McCain's Wife Refuses to Release Tax Records

For someone who encourages openness, I'm wondering why his wife doesn't count. Is it because she's a cunt?

PS: McCain was on The Daily Show. Still amazed that Jon Stewart asks harder questions than journalists do.

OMG ROFLMAO

Clinton said Wednesday:

“I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on,” she said in the interview, citing an article by The Associated Press.

It “found how Senator Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.”

“There’s a pattern emerging here,” she said.

...

“These are the people you have to win if you’re a Democrat in sufficient numbers to actually win the election. Everybody knows that,” she said in the interview.

I'm sorry, but I don't think that JUST hard-working white Americans are the key to winning elections. First of all there are a lot of lazy white Americans, not to mention hard-working and lazy blacks, and hard-working and lazy hispanics, and hard-working and lazy asians, and hard-working and lazy... you get the point. Oh, and one more group. Don't forget the people who are more hard-working than lazy people and more lazy than the hard-working people.

I might be in that group.

Anywho.

As Wil Wheaton says*, I do believe Clinton has turned into the psycho ex-girlfriend of the DNC.

EDIT (5/9/08 12:57am): *Please note that Wil Wheaton did not specifically say the words as above after the comma, as they are not enclosed in quotation marks. Please click the trackback to the post on his blog entitled "hillary clinton: the psycho ex-girlfriend of the democratic party" in which he expresses his amusement at the sentiment made on Reddit. Clicking links is highly recommended to make sure that references made on this website are understood in context. I do apologize for paraphrasing her being the psycho ex-girlfriend of the DNC, when in actuality the original writer likened her to the psycho ex-girlfriend of the Democratic Party. My fuckin bad. By the way, in case you don't feel like clicking additional links, although I highly recommend reading Wil Wheaton's blog because he's so damn funny, here is the original blog post that started it all.

From a Clinton Supporter

This was posted on TPM, and I thought it was very gracious...

By one_wilson - May 7, 2008, 8:49AM

Some of you who follow TPM closely know that I have supported Sen. Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination. I have made a dedicated effort on her behalf, in the sincere belief that in spite of her accompanying and even obvious disadvantages, she would on balance make the better President among the remaining candidates. I believe that now. Millions of others believe that with me - just not quite enough, in the final analysis.

Now is the time and here is the place to end it. There is no acceptable way left to get there from here. Last night tipped all of us over a divide on the risk/reward scale. To soldier forward in the face of this latest concrete evidence holds a certain romantic appeal to which I am as temperamentally inclined as anyone, but finally - no. I could evaluate the numbers and produce a mathmatical "answer", but it's not about numbers. You just get a feeling. Day before yesterday, my feeling said, "Maybe?" Today, it says, "No." It's that simple.

Let me congratulate all the Democratic candidates for their participation in this dramatic and historic event. We have broken new ground. With a lot of hard work (and just a little bit of luck), we have a respectable chance of carrying this revolution all the way to the White House.

To those who have been with Sen. Obama all along, you got it right, so far. So far. My sincere congratulations to all of you as well. You've earned an honest triumph. It's your game to win or lose now. Get to work, and Good Luck.

To those who weren't with Sen. Obama, give him a fair chance and the honest benefit of the doubt. He has successfully completed arguably the most historic and perhaps the most improbable primary campaign in history.
He vanquished the legend of modern Democratic politics in a fair fight. Whatever the perceived defects that kept you from him in the first instance, it's clear he is enormouly gifted. He must be doing something right. Try to put aside your differences, and understand what that is.

Best wishes and best of luck to you all.

I am only sad that one_wilson felt it was up to Obama supporters to win or lose the "game". It's not. It's up to all of us.

Come on in, the water's quite pleasant and there's room for everyone.

McCain's Numbers

I glanced at his returns and chuckled slightly as I went for the Democratic info, but Joe at AMERICAblog picked it up - for someone with the assumed Republican nomination, McCain's numbers fucking suck.

Obama Takes NC Easily, Slams Into Clinton's Apparent Easy Win In Indiana

Listen, I had assumed that Clinton would take Indiana, and I figured by at least 8-10% margin. At this point, it's 85% reporting and there is a 4% spread.

Guys and gals. Clinton is way behind on delegates, she's broke, and she didn't pull the upset she said she would today.

