nominated for an Emmy award for her cosmetics work on the television show “So You Think You Can Dance?” — was paid $32,400 by Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign between Oct. 16 and Nov. 24, the period covered by the most recent reports filed with the commission.

This amount came on top of the $36,000 she had already been paid in previous reports, dating back to September.

In addition, Ms. Palin’s traveling hair stylist, Angela Lew, was paid a total of $42,225, with $23,400 coming during the period covered by the latest reports to the commission, which were due at midnight on Thursday.”

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>Palin and Rachel Maddow on Bloggers in Pajamas
>On Sarah Palin - Intolerance is Not a Quality to be Admired in Anyone, Much Less in a Public Servant
>More on the Sarah Palin Wardrobe Flap
>A Picture of the Real Sarah Palin Emerges and Yes, She is As Bad As We Thought She Was
>Newsweek Outs Sarah Palin Regarding Her Shopping Spree
>Senator Palin???

Political News Round-up, Monday, November 17, 2008

►Lieberman May Survive With Slap on the Wrist - Roll Call
According to Roll Call, Dem leaders are expected to allow Lieberman to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee but lose his chairmanship of the Environment and Public Works subcommittee.This amounts to nothing, not even a slap on the wrist, IMO. I really had hoped that they would kick him to the curb, as he so richly deserves.

►Palin is the first confirmed speaker for the 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) - Think Progress
Palin so loves the attention, she apparently plans to stay in the national spotlight, even in to 2009 OMG - *screams and pulls some more hair out*

►Obama interview with 60 Minutes - CBS
         - full video here
         - NYT on the interview
         - Huffpo on the interview
         - Politico on the interview

►Clinton in the vetting process - NYT
         - Huffpo on the vetting process
         - Politico - Bill vetting could cost Hillary her Cabinet post

►John McCain and Obama meet today - HuffPo
         - Pics and statement from meeting - HuffPo
         - Obama And McCain Talk Transition - The Washington Post
         - Obama Meets With McCain in Chicago - NYT

Note: There has been no update from Alaska on the count to determine which candidate has won the Senate seat. The Democrat, Begich, was at last tally on Friday, ahead of convicted felon, Senator Ted Stevens, by 1,000+ votes. We really, really want Begich to win, because if Stevens does, he will be ousted, and Palin will very likely take his place. Which would put her in a much better position for 2012. *throwing pennies in a fountain and muttering incantations*

The Changing Face of the G.O.P. as Infighting Rules - Part I

It's now verging on two weeks since we elected Barack Obama as our 44th president in an historic election.

The daily back and forth, engendered by the unique aspects of this particular election, is no more. And all of the excitement is gone with it.

But wait, the "eat each other" attitude of the GOP as they rehash their losses and lay the blame hither and yon, is quite entertaining, and worthy of a few good posts, at the least.

The infighting amongst members of the G.O.P. is not solely because they lost this election after eight long years of bad behavior, but rather, it is about an essential split in the Republican party, characterized by conservatives, genuine conservatives in the manner of Christopher T. Buckley and Christopher Hitchens, going blue, en masse, because of some very fundamental differences that were irresolvable.

Since then we have learned much about the changes occurring in the G.O.P., including the following:

>>Many of the wealthiest members of the G.O.P., a group that has always been solidly Republican, went blue in 2008, in a huge swing of 34%.

>>A large number of the most notable Republicans, or the Republican elite, publicly endorsed Barack Obama. Many others in this same group, kept silent, but did not endorse John McCain, while many others still, publicly criticized McCain, but did not publicly endorse Obama. One of these, former Michigan governor, William Milliken, has since publicly acknowledged that he voted for Barack Obama. Milliken had previously endorsed Senator McCain during the primaries.

>>The G.O.P lost to the Democrats in every region of the country by double digits except the South, where they won by less than double digits (9 pts). | Source

Part Two to follow in the next week or so.

RELATED - RECENT POST

>Solidarity With Prop 8 Protesters
>Obama Offers Clinton Cabinet Position as Secretary of State
>It's Been Confirmed That Hillary Clinton Met With Obama Yesterday - Will She be the New Secretary of State?
>Sarah Palin in Desperate Need of an English Class.....or Three
>Palin Still Matters
>Palin and Rachel Maddow on Bloggers in Pajamas
>Op-Ed: Prop 8 Unconstitutional

The Vet Who Didn't Vet

Okay, I know this is old (Oct 23), but I just found it, and it is just too good not to share. A hilarious video, Dr. Suess style. Maybe you've already viewed it, but if not, be sure to do so now --- it is truly great, and should receive an award for the best political video ever. Seriously. Well, okay, maybe not ever.....but close.

