I have to get up so goddamned early tomorrow and drag myself out of bed by 10 a.m. to make the truly strenuous and treacherous trip down to the Reno Firefighters Union Hall on Kirman Avenue, which will take me about 3 minutes to get there. Senator Chris Dodd will be campaigning there.
It's about a block or two away from my place.
Dodd, who appeared in Reno in July while I was in Italy, will be the sixth Democratic candidate out of eight (and the last of the legitimate candidates) I have seen in person.
_____
GOP longshot contender Duncan Hunter will be in the Carson City area this weekend.
It'll be on Monday, so I will drag my ass to the state capital, provided it is an open event.
_____
Friday, August 31, 2007
Presidential Notes.
Political News.
Yep, it's the end for Senator Larry Craig.
He's pulling the plug on his political career tomorrow.
_____
Mark Warner should apply for the job.
If he does, he will probably win.
_____
As the World Turns.
The royals marked the tenth anniversary of Diana's untimely death in a Paris auto crash.
There was little doubt that despite her well-known shortcomings, she was a good mother.
But many, many Britons were shocked over Prince Charles' lack of decorum:
Harry and William were credited with organizing the noontime service, but Charles was blamed by many for the furor over an invitation to his current wife.
Camilla, whom Diana blamed for breaking up her marriage, decided to stay home. That decision followed quickly after the Mail on Sunday published a commentary by Diana's friend, Rosa Monckton, saying the princess would have been "astonished" that Camilla was invited.
_____
Call him brave or downright foolish, but jockey Constantino Hernandez has made a comeback to horse racing, almost 20 years after an injury nearly cost him his life.
_____
Obits.
The media vultures are circling the sky as a political death is said to be occurring as early as today.
It's certainly nothing to be gay about, at least for the person about to bail.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
At the Advanced Age of 30,
1980 Kentucky Derby winner Genuine Risk is still going strong.
She is the oldest living Derby winner.
The oldest on record is 1943 winner (and Triple Crown winner) Count Fleet, who lived to be 33 years old when he died in 1973.
The WSWS
notes the callous disregard for residents of New Orleans by Bush returning to the scene of the "crime," as the publication calls it:
It’s difficult for many residents to see progress, because for them there is no progress. According to a recent study by the Institute For Southern Studies, “The Katrina recovery is failing. As of mid-August [2007], 60,000 people are still living in ‘temporary’ FEMA trailers because of hold-ups on aid programs and insurance. Schools and hospitals are shuttered, good jobs are scarce and daily threats to health and wellbeing aren’t addressed.”
The Los Angeles Times observed, “Off his [Bush’s] route in the Lower Ninth Ward, there was even more evidence [of devastation]: entire blocks deserted, with no sign of rebuilding attempts, and store after store boarded up.”
Our Dictator,
who should have been run out of D.C. along with his entire administration following the Katrina catastrophe, decided to rub salt into the wound of New Orleans by visiting the Crescent City on the second anniversary.
I am serious. He and his entire administration should have been forced to resign. This was such a monumental act of neglect and downright wrongdoing, the public should have run the administration out.
So when people start blathering about impeachment of both our dictator and our president, I want to laugh in their faces. Why didn't they pressure the administration to get out when their negligence all but destroyed one major American city, something that has NEVER happened in the entire history of this country?
New Orleans was our version of Pompeii, but it was not due to nature.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Obits.
Libel victim Richard Jewell, only 44, died. He had some recent kidney problems.
It was a hell of a note the media, specifically the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, went around accusing him of being the 1996 Olympic bomber, and he never lived down the notoriety long after the real culprit, anti-abortion terrorist Eric Rudolph, was captured.
It was one of the all-time lows in the media's history.
The WSWS
The Katrina Tragedy
was a boon for privatization scam artists who want to complete destroy New Orleans public schools.
Although Ken Goodman
has done a lot of damage to public education with his whole language nonsense, he is right about what should be done with NCLB if it cannot be thrown in the garbage can where it belongs.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Noted Christofascist and CNP
member D. James Kennedy, 76, retired from his Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church this past Sunday.
Kennedy figured prominently in the recent book, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America.
It'll be tough to find a successor as dedicated to forcing everybody else--I mean, evangelizing--to believe in the cause of a theocratic America.
I was at work today when our dictator was hanging around the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, speaking before a legion of Legionnaires trying to sound tough and "bold." This photo from the Reno Gazette-Journal by Tim Dunn perfectly captures his trademark deer-in-the-headlights gaze.
Not Dead Yet's Stephen Drake
wonders if prosecutors in the Anna Pou case deliberately screwed it up.
As the World Turns.
A vandal decided to celebrate the burning of the Man early, and got himself arrested.
_____
For the Record,
I'll post the now-infamous Miss Teen South Carolina segment wherein contestant Lauren Caitlin Upton was asked a stupid question about how stupid many students are in geography and gave a stupid answer in response.
Or, as it turned out, a non-answer but a stream-of-consciousness babbling.
Upton is now a superstar, much the way William Hung hit the big time.
Just Because
Fredo is gone, that doesn't mean the administration's assault on civil liberties, including the right to fair elections, won't continue.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Presidential Primary Notes.
Jack Carter has endorsed Joseph Biden for president.
