10/2/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"When a drug comes in from Canada, I wanna make sure it cures ya, not kill ya... I've got an obligation to make sure our government does everything we can to protect you. And one -- my worry is that it looks like it's from Canada, and it might be from a third world." --George W. Bush, second presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004

NYT Interview With A Somalian Pirate

In case you haven't heard, Somalian pirates have hijacked a Ukranian ship that has weapons on board and a crew of about twenty. The U.S. Navy has them surrounded. Amazingly, Jeffrey Gettleman was able to get an interview with one of the Somalian pirates. This interview is incredible. I have read it five times. The matter-of-fact tone of it seems unreal. There are no parsing of words here - just honest explanations of actions. Whether you agree with the actions or not, you have to appreciate the lack of spin. Here is a little bit:

Q. Are you going to sell the weapons to insurgents?A. No. We don’t want these weapons to go to anyone in Somalia. Somalia has suffered from many years of destruction because of all these weapons. We don’t want that suffering and chaos to continue. We are not going to offload the weapons. We just want the money.
Q. How much? A. $20 million, in cash. We don’t use any other system than cash.
Q. Will you negotiate?A. That’s deal making. Common sense says human beings can make deals.
Q. Right now, the American Navy has you surrounded. Are you scared?A. No, we’re not scared. We are prepared. We are not afraid because we know you only die once.
Q. Will you kill the hostages if attacked? A. Killing is not in our plans. We don’t want to do anything more than the hijacking.
Q. What will you do with the money?A. We will protect ourselves from hunger.

Couric Interview With Palin

So, I have come to a realization lately. The more Gov. Palin says, the more questions I have about her worldview. This final section of her interview with Katie Couric has baffled me. So, I'm gonna put my questions out there -not because I expect them to be answered but because, well, it might make me feel better. Kinda like therapy.

1) Palin considers herself to be a feminist. This answer actually surprised me. Maybe that makes me naive. If you are not supportive of equal pay for equal work, you are not a feminist. If you do not support a woman's right to choose which path to take with her pregnancy, you are not a feminist. If you think a rape victim or incest victim should have no choice but to deliver the baby and put it up for adoption, you are not a feminist.
2) Palin and McCain disagree on drilling in ANWR. She believes it should be drilled for oil, he is against it. Which one caved to form the ticket? Will Palin still talk about drilling there even though McCain disagrees. Will she declare McCain's position when asked about it? If they disagree about this policy detail, how do we know which one will prevail in the administration?
3) I appreciate that she feels it is not so important how global warming happened but that we need to fix it. I guess. I think it is easier to figure out how to fix something if you know what caused it to break, but whatever. Here is what bugs me the most about what she said-"I'm not going to solely blame all of man's activities on changes in climate." Um, what? Um, oookaaay.
Maybe she can get a redo of that sentence at the debate. I know I'm being picky here, but it bugged me.
4) I liked the specificity of Couric's question about abortion, but I still have questions. Palin states that she would choose life in the situation of a 15 year old rape victim who becomes impregnated but her attacker. She feels that the baby should be delivered and put up for adoption. What does that mean? Would she pick Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade or not? And if she is against jail time for women who have illegal abortions, what would the punishment be? Would the doctors be punished? What about the psychological and emotional effects on rape and incest victims forced to carry to term the effect of a violent act? Will there be help offered to cope with that or will they be left to deal with that on their own? And again, not to belabor the issue, but how is this a feminist approach?
5) Palin said that she is a proponent of contraception but she is against abortion and against the morning-after pill. Since she feels that life begins at conception, does she consider the morning-after pill a form of abortion?
6)Palin is the daughter of a former science teacher yet she thinks that man and dinosaurs walked around together starting about 6,000 years ago? How did that happen? I'm intrigued.
7) Palin has a best friend who is gay and she believes that is a choice. I'm glad she doesn't judge people because of their sexual orientation, but the fact that she thinks it is a choice really bugs me. If that were true, there would not be so many suicides and attempted suicides by gays. There would not be such a struggle for equality by gays. And, people like Brandon Teena, Matthew Shepard, and too many others would have chosen to be straight instead of tortured for being gay. This whole "homosexuality is a choice" theory is such crap. It makes me have questions regarding Palin's thoughts on domestic partnerships and civil unions and discrimination. I wish Couric would have asked a few follow up questions. Maybe Gwen Ifill will on Thursday night.
So, there you have it. I have more questions now than before the interview. These are just the ones about domestic policy. Don't get me started on national security, foreign policy, trade...

Rachel Maddow Interview On AfterEllen.com

This is an excellent interview by Julie Bolcer. Maddow answers questions on a variety of topics:

On her "Talk Me Down" segment: “I don’t get mad because somebody has a different perspective than me,” she explains. “I get mad at people who are screwing things up in the country, and screwing things up in the world. But if you disagree with me about even serious issues, and you’re willing to debate them with me in a civil way without being insulting, I’m going to enjoy that conversation.”

On her looks: “I feel like in terms of what I look like, I’m working in a very visual medium for the first time in my life, and I’m just sort of trying to get by in terms of the basic, the minimum that I need to do visually in order to be allowed to be on television,” she says. “And so I put on the suit, so that I can go on TV. I let the makeup ladies put makeup on me, which they do to their own satisfaction. I don’t pay much attention to it.”

On the importance of being out: “That’s the thing that we owe the people who came before us who are the pioneers, and that’s the thing we owe the next generation of gay people in terms of clearing the way and making life easier for them. I think that there is a moral imperative to be out, and I think that if you’re not out, you have to come to an ethical understanding with yourself why you are not."

Lately, there have been many articles and interviews with Maddow; however, this one is the first one I have seen in a long while that doesn't rehash the same information over and over again. Click on the post title to read in full.

To Be Or Not To Be... Specific?

Have you ever compared the campaign websites of John McCain and Barack Obama? Not the style or setup, but the issues pages. I have both opened right now because I thought it would be good to put some comparative position details out there. However, I have come across something rather fascinating: McCain does not mention specific details. No numbers or time frames or even positions really. A lot is mentioned about what he has voted on in the past and past legislation and current views on issues, but not actual plans for the future. It's actually quite stunning. For example:

John McCain's Higher Education Policy:Simplify Higher Education Tax Benefits The existing tax benefits are too complicated, and many eligible families don’t claim them. By simplifying the existing benefits, I can ensure that a greater number of families have a lower tax burden when they are helping to send their children to college.

Barack Obama's Higher Education Policy:Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit: Obama and Biden will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Recipients of the credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service.