I'm sorry. I would love to stand behind a woman president and say how proud I was to have been with her on her ride to the White House. You can't possibly know how badly I would have loved to have done that. But she's not going there.

All she has left to do is destroy the party and spoil the victory for the candidate who has stuck through it all and come out on top. Some people may think I worship Barack Obama. No, I do not. He is a human being with weaknesses and mistakes. He is not perfect. But I am excited by his message, and all I can do is hope that he has been honest in his word to be the change this country needs.

I put our Democratic potentials side-by-side, and through it all I came out with feeling better with Barack Obama. This has been a wild, exciting ride, and I am happy to be have been alive to see the historic events we have seen.

But please. What can she do now? Hold on with bloody fingernails? Wound and scar the candidate that is poised to take the nomination? For what? A win for McCain and a shot at 2012?

I cannot possibly back someone who would see the way the river flows and staunchly demand it change simply because she wants it to.

An Announcement from the Clinton Department of Ever-Changing Goalposts...

This just in folks, the number of delegates needed to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination is no longer 2,025. It is now 2,208.

You see, the CDE-CG apparently likes to make up their own rules, despite having agreed to the rules, because the rules aren't going their way.

Go cry, emo kids. Q.Q

Explain This One To Me

Why is Clinton dismissing the views of economists? You know, the people who actually have education and experience in that area?

Does she have a degree in that field? Or does she have superpowers that tell her that every economist is wrong to say that her gas tax thing is crap?

Why does this sound so much like Bush dismissing the advice of military officials that aren't sitting in his lap?

I am so sick of this.

BONUS UPDATE: This made me laugh, then cry, realizing the tragedy of the truth behind it.

Monday Afternoon News Bits

Tom Hanks hearts Obama.

Brad Blog discusses the photo ID restrictions.

John McCain never seems to know what the fuck he's talking about.

Truckers slammed by fuel costs. Gee, wonder what will happen to all that food and stuff they haul to us in those things if they have to stop running. Start saving your pennies, kids, everything's gonna cost a helluva lot more.

Senator Jon Kyl apparently likes to quote disproven "facts" - still thinks there's a link between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. Who elected this moron? Looking in your direction, Arizona...

US Marines Invade Manhattan

Congressional Candidate Attended Hilter Birthday Party

I can't make this shit up. Srsly.

Five Years Later, They Admit "Fault"

Wonder what they will admit to in another five years.

The White House said Wednesday that President Bush has paid a price for the "Mission Accomplished" banner that was flown in triumph five years ago but later became a symbol of U.S. misjudgments and mistakes in the long and costly war in Iraq.

Thursday is the fifth anniversary of Bush's dramatic landing in a Navy jet on an aircraft carrier homebound from the war. The USS Abraham Lincoln had launched thousands of airstrikes on Iraq.

"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended," Bush said at the time. "The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on Sept. 11, 2001, and still goes on." The "Mission Accomplished" banner was prominently displayed above him — a move the White House came to regret as the display was mocked and became a source of controversy.

After shifting explanations, the White House eventually said the "Mission Accomplished" phrase referred to the carrier's crew completing its 10-month mission, not the military completing its mission in Iraq. Bush, in October 2003, disavowed any connection with the "Mission Accomplished" message. He said the White House had nothing to do with the banner; a spokesman later said the ship's crew asked for the sign and the White House staff had it made by a private vendor.

"President Bush is well aware that the banner should have been much more specific and said `mission accomplished' for these sailors who are on this ship on their mission," White House press secretary Dana Perino said Wednesday. "And we have certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner. And I recognize that the media is going to play this up again tomorrow, as they do every single year."

...

Yeah, and they have EVERY FUCKING RIGHT TO, you cow.

Go Cry, Emo Kids

Republicans are very very upset that John McCain's own words are being used against him in DNC ads.

I hope they tell it to someone who gives a fuck.

The Republican National Committee demanded Monday that television networks stop running a television ad by the Democratic Party that falsely suggests John McCain wants a 100-year war in Iraq.

The ad says President Bush has talked about staying in Iraq for 50 years, then plays a clip of McCain saying, "Maybe 100. That'd be fine with me."

The announcer then says: "If all he offers is more of the same, is John McCain the right choice for America's future?"

Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan said the ad deliberately distorts what McCain, the likely GOP presidential nominee, said.

The committee's chief counsel, Sean Cairncross, said he sent letters Monday to NBC, CNN and MSNBC insisting that they stop airing the commercial...

*SNORT, giggle*

What Everyone But The Media Seems To Understand...

Listen folks, Obama supporters (and Obama himself) knew that Clinton was going to take PA.

I am just surprised that some people still think this means she has a shot at the nomination.

Let's look at this logically - unless Obama has such an offense in his background (or makes such offense between now and the convention) that instantly drops 80+% of his support, he will continue to maintain his lead. There aren't enough states left to give Clinton the edge. It's done.

(For the love of god don't start talking about Michigan and Florida - the candidates agreed to the rules, the states wanted to make themselves more newsworthy by holding their elections early, and the voters paid the price. Sorry they held them early but that's not Obama's fault.)

Back on track... so we have two talented candidates, only one of whom will get the nomination.

Should it be the one who has more delegates? Or the one who claims to be more electable in the general election?

Let's say for the sake of argument that the one who has more delegates is chosen. While it may not make the supporters of the losing candidate entirely happy, I would guess that the vast majority of supporters would rather vote for the Democrat rather than be so incensed as to vote for the Republican in the fall. Yes I am sure there will be some people that do that, but by and large there's no reason to expect a mass exodus of dems.

Now let's say for the sake of argument that despite having won the majority of delegates, the nomination goes to the other candidate. The only reason for this would be that the superdelegates didn't believe the other candidate would win in a general election. I predict that the supporters of that candidate will not sit down and accept this explanation. While I, like many others, may still feel obligated to go with whomever is the nominated candidate, there is a bitter aftertaste. Should that candidate become President, the Republicans will already be adversarial, but now there is a disenfranchised group of Dems as well.

Here's hoping that this whole business is put to rest soon, so we can vigorously work on general election campaigning. This country hurts, and we need to change that.

Another OT: Victor Garber ROCKS

Notice how I am avoiding discussing what's happening in PA tomorrow? Yeah I noticed that too. Just want it to be done at this point, and I am not expecting any huge surprises.

Anywho, my husband tossed me this link and I nearly cried from laughter. If anyone out there is an Alias fan, then you know the absolute brilliance that is Victor Garber. Obviously this writer does too.

Why Flowers Have Lost Their Scent

No surprise. Just sad, though.

Pollution is dulling the scent of flowers and impeding some of the most basic processes of nature, disrupting insect life and imperilling food supplies, a new study suggests.

The potentially hugely significant research – funded by the blue-chip US National Science Foundation – has found that gases mainly formed from the emissions of car exhausts prevent flowers from attracting bees and other insects in order to pollinate them. And the scientists who have conducted the study fear that insects' ability to repel enemies and attract mates may also be impeded.

The researchers – at the University of Virginia – say that pollution is dramatically cutting the distance travelled by the scent of flowers. Professor Jose Fuentes, who led the study, said: "Scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 metres. But today they may travel only 200 to 300 metres. This makes it increasingly difficult for bees and other insects to locate the flowers."...

Obama, Clinton Debate Widely Panned

ABC received thousands of comments on their website tonight regarding Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolis' hosting of the debate between Obama and Clinton. It's been a challenge to find several positive feedbacks. Most are things like the following:

ABC has reduced itself to tabloid level...

The debate was anatrocity, a total disgrace to journalism. I was truely sickened by the first hour...

The so called debate was a disgrace. Shame of both of the so-called moderators...

This was an extremely disappointing debate. Both George and Charlie focus on issues that are not relevant to what Americans are concerned about. 45 minutes into the debate before a “real” question was asked...

ABC News ought to be embarrassed by both the content and tenor of this debate. Rather than focusing the public's attention on issues of importance and ideas of substance, Mr. Gibson and Mr. Stephanopolous turned this pivotal moment in the campaign into an exercise in tabloid muckracking...

Worst of all debates sofar -- tabloid stuff - insult to the intelligence of the voters -- ABC you blew it -- This could have been the FOX DEBATE -- gutter journalism -- do they think most american voters are morrons... policy discussions is what we want not tabloid nonsense...

