Monday, September 8, 2008

The Right can't stand it when they're given the O'Reilly treatment.

This flap is hilarious. Apparently, the Republicans are finally getting a taste of their own medicine with MSNBC.

They don't like it. Good.

Democrats have suffered with the highly partisan Fox News for years and people rolling their eyes when Democrats complain about it.

Now that the shoe's on the other foot, the Republicans show their thin skin.

They can dish it out, but they can't take it.

I don't watch Obermann, but what I have watched I find funny, especially when he takes on Bill O'Reilly.

Big babies.

How can we have a political campaign when one side is constantly crying foul, but wanting the right to sling mud at the same time?

We can't. This is politics...get with the program.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Don't forget John McCan't's participation in the S & L scandal where the taxpayers had to bail out an industry

Here's a little bit of history that should be dredged up.

It's about the Keating Five.

For those of you unfamiliar with the S & L Scandal from the 1980's, John McCain was implicated for exercising poor judgment for helping a large campaign contributor with bank regulators. Charles Keating's bank subsequently failed and cost investors billions. (This is the problem with de-regulation ideologues--some regulation is good).

Charles Keating was the poster child for the S & L scandal. He gave McCain hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and flew McCain around on a private jet. (So much for McCain understanding the common man...I know I fly around on a private jet all the time too.)

Many blame the whole mess on the de-regulation that occurred when Reagan came into office. Many who worship at the Church of Reaganism dismiss the impact of de-regulation, but it shouldn't be ignored so handily.

John McCain's good buddy, Phil Gramm, is a big proponent of de-regulation and McCain still advocates many of the same policies that Phil Gramm (who said recently that "the nation is a bunch of whiners" ). As a side note: Since the Republicans came to power, my personal wealth has fallen and my income stream has dried up. So, yes, I'm a whiner, but with good reason.

The problem with the Reagan de-regulation dogma comes down to this: Absolutist de-regulation results in debacles like the S & L scandal and the banking and credit crunches we're experiencing now. The short-term benefits of high profits are more than offset by the economic bubbles that inevitably burst afterwards. Regulation, is like a spice: just the right amount improves the dish, while too little keeps it unpalatable, whereas too much ruins it. Balance is key and to take the ideologues overly simplistic, absolutist view is to ignore the real complexity of modern economics.

McCain has adopted the Reaganomics view of Phil Gramm, much to the detriment of America. He cannot claim to put country first when policies he advocates harm more than they help. McCain's history of siding with the wealthy aristocracy is long. For him to paint himself as an everyman doesn't pass the smell test.

Look to the past and you'll see who gets McCain's help: Those with money.

Ask yourself: Do I have money? If you don't, then McCain's not you man.

Only a fool votes for someone who pays lip-service to values, while pushing policies that harm those stupid enough to believe the words over the result.


Thursday, September 4, 2008

Electric Plane! I'm excited!

This is really cool!

I want one. So long fuel costs!



Wow!

Welcome to the Feeble Fogy and Fascist Fembot show

I've finally figured out what the McCan't - Palin ticket represents.

It represents the old stodgy married to the young ideologue.

We can't afford the easy certainty represented by the Republican ticket.

Drilling for oil is not the answer..It's a big fat lie to pretend that it is

I'm reminded of that old political chestnut when I hear politicians give grand speeches.

"Who Benefits?"

If you can answer that question when you hear a politician's speeches, then you can easily figure out whose backpocket that politician is in.

Take for instance the Republican refrain to Drill, Drill, Drill.

Who benefits from drilling for oil? The oil companies. Citizens of Alaska do because they get a paycheck from the state from oil revenues.

Getting lost in the grand speeches though is the fact that (And this is a commonly accepted fact and not some liberal scare tactic) even if we did all the drilling possible, the oil would not amount to a hill of beans with our current levels of consumption.

Furthermore, even if enough oil was found, it would take years (not months as it's implied by the Republicans) for it to impact our fuel prices and our economy.

Additionally, even the oil we do have is not enough to make us energy independent.

So, why do the Republicans keep perpetuating this farce?

Go back to the political chestnut: Who Benefits?

I'll tell you. The Republicans benefit from campaign contributions from the oil companies.

In the end, we have a choice between who best deserves to benefit from our coffers.

Do we want oil companies to benefit? Or, do we want the people to benefit?

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Republicans are growing more tolerant...Governor Palin is the reason

I've been standing back and reviewing all the press about Sarah Palin.

Here's my take on some of the issues surrounding her elevation to running mate.

1) I'm glad to see all the right-wing conservatives finally showing the tolerance, understanding, and forgiveness of youthful indiscretions, like they're showing to Bristol Palin and her...ahem, situation. Maybe they'll decide that tolerance and understanding are much better when applied to the world at large instead of their past indifference and judgment.