It's not known who his father favors.
_____
Old Turd
accompanied our dictator to Reno tonight. Presumably Fredo isn't there.
As you may recall, years ago Turd lived in Sparks, where he slung mud in the local irrigation ditch in preparation for a political career.
Quote of the Day.
"Love the plane, not very fond of the cargo."--Anonymous poster at the Reno Gazette-Journal website, referring to our dictator's spectacular landing in Reno in time for the American Legion convention.
I didn't know he'd be here tonight, so I never bothered to leave the apartment.
Life's the Pits.
San Francisco's law mandating pit bulls be sterilized has had a dramatic effect on the numbers of them landing in animal shelters.
Since Turd Would No Longer
be around to further rig the Justice Department for partisan political reasons, Fredo simply had to jump ship as well.
Rove's reign of terror was a six-year long exercise in corruption:
Rove ran the Department of Justice like a personal fiefdom as Gonzales reigned there as his vassal lord. The civil rights division was gutted, more than 60 percent of its professional staff forced out; and since 2001, not a single discrimination case was filed. The antitrust division became a favor bank. Rove granted dispensations to companies, including those seeking to override laws involving foreign purchases of U.S. assets with national security implications, a former government official involved in such a case told me.
Typical of the political interference was the 2005 federal racketeering case against big tobacco companies in which government witnesses were suddenly withdrawn, suggested penalties lessened and lawyers ordered to read a weak closing statement prepared for them. Sharon Y. Eubanks, the 22-year veteran federal prosecutor in the case, revealed to the Washington Post in March 2007 that the chain of command ran directly through the attorney general's office. "The political people were pushing the buttons and ordering us to say what we said," Eubanks said. "And because of that, we failed to zealously represent the interests of the American public ... Political interference is happening at Justice across the department. When decisions are made now in the Bush attorney general's office, politics is the primary consideration ... The rule of law goes out the window."
Fredo may have had the title of attorney general, but he didn't run the goddamned department.
More Important Than Vick or Gonzo
is the scandal of the arrest and plea and denial of Senator Larry Craig of Idaho of disorderly conduct in a men's bathroom.
The alleged event happened June 11.
Now Craig tries to explain himself:
Craig said Monday his actions were misconstrued by police and that he should not have pleaded guilty to the charges.
"At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions," Craig said in a release. "I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct. I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving this matter. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously."
Vick, Of Course,
plead guilty as part of a plea-bargain made with the feds.
I hope he is out of football forever.
Gonzalesgate.
Al Gore
has, over the course of the past six years, made dead-on comments about our dictator, but his remarks get met with derision.
This WSWS Article
hits it on the head about Republicans trying to rig the 2008 election by jerryrigging California's electoral votes.
California is a heavily blue state, but most of the Democrats live on the coast, while Republicans tend to live in the interior part of the state.
And:
Since Democratic candidates have carried California in the last four presidential elections, and are heavily favored to do so again in 2008, the goal of the ballot drive is to shift 20 or more of the state’s 55 electoral votes to the losing Republican, making it more likely that in a close national vote a Republican who loses the popular vote could still win the Electoral College, as Bush did in 2000 after the Supreme Court awarded him Florida’s electoral votes.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
As I Was Thinking About
animal killer Michael Vick, I came across this site devoted to pit bull rescue.
It's an interesting site, and it has a section about the disgusting "sport" of dogfighting. The stories are heartbreaking.
Presidential Notes.
More and more candidates' wives are speaking out on the issues.
It goes without saying the sole candidate's husband is speaking out as often as possible for as long as possible.
As the World Turns.
The annual freakfest in the Black Rock Desert will begin this week.
My nephew and his wife will once again be in attendance. This will be their third consecutive year at the festival.
Somebody from Democratic Underground
posted this link to a vintage CBS documentary about abortion and the law.
Abortion was illegal in every state at the time, except when the woman's life was in danger.
Just a couple of years later, states began to liberalize their laws.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Masherama.
For days I have been meaning to mention the fact California Republicans have less and less use for Arnold as the days go by. This time, of course, is regarding his skepticism over the scheme by the fascists to screw over California by not having winner-take-all electoral votes.
It's nothing more than cheating.
Obituaries.
Hollywood producer and one-time candidate for Nevada governor Aaron Russo, 64, died of cancer yesterday.
He was an oddball, but he wasn't quite in the embarrassing league as our current governor.
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Doctors Thought They Knew
a teenage girl's brain simply wasn't compatible with a good "quality of life," but she proved them full of shit.
Some doctors try to go too far with the God complex.
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Friday, August 24, 2007
It's Time
to throw the book at another sadistic bastard:
Sheriff's deputies raided the home of rapper DMX on Friday, seizing several pit bulls and finding the remains of three other dogs but making no arrests.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office received a tip more than a week ago about dogs being kept in inhumane conditions at the Phoenix-area home, said Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Detectives visited the home and then called one of the rapper's lawyers and told him that the conditions for the animals at the property needed to be improved or deputies would take action, Arpaio said. The dogs were not being fed or given water.
It was all the caretaker's fault.
Yeah, right.
Vick's Confession
has finally given the spotlight to a sick, sadistic "sport."