Notice the difference? To be fair, McCain has a whole page to the specific topic of higher education with six subsections. However, not a single subsection has details or even a single number. Here's another example in education regarding teachers:

McCain:Quality Instruction
A primary objective is to ensure that every instructor in an early learning or care program has strong preparation with an emphasis on performance and outcomes as measured by student development. To attract quality instructors, efforts must be made to bring income parity to qualified instructors in these programs and their counterpart’s elementary school system. As President, Senator McCain will promote the replication of professional development programs with a proven record of preparing our children for kindergarten and encourage more research to determine what skills and training make the most difference for young children.As President, John McCain will require all federally supported preschool programs to offer a comprehensive approach to learning that covers all significant areas of school readiness, notably literacy/language development, as well as math readiness and key motor and social skills.

Obama:America's Teachers
Recruit Teachers: Obama and Biden will create new Teacher Service Scholarships that will cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education, including high-quality alternative programs for mid-career recruits in exchange for teaching for at least four years in a high-need field or location.
Prepare Teachers: Obama and Biden will require all schools of education to be accredited. Obama and Biden will also create a voluntary national performance assessment so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively. Obama and Biden will also create Teacher Residency Programs that will supply 30,000 exceptionally well-prepared recruits to high-need schools.

Is McCain afraid to commit to specifics? Or, does he just not have any? I know it's always easier to be generic, but this is ridiculous.

SNL: Palin/Couric Interview

Rachel Maddow's Rules For Debate Drinking Game

An expected 100 million people will watch tonight's presidential debate. Will you be one of them? Even your friends who are not interested in politics will enjoy it if you incorporate the drinking game!

NOTE: you can of course drink something non-alcoholic but if you do choose to go the booze route Rachel suggests beer or a half-strength high ball: one ounce of booze in an eight-ounce glass filled with ice and topped with seltzer.
drink once...
if mccain says:prison vietnam table chair
drink twice...
if mccain says "marie the flame of florida"
drink once if obama says...anything about protecting main street and not just wall street
drink once if either candidate...uses jim lehrer's first name in an answer
drink once if obama...uses the phrase mccain-bush or bush-mccain
drink once if mccain says...my friends
drink twice if...obama displays his most presidential ability -- being able to do two things at once -- by patting his head and rubbing his tummy at the same time
drink twice if...anyone says "first dude"
drink twice if...anyone's cellphone goes off and it's giuliani's wife calling
drink once if...obama references that in order to capture bin laden you have to go not to the gates of hell but rather to a country that rhymes with shmakisatan
drink everything in the house if...governor palin shows up in mccain's place
quit drinkin forever if...mccain declares war on someone new (iraq, afghanistan, russia and iran don't count since he's already done the deed with them)

PopMech: The Candidates' Infrastructure Plans

This is a short article about the differences between Obama and McCain's plans regarding infrastructure. Here is a short snippet under the topic of electric grids:

Backing clean coal and the seemingly inevitable tide of plug-in hybrids aren't exactly unique political choices, which might help explain the policy overlap. But drilling into the specifics of each campaign's energy infrastructure plans, the differences are clear. On the topic of electricity generation, McCain is making nuclear power a priority, with a stated goal of building 45 new plants by 2030. He hopes to eventually have 100 U.S.-based nuclear power plants to rival the number planned for Russia, India and China combined. Renewable generation sources, such as wind and solar, are generally supported by McCain, but his campaign has yet to lay out a detailed plan. Obama's proposal for boosting generation is, in many ways, the inverse of McCain's. Additional nuclear power will be considered, but the emphasis is on renewables. Obama's plan calls for renewables to supply 10 percent of the nation's power by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025. To fund that push for wind, solar and other alternative energy sources, Obama proposes investing $150 billion over 10 years.

The other topics are dams/levees and roads/bridges. For an incredible article about the details of transforming our infrastructure, check out this by Eric Lofge.

I have become a weird infrastructure geek over the past 14 months since the I35W Bridge collapse. I consider myself to be relatively smart but it honestly never occurred to me that bridges in America could do that. I remember what happened to some bridges after the Northridge earthquake in 1996, but that was a natural disaster. Bridges falling down had always seemed like something only in morbid songs for kids. I have written other link posts here , here and here about infrastructure if you are interested. Also, Intrepid Liberal Journal had a well-written piece I will link to again because it was that good.

9/26/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"There's only one person who hugs the mothers and the widows, the wives and the kids upon the death of their loved one. Others hug but having committed the troops, I've got an additional responsibility to hug and that's me and I know what it's like." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2002.

thismodernworld.com: New Slogan

CNN's Campbell Brown Declares Her Disgust With McCain Camp's Sexist Treatment Of Palin

9/24/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"Either we'll succeed, or we won't succeed. And the definition of success as I described is sectarian violence down. Success is not no violence." --George W. Bush, on Iraq, Washington, D.C., May 2, 2007

It's The Economy, And You're Stupid

When I was a kid and my mother told me to do something, there was only one explanation that she could give that would force me to not simply acquiesce. Only one explanation that would bring out my innate stubbornness and prove I was a true Taurus/Gemini cusp baby. That explanation was, "Because I said so." It's vacant of logic, vacant of reasoning, and most of all, vacant of thought. Now I can forgive my mother for the many occasions I received this answer, as I could very often be my father's son. However, I cannot forgive Secretary Paulson for giving this same answer when asked why this massive, years long, taxpayer-burdening bailout needs to occur, when there are so many people of the same understanding of economic intricacies and financial complexities stating that there are many other less drastic options. Is he trying to pull a fast one over on us? Does he truly not comprehend the financial crisis enough to think of an alternative solution? Either answer is scary considering we're speaking about the Secretary of the Treasury. One thing that is certain, whoever votes yes to this bailout better think long and hard about not only the consequences, but the alternatives. As Senator Dodd stated yesterday, "There are no second acts with this, so we better get it right."

NPR: Is The Taxpayer Getting A Bargain With Bailout?

Fresh Air, a program on NPR, interviews New York Times columnist Gretchen Morgenson about the bailout proposal. Morgenson brings up some excellent questions including 1) Will taxpayers get a bargain for the price to bailout banks when the companies have lobbyists trying to get the highest price and taxpayers don't have lobbyists to negotiate for the lowest price, and 2) Without oversight, why should we believe or trust the government now? Click on the post title to listen to this informative interview.

Sen. Bernie Sanders' Op-Ed About Bailout

The independent Senator of Vermont has some great ideas here. Here is just one of his "four basic principles" regarding the bailout:

(1) The people who can best afford to pay and the people who have benefited most from Bush’s economic policies are the people who should provide the funds for the bailout. It would be immoral to ask the middle class, the people whose standard of living has declined under Bush, to pay for this bailout while the rich, once again, avoid their responsibilities. Further, if the government is going to save companies from bankruptcy, the taxpayers of this country should be rewarded for assuming the risk by sharing in the gains that result from this government bailout.Specifically, to pay for the bailout, which is estimated to cost up to $1 trillion, the government should: a) Impose a five-year, 10 percent surtax on income over $1 million a year for couples and over $500,000 for single taxpayers. That would raise more than $300 billion in revenue; b) Ensure that assets purchased from banks are realistically discounted so companies are not rewarded for their risky behavior and taxpayers can recover the amount they paid for them; and c) Require that taxpayers receive equity stakes in the bailed-out companies so that the assumption of risk is rewarded when companies’ stock goes up.

