Pearl-of-Wizdom

How Many Lies Can You Find in a RANDOM FarceNews Channel Story?

2009-09-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

The challenge: take ANY RANDOM FoxNews Channel story and see how quickly and deeply it can be unspun.
Procedure:
1 -- go to Facebook and use the first reference to any Fox story with video
2 a -- are there obvious lies to be detected before viewing -- just from headlines, etc.?
b -- how much spin is clear after researching the story’s target for LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES (still before watching video)?
c -- watch video, notice all banners, notice interviewees’ professional affiliation, check a few other sources on the story
d -- phone story’s target if so moved (I was, so I did)
3 -- list, list, list the lies, twists, misleading inferences and significant facts left out of the “report”
4 -- do the math -- lies per minute
(Did I just come up with some sort of weird wonky internet game? -- Winner is the one who charts the most distortions per minute, with extra points for out-and-out lies. Wanna play?)

Here are the results:

A friend from HS just posted this video from March 2007 last Friday, and posed this challenge, as it were (verbatim):
“Wow this is really odd. If someone has shown that Fox spun this to their political agenda, please straighten me out. I really don’t like lies, or to propagate them. That goes for anything I post.”

Here’s the FoxNews Channel spin: it was an AFTERschool program at a church -- NOT a school!!! It’s BABYSITTING -- NOT CURRICULUM. Don’t you agree that makes a significant difference in the story? The Headline said “The Legos Ban And Grade School Communist Indoctrination.” It’s NOT GRADE SCHOOL!!! They SAY it is a school, which it isn’t, and they IMPLY it is PUBLIC school, which it is not. That’s what Fox does -- they take a tiny nugget of truth and spin it into a yarn in which evil liberals are systematically attempting to indoctrinate children across the country into the evils of socialism or communism ... or maybe they’re just trying to teach children to share ... call it whatever you want. If details bore you, skip to end where I summarize the AT LEAST TEN points of Fox spin in their “report.”

MORE FixedNews Channel spin by omission -- the BABYSITTERS watched as an atmosphere of bullying, elitism, and privilege grew over two months, but the teachers did NOT “ban” the Legos until AFTER “Legotown” was accidentally demolished due to unrelated weekend church activities. As the entire group came together to mourn, sympathize, support, discuss and work-through the events, a “teacher” suggested the group begin moving forward with a big cleanup of the blocks all over the floor. The “Fat Cats” of Legotown were disproportionately devastated (I read: tantrums by the bullies), insisting they retain ownership of individual pieces, refusing to return those pieces to the bins. Fox omits it was after Legotown was destroyed and after kids basically threw tantrums that the adults said “time to put this toy away for a while.”

As childcare workers do, and in accordance with the program’s stated philosophies, they turned it into a learning experience. “Teachers” witnessed as kids worked through municipal issues. One child justified his need of a disproportionate number of the coolest pieces by stating that his airport would be for public use, then proceeded to limit access to certain children. If I was the BABYSITTER, after the first three days I would have said, “Enough! Now I’M the Mayor of Legotown,” and set straight that kid who would not share the COMMUNAL toys, exercising “ownership” of said toys day after day over multiple play sessions (no one else can play with the GROUP’s toys while you are away???). That’s not teaching “communism,” that is teaching that communities have certain shared resources and no one can call those resources his own and hoard them to the exclusion of others. I think it would have been a different story had the kids brought in their own Legos -- I’m actually quite down with the concept that no one should be forced to share their stuff -- encouraged, yes, but forced, no. The “privileged” in this little society became so by being the fastest and toughest kids to rifle through the COMMUNITY toy bin to grab the “best” for himself. And they were the older kids. At Hilltop, kids age 5 through 10 are in the same AFTERSCHOOL program. (I’ve always hated the abetting, then disgusting display of piggishness whenever a pinata is introduced to a gathering of children. I see the same disgusting gluttonous behavior in grown-up form at CostCo on samples day. I avoid samples day. But that is a whole ‘nother rant. Some people find it vulgar to race to be grabby so they can get the best and most for themself.)

So, the Legos were put away for a few months and a series of learning activities ensued. THE KIDS came up with new rules for the new Legotown. THEY decided all structures were public -- anyone could use them, but only the builder could change a structure. I’m not exactly clear why they came up with the “all structures will be standard sizes” rule, but I think it was merely unartfully worded -- I think this rule was about the kids being given the same number of lego blocks, in large part so the littlest kids would not be left out.

Back to FauxNews Channel -- in this report they state that psychologists say children’s displays of “ownership” are a natural stage of childhood, but “not so at a SO-CALLED EMERGING CURRICULUM SCHOOL in Seattle” -- yeah “so-called” by FraudNews Channel and NO-one else!!! The word is “emergent” -- which I would not have known if I hadn’t called the Hilltop Children’s Center MYSELF -- and is another NAME for Reggio Emilia (as explained below). After saying “Psychologists say ...,” Fox cuts to interview a guy identified only as “Jim Copeland, Manhattan Institute” -- he’s the Institute’s LEGAL guy -- he’s NOT EVEN THE EDUCATION EXPERT, one of which they have. And the Manhattan Institute in a conservative thinktank (funded by Scaife and cohorts) in NY. Huh? Why would THIS GUY in NY have ANYthing even REMOTELY relevant to say about 25 kids playing on the other side of the country???

All the while, FinxNews Channel runs banners such as “is school teaching communism in lessons?” and “Seattle students learn private property is evil” just as the “reporter” informs you that “their teaching methods are being adopted all over the country” ... OK ... not a school ... not students ... how can a PRIVATE “school” teach private ownership is wrong? ... they didn’t say “evil” nor "dangerous" ... the “teaching” method at this NON-school refers to Reggio Emilia’s philosophy of personal responsibility (as explained below). Isn’t personal responsibility one of the rallying cries of the right-wing?

FarceNews Channel reported the ban was “to teach the EVILS of ownership” when in fact they discussed the INEQUITIES of private ownership. C’mon -- ya gotta agree that private ownership involves all sorts of INEQUITIES -- I mean that’s sorta the point of capitalism, isn’t it? No one called it “evil” except Fox. In fact it is those very inequities that conservatives claim fuel innovation and feed the economy. So, if they were to be intellectually honest, conservatives should be thrilled that kids would be discussing at an early age how the capitalist society in which we DO live functions in terms of money and power. To fire up their young minds to innovate and lead -- righties should welcome that. What’s wrong with a DISCUSSION of the inequities of private ownership? After playing in Legotown’s new community of collectivity, maybe some kids will take away a discomfort with that system and become supercapitalists themselves. The FreaxNews Channel “report” fails to mention that this DAYCARE center is in an affluent, mostly white area. It’s just possible that parents there have to take extra steps to instill in their children an appreciation and understanding that not everyone is affluent and allow their kids to develop THEIR OWN philosophy on how navigate the inequities of life -- it is a philosophical question we all must consider: how much, if any, should society attempt to level the playing field? We know that many people say not at all, while many others say as much as possible. Most of us fall somewhere in between. Kids too.

Dizzy yet?

John Gibson said the “TEACHERS claimed the Legos teach a ‘dangerous lesson,’” chuckling at how ridiculous that sounded. He’s right. It is ridiculous and the “TEACHERS” NEVER SAID “dangerous” -- they just didn’t -- but Fox did. In fact, FakedNews Channel flat out misquoted what was said. That’s just a lie.

This is a FREE COUNTRY -- much as FruityNews Channel would have think your rights have been taken away. A PRIVATE school program -- or in THIS case a private AFTERSCHOOL program -- can teach ANYthing they want! Parents ARE allowed to send their kids to “liberal” childcare programs or private schools if they so choose. Geez! The irony is the intrinsic hypocrisy in the reporting of this story -- follow this twist -- a PRIVATE school shouldn’t be allowed to teach kids about the pros and cons of private ownership in society -- it’s a BEAUTIFUL twist FlawedNews Channel slipped past ya! In a society in which people are ALLOWED to indoctrinate children into white supremacy or teach them creationism as a “theory” to be given equal weight with evolution through private or home schooling, and we are powerless to stop THAT sort of child abuse, people are ALSO allowed to send their kids to AFTERschool programs, or schools, that teach that MAYBE it’s NOT best for society if the biggest, fastest, or meanest are allowed to take the most, the best, or more than their fair amount from the limited resources we all must share. Just maybe. Having that choice of CHILDCARE programs IS FREE “MARKETISM.” FunkyNews Channel -- where free-market fundamentalists turn for their info -- all-too-often exclusively -- attempted to rally opposition against a DAYCARE center -- stating “it’s something America’s parents need to REALLY be thinking about” this “Soviet era, public housing, central planning indoctrination of their children” as FibNews Channel called it. And that somehow this CHILDCARE center’s “teaching methods are being adopted across the country” -- it’s a small AFTERschool program of 25 kids! The “teaching methods” that are “being adopted all over the country” -- well that refers to an Italian model “based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children through a self-guided curriculum.” (Check out: Reggio Emilia -- it is interesting and I think a great homeschool dad like you would find some useful info there.) No, these AFTERschool “teachers” -- nay BABYSITTERS -- are NOT exporting socialist indoctrination methods to the rest of the country! FartNews Channel called it a “BIG OUTRAGE,” but that was a lot of hot air -- no one was “outraged” but Fox and then, of course, those whose fear they successfully ginned up with their lies and distortions on this NON-STORY!!!

Not lost on me was the irony of this falling under the Fox heading “the Big Story.” Ha! That is PRECIOUS! Here we are TWO AND A HALF YEARS later and their dire predictions of Lego bans spreading all over the country just haven’t come to fruition. It was an experience shared by a small group of kids in Seattle with no broader ramifications. Period. Must’a been a slow news day for “Gibby.” A few days later he followed up with viewers’ responses, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnZy5TIGyjo&feature=related) one of whom said, “The teachers who preach the benefits of communism, stop when it comes to their capitalist salaries.” Now do you think this viewer understood: 1) that it was a PRIVATE CHILDCARE center so they get DAYCARE salaries; 2) if he thought he was talking about public school teachers, then they would have “socialist” salaries since public education is a socialist program. The irony just never stops! Another astute (?) viewer offered this: “I was appalled at the actions of the school that banned Legos from the classroom.” Wow. Such deep analysis. Great contribution to the public debate and certainly worthy of the time on network TV. One more eloquent viewer proffered: “It is obscene that these people are teaching our children this kind of crap.” NEWSFLASH -- they AREN’T teaching YOUR kids ANYthing! And they aren’t exactly teaching what was reported. Respondents obviously thought it was a public school -- or at least a GRADESCHOOL of some sort not a DAYCARE; and to some extent that there is a movement to indoctrinate kids into communism. Fibby just kept up the farce till the very end. Well played, Fibby, well played.

[Here’s the “END” I said you could skip to ...]
[Friend’s name], -- I must apologize -- I used you for my experiment. My plan was to look for the first thing on your fb page that mentioned Fox and see how quickly I could unspin it. It was serendipitous that you LITERALLY ASKED if there was spin. It took less than five minutes’ research. In fact, I figured out BEFORE I even watched the video -- all I needed was the headline -- that the big spin was that is WASN’T A SCHOOL! Like a “what’s wrong with this picture” exercise, let’s recount the revolutions in the FocksNews Channel spin machine: 1) Fox called it a “school” five times and also referred to “teaching,” “lessons,” and “classrooms” countless times in 3:44 while NOT mentioning even ONCE that is was DAYCARE center NOT a school; 2) there was “bullyism” afoot and an opportunity to deal with it constructively presented itself; 3) Legos were not banned until AFTER the Legotown empire crumbled at the hand of outside forces; 4) The KIDS developed the new rules; 5) the toys really WERE “community” toys in the first place; 6) why interview a thinktank guy 3000 miles away with no particular expertise just espouse his opinions?; 7) the discussion wasn’t about the “evils” of private ownership -- it was about the “inequities;” 8) they never said Legos teach a “dangerous lesson;” 9) there was no “outrage” -- it didn’t turn out to be something “America’s parents REALLY need[ed] to be thinking about.” Really. We really didn’t hear any more about Lego bans. Until now.; 10) Its not an “emerging curriculum school.” So at least ten “spins” in 3:44 ... that’s one piece of twisted information from FalseNews Channel every 22.4 seconds on average. Or, another way to look at it: based on the facts of that story, one could say FecalNews Channel craps on its viewers almost three times a minute. Viewer response proved the facts were misunderstood.

Now consider for a moment the implications of applying all that twist to other important issues of our time -- health care, climate change, energy. Hmm. Maybe an acorn is just an acorn and not an evil oak tree. Maybe the mole hill has some rot but it’s not a mountain. Maybe. Maybe NO one wants to kill the elderly. Maybe killing the sick, and ANY federal money going toward abortions are ALREADY COMPLETELY ILLEGAL, but maybe you would never hear that if you watch ForgedNews Channel. Just maybe. MAYBE there is a strain of dangerous racism afoot -- OR ginned up NON-racial but VERY VOLATILE anger in badly misinformed and sometimes armed people -- that should not go unchecked ... maybe its just a small number, but the racist portion as well as the violent-uninformed portion of the population should at least be shamed into at least shutting up ... yet they are continuously INCITED through MISINFORMATION!!! Maybe some people don’t just think the current administration will fail, they are trying to FORCE FAILURE on ALL OF US. Just maybe? They’ve SAID so! Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts as Fox “reports” them.

“When men no longer have the least fear of saying something untrue, they very soon have no fear whatsoever of doing something unjust.” ~ Theodor Haecker

“When willful, purposeful lies become a regular diet, one loses the reflex to gag out such poison.” ~ PearlOfWizdom

Even a broken clock is correct twice a day -- does that meet a sufficient bar to call it “news?” Hasn’t FoxNews Channel EARNED your DIStrust? When they go to such lengths to distort the dumb stuff -- like an evil communist daycare center, how can you trust them on the important stuff? Or ANYthing???

With abundant affection, all due respect, and then a whole bunch more, [Friend’s Name], you ASKED if Fox spun it. OF COURSE THEY DID -- that’s WHAT THEY DO! Thanks for the soft ball and for being a good sport! And inspiring me to get back into the conversation. Much love, Pearl

Here are some sources:
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/21_02/lego212.shtml
http://www.hilltopcc.com/programs/school-age-program/
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clq-HDIDipg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYoE8DfBEQI

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
(Hello my bloggy friends. I’ll bet you thought I was going to write about healthcare or that jackass piece of trash who historically -- and hysterically -- yelled out at the President during an address to the JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS! Everyone’s writin’ about that ... so ... I had to zag. PearlOfWizdom is dusting off the cobwebs and gettin’ the ol’ blog back together, so to speak. Posts WILL go back to a more reasonably readable length. I hoped maybe you missed me enough to trudge through a long-winded diatribe on the seemingly obvious twisting tactics of FoxNews Channel, while the contrivance eludes so many, as my comeback to the blogosphere. And the rare opportunity of an invited rebuttal by a Fox follower is so very hard to resist. Plus there WAS that fastforward to the end option. Let’s revisit this game idea ... “Rebutt any RANDOM Foxnews Channel Story” or “Butting the Fox.” (Or dare I say “ButtFoxing”? That’s too far. Maybe.) It was fun and easy. THAT could be an emerging movement! If you would like to contribute, please play a round yourself and share the results here!)

Don't Forget: 911 was Bill's Fault

2009-01-14T17:04:00.001-08:00

So much to say and so little time. As I return from an extended holiday break, I have so many thoughts, I don't know where to begin. Then something like this comes along and, well, it simply must be shared. It's actually quite humorous. Some still try to suggest that 911 was the fault of ... you guessed it ... Bill Clinton. Have a laugh. Then get angry. All over again. Don't be "an angry person" per se, just stay diligent. While over 70% of the country approves of the incoming administration, and are rooting for their success for us ALL, there is an "angry" and misguided quarter of the country who do not. Enjoy (?) this silly display of a loyal Bushy who thinks he can suggest, against history, that 911 is Bill's fault and that anyone will take him seriously. Ha!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

2009-01-14T17:00:00.001-08:00

Well hello! It’s been a while. I sure hope this holiday season has you full of hope and joy. I couldn’t go on a holiday vacation without chatting about some of the many “don’t they make your head almost explode” things that are happening lately. So much “head exploding” news requires blogging a hole in it to relieve some of the pressure. You’ve been hearing alot about this guy, Blagojevich. If you watch any news, you hear it 50 times a day “Blah goy ya vich.” But I hear “Go blog you bitch” -- fans of Twilight Zone may remember the episode “The Fever” in which tightwad Franklin Gibbs, on his all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas finds himself drawn into the evils of slot machine play by the sound of dropping coins chanting out a mysteriously monstrous “Frrraaankklyn.” (I wanted to bring you a clip but the cuts I found just didn’t do the episode justice -- as I reviewed it, I saw a strange relevance to today’s politics as a thread running throughout the episode, which is embedded in full way at the bottom of this page. (How fun is that?)) Well, I’ve been hearing “Go blog you bitch” in that same demony whisper that cried out to Franklin ... so this blog is noisy again.

There's so much to say about so much. But alas, Christmas tasks beckon. Today brings several "ketchup" postings! As the Papa tomato said to the lagging baby tomato, "catch up!" Tomatoes that remained unflung for far too long have now been squished into the thick, spicy, tart and slightly sweet "commentdiment" to this "blogburger." OK, enough with that metaphor. Todays Wizlettes bring us almost current. The sand in the hour glass ran out before we could even get to Blagojevich, even though he was the "Go blog you bitch" kick in the blogbutt needed to get me rolling on this opinionated adventure again. Thanks, Rod! There's so much more in my heart and mind about the Al Franken story too, including the fact that he pulled ahead in the count today! And why it would be so helpful to our collective move forward to have this guy in the Senate. Balance of power, yeah yeah yeah, blah blah blah, right NOW we don't need ANYthing getting in the way of moving forward. After all the damage that has been inflicted on our country over the last eight years, it would be great to see what we could do without any knuckledraggers and heeldraggers weighing us down like a trailer with no wheels for at least a couple years. As in school, we need three "R's:" Repress Republican Rancor. I am so full of hope this holiday season. I see a brighter future. We don't need ANYthing getting in the way!!!

And then there's the auto bailout. Such low-hanging fruit and I didn't get to pick it yet. So my Christmas gift to myself is 1) the "catch up" accomplished; 2) the fun things left to write about as I travel; and 3) a renewed enthusiasm in this whole bloggin' affair.

Please comment. Let's have some discussion. If you choose not to signup for a free gmail account, I believe you won't be able to comment on this blog. I want to hear from you. Other readers want to hear from you. So I welcome direct email and I will post your comments, unedited, will never publish nor use your email for any other purpose and will use your name or pseudonym, whichever you prefer. (Send to PearlOfWizdom@cox.net)

Next year I will figure out how to add and host live chats and/or message boards. And several other features. Remember, this whole act of bloggery was brand new to me in Mid-September and I've enjoyed muddling through adventures in adding video, hyperlinks and exploring the gadgets in the blogger's toybox. My opinions are long-held and well-researched but my blog skills -- well it's been a real adventure -- remember "E tickets" at Disneyland? (If you're like five minutes younger than I am, then you probably don't.) "E ticket" used to be such a great metaphor for "adventure" or "rollercoaster ride." Now, I guess it's just a metaphor for "I'm old!" Ha! Well, it's been every bit an E-ticket ride!

•••••••••••••••••••••••

This just in -- Bristol Palin's mother-in-law was just busted on six felony drug charges. Now, please know that I never hope for someone else's misfortunes -- even as a result of their own despicable behavior. But I do love justice. I thoroughly enjoy irony. And I revel in seeing sanctimonious bloviating ideologues getting their comeupance. So this will be entertaining in a sad soap opera-ey sort of way.

More Christmas fun for Pearl ...

Stay tuned in ... er, ah ... stay logged in for more ...

••••••••••••••••••••

Please have a truly wondrous, joyful, peaceful and hopeful holiday. As Ren and Stimpy used to say: Happy Happy Joy Joy to you and yours!!!

Political POOPaganda -- Don't Step In It!

2008-12-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

Have you received the following email? Do you think you know someone who has or might have? What is obviously crap immediately to some people is considered a “scholarly paper” by other people. Please take a look at the following. If you see it as obvious crap, you might be surprised to know it is being passed around Republican circles in all seriousness. It’s probably no surprise that I’m involved in very few circles of folks who pass around these sorts of emails. So I am thrilled when someone forwards one to me. This one was a doozy since it was comically wrong in sooo many ways -- just about every way it could be. And after the sender was informed, they proceeded to defend the hypothesis nevertheless!

Following the operatic repartee that ensued ... first the original mooseturd of an email, then a debunking response, followed by a surprise response, and yet once more back at the guilty “forwarder” of the steaming pile. Wow! (I resisted editing the originals for typos, but decided I need to leave them as they arrived. I hate typos.)