2) Governor Palin is being regarded as a reformer. Apparently, her reforming tendencies arose only after it became politically expedient to distance herself from Senator Ted Stevens (who's under indictment) and his son (who was Palin's lobbyist for earmarks prior to his dad's indictment).

3) Cindy McCain has offered up Governor Palin's experience running the Alaska National Guard as credible foreign policy experience. Huh!? Give me a break. If that's all it takes, then Barack Obama has enough foreign policy experience since he lived in Hawaii, Indonesia, and Seattle. This is bullshit.

4) I don't think I agree with the decision to go public with Bristol Palin's pregnancy. And to state that Bristol will marry the erstwhile baby daddy. Here's why. If this young girl is off limits, as Obama, McCain, and Palin all agree she is, then why throw her to the media wolves along with her boyfriend (who incidentally never signed on for the publicity...he just wanted what most boys want). I find this action very questionable and it smells of ambition to the point of sacrificing one's child for political advantage.

5) The Republicans, in their over the top defense of the governor, will find it hard to backtrack on all these issues come the next election. They've tacitly approved of unwed mothers. They've shown the ineffectiveness of abstinence only sex education, since it worked so marvellously for Bristol Palin. They've managed to prove to the American voter that experience really doesn't matter as long as you can play identity politics. They've also shown us that the country's best interest is secondary to ideology and political advantage.

How deliciously Machiavellian of them! Gotta love those family values!

Watch Out John McCan't...

Interesting video.

Makes you think about John McCan't in a whole new light.


Old, Grizzled Third Party Candidate May Steal Support From McCain

Monday, September 1, 2008

Without work, we lose much more than our edge.

When I read stories like this one, I wonder why our political leaders have stuck it to us for the last 8 years.

Meaningful work and quality jobs are the foundation of our economy. Capital and wealth do not exist without labor and its fruits.

How can we turn wealth into products and tools without labor to mold them? We cannot.

Our politicians have failed us.

We can ill-afford to perpetuate the policies that have put us here.

Some may look to the security issues we face. Yet, without work and its products, security means nothing.

Let this inform your decisions as to the leaders you choose.

McCain's VEEP choice just keeps getting better and better...At least her values are strong,

This just keeps getting better and better.

It seems that Governor Palin's teenage daughter is pregnant.

The problem is that the Republicans are making threats if this issue is brought up.

What a load of crap. If the same issue occurred on the Democratic side, Rove and his ilk would start a whisper campaign to exploit it while denying their involvement.

Now, I know how teenagers behave and I personally don't think this is much of an issue. However, it becomes a values issue when the VP choice is touted as a family values paragon. Why does a conservative family-values candidate get a pass on the very issues that become ammunition against the other party?

McCan't has really screwed the pooch. There's so much baggage. The inexperience and obvious cynical choice of a female running mate to draw off Hillary voters won't stand up once the real vetting occurs in the general election.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Too much certainty underscores the problems with the Right

I've thought a lot lately about the issues afflicting the political right.

To sum it up in as pithy manner as possible:

The Right suffers from an excess of certainty. Unfortunately, real certainty doesn't exist, so they are setting themselves up for disappointment.

Too much certainty invariably bumps up against the dearth of actual certainty in reality.

Just my thought.

Palin is bringing trouble to McCan't already

Well, it looks like McCan't's VP choice is a Republican through and through.

She's already under investigation by a special prosecutor in Alaska for using her office for a personal family feud.

The Republicans are so rife with corrupt practices and so forth, that it underscores the need for the change Obama advocates.

It's house-cleaning time.

Friday, August 29, 2008

John McCan't chooses Governor Palin as his right-wing running mate

Well John McCan't has chosen an inexperienced right-winger from Alaska for his running mate.

The only thing Governor Palin has going for her is that she will shore up McCan't's conservative base.

The governor is an attractive woman so that shouldn't hurt McCan't.

The Vice Presidential debates should be a clock cleaning by Biden.

Biden's a tough customer and the Obama campaign has momentum.

I don't think Governor Palin will attract any Hillary supporters. Governor Palin is staunchly pro-life.

Any Hillary supporters willing to swing to the complete opposite side of the political divide to stick it to Obama will probably number only in the hundreds.

One hopes the McCan't campaign is not so silly to think Americans will be fooled by such a cynical choice in running mate. But who knows.

Americans were fooled by Rovian tactics the last time around.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Obama knocks it out of the park.

I'm not one to gush, but Barack Obama's speech tonight had to be one of the most inspiring speeches I've ever seen.

In his speech he really made McCain and the Republicans look very small and petty.

That point was driven home by the tepid response from McCain basically calling Obama a liar.

I was surprised to hear all the talking heads in utter amazement at how powerful a speech Obama gave.

The speech asked us to look beyond the petty and toward our own greater future. It asked us to leave the past and unite together as a nation without political divide.

Bold and sweeping language that almost left a tear in my eye.