Great ideas, huh? Let's hope some or all of these will be incorporated into the details of the upcoming plan.

FactCheck.org: Obama's Tax Plan

McCain ad misrepresents Obama's tax plan. FactCheck.org tells you the truth.

9/21/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"We actually misnamed the war on terror. It ought to be the Struggle Against Ideological Extremists Who Do Not Believe in Free Societies Who Happen to Use Terror as a Weapon to Try to Shake the Conscience of the Free World." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2004

Rachel Maddow: Cheney The Sequel

Protesters At Obama Rally

So, I am watching Sen. Obama right now give a speech in Florida. Everything is going as planned until about five minutes ago. As I am pouring a bowl of cereal, I hear the crowd getting really loud. I step into the living room to see what is going on and what I see is, well, confusing and interesting. About fifteen African-American men are chanting something and holding up signs. From what I can see, most of the signs have "KKK" in big, bold letters along with some other stuff I don't know. Needless to say, the "KKK" kind of got my attention.
Obama was cool about it. He told the guys that they can hold up their signs if they want but they should let him finish without the noise. I think that's pretty cool. Anyways, they were just escorted out and Obama told the hyped up, protective crowd that it was time to get back to work. Indeed it is.

Biden And Hillary Discuss Women's Issues

San Diego This Weekend

I just love this time of year! There is never a dull moment in this beautiful town. Since I am going out of town next weekend, I'm glad I get to experience so much in the next few days.

Street Scene: This annual music festival is a two-day event this year. The organizers have taken it out of the Qualcomm parking lot and put it back where it belongs - on the streets of downtown San Diego. The list of performers is so amazing: Beck, The Hives, TV on the Radio, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Devo, X...awesome! Click on the link for a full list of bands, maps, and ticket prices.

San Diego Festival of Beer: Another section of downtown San Diego will host this annual beer tasting event tonight. Over 100 beers to choose from with food, music, and more.

Soccer in the Sand: Tournament for kids and adults at West Mission Bay this Sunday. There will be a beer garden and it is free admission to watch.

San Diego Bayfair: Formerly known as the San Diego Thunderboat Regatta, this is a three-day event in Mission Bay featuring, well, really fast boats. I mean really, really fast. Click on the link for ticket information and videos. Pretty cool.

RNC Tries Voter Caging Process In Florida

(Sigh) Here we go again! They aren't even trying to hide it anymore. Pathetic.

Chris Matthews Vs. Rep. Eric Cantor

Happy Constitution Day!!

Get your knowledge on!

American Constitution Society: Ours is the world’s oldest written constitution still in effect, but how many U.S. citizens realize that or could name the date on which it was signed? Or, more importantly, why that’s significant? Every school child knows the date we declared our independence from the British. But while the Declaration of Independence gets a long July 4th weekend and fireworks, the Constitution has been absent from our national holiday calendar — consigned to mundane study in history or law classes rather than joyous celebrations.

ACLU Blog:One of the most important tasks facing the next President is how to reassert the commitment of the United States to the rule of law, including the constitutionally mandated obligations under international law. The new President will have a unique opportunity to send a clear message to the world regarding the reemergence of U.S. leadership through human rights protection and enforcement.

Shaijinx:And the 44% who believe there are some religions that shouldn't be practiced-what the hell is that about? Actually, that one has piqued my curiosity. Which religions are threatening? Do we need to start giving Quakers a hard time? Rough up a few hundred Humanists? Make sure the Buddhists know their place? Or, are they only concerned about the ones requiring specific forms of headgear?

Reform: Its Like Change, Only Opposite

Candidate McCain: "I'll veto every pork-barrelled laden earmark bill. I'll make them famous, you'll know their names!" House and Senate Republicans: "That's so cute!" Senator John McCain, once again, speaks of what he does not know. Pay special attention to the Executive Budget which needs earmarks in order to meet it's fiscal goals. While Senator McCain boasts of cutting government spending, President McCain, through both Congressional pressure and necessity, would greet earmarks with another one of his favorite boasts - "My friends!"

The Health Care Policy Breakdown

The differences in health care policies between Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama are staggering. The fact that these differences are not part of the national discussion is, in my opinion, a major reason that the polls are so close ( that and the lack of land line phones). If the details were to get out to the masses, Obama would be ahead of McCain by so much, the main talking point in the blogosphere would be "Why does McCain still bother?" That being said, here are a few links that break everything down:

The Wall Street Journal: Given the current inefficiencies in our system, the impact of the Obama plan will be profound. Besides the $2,500 savings in medical costs for the typical family, according to our research annual business-sector costs will fall by about $140 billion. Our figures suggest that decreasing employer costs by this amount will result in the expansion of employer-provided health insurance to 10 million previously uninsured people...In contrast, Sen. McCain, who constantly repeats his no-new-taxes promise on the campaign trail, proposes a big tax hike as the solution to our health-care crisis. His plan would raise taxes on workers who receive health benefits, with the idea of encouraging their employers to drop coverage. A study conducted by University of Michigan economist Tom Buchmueller and colleagues published in the journal Health Affairs suggests that the McCain tax hike will lead employers to drop coverage for over 20 million Americans...What would happen to these people? Mr. McCain will give them a small tax credit, $5,000 for a family and $2,500 for an individual, and tell them to navigate the individual insurance market on their own.

The New York Times: Under the McCain plan (now the McCain-Palin plan) employees who continue to receive employer-paid health benefits would look at their pay stubs each week or each month and find that additional money had been withheld to cover the taxes on the value of their benefits...While there might be less money in the paycheck, that would not be anything to worry about, according to Senator McCain. That’s because the government would be offering all taxpayers a refundable tax credit — $2,500 for a single worker and $5,000 per family — to be used “to help pay for your health care”...The whole idea of the McCain plan is to get families out of employer-paid health coverage and into the health insurance marketplace, where naked competition is supposed to take care of all ills.

Brilliant at Breakfast: Many of us pay the employee share of our medical premiums with pre-tax dollars so that our taxable income is lowered by the amount of our premiums. If McCain wanted to stop this practice alone, that would be bad enough. But it goes beyond that. His "health care plan" would also treat the employer share of your health insurance premium as income on which you would pay taxes...And that's assuming your employer decides to keep providing health insurance. If your employer does not, since you now have this nice tax credit to help you buy insurance on the open market, then you have $2500 with which to buy a policy -- if you can get one -- that has a GROUP rate of $13,000. Buying a comparable policy as an individual would cost significantly more. Group rates reflect shared risk, while individual policy premiums are based on your own health history. If you smoke, or you are overweight (whether that has adversely affected your health or not), or if you have a family history of heart disease, diabetes or cancer; if you yourself have had a costly illness -- all of this would raise your premiums. So even if you COULD purchase the same policy as you currently receive through your employer, you would pay a great deal more for it out of pocket. And that's assuming you can get a policy at all.