Plug your nose, here goes:

Holy cow – does this ever tell a story!

INTERESTING FACTS -----NOTICE LINK AND MAP AT BOTTOM Some unreported stats about the 2008 election
Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2008 Presidential election:
-Number of States won by: Democrats: 20; Republicans: 30
-Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000; Republicans: 2,427,000
-Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million; Republicans: 143 million
-Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2; Republicans: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: “In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land
owned by the taxpaying citizens. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in
rented or government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare...”
Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the “complacency and apathy” phase of Professor Tyler’s definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation’s population already having reached the “governmental dependency” phase.

Notice that in the states of Alaska and Oklahoma: All counties were won by McCain/Palin.
The original posting with this information is below this Newsweek article at this link: http://www.newsweek.com/id/163337.

>>>Response to my friend who asked if I could make any sense of that email:

It’s CRAP!
It would be hysterical if it wasn’t so sad and scary that so many people are still clinging to such crazy thinking. I guess I do need to keep blogging! Although I doubt my words are getting through to any of these people, much less just even getting TO them in the first place.

Story continued here (if you know anyone who may have gotten this email, please read on):
http://members.cox.net/pearlofwizdom/HolyCowCont.pdf

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
There was an equally insidious and dangerous and much uglier email circulating the same crowd. Talk about missing the point, check this out:

Subject: Fw: Democracy in Action

Something to think about ......

You know what would really P**S OFF the Democrats...

Bush should resign now.

Then Dick Cheney becomes President (that would really P**S OFF the liberals)!!!

Then he appoints Condoleeza Rice as VP.

Then Cheney resigns two weeks later and Condoleeza Rice, A Republican,
becomes the first BLACK President and the first WOMAN President !!!

I felt the only response to the above pile that is steamy enough to warm your toes next to on a cold Winter night:

As long as they are all gone January 21, 2009 I don’t care if they stick Barney in the oval office! Then we’d have the first black DOG president. We’d actually be better off than what we’ve got. Does she think you guys agree with her twisted ideology? Sounds like someone has some racial issues. What they don’t understand is that it isn’t about being black its about being smart. Well even the people who don’t deserve it are gonna benefit from having some grown ups running things for a while. When did she go off the rails? ... So sad. The saddest part is that even when things start to get better they won’t admit it is because of the new leadership. ... I am so sad for these misguided individuals.

Prop 8 -- The Musical

2008-12-19T10:43:00.000-08:00

If you haven’t seen “Prop 8 -- The Musical,” then you must, and if you have, you probably wanna see it again or show it to someone. And if you are a Yes on Prop 8 supporter ... I just don’t get you. Please explain it to me. Republicans claim to be for Government out of our lives. It makes no sense.

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... by Jack Black

Since the election, of course I’ve supported every effort to overturn the badly misguided election results on this one issue. But, in truth, I was not hopeful it could be. Then finally I heard/read it for the magic second or third or fourth time that legal arguments take to sink into my distracted-by-the-holidays mind, and they sound like they stand a chance.

Gloria Allred’s Press Statement spells it out so much better than I could paraphrase:

The full petition to CA Supreme Court is at:
http://www.amglaw.com/CM/News/Supreme-Prop%208%20Petition.pdf

Press Statement by Gloria Allred, November 5, 2008

On May 15, 2008, after we waged a four year long legal battle we finally won a landmark victory in the CA Supreme Court for same gender couples who wished to marry in CA. Last night, opponents sought to reverse that decision with Proposition 8 in which they once again sought to restrict legal marriage to a man and a woman. That Proposition appears to have passed by a narrow margin.

As a result, today we will file a writ with the CA Supreme Court on behalf of Robin Tyler and her spouse, Diane Olson, challenging its constitutionality on several grounds. In our case in May, the CA Supreme Court ruled that the equal protection clause in our CA Constitution protects the rights of lesbians and gays to marry the person of their choice, and for the first time, recognized homosexuality as a “suspect classification*” under the equal protection clause of our state constitution, thereby requiring a strict scrutiny test which test was not and cannot be met (the court so held) in marriages limited to a man and a woman.

Prop 8, if it passes, conflicts with the equal protection clause. If marriage is now limited to straight couples and excludes gay couples then it is inconsistent and in conflict with the equal protection clause. We will argue to the court that Prop 8 is a disguised revision to the constitution which cannot be imposed by the ordinary amendment process, which only requires a simple majority. We believe that then the court must hold that CA may not issue marriage licenses to non-gay couples because if it does it would be violating the equal protection clause as straight couples would have more rights by being allowed to marry than gay couples. If Prop 8 had said that the CA constitution was amended to limit marriage to people of the same race only, would that be constitutional under our state constitution? Of course not as it would violate the equal protection clause and the seminal case of Perez v. Sharp which the Supreme court decided sixty years ago.

We will also argue that Prop 8 improperly revises recent opinion the Supreme Court’s recent opinion defining the constitutional fundamental right of marriage. The state constitution provides that revisions to the constitution requires a 2/3 vote of the legislature or the convening of a state constitutional convention, and a proposition requiring only 50% is not available to the electorate to accomplish the revision to our equal protection clause. Lastly, the constitutional requirement of separation of powers, we will argue, does not permit the use of the Proposition format to remove and /or circumvent the judiciary in determining the interpretation of what is or is not a fundamental liberty right and who is and who is not protected by the equal protection clause.

The apparent passage of Prop 8 in CA has been a heartbreaking experience for our clients, Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, and millions of other same gender couples who have married or wish to marry in CA and throughout the nation. All they have asked for is equal rights under the law and equal respect and dignity for their families and their committed relationships. Our law firm is honored to continue this great civil rights battle for them. We will never give in and we will never give up. We will continue to be the change we wish to see in the world and we will never have another season of silence until same gender couples enjoy the same rights as non-gay couples on this green earth.

Gloria Allred, Attorney at Law
representing Robin Tyler and Diane Olson

Gloria Allred press conference 10 min

Frankly Franken

2008-12-19T10:17:00.000-08:00

My favorite story concerns Al Franken’s race in Minnesota. But my blog time has run out. And I’ve been sitting on this one for so long. The Dumbasotans who found so many clever ways to throw their vote in the garbage tickled my angry bone. Maybe some of them got their jollies from seeing their “artwork” on television. This is the most interesting display of Democracy in action. As of today, out of the three million votes cast in that election, they are single digit votes apart -- Coleman may be up by two or Franken might be up by as many as five. Franken won an important decision today in court when they ruled that previously thrown out absentee ballots should be counted.

Oh this story really tickles me. A long-time fan of Franken’s satire, books, and radio are responsible in part for my awakening to this soap opera called politics. If you have good ideas that will help people, and you are able to articulate them through satire, well it is like a gymnast being double jointed -- only in politics its double pointed -- expressed seriously or humorously.

Here are some favorite wads of Dumbasotan trash that once had great potential as virgin ballots at one time before it was defiled, debased, and rendered useless (or in some cases, still questionable):

Joe LIEberman Disgraceful Worm

2008-12-19T10:14:00.000-08:00

This isn’t the freshest piece of news, but since we haven’t spoken much lately, we really shouldn’t let this one go down without any discussion. Did you see Joe Lieberman on Meet the Press, feebly justify his remaining in his leadership position in the Homeland Security committee? It was truly pathetic and if you didn’t catch it, and you can spare 10 minutes, it is worthy of your time. Forgive, but never forget disgraceful behavior. I have a personal policy against letting lies lie. Can’t help it. A policy is a policy.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Frankly Frank

2008-12-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

Another storyline not quit such an “oldie” and a little bit more fun is Barney Frank -- a whole interesting storyline in himself. I simply love seeing him say that when Barack Obama graciously refrains that there is only one President at a time, Barney Frank proclaims he is OVERstating it by one. Ha! It’s so true. It HAS been so true for sooo wearily long. It is fun to see him -- any of our leaders -- come out and say it:

Followed by an interview for 60 Minutes. (10 min.)

Watch CBS Videos Online

“Shoe Gate” More Accurately “Shoe HATE”

2008-12-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

That Bush didn’t even “get it” regarding the significance of it being a SHOE that was flung at him in an Iraqi press conference last week is no surprise. Before he ever began to speak about it, I KNEW for sure that he wouldn’t mention the fact that in that culture throwing a shoe is akin to spitting on you. It's the ultimate insult and sign of disrespect. And I don't think he was in a state of denial, he was merely in his home state of stupid. I swear my very first thought was this:

Then my next thought was, “I wonder how many other people will have the exact same idea; how many will post it on a blog; and that a few talented individuals will take the time to make a greater production with a montage.

I let us both down that I didn’t post this right away! Temporarily derailed for more pressing tasks, and a reexamination of the relevance of this blog’s message. Relevance is subjective. This voice won’t be quieted.

Did YOU Know?

2008-12-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is fascinating. ‘Nuff said.

Honoring Turkeys

2008-11-20T18:31:00.000-08:00

Pearl's been under the weather ... all the congestion in my head has squished any relevant thoughts on our state of affairs. The pounding headache has beaten up any chance at clever turn of phrase or witty analogy. Sadly, wizdom has stopped flowing only to be replaced by post nasal drip. Like tissues from the box, this too shall pass.

Just in case you've had the misfortune of missing these special moments in time, I'm so happy to bring them to you. In honor of our upcoming day of thanks and turkey gobbling, please enjoy THESE turkeys ...

OH MY GOD! The Irony -- on so many levels -- not just the subject of the scenery but the hilarious choreography of her dialog with what is taking place behind her. Not to mention the turkey with its head cut off connection. Oh my Precious ... (6.5 min.)

For a fleeting moment I truly felt sorry for the schoolyard bully now shunned at the G20 Summit (there's that Democratic compassion messin' with my head again). But then I came to my senses, remembered the damage he has caused, ran the video again, and with my mental Photoshop abilities, I saw each of the world leaders not only not shake Dub's hand but actually reach out and slap him. Imagine THAT ... (1 min.)

No doubt by now you've heard about these big three car execs who showed up on Capitol Hill to beg for money -- each by private jet -- separately -- from the same place -- to the same place. But no collection of recent turkeys would be complete without this clip of the symbolism so poignant it begs a new word -- "dumbalism" (1 min.):

In the waning weeks of his reign of stupidity, our turkey's ass of a president is still inflicting damage ... actually scrambling to ram through as many damaging rules as he can possibly assemble ... "legacy" or "lunacy?" This guy was ready to hand the keys over last week. We should have seized them from him, clicked the alarm button, put him on the "short bus" and, with his helmut firmly on his head, shipped him back to Nowhere, TX. Only 59 days left!!! (2.5 min + 2 min.):

There is just so much to say about how we can't relax and bask in the glow of our collective Obamagasm while turkeys like Rush Slimeball are still trying to DIVIDE THIS COUNTRY! He is actually trying -- and with some success I presume -- to convince his dumbalogue following that the most recent stock market dives are the fault of our not-yet-seated president-elect by merely being elected. With many Republicans -- seemingly most if you're not watching closely -- singing the song of unification, and although they didn't vote properly, vocalizing their pragmatic support of our new president's success for the benefit of our entire nation, we must be diligent and pay attention to what the radio-heads and Fox News-types continue to spew. They are busy working the farthest right-wing element into a frenzy. Never forget that, while it SO apparent that they are lousy at governing, they ARE masters of marketing. The secret of their success. Well, until recently. [UPDATE to this post: previously the fat bloviating drug addict's full 5.5 min clip of radio lunacy was shown here, but it is so much more fun to see in the context of worst person's, and shorter, and waaay less boring, plus you get the bonus of seeing other idiots honored, so it has been replaced. If you are the sort of masochist who prefers to suffer through it for yourself, please click here and you will be Rushed to Limbaugh-Hell directly.]

Rounding out our review of pardoned turkeys, we must revisit Joe Blow (5 min.)

Question: What is that white stuff on bird crap?
Answer: More bird crap.
You baste your turkey, Lewis Black lambastes the turkeys who sell worthless "memorabilia" crap and the bird brains who buy it (4 min.)

Plum outta turkey puns ... how 'bout Colbert's "The Word" gives "the bird?" (Seriously, not just "sick in the head," I really DO have a head cold that has fogged the brain. But how could we leave Stephen out of this "Strand of Pearls?") (6.5 min.)

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
And now for something completely different ... and all wet ...
Having lived on a 30 foot boat for many years, seeing a 30 foot surfboard in action is a special gem to this Pearl. (3.5 min.)

And now for something ELSE completely different, but also enormous, and enormously strange. Hey -- the dialogue matches the movement of their lips! (1.5 min.)

Enjoy these Final "New Rules" of This Season

2008-11-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

Gotta love some "New Rules" for a new day. Last night's was the final show of the season, so these will have tide us over for a few months ... (6.5 min.) Maybe we can write some of our own ...

Knocked Up?

2008-11-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or is Sarah Palin like a one-night stand? The country awoke last Wednesday morning regretting this hasty hook-up. We hoped she would gather her clothes up off the floor and rush out the door, foregoing the awkward breakfast. But she just might end up like a one-night stand that resulted in unwanted pregnancy. We’re at the “peed on a stick and are waiting to see what color it turns” stage. And we are terrorized that she might end up stalking us. There has never been a better time to exercise our freedom of choice and terminate this relationship.

I’ve said many times that I would like to see Sarah Palin play Sarah Palin in the movie about this election. But now I think I’d rather just re-watch Fatal Attraction and with my mental Photoshop abilities I will simply airbrush Sarah’s face in over Glenn Close’s. (Sorry Glenn, you are so lovely and talented.)

By now, it should be passé to be writing about Sister Sarah. It was such fertile material, but, as with all caricatures, relevance fades. With seven “exclusive” interviews in six days, though, this colorful character refuses to fade. (For you folks in serious relationships, you don’t get to use “exclusive” in the same way Sarah and the media do -- “exclusively dating” does NOT mean dating only one person PER DATE!)

Just when I think I find some small thing to like about her, it gets blown away. (Even after this election and eight years of Bush and Co., I DO still TRY to find something to like about unlikeable people. This sort of thinking, shared by so many Democrats, delivers losing elections. It has been our nature to be too nice to win.) In the beginning I thought it was cool that she called her husband “First Doood,” but then we learned that he’s a shadowy co-Governor with a secessionist past. I felt sorry for her about the clothes story -- I didn’t REALLY think she went on a shopping spree -- then she protested too much and out came details of divadom, silk boxers, and clothes “not in her closet” that were shipped back from her house days later. Wasilla hillbillies indeed.

As fun as it is to Sarah bash, I’m growing tired of it. And yet I don’t want to miss out on a minute of it. I think it’s like an extended vacation to Disneyland. One day is awesome. A second day is really fun. After several days, you get burned out ... and, yet, you can always find SOMEthing fun to do. You don’t want to miss out on any of it, because you know it will end at some point. As weary as you grow, something tells you it is more fun than your regular life without it. Is Sarah like a twelfth straight day at Disneyland?

Our extended “Girls Gone Wild at Disney World” holiday may be coming to a close. The shining star at the Republican Governors Conference in Miami this week has emerged somewhat tarnished. While three-quarters of the attendees are seriously resolved to develop a forward-thinking plan for their party, Ms. Palin regurgitated only recycled losing campaign rhetoric. This skilled politician will not simply disappear back under a moose turd in Alaska -- we’re gonna see and hear a lot more from her. But, thankfully, the Republican party appears to be loosening its embrace of Trash-Talk Barbie, at least at the leadership level. Maybe we’ve dodged a bullet and have not procreated with this fertile one-night stand. Whew!
••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Daily Show 11.12.08 Biggest Losers (7.5 min.)

••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Worst Persons in the World 11.10.08 (3.5 min)
Did you know Obama is like Hitler? And Bush is a good talkifier? Or that Bill O is virtuous?

Thank You, Veterans!

2008-11-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your many sacrifices and bravery. Thank you for embodying honor and for bringing it to the rest of the globe. Thank you for protecting us, past and present. Thank you for allowing the lesser of us to feel safe in an unsafe world. Thank you.

If You Had a Political Awakening, Don't Fall Asleep Now!

2008-11-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

The “Transition Team” in my brain was far less equipped for the change from campaigning to reigning this blog, than, thankfully, the Obama team is for running this country! I am so relieved, as you are I’m sure, that we shall soon be lead by people smarter than me! I was never comforted by the thought that I “could hold my own” with the current President should I find myself chatting with him at a BBQ! My little cranial transition team still enjoys Palin bashing, and that is not where I want to go with my bloggery, but certainly there remain matters worthy of discussion before closing out the ugly episode of the reality show we all just lived through. Let’s share a collective “Whew!” at the bullet we dodged from that huntress! Personally, one of the most gratifying elements of this election was to learn that I am qualified to run a small town, and that I have no interest whatsoever in doing so. Palin was brought in to rally the vaginal-American electorate, but when that went over like a Baby Ruth bar in a public pool, they believed they were succeeding in rousting the small-townal-American vote. Wrong! In fact, the choice merely roused enough of the Dumbmerican vote to terrorize and mobilize the rest of us into action. To suggest all women are alike enough that they would automatically vote for ANY woman was extremely short-sighted by anyone who has ever spent time with ANY woman! And to suggest that all folks from small towns are like the mean-spirited shrew they found under a moose turd in Alaska was an insult to thinking individuals who have chosen small town life for the many advantages it offers besides the freedom to play secessionist.

While I’m feeling soft and squishy with the relief that we delivered the hope of a brighter future -- so I’m disinclined to continue hammering on the “Dumbmerican” thing -- I was struck by what we saw and heard at McCain’s concession speech. We all noticed the bad-sport / continue-to-support-our-team / we’ll-get-’em-next-time reaction from his crowd during his gracious address. Personally I was struck by how incredibly insensitive McCain’s own people were toward HIM. The fact is that simply is not what you see from the other side when they lose -- we’ve had a lot of experience in recent years, and in this digital age, we can easily go back and see that same moment in John Kerry’s concession speech and see that the graciousness flowed not just from the candidate but from the crowd as well -- because we have EMPATHY. And that seems to be at the core of the differences in the parties. On the Democratic side we have greater empathy toward our fellow humans. As someone who has written harshly about John McCain, I can proudly say I never treated him as disrespectfully as they did that night in Phoenix. What those Dumbmericans present failed to realize was that they were adding to the pain of THEIR guy with their shouts and boos. As he stood there delivering the most difficult oration of his entire life, his Dumbmerican followers poked him in the eye and didn’t even realize it. No doubt their intention was not to add to his burden, but they were so selfish they couldn’t think beyond their immediate emotional release. So short-sighted they didn’t realize their guy would have to say “no, now settle down” as he choked back tears. So narcissistic their egos couldn’t handle a loss. The antithesis of “Country First,” these individuals -- representative of the many ideologues throughout the land -- actually believe in “Individual First” and the common good be damned. I was ashamed. I was saddened for John McCain. He didn’t deserve that. Or did he? For he and his “soul mate” in maverickdom nearly perfected the riling of the angry mob. (We should be grateful we can only imagine what the PERFECTLY riled angry mob was capable of.)

While ideologues, fundamentalogues, dumbalogues, and skin-head-resembling plumbers just weren’t enough to deliver the presidency to John McCain, watch out. The right-wing is scrambling to figure out who they are and how to come back in the most partisan way they can -- lead by the likes of Tom Dellie, Rush Slimebaugh, Sean Insanity and Bill O’Lielly and a huge cast of lesser-known characters across the country. Clinging to the notion that the country is “still right of center” (I would strongly argue our nation is truly “languid of center” or actually “left of center” but lazy), they insist there has been no “shift.” No referendum on the course of the country. When their guy W wins by 3 million votes -- or less than 2.5% of the voting population -- or 31 electoral votes (roughly one large state), these masters of marketing -- these professional political pretzel twisters -- the olympic-caliber gymnastic needle threaders, call THAT a mandate and with straight faces posit that last week we did not experience an ideological earthquake. A breaching of the levees that contained apathy. When the Democrat wins by more than double the electoral votes (double + about three small states’ worth) -- when he wins by more than 6.5% of the popular vote, strangely we don’t hear rhetoric like “political capital” and how he intends to spend it. No, spending what we don’t have is not what we’re about. They love to accuse that’s what we wanna do, but balanced budgets don’t lie. Balanced tax plans that pay for expenditures don’t lie. The supposed “highest corporate tax rate on the planet” with loopholes large enough to drive a Cayman Island through, lies. A surge that leaves more troops in place than were there before lies (its called an escalation). Calling an estate tax a “death” tax is a lie. (You can’t pay taxes if you’re dead. Period.) Suggesting that the wealthiest among us got that way in a vacuum through only their own efforts alone and not on the infrastructure of the community and the backs of all workers, and therefore do not owe a progressive financial contribution is a lie. Bush and Co. lied.