RECENT | RELATED POSTS

>More on the Sarah Palin Wardrobe Flap
>A Picture of the Real Sarah Palin Emerges and Yes, She is As Bad As We Thought She Was
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>Senator Palin???

OMFG Obama is a Stupid Lying Liberal Wingnut

 
“Wah wah wah....” That's the sound you are likely to hear these days when cruising the blogs owned by conservatives. And no, they aren't crying about the loss of the election. They are crying about how OMFG, Obama so fucking lied!

Yup. Obama lied. He still has not fucking given us that change he promised us. In point of fact, that change should have happened yesterday. After all, he has been the president elect for almost a whole damn week now!

And did ya hear, he might not be a US citizen because he fucking lied about that too. Stupid liberals are so gonna be sorry for getting him elected. Hey, we coulda had John McCain and Sarah Yummy---they would have had the damn job half done by now. I mean, look at how smart Palin is, and she can see Russia from her house. And hey, her spending sprees were good practice for governing, and Nicolle Wallace don't know nothing anyway.

Palin would let us teach fucking creationism in schools, as it should be. And school prayer would probably be allowed again. Damn, I so wish we had played the Wright card. The GOP is too fucking ethical is my opinion. That's one thing I am really gonna miss about ole W. He knew how to kick ass and ignore ethics, that boy did. 

Wha's that? Never mind the AIP --- what a bunch of crap that is. Who cares if Todd wants to secede from the Union, eh? He isn't gonna run the bloody country anyway.

Wha? No, I don't think Troopergate was a big fucking deal. I would of fired that guy too. Family has got to stick together, ya know?

Anyway, gotta go. The gun shop is 40 miles away, and I am GD determined to get there before it closes. Damn Obama is gonna try to take our guns away too. Stupid wingnut. I just hope he trys.

Obama With 364 Electoral Votes, Picks Up North Carolina and Indiana

ABC News announced this evening that President-elect Obama now has 364 electoral votes, Obama picked up the electoral votes from both North Carolina and Indiana today, bringing him to the 364 vote total.

The only state which has not been decided is Missouri - John McCain is slightly ahead there.

A Picture of the Real Sarah Palin Emerges and it's Worse Than We Knew

 
As more secrets about Sarah Palin begin to emerge, they paint a picture of a diva, more ignorant and self-absorbed than we had previously guessed or known.

Although reports out of Alaska early during her stint as John McCain's running mate claimed that she was a profligate spender (as in $50k to redecorate her office in Wasilla when she was the mayor), a woman who deals in cronyism (rewarding supporters, relatives, friends, and dealing harshly with critics), a religious wing-nut of the most scary kind (witches, beware, Palin & witchhunters), not much came close to the picture that has emerged in recent days.

As the McCain Campaign staffers have now been unleashed, the Palin bashing has grown, and is painting a highly unflattering picture of the woman who would be Evita.

According to Fox News, who spoke with campaign staffers, Palin:

• Not only did not know who NAFTA countries were, but could not understand that Africa is a continent and not a country.
• Could not name the countries in North America. 
• She refused help to prepare for her interview with Couric, and then blamed her staff for her failures, specifically Nicolle Wallace.
• After the Couric interview, she turned on campaign staff, throwing tantrums nasty enough (a daily occurrence after she viewed her press clippings) that she frequently reduced these veteran politicos to tears.
• She succeeding in getting at least one McCain staffer fired, McCain's senior foreign policy adviser, when he attacked other campaign staffers in defense of Palin a week before the election.

Watch the video clip from The O'Reilly Factor here.

And, as I reported earlier today, Newsweek's release of their Special Election Project 2008, provides us with some previously unknown details about the Palin wardrobe flap. Highlighting is mine.

NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin's shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family—clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent "tens of thousands" more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.

RELATED ARTICLES & POSTS:

>Newsweek Outs Sarah Palin Regarding Her Shopping Spree
>Senator Palin???
>Hey there, hey Sarah Palin! Do Real® Americans wear Valentino?>Looking for a Fiscal Conservative to Vote For? Sarah Palin is NOT a Fiscal Conservative