Life as a fighting dog is neither pleasant nor long, according to investigations by animal welfare groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) and the Humane Society.
Pit bull puppies bred by an organised operation will be taunted to make them more vicious and kept chained and hungry.
They will be forced to run on treadmills with "bait" animals such as cats dangled in front of them - the reward usually being to maul them afterwards - and encouraged to hang by their jaws from chains to strengthen their bite.
Their strength built up, they then progress to "test" fights against older animals.
Only the young dogs that display sufficient aggression and "gameness" - the willingness to carry on fighting even when exhausted and bleeding - will be used in competitive matches. The others are usually culled.
More Presidential Notes.
Obama is going to chicken out of Iowa debates, especially the one sponsored by AARP.
Obama plans to skip AARP's Sept. 20 forum in Davenport, where New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will address about 2,400 Iowa seniors and a national public television audience.
The decision to not attend the AARP event, aimed at issues important to people 50 and older, could nag at the Illinois senator, some Democrat activists and political observers said. AARP is a national association formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons.
He doesn't want them to know his stands on Social Security, Medicare, and other issues of importance to seniors.
Either way, he's sunk.
Presidential Notes.
This article is too stupid to take seriously.
Obama has no crossover appeal whatsoever. The more he talks, the less people are likely to support him.
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I think John Edwards should not invoke the bogus Clinton "scandals" of the 1990s to make his point.
As he defended former President Clinton against the bogus impeachment, it's not smart even to talk about that crap.
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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Presidential Notes.
I apologize
to my "numerous" readers that I never blogged today until now, but there were some technical difficulties. Apparently Blogger has uploaded a video thing where you can post videos (which someday I will when I get the capability), and also my email acted up today.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I Totally
agree with Biden about all of the other candidates except Richardson wussing out on today's forum.
All of the candidates say they are concerned about education, but too few of them want to talk about the issue in a forum format.
As the World Turns.
Reno's Davidson Academy, written about here in previous posts, is getting a lot of publicity for its mission to ensure that would-be schoolage Einsteins actually live up to their potential.
The Davidsons are sincere, but this idea is totally boneheaded. In the end, "high I.Q." has little to do with success in life, for so much that is required for "success" has to do with things more critical than being "smart." Having the right social skills, having the ability to kiss ass, being born or being married into the right family, having the ethics of a cobra to step over other people to the point of even breaking the law, all of these are far more important to "success" than whether somebody is "gifted."
Just ask our dictator.
What fawning over and creating schools for "geniuses" do is create an entitlement mentality. We already have enough of that shit from the mediocre rich.
Besides, there aren't enough jobs out there for the "gifted." Their lives will be just as mediocre as anybody else's.
It Seems As If
everybody who is anybody in politics, and, in this case, a big Nobody, has been coming to Reno.
First it was Michelle Obama, then Bill Clinton, then Mitt Romney, then Joe Biden and Bill Richardson, and now it is our beloved dictator.
However, the public will not be allowed to attend the event.
President Cheney was at I believe the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention a year or so ago when it was in Reno.
Nevada Republican Caucus Notes.
I didn't know Mitt Romney was in the area yesterday. He spoke up at the Mt. Rose Ski Lodge, but I doubt it was an open event.
Later on, he, like Bill Clinton, went to some fundraiser at Lake Tahoe, specifically Incline Village.
If you're going to raise megabucks, that's the place to be.
After Bill Richardson gave his remarks, he met with some supporters. He signed an autograph for me.
What was funny was somebody who wanted his autograph had a "Biden" rally sign, and Richardson asked him if he wanted him to sign "Joe's sign." A Richardson volunteer then got some cards with the governor's picture on it, and he passed those around. That's what Richardson autographed for me.
After Biden gave his presentation, Governor Richardson spoke. He called for ditching the awful No Child Left Behind law.
Michael Dukakis
isn't all that sure Democrats will win the White House in 2008, and what he is concerned most with is the fact our candidates have done little or nothing in the way of organizing precincts:
“We have to organize every damn precinct in the United States of America—all 185,000,” Mr. Dukakis said. “I’m serious. I’m deadly serious. I didn’t do it after the primary [in 1988]. Don’t ask me why, because that’s the way I got myself elected from the time I was running for town meeting in Brookline to the time I ran for governor.”
And when he talks about organizing, he doesn’t mean the legions of eager college students—think the orange-hat-clad “Perfect Storm” that Howard Dean sought to rain down on Iowa in 2004—who are shipped off to key states for crunch-time grunt work. He also doesn’t mean limiting the outreach to “likely” Democratic voters, because—especially after seven years of George W. Bush—“there are huge numbers of disaffected Republicans out there. Who says they won’t vote for us?”
“I’m talking about every precinct,” he said, “with a precinct captain and six block-captains that make personal contact with every single voting household. And I mean starting a year in advance. I’m not talking about parachuting in with two weeks to go. That’s baloney. And these people are people who’ve got to be from the precinct, of the precinct, look like the precinct and talk like the precinct.”
I was at the Brookings Institution/University of Nevada, Reno Issues Forum, featuring Democratic presidential candidates Senator Joseph Biden and Governor Bill Richardson. The focus was on education and opportunity.