History continues to write itself. We’ve been fortunate to witness it right itself (small “r”). We must beware and protect our country so that it does not Right itself (capital “R”).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Please enjoy this snippet of Real Time with Bill Maher. Weekly, he brings us “New Rules.” This post-election set, as always, is great (don’t forget to read the fun rules’ captions that appear below him as he reads them). He speaks to me, frequently speaks for me, and certainly speaks like me. (7 min.)

Happiness Hangover

2008-11-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

Took a day off from this hobby turned non-profit full-time job that became one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever enjoyed! Did you know you can get a headache from smiling too much? Not since my wedding day have I worn such a large smile for so long, and even that day wasn’t accompanied by the tears. I’m drained. Dehydrated. And enjoying a happiness hangover.

News continued even though I didn’t write about it. Hmmm. Imagine that.* Well, P.o.W. is still full of words that refuse to be contained and this will continue to be the place where they land. For the many words -- maybe too many -- I’m simply unable to put together the right combination of those words to express how very much YOUR kind words and supportive emails have been. What started with opinionated emails among friends grew into a forum to collect those thoughts. And support information. And a home to sprinkle in those silly “bumper sticker” signs and graphics that rattle around my head every election cycle -- a tradition arising from growing up in a large family in which someone was always running for something -- from student body office to school board to various elected roles in the community. I never expected this page to go beyond a handful of folks; I presumed I would remain anonymous to internet seekers who landed here; and I certainly didn’t expect this to be my foray back into communication with friends from high school. Strange where life takes you and when life’s disparate adventures converge. Treacherous. Exciting.

Over the next couple days, more of the campaign materials on this page will be shoved to the archives and just like our country, this blog shall begin anew. I hope you continue to check in when your busy life allows. While I feared it would expire today, my fears have been allayed. There is always more to say. More to ponder. More to do. And much more humor to share.

* To share an anecdote about this favorite phrase which I use frequently: “imagine that” -- a dear friend of the family -- this woman, the epitome of femininity -- was stopped by a traffic cop and upon telling him, somewhat flirtatiously, that she always donates to the Policeman’s Ball, he responded, “Ma’am, policemen don’t have balls.” After a moment’s pause, she came back with a slow and sultry: “Imagine that.” As the story goes, she drove away, ticketless, with the officer laughing hysterically by the side of the road. Hmmm. Imagine that.

YES WE DID!

2008-11-04T22:17:00.000-08:00

Familiar but not trite, that headline wrote itself long ago and sat in a corner of every writer’s mind, not challenging creativity, yet optimistically awaiting use on November 5th. Congratulations, America!

My other headline option was HISTEARY HAS BEEN MADE! After weeping all day November 3, 2004, I knew I would be distraught if we faced a loss again this year. No surprise. It was only in the last few weeks that I began to realize that a greater volume of tears would be shed should we be fortunate to realize the outcome we have just shared in this historic event.

While phoning voters in battleground states to remind them that their vote mattered; and with potentially greater impact than mine; and to tell them they have a cheerleader rooting for them in California -- that this election mattered so much to me that I am personally calling to remind them where their polling place is; if they must wait in a line, I thank them and to please persevere; surprising and amazing connections were made. Sure some folks were annoyed. I used to get annoyed at such calls. Plenty of voicemails were left and when my call was met with the ever-so-recognizable screech of a fax machine, I wrote a note and faxed it. The message was: “My name is Pearl & I’m a volunteer with Barack Obama’s campaign for change. Please remember to vote on Tuesday in this historic election. Barack Obama will bring the change we NEED in this country. I’m calling/faxing you from CA because YOUR VOTE MATTERS so much in YOUR state! Thanks for YOUR time. Your polling place is ...” It chokes me up. Speaking it. Writing it. Typing it. (How many tears can a keyboard absorb and still work in the morning? I may have an answer for you tomorrow.) I could feel the connection with strangers thousands of miles away who shared the love of country ... and shared the hope. A 97-year-old woman ... a young man who had never before voted. The 68-year-old man who was still undecided. We chatted for 20 minutes. On specific issues and about enthusiasm. And hope. He did not remain undecided. The commonality of collectively working to right the ship was palpable. Of the hundreds of calls, there were dozens of special moments when they thanked me, I thanked them and we were giddy, yet reserved, together, as strangers, united in these United States, the greatest nation on the planet.

Congratulations Barack Obama! Congratulations America! Thank you, America! We did it! Hope has arrived.
And so it begins ...
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
The Inspiration We NEEDED!

I am honored to post this here (17 min.)

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
MORON's Prop 8

As I head off to Zzzzland for the night, sadly, it’s looking bad for justice here in California. Prop 8, a so-called “sanctity of marriage act” which defines marriage as between one man and one woman and ironically was FUNDED BY THE RELIGION THAT BROUGHT US POLYGAMY, is prevailing. Small minds with big pockets can’t buy this country anymore, as Dumbmerica was dealt a blow today, but apparently Dumbfornians are succeeding in falling for a FUNDAMENTALIST pack of lies, delivering a big, ugly, hateful wedgie to the southern state on the left coast. Maybe as I sleep, my dreams full of today’s newfound hope will deliver actions preserving the SANCTITY OF SANITY and I will awake to find enough literate Californians actually read the 95--WORD PROPOSITION, instead of the 95 “Yes on 8” signs that appeared on every street corner throughout the state, to see to it that we don’t amend our state’s constitution to legalize discrimination.

I LOVE AMERICA!

2008-11-04T02:44:00.001-08:00

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world."
-- Mahatma Gandhi

I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who, upon viewing the pile of wrapped goodies realizes that none of them is quite the right shape to be that bike he wants so badly and is just hoping that when the flurry of glittery paper settles down, Mom & Dad are gonna send him to the garage to “get something” for them.

Join me here for real-time election results:

Thank you for sharing this day with me!

Reversely Perversely

2008-11-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

What if Obama had campaigned exactly as McCain DID during this campaign? We've talked amongst ourselves on this, but here we can actually see it in context. He'd be done. He'd be a joke. McCain is allowed to dodder -- were the tables turned, Obama'd be fodder. (6.5 min)

Truth is, most of us would have made as many silly stumbles as McCain, and then some. Frankly, I want a President who is waaay smarter and plugged-in than me. And frankly, probably you. And definitely John McCain. It's time for the AUDACITY OF SMART!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Nuclear ... Safe ... Blah, Blah, Blah

John McCain CONTINUES to be UNABLE to finish a sentence when discussing nuclear power. I've written about this before when he literally mumbled about it in the final debate. Lately he seems to love "air quotes" and uses them to express his contempt for issues such as "women's health." His crowd of Dumbmericans ate it up over the weekend when he used his air quotes to mock Barack Obama as he mumble-quoted him regarding nuclear power thusly: "Well ... it has to be safe ... environment ... BLAH, BLAH, BLAH." I $#!/ you not -- BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! He always talks about how we have had nuclear-powered subs for decades, but FAILS to mention that there was a nuclear leak aboard one such sub, the USS Houston, just a few months ago (read here.)

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

TesTED or TesTEE???

Following Joe Biden’s recent supposed “gaffe” when he AGREED with Joe Lieberman that the next President will be tested by America’s enemies early in his first term, John McCain continues to insist he HAS been tested. (Lost in all the hoopla was Biden's point: Obama "has a spine of steel.") Two important elements of McCain’s response get little attention.

First, as with his MANY platitudes, he says “it is so” without any explanation or examples to back it up. (Better called a “GRANDPLAtitude?”) HOW has he been tested? His one explanation is that during the Cuban Missile Crisis he was sitting on a fighter plane on an aircraft carrier “ready to go in” upon receiving orders (which, thankfully, didn’t occur because more even-tempered, level-headed, far-sighted decision making prevailed!) Seriously. That’s his example. Presumably he would also rely on [YAWN] his support of the splurge ... er ... a ... surge ... when others didn’t. Because the surge DID HELP bring some improvements in tamping down violence, and because nuance beyond what fits on a bumper sticker is more than Dumbmerica can handle, he largely gets a pass on insisting the surge was the sole determining factor in improvements in Iraq. Sure the surge helped, but it is better called a SPLURGE because we know the Sunni Awakening, the PRIMARY cause of the downturn in violence came about largely through a HUGE influx of cash to the area -- literally bribing our enemies to switch alliance. Poignantly exemplifying Republican response to most things -- act all “mavericky” playing “cowboy” letting the situation turn to $#!/, then panic and throw a bunch of money at it, while heaven-forbid asking the wealthiest among us to BE PATRIOTIC and pony up financially to support the country that provided the foundation on their road to wealth. NO DOUBT -- when American military presence is increased, well, we kick butt! Our military forces ARE the greatest on the planet. It really does go without saying. McCain does NOT GET TO CLAIM VICTORY IN IRAQ for himself! It was not HIS doing. It certainly was NO “test” of HIS mettle. Maybe it was graduating 894 in his class of 899 at the US Naval Academy that he considers to be his "test." We already tried the failed student party boy President. It hasn't worked out very well.

Secondly -- and don’t let this one slide past you -- he says they won’t test me, “I WILL TEST THEM!” He MUST explain this! HOW will he test THEM??? These aren’t “clues” he lets slip -- he is telling us he is going to provoke our enemies. Erratic on the economic crisis. Erratic in running his campaign. Erratic and sorely ERRORatic in Veep selection. Shoot from the hip MavERRATIC. He has shown us how he leads -- HEADY not steady!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

News Orgs Investigate Possibly Fatal McCain '64 Car Crash

Seriously, I don't wish to be part of spreading misinformation. I never heard of this before, but it DOES SOUND credible and apparently serious journalists have been working on this story for quite some time. Please click here to read about this story at Huffington Post. I believe in forgiving bad behavior but we cannot forget bad JUDGMENT when it comes to selecting the leader of the free world.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Prescience of What You're Gonna Hear

Maverick or DESPERADO?
Once again I heard a comedian use one of my bumper sticker zingers long after P.o.W. published it -- Joy Behar on Larry King Live used the John McCain isn't a "Maverick" he's a "Desperado" joke a few days ago. In my "Myoozings of a Wordzmith," I posited that with 6.7 billion people on the planet, you may have a truly ORIGINAL thought, but that doesn't necessarily mean that some other great mind hasn't pondered the same original idea. And that there IS room for 6.7 billion niches in this world.
•••••
O.K. Folks -- You’ve Gawta Come Here First!!!

Because it is so silly, yesterday, reluctantly P.o.W. predicted here that we would be hearing Ridiculous Republicans suggest impropriety in Barack Obama using his campaign plane to go to Hawaii to visit his near-death Grandmother. And IT HAPPENED ALREADY!!! Speaking with David Schuster on MSNBC, Republican Strategist, Brad Blakeman (you can COUNT on this guy to say stupid things!) was asked to comment on how “Regular-Joe” it was for the RNC to spend $150 grand on clothing and makeup at high-end clothiers to outfit Caribou Barbie to look presentable to their constituency. Brad took this opportunity to turn it around to -- and you heard it here first -- the “waste” from the Dem side in Obama travelling to be by his Grandmother’s side. Here’s exactly what he spewed: “Let me tell you this, the outrage today is Barack Obama is taking a 767 Campaign plane to ‘go visit Grandma.’ Forget the energy that is wasted, what about the hundreds of thousands of dollars to take a private trip when this guy should be humpin’ his bags on a commercial plane or smaller plane. Taking a 767 of campaign money from people who can least afford it is more of an outrage in my opinion.” Once again, I exclaim I $#![ you NOT! This is becoming a frequent refrain in this blog because they keep saying the most amazingly strange and stupid things!!! BUT NOTE -- YOU HEARD THAT ONE HERE FIRST!!! (While we’re at it, I predict we will hear something along the lines that Obama reimburses the campaign for this trip, unless it can be combined with some additional campaigning.)

So, to “Toot my own horn,” (as Sarah Palin claimed not to do while talking to Brian Williams last night regarding all the “executive experience” she has gained from her time in Alaska REDISTRUBUTING WEALTH from the Oil Companies to her citizens -- something like $4 grand to each citizen annually -- how could she NOT be popular?) -- to toot my own horn, P.o.W. had also said on this blog more than three weeks before hearing it anywhere else that “The Real Loser in All this is James Garner.” (See the bumper sticker/sign art in the right-hand column.) More than three weeks after making that little sign, Richard Lewis said it on Larry King and elsewhere while “junketting” recently.

And, more substantively, before P.o.W. could find it elsewhere, I was positing about a potential “Reverse Bradley Effect” in this election.

WOW! P.o.W.! You’ve gawta stop by this page first!

•••••

YES WE WILL!

2008-11-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

We are on the cusp of seeing IDEAS win out over IDEOLOGY!

There is still time to make calls for a change! Click here to pick a state and call Obama supporters to remind them how important it is for them to VOTE in this historic election! You get to remind them where THEIR polling place is and its hours of operation. And suggest how great they will feel if they bring a friend or neighbor with them to vote. The only thing we have to fear is COMPLACENCY!

A Call For Change!

2008-11-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

So much is riding on this election. With the climate as it is, if we can’t put a Democrat in the Oval Office THIS TIME, then I fear we never will. If we don’t elect a black candidate THIS TIME, then I ask can we ever? If we fail to select the only ticket that promises to rebuild the middle class, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO OUR MIDDLE CLASS? If we don’t appoint the party who truly intends to reform health care, then we are truly a SICK NATION. If the country doesn’t nominate the Democratic nominee THIS TIME, then we are only nominally a democracy.

It looks good for our guy, but it is not a lock. There IS a path for McSame/Failin’ to win this election. As impossible as it seems to many of us, it IS possible. The larger the margin of the win, the more unifying and healing it will be for the nation. What you read here is my cardboard sign with magic marker writing that reads: “Will work for change!” Today, as time runs out, this Desperate Housewife will be making calls to swing state voters. Calls to Obama supporters to remind them how important it is for them to go vote on Tuesday, where THEIR polling place is, and how, in this historic election, THEY can make an even greater impact by bringing friends and family with them, are impactful. With a few clicks at http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/phonebankmap you will be provided with a list of identified Obama supporters and YOUR call can make the difference. Voter suppression efforts are taking place -- for example fliers distributed in largely African-American areas of Virginia seemingly from the state board of elections tell Democrats to vote on Wednesday. Our calls to remind voters when their polling place is open and how much we need THEIR vote is a little insurance against tragedy. You can choose the state you wish to call. I will be calling PA again today. After 9pm THEIR time, I will move more westward, probably to CO. We called over 400,000 voters yesterday and the goal is half a million today. Can you make a small contribution of your time to work for change in the next couple days?
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Whawtsup 2012? 2016? ...

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
In CA, Don't Forget How Important it is to Vote NO on Prop 8!

Measure the Drapes ... PLEASE! + The Obama Infomercial

2008-11-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

Measure the Drapes ... PLEASE!

In yet another pathetic display, John McCain is calling Barack Obama presumptuous for having already penned his inaugural address. Once again, McCain is totally off-base and stating FALSE “facts!” It was a hypothetical speech written for a hypothetical Progressive President that was published in a book by John Podesta and John Halpin, and was submitted to the publisher last March.

I don’t care if Obama HAS written his next twelve speeches! Measure the curtains! Pick out the dishes! Write some future speeches! And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Senator Obama, continue to assemble your transition staff and plan that transition!!! Let’s stipulate that ANYone who runs for President is presumptuous enough to assume he/she SHOULD BE/WILL BE elected! Presume away! It will be refreshing to elect a leader who is READY on day one. One who will hit the ground running, not running away. We already tried a President who doesn’t read, and who doesn’t listen to Presidential Daily Briefings. You know, the President who refused to work with the previous administration for ANY sort of smooth transition. The one who, as of May had taken 2.5 years of vacation out of his seven years in office (36% of his time on vacation -- nice gig, huh?) IT HASN’T WORKED OUT VERY WELL! I, for one, WANT a President who is presumptuous enough to be READY!!! Presume away!!!
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Label it whatever you want -- I'm in!

If you had the misfortune of missing Obama's infomercial this evening, you're in luck -- here's you chance to see it (28 min.)

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

A Dose of Daily Show -- Send John McCain to Retire in One of His Seven Swanky Homes

2008-11-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

By reader request, here is the Daily Show's review of the Obama infomercial

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
John McCain & Tina Fey's Sarah Palin Together on SNL November 1, 2008

On SNL last night he was in on the joke and we enjoyed a glimpse of the John McCain we want to like -- the one we used to like. It looks like he is accepting defeat with grace and humor. Still, his surrogates twist through electoral gymnastics to come up with a model in which he wins. It IS STILL POSSIBLE. Then the joke would be on all of us.

Undecided???

2008-10-31T15:22:00.001-07:00

Ground Up Economics:

Who ARE These "Undecided Voters?"
Daily Show 10.07.08 The Stupid Vote 3.5 min.

Both candidates’ are for “Ground Up” economics -- Obama is for BUILDING from the ground up and McCain’s policies just cause the middle class to BE all ground up. -- P.o.W.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Opie, Sheriff Taylor, Richie Cunningham & The Fonz Endorse Obama

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Gawta love those guys! 4 min. (Here's a link.)

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

http://members.cox.net/pearlofwizdom/McCainWins200.gif
http://members.cox.net/pearlofwizdom/BushPumpkn200.gif

[Warning: Extra ranty today, ending with poignancy]
In the spirit of Halloween this year, there is nothing scarier than witnessing the filthy rhetoric out of the Repugnantcan surrogates speaking on behalf of their candidate -- or actually against their opponent because, as we know, they are bereft of any positive message of their own. So I bring you some videos today. When you see that even FoxNews won’t allow some of the lies to be spewed unchecked, you might think it April Fool’s Day. In the CNN clip enjoy watching the McCain spokesman implode. Scary, funny, sad and very bad. Although it is somewhat satisfying to see them hang themselves with their own words, what is truly horrifying is that for large chunks of the Dumbmerican voting population their vile regurgitation of talking point LIES works. Yesterday when John McCain gave his new BFF Joe T. Plumber a shout out, he told the crowd to applaud him for all he has done for this country. What the F&@#? WHAT has he done? Those Dumbmericans EAT THAT S#!+ up! What is wrong with these people??? If you see me out on the street today with my head exploded, please help! It is NOT a Halloween costume!

If you have not yet read it, PLEASE DO see my poetic admonishment to Chad Michael Morisette -- that ding-a-ling who displayed the hanging Palin and burning McCain in his front yard earlier this week. My poem appears below these SCARY videos. THANKS! And if you need to feel good please read or reread some of my “best words” published on this blog in my short essay “Measure the Drapes ... PLEASE!” Thank you!

Joe The Moron (5.5 min)

Today, John McCain called this guy a "HERO" and says he "Will bring him to Washington." Will he be a cabinet member? Tell McCain plumbers work in the cabinet under the SINK, not the one under the President!

Even Neil Cavuto at Fox can't take it anymore! (2.5 min)

McCain National Spokesman Michael GoldFART Implodes (2 min)

We should all be terrified to realize that in this century in this country people still conduct witch hunts in the form of holding YOU responsible for the past actions of every person you have ever come in contact with. In other words, every time you listen to some idiot speak and you don’t act to denounce what they’ve said, this very well may come back to bite your ass at some distant future time. To me that means that every time I hear some repugnant Republican spew racist, divisive, hatespeak and I don’t go slap them in the face or worse, I might be held responsible for that “ASSociation.” Well, I AM doing SOMEthing to denounce such stupidity by condemning it here. I hope this helps when, someday, I decide to run for President. This is the scariest Halloween ever. I better start jotting down all the stupid associations I’ve ever had but didn’t denounce. Oh man, all the times I only laughed at an evangelist. Or didn’t pick a fight with a racist. I’ve heard some really dumb things said at a few bars and chose not to pick a fight with the 400 lb sexist pig spewing them. Oh man ... I even know several people who thought it was a good idea to vote for Bush/Cheney. Twice! Yikes! THOSE “associations” could be held against me. OMG, I’ve gotta get started. I’ve gotta bank a wholotta denunciations I might need to pull from in the future so I won’t have their stupidity hung on me if I ever decide to run for office. Have YOU ever spent some time with an idiot? You better get started on YOUR denunciations now, you might need them someday. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

REALLY! It's NOT April Fool's Day -- these Republicans have serious doubts about McCain's judgment in picking Palin ...

Bush 41 Sec of State Larry Eagleburger, ONE OF THOSE FIVE Secs of State that Endorse McCain, Says This About Sarah Palin's Readiness (1.5 min)

Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein Not Too Impressed With Palin Either (3.5 min)

REALLY! I SWEAR! It's NOT April Fool's Day! Even McCain's people admit his plans are not as good as Obama's! Maybe it's Christmas ...

