This is my selective review of the draft of the Democratic platform (changes might still be made). I’ll just highlight the stuff I really like or dislike. You can go read the whole thing itself, just follow the link. Here we go
Preamble
"A great nation now demands that its leaders abandon the politics of partisan division and find creative solutions to promote the common good. A people that prizes candor, accountability and fairness insists that a government for the people must level with them and champion the interests of all American families. A land of historic resourcefulness has lost its patience with elected officials who have failed to lead."
Uh oh, this does not start well. Partisan division is NOT the problem. Republican governance is. Creative solutions are good, but they include first sending the Republican leadership back to the hole they crawled out of.
"And so, Democrats –through the most open platform process in history –are reaching out today to Republicans and Independents who hunger for a new direction and a reason to hope."
I think I’m going to need a puke bucket AND a large supply of barf bags to make it through this. Read more
War is always about money, in the end. I’m way behind on my newsreading, and so I totally missed this until this morning. At least some civilians are being allowed to flee. What’s at stake here? Who are the key players? And Thanks, Chimpy, for opening the Pandora’s Box of “wars of choice are great!” Anyone with details willing the share them, I’m grateful. It bodes ill that he’s already using rhetoric like this:
“I must protect the life and dignity of Russian citizens wherever they are. We will not allow their deaths to go unpunished,”
Dmitry Medvedev, Russian President
In light of the different posts on good and bad Democrats I thought I’d post on the principle of party invariance and why I think it should be considered for PB2.0. Read more
What is the rush to end this thing? Why the hurry to have it over? What, exactly, are so many people concerned about? All the wrong things, apparently. There are more and better reasons for her to persist than not.
Hillary should continue her pursuit of the Democratic nomination because: Read more
I interrupt work on my dissertation to join WV, KY in giving a great big cheek scratch to the media and Obama’s WWTSBQ minions in the blogosphere. Here’s my song dedication to ya’ll. (You can fast-forward to the last minute or so.) Read more
I just got off the phone with an Israeli friend, and we had some fun joking with each other about the timing of the call. I was reading this post from a very strong Obama supporter, and I complimented the author on his honesty and willingness to say what needs to be said. Short version: it’s not “anti-semitic” to point out that in critical, large, expensive media states like NY and FL, the people raising a lot of money for Dem candidates in those states, as well as pulling state-level political strings (think backroom superdelagate type games) are also “Jewish,” whatever that is supposed to mean*. Nor it is anything less than fact to say many of these fundraising powerhouses really think Israel can do no wrong, and that because of their great influence on the political process here at critical moments, overall American ME and I/P policies are warped. I’m very proud of Boo for reminding us that it’s virtually no different with Cubans in FL; I’d add other single/special interests like the so-called ’farm lobby’ in the plains states, or even the so-called gay lobby in small Eastern states in which some gays have both money and overrepresentation/overempowerment in local political circles. That’s just how politics works right now here. If you’ve got money/friends with money, and you play your cards right in your state, when the Presidential candidates come to your ’hood, you make them say what you want to hear: in Spanish, Yiddish, or flatland drawl.
But then I thought more and more about Boo’s confidence that Obama wants to do more, and better things for the Palestinians even as he takes the standard, ironclad, pro-Likudnik hardline. (Way not to impress your own people, Obama. Tone deaf much? Or do you just think they don’t matter?) Still, I think Boo could be right. Read more
In an interview with Politico, NARAL President Nancy Keenan said the group’s nine-member political action committee chose Obama after extensive deliberation that included studying the two Democratic candidates’ delegate counts (both pledged and superdelegates), their viability in a matchup against the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, and their cash on hand. Read more
How quickly we forget. Remember when proof of Obama’s crossover appeal was his win in Elko, NV:
Obama’s strength in rural Nevada speaks to the breadth of his appeal and to his campaign’s organizing efforts in Republican strongholds that Nevada’s Democratic Party has traditionally written off…
“What they found is that people in rural areas see themselves in Barack Obama. They see him as a true American success story. They see him as representing something new and fresh.”…
Haven’t heard about Elko much these days. I wonder why? Read more
[Welcome also, Taylor Marsh readers, thanks to Grey.]
After Hillary Clinton’s historic 41-point victory in the West Virginia primary, two questions loom: How long will Barak Obama cling to his shattered dreams of the presidency, and how much damage will be done to the Democratic Party by his stubborn and divisive refusal to accept the obvious?