I missed the first hour or so of the forum, and when I entered the Silver and Blue Room at Lawlor Events Center, Biden was talking. He must have started at about 2:00, and I didn't arrive there until 2:15 or so. He also answered questions from the audience.
I Saw
this someplace:
STRATEGY MEMORANDUM
Rove's Worst Nightmare
To: Interested Parties
From: Joe Trippi
Re: Karl Rove's Worst Nightmare
You may have seen Karl Rove's recent attacks on Hillary Clinton in the news.
This is a page straight out of his tired old playbook—Rove is attacking Hillary Clinton because he doesn't want John Edwards to win the Democratic nomination.
Rove knows that Democrats will rally around whomever he attacks—so he attacks the candidate he thinks Republicans can most easily defeat.
It may seem backwards, but Rove and his cronies did the same thing last time around. In 2004, they were scared of John Edwards, so they attacked John Kerry.
Don't take it from me—take it from Rove's own lieutenant on the Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection campaign, Matthew Dowd:
"Whomever we attacked was going to be emboldened in Democratic primary voters' minds. So we started attacking John Kerry a lot in the end of January because we were very worried about John Edwards." [Los Angeles Times, 8/19/07]
Rove and the Republicans want our opponents to win—because they know John will be the strongest candidate in the general election.
We may not be the richest campaign—but John is the strongest candidate. This time around, the candidate with the boldest ideas for changing America—the candidate who can take on the special interests in Washington, D.C. and win—is also the most electable. We know it—and the Republicans know it, too. But they won't be able to stop us if we have the support of people like you.
Can you make a contribution today—and send Karl Rove the message that his efforts to influence the Democratic primary won't work this time?
It is no secret that John is the only Democratic candidate who can beat any of the Republican candidates hands down. Just look at the polls conducted by Rasmussen Reports—a major national polling firm—over the past few months. They show that John is the Democratic candidate who consistently beats all of the Republicans candidates in head-to-head match-ups in battleground states—and by the widest margins.
Rove and the Republicans are seeing the same numbers we are—and drawing the same conclusions. So Rove is using his sneaky, underhanded tactics to try and trick Democrats into rallying around a candidate who won't be as strong as John in the general election.
But with your support, we can make sure that Rove's plan doesn't work this time. We are building a strong grassroots organization in the key early states and across the country. John has the best and boldest ideas for bringing big change to America, he can take on the special interests and win, and of all the Democratic candidates he will be the strongest in the general election—in other words, John Edwards is Karl Rove's worst nightmare.
All we need is your support to drive right past Karl Rove's see-through tactics—and keep our campaign on the road to victory.
www.johnedwards.com/roves-nightmare
Thank you for all you do to support this campaign.
Sincerely,
-Joe Trippi
Senior Advisor, John Edwards for President
August 22, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Cruelty, Yes.
Depravity, yes. Stupidity, no.
KGO's Bernie Ward was wrong about Vick last night. Vick should not be given a second chance, and the public won't allow it anyway.
Ward was right about vegetarians, however.
Presidential Notes.
I agree with the suggestion it is Michelle Obama who has all of the attributes erroneously given to her husband.
His chances of dislodging the Clinton machine are becoming more and more remote.
I just hate this shit of the media and the Democratic establishment deciding whose "turn" it is to be the nominee and to hell with the voters.
As the World Turns.
A man decided to pull the plug on his disabled wife by tossing her off the balcony.
You'd be amazed at how many people would make excuses for the jerk's behavior.
Just take a look at a lot of the comments at the end of the article. If the poor woman had been healthy, people wouldn't be making excuses for the lout's actions.
But he had other options besides murder:
This is not a story about the country’s healthcare crisis. It is about a man who murdered his wife because she got too expensive and became too much of a burden to him. Like millions of others, he could have declared bankruptcy; he could have become an advocate of universal single payer healthcare; he could have taken their story to the legislature. He had options.
They were not without resources. The online Kansas City Star is covering the murder. The reader comments under the articles describe where they lived as “affluent”. Stanley was an accountant for Nelson-Atkins Museum; it is not a minimum wage job. My gut tells me there is much more to this story. Time will judge that assumption.
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Speaking of excuses, one should listen to what some so-called college professor says on behalf of dog killer and criminal Michael Vick.
It's a cultural problem, don't ya know, not a case of violating RICO statutes or of animal cruelty.
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Joan Walsh is a Ditz,
so I wouldn't put too much credence in her notion Democrats are about to sweep all next year.
It appears we Democrats are about to fuck it up again and pick the wrong person as the standardbearer for the party because too many people in the party establishment think she has "earned" it like some gold watch for retirement. The voters have absolutely no say in this.
It's awful because we could win this with the right candidate. I submit it is Edwards, but if his campaign keeps up with moving staff around he's going to be written off.
And if he's written off, it's all over.
Bai is probably more correct than Walsh, but that's damning him with faint praise.
Monday, August 20, 2007
At least one person besides Michelle and Oprah will vote for Barack in the primary.
Apparently the affection is not reciprocated:
"Sasha asked Mommy about it," Obama said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press. "She said, 'Daddy already has a wife' or something like that."
...
"I guess it's too much to ask, but you do wish people would think about what impact their actions have on kids and families," Obama said during the interview, held in the den of a supporter who just had hosted a campaign stop on her front lawn attended by about 120 people.