McCain's economic advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin: Obama's health care plan better for America (.5 min)

O.K. ... just one more for today ... for those who are deeply saddened by the once honorable man who has turned ugly and brought out the ugliness in the country that you might have thought was a thing of the past ... for those who USED to like John McCain and wish you could still ... and if you are of the age to be brought to melancholy at the sound of Stevie Nicks singing, then this tear jerker is for you ... (many comments are posted with this video on YouTube here. Thanks to tobyrockssohard. I hope this doesn't get any sympathy votes! 4 min)

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
John McCain's cousin endorses Barack Obama -- read here, as sent in by a reader from Keystone Progress in PA.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I just heard a great line from Sen. Amy Klobuchar about pitbulls:

"We're in the pits because of their bull!"

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
My Admonishment in Astonishment at the Validity of Chad’s Stupidity

For the last couple of days we’ve been hearing about this dummy in West Hollywood who, in the name of Halloween decorating, has displayed a mannequin dressed up to look like Sarah Palin hanging in effigy, while John McCain emerges ablaze from the chimney of his house. It is so stupid it should not be dignified by comment. However, it is so insulting to BOTH SIDES and simply doesn’t help our efforts to bring about INTELLIGENT change that I am moved to personally SLAP this dimwit in the only way I can -- with my words:

If your Halloween “DECORATIONS”
Are mere HATE advocations
Your VERY bad taste
Absolutely NAUSEATES

When your personal CHALLENGE is creativity
It’s a bad idea to show off your NAIVETÉ
It quickly spread through the BLOGS,
And surely did NOT help our cause

Consider how much SCARIER it would have been
To show the OVAL OFFICE occupied by Sarah Palin
And since he boasts how he often comes back from the DEAD
John McCain could have been dressed as a ZOMBIE instead

Crying “VIOLENCE INCITEMENT” they’ve begun to investigate
When the reasonable response is to shun, to castigate
A stupid expression of freedom of speech
Does not necessarily mean that laws have been breached

SHAME on you, Chad Michael Morisette
Although not criminal, you sure are an IDIOT
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Recently added to PearlOfWizdom:

2008-10-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 10.30.08
• The Obama Infomercial
Wednesday, 10.29.08
• My Admonishment in Astonishment at the Validity of Chad’s Stupidity
Tuesday, 10.28.08
• Measure the Drapes ... PLEASE!
• Nuclear ... Safe ... Blah, Blah, Blah
• Plus HALLOWEEN FUNNIES in the NARROW COLUMN!
Monday, 10.27.08
• News Orgs Investigate Possibly Fatal McCain '64 Car Crash
• Ted Stevens Found Guilty on All Seven Counts!
Under "Kwik Thawts" see:
• TesTED or TesTEE?
• Obama Assassination Plot Disrupted By ATF
STILL AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING BELOW:
• Opie & Sheriff Taylor, Richie & The Fonz Endorse Obama
• The SNL Electoral Map (Hilarious!)
• When You've Got It, You've Got It!
• How the H#!! Can ANYone Still Be Undecided?

Comments will be gladly added to any item on this blog. Please email to: PearlOfWizdom@cox.net if "comments" does not appear below the item. THANKS!

••••••••••••••••••••••••
Obama Assassination Plot Disrupted By ATF

Two idiot tinheads met online, plotted to assassinate Barack Obama and 88 other people, including beheading 14 African-Americans. The plan, foiled by ATF, was to be funded by robbing homes and gun shops. See the AP report on the failed “plans” at Huffington Post.

Campaign Graphics 2008 P.o.W.

2008-10-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

Which train will YOU ride???
AVOID THE McTRAIN WRECK!!!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Red State Rampage
Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) 10.17.08 (1 min.)

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
It was refreshing and so damn nice to see each candidate roast himself and the other guy at the Alfred E. Smith charity dinner (10.16.08):

Obama Spoke second, but I like him more so I put him first. I feel so empowered!

10.16.08 charity dinner 10 min

McCain spoke first, and he really was quite funny. Where the Hell has this guy been lately?McCain spoke first, and he really was quite funny. Where the Hell has this guy been lately?

10.16.08 charity dinner 9.5 min.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Fear of Sarah having anything to do with runnin' our country has inspired such creativity!

Her stupidity flows ... (3.5 min)

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Posting to Archives for MISC. October

2008-10-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but this blog is still less than two months old. (I know it has LOTS of stuff for that short amount of time!) Admittedly I still stumble around ALOT with how it all works. To gain some control in the order of how things appear, most recent items have not been "posts" and are added a different way that allows me to keep what I want on the front page and move around how things appear on the page. SOOO ennn-e-way ... all posts are in the archives. Please check them out -- a list with links appears in the narrow right-hand column. And any comments you would like to add to other items on the page can be emailed to PearlOfWizdom@cox.net. (That saves you from having to have a gmail email account in case you don't already.) I will gladly add your comments to essays, articles, comments, etc. Thank you!

TODAY -- 10.29.08
Please see:
• My Admonishment in Astonishment at the Validity of Chad’s Stupidity

Added yesterday -- 10.28.08
Please see:
• Measure the Drapes ... PLEASE!
• Nuclear ... Safe ... Blah, Blah, Blah
• Plus HALLOWEEN FUNNIES in the NARROW COLUMN!

Added a couple days ago -- 10.27.08
Please see:
• News Orgs Investigate Possibly Fatal McCain '64 Car Crash
• Ted Stevens Found Guilty on All Seven Counts!
Under "Kwik Thawts," please see:
• TesTED or TesTEE?
• Obama Assassination Plot Disrupted By ATF

•••••••••••••••••••••
Get the Poor Girl a Dictionary!!!

At the McCain rallies the crowds “boo” at the mention of the NY Times. For each person in those crowds who has even touched a copy of the NY Times in the last year, I would gladly donate a nickle to a fund to benefit Sarah Palin with the purchase of a dictionary that includes the Constitution of the United States of America. In fact P.o.W. has just decided to give her one anyway -- if they win SHE NEEDS IT BADLY, and if they lose it will be a nice parting gift. (See Sarah MANGLE the Constitution as she describes what SHE believes her role as VP would be here.) Post-its will be added to the pages that define “American,” “patriotic,” “socialism,” and provide the pronunciation of “nuclear.”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

10.27.08
Ted Stevens Found Guilty on All Seven Counts!
Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican Senator, and currently defending that seat, was found guilty on all seven counts of corruption and falsifying financial reports in receiving $160,000 improvements of his home at no charge. He faces up to five years in prison for each count, but is not required to drop out of the election.

Alaska is so entertaining! It’s ripe for a reality show since nothing SOME of those folks do seems to be actually anything like reality! Is that “RealMerica?”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

It's hard to believe, but this blog is still less than two months old. (I know it has LOTS of stuff for that short amount of time!) Admittedly I still stumble around ALOT with how it all works. To gain some control in the order of how things appear, most recent items have not been "posts" and are added a different way that allows me to keep what I want on the front page and move around how things appear on the page. SOOO ennn-e-way ... all posts are in the archives. Please check them out -- a list with links appears in the narrow right-hand column. And any comments you would like to add to other items on the page can be emailed to PearlOfWizdom@cox.net. (That saves you from having to have a gmail email account in case you don't already.) I will gladly add your comments to essays, articles, comments, etc. Thank you!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Bad Guys Don’t See Themselves As Bad Guys ...

In a tribute to James Cagney, George C. Scott said of the elder actor, “The key was that Jimmy believed in his characters. He understood that bad guys don’t see themselves as bad guys.” For as out of touch as John McCain is, and as ideologically, fundamentally off base as Sarah Palin is, I do believe THEY believe they are right. They must. They HAVE to think the end justifies the means, giving them the “pass” they must need to run the DANGEROUSLY negative campaign they have waged and still sleep at night. They just don’t see themselves as bad guys who incite hate, inspire violence, call the other guy a “terrorist,” suggest he is UNamerican, lie about his plans, lie about theirs, and claim to be like “everyman” from the “Real America” -- as if any chunk of this great country is not genuinely American. How insulting. How is THAT country first? It is most decidedly country WORST!

When someone says “no offense but ...” and then proceeds to lay out offensive insults, they somehow believe that prefacing it with “no offense” gives them a pass to be rude. It doesn’t. The key is not in the “no offense,” the key is the “but” which negates everything that preceded it. -- A Very Wise Man: My Dad

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Be Afraid! Be Very Very Afraid! (10.24.08)

While pundits are doing their poll dancing, we must remember that Nov 4 is the ONLY poll that COUNTS!!! Poll numbers are all over the place and alarmingly, some are showing this race is still very very close. What seems obvious to us -- we voters who feel enlightened about the only candidate who will bring real and substantive change -- is not so obvious to the crowds of die-hard righties who continue to be force-fed the notion that the McCain/Palin ticket will help “Joe the Plumber,” “Joe Six-Pack,” the basic “Average Joe” and I guess “Jo Jo the Dog-Faced Boy,” long after even “Joe” himself has admitted that he and his business would BENEFIT under an Obama administration.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Mugged and Maimed McCain Supporter Admits Hoax!!! (10.24.08)

Yesterday we heard the story of a young female McCain supporter who claimed an Obama supporter mugged her at an ATM in what she called the “bad part of Pittsburgh” and carved a “B” in her face, supposedly for “Barack.” She claimed the black man pulled a knife on her, demanded her money, then followed her to her car whereupon noticing her McCain/Palin sticker, he hit her and used the knife to cut her cheek.

IT WAS ALL A LIE! She admits it was a HOAX! (P.o.W. knew it! But didn’t write it up. Damn!) It was too weird to be true and is exactly the kind of reverse psychology, do-something-SO-over-the-top-strange-to-your-own-side-that-the-OTHER-guys-HAD-to-have-done-it-to-you ploy that Karl Rove perfected in politics three decades ago. Obviously McCain did not sanction this behavior, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE -- the example of their tactics
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Big Gut BIGGOT (10.22.08)

LIEmbaugh opens his mouth and crap falls out. (.5 min)

Massa bloviator Rush LIEmbaugh offers up a twisted biggut pretzel for his listeners to swallow in the latest display of HIS naked racisim by insisting that the Colin Powell endorsement of Barack Obama is "ALL about race." Even his most ardent dough eating followers should have a painful case of indigestion at being force-fed that toasted turd biscuit if they are at all familiar with who REPUBLICAN Colin Powell is and actually listen to his announcement. (Click here to read and watch Powell's endorsement on Meet the Press.)

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Oh the Oriny (10.22.08)

McCain supporter, Sen. Orin Hatch speaking with Andrea Mitchell said today that he remembers Bill Clinton wound up giving the biggest tax cut in history and that’s what you’re gonna get with Obama. Is that supposed to help McCain who is out on the campaign trail day after day telling people Obama is gonna raise their taxes??? Don’t you just love it when you give people some rope and they hang themself with it? Oh ... that takes me back to last week -- an eternity in this campaign -- Michelle Bachman ... thanks for the good times! (BTW -- the “Censure Bachman” campaign has almost 55,000 signatures now.)

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I'm Starting to Think Even the McCain Camp Wants Obama to Win!

So let's see ... McCain plucks a "Hockey Mom" out of Alaska, sends her on a $150,000 couture shopping spree to develop the "Hottie Mom" persona, ultimately achieving only "Haughty Mom" status. No “Regular Josephine” I know ever spent $150,000 on clothes -- in an entire LIFETIME! Makes John Edwards’ $400 haircut look like a trip to Fantastic Sam’s! Just like us? I don’t think so. Frankly -- I HOPE not!
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Barry Dunham to Go to Grandmother's Bedside

Barack Obama’s anglo grandmother, largely responsible for raising him, and whom he credits greatly with helping him to grow into the leader he is today, is reportedly gravely ill. Obama will be off the campaign trail late this week to be by her side in Hawaii. Punditry has been abuzz about how unfortunate it could be for his campaign that life circumstances get in the way at this crucial time so close to the election. Upon hearing this, my first thought, after wishing Mrs. Dunham well, was: there is NO WAY spending this time with his ill grandmother can hurt him in the polls! Especially among one of John McCain’s strongest contingents -- senior citizens. And especially that particular voting block in the battleground state of Florida, which is still in the toss-up column of all major electoral maps.* You may have heard about comedian Sarah Silverman’s “The Great Schlep.” (If not, please take five minutes and see it here. It is cute and funny.) Now, Obama sort of will be doing as Silverman suggests in her satirical, yet serious drive to get youth to help their Grandparents understand why a vote for Obama is a vote in their own best interest, and in the best interest of their favorite people -- their grandkids.

This sad situation for Obama and his family certainly will not hurt his campaign. Now watch for the desperate pettiness from other side -- they never miss a chance to shoot their own campaign in the foot -- they will claim: 1) that Obama is somehow trumping up the severity of his Grandma’s condition for sympathy votes; 2) there will be more talk of how “elitist” Obama is for having family connections in plush Hawaii; and 3) this is a silly prediction about the silliest campaign we’ve had the misfortune to witness in my lifetime -- watch for someone, somewhere from the Republican side to suggest some impropriety in Obama travelling to Hawaii via his campaign plane. Sounds silly, but their silliness never ceases to amaze! Although, with questionable circumstances surrounding McCain’s use of his wife’s personal jet early in his campaign, and the latest report out of the McCain camp that they have spent $150,000 on clothes and personal styling on Sarah Palin, while many of their down-ticket Repugs all over the country languish in the polls, it would be wise to “not go there.” But have they shown any wisdom thus far in this campaign? Join me in a laugh when you hear some low level righty try to make a name for himself by suggesting this “scandel.” Ha!

We wish the VERY BEST for Madeline Dunham. I SINCERELY HOPE SHE IS AROUND TO WATCH HER GRANSDON TAKE OFFICE NEXT JANUARY!

* Side note about electoral maps -- if you need a laugh, go looking for an electoral map on the FoxNews website. You won’t find anything! The closest I could find was a video with Karl Rove from over a month ago which showed Obama trailing McCain 215 to 227 with 96 in toss up. (All other current maps show Obama up by about 100 electoral votes.) Ha! They are so funny over there at Faux News!!! The next closest item my search came up with was an electoral map from 2004 with which they tried to suggest things could go the same way this time as then. I $#![ you NOT! It is fun to try -- a sort of “video game” for political wonks who love doing internet research. Give it a try. They have a weird interactive map that doesn’t seem to give any sort of overall picture -- only local info you can zoom in to -- and even then, there is no analysis. Weird! That’s how they stay “fair and balanced” -- they just don’t report what they don’t like! If you find a current overall electoral map on Fox, please share it with PearlOfWizdom. It’s link would be gladly added to the collection of electoral maps found in the “Important Links” section.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Powell Endorses Obama (Sunday, 10.19.08)
Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell endorsed the presidential bid of Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, during an interview Sunday on “Meet the Press.” Seven minute video available here at MSNBC. Powell also addresses the notion that somehow not being Christian makes a candidate ineligible to be President. FINALLY, this from someone the wingnuts MIGHT listen to.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Wingnut Loses a Screw, Causes Feign Wreck

>>>FOLLOW UP TO THIS STORY: "Tell Congress to Censure Bachman" at CensureBachman.com. See the video + the Katrina vanden Huevel discussion that followed at Huffington Post. This will bring you back down from the anger after witnessing Bachman's ugly display. As of Wednesday midday, nearly 55,000 people have signed. And her opponent's campaign contributions have risen by over a million bucks! And he now stands a great chance of winning the seat in that Republican district. Ms. Bachman handed the DCCC a gift -- a very ugly gift, but a gift nonetheless. Thanks, Michelle! Check back HERE (PoW) for updates on the petition count and the developing story. <<<

Joining Chris Matthews on Hardball today (10.17.08) was sick-minded, vile-speaking, Repugnant MN Congresswoman Michelle Bachman. In her sadly misguided pursuit of further sowing the seeds of hate, distrust and divisiveness, she attempted to equate “liberal” and “leftist” with “anti-American.” I wasn’t planning to write about it. Then I thought, well I’ll track down the video and let it speak for itself -- the story would be a two-fer because the discussion began with an audio clip of the McCain-Palin/RNC robocalling that is occurring in 18 states and Canada, and may violate some state’s law.

The hunt proved SHOCKING! What I saw as so obviously grotesque that any fully-evolved, thinking individual would find thoroughly DANGEROUS and contrary to the foundation of our country is actually being heralded by right-wing bloggery as a “win” for their cause. I am stunned. And sickened. This elected member of the US Congress literally said “she is absolutely concerned that [SENATOR] Barack Obama may have anti-American views.” And that “the people [SENATOR] Barack Obama has been associating with are anti-American BY AND LARGE.” She suggested that you take all these “associations” and add them all up and “this is the TOTALITY of the package [SENATOR] Barack Obama has been.” Further, she suggests the news media do a “penetrating exposé and take a look at the views of the PEOPLE IN CONGRESS and find out are they PRO-AMERICAN or ANTI-AMERICAN.” If you have 10 minutes and a REALLY STRONG STOMACH, and you are in the mood to get really angry and maybe even yell at your computer, check it out here. With the seriousness of the accusations they continue to hurl around, like monkeys flinging feces from their cage, these ELECTED officials are duty-bound to bring forth charges in an official forum, if they truly believe their own propaganda. If they believe that SENATOR Obama is dangerous, they are remiss to not act NOW to remove the SENATOR from office. But even they don’t believe what they say. They merely have to get their base of Dumbmericans to eat it up. This is filthy. It was another stormy day of the right-wing feignstorm. Fortunately, forecasts predict prevailing winds will bring a wave of clarity in the next few weeks.

The good late-breaking news is that her Democratic opponent in this campaign has raised nearly $30,000 since her obscene display on Hardball.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Torn About Acorn?

Help your less informed friends understand this:
ACORN is REQUIRED by law to submit EVERY registration form they collect. They vet them themselves and when they are submitted they are in three piles: Good, Unverified, and Bad. ACORN brought the invalid forms to the attention of Registrars of Voters. Some over zealous workers in the field engaged in some fraudulent form collecting, and they should be met with whatever penalties the law allows. But voter REGISTRATION fraud is FAR from VOTER fraud. And ACORN as an organization is not responsible -- they DON’T BENEFIT from invalid registrations!!! They want REAL voters to REALLY vote! Read here.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Moron Joe the Plumber

Since John McCain thrust this poor fella into the spotlight at the debate the other night, the media have poked around every part of this guy’s life. I feel sorry for him. But that doesn’t mean I like him! He explains why here (3 min.):

Among many other things, we now know Joe would BENEFIT in terms of taxes under an Obama administration.

• CBS did some fact checking on his story. Read here.
• Washington Post also has a more complete look at this supposedly “Average Joe” Read here.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Daily Show 10.09.08 FoxNews Montage 2 min.

You also missed a long list of misstatements and misleading “reporting” from Fox News last week (as all weeks), as documented, as always, at MediaMattersforAmerica.org

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Obama camp requests special prosecutor for fraud investigation

(CNN) – The Obama campaign announced Friday that it is asking Attorney General Michael Mukasey to turn over any investigations of voter fraud or voter suppression to Special Prosecutor Nora Dannehy, the same special prosecutor recently appointed to investigate the U.S. attorney firing scandal. Read more.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Obama Raised Over $150 million in September

Shattering records and restoring optimism to a seriously divided nation, the Obama campaign’s fundraising has reached $605 million, including the $150 million raised in September -- more than double the previous month’s then record-breaking $65 million. This was announced a day after Obama attracted a crowd of over 100,000 to a rally in ST. Luois, MO. That money is not beholden to a few rich interests -- that money has come from 3.1 million donors and September’s donors contributed an average of $86.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

••••••••••••••••••••••
The REAL Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live (10.18.08) Sarah was in two skits. Both are shown on Huffington Post here.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

TINA FEY: “I CAN’T DO THAT FOR FOUR YEARS!”