Give these a read in full and pass it on. Please.

Veto Questions

Every time McCain or his surrogates are asked about earmarks, they inevitably mention that Obama has asked for what equates to one million dollars for everyday he has been a U.S. Senator. This morning on CNN, McCain was asked about earmarks again and he responded the same way. But the interviewer didn't stop there. She asked McCain how he can criticize Obama's record with earmarks when Palin has asked for the equivalent in Alaska. McCain said that the difference is that Palin vetoed many earmarks as governor.
He has repeated this line often in the last few weeks. It is an interesting statement. It is interesting because it is untrue. No sooner had the interview finished then I saw this post by Steve Benen:

But it was just as striking to hear McCain insist that Palin "vetoed a half a billion dollars in earmark projects." How's that, exactly? Congress puts earmarks in the budget; the president signs the spending into law; and states get the earmarked funds. Governors can't "veto" earmarks anymore than I can. Palin could stop asking for earmarks (but she didn't, asking for a quarter of a billion dollars in earmarks just this year) and Palin could send unspent taxpayer money back to Congress (but she didn't, keeping every earmarked penny she could get her hands on). Those are her choices.

So, is McCain lying about this as well? Or, does he just not understand how government laws and budgets work? He has admitted that the economy is not his strong suit. Is he just misinformed? If so, why hasn't Palin corrected him? She would know that she never vetoed an earmark. Did she tell him otherwise to get on the ticket? Or is McCain making it up and she is going along with it?

Would the answer to any of these questions make you feel better about a McCain/Palin administration?

Get Your War On: Moose Meat

Sen. Whitehouse Puts Things In Perspective

9/15/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me." --George W. Bush, Washington D.C., April 14, 2005

Obama Tax Cut Calculator

Oh, Now I Understand

AmericaBlog breaks it down for all of us who just don't get it:

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."

* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

* If you teach teach children about sexual predators, you are irresponsible and eroding the fiber of society.

* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate laywer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America 's.

* If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that hates America and advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

Any questions?

Gov. Palin And Wolf Hunting...So Disturbing!

NYT: China Tells Businesses To Unionize

Companies to comply by September 30th or risk penalties

Gina Gershon's Palin Parody

See more Gina Gershon videos at Funny or Die

Business Week: Another Stimulus Package?

Here is a short post about the importance of infrastructure and innovation. I agree with the author that we all could forgo an extra stimulus check in order to get our roads and bridges up to par. I would feel better knowing that my best friend is safe when she travels on I-15 to work and back everyday. Or that my brother doesn't have to worry about the I-8/805 interchange crashing on him from above. These are problems normally associated with third-world nations, yet here we are. There are thousands of bridges in this country that are officially rated functionally obsolete. Don't believe me? See for yourself here. Check out the infrastructure in your community. Warning: the information you find might keep you up at night.

911truth.org: 26 Things We Now Know

Olbermann: Republicans Hijacked 9/11

9/10/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"We're going to -- we'll be sending a person on the ground there pretty soon to help implement the malaria initiative, and that initiative will mean spreading nets and insecticides throughout the country so that we can see a reduction in death of young children that -- a death that we can cure." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Oct. 18, 2007

Truth: It's Only Right When It Sometimes Proves You Wrong

As Obama said in a rally the other day, "You can't just make stuff up." So, in the interest of not just being a one-sided talking point, here are some facts debunking many of the claims made against Governor Palin. She may not be as bad as some feared. Of course, she could also be WORSE THAN ANYBODY COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE! But hey, what do I know?

Is Nice the New Nasty?

The execs at MSNBC sure hope so. She's quirky without being infantile, informed without being bookworm boring, and wholly intelligent without being intellectually condescending. She's Rachel Maddow, now on 5 nights a week somewhere other than just AM ( radio, not morning. I doubt she even gets up that early). Can MSNBC's new Princess Leia help a growing network tamp down on it's growing internal conflicts? Only time will tell. However, one thing's for sure - we will all love watching her navigate the finicky world of visual media on more than a guest host basis with enthusiasm, confusion, and laughter. Guest punditry by Pat Buchanan and all.

FactCheck.org Analyzes McCain's Lies About Obama's Tax Proposals

This is regarding McCain's constant claim that Obama will raise taxes of people making $42,000 a year. It was debunked back in August but McCain continues to misrepresent the facts. Click on the post title to get the truth.

ILJ: Obama, McCain & The Infrastructure Thing

Excellent post in the Intrepid Liberal Journal blog about the presidential candidates' plans regarding our failing infrastructure. It includes a brief history of the genius of President Eisenhower with his implementation of the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act in 1956. Unfortunately, this bold move half a century ago has yet to be replicated or even aggressively maintained, the result of which we were painfully reminded on August 1, 2007. Whomever we choose in this election must make it clear that infrastructure programs must be in the forethought of the next administration. For all of our sakes.

Warning: Catching Rain Water Is A Crime In Utah

Yep, seriously.

9/7/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"I think it's important to bring somebody from outside the system, the judicial system, somebody that hasn't been on the bench and, therefore, there's not a lot of opinions for people to look at." --George W. Bush, on the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, Washington, D.C., October 4, 2005

NYT:Highway Fund Shortfall May Halt Road Projects

A major bridge collapsed 13 months ago and the government is still trying to figure out how to maintain roads and bridges. Underground steam pipes burst, sinkholes swallow people and shut down highways - and this is just a partial list from 2007. What will it take for our government to take this country's failing infrastructure seriously? What will it take for the people to demand it?

Highway Trust Fund Fact Sheet

Remarks by the Secretary of Transportation

Rachel Maddow On Countdown: What We Know About Palin

9/5/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"Give me a chance to be your president and America will be safer and stronger and better." --Still-President George W. Bush, Marquette, Michigan, July 13, 2004

RNC '08: What's A Republican?

60 Days Til Election Day

September 26 - First presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi

October 2 - Vice presidential debate in St. Louis, Missouri

October 7 - Second presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee

October 15 - Third presidential debate in Hempstead, New York

November 4 -- Election Day

LA Weekly: Beyond The Palin

A great post by Joe Donnelly. Here is a peek:

There's something unseemly in the way we're supposed to bow down because the Republicans have taken by decree a place in history that Hillary Clinton busted her ass for. Palin didn't rise to the top, she was plucked by puppet masters. Clinton earned everyone of her 18 million primary votes. She worked and suffered for them. Palin is merely a spokesmodel, a very cleverly chosen one, who is here to dazzle you with her teeth and fool you with the lie that she feels your pain. She's good enough to read a canned, mean-spirited speech that any actress could have read, but she can't even run a small town properly, a job which by some accounts she treated as part-time work.