UPDATE 2 – Below: Skirting Appalachia, an Op Ed in the NYT opining on Barak Obama’s Electoral College strategic options by Charles Blow, Art Director at National Geographic -and why not? (h/t again to the sharp-eyed BDBlue) Read more
Few people I know, actually do. A piss-poor description is at Wikipedia. Since it’s the most recent thing I’ve read, I’d recommend Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Had I been around in the 1850s, I’d have been a Whig with a keen eye on the new Republican Party. If I had a pony in the 1860 GOP race, I will say, probably to the amazement of the historically ignorant, that I would have been a Seward booster (can’t vouch for that link, but read some books, too!). Yeah, Lincoln was good, but I think Seward would have been better—experience and a strong ideological base are important, IMO, not to mention a kick-ass wife like Fanny. Read more
For my mere support of Hillary Clinton, I have been called a racist, more times than I can count. One of the refuges I have found in this crazy blogosphere, has been Anglachel’s Journal.
I know a lot of Hillary supporters refer to her speech at the UN Women’s conference in Beijing in 1995. So, today, I decided to take a closer look at the whole speech, especially in the context of Senator Obama’s remark on abortion and the need to respect the anti-choice position (just like we should respect and understand anti-LGBT positions). Again, remember, this speech was delivered 13 years ago, on one of these trips that Hillary took where she just shook hands with officials and watched little girls dance (snark). The audio is embedded below, otherwise, I selected a few excerpts (the full text is here, with video as well).
The topic of WTDAMAF?(What To Do About Michigan And Florida?) has been discussedadnaseum , and I’m not trying to rehash them out here. But one argument that is always brought up, by someone supporting Obama, is that Clinton’s entire stance is politically motivated. But, that is as that may be. The underlying point to me is that Obama is not. Period. End of discussion.
The right to vote is fundamental to democracy. Any candidate who can not stand up for that principle, in a primary, does not deserve my vote in that primary. Read more
I guess someone has to say it. Holden, my secret love, has this great series about what Chimpy says and how he talks. Not that actual humans can understand the Decider’s vernacular, but you know, some blogs shame “quality” SCLM analysis of our Chimperor and Holden’s “Your Preznit Speaks” series is one. So I feel compelled to point out something I really hate, something that I’m told slipped into a certain speech today. Here’s the Hard Truth: Black people don’t have and haven’t had real power in this county. It’s pointless and stupid and racist to blame us for being poor, lacking in political authority and agency, or not being rich and connected. I decided this morning my word of the day would be ’canard.’ I didn’t know how approrpriate that would prove to be.
Today, right now, in this political moment, there is plenty of guilt, plenty of blame. Lots of people can have a slice of that cake. But on the grand scale of things, the amount of guilt and blame Black people “own” is pretty minor. Boilerplate: some poor white (and Asian, and Latina, and 1stNat, and…) folks who are straight men and women are also in this sorry club. But specifically, speaking of “what Black people gotta do” to make the world right is…well, Bushian. Bushist? Bushesque? I know it’s racist.
Bush will be gone soon, we need to coin a phrase. Anyway, let’s all stop blaming Black America for problems other people caused. Other rich, not Black, Bush-supporting, actually politically enabled people caused. Yo? People who emulate and mirror Bush-speak and think must be…mocked, at least.
That title is probably too clever by half, and I’m sure LB will yell at me for it, but he’s busy elsewhere today so don’t tell him, k? I submit this in full for those who’ve been too busy bashing Dems to notice the Republican frontrunner exploding in the room. It’s been suggested to me that McCain running out of matching funds money practically guarantees Mittster as Veep, I’m not sure if I’m convinced but we’ll see. Meanwhile, does the above play into the McCain/Iseman fun and games? Gotta love the Brit snark, “another pencil-thin blonde.” Heh. Anyway, pass this one on to your Republican friends bitching about the “lying, librul JooYork Times.” This is what blogs do best, and GOS is still a nice place to go for that. Remember, it’s “what he did for her afterwards, not what he did to/under/with her in their as-yet undefined private time before.” Read more
MJ: Why do you think Mxzlplck and Washington should talk with Hoominnyhoo?