Some people say if McCain/Palin win, they will leave the country. Tina Fey told TV Guide, if they win, she’s leaving the PLANET! (click on photo to link to Huffington Post story)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/13/tina-fey-on-sarah-palin-i_n_134188.html

Duh ... ’Batin’

2008-10-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

A link to the debate on CNN is in the "LInks to Important ANALYsites" under "Presidential Debate #3)

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• Health Care
No surprise what I have to say! I wrote last week on McCain’s health plan and I heard more of the same nothing -- get people “fit” and put our medical records online. He can’t get around how his plan will decimate the whole concept of “insurance” by deleting the fundamental principle of insurance: “Shared Risk.” Healthy people get cheap insurance and all the older or not-as-healthy people are left in high-risk, low-benefit, very expensive plans IF they can find one. McCain’s plan will force many to the cheap plans which could be available only from states that don’t require covering many of the basics. Bad idea! Geez. When someone in your family is sick, you deal with it. How come a priority of providing health care to everyone is such a weird idea to so many people? The overall structure is doomed to fail by allowing the very healthy to jump into a really cheap plan and pocket a few bucks, the remaining people will have high premiums resulting in the employers ultimately to stop providing insurance altogether. This is a Repugnantcan attempt to eliminate the employer-based system. Then families face that $12,000 price tag with only $5,000* to cover it, IF THEY CAN GET COVERAGE AT ALL! Paul Krugman -- the dude that just won a Nobel Prize last week -- writing for Economists for Obama last April spelled out what we’ve continued to hear all along from McCain -- nothing! The Economist agrees. The independent Tax Policy Center has a clear summary of their plans here. A senior health advisor to the Obama/Biden campaign explained in detail at Daily Kos.
* That’s $5,000 for a family and just $2,500 for individuals.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• “Joe the Plumber” is NO “Average Joe” NOR “Joe Sixpack” NOR “Undecided”
McLame’s attempt at an “everyman” metaphor with his plumber pal “Joe” was just silly. Since the average Mr. AND Mrs. Joe COMBINED earn less than $50,000 COMBINED (did I mention that’s COMBINED?), our new friend, Joe may be a “PLUMBER, BUT” he ain’t average! Obviously a predisposed Repug, Joe says Social Security is a joke, he hates it, and it should be abolished. Typical right-wing position -- looking out for number one and the rest be damned. What Joe needs to do with his new $280-grand-a-year business is INVEST in the business to reduce his tax “burden” while stimulating the economy. How about HIRING a real “Average Joe?” Joe needs to be reminded that he did not rise to the level of plumber swinging such large pipe in a vacuum. As a proud American, I realize that ANY success I enjoy is only possible due to the greatness of this country as a COMMUNITY. That community that provides the infrastructure for his and all business to thrive so the more we earn in this community, the more we owe back to it. It is ABSOLUTELY patriotic to pay our fair share. Does Joe think he shouldn’t pay a few bucks more for the privilege and benefits of owning a business in this community we call USA than, say, a handy-man, who works just as many long hours and may know as much about plumbing, but whose circumstances never presented such opportunity as Joe faces now? Circumstances that might have resulted in bankruptcy due to the audacity of getting sick in this failed healthcare system? It is NOT redistributing Joe’s wealth to undeserving deadbeats, it is sharing abundance within the community which allows ALL to prosper, and therefore, GROW the ENTIRE community. Wealth “trickling down” is a failed experiment. However, when the spring of prosperity is heated up at the lowest level it forces an eruption of plentitude for “Regular GUYsers.”

Click here to see the original discussion with Joe and decide for yourself.

Today we learned that “Joe the Plumber” would NOT in fact pay higher taxes under Obama’s plan since he was using GROSS receipt figures, not net income. AND we learned that Joe owes some back taxes, isn’t licensed, and is actually named Samuel J. Wurzelbacher. Say it ain’t so, Joe! A man who gets angry at the thought of paying ANY taxes is not a good representative of Joe Sixpack, but is a good representation of Dumbmerica.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
[This is picked up basically unchanged from my comments on this from the LAST debate. Can't McCain come up with anything new? Maybe something that is more truthful? Just a thought ...]
• Are you as tired of hearing about that $42,000 as I am???
Politifact rates McCain’s claim as “Half True” as excerpted here:

“Obama voted in March 2008 and June 2008 for budget resolutions. They are blueprints for the federal budget. The resolutions set targets for the committees that write legislation on taxes and spending. The resolutions, approved on mostly party line votes, expressed support for ROLLING BACK tax CUTS enacted under President Bush for people making $42,000 a year and higher. ...

But it’s INACCURATE to suggest votes on NONBINDING budget resolutions, which don’t have the force of law and don’t include precise details on taxes or spending, are the same as votes on legislation that actually increases taxes. The resolutions would NOT change the tax code.”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• Voter “Fraud”
No one is more sensitive to voter fraud than democrats! Voter REGISTRATION fraud is reprehensible, but is a far cry from VOTER fraud -- there is no way Mickey Mouse, who registered fraudulently, is gonna show up and try to vote! Or the guy that registered 73 times -- he’s NOT gonna VOTE 73 times. It matters, but fraudulent registering happens every time. Voter SUPPRESSION is the real danger. Which the Repug party has tinkered with going all the way back to the civil rights movement. As spelled out in a NY Times editorial early last year, “In partisan Republican circles, the pursuit of voter fraud is code for suppressing the votes of minorities and poor people.” McCain sat there and accused Barack Obama of personally undermining the entire democratic process in a flagrant attempt to crumble our democracy.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• Obama’s relationship to ACORN
THIS is EXACTLY what “FightTheSmears.com” was developed for! The ACORN relationship is explained here and the candidate verbally restated it in Ohio, Tuesday October 14, 2008: “It’s probably 13 years ago, when I was still practicing law, I represented ACORN and my partner in that representation was the U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, in having Illinois implement what was called the ‘Motor Voter’ law, to make sure that people could go to DMVs and driver’s license facilities to get registered,” Obama said. “It wasn’t being implemented. That was my relationship and is my relationship to ACORN.”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• Pro-Life, Anti “Health” of the Mother?
This is a tough one for righties. They love to say “Pro-Abortion” as often as possible because they have been well-schooled in marketing. What they need is some schooling in science. Regardless of whether you believe a minute clump of cells is a sacred soul, by definition it is a parasite (Sorry if that shocks you, but by definition an embryo IS a parasite -- it may be the most wonderful “gift from God,” but it is still wholly dependent on the host for survival, and therefore a parasite.) NO ONE is PRO-abortion. On this issue there is ONLY Pro-SELF-Government and Pro-Government-Government. Obama’s vote against a bill that included a provision to protect infants that are born alive was a vote against steps closer to overturning Roe v. Wade AND such protections WERE ALREADY STATE LAW! In fact the Republican Senator who sponsored the bill has said, “None of those who voted against [it] favored infanticide.” For McCain to mock abortion in cases where the “health” of the Mother is at risk is another display of how out of touch he is. Obviously I believe people should be prohibited from intruding in personal health and life decisions of others under ANY circumstances. Anti-choice fundamentalists always baffle me when they say abortion should be allowed in the case of incest or rape. How do they reconcile this with their “Pro-life” stance? It is intellectually dishonest to believe abortion is murder and allow those exceptions. And if life is so scared, how can they support the death penalty? This makes no sense. And then there’s war ...

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• Energy independence and that DISTORTED $700 billion going to countries “who don’t like us much ...”
FactCheck.org finds that is an inflated figure. It’s still obscene amounts of money, but it needs clarification and Mr. Straight-Talk should be more factual: based on last year’s imports of 4.9 billion barrels, at TODAY’s PRICES, we are on track to spend $536 billion this year to ALL exporting countries -- not just the ones who hate us -- including a third of which we get from our friends: Canada, Mexico, and the UK. Data is available at: Energy Information Administration’s Official Energy Statistics from the US Government.

Spoiled for oil, we’ve toiled and embroiled for oil. Sadly we are soiled by oil. It’s time to recoil from oil. We can choose to seriously invest in serious development of serious alternatives to oil or we can elect a leader whose central focus is on drilling here and drilling now so that we will be able to use our own oil in like 12 years. They both suggest exploring alternative energies, but only one proposes a plan to get us off oil, create jobs, and improve the environment. The other candidate mocks concerns about the safety of nuclear power -- watch McCain when this comes up -- he always mocks and ALWAYS mumbles -- he can’t even complete the sentence and is incoherent with his “blah, blah, blah” attitude about dealing with the nuclear waste. He is so nonchalant about the fact that we have yet to figure out how to permanently deal with the spent rods. Could it be because he won’t be around when those barrels they are stored in break down? He claims since nuclear submarines are safe then we oughtta ultimately build 100 more nuclear plants (45 now), despite a leak earlier this year aboard the USS Houston. And simply hope that we figure out the disposal problem that has eluded us for 50 years. BTW, on off shore drilling, McDrill has said, “you look down, and there’s fish everywhere! There’s fish everywhere! Yeah, the fish love to be around those rigs.” Obama has NOT taken nuclear off the table, but as with all other issues, he doesn’t just jump in, risks be damned. Wow. No shooting from the hip. How refreshing. CNN summed up the proposed plans a few months ago (click to link).

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• Soldiers to Teachers?
McCain mumbles so much and tosses out these strange ideas and moves on to the next incoherent statement so quickly you really do need a transcript to review what you just heard. This struck me hard during the debate because this was the first I’d heard of this one: “We need to encourage programs such as ... Troops to Teachers where people, after having served in the military, can go right to teaching and not have to take these examinations which -- or have the certification that some are required in some states.” Hello? I’m proud of our service men and women and they certainly have valuable wisdom from their experiences. Many are exceptionally intelligent and would make great teachers. But back the Straight Talk Express up! How ridiculous is it to suggest that their experience automatically translates into the skills needed to educate the next generation? This is more silliness from the party who would like to abolish the Department of Education altogether. They always equate “educated” with “elitist.” The same ones who think it wise to pull money out of public education to benefit those who can afford private school. Private school has to be an option for anyone who chooses. But we ALL benefit from EVERYone getting a decent basic education. That’s part of that community infrastructure “Joe the Plumber” doesn’t believe should be more greatly shouldered by those with greater wealth opportunity.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• I know President Bush. President Bush is a friend of mine. Sir, I am NO President Bush!?!?!?
The pundits and right-wing base believe McCain scored a homerun with this ... uh ... zinger(?):
“I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago.” Obama’s calm reply including this: “the fact of the matter is that if I occasionally have mistaken your policies for George Bush’s policies, it’s because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people, on tax policy, on energy policy, on spending priorities, you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush.” I ask you, who zinged whom?

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• The suggestion that McCain/Palin would not have unleashed their nasty negative tone if Obama had join in Town Hall Meetings brought on such a rant that has been building for a couple weeks that I had to make it a separate post. It went up before this one, which means it appears below this post. Please check it out.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• Taxpayer Purchase of Bad Mortgages at FULL VALUE?
McCain suggests that the government use some of that bailout money to buy mortgages at FULL FACE VALUE on highly DEVALUED properties. This is some of that erratic behavior he has shown lately. And it's funny that they call it a euphemism for “old.” I don’t need to use any innuendo -- I’m a lowly opinionated blogger who has every right (thanks, America!) to say John McCain is an out-of-touch, cranky curmudgeon. Young or old, though, he has been nothing BUT erratic over the financial crisis.

Democratic leader, Rahm Emmanuel might regret it, I dunno, but I was thrilled before the debate to hear him say exactly this:

“John McCain has come across as a grumpy old man in his slippers and his bathrobe pickin’ up the newspaper, yelling at the kids in the neighborhood to ‘get off the yard.’ ... That’s not what the American people want. He is grumpy, he is not focused on the issues, he is barking at people all the time. It doesn’t have the right demeanor, style, or the substance. Right now his campaign is not relevant and is off tune from where the American people are.”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• Shout out to former first lady; not a whisper ‘bout the Veep?
In two out of three debates, McCain took the time to give a shout out to ailing old friends: Ted Kennedy at the first debate and Nancy Reagan at the second. Nice sentiment, very respectful, kinda weird. (As you can see in my bumper stickers and signs section, I have previously expressed my contempt for “shout outs during Presidential debates.”)

Early on Wednesday, we learned that Nancy Reagan had a minor broken hip. We all wish her well. The odd thing is that on the same day, Dick Cheney was admitted to the hospital for a tune-up of his ticker which has been off-beat, but he didn’t get a shout out from the debate. Actually when I heard about it early that morning, my immediate thought was, "I wonder if ANYone cares about that bloated troll." I surmised that there were more pieces of buckshot in that shell he shot his friend in the face with than people on this planet who give a moose-turd about that Dick.

The Negative Tone and Town Hall Meetings?

2008-10-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

McCain behaves like a third grader suggesting that if Obama had acquiesced to his “urgent* request” to join in at his famous town hall meetings the ugly tone would be different now. So declining an invitation is appropriately met with a response of inciting angry crowds to “BEHEAD” the opposing candidate? Lets just imagine IF Obama HAD joined Johnnie and Sarah over the past few weeks -- there’s a very good chance he would have experienced bodily assault!

Maybe that’s their tactic -- invite him into some modern-day gladiator game arena so the Dumbmerica knuckledraggers can get a crack at him. Its so nauseating ... hold on I need a moment to be sick ... ... ... ok I’m back now ... The in-your-face biggot is at least honest. What Sarah and the whole McCain camp have been doing is so freaking much more dangerous! To suggest with a straight face -- or maybe that’s what the WINKING is all about -- that they have no control over Frankenstein’s angry mob they provoked would be laughable, if it wasn’t so scary. A real leader would nip that flower right in the bud -- did ya happen to see Obama Tuesday? When the audience began “booing” at the mention of McCain, BO immediately put a stop to it, saying, “We don’t need that ... what we need to do is vote!” And that was just at "BOOing." Here it is (15 sec.):

McShame defeated all his own arguments on the issue with his own words: “Let me just say CATEGORICALLY** I’m PROUD of the people that come to our rallies.” Then he goes on to CATEGORICALLY LIE, saying, “Whenever you get a large rally of 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 people, you’re going to have some fringe peoples. You know that. And I’ve -- and we’ve always said that that’s not appropriate.” Lie, lie lie and THAT’s the point. IF he HAD admonished the knuckledraggers THAT would have changed the tone of the campaign!!!

A “Scorched Earth” approach is NOT putting COUNTRY first -- it is absolutely country WORST! What do they think they are leaving for the country after Sen. McShame is sent back to Az and Gov. Failin’ disappears into obscurity in Wasilla Nov. 5? Do they think the angry crowds are gonna simply settle down? No. They are leaving us with tribes of ROUSED CRAZIES. It’s so much more troubling BECAUSE JM probably isn’t REALLY a racist (we can’t be SURE based on his voting record. For discussion’s sake we’ll stipulate that McCain is not racist. Sarah we dunno. We dunno much ‘bout her. Let’s just say she’s ... well ... very “JUDGMENTAL,” of other people, at best.) Damn little and waaay too late, JM tried to dial it back last Friday in hopes he’ll be able to slink away with SOME measure of respect.

This blog was begun just over a month ago on the issue of feigned indignation ... and since then, the JM/SP camp has done nothing but “feign” the flames of stupidity and misplaced anger from their base. To suggest ANY sort of equivalency in what Obama supporters have flung at McCain with the vile sewage-flinging that the McFeign camp has engaged in over the past few weeks is the feigniest feigning any fiegner ever feigned. It’s a feignstorm! Monumental feigning from atop Mt. Feingier! A complete feign wreck! JM needs feign surgery! And we need a feign reliever.

After saying that he “admires and respects” Congressman John Lewis, and that he is “an American hero,” JM proceeded to further feign indignation that Lewis alleged that McCain and Palin are associated with the worst chapter in American history, segregation, deaths of children in church bombings, George Wallace. McCain said, “to me, was so hurtful.” MOOSE SHIT! Lewis was absolutely correct when he said that the sort of rhetoric the McCain/Palin espouses and allows on their behalf is akin to the segregationist rhetoric of the 1960s in that it “CREATED THE CLIMATE AND CONDITIONS THAT ENCOURAGED VICIOUS ATTACKS.”

* I didn’t realize McCurmudgeon’s requests had been “Urgent.” I wonder if that is the same “urgency” with which he fake suspended his campaign to “urgently” take 22 hours to get from NY to DC to “urgently” deal with the financial crisis a few weeks ago.

** McCain really needs to consult my favorite book -- the Dictionary! He needs to learn that “categorically” means “without exception.” Or maybe he does know that, because here it is the next morning and I just heard him actually bring it up this way: “I’d like to recognize some comments have been made about people who come to our rallies -- I cannot tell you how proud I am of ALL of you, I cannot tell you how proud I am of EVERY working man and woman ...” Clearly he just recanted ANY attempt at repudiating the hateful violent hollerin’ from his supporters.

And he oughtta review the meaning of “urgent.” And maybe he would stop mocking what is meant by “the fierce urgency of NOW.”

John McCain’s Health Plan: Fix the Fat Kid Problem, Put Your Medical Records on the Internet, and $5,000 Toward the $12,000 Insurance Price

2008-10-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

It’s tougher to find what the candidates are saying than to hear what OTHERS have to say ABOUT what the candidates say. McCain was speechifying at one of his townhall meetin’s when an audience member asked about healthcare. Since this is the number one issue to me, I listened VERY carefully. Of course he mentioned his $5,000 tax credit that we KNOW won’t cover the $12,000 AVERAGE cost to insure a HEALTHY family of four. He also mentioned allowing purchase of insurance over state lines, which we know will send people to states where insurance is cheap, but isn’t required to cover many of the basics -- which is why it’s cheap. (I don’t consider insurance that covers a mammogram to be one of “those cadillac insurance plans” that McCain refers to.) We also know that he will tax health benefits paid by employers. Or maybe we don’t all know that, because he ALWAYS fails to mention it. I was really rootin’ for him to say something valuable. While fumfering all around the stage he kept saying, “we have to get the costs of healthcare under control, for example ...” and not actually getting TO the examples. Throughout the entire discussion he offered only these two examples: 1) putting all our medical records online; and 2) getting fat kids into shape by getting retired professional athletes to lead fitness programs all over the country.

I $#![ you NOT! That is what I heard.

Then he turned the mic over to Sarah who said "Well, you just covered everything pretty well. I would only add that my husband Taaawd and I have a small business and health insurance is important to us ... blah, blah, blah ..." She didn't say anything, except that John had already covered it pretty well.

OK, maybe those are good ideas. Like at the height of the gas crisis when Obama suggested that you keep your car tuned and tires inflated properly to get the best mileage possible. The right wing went nuts saying that’s Obama’s "energy plan." It was a toss away comment that is in fact true -- you CAN get about 4% better mileage by keeping tires properly inflated AND ANOTHER 4% by keeping your engine tuned. So, yeah, fat kids is a problem that we oughtta deal with and medical records online MIGHT be a good idea (the little jury in MY head is still out on that -- its sounds good, but security is a big issue and big brother’s powers have grown so much and been abused even more in recent years that I dunno ...). But I don't think fixin' the fat kid problem and putting our medical records online is gonna reduce insurance costs by 60% so $5 grand buys what now costs $12 grand. I don't even need a calculator to work out that math problem.

A REVERSE Bradley Effect*???

2008-10-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months I’ve had a growing feeling that the economy could trump racism and we might see another history-making phenomenon in this race. RACE REPLACED as a voting factor for that remaining 6% - 11% (to possibly close to 20%) of the electorate. By something that actually matters. And we could call it the “B.O.-ECONOMIC EFFECT.” Everyone is sweatin’ so much about the stinkin’ economy that even the most racist voter may forget “B.O.” is a black guy long enough to vote in favor of their own economic interests. It will be very interesting if exit polling indicates a lower than actual count for Obama due to folks playing “let’s do, but say we didn’t.” Polling shows that the B.O.-ECONOMIC EFFECT is playing out among those whose more-subtle racism eludes them -- those who just “weren’t sure” about the guy named “Barack.”

When I finally decided which Democrat I would support, I chose Obama BECAUSE I thought there was a good chance this guy could win in a landslide and that that would bring a great unifying effect on the country. It looks like that landslide is playing out right now. And how great will it be after eight years to have the country unified -- not by 50% + 1 -- but by 60% or 70% or more behind a real leader?

* The Bradley Effect refers to the discrepancy between how voters say they voted and the actual tally when a white candidate opposes a non-white, resulting in early polls indicating an inaccurately high count for the minority candidate -- termed after African-American former LA Mayor, Tom Bradley, whose failed bid for the Governorship of CA was in sharp contradiction to early polling indicators.

A special comment on “reverse discrimination”

2008-10-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

THERE’S NO SUCH THING! By definition. This is a stupid term. Racism doesn’t have forward and reverse! It has only one direction -- backward! Seinfeld touched on this issue in an episode in which Jerry expressed a desire to date an Asian woman. He insisted its not racism if he LIKES the race. WRONG! I found myself screaming at the TV (a useless act commonly practiced at my house). As a fan, it saddened me at the time. Unfortunately to this day, it remains my third-most memorable Seinfeld moment, behind only “master of your domain,” and Kramer going “commando.” Assuming things about people -- good or bad -- based only on their race IS racism. By definition. Differentiating people -- for good or bad -- based on factors beyond their control* IS discrimination. By definition. On the other hand, unapologetically, I make some assumptions about people based on the stuff they CAN control. Like being Republican. Or being a racist. Or denying science. Or lying.