I can't wait to hear what Hillary has to say about Sarah Palin. That Palin thinks she is the one to finish what Clinton started is unbelievable. The only problem is that Palin has yet to talk about specific policy ideas so it makes it difficult to go after her on anything but her social conservative views and past actions in elected office. But, maybe that's the point.

The Devil's in the Details

Hopefully, after last night's "Obama thinks and speaks well=Obama bad, McCain POW and Maverick=Mccain qualified to run country" speeches by everybody at the RNC, no one is even thinking about some Governor from Alaska who even Rudy Giuliani admits was only seriously( I use the word sarcastically here) considered for the running mate slot a week ago. However, for all you Hillary turned Palin fans out there, a little something to mull over from a fellow double X chromosomer.

Think Progress: Maddow On Palin Interview

Rachel Maddow on Sarah Palin
by faizshakir

9/2/08: Random Bushisms Of The Day

"That's a chapter, the last chapter of the 20th, 20th, the 21st century that most of us would rather forget. The last chapter of the 20th century. This is the first chapter of the 21st century. " --George W. Bush, on the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Arlington Heights, Ill., Oct. 24, 2000

"It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet." --George W. Bush, Arlington Heights, Ill., Oct. 24, 2000

Somethings Brewing In Alaska

And it needs to stay there! OMG! I'm all for people having faith, but calling Iraq a " task from God" is kind of akin to what Al Qaeda called 9/11. Don't believe me, watch video time 3:00-6:05. If this woman becomes Vice-President, there's going to be a lot of people moving towards Alaska to get away from her! Only they're going to stop in Canada, learn French, and enjoy the Universal Health Care that will be decades away in America. My only solace is that Intrade has her chances of being John McCain's running mate on November 4th at 82% and falling. One Nation under God, whether Christian or not, is something we can all live with. One Nation under Palin will have the citizens of our country recreating one of the Alaskan Governor's favorite books....Exodus!!

June 2008 Sarah Palin Interview

Larry Kudlow of Kudlow & Company interviewed Gov. Palin about drilling in ANWR. Here are a few snippets of the interview with Gov. Sarah Palin (emphasis mine):

Kudlow: All right, drill, drill, drill! Nobody does it better than Alaska, if only Congress would let it. So here to tell us all about it, Alaska Republican Governor Sarah Palin.
Governor Palin, thank you ever so much for coming on. We appreciate it. I want to start with this, it’s an oddball question. I mean, Senator McCain says it's too pristine to drill. Senator Obama says the drilling won't work. What is your response to this? How do you fight back?
Palin: Well it will work. And Senator McCain is wrong on that issue. He’s right on a whole lot of other issues, so thank goodness that he’s understanding and evolving with his position on OCS [Outer Continental Shelf]. So that’s encouraging. I think he’s going to evolve into, eventually, supporting ANWR opening also.

Kudlow: Why don’t we just liberate, and decontrol, and deregulate the whole bloody energy business – whether it’s oil, gas, shale, nuclear, coal, natural gas, as well as wind and solar – why don’t we just decontrol, deregulate, go for an America first energy policy? Get independent of Saudi Arabia? America first. Create all of these millions of high paying jobs. Why isn’t anybody talking about that in this race? That’s the natural, Reaganesque thing to do. Isn’t it?
Palin: Yeah absolutely! You’re hitting the nail right on the head. That’s what so many of us normal Americans are asking. The same thing. Why aren’t the candidates talking like that? Where we can secure America and we can be more independent when we talk about energy sources if we could drill domestically... You have the supplies in your sister state called Alaska, where we’re ready, willing and we’re able to pump these supplies of energy, flow them into hungry markets across the U.S. We want it to happen. It’s Congress holding us back.

Kudlow: Alright. I’ve got some sound from Senator John McCain. Please take a listen.
Audience member: Would you consider Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for a vice-presidential running mate?
McCain: Could I say that this meeting is adjourned? [Laughter]. We’re still going through the process, but the governor of Alaska is a wonderful person, and very popular in her state, and very honest and straightforward, and I think has a future in our party
Kudlow: Alright Governor, you probably heard Senator McCain waltz his way through that one. Let me just ask you. If he asked you to be his vice-president, would you accept in light of your disagreement, apparently, over ANWR drilling?
Palin: Well I’d like the opportunity to get to change his mind about ANWR, I’ll tell you that. But Larry, I’m gonna give you the same answer that any other potential VP gives you and that is you know, I really enjoy my job here in Alaska as governor. I believe that there’s a lot that Alaska could be and should be doing to contribute to the rest of the U.S. And I think I can do that in my job here in Alaska. And I know that, again, the other potential VPs are saying the same thing that they like where they are today. So I also have to say though that it’s really probably out of the realm of possibility to be tapped for that position, so I don’t even have to worry about it.

OK, I have a few questions. Should we expect to see McCain flip-flop on this issue? And, if he does, what would it say about him as a presidential candidate to change his position to fit the ideals of his running mate instead of the other way around? Or, did Palin change her strongly held beliefs about ANWR to accept the offer? Plus, what does it tell us that three months ago, Palin felt that being picked as McCain's running mate was "out of the realm of possibility"? Sen. Obama's vetting process started in June after he became the presumptive nominee. McCain has been the GOP presumptive nominee since March. So, did McCain vet Palin and she just felt that there was know way it would happen? Or, had they not vetted her so she didn't "have to worry about it"? Also, why did she refer to Alaska as a "sister state" of America? If I understand correctly, sister states and cities are considered a type of symbolic reference of solidarity across international lines. Alaska is an actual state. It is one of fifty represented on our flag. Did it suddenly attain arguable status similar to Puerto Rico? Is she so pro-Alaska that she doesn't consider it part of the Union? Or am I just not understanding the term "sister state"? I have never heard anyone refer to a state in this country as a sister state of America. I know it is far, but it is still a state.
Needless to say, this interview bothers me. Mostly because I really want to stop talking about Sarah Palin. But she is such an unknown that I feel we citizens have been forced to vet her ourselves.