Besides, any woman would be a fool to take on (almost) six-foot-tall Michelle.
This is my favorite car: the 1936 Mercedes Benz 500K Special Roadster worth many millions of dollars. This one is at the National Automobile Museum in Reno.
Although
the author glosses over the obvious fact pit bulls have been bred over centuries to fight and be aggressive, they really are cute and cuddly.
In fact, some of them are. Both times I was attacked by a pit bull, they practically licked me to death.
However, when my Lhasa, Tony, was attacked by one, I was lucky the roommate of the owner was around to stop her. Tony would surely have died if that person were not around.
The Michael Vick Case
is just the latest in the long line of cases of spoiled athletes who seem to get a free pass on everything.
As the World Turns.
Evidently Germaine Greer has never heard the saying: "If you can't say anything nice about somebody..."
Michael Vick's Career
is over, as he has reportedly agreed to a plea deal including a prison sentence over dogfighting charges.
Vick's decision came after his last two co-defendants pleaded guilty Friday and agreed in deals with prosecutors to testify against Vick if they were called to do so at trial. A third co-defendant pleaded guilty in July under similar conditions.
With his plea deal, Vick is expected to avoid more serious charges related to a large dogfighting venture called "Bad Newz Kennels" that he is accused of almost entirely funding from 2001 to 2007.
The deal, in its form last week, was expected to include a recommendation from prosecutors that Vick serve at least a year in prison, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. The judge will have the final say in sentencing.
And:
Redskins coach and team president Joe Gibbs, a friend of Falcons owner Arthur Blank , said the case has been tough "for everybody in the NFL."
And:
Redskins defensive back David Macklin, a close friend of Vick's who played against him growing up in Newport News, said last week that the case has been hard on Vick.
Not has tough or hard as it was on the dogs.
Obits.
The Queen of Mean's rule is over: Real estate developer Leona Helmsley, 87, has died of heart failure.
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Sunday, August 19, 2007
Well No Goddamned
shit.
Of course Turd wants Democrats to coalese around Hillary Clinton because Edwards--certainly NOT Obama--is a real threat to Republican rule.
Any goddamned fool but the most naive and delusional knows this. But let's hope the Democratic primary voters aren't naive and delusional and actually nominate Hillary.
After all, there is some previous history about Turd's antics:
In the run-up to the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when it was not yet clear who Bush's opponent would be that November, Rove and his aides had begun to fear that their most dangerous foe would be then-Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.
With his Southern base, charismatic style and populist message, Edwards, they believed, could be a real threat to Bush's reelection.
But instead of attacking Edwards, Rove's team opened fire at Kerry.
Their thinking went like this, Dowd explained: Democrats, in a knee-jerk reaction to GOP attacks, would rally around Kerry, whom Rove considered a comparatively weak opponent, and make him the party's nominee. Thus Bush would be spared from confronting Edwards, the candidate Republican strategists actually feared most.
Unlike Kerry, who had been in public service for decades, Edwards was a political newcomer and lacked a long record that could be attacked. And, unlike former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who had been the front-runner but whose campaign was collapsing in Iowa, Edwards couldn't easily be painted as "nutty."
I have been saying this for YEARS, and yet far too many Democrats live in denial.
If Edwards
can successfully circumvent the media neglect or derision of his run for the White House, his economic themes should resonate with voters in the early states .
As the World Turns.
This woman had a hell of a 60th birthday present, and she couldn't return it for a refund:
A PET camel that killed a 60-year-old woman in a bizarre attack in Queensland's outback had been given to her as a birthday present from her family.
The 10-month-old animal knocked the woman to the ground, stomped on her head and then lay on top of her yesterday at her sheep and cattle property near Mitchell, about 600km west of Brisbane.
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I thought I'd post this link to photos of Elvis.
Just because I feel like it.
_____
If you're poor and neglect your kids, you get in trouble with the law, but if you're a zillionaire CEO, you're considered a credit to your corporation.
_____
Because I Am Lazy,
I am not going to repost Bill Clinton's remarks he made Friday at the rally. I wish I could do it, but I am lazy.
I wish I had a DVD recorder and then could download the remarks on the computer, but right now I don't have one. Perhaps someday I will.
A Rerun of Today's Iowa Debate
will be on C-SPAN at around 3:30 PDT. I will record it.
Allegedly Obama did better than usual, but the guy has nowhere to go but up in his losing quest for the White House.
Republican columnist David Yepsen thought the Audacity of Hype did the best.
I doubt it, but what do I know?
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Democratic Presidential Primary Notes.
Realizing his poll numbers take a tumble every single time he debates, Obama has decided to wuss out of any further debates with his rivals unless already previously scheduled (note: the last four words I edited in after I realized not putting those in there would be misleading since he will debate in those debates he is already scheduled to appear).
Bad move, but he knows the debates show him at his worst. Not that his campaign rallies are much better, but the debates are televised, and millions of people get to actually see how "ready" he is for the job of president.
As the World Turns.
Chicago cafes may soon be going to the dogs.