* You might ask yourself about a seemingly self-righteous writer who makes many references to John McCain being old, which is obviously beyond his control. I’ve been wanting to clarify to those who might accuse me of being mean-spirited or hateful that its NOT about McCain BEING long in years, it IS about him SEEMING old, doddering around, getting facts wrong, acting "grumpy," and actually being completely out of touch. Unabashedly bashing the JUDGMENT of a man so presumptuous and arrogant as to suggest that, at 72, the oldest President ever would not require a thoughtful VP pick is appropriate. And suggesting it is reasonable for a four-time cancer survivor to refuse to share his medical records is not reasonable. I’m not OLD-bashing. I am, however, unapologetically CURMUDGEON-bashing the would-be World Leader.

Throw the Bums Out! ... ?

2008-10-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

With Congress’ approval rating nearing single digit, it’s not surprising an email is circulating suggesting we re-elect NONE of the entire 435 House members and the one-third of the Senate who are now running for re-election. And impose term limit caps so they can’t hang around for 10, 20, 30 years. Pop a CAP-in-the-tol so to speak.

Sounds hasty. HASTE cost us $840 billion last week. HASTE got us into war. HASTE brought us Sarah Palin. ERASED would be a lifetime good stewardship by the likes of Ted Kennedy had he been termed out into retirement four decades ago. There are SOME good ones. Keep the baby, chuck the bathwater.

Experience creates proficiency. Good JUDGMENT is a separate issue. Experience in ONE job doesn’t mean the experience required for ANOTHER job is present. (For example P.O.W. doesn’t NECESSARILY provide the experience needed to be Commander-in-Chief. Less than two years as Governor of a state whose population totals LESS THAN ONE-QUARTER OF ONE PERCENT of the country might not develop the skills necessary to handle world diplomacy. Failed National Guardsman and addict-in-denial clearly not the necessary bona-fides.)

ACCOMPANIED by sound judgment, proficiency gets the win. If you had to choose between two equally great heart surgeons, one with six months on the job and the other with 12 years under his belt, you’re goin’ with the master. The problem isn’t how long they’ve BEEN there. The problem is that they are ALWAYS running for the next election. Every two years House Members gotta spend the better part of a year working on keeping their job. Basically, they all go to Washington with good intentions -- to further the ideology of their constituency -- even if you disagree on what’s “good,” the intention to “do good” is what propels someone into public office. It’s the constant running for office that corrupts. It creates a lobbyists’ playground. We hear about the Senators who get their house remodelled for free or keep cash in their freezer -- the conspicuous, filthy face of corruption from the [yawn] “Gerry Springer Show” wing of both parties. The depravity that violates us in our collective posterior in the most dangerous way is the less-obvious-to-the-naked-eye sort of influence peddling that often only comes to light following a “Springer Show” event.

Campaign finance reform is the only way to fix the problem. Redistricting guidelines should be standardized. Maybe LONGER terms for the House so they could RUN less often. It’s way past time to reconsider the electoral college. Lobbying is here to stay. I wish I was smart enough to offer something wise about this largest organized crime family the world has ever known -- the "Lobbysons."

Information that lands in Dumbmerica’s email gets accepted as fact. “Protest TOO much” slogans like “Fair & Balanced” are swallowed with the kool-aid. Ugly things get pretty names so we eat “UNclear Skies Pie” with “All the Children Left Behind” sprinkles. A “Uniter Not a Divider” proceeds to give us HISTORY’S BIGGEST DEEPEST WEDGIE!!! It ALL leads to the divisiveness that is really killing any chance at moving forward. Nothing will get fixed until we unite behind the real issues that will move us ALL forward like green energy and health care and getting the fundamentally-mental, but not mentally-fun “mentalisms” out of government! Hope is growing. We may have seen the sudden death of the FREE-MARKET FUNDAMENTALIST. Imperial WAR FUNDAMENTALISM is on the cusp of being beaten back (or ... growing outta control like a creature in a 60s B-movie if we don’t elect the correct folks.) A growing number of religious fundamOUTists are feeling empowered to speak up and say “Believe whatEVER you want! But you can’t legislate it onto EVERYone” -- get religion fundamOUT of government! Cronyism -- FRIENDAMENTALISM -- hopefully THAT potted Bush is headed back to Hayseed, TX on January 21. No, HOPE is not a strategy, but it’s a helluva guideline!

Joe Sixpack needs to look around at the others in the pub and decide if it is really in his own best interest to set the “bar” for leadership by whether a candidate would fit in at the “bar” Mr. Sixpack is sittin’ in. President “Divider” has cost us so much -- so much time, so much money, so much missed opportunity. Maybe the biggest thing he cost us was the complete breakdown of trust of anyone from the “other party” whichever that means to you. It’s just possible that under a decent administration we might be able to PROGRESS again.

Recent Kwik Thawts and Debate #2 Commentary

2008-10-08T05:04:00.000-07:00

Often at the McCain rallies you will hear the crowd erupt in chants of “USA! USA! USA!” If the presumptuousness of one party behaving as if they “OWN” the USA (or for that matter 911; Patriotism; the flag; any sort of good ideas about how to lead; oh yeah, and God), gets your red, white and blue blood boiling, then please, please don’t forget that when they are chanting “USA,” OFTEN it is in RESPONSE to ANY sort of outburst (or sign or t-shirt) in support of the opposition. So they try to use the USA as a club against other CITIZENS who dissent. Now they’ve DE-EVOLVED by an amount that far exceeds the distance some of these people had presumably EVOLVED in the first place -- inciting their “Base” to violence. And I mean “Base” in the BASEST meaning of the word.

Realizing he’s got a great shot at losing this election, maybe by ALOT, McShame attempted to salvage some shred of honor by FAKE tamping down the flames of hate -- in the same FAKE way he FAKE suspended his campaign before the debate to “‘lead’ on the economic crisis.” After a week of stoking ugly hate-speak to his Dumbmerica audiences who direct such TERRORIST profanity at SENATOR Barack Obama as “Kill him!” ... “Off with his head!” ... “He’s a sleeper cell!,” under pressure from his own party, McShame HAD to APPEAR to dial it back a bit. As you’ve no doubt seen by now, he had to pretend to calm a voter who “feared raising his child with Obama as President” and a complete dumbass who said “I’ve read about him ... he’s not ... he’s an Arab.” McShame and to a much greater extent, the very Dishonorable Governor Bunhead, not to mention the right-wing radioheads, spent the entire week trying to take this country backward five decades. Then try to say “Oops.” And “we don’t have control over what the crowds say.” If you don’t live in a “battleground state,” you might not know that they continued to spend millions running the same lying ads that inflamed that stupidity and hate. They claim its a matter of judgment. On THAT I definitely agree. Senator Shoot-from-the-hip showed us his level of judgment when he plucked Sister Sarah out of obscurity, did not vet her, and sent her out to incite violence. IT’S ALL ABOUT JUDGMENT! That’s the point, McShame!

XXXXXXXXXX

BOTH candidates speechified today ... (10.13.08)

If you’ve got an hour, and if you haven't had the chance, you might want to watch WHAT THEY say instead of what OTHERS say ABOUT what they said. Video compliments of C-Span:

Watch what Barack Obama said here:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/vidLink.php?b=1223930003&e=1223932103&n=1
It’s a valuable 29 minutes.

Here you can watch McCain speak, but SAY nothing, after his campaign implied a new economic proposals would be forthcoming:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/vidLink.php?b=1223921610&e=1223924010&n=2
He says “I know how” and “I have a plan” a whole lot, but he says nothing new and we hear little to nothing about what his plans are. We do hear more lies about Obama’s tax and health plans. In other speeches, McCain always also says he KNOWS how to get Bin Laden. If he does, and doesn’t share that info, isn’t that something like treason? It certainly is NOT putting “Country First!” (On this 36 minute video, you can jump ahead to 20 minutes after his wife, the Cryptkeeper and Gov. Air Head are done thanking everyone for being there if you want to just watch the senator saying nothing.)

XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXX

Cindy McCain is the latest bitch added to the campaign’s pack of attack dogs. She was sent out to tell the story of how “a chill went through her body” when Obama voted to not fund her son while he was serving in Iraq. Was she also so frigid when her HUBBY VOTED NOT TO FUND TROOPS? We know that the difference between the votes was that Obama refused to vote for the funding bill that did NOT include a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq while McCain voted no on funding when it DID include a timeline. Simple. So she serves up a steaming slab of half-truth crap pie, for which she probably stole the recipe like she did for those in her cookbook, and the crowd of Dumbmericans laps it up and cheers for more. If you know any Dumbmericans, please try to save them from crap pie. If they don’t know McCain also voted no, send them here:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/773/

XXXXXXXXXX

What’s a name but a collection of letters? All this silliness about Obama’s middle name is yet another distraction the nothing-new McCain camp is using to purposely arouse fear in Dumbmerica. Geez Looeez! Since it's just a silly combo of letters, let’s rearrange both their middle names and we could have:
Barack “Shine Us” Obama
versus
John “Y Snyde” McCain.
This is so stoopid it just might work.

XXXXXXXX

Debate Commentatin’ ‘Round the Water Cooler
(Regarding the Second Presidential Debate)

Debatin’: Game Unchangin’.
McCain Campaignin’: Gamey Smellin’. Blamin’. Defamin’.
McCain/Palin: for shame’n’!

McOldFart was perfectly “get-off-my-lawn-you-rotten-kids” curmudgeonly tonight. When age is an issue, you might want to steer clear of jokes about: Jello, needing a transplant of anything, claiming to be the one with the “steady hand.”

After bouncing off the walls over the economy for the past few weeks like a kid on a sugar rush, “the-fundamentals-are-sound ... blink ... that’s-the- ‘sound’-of-crisis” guy proves completely out of touch by proposing an idea Obama fought for in the recently passed rescue bill. (This Huffington post link links to Obama statements on Sept. 23 and Oct 1: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/07/in-debate-mccain-touted-m_n_132828.html) I’m not qualified to say whether that’s a good idea, but I know fo’ sho” that the Repugnant base wants no part of buying bad paper full of loans to minorities ... er ... lower-income individuals. A free market fundamentalist’s Olympic-level somersault! Saying “I know how to fix the economy” does not make it true.

The two times someone refers to another person as “that one:”
1) Grandpa pointing out a particular kid from the group whose names he can’t remember
2) when you are talking about property.
Did he mean to be racist? No.
Did he mean to be obviously and purposely disrespectful? <-- That one!
Saying “I will not run a negative campaign” does not make it true.

No preconditions, oh my! The people with whom we wish to negotiate diplomacy with must meet OUR demands before we will speak with them ... that’s NOgotiating dipNOmacy! Bridging to NOwhere!

You cannot say “my friend” in the most condescending tone you can muster, with obvious disrespect to one person in the room, then expect the rest of the people to believe it is sincere when you direct it at them 26 other times. Saying “my friend” does not make it true.

If an American knows how to get Bin Laden and sits on the info for self-gain, isn’t that treason? Saying “I know how” does not make it true.

Saying “I know how to grow ice cream in the garden and make turds taste like candy” does not make it true.

Its painful to watch a man who lived through unspeakable torture 40 years ago, torture himself the way we are witnessing poor Mr. McGoo do now. It is sad that the campaign tactics used AGAINST him to gave his party’s nomination to Dub-ya instead of McCain eight years ago when he should have gotten it are the very same political tactics -- and players -- employed BY him this time that will bring him down again from the other side. Ironically oxymoronic. ... Sardonic. ... Moronic. ... Chronic. Peace out.

Eww! Ick! Yuck! Bleck! Ptui!

2008-10-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Following last night’s debate, conservative columnist, and editor of The National Review, Rich Lowry “pundited” the CREEPIEST comment BY FAR thus far in this campaign:

“A very wise TV executive once told me that the key to TV is projecting through the screen ... . Palin too projects through the screen like crazy. I’m sure I’m not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, “Hey, I think she just winked at me.” And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America. This is a quality that can’t be learned; it’s either something you have or you don’t, and man, she’s got it.”

Eww eww eww! Ewwwww! And did I mention “eww?”

Maybe he was TRYING to say she “projects through the screen” -- or MAYBE he was saying she just makes him want to drill, drill, drill her. It’s EXTREMELY creepy. Coveting the Vice Presidential candidate for a romp in the hay shows those great right-wing family values. Just like all those anti-gay, gay politicians who get caught with their pants around their ankles in dangerously public locations after years of denial and intolerant politicking.

It is truly amazing to me that the very same pundits who went on endlessly about “Hillary Clinton’s ‘shrill’ voice” -- even the ones who pretty much CLAIMED that’s ALL they hated about her, but that that was reason enough to not elect her -- can, with a straight face, say they like Sarah Palin’s presentation. Her voice makes me want to blow my burraains out. At least it has heightened my awareness of how I speak with my husband -- I will be sure to NEVER nag him with that crrracking voice and disrespectful smirky tone.

If she’s got “it,” I hope “it” isn’t contagious. It wasn’t starbursts ricocheting around the living rooms of America, it was vomit. (And apparently something else entirely at Rich Lowry’s house.) I get the importance of connecting with the audience. What I DON’T get is how they think snide contempt connects with anyone but the most extreme idealogues. It’s turnin’ off undecideds. And I’m GLAD they don’t “get it.” Snide contempt and casual-speak should be left to bloggers and other lowly pundits. She’s seems to be getting the “G.W. Bush-I’d-like-to-hang-out-with-him-at-a-BBQ-vote.” She’s even folksier. AND stupider. And foxier in the “stupid like a fox” way. I couldn’t believe it was even possible, but they brought us someone who brings an even broader and much more dangerous agenda than Bush/Cheney. I feel it! Can you feel it? If Dumbmerica thinks it makes sense to elect people they’d like to have a beer with, I doubt I can affect any change on that giant leap toward Idiocracy.* I never trusted Bush’s sincerity. But if I found myself at a bar with Dub-ya, maybe even I would enjoy a beer with him. But I certainly wouldn’t trust him to guard my nachos while I went to the bathroom much less protect my purse. And I was QUITE certain of this distrust eight years ago. Sarah Palin feels more deceptively insincere with the canned one-liner “burns,” the scripted answers that don’t answer the question posed, and the rehearsed winks. And BTW, if you can’t wink without contorting your entire face, you might consider some alternate expression of emoting to those who are “in on” your joke -- your fraud. God forbid she should become President and there is a crisis. Will she simply decide to address some other easier crisis for which she has a prepared script? “Ms. President we’ve just been attacked by Al Qaeda. Well darn tootin,’ lets bomb Iraaan.” We’ve already seen this really bad movie! We’re not even done living through it and they are trying to bring us an ever worse sequel! As I’ve said previously, I hope Sarah gets a career in movies. I’d like to see her play Sarah Palin in the movie. We know what kind of movie Rich Lowry would like to see her in. I might even watch her movie. I just don’t want to BE IN their fractured fairy tale. And I don’t know anyone else who cares to play a bit role in that tragedy either.

* See the movie Idiocracy as soon as you can get your hands on a copy!

And please see the last paragraph above the footnote in the October 3 post titled "The Master-Debater Strokes the Base" for important SERIOUS info about Ms. Palin's beliefs.

QUESTION: How long does it take for the Bush economy to lose three-quarters of a million jobs?

2008-10-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

ANSWER: The same amount of time it would take for Sarah Palin to grow another baby.

Today we learned that for the ninth straight month our economy hemorrhaged jobs, with September’s 159,000 losses more than doubling the previous eight month’s average of 75,000. Yes, the economy that John McSame has maintained is NOT headed toward recession and is fundamentally “sound” throughout his entire campaign -- as recently as two weeks ago -- a mere two hours before the Icarus-style plane ride that melted the wings off the McBush campaign, when upon landing he decried the economy is in CRISIS!!! Thank goodness we don’t have to get ALL our news from Mr. In-Touch or we might just NOW be learning that Brownie did a heck of a job. I’m not even sure Sen. McThuselah is aware of the advent of long distance calling -- as demonstrated by the urgent necessity to put his campaign on FAKE hold to “rush” that 22-hour trek from NYC back to DC so he could “get on the horn” to sway all those Congress members to vote to save the economy. Are we being PUNK’D?

I’m no economist, but I like to play with numbers. Consider this: if each of those 760,000 out-of-work citizens lost an average of $10,000 in spending power during their unemployment, the dollars removed from the economy equals nearly the amount of the “bail out” passed today. I don’t know if that means anything. I just think it is interesting.

The Master-Debater Strokes the Base

2008-10-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Last night’s consummation in the VP Room brought no big surprises. With expectations for Sister Sarah set so low that merely not speaking in tongues would mean it wasn’t a complete blow job, she performed well above the good bar. When you bring your own Q & A, you can’t lose a hard one. Turning it into the Special Olympics of debates, she unapologetically announced she would ignore the moderator and just talk “stre-ate to the Umeerikan people” about her track record. (As I’ve said previously, naming your kid “Track” does not give you a track record.) It was much more like a BROKEN record. Attacks and “tee-axes” were all that passed through her smirky pouty lips. Extremely well-rehearsed, Palin was able to successfully string together one soliloquy after another from her repertoire of scripts, often seeming to be at a completely different event than her opponent.

Biden was stiff competition and by all accounts won on content and substance. With the simple goal of getting Dumbmerica to feel they can relate to her -- or maybe just that they would like to feel her -- or drill, drill, drill her -- it was also a win for Ms. Palin. So, in the end it was basically a draw. A pull. A colossal pud-pull arousing the Cons’ base, once again getting them excited about the “Me-averick” ticket. Polls show that Biden won the debate and Obama’s polls continue to rise across the board. Apparently Palin swayed very few new votes with her winking display of disrespect for Mr. Biden, Mr. Obama, Ms. Ifil, the debate commission, and the American people -- yeah, she disrespects “Joe Sixpack” but too many of those Joes don’t realize it. She did bring home some righties who had been dismayed by her recent stupefying spectacle with Katie Couric. I’m so glad the GOP feels warm and fuzzy about her again. Too bad the fuzziness clouds their intellectual honesty about her complete lack of readiness to step in should the feared McTrain Wreck occur in one missed beat of that 72-year-old heart of the four-time cancer survivor. (See sidebar and previous post, “Insuring Against the McTrain Wreck.”)

IN ALL SERIOUSNESS -- I mean DEAD SERIOUSNESS, please consider -- even re-watch/read (near the end of the debate) what Palin said about expanding the powers of the office of Vice President. Think about Dick “Shoot-My-Friend-in-the-Face” Cheney. Then think about a Governor from Wasilla who proposed book banning and who believes “HUMANS AND DINOSAURS WALKED THE EARTH AT THE SAME TIME.” (Widely reported, for example here: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-palinreligion28-2008sep28,0,3643718.story?track=rss and here: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/15/bess/index1.html -- oh heck just Google it -- you’ll find she said it at the commencement of graduating homeschoolers in 1996 as well as again just A MONTH AGO.) PLEASE just ponder all this for a moment. Not only did she literally spell out her plans for a power grab, but she also exhibited her complete lack of knowledge of the Constitution of the United States, suggesting it “wisely” offers flexibility in the roll the of the Vice President.

Footnote: Video of the debate as well as the entire transcript can be found at the NY Times by clicking on the headline of this story. It is interesting to scroll through the questions and just Palin’s answers to see how disjointed and scripted she was. All that crammin’ and practicin’ down by the river paid off for her in terms of recitation. She is so good at learning scripts that I’m rootin’ for her to get a career in Hollywood after this election. Wouldn’t it be gree-ate to see her play Sarah Palin in the movie?

Prop 8 and a New Marriage Movement

2008-10-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

Here in California this November, we will be voting, once again, on whether we should legalize discrimination against gay people. Obviously, I will be voting no. However I have a very different take on this issue and would like to begin a new “Betrothal Movement” -- a new BM if you will.

Using the REGRESSIVE Conservative point of view that offering “civil unions” provides all the same “rights” as marriage, I would suggest we eliminate “married” as a LEGAL status for ANYone and offer ONLY “civil union” as a legal classification -- for hetero or gay couples. Leaving “marriage” to be a religious ceremony only. All currently married people would automatically receive “civil union” status. If “marriage” is a religious ritual, then the principle of separation of church and state should keep marriage out of matters of governance. The civil union would be a contract between the two individuals* and the state, while marriage would be a ceremony between the couple, their God and their church.

In researching the issue, you’ll find its always “all about the children.” Pro-8 activists contend that “instructing young children about same-sex marriage in school undermines the rights of parents to approach this subject with their children on their own timetable and according to their family’s values and beliefs, religious or otherwise.” This is NOT sex-ed -- this “instruction” might come in the form of a fairy tale about a prince marrying another prince. Oh the horror of it all! I submit that this is really about maintaining small-minded divisive thinking in young unmolded minds long enough for it to take hold; and intolerant adults’ rationalization that teaching segregation is somehow healthy in a civilization. This is verbal child abuse. Just like teaching creationism as a theory equal to real science.

* We’re talkin’ two PEOPLE. Don’t make me go there on “woman marries cat” or “man marries car” or “six women and two men group marriage” irrational sillyspeak.