Sarah Palin's Daughter Is Pregnant

Bristol Palin is 17, unmarried, and 5 months pregnant. Furthermore, Sen. McCain knew this when he offered Gov. Palin the job. Does this mean that their views about abstinence-only programs have changed? Or, is all of this a lead-up to something bigger? Consider the following scenario: McCain picks a woman to entice dissatisfied Clinton supporters (apparently believing that women vote based on gender, not substance). The excitement draws attention away from Sen. Obama's acceptance speech and rallies the conservative base. His campaign gets all weekend to hear everyone talk about how unqualified Palin is and Democrats throw around the names of female Republicans that are actually qualified (Kay Bailey Hutchinson for example). At the convention, Palin declines the nomination for family reasons. McCain then has two directions from which to choose: 1) he picks one of the more experienced women that Democrats had espoused as being a better choice, or 2) he can now go with his first choice: Sen. Joe Lieberman. If he goes with option #1, he picks a woman who the Democrats have already admitted is a qualified, formidable candidate thereby taking away those talking points of attack. If he goes with option #2, he gets his buddy - a Democratic-leaning, pro-choice Independent - who will draw those still undecided. Also, most Republicans would accept the choice without major backlash because, well, even Lieberman would be better than Palin. No matter what, he wins.
This is political theater at it's best, folks. I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

Michael Moore's Open Letter To God

Sunday, August 31st, 2008An Open Letter to God, from Michael Moore
Dear God,
The other night, the Rev. James Dobson's ministry asked all believers to pray for a storm on Thursday night so that the Obama acceptance speech outdoors in Denver would have to be canceled.
I see that You have answered Rev. Dobson's prayers -- except the storm You have sent to earth is not over Denver, but on its way to New Orleans! In fact, You have scheduled it to hit Louisiana at exactly the moment that George W. Bush is to deliver his speech at the Republican National Convention.
Now, heavenly Father, we all know You have a great sense of humor and impeccable timing. To send a hurricane on the third anniversary of the Katrina disaster AND right at the beginning of the Republican Convention was, at first blush, a stroke of divine irony. I don't blame You, I know You're angry that the Republicans tried to blame YOU for Katrina by calling it an "Act of God" -- when the truth was that the hurricane itself caused few casualties in New Orleans. Over a thousand people died because of the mistakes and neglect caused by humans, not You.
Some of us tried to help after Katrina hit, while Bush ate cake with McCain and twiddled his thumbs. I closed my office in New York and sent my entire staff down to New Orleans to help. I asked people on my website to contribute to the relief effort I organized -- and I ended up sending over two million dollars in donations, food, water, and supplies (collected from thousands of fans) to New Orleans while Bush's FEMA ice trucks were still driving around Maine three weeks later.
But this past Thursday night, the Washington Post reported that the Republicans had begun making plans to possibly postpone the convention. The AP had reported that there were no shelters set up in New Orleans for this storm, and that the levee repairs have not been adequate. In other words, as the great Ronald Reagan would say, "There you go again!"
So the last thing John McCain and the Republicans needed was to have a split-screen on TVs across America: one side with Bush and McCain partying in St. Paul, and on the other side of the screen, live footage of their Republican administration screwing up once again while New Orleans drowns.
So, yes, You have scared the Jesus, Mary and Joseph out of them, and more than a few million of your followers tip their hats to You.
But now it appears that You haven't been having just a little fun with Bush & Co. It appears that Hurricane Gustav is truly heading to New Orleans and the Gulf coast. We hear You, O Lord, loud and clear, just as we did when Rev. Falwell said You made 9/11 happen because of all those gays and abortions. We beseech You, O Merciful One, not to punish us again as Pat Robertson said You did by giving us Katrina because of America's "wholesale slaughter of unborn children." His sentiments were echoed by other Republicans in 2005.
So this is my plea to you: Don't do this to Louisiana again. The Republicans got your message. They are scrambling and doing the best they can to get planes, trains and buses to New Orleans so that everyone can get out. They haven't sent the entire Louisiana National Guard to Iraq this time -- they are already patrolling the city streets. And, in a nod to I don't know what, Bush's head of FEMA has named a man to help manage the federal government's response. His name is W. Michael Moore. I kid you not, heavenly Father. They have sent a man with both my name AND W's to help save the Gulf Coast.
So please God, let the storm die out at sea. It's done enough damage already. If you do this one favor for me, I promise not to invoke your name again. I'll leave that to the followers of Rev. Dobson and to those gathering this week in St. Paul.
Your faithful servant and former seminarian,
Michael MooreMMFlint@aol.comMichaelMoore.com
P.S. To all of God's fellow children who are reading this, the city of New Orleans has not yet recovered from Katrina. Please click here for a list of things you can do to help our brothers and sisters on the Gulf Coast. And, if you do live along the Gulf Coast, please take all necessary safety precautions immediately.

Mudflats: What Is McCain Thinking?

This is an insightful, well-written piece about Gov. Sarah Palin from an Alaskan blogger. Since I have never been to Alaska - and we can safely assume that most of the pundits really don't have first-hand knowledge about her career there - I am grateful for this piece. It helps to put all of the information out there into perspective.

This Weekend In San Diego: Little Italy Invitational Stickball Tournament

This is a three-day event happening August 30th through September 1st. The San Diego team will compete against teams from Florida, New Jersey, New York and Puerto Rico. Free admission.
For more information, click the post title or here.

Sarah Palin? Really??

If you care about the environment, this woman cannot be the Vice-President of the United States. She is the anti-Gore. To see what I'm talking about, click here. Scroll down to Vote Match to topic 18. She strongly opposes replacing coal and oil with alternatives. Click on that hyperlink and you get an explanation of what "strongly opposes" means. Wow.

Catch your breath. Then go through the page, issue by issue, and lose it all over again. There is so much I can say about her regarding civil rights and ANWR and caribou. But you can check it out for yourself. Unbelievable!

45th Anniversary Of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" Speech

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer Delivers

This was an awesome speech that you probably missed - an inspirational and exhilarating speech that attacks McCain on policy. Take a few moments to watch this keynote-quality delivery.

First Amendment Center Releases Frightening Poll Statistics

Here are just a few of the results that made me cringe/scream:

25% said “the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees"

55% believe that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation

Just 56% believe that the freedom to worship as one chooses extends to all religious groups

These are scary numbers. How can anyone believe that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation?? How is it even possible to come remotely close to that conclusion? The First Amendment clearly states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...". How does one go from that to "The United States of America is a Christian nation"?? And the 44% who believe there are some religions that shouldn't be practiced-what the hell is that about? Actually, that one has piqued my curiosity. Which religions are threatening? Do we need to start giving Quakers a hard time? Rough up a few hundred Humanists? Make sure the Buddhists know their place? Or, are they only concerned about the ones requiring specific forms of headgear?

I am a huge fan of the Constitution. It is a beautifully written document that deserves to be read and respected. It's also just beautiful to look at. Its so pretty! Well, maybe not the original-that's kinda yellow and faded-but my copy is nice. It's a pocket-sized handbook with the American flag on the front. If you don't have a copy, get one here. And remember, Constitution Day is September 17th!

You have heard of Constitution Day, right?

Oh, Lord.

