So I saw The Dark Knight, and I liked it. I admired its seriousness among the bombast, but did not love it. I had bones to pick about its plot —

A DA is the salvation of his city?
And he uses RICO, a Federal instrument? Without Federal intervention?
And offers himself up as bait, endangering the prosecution of hundreds of criminals to catch one psycho?
And houses his star witness with the psycho in a corrupt precinct house? And orders no metal wanding of the psycho’s henchmen with cellphones visibly sewn into their flesh?
Really?  Read more 

In the spirit of wishing openness and transparency for all our presidential candidates’ affairs:

Mc Cain has a bit of a gambling problem — he doesn’t acknowledge that he does gamble, at least to the one group that matters, the IRS. From the Time article:  Read more 

I know, I know, Susie’s good people, and she’s been patient with one very persistent troll. (She’s also got car trouble, so she has more important things on her mind.) But when I read this post and saw the exact same paragraphs quoted by two different trolls — one full force nasty, one concern-like — I lost my sense of decorum and good taste.

Troll A:

I suppose you could follow the lead of historiann, anglachel, riverdaughter, and the rest of the PUMA dead enders and claim that obama is really another hitler, worse than bush, planning a totalitarian takeover of the US of A, etc. etc.

or, if you read the original article you find this:  Read more 

Well, no one could say Mr. Nader is a shy, retiring type:

Nader was asked if Obama is any different than Democrats he has criticized in the past, considering Obama’s pledge to reject campaign contributions from registered lobbyists.  Read more 

Now it all makes sense…. as long as the American consumer doesn’t get a bit of direct relief first:

“I’ll make oil companies like Exxon pay a tax on their windfall profits, and we’ll use the money to help families pay for their skyrocketing energy costs and other bills,” the Illinois senator said.

It’s a full-Democratic congressional push, so it just might have a chance…

“Senators were to vote Tuesday on whether to consider a windfall profits tax against the five largest U.S. oil companies and rescind $17 billion in tax breaks the companies expect to enjoy over the next decade.”  Read more 

Bringiton, I think you’re lumping the wildass speculation in No Quarter’s comment streams with the relatively well-considered and sourced work Diamond has done. It’s part of his job as a labor activist to fight the damage corporations have done in spreading the “Labor = Mafia/Corruption/Communists!” meme.

Read this post, and tell me he’s not discussing the same subject as we are: How Obama’s most feral handlers and supporters would really appreciate it if we stopped asking for solid reasons to support his campaign, and instead just give them our money and loyalty now, OK?  Read more 

(reposted from a comment on Avedon’s blog)

How can leverage be built, or used, without the threat of a negative outcome?

If votes from Clinton supporters are desired, doesn’t someone have to ask for them?

Doesn’t someone have to stop insulting them by continually saying their opinions are invalid, that their power is either illusory or unimportant, or that they are delusional for wanting to wield that power in the first place?

Since there are no third parties worth even that much of a damn to consistently field downticket candidates in every state, how else should Clinton supporters — who have been called everything from bitches, dried-up divorcees, to racists — behave, but to offer their votes to the McCain campaign if their policy concerns are not discussed with respect?  Read more 

Disavowal is for amateurs. Let’s see if the crackerjack MSM deigns to ask this important question:

“Senator Obama, should Mr. Rezko not succomb to a small airplane crash or a massive heart attack prior to his imprisonment, would you rule out either giving him a pardon or commuting his sentence on wire and mail fraud, money laundering, and aiding and abetting bribery?”

“If you are not ruling out the possibility of showing him mercy, should we expect your pardon to occur before or after you declare your reelection campaign?”

“Would a promise either way be as firm as your promise to your Illinois constituents to serve your full term, instead of interrupting it with this, your first presidential campaign?”

“Do they allow Unity Ponies in prison?”

Questions, questions….

I was prepared to go to bed when I read this:

Black campers recruit against history, stereotype
(…)

GADSDEN, Ala.—The throngs filling campgrounds across America this weekend will include hardy outdoors types and those who prefer creature comforts, but they’ll have at least one important thing in common: Nearly all of them are white.

A small but committed group of campers is trying to change that by growing a generation of black campers, one person at a time.

The National African-American RVers Association is composed almost exclusively of black people who camp, although it includes a few whites and Hispanics. The group doesn’t have much money to buy ads or solicit new members.  Read more