_____
It would be nice if Britney Spears could stay out of the news:
Federline, 29, will present his case at Los Angeles Superior Court on September 17. In it he will claim:
# LESBIAN bed-hopping proves Britney is an unfit role model for their kids.
# BOOZING and relentless partying shows her life is still spiralling out of control, and that she's a....
# TERRIBLE mum who treats her boys like toys, according to former aides and security guards.
Key to the case will be the sexy dancer Britney disappeared with after a night out in Copenhagen in May 2004 on her Onyx Hotel tour.
_____
Has Vivi the whippet, missing since escaping from a NYC airport in February 2006, been sighted?
A man saw what he believes to be Vivi on Saturday, just off the west-bound Northern Boulevard exit off the Van Wyck Expressway. He is a limo driver and remembers seeing the flier around La Guardia airport (thanks to our airport team member for making sure the airport lots are always covered).
_____
A killer dog is now in custody.
This time it's a Rottweiler.
_____
We Now Know
Rumsfeld got sacked the day before the 2006 elections, not after them, because he dared to call for de-escalation of the Iraq War.
Obits.
No link yet, but Reagan aide Michael Deaver died today of pancreatic cancer.
When I get a link I will post it.
AP
_____
The Booming Economy Casualty List for 8/9-8/18.
Between 2,000 and 2,200
spectators were on hand at yesterday's Tahoe Summit, held on the campus of Sierra Nevada College.
I would have gone up there if Clinton hadn't decided to make a visit to Reno also.
Here is More
about Bill Clinton's rally on behalf of his wife.
The paper has photographs of it here and also of his appearance at the Tahoe Summit. I am in a couple of pictures in the slideshow.
Presidential Notes.
Tomorrow there will yet be another Democratic debate, this one in all-important Iowa.
It will be rebroadcast on C-SPAN, too.
_____
It is NOT good news that the Nevada frontrunners in both parties have such high negatives.
But if Clinton and Romney are the standardbearers of their parties, they might cancel each other out.
_____
If candidates want to keep from putting the mouths into their feet or the other way around during debates, Barack or Joe, they must have everything carefully plotted.
For the Republicans, it doesn't matter.
_____
Friday, August 17, 2007
Still More Clinton Pictures.
This will be the last one I post of many great pictures of the rally. I hate to brag, but these pictures I took are as good as or better than any pictures I have ever seen of the former president taken by professionals. 
As I mentioned in a previous post, Clinton has a real talent for making you feel as if he is talking to you personally. This picture is a good example.
After deleting a handful of bad pictures, I had more than sixty good pictures of the rally. It is hard to pick out the best ones. I like this one of Clinton with the flag.
Now obviously Bill wasn't going to say his wife is not as qualified for the presidency as fellow candidates Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, or Chris Dodd, but claiming she is the most qualified of all of the candidates IS a bit of a stretch. He did say he was proud of the fact the Democrats had so many good candidates, and that he liked them all.
More Clinton Rally Pictures.
One of the best things about Bill Clinton is he is a good photography subject. He constantly uses his hands when he talks, just like my landlord (who also shares a birthday with him). But unlike my landlord, Clinton does not drive me crazy with the gestures. He knows how to use his hands to make a point.
One of the concerns addressed by Bill in his speech was whether his wife is electable. He recounted the fact that while John Kerry won New York State in 2004, he lost in most of the counties. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, won the vast majority of counties in the state when she ran for re-election. I would add, though, Hillary had very poor opposition, and the fact she did helped give her an ample campaign chest for running for president in 2008.
Bill Clinton certainly seemed comfortable campaigning in front of the crowd. Earlier in the day, he attended the 10th Lake Tahoe Summit. You can also watch a video of the forum here.
Oprah
wants to make damned sure she impresses the candidate she loves the most when she holds her gala on September 8.
While
I am waiting to download some pictures of tonight's event to this blog (and I may not get done until tomorrow), the AP estimated there were more than 2,000 in attendance to hear Bill Clinton speak.
Some Pictures From Tonight's Rally.
I really like this picture of Senator Martin-Matthews greeting former President Clinton at the podium.
Nevada State Senator Bernice Martin-Matthews has endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton for president. She was on hand to introduce Clinton's husband.
Former Nevada attorney general Frankie Sue Del Papa, an early endorser of Senator Hillary Clinton for president, gets the crowd worked up in anticipation of former President Bill Clinton's appearance.
I Just
returned from the Clinton rally at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. I was very worried there would be a huge line when I got there just about 1 p.m., and when I parked in the parking lot, I noticed there were already a bunch of cars at the place. I was a bit apprehensive, but I asked the parking attendant where the rally would be. She said it was going to be at F Hall. I looked around outside, but there were no people standing in line as there was when our dictator was in town in 2004. I figured there had to be a long line inside.
Well, I went inside, but there appeared to be some kind of event going on with quite a few people. It wasn't the rally. I walked and walked and walked and walked down the hall until I came to F Hall. I saw some woman, apparently a volunteer, talking to two men on a bench, and she was talking about the rally and the doors to it were just around the corner. I asked the trio if this was the line to go to it. They said yes. In other words, I was the THIRD person there. One man had been there since 10:30 this morning, while the other man arrived around 12:30. I was there a little bit after one.