CBS:Cancer Cluster In PA Region

8/27/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"Our country puts $1 billion a year up to help feed the hungry. And we're by far the most generous nation in the world when it comes to that, and I'm proud to report that. This isn't a contest of who's the most generous. I'm just telling you as an aside. We're generous. We shouldn't be bragging about it. But we are. We're very generous." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., July 16, 2003

Morning Joe And Rachel Maddow Convention Clip

He seems so frustrated. It is a permanent expression of exhaustion on his face when Rachel speaks. Or maybe confusion. The cleverly phrased, multi-syllabic words she shoots at him at bullet speed must drive him crazy. You know what I think? I think he is taking mental notes. He really wants to show her up but, alas, he just doesn't have the word power or likability. So, he takes it all in, whines about airtime, and when the cameras are off he practices. Practices his heart out. Maybe he skims a thesaurus. Maybe he practices not looking at her so he doesn't get distracted by that smile of self-confidence she has when she is up against him.
I'm just waiting for actual steam to escape from his ears. Now that would be must-see-TV!

9 Year Old Pitcher Asked To Stop Playing Because He Is Too Good

So, now we are punishing children for working hard and excelling?

8/25/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"Arbolist … Look up the word. I don't know, maybe I made it up. Anyway, it's an arbo-tree-ist, somebody who knows about trees." -George W. Bush, as quoted in USA Today, Aug. 21, 2001

Get Your War On Video: The Surge

Quotes From President Eisenhower

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron."

"Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels - men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion."

"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."

"Only Americans can hurt America."

"Controlled, universal disarmament is the imperative of our time. The demand for it by the hundreds of millions whose chief concern is the long future of themselves and their children will, I hope, become so universal and so insistent that no man, no government anywhere, can withstand it."

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."

"How far can you go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without?"

"I deplore the need or the use of troops anywhere to get American citizens to obey the orders of constituted courts."

"I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it."

"If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... Is freedom."

"In most communities it is illegal to cry "fire" in a crowded assembly. Should it not be considered serious international misconduct to manufacture a general war scare in an effort to achieve local political aims?"

"Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage. "

"This world of ours... Must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect."

"Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace."

"When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war."

He warned us. Too bad we didn't listen.

McCain's Mansions

8/21/08: Random Bushisms Of The Day

"I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me." --George W. Bush, Washington D.C., April 14, 2005

"We look forward to analyzing and working with legislation that will make -- it would hope -- put a free press's mind at ease that you're not being denied information you shouldn't see." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 14, 2005

R.I.P. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones

Rachel Maddow Gets Her Own Show

I totally dig Rachel Maddow. Everybody does. She is smarter than most of the political pundits out there in TVLand. She is confident enough to go head-to-head with Pat Buchanan, Joe Scarborough, and anybody else who insists on saying stupid crap. I just signed up for her Air America show a few weeks ago after listening to short clips for a few months. I am interested in finding out if she will continue with that. I hope so but no matter what, this is great news and I wish her much success.

8/19/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"I said I was looking for a book to read, Laura said you ought to try Camus. I also read three Shakespeares. ... I've got a eck-a-lec-tic reading list." --George W. Bush, interview with NBC's Brian Williams, New Orleans, La., Aug. 29, 2006 (Watch video clip)

Democratic Unity 90210

The relationship between this years top two Democratic primary candidates is more drama prone then Dylan and Brenda, more wishy-washy than Zack and Kelly, and has the potential to be either as destructive to the Dems chance at the White House as Angel and Buffy were to Sunnydale, or as awe-inspiring and emotionally uplifting as Cliff and Claire were to middle America. Will they? Won't they? In a week the world will know. Only, like all good dramas, the question will not go away, but simply shift to become: Should they have? Shouldn't they have?

8/18/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"I always jest to people, the Oval Office is the kind of place where people stand outside, they're getting ready to come in and tell me what for, and they walk in and get overwhelmed in the atmosphere, and they say, man, you're looking pretty." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Nov. 4, 2004

Lewinsky Scandal Anniversary

Today is the 10-year anniversary of the day President Bill Clinton finally admitted to an inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Feels like yesterday, huh? Almost seven months earlier, he famously denied the relationship at a White House press conference:

Now, I have to go back to work on my State of the Union speech. And I worked on it until pretty late last night. But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you.

Hillary blamed a right-wing conspiracy and stood by her man. Lewinsky didn't want to testify. He almost got away with it. Then, Lewinsky turned over a semen-stained blue dress. That's right, folks - she never got it cleaned. Ewww. I know this sounds like a plot of a really bad tv show, but it happened. On August 17, 1998 Clinton came clean (no pun intended) in a taped testimony and a nationally televised statement.

Saddleback

This is an excellent post by Brilliant at Breakfast, one of my favorite blogs. It is about the Saddleback Church forum on Saturday with Senator Obama and Senator McCain. More so, it is about what the writer calls "Clean Slate Christianity". There is absolutely no way I could possibly say it better. To read the entire post, go here. Here is a small snippet:

What's always bothered me about the kind of Christianity that's about faith not deeds is that it demands nothing of the believer. Even if I were inclined to believe that a Jewish guy got nailed to a cross 2000 years ago to cleanse the sins of the world, I don't think I'd see it as a free pass to do whatever the hell I want. And yet, for some believers, particularly some of the more holier-than-thou types in politics, believing this doctrine does exactly that. It seems to me that if someone went through that kind of torment for us, the least we should do is strive to be worthy of that kind of sacrifice. And yet, time after time, we have seen so-called Christian politicians invoke the sacrifice of Joshua of Nazareth as a kind of all-purpose cleansing cloth for the soul. "God has forgiven me" or "Jesus died for my sins" doesn't hold anywhere near the moral weight, as far as I'm concerned, as weighing the morality of one's deeds when faced with moral choices, and choosing the moral path just because it's the right thing to do. I wonder if this kind of "clean slate" Christianity just makes it too easy. Whether it's David Vitter patronizing prostitutes in New Orleans and then railing about the sanctity of marriage, or Larry Craig referring to Bill Clinton as "a very nasty boy" and then years later looking for sex with men in an airport rest room, or yes, John Edwards falling for some of the worst pickup lines in recorded history and still not being able to handle the idea of two guys who want to get married, I wonder if this Doctrine of Easy Forgiveness, instead of creating a moral standard to which we should strive to reach, actually creates a sense of infallibility -- that because Jesus died for our sins, we can do whatever the hell we want without consequences. After all, if all you need do to get into heaven is to believe this story, and that deeds don't matter, what's the point of doing good? I mean, if it doesn't buy you, say, a better table at the Pearly Gates Cafeteria, why not have the fun?

Amen.

McCain Plan Includes Tax Increase On Employer-Based Healthcare Coverage

San Diego This Weekend

Oceanside Longboard Surf Club Contest: August 15th thru 17th

Encanto Street Fair: Sunday, August 17th

Get Your War On Video: The Race Card

This seems oddly appropriate considering all of that political talk about the race card last week. Did Obama play the race card by mentioning that he looks different from every American president on our currency? Or, did the McCain campaign play the race card by, well, angrily accusing Obama of playing the race card? Whatever. I'm just glad that crap is over. For now.