EH: Hoominnyhoo has, unfortunately, demonstrated that they are more credible and effective as a political force inside Grebular society than The Gnutish, the movement founded by [former Gnutishi president] Mootang Wibbleford, which is now more than ever discredited as weak, enormously corrupt and politically inept. […]
It makes sense to approach a possible initial understanding including Hoominnyhoo—but not exclusively Hoominnyhoo—at a time when they are still asking for one. No side will gain from a flare up leading to Mxzlplck re-entering Little Grebula in strength to undo the ill-fated unilateral disengagement of 2005. […] Read more
I have to do this quickly, but here are some thoughts that spring from this post Paul was gracious enough to inspire.
Only now that Obama has a miniscule lead of 128,736 in the number of votes cast (and that includes assigning all the “uncommitted” votes in Michigan to Obama) has the media focused on total votes cast.
This is the sound of CD blowing a gasket. Not with Paul, but with the whole idea that “uncommitted” must mean Obama. Dammit, does anyone care that Edwards, who came in 2nd in Iowa and at that time that ’meant something’ to primary participants, was not on the ballot? Or that votes for him would not be counted, even write-ins? Why is this no longer a valid question under discussion as the “votes” in MI are or are not counted/alloted? No, I will not “just get over” disenfranchisement, and anyway, you should care that people like me voted in the Republican primary as you ’figure out’ what the Dem primary vote count “means.” Read more
Obviously, I agree with the idea: you don’t smoke in front of nor around young children. Period. That’s pretty obvious to me, most parents, and smokers of all kinds everywhere. Yet I have some fond memories of sitting with Grandpa after dinner at the ranch, sometimes inside and sometimes out on the porch, watching the sun go down over the lake, the sweet smell of his pipe a perfect compliment to fading odors of the fried fish and greens Grandma used to cook for him. I suppose it’s a small sacrifice to make, to know that my nieces and nephews will be healthy nonsmokers with no romantic or foolish notions about why smoking is “cool.”
Still, I call bullshit. There are a hundred better ways to ’protect the children.’ Starting with universal health care and programs for poor parents to help them quit smoking. You and I both know how this law will be used: when they can’t find another legal reason to pull over some black or brown person, bingo! Time to Protect the Children! We can add “Smoking while Black” to “Driving while Black” and the rest of that long list of Laws for Thee but not for Me. Yes, I’m sure some poor White folks will get tagged by this too, but trust me- you won’t see a lot of rich smokers worring about this.
I’ll point out that cars themselves produce quite a large amount of poisons that one breaths while around them or in them. Are we rushing off to regulate their emissions, punishing automakers for failing to employ the cleanest technology and make the air safer for even those kids who walk and take buses? No, of course not. But we can pass laws that punish the poor regressively, and give even more opportunity to racist cops to crack heads, all to “protect the children.”
WASHINGTON — Ten years ago, a Canadian icebreaker was parked in an ice pack 300 miles north of Pt. Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost point in the United States, and allowed to drift so scientists could study the Arctic environment and global warming’s effect on it. The icebreaker drifted with the ice for a year and more than 1,800 miles as researchers tracked changes in the Arctic ice pack.
Top-secret U.S. spy satellites were among those tracking the icebreaker. With the approval of a little-noticed government body known as the Civil Applications Committee, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency released nearly 60 photos to scientists.
The committee, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Geological Survey, reviews civilian requests for classified reconnaissance information and makes recommendations to the intelligence community, which has the final say about what gets declassified. Such intelligence data can be helpful to scientists studying everything from volcanoes, forest fires, earthquakes and landslides to climate change, hurricanes, flooding and pollution.
Now, however, the Bush administration plans to abolish the committee and create a office in the Department of Homeland Security to review such requests and others from law enforcement agencies. Read more
Good Boy, Jim. The number that matters? 500% That’s the amount of increase in our prison populations, in just 30 years. I knew it was bad, I didn’t know it was that bad.
I don’t know if anything will come of these hearings, but I’m glad to see Webb at least bringing it to our attention. I think, and have said many times before, that money is the key to ending the drug war. That is, the country is broke, and increasingly the choice will be food and health care for children and the elderly, or millions to prison companies who incarcerate hippies caught with a couple of joints. Via the ever essential DrugWar Rant. Read more
division and find creative solutions to promote the common good. A people that prizes candor, accountability and fairness insists that a government for the people must level with them and champion the interests of all American families. A land of historic resourcefulness has lost its patience with elected officials who have failed to lead."