A woman arrived shortly thereafter, and we spent the next couple of hours talking about different things, including Elvis and Michael Jackson. Gradually more of the volunteers came, and a few more regular people came, but for a while it seemed there would be more volunteers showing up than the general public. However, as it got closer to 5:00, the line starting getting huge. People were getting off work, and they started to pour in. The local paper has a tiny report so far about the visit, but no figures. I'd say a couple of thousand at least. It's hard to estimate when one is near the front of the line.
The doors opened a little bit after 5, and I beelined it to the stage. While we were told earlier to stand by the roped off area, actually being right in front or nearly directly in front of the podium was best. That's where I was, and that's where I remained when I recorded and photographed the former president when he arrived. I did not get his autograph because I was too late handing it to the Secret Service for Clinton to sign after he finished shaking hands with people. I did get to shake hands with him, and I can say he looked the best he has looked in years. He needs to look good just in case his wife wins the election next fall and he can get back in the White House and run the country again after years of being bored with retirement. I know: It's sexist to suggest such a thing, but this isn't Hillary's idea to run. It's Bill's. He can't stand being away from the presidency, and I can tell you that despite his many compliments about his wife's obvious abilities, he was campaigning on behalf of himself. He's a salesman in the best sense of the word, with the ability to look directly at you as if nobody else existed.
Anyway, I haven't played the speech again to record for here, but I'll download a few pictures for readers. I have some good ones, as well I should for being almost right in front of him.
I Am
going to have to drag my ass down to the convention center in a little while because there will be "standing room only" by 5 p.m. if I do not do it.
Why the hell did Bill Clinton have to be such a "rock star"? Why did he have to do it?
Turd Proved
he lived up to his moniker.
Basically it was a sociopathic philosophy which ended up wrecking the Republican Party. Turd was its high priest.
This is such a good column, it's worth posting a snip or two:
Who outside the inner circle of the Bush White House or the Cro-Magnon Wing of the Grand Old Party or a few journalist hacks bartering their souls for "access" would want to sit down and have a drink with Karl Rove?
The man has all the charisma and charm and inherent kindness of a spitting cobra and nothing so graces the White House in six years as Karl Rove leaving it.
A time is coming, and coming soon, when we as a nation must begin thinking and talking about and planning to repair all that the Bush administration has broken or bent or twisted. A time when we must begin shoveling out a stable full to the roof with what Harry Truman called horse manure, or at least that's what it called it when Miss Bess was in earshot.
No need search that pile for a diamond ring or a little red sports car. There's nothing there but horse manure.
I
bought a brand-new computer last night, and so I am trying to get everything set up. I also will be out most of the day because Bill Clinton is in town, and he will be giving a long speech today at 5 p.m.
Like I said, it will be murder getting down there and standing in line.
Getting back to the computer, I really like it, and it saves so much space. It's a desktop, but it is compact.
I might eventually get a laptop as well.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
I
am going to have to get out of here at least four hours early in order to get a decent view of Bill Clinton, who will be speaking at 5 p.m. tomorrow at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
It'll be murder, pure murder, especially when there will likely be thousands of people in attendance.
I may have to leave even earlier.
I don't have $10,000 to go to his fundraiser for the Nevada Democratic Party. And I don't have a PayPal account that people can send donations.
I Am Not
very happy Edwards is scaling back a bit in Nevada while concentrating more on Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
The only thing I can think of is he wants to maintain his presence in Iowa and make inroads as Obama's campaign is gradually withering.
Still, it's a risk, and candidates like Dodd and Richardson plan to take advantage of the situation.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
It Goes Without Saying
Rove and his ilk would like nothing better than to have Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee.
They are absolutely counting on her winning the nomination, and groups like Judicial Watch are getting ready to fling the shit at her.
Yet far too many establishment Democrats are living in denial and think she actually has a chance. The polls actually scare me that she is going to get the nomination despite her high negatives and lack of any crossover appeal in the general election. One of my least favorite blogs is a classic example of somebody whose head is far, far, far up his or her ass in denial. Hillary can do no wrong, her opponents can do no right. The sneering tone of the writing makes the reader turn against Clinton, not support her, despite the fact the blog has no connection with the campaign. In my view, it smacks of some kind of Republican outfit.
This Week
is you-know-what, and it's hard to believe it's been thirty years.
Larry King Live has an interview with Priscilla Presley at Graceland. She is talking about what a great sense of humor Elvis had.
That was one of the things that made him so great. He never took himself too seriously.
He'd be amazed the fuss over him has continued 30 years after he died. He'd laugh, and then he'd sneer that sneer.
I can remember when I heard the news of his death. I was returning home from work at the summer job I had at a motel in Medford, Oregon, when I heard it on the radio. It was a shock, just like losing a member of one's family.
Naturally
there were problems with the Utah mine that collapsed last week, but profits were way more important than those peons' lives.
Bill Clinton
will be hanging around northern Nevada on Friday, with the highlight being his attendance at the 10th Tahoe Summit.
It will be a nonpartisan affair, as both Democrats and Republicans want to preserve the lake for the zillionaires, developers, and for the so-called working class who lost their homes in the Angora Fire.
Had they really wanted to preserve the lake, they would order all development torn down and turn the lake back over to the bears and the squirrels.
Then they could make the area a national park, just as it should have been all along.