MORON Prop 8

2008-10-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

Recently, I received a call from a “Pro-8” idealogue. Unfortunately I wasn’t available to take the call. So I called back. It was over a week before someone answered at that number. But my persistence paid off. Very respectfully, I stated that I am open-minded and asked the obviously older woman to explain to me why I should vote yes, as she had suggested in her message on my machine a week earlier. As expected, she was dumbfounded at the question. After humming and hawing a bit, and conveying that she was not part of any “company” and that she was “asked to make the calls,” she proceeded to put forth the out-of-date rhetoric that Californians voted that way and that, [YAWN], “activist judges overturned the ‘will of the voters.’” After I explained that that was eight years ago and that the population has overwhelmingly shifted their perspective since then, and further that those “activist judges” were merely upholding the STATE CONSTITUTION regarding discrimination, and that I am averse to taking the very serious and extreme step of changing our constitution in any way -- especially to LEGALIZE DISCRIMINATION, she quickly turned to -- you guessed it -- religion. I love it when fundamentalists can’t explain their own ideology. That’s sorta what makes them a fundaMENTAList. It’s a perfect time to let them drown in the uncomfortable silence. Unable to use her theology to assemble a coherent argument, she stuttered, “wa ... wa ... well the Bible says honor thy mother and father and I believe it is important to respect the scripture.” Of course I asked why should ALL people be required to live in accordance with HER beliefs. (There was no need to go into the argument on how biblical scholars cannot even agree that scripture unambiguously points to any particular stance on homosexuality.) She changed the subject, suggesting that she did not “impose” on me by calling to tell me how to vote. Always respectful, I posited that, by definition, she actually DID impose on me and my household. Point made and taken. Score one for dialing back on the hate spreading? Maybe. Still unsatisfied by the notion that she might decide to resume this distasteful behavior, I took the opportunity to also let her know how easy it was to obtain her address just by using her phone number. And how lucky she was that I wasn’t some sort of DANGEROUS nutjob. Ahhh! Complete satisfaction (I never expected to CHANGE HER opinion). I am not ashamed of scaring a little old lady JUST ENOUGH to keep her antiquated opinions to herself.

Make Her Cry, Joe!

2008-10-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Following is the email message I sent to Joe Biden two days after the GOP rolled out the Sarah Palin addition to the ticket. So much has happened since then -- Tina Fey has been like a gift from Heaven and the countless other intellectually dishonest Repugs who have echoed the argument that "Alaska's proximity to Russia gives Gov. Sugar Plum foreign policy experience" have provided so much hilarity. But I dug this out from a mere month ago and sent it again today. It's still relevant. And I still want to see her cry. Not because I'm mean. I just like to see arrogant fundamentalist idealogues cry when confronted with rationality.

"Make her cry, Joe! Don't cave in to the media who say you've gotta go soft on Palin during the debate or you'll look like a bully. BS! Make her cry. Or maybe you can get her so riled up, with that cackling voice of hers you can get her to literally lay an egg. Don't you dare go soft on her. Use her abuse of power and mismanagement of her own family. She's a nut and you can't let them get away with painting her to look "regular." No stem cell research AT ALL??? No abortion even in the case of incest, rape or the mother's life??? "Creation" as a theory to be taught equally with evolution??? They (FoxNews and separately Cindy McCain) have said Palin has national security experience because the tip of Alaska is right up there NEXT TO RUSSIA! Hit her hard, Joe. You gotta win this for us!"

She's not gonna cry, though. She's a masterful politician. She's an idiot. But an experienced and skillful politician. She was considered the winner in the seven debates she has participated in. You could say she's a MASTER-DEBATER. How ridiculous it is that the bar is so low for her performance that if she doesn't vomit or lose a limb it will be considered a "win" for her? Doing better than expected -- which isn't saying much -- may be a "win" for her, but if that gets her elected, it will certainly be a loss for the rest of us.

Rollin' over in their graves

2008-09-25T00:53:00.001-07:00

When a Politician Claims to “Set Politics Aside,” WATCH OUT!!! “Bipartisan” is a Tangible Concept, “Apolitical” Activity by Politicians is Oxymoronic

2008-09-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

Attempting to “get on the offensive” and appear to take the high road, Sen. McCain has requested Sen. Obama join him in postponing the Friday debate so they may both return to DC to work on the financial crisis. Sounds good. Maybe a good idea. Actually I prefer a president who can do more than one thing at a time -- vote on an important bill and prepare for a debate on equally important, nearly as pressing and completely related foreign policy issues. Since they are both in the race in large part because of their stance on the wars, they are both ready for that talk anyway. Right? After business on Friday, McCain oughtta be able to squeeze in a little debate on his supposed “strong point” -- foreign affairs. Or how about making the debate ABOUT THE ECONOMY??? It’s convenient to claim to set campaigning aside at a time when his campaign is doing so poorly in the polls. Anytime someone tries to look like they are “taking the high road” it might not be a road at all ... it could just be a high bridge to nowhere.

Obama Supporters are Obama Supporters. Period.

2008-09-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

Isn't it time for the media to quit introducing Obama supporters as "former Hillary Clinton Supporter So & So?"

It struck me as Andrea Mitchell lead in to a little discussion with Ed Rendell today. No one ever introduces "former Mit Romney supporter" or "former Mike Huckabee supporter." It ONLY makes sense in regard to former campaign staffers -- such as former "John Edwards' communications director Chris Kofinis" for example. And even THAT seems to be growing thin and tiresome, except it explains who he is. Not necessary for someone like PA GOVERNOR Ed Rendell. They support Obama now and isn't that all they need to say? It seems to say they are strong Obama supporters ... NOW ... but they didn't used to be. Like it qualifies them as less of a supporter -- or worse INSINCERE. It's just weird and irrelevant in most instances. (Another that comes to mind is FLA Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, although there are MANY they bring on this way.)

I find it subtle but relevant -- the most dangerous sort of media manipulation tactic.

Vapid Response Team to the Rescue!

2008-09-19T09:56:00.001-07:00

If you would like a high-res file of this "ad" emailed to you to print yourself, or if you'd like just the "bumper sticker" portion, email your request to PearlOfWizdom@cox.net. (These are original concepts/art not available elsewhere.)

Naming your kid "Track" does not give you a "track record!"

2008-09-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

Alaskans made history when a record-breaking 1400 citizens showed up with their home-made signs to bring attention to SARAH PALIN'S POOR TRACK RECORD of honesty, integrity and management of their state. See more pictures and story of how this event developed in an earlier post below. (See "Pix of Biggest Rally in AK History ... Anti-Palin")

Drill, Drill, Drill By Eve Ensler

2008-09-17T22:43:00.003-07:00

Eve Ensler, the American playwright, performer, feminist and activist best known for 'The Vagina Monologues', wrote the following poignant missive about Sarah Palin:

Drill, Drill, Drill
I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar bears. ...

(Click on headline to link to full story.)

Pix of Biggest Rally in AK History ... Anti-Palin

2008-09-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

Psssst...pass it on!

[The] Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was to be held outside on the lawn in front of the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage. Home made signs were encouraged, and the idea was to make a statement that Sarah Palin does not speak for all Alaska women, or men. I had no idea what to expect.

The rally was organized by a small group of women, talking over coffee. It made me wonder what other things have started with small groups of women talking over coffee. It’s probably an impressive list. These women hatched the plan, printed up flyers, posted them around town, and sent notices to local media outlets. One of those media outlets was KBYR radio, home of Eddie Burke, a long-time uber-conservative Anchorage talk show host. Turns out that Eddie Burke not only announced the rally, but called the people who planned to attend the rally “a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots,” and read the home phone numbers of the organizers aloud over the air, urging listeners to call and tell them what they thought. The women, of course, received some nasty, harassing and threatening messages.

I felt a bit apprehensive. I’d been disappointed before by the turnout at other rallies. Basically, in Anchorage, if you can get 25 people to show up at an event, it’s a success. So, I thought to myself, if we can actually get 100 people there that aren’t sent by Eddie Burke, we’ll be doing good. A real statement will have been made. I confess, I still had a mental image of 15 demonstrators surrounded by hundreds of menacing “socialist baby-killing maggot” haters.

It’s a good thing I wasn’t tailgating when I saw the crowd in front of the library or I would have ended up in somebody’s trunk. When I got there, about 20 minutes early, the line of sign wavers stretched the full length of the library grounds, along the edge of the road, 6 or 7 people deep! I could hardly find a place to park. I nabbed one of the last spots in the library lot, and as I got out of the car and started walking, people seemed to join in from every direction, carrying signs.

Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn’t honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn’t happen here.

Then, the infamous Eddie Burke showed up. He tried to talk to the media, and was instantly surrounded by a group of 20 people who started shouting O-BA-MA so loud he couldn’t be heard. Then passing cars started honking in a rhythmic pattern of 3, like the Obama chant, while the crowd cheered, hooted and waved their signs high.

So, if you’ve been doing the math Yes. The Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was significantly bigger than Palin’s rally that got all the national media coverage! So take heart, sit back, and enjoy the photo gallery. Feel free to spread the pictures around to anyone who needs to know that Sarah Palin most definitely does not speak for all Alaskans. The citizens of Alaska, who know her best, have things to say. -----thanks Geralyn!

=======
This was emailed to POW with two dozen photos. Its heartwarming to know that people everywhere are standing up to the BS this time!!! (To link to lots more pix, click on the headline of this post. The full AP story in USA Today story with quotes from participants is at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-09-13-anti-Palin-rally_N.htm)

This Blog Got Comments! Mean Ones! Alright!

2008-09-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to learn that some rightie got ahold of my blog and took the time to comment on most of my first posts! Inspired by emailing with friends, I’ve been doing this less than a week so far. That’s pretty darn quick for hate mail I think. I haven’t read much of that person’s long-winded comments yet.

Briefly skimming them, though, I learned:
1) This person still thinks Obama was not born in the US and hasn’t produced a birth certificate (that reader must be listening to Liddy and ilk. BTW politifact debunked the birth certificate thing months ago http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/jun/27/obamas-birth-certificate-part-ii/ It’s just as silly to argue that McCain, having been born in Panama, is not eligible to be President. Boooring!) and that that is some sort of argument against being very vigilent about voting irregularities after twice losing close elections that had all sorts of weird crap going on with votes.

2) That person thinks “speeches” is spelled “speaches" (multiple times isn’t a misplaced key stroke) and also needs a little help with “they’re.” PERFECT from the party that wants to eliminate with the Department of Edumacation.

3) The reader missed the point on the piggy with lipstick story cuz I NEVER suggested it was a slip of the tongue. I LOVE that Obama carefully chooses his words. Won’t it be nice to have a President that actually knows lots of words? It WAS CLEVER! Especially because he had used the phrase sooo many times before, as had McSame. The point was about the manufactured umbrage. The media has been SOOO darrrned mean to SP (Sugar Plum). They should’a just laughed like they claim to have done over Tina Fey’s impersonation;

4) Since Cons thought Tina Fey was funny, I’m a Marxist with no sense of humour. (Did you read the caption with the Train Wreck photo? C’mon, it was at least a little bit funny.) I think I’m supposed to be insulted. Maybe I’m wrong to think there is a systemic problem with the fact that the average CEO’s salary is now over 300 times that of the average worker, compared to less than 30 years ago when a CEO’s salary averaged just 42 times more than the average worker. And there should be NO regulation of any industry, even when it is backed by taxpayer’s money. That’s workin’ out really well.

BTW, the Tina Fey skit could ONLY be funnier if the Cons really had NOT put forth the argument that the proximity of Russia to Alaska give her national security experience. Those kinds of things are funnier when they go “over the top,” but unfortunately with SP, there IS no “over the top” -- she’s the best caricature of herself!

5) Yesterday’s post of a link to the answers each candidate gave to a series of 14 questions is somehow an attack on McSame/Failin.’ There’s nothing but questions and answers, so if its an attack on Repugs, THEY are doing their own attacking! It was a place to simply compare their answers. Then YOU decide what to make of it. It was the least partisan thing on this blog so far.

6) I also learned that, duh, Cons prefer the SECOND definition for "Maverick" -- the one that matches the BS about JM being a “lone dissenter.” Hmmm ... didn’t see that coming. I was too stoopid read on to the SECOND definition.

7) Oh yeah, there was something about Obama being a drug addict. If Obama is still “dazed,” that was some POWERFUL chronic because that was more than two decades ago! That’s a whole decade longer than Cindy McCain has been clean. The difference is that I don’t think Obama ever stole his drugs from a medical charity, nor used his employees' names to get drugs. And I doubt his drug abuse was a result of the stress from his spouse’s involvement in the S & L scandel. What’s a disaffected mega-wealthy heiress to do? McCains learned long ago you can do anything you want if you apologize as soon as you are found out. Unless you are a low-life suburban black man.

I can’t wait to find out what else I don’t know! I hope it will include something about why we should torture, or how SP would be good at “rrrunnin’ the cuuuntry.” Or how McCain’s $5,000 tax credit will pay the $12,000 needed to insure a HEALTHY family. (Forget about the folks with pre-existing conditions.) Maybe I will be told that deficits REALLY don’t matter. It makes me giddy with delight to think maybe I will be told how “Intelligent Design” should be taught along with evolution because they are both “theories.” That would be FUNDAMENTALLY fun!

No one can suggest I refer to Obama as the “saviour.” I hate religion in politics in ANY way, so I would never make such a suggestion. If Obama does nothing but sit there, the country will be sooo much better off than four more years of McBush. Even if Obama is the DEVIL just trying to further his own career, it behooves him to TRY to do some of what he proposes -- if only to further that career. All ya gotta do is listen to what McCain says OR what he says now compared to what he used to say OR what he says compared to how he VOTES to run screaming in the other direction. Any shred of the “straight-talker” has been replaced by scripts from his lobbyist campaign staff (at last count the top seven were lobbyists. And don’t forget Phil Gamm, Phil Gramm, Phil Gramm!)

No koolaid drinker here. I never think ANY political character is ANY sort of “saviour.” Nothing I can say about Obama is gonna convince anyone to vote for him better than what he has said for himself. Its a whole lot more fun, and frankly like picking low-hanging fruit, to point out the ridiculousness of the other side, after the last two elections when we stood by in amazement that LIES and STUPIDITY won out. Yeah, I’m part of the party who thinks ANYthing would be better than another Repug in the Whitehouse. My McCat would be better than McCain. Even a REAL bush -- I mean truly a HEDGE sittin’ in the oval office -- would be better than MORE OF THE SAME!

“Cons” insist that “Deficits Don’t Matter”

2008-09-17T12:29:00.004-07:00

It’s no wonder when you see how the debt grows when Cons run things. The eponymous architect of “Reaganomics” tripled the debt. Bush is leaving behind an unprecedented level of debt. Click the charts for larger views.

http://zfacts.com/p/318.html

http://www.cedarcomm.com/~stevelm1/usdebt.htm

Pale’n the Light of the Financial Crash & Burn

2008-09-17T12:29:00.003-07:00

At least, along with the financial meltdown, the “ice cream flavor-of-the-month” (BTW -- it’s “Sugar Plum”), might be melting. [This blog will henceforth refer to “Conservatives” as “Cons” for short. So fitting.] Cons love to say Dems LIKE it when things go bad in the economy or the war cuz its better for us politically. We don’t LIKE it when that happens, but it DOES make our side really good!

Some States Fear Turd Blossom Infestation

2008-09-17T12:29:00.002-07:00

The “swing states” will make choose the next President, so we need to watch CLOSELY the PROCESS as it takes place in those states + the states that only “lean” one way or the other at election time that ALSO have governors who have “(R)” next to their name. NV (5 electoral votes) is in full swing; FLA (27), MO (11), IN (11), LA (9), all “lean” toward McCain; and MN (10) only “leans” toward Obama. AND ALL those states have “(R)” governors. Two were on McCain’s “short list” for Veep and one is Bush’s brother, from FLA -- the beacon of voting reliability. No accusations ... just sayin’ we oughtta BE LISTENING to what people in THOSE states have to say about their voting experiences this year if the Repugnantcans win. It will be too late on Nov 5, and McCain will come out smelling like a MOOSE-TURD BLOSSOM. But then I will have a reason to keep blogging.

Just in! The voter suppression has begun in the swing state of MI (17) where the chairman of the Repugnant party is attempting to suppress voters who have lost their homes to foreclosure, suggesting that they can’t vote based on the address of the home where they no longer live. Yes, its illegal. Those voters worried about where to live are least equipped to deal with that sort bullying. Cons must be so proud. They deregulate millions into home loss, then steal those home-losers’ votes. Such a proud time for democracy. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/16/1408200.aspx. The story first broke at: http://www.michiganmessenger.com/4076/lose-your-house-lose-your-vote

Powwowing with the “Pooh-Pooh on Obama” Voter

2008-09-17T12:29:00.001-07:00

(“PISSED OFF its OBAMA not HILLARY” & “PISSED OFF OBAMA didn’t pick HILLARY” -- Now “POOH-POOH” for short.)

My upset Hillary-supporter friend (affectionately renamed “my POOH friend”) continues to say, “I will NEVER vote for Biden, but also I won’t vote for McCain. ... several staunch Dems at work are thinking of voting for McCain. ... they cannot support Obama after his stupid VP pick. You might think that Obama is better off keeping Biden, but you don’t represent middle of the road Dems. These are the people that are going to pick our next President. It will not be the crazy right-wing Republicans or the rabid liberals, but the average thoughtful independents and Dems that will choose our next leader. It’s a shame that Obama didn’t feel it was important to go after us. Dems are headed for the same outcome as the last two Presidential elections, but with one difference. This time they will actually lose the election legally.”

In response: I don’t claim to be middle-of-the-road. (Hell, where exactly IS the “middle of the road” anymore? The “middle” must mean the people who aren’t paying any attention yet.) However I am absolutely a thoughtful independent thinking Dem.

You’re right! THOSE people ARE going to be picking the next prez and its scary that the folks who CARE the LEAST always make the final choice for us. Any DEM who considers crossing over THIS time needs to STEP AWAY FROM THE BALLOT and seek professional care! I realize this is pretty moot between us, cuz I know YOU WON’T vote McCain. And CA is blue. So it really doesn’t matter. Except it sorta does. It as SUCH a train wreck we gotta TRY to prevent it. Voting for McCain cuz Dems didn’t pick Hillary in the top or even the second spot sounds so childish. She may not even have WANTED second spot. (I’m looking forward to a possible AG spot for her.) Even with ALL the people who really love the Clintons -- MYSELF INCLUDED! -- I’m NOT convinced that selecting her would have ensured the win (see next story). The VP selection is a distraction from what really matters anyway. It only matters SLIGHTLY more when the one-foot-in-the-grave candidate selects a moose-turd, wearing a bun, from the PTA as his running mate. That goes to HIS judgment and partisanship. And the McTrain Wreck he’s willing to risk.

About Biden: there’s nothing you can say about Joe Biden that I can’t respond with Phil Gramm, Fill Gram, Phil Gramm!!! Free-Market Fundamentalist, architect of mortgage meltdown deregulation who developed McCain’s economic plan and likely treasury

I was going to agree with you that THIS time, IF they win, it would be legal. But given second thought -- (like John McCain nor Sarah Palin give on the VERY most important issues. Obviously, and admittedly.) -- if they DO win, we will be hearing stories of irregularities in voting. We’ll see. They just MIGHT win. Or they might STEAL it again. McShame is PROVING, on a daily basis, that he will do ANYthing to get elected this time. Stop and smell the moose TURD BLOSSOMs. (See “Some States Prepare for Turd Blossom Infestation” below.)

PLEASE see the link to the list of McShame flip flops. And check out Media Matters occasionally.

Even Hillary is OVER IT!

2008-09-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

It’s doubtful I can influence anyone who can’t get over Hillary. I can only hope that sanity will take hold when they are alone in the booth and they’ll realize how voting stupidly to “make a point” is just stupid. I’m completely dumbfounded that you, and the other champions of the CONSTITUTION you work with wouldn’t see the bigger issues as FAR more important. Has Hillary fatigue has clouded your collective judgement so much that you no longer care about the constitution, the war, the economy, the Supreme Court, women’s rights, torture, ... you remember the list of what’s REALLY important, don’t you? Science, church out of government, fair taxation, environment, healthcare. Please, tell me how the “straight shooter” you think McCain is will do ANYthing positive for us on ANY of these? (PLEASE, please, please take a look at his long list of flip flops on the things that I KNOW REALLY matter to YOU at the link in “Handy Links.”)