I felt a seismic shift occur with his speech. All I could do was shake my head at poor old John McCain.

In one single flourish, Obama made obsolete the political tricks of Karl Rove. He did it by pointing out that we, as a people, are better than that and deserve better than that.

I can't wait for the Debates. McCain won't be able to use his tired old stories and Karl Rove's tired old tricks to good effect on Obama. This was a game changer and McCain is one old dog who can't learn new tricks.

The game is afoot.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Who's the real elitist? Saying it doesn't make it true.

Here's what I don't get about the elitist label getting thrown about by the Republicans and their friends over at Fox News.

Between Obama and McCain, which one flies around in a private jet all the time?

McCain.

Between Obama and McCain, which one has millions upon millions of dollars at their personal disposal?

McCain.

Between Obama and McCain, which one was born in the good old U.S.A.?

Obama. (McCain was born in Panama)

Between Obama and McCain, which one has a wife that voted to sell out a large U.S. company to a foreign company?

McCain. (Cindy McCain owns 80,000 shares of Anheiser-Busch. She voted in favor of selling the company to InBev, over the interests of all the U.S. workers who rely on A-B for jobs, etc.)

Let's face it: McCain is the elitist here. Just because Obama got a good education, it doesn't make him an elitist. It makes him smart. McCain hasn't been poor since the 1970's when he married money.

To call Obama an elitist is a bald-faced lie.

Why do we let the rich get away with calling the non-rich elitists? It makes no sense.

Who's closer to living the lifestyle of everyday Americans, Obama or McCain?

Obama because he doesn't fly around in a private jet, nor own 7 + homes, nor advocate for the interests of large corporations and wealthy individuals at the expense of the rest of us.

Get a grip people. McCain is not interested in helping everyday Americans, only his well-heeled friends an supporters, who are not everyday Americans.

Funny stuff. Shows media bias

Here's a good example of how the media shows bias.

It helps to have a side by side comparison and Slate provides one in this video.

Of course Fox has Bill Kristol, one of the architects of neoconservativism. Kristol calls Obama an elitist because Obama went to law school at Harvard.

Funny thing is, Kristol went to Harvard for his undergraduate AND graduate degrees.

Kind of dripping with hypocrisy if you ask me, but we're dealing with ideologues here, so it's impossible for them to avoid hypocrisy because that would actually require them to be logical AND consistent.

Racist plot to kill Obama foiled by stupidity

When I read stories like this one, I find it hard to ignore the undercurrent of racism that exists against Obama.

I read a story the other day indicating that attacks against Obama have nothing to do with racism.

Unfortunately, that isn't entirely true.

Give people a pretext for their racism and they'll be sure to adopt it rather than admit being racist.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Biden may be the one. Awesome.

Well I hope this story turns out to be true.

I love Biden. He's mouthy, but he can back it up.

He's highly experienced in foreign affairs.

He knows the Senate inside and out.

He can play the compromise game well. It's what the American system was built on.

This should be fun.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

McCain nothing but an old fart whose stories are tiring and threadbare.

Two comments:

1) Saddleback Church Forum: I thought it a worthwhile endeavor as it allowed the public to see that Obama (despite the bullshit being spread by racist bigots) is not really a Muslim.

I thought McCain appeared stiff. McCain certainly lacked nuance and depth.

Overall, despite what David Gergen said about McCain on Real Clear Politics, I don't think McCain looked good comparatively speaking.

2) The McCain "house" issue.

McCain stepped in a pile of poo with his response to the number of houses question.

In fact, here it is. McCain loses track of number of house he owns.

Here's what I don't get: How can Obama be an elitist when McCain is the one who married a $100 million dollar heiress? Please.

McCain relies on his worn out Vietnam stories because he has nothing else to rely on.

My dad was in Vietnam and he made a point of trying to forget about it. I think my dad has the right idea because we LOST in Vietnam.

McCain is out of touch. And for him to try to be the "common man" candidate blows my mind.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Pretty women need not apply.

This mayor may have stuck his foot in his mouth.

Unfortunately, he may only be telling the truth, no matter how "ugly" that truth may be.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Medical tourism creates competition for U.S. health care providers--It's a good thing

The Economist tells a story of globalization and market forces that should serve as a wake up call to the U.S. health care system.

When you view the chart of costs that U.S. patients pay compared to patients in other countries, then you may have difficulty justifying the usual refrain of "we have better care here, despite the costs."

Cost creates competition between U.S. health care and foreign systems.

It's about time.

It will take U.S. health care providers screaming about their lost profits before they get on board with socialized insurance. There's only so much fear-mongering about foreign health care people will stand. Once enough people receive quality treatment overseas, a tipping point will occur where it becomes standard for the middle class and the poor (the ones who support the health care system now) to leave the country for treatment.

Socialized insurance creates a dis-incentive for people to go elsewhere since they can be assured of treatment at home.