It
would be a big mistake for John Edwards to scale back efforts in Nevada in order to redouble efforts in Iowa.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Just Like
a former Vermont governor who ran for president in 2004, Hillary Clinton also has some records hidden from public view.
Because He Farted Around
too much with the theocratic right, Turd flushed his career--and the Republican Party--down the crapper.
Since shit never disappears but turns into different forms, expect his--and the Republican Party's--return at some point in some form or other.
I Don't Agree
Condi Rice is the most powerful person in Washington.
Cheney probably is, for he is the one calling the shots for the administration.
I Think One
can stick a fork in Michael Vick and his career, for both of them are done.
He's allegedly in plea bargaining negotiations, which means he is as good as guilty over the dogfighting allegations:
If the announcement is that Vick has reached a plea agreement, the embattled star quarterback is expected to be sentenced to some time in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines.
Vick's motivation to enter a guilty plea is likely fueled by the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement last month that it will seek a new "superseding" indictment against Vick by the end of August. With the cooperation of Vick's three co-defendants, there will likely be new, and more specific, allegations against Vick. The federal grand jury in Richmond is expected to hand up that indictment sometime early next week.
If Vick can reach an agreement by the end of this week, he would not have to answer to any additional charges.
Presidential Notes.
Mitt Romney was in Elko trying to drum up support for his candidacy now that he has momentum from winning the Iowa straw poll that he in effect bought.
_____
The WSWS
has a piece about the departure of Turd with the obligatory trashing of the Democratic Party.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Sidney Blumenthal
writes the obituary of a political serial killer.
Or is it an obituary? Somehow I think Turd will return.
As the World Turns II.
What the hell is this world coming to?
Ventura County authorities have arrested a man on suspicion of fatally attacking a 6-year-old boy with a meat cleaver, authorities said today.
...
The suspect, Calvin Sharp, 28, was arrested at the scene after officers shot him multiple times with a Taser gun, authorities and witnesses said. He is expected to be charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
David Crawford, 21, said a neighbor who witnessed the slaying told him that the suspect was telling the boy "to die, die," as he stabbed him in the head repeatedly.
"He said he was tired of him playing video games all the time," Crawford said. "He said his ex-wife had cheated on him and was sleeping with all his friends."
_____
A reward of $31,000 so far is being offered for the capture of the asshole who poisoned three dogs in Mill Valley, California.
_____
As the World Turns.
Famed socialite Brooke Astor, 105, has died.
Her father, John Jacob Astor IV, died aboard the Titanic. After her brother died, she inherited a boatload of money, and she became extremely popular in New York circles.
More trivia:
Astor was a lifelong reader and the author of four books. Reflecting that interest, the New York Public Library was a prime beneficiary of her largesse. But Astor's projects ran the gamut from creating outside "living room" parks for public housing complexes to renovating subway stations, paying for pet care for low-income elderly New Yorkers and providing the recently homeless with furniture for new apartments.
No wonder people liked her so much.
_____
Our Dictator
will lose what little brain he has at the end of the month.
It sounds like Turd is planning to rig the 2008 elections or anticipates further legal problems.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Presidential Notes.
The Republicans have lost another hopeless--er, hopeful--as Tommy Thompson decides to call it quits following the Iowa straw poll.
_____
John Edwards
has been emphasizing the creation of "green-collar jobs."
He gives an interview explaining why this is important.
Once again he is in the forefront of the candidates in terms of coming up with specific proposals.
In His Public Life
at least, Merv Griffin seemed to have that Midas touch. Everything he attempted doing he was successful.
It also extended to horse racing. He owned and raced juvenile champion Stevie Wonderboy.
His webpage is here.
The article notes that in addition to son Tony he is survived by a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
Another Reason
for concern Hillary Clinton would get the nomination is that she could hurt Democrats down ticket.
Not only is there no evidence she could win ANY state Kerry couldn't win or have stolen from him, she also has NO coattails to speak of.
Obits.
Singer, talk show host, actor, game show creator, and celebrity zillionaire Merv Griffin, 82, finally lost his battle against prostate cancer.
The tabloids have been doing a deathwatch of Griffin for weeks, so it is no surprise he passed away.
Now it's time for the rumormongers to bring up those gay allegations.
No sooner was Merv's body cold that the NYT decided to write about those stories:
But he was also dogged by sex scandals and insinuations that he was gay. In 1991, he was sued by Denny Terrio, the host of “Dance Fever,” another show Mr. Griffin created, for sexual harassment. The same year, Brent Plott, a longtime employee who worked as a bodyguard, horse trainer and driver, filed a $200 million palimony lawsuit. Mr. Griffin characterized both lawsuits as extortion; ultimately, both suits were dismissed.
Mr. Griffin consistently evaded questions about his sexuality. In a 2005 interview with The New York Times, he said: “I tell everybody that I’m a quarter-sexual. I will do anything with anybody for a quarter.”
He had been married and divorced and had one son, Tony. He was also one of Nancy Reagan's best friends.
Griffin's talk show style was blah, very similar to the late Mike Douglas' style. In fact, the two were so much alike I got them mixed up.
I like this about Griffin from the first link:
In recent years, Griffin also rated frequent mentions in the sports pages of the nation's newspapers for being a successful owner of thoroughbred racehorses