Following is my last argument to the Pooh-Pooh voter. (“PISSED OFF its OBAMA not HILLARY” & “PISSED OFF OBAMA didn’t pick HILLARY” -- Now “POOH-POOH” for short.) After this, I give up. Beating my head against the wall of hopeless Pooh-Pooh voters has grown boooring and fruitless. The people who think, at the end of the day, the country should suffer because they didn’t get their VP pick are, sadly, beyond reasoning with. I’m a “Pragma-Dem” who takes hope in the many growing “Repubmatists” who admit that SP was JM jumping the McShark.

Hillary is not running. Get over it. I wanted Santa Claus, so maybe I’ll vote McSame/Failin’ just to show those guys they can’t do this to me. (Afterall, SP KNOWS Santa. She can see his house from hers. So she gets my vote. Five minute funny John Stewart video at: http://www.jibjab.com/view/251737.) As great as Hillary would have been, her baggage just might have been insurmountable. In short: 1) Looking FORCED to pick her; 2) looking overshadowed (LIKE Palin does to McCain. Yet VERY different.); 3) Its hard to maintain the theme of “change” with another Clinton; & 4) Bill. I love Bill too! But he’s also a distraction. Maybe it would have only mattered in the way Sarah Palin’s weirdness has kept her in the news. They have 30+ years of stuff about the Clintons -- ALL OF IT DEBUNKED, I KNOW!!! -- but they would have loved to be suggesting on FoxNews every night that Bill and Hillary had had people killed. There are literally 100s of entire books suggesting the Clintons routinely had people killed among the litany of other COMPLETELY DEBUNKED accusations. The same people now crying “sexist” over “pig” remarks, would be wasting time talking about Hillary’s voice right now. (Oh MAN that Palin voice!!! Breaktime: click on the Tina Fey link, then come back. Go ahead. I’ll wait.)

The author of that screed “Unfit for Command,” which played a part in Kerry’s demise, recently published a book against Obama, and he FOOTNOTES HIMSELF!!! He quotes his own previous books of lies as resources and never gets called on the BS! That’s WHAT THEY DO. (The proverbial “dump on the table” as discussed in previous stories.) Back in the 90s people ate it up, remember?! We’d be hearing about Clinton crap instead of the crap we DO get. And every day people would have say “No that’s not true, and here’s proof. Blah, blah, blah” instead of what matters. It’s so boooring. The people who can either swallow SP (you know -- “Sugar Plum.”) -- the people who think it makes sense to put this vapid bun-head one breath away from the oval office, OR the people who are still undecided (thus NOT paying attention) at this point -- THOSE PEOPLE tune it out most and all that sinks in is “Sarah Palin is ‘just like regular folks’” or “John McCain is a Maverick” or “The Clintons might have had people murdered.” I REMEMBER being so UNINTERESTED that I paid NO attention -- long ago in a time far less scary than NOW. Not fake George-W.-Bush-Alert-Level-Orange scary. I mean REALLY-scary-everything’s-sorta-ridin’-on-this-one-scary.

I don’t wanna be called sexist, but what sounds like “whiney women” operating on an emotional level instead of intellect feeds the ugly stereotypes. MANY hillary-turned McCain supporters are badly misinformed about his positions. PLEASE, please, please take a look at the long list of Mcflip-flops on the things that I KNOW REALLY matter to YOU at the link in “Handy Links.”

Boooring But Important

2008-09-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

Scientists and Engineers for America (SEA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational organization whose mission is to facilitate evidence-based decision making at all levels of government. SEA, Science Debate 2008, and major science organizations came together to ask the 2008 presidential candidates 14 questions on science and technology policy. Obama’s survey answers have been available for several weeks. The McCain camp finally submitted their completed survey.

THE 14 QUESTION TOPICS:
1) Innovation
2) Climate Change
3) Energy
4) Education
5) National Security
6) Pandemics and Biosecurity
7) Genetics research
8) Stem cells
9) Ocean Health
10) Water
11) Space
12) Scientific Integrity
13) Research
14) Health

The two candidate’s answers can be easily compared at: http://sharp.sefora.org/innovation2008/compare/race/president/2008/ (You may click on the "Boooring But Important" headline above to link directly to the survey responses. I am still working on getting live links added WITHIN my stories.) While there, you may click the candidates’ names to read a brief bio and a COMPREHENSIVE rundown for each of them on their past RECORD on science, complete with links to transcripts and video.

SEA also has a national poll on what American voters think about science in the elections. Its promising that generally American voters place significant importance on public policy decisions based on science and technology to solve problems we face today; majorities say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who is committed to advancing science and technology on a range of issues; and majorities across partisan lines say they would be more likely to support a candidate who is committed to these issues. The results of poll are at: http://sharp.sefora.org/voters-on-science/

Definition of "Maverick"

2008-09-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Has anyone checked the dictionary for “Maverick?” Definition number one is: “An unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it.” Clearly the Maverick NOW has been branded by the far right! It now reads “Far rt” on his “rt.” bun!

Tina Fey "Sarah NAILinED" It on SNL!!!

2008-09-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Who hasn’t seen the Tina Fey performance on SNL? Well if YOU haven’t (and even if you have): YOU HAVE TO SEE IT! A few times! (See link in “Handy Links.”)

Insuring Against the McTrain Wreck

2008-09-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

Doesn’t it feel like a train wreck you see coming but can’t stop? And right on the front, strapped to the cow catcher is The Supreme Court! The outta control locomotive on a collision course with reality contains multiple world conflicts, the economy, healthcare. Blowing out the window is the constitution. Science books feed the fire box. Left in the dust somewhere down the tracks was education. The environment going up in smoke and flowing out the chimney. Social Security flip flopped on the tracks before it was run over and eviscerated. (This train metaphor proved more fruitful than expected!)

A very dear friend is one of those disaffected Hillary voters. He’s “not sure” about Obama’s politics. He has trouble with some of Biden’s past stances. So he plans to sit this election out. A highly principled liberal, my friend wouldn’t vote for McCain + his Mid-to-Latelife-crisis, SP (Sarah Palin ... or maybe its “Sugar Plum”). A reasonable person, basically pragmatic, this is an appeal to that friend. Maybe we can reach some undecided, independent or UNINTERESTED citizen with a warning: Train Wreck coming!

Anyone not yet ONboard for Obama, needs to think of it as an insurance policy against the train wreck called McSame/Failin.’ If these guys get in, stay in, its more of the same, except FURTHER to the right-wingnut extreme. There’s “not voting for them,” and then there’s insuring against the McTrain Wreck by votin’ FOR the other guys. And telling someone who is undecided (how is that even possible?) Or a young person who might “blow off” voting. Or a working woman who TRULY doesn’t have time to follow all this and KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW. Now would be a good time to reconnect with those friends in Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada! (The NY Times has a neat interactive electoral map at the link listed in “Handy Links” in the right-hand column of this page.)

Maybe you wanna think if John McCain gets elected, and survives a term, he MIGHT surprise us and re-morph from this twisted version of his former self back into the Maverick they keep insisting he still is. You remember, the McCain that made you think back in 2000, “At least THIS guy wouldn’t be AS bad as that ridiculous rube from Texas they think people will vote for?” Who hasn’t pondered over the last eight years how things might look now if the Supreme Court had handed over the presidency to JM instead of Dubbya?

Now, at a time when the candidates PROVING their sound judgement and intelligence has never been more important, JM brings us SP. How “sound” is it to tempt Murphy’s Law so arrogantly by stacking the “irony deck” till it tickles the cosmos’ funny bone so history HAS to give us “President Palin” for irony’s-sake? Maybe Day 2? How about 200? Welcome aboard the “Irony Express.” Wheels guaranteed to fall off.

Unfortunately JM/SP have FUNDAMENTALLY fired up the right wing’s FUNDAMENTAL base and its FUNDAMENTALLY scary! And the people who heard long ago he’s a “MAVRIK.” (Yes, I saw this myself on a sign at the GOP convention. Two misspellings in one word is just so wonderfully poignant from the party who hates to fund education!) There’s that troubling 40-something, Hillary-turned-McCain supporting ER nurse who famously appeared in a JM ad airing in Denver during the Dem’s convention. No one had told her, and millions like her, that JM has FLIPPED from his 1999 stance on Roe V. Wade. And 75 other issues. Many flips that would make ALL the difference to SOME voters if they only KNEW! (The complete list can be found at the link in “Handy Links.”) The Maverick has flipped on every issue necessary to get what he wants this time. Those voters enable the Train Wreck but could be the insurance against it.

Dem Stratagist, Paul Begala, gloriously points out that now Charlie Gibson has interviewed Sarah Palin more for VP than JM did. And we’re still talking about HER instead of issues. It was brilliant politics. Run the clock out by (excuse me) taking a dump on the table, then simply declaring it “inappropriate” -- OFF THE TABLE -- to talk about the steaming pile any way. Or ask any questions. By declaration. We’re left stuttering in amazement that they actually plopped a pile on the proverbial kitchen table. While their FUNDAMENTALLY happy base eats up whatever they dish out. When someone plops something distasteful on the table, we are entitled to ask a few questions. Then sweep the pile off the table and get back to the REAL issues -- the meat and potatoes. (I hate cliches, but some of these metaphors are so darned fruitful you just have to go with them!) They love every day we talk about pigs, pitbulls, and sugar plums and not how they can even SUGGEST they are in ANY way capable of bringing change. They lie about their records and their opponent’s positions knowing that most people -- busy, basically optimistic people who vote but “don’t really like to follow politics” will with all good intentions vote against their own best interest. Again. Get some insurance -- a FUNDAMENTAL Train Wreck is FUNDAMENTALLY coming.

==========
FOLLOW-UP
Today’s troubling financial news is forcing the discussion back onto the economy, which JM said again TODAY he believes is FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND. No doubt they are talking with their seven lobbyists that head up their campaign (remember lobbyist and former McCain top financial advisor, Phil Gramm, who brought us terms like “nation of whiners” and “mental recession?”) about how to present a new steaming pile, and make it sound edible, while their base gets their spoons ready. And seeing if they can work in the phrase “more drilling” somehow. There must be a connection to how “drilling today” could fix Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and prevent further collapses like Lehman Brothers,’ right? Maybe they are trying to figure out how to propose to spend $4,000 on EVERY citizen in the country and NOT call it PORK -- Sarah did it up in Alaska afterall and they’ve been able to call her a Maverick who REFUSES earmark pork. Truth is, though, you know they really don’t want to spend anything on you. They want to give more tax breaks to the wealthiest and expect THEM to spend it on you. Counting on people to forget history, they still want the lower 98% of the population to wait for a drink to trickle down through the cracks instead of offering anything to raise the tide for all boats. YOU CAN PUT WHIPPED CREAM ON A “SWINE SOUFFLE,” BUT ITS STILL PIG!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PLEASE SEE THE McTRAIN WRECK PHOTO AND CAPTION IN A SEPARATE BOX IN THE RIGHT-HAND COLUMN OF THIS PAGE!

Life-of-the-Party You Weren’t Invited To

2008-09-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

John McCain is a funny guy. He’s famous for being a colorful joke-telling life-of-the-party. Some people have been offended by some of his jokes. Don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying I take ANY offense — feigning indignation is just so passe’ and boooring. I don’t care if an old man tells some dirty jokes! But the joke’s gotta be FUNNY! And not leave the audience wondering if SOMEbody ELSE within earshot might be feeling a little creeped out by what they just heard. These are more examples of POOR JUDGEMENT! How does the brain work that decided some of this material was worth risking that embarrassing feeling when you tell a joke that falls on its face and all you hear is crickets?

So here we go with “John McCain’s Joke Book”:*

Hilarious (?) back in 1986:
“Did you hear the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die? When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contentedly and to feebly ask, ‘Where is that marvelous ape?’”
=====
In mid-1998 McCain gibed “Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno.”
—A little creepy ... on multiple levels.
=====
When asked in an interview for the Las Vegas Sun why he snubbed Gov. Jim Gibbons by not asking him to chair his Nevada campaign, was it the governor’s approval rating and is McCain running from him like he is from the president? John McCain chuckled and said: “And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago . . .”

—This one-liner seems a simple throw-away, if over-used “yeah, sure” except in context: Gibbons, in the midst of a messy divorce, reportedly sent 860 text messages to a woman with whom Mrs. Gibbons suspects her husband of stepping out. Although charges were never filed, Gibbons began his governorship amidst accusations that he assaulted a cocktail waitress weeks before Election Day. She said Gibbons grabbed her in a parking garage and threatened to sexually assault her. The governor filed for divorce citing incompatibility stemming from an undisclosed event in RENO.

Oh, NOW McCain’s not-beating-his-wife irony is funny! What if it was stemming from an undisclosed event in JANET Reno???
=====
This recent ditty (April 2007) is my favorite because prescience is intriguing. When people are telling you what they will do if given the opportunity, and bury it in humor so that some people “get it” on that different level you feel when you are part of an INSIDE joke or code-speak — you know, like when they refer to “activist judges” or suggest that “Intelligent Design” is a “theory” to be taught as an alternate “theory” because evolution is only a “theory”—well yeah, like gravity is a theory — when it seems like everyone’s not completely “in on the joke,” its REALLY time to PAY ATTENTION:

Speaking at Murrells Inlet VFW Hall in South Carolina, McCain was asked when he thought the US Military might “send an air mail message to Tehran.” McCain answered [remember] “that old Beach Boys’ song Bomb Iran” proceeding to sing “bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb, anyway, uh ...” to the tune of Barbara Ann
=====
While we’re on Iran:
“How about those exports of cigarettes to Iran? Maybe that’s a way of killing them.”
=====
And other “Fer’ners”
“The French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who is still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn’t have the face for it.”
=====
And yet more “Fer’ners”
Campaigning in 2000 on the Straight Talk Express McCain began to take issue with critics who objected to the term “gooks,” which McCain has employed when talking about his captors. A number of Asian-American groups have called McCain’s use of the term insensitive. “If anyone was offended,” he said, pausing, “I think it’s really stupid.”
=====
Self-deprecatingly, McCain describes himself as being older than dirt with more scars than Frankenstein but now shows a bit more restraint from telling oldster jokes. Before reforming, his repertoire included:

“The Leisure World community should be renamed ‘Seizure World.’ It’s a place where 97 percent of the people vote and the other 3 percent are in intensive care.”

“The nice thing about Alzheimer’s is you get to hide your own Easter eggs.”
—Will there be DOWN SYNDROME humor forthcoming from Senator McShame?

“By 2008, I think I might be ready to go down to the old soldiers home.”
—There’s that prescient humor again! (Thank you, Al Franken, for teaching me the term “kidding-on-the-square,” which is to be joking, but at the same time really mean it.)
=====
Life-of-the-party kinds of joke-tellers are sure to have a few witty skeletons in their closet. It might be good judgement, though, to think twice before going for that immediate possible laugh from the adoring crowd if you might find your self running for public office sometime in the future. Why do “conservatives” believe it is virtuous to act on first thought/gut reaction without giving ANYthing a second thought???

Just like Sarah told us this evening when asked, “What if Israel felt threatened and needed to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities? If they had to do it because Iran was an existential threat, we would cooperate or agree? That would be all right?” To which she responded, three times to every which way he rephrased the question, “we are friends with Israel and I DON’T THINK THAT WE SHOULD SECOND GUESS the measures that Israel has to take to defend themselves and for their security.” How do we get some of those independents and “undecideds” to LISTEN when these people tell us what they will do? Really? Shouldn’t we at least expect one “second” thought or one-second’s thought before we jump into combat? Again.

* Additions to the collection welcomed.

Now a few faves from the “Book of Jokes ABOUT the McCain/Palin Ticket”

2008-09-13T02:18:00.000-07:00

“McCain has been running this campaign based on ‘We’re at war, it’s a dangerous world out there … I, John McCain, am the only one standing between the blood-thirsty Al Qaeda and you. But if I die, this stewardess can handle it.’” —Bill Maher
=====
“Now obviously Sen. John McCain has made an enormous amount over Barack Obama’s lack of experience, so it seems curious that the 72-year-old, four-to-five time face cancer guy would choose a running mate whose resume appears to be more suited for a Northern Exposure reunion show.” –Jon Stewart
=====
Here’s my filthy, disrespectful new Sara Palin joke:
In Sarah Palin’s ABC interview, it was embarrassingly obvious that she did not know what is meant by the “Bush Doctrine." She only knows that HER “Bush” doctrine is: NEVER CLOSED FOR BUSINESS.
(Ba-Dump-Bum. Just unleashed my inner “Dirty Old Man.” My apologies if I offended anyone. I don’t expect to be running for any sort of political office in the next 20 years. I stuffed it here in the middle of this section so it wouldn’t be the first nor last thing you read here. ... Is that crickets I hear?)
=====
It’s like Christmas! Sarah Palin jokes are sooo FUN and its such fertile ground. Its hard not to love a good “the-old-man-needs-a-nap” joke. However, its time to bring back the “John-McCain-is-out-of-touch-with-regular-folks” talk:

"It is ironic that John McCain is out there saying that times are tough. Vanity Fair did a little fun math about Cindy’s outfit from the first night of their convention, and her earrings alone could buy the McCains a 12th house! I don’t begrudge anyone enjoying the fruits of their riches, but they can’t say they can relate to ME and MY problems when she is standing there wearing the value of my home, now that my home’s value has decreased by 50%! Or to put it another way, her outfit could have insured 25 families of four for a year!”—POW (Pearl Of Wizdom)
=====
“Ya might be a republican if your wife charges three-quarters of a million bucks in one month, AND you have no problem meeting the minimum payment when the bill arrives." ~~~~~ “You just might be out-of-touch if your “house-staff” salaries for one year total more than the value of the average home in this country.” ~~~~~ “If your economic advisor is a lobbyist who is married to a former director of Enron, and he says people losing their homes are “whiners” and “America’s financial problems are psychological” and you think the country made “great progress economically during the Bush years,” you might be a republican.”—POW
=====
Or from John McCain’s own lips, in response to Pastor Rick Warren’s question regarding what it means to be rich, he said, “I think if you’re just talking about income, how about $5 million?” McCain was laughing as he made the comment, and added, “I’m sure that comment will be distorted.” His campaign later said the candidate was joking. Yeah, joking ON THE SQUARE! He’s ssoo funny!

Feigned Indignation and Deciding to Take "Offense"

2008-09-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

For the last eight years or more, “conservatives*” have tried, with some success, to convince the country that they OWN patriotism in the USA. Now they want to claim ownership of cliches.

Surely by now you’ve heard Sarah Palin’s stump speech, the text of which is taken directly from her acceptance speech at the GOP convention. (I guess that IS one area in which they ARE “conservative” -- her speech hasn’t changed one bit. Hmm. Even her hand gestures are they same at the same point in the speech. She IS VERY WELL rehearsed.) Anyway, in her speech she has a “funny” one-liner about the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull: LIPSTICK.

The Obama folks have picked up this softball tossed in their direction (I wouldn’t respect them if they DIDN’T!) to point out that for the McCain/Palin ticket to claim they will bring change is like putting lipstick on a pig. The inference is there. But they never called Sarah Palin “a pig!” Any good comedian will tell you if you have to explain it, the joke isn’t funny. So they didn’t have to hit you over the head by using “pitbull” instead of pig.

On the other hand, it is important to note that long before most of us ever heard of Sarah Palin, BOTH sides in this election have used that TIRED OLD CLICHE repeatedly. Obama has said it MANY, MANY, MANY times in reference to the Bush/McCain policies in Iraq -- and all the ways a McCain administration would mirror the Bush years -- he’s the lipstick to Bush’s pig. McSame used the lipstick line in reference to Hillary’s health plan last October. And remember when someone in the crowd asked McCain how do we “beat the bitch?” To which McCain laughed and proceeded to spew polling data comparing himself to Hillary. There was no doubt about WHO they meant. And there was no admonition from McCain about raising the level of civility.

Apparently its OK for McCain to discuss his female opponent being a “bitch” in Hilton Head, South Carolina, but its NOT OK in Lebanon, VA, if Obama uses a much-used cliche that kind of sounds like a joke his opponent’s female running mate made. I guess that’s SORT OF a reason to be offended, except that “bitch” is an ACTUAL epithet and laughing at it is an ACTUAL insult to women.

This is yet another distraction from a ticket that has nothing new to offer, even though they have attempted an 11th hour embrace of “change.” Their campaign manager, Rick Davis, has said “that the presidential race will be decided more over personalities than issues” in an interview with the Washington Post just last week. “This election is not about issues,” said Davis.(1)

Well, it IS about issues if WE MAKE it about issues.

This whole lipstick-gate outrage is manufactured and only shows how scared the McShame ticket is to talk about REAL issues. I wonder how lipstick looks on a chicken. Or a turd blossom.

It probably wasn’t so wise for the McSame/Failin’ ticket to put that cliche out there in the first place. I mean for me all it does it make me think if she’s a pitbull, then all that’s at the top of the ticket is a tired old houndog. (Watch for a future post about “the hound.”)

1) http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/09/mccain_manager_this_election_i.html