AMERICAblog has a roundup of a lot of top political blog reactions.

UPDATE: Video of audience heckling Gibson for announcing yet another commercial break - I guess they were getting a little tired of it.

UPDATE AGAIN: There has been talk defending the moderators for asking those kinds of questions to see how Obama would react to those kinds of attacks in a general election. I can understand some of that. Yes, you want someone who can handle the mudslinging. Problem is, he's already proven he can handle it, and while a gossipy, tabloid question slipped in between issue-based questions may separate the adults from the children, spending over 50 minutes on that crap is wasting everyone's valuable time.

Clinton of Working Class Southerners, "Screw 'em"

Circa 1995. Here's the skinny:

In January 1995, as the Clintons were licking their wounds from the 1994 congressional elections, a debate emerged at a retreat at Camp David. Should the administration make overtures to working class white southerners who had all but forsaken the Democratic Party? The then-first lady took a less than inclusive approach.

"Screw 'em," she told her husband. "You don't owe them a thing, Bill. They're doing nothing for you; you don't have to do anything for them."

The statement -- which author Benjamin Barber witnessed and wrote about in his book, "The Truth of Power: Intellectual Affairs in the Clinton White House" -- was prompted by another speaker raising the difficulties of reaching "Reagan Democrats." It stands in stark contrast to the attitude the New York Democrat has recently taken on the campaign trail, in which she has presented herself as the one candidate who understands the working-class needs.

It was a good thing that Bill didn't agree with her and decided to be more inclusive.

In All Seriousness

Yesterday I received one of those emails meant to rally people behind one candidate by trying to put another in a bad light - sans links, hard facts, etc. One of those "I don't know if it's true but I thought it was important enough to pass along..."

I despise those emails. I really do. I get very angry at the idiots who just hit the forward button and mail that shit to all their friends and family without having any idea whether it's true or just someone's VERSION of the truth. And in this day and age, in this political climate, I no longer want to settle for someone else's version of the truth. I want the REAL truth. I want honest candidates, who are willing to step up and be TRUTHFUL.

So I searched through the email looking for the original sender, and spent a little time formulating a response. Not so much to argue whether the content was 100% accurate or not, but the fact that he didn't bother to FIND OUT whether it was or not. It supported his candidate, and that was all he needed. He wrote back, giving some lame excuse that he didn't find anything online to refute the information and that he introduced the email by saying he couldn't verify its validity to give himself an "out.". I informed him that that was a dismal excuse, since I could write an email proclaiming the Pope's love of singing showtunes while dancing in the buff and (presumably) since there was nothing online to refute that.... wink wink.


I want to ask a question, and I am not being snippy or snarky, nor am I fishing for people to get nasty. I would like to hear serious, well thought out responses.

Please tell me why you support Hillary Clinton.

I am quite at a loss to understand her current level of support, even if it is slipping. After the exaggerated stories (and Bill's insistence on furthering them), the incredible amount of money she's accepted from special interest groups, her shifting views on NAFTA, her penchant for attacking the potential candidate in her own party rather than focusing on the opposition... I just do not understand and would like to understand it more. So someone please tell me.

LOL

Didn't take long for someone to make a Bitter Voters for Barack Obama website!

Guess I Am Too Much Yankee

... because this didn't strike me at first, aside from being rather condescending about his age (ironic, considering the flak Obama has been getting recently).

But then I realized that the person speaking is a representative of KENTUCKY.

U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis, a Hebron Republican, compared Obama and his message for change similar to a "snake oil salesman."

He said in his remarks at the GOP dinner that he also recently participated in a "highly classified, national security simulation" with Obama.

"I'm going to tell you something: That boy's finger does not need to be on the button," Davis said. "He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country."

Then I thought, well, maybe he's an older man, who meant it as though Obama is a snot-nosed kid.

Geoff Davis is a scant 3 years older than Obama.

People, what we have here is a man saying the N word without saying the N word.

Obama Responds to Clinton, McCain

Just saw this up at AB. This is why I want Barack Obama to be President of the United States. (9 minutes, but worth it)

PS: McCain has balls to call someone else "elitist" when he owns at least 8 homes, and for someone who's running around getting religious and gun-rights on people, Clinton refuses to say when she last went to church or fired a gun. Stop throwing stones from your glass houses, and fight for what you believe in, but stop fucking pretending you're something you clearly are not.