DNC Planning To Cage Protesters

Are we so afraid of the First Amendment that we are even entertaining the idea of throwing huddle masses of Americans into warehouse cages without running water and toilets? Coming soon to Denver: “GITMO on the Platte”.

8/13/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"There are some similarities, of course (between Iraq and Vietnam). Death is terrible." --George W. Bush, Tipp City, Ohio, April 19, 2007

8/12/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"All of us in America want there to be fairness when it comes to justice." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 20, 2007

Letter To Dana Milbank

So, my brother forwarded to me an email he sent to Washington Post writer Dana Milbank. We both enjoyed watching Milbank on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann, so to say we are saddened by the recent questionable reporting of Milbank is putting it lightly. I'm not entirely sure if this 2a.m. email was sent because of my bro's passionate disappointment or his extreme boredom at work. Nevertheless, he expresses his feelings well so I have decided to post it here.

Mr. Milbank,
As a loyal viewer of Countdown, I was disappointed today to learn that you had quit the show. Your commentary and analysis of all things political was always both insightful and entertaining. Even more disappointing though was learning the reasons behind your departure, i.e. taking a section of a quote from Senator Obama out of context and using it as a baseline for writing an article criticizing the Senator for being presumptuous and prideful. The irony of this situation cannot escape a man of your wit and intelligence. You accuse Senator Obama of being prideful, find out the quote you based that claim on was taken out of context, then head for the hills rather than admit your mistake. To quote Phoebe Buffet, "Hello pot, this is kettle, your black."

Mr. Milbank, you have had long and successful journalistic career, both in print and visual media. No one would question your journalistic ethics or integrity; however, part of that integrity is admitting when you've made a mistake or used a piece of text or spoken phrase incorrectly. The Senator wasn't saying that he was THE symbol, but merely that he was A symbol, prefaced by a very humble statement speaking to the good in all of us and indeed our nation. However, by the same token that you should own up to your mistake, no one is asking you to retract the entire article if you truly feel Senator Obama is acting as if 300 electoral votes are sitting in his wallet like winning scratch-off tickets that he simply has to wait until November 4th to cash in. To paraphrase someone whose name escapes me at the moment, anyone who thinks that out of 300 million people, they are the most qualified to make the decisions that will affect the other 299, 999,999, is, by definition, a little full of themselves. Anyone who has watched this campaign in its entirety knows that Obama has definitely shown a tendency to have confidence to the third power. However, in this case, he did not. If you would simply admit this, those of us who looked forward to your daily commentary, both in print and media form, and even that warm and cuddly blogosphere ( insert joke here) would forgive and forget. But instead you run away, to retreat inside a blanket of pride and ego that you'll soon find much emptier and colder than the air in the room after Dick Cheney walks in.

I implore you Mr. Milbank, don't make the same mistake that you accused, rightly or wrongly, Senator Obama of performing - that of too much ego and not enough id. Remember, “Mistakes are a great educator when one is honest enough to admit them and willing to learn from them". Wise words for anyone, whether they be presidential nominees, journalists, or simply loyal fans with too much time on their hands. Have a good day Sir.

8/9/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"Tribal sovereignty means that; it's sovereign. I mean, you're a — you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities." —President George W. Bush, speaking at a gathering of minority journalists, Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2004

He sounds like a third grade kid trying to fake his way through a vocabulary test! Steve Benen broke it down well here.

Get Your War On Video:You Are Loved

From 236.com:

It's the next chapter of "Get Your War On," the new animated series based on David Rees' long-running comic! This week, the racial tension is heating up between the black guy and the other one, as their late afternoon office chit-chat veers off from politics and into musical tastes. This election better end fast or there's gonna be a riot in the break room. Why can't everyone realize that in the end, all of us are loved. That's right, even...you.

8/8/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

Maria Bartiromo: "I'm curious, have you ever googled anybody? Do you use Google?"President Bush: "Occasionally. One of the things I've used on the Google is to pull up maps. It's very interesting to see -- I've forgot the name of the program -- but you get the satellite, and you can -- like, I kinda like to look at the ranch. It remind me of where I wanna be sometimes." --interview with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo, Oct. 24, 2006 (Watch video clip)

3 Charged With Using WMDs In CA Federal Courthouse Explosion

Newsday: Brett Favre Traded To The Jets

Wow! I mean, wow!! Now, I am not the biggest fan of Brett Favre (that would be my best friend Christie), but the guy is always exciting to watch. Historically, this is amazing to me. Wasn't his number supposed to be retired in Green Bay next month? It just seems that if you have the good fortune to play for one team for most of your professional career, when you retire it should be with that team. Isn't it weird to think that when Favre does retire (probably next year), it will be from the New York Jets? Maybe since the uniform is still green, he is hoping his fans won't notice.

Study Finds Young People Remain Apathetic About Office Politics

8/7/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 (Watch video clip; listen to audio clip)

The August 6, 2001 Daily Briefing Memo

Well, it seems today is an important anniversary. Seven years ago today, President Bush was handed a daily briefing memo. Titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.", the memo mentioned the suspected plan to hijack airliners. This is one month after an FBI memo claimed that possible terrorists could be receiving training at an Arizona flight school. Apparently, these two memos were not linked together nor were they shared between the FBI and the CIA. Thirty-six days later, two airliners struck the Twin Towers, one hits the Pentagon, and one more goes down in a Pennsylvania field. Although the hijacking of planes was a serious threat, everybody assumed any attack would be on our interests overseas and nobody considered the possibility that planes would be used as missiles. Except, the government had been warned for that scenario also. In 1999.

8/4/08: Random Bushism Of The Day

"I heard somebody say, 'Where's (Nelson) Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead. Because Saddam killed all the Mandelas." --George W. Bush, on the former South African president, who is still very much alive, Washington, D.C., Sept. 20, 2007

First Walmart Union In China

One Year Anniversary Of I-35W Bridge Collapse

Watch the CBS video here about the lack of action repairing our infrastructure in the past year.

Also read the excellent book The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation by Stephen Flynn.

Get Your War On Video: The Watch List

This terrorist watch list issue really bothers me. It begs a lot of questions. First of all, why did over one million names have to get on this Terrorist Watch List before it became a big deal? Seems to me that 100,000 known terrorists should have gotten some attention. Where are these terrorists? Where did the terrorist acts take place? We have their names so the government must know something they did that got them on the list. If someone named Robert Johnson can be stopped and interrogated for being on the list, where is the real terrorist named Robert Johnson and what did this Robert Johnson do? Why are babies on the list? Are these one million terrorists in the United States? What terrorist action did they do?

Damn, am I on the list now??

ACLU: Decriminalizing Marijuana

Details about H.R. 5843, the "Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008", were announced on Wednesday. Jag Davies, of the ACLU's Drug Law Reform Act, writes about why this legislation should be passed in Congress. If you agree, please click the link at the bottom of the article to ask your Congressional Representative to support H.R. 5843.