...And I Approved

It didn't stop short of the President, it went all the way up.

President Bush says he knew his top national security advisers discussed and approved specific details about how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, according to an exclusive interview with ABC News Friday.

"Well, we started to connect the dots in order to protect the American people." Bush told ABC News White House correspondent Martha Raddatz. "And yes, I'm aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved."

As first reported by ABC News Wednesday, the most senior Bush administration officials repeatedly discussed and approved specific details of exactly how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the CIA.

The high-level discussions about these "enhanced interrogation techniques" were so detailed, these sources said, some of the interrogation sessions were almost choreographed -- down to the number of times CIA agents could use a specific tactic. ...

With so many reports of people being held indefinitely, on little or no evidence, how can we as American citizens stand by and allow this? The arrogance, the money, the power, the death and torture, the grand schemes... we're supposed to be the good guys!

Obama Bashing, Round 76

There are times when the morons they pay a lot of money to say stuff on TV just say the most inane things, and I wonder how I get that stupid job.

Like being indignant that Obama preferred orange juice over coffee.

Seriously? No, really?

(originally found on AMERICAblog)

Creepy

My father worked for Picatinny Arsenal. I lived in Jefferson Township from 1975-1981, and we lived about 2 miles from Picatinny.

Poor kitty. :(

Misfired artillery crashes into girl's bed

A piece of artillery that was apparently misfired by the military crashed through the roof of a New Jersey home miles away Friday and injured a young girl's cat, which had to be euthanized, officials said.

No people were injured when the two-pound piece hit the Jefferson Township home about two-and-a- half miles from the Picatinny Arsenal and landed in the girl's bed, said Peter Rowland, arsenal spokesman. She wasn't home, but her cat was sleeping on the bed...

Friday AM News Bits

Been a long week for me, here's a recap:

Johm McCain can't spell.

Bill Clinton lied about Hillary's lie. Will it ever end?

Cheney on down approved "harsh techniques" after "asking" the Justice Dept. to call them legal. Says they buffered Bush from getting nailed. Don't know why the leader of the military would want to be left out of such decision-making, but okay.

Oil passes $112/barrel.

Colin Powell in Obama's Camp?

Republican Offenders

Saw this at Crooks and Liars. Quite frankly, while the list is rather long and the high incidence of pedophelia makes me sick, I wish this list included ALL politicians with criminal records. Because I know Democrats are no saints either.

I'm sure one will be up soon though.

In the meantime, check out the list. It's rather scary to see.

As Per Your Request...

Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., second right, jokes with 16-year-old Joe Kirk, of Billings, Mont., during a sponsor (AP Photo/The Montana Standard, Lisa Kunkel)

At the suggestion of reader MJ, I am including some recent positive news about Barack Obama. Thanks for the suggestion!

First, did you know about the Republicans for Obama? I thought that was pretty rockin'!

It looks like a lot of behind the scenes stuff may be brewing. When discussing the nomination standoff with my husband, I posited that the powerful superdelegates really have two options... either they are in the Clinton pockets and will force their personal will on the American people, or they will go with the will of the American people (for all intents and purposes, Obama appears to have the majority of the public on his side, so while he doesn't have the number of delegates to automatically take the nomination, he will come out with the majority). They also have two ways to go about it. They can either come out publicly for their candidate of choice (thereby encouraging others to do the same), or they can remain tight-lipped and work out amongst each other which way this all will go.

It doesn't surprise me that a lot are remaining tight-lipped. The Clintons are powerful to be sure (just reference Bill Richardson's new asshole), but it's in the superDs' best interests to wait until the primaries have all (or mostly) been held, make sure Obama has not made any critical errors, and come out for the majority rules winner. According to this article, it sounds like that's exactly what they are doing.

Speaking of superDs, Clinton's lead has dwindled to 30, as opposed to the 106 more she had in December. I'm sure by now people have heard about Jimmy Carter's public comments: "My children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama," Carter told a Nigerian newspaper during a visit to Africa. "As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for, but I leave you to make that guess."

PolitiFact checked Obama's claim that the Iraq War is costing each American household about $100 a month, and they find it to be true.

So there ya have it, some positive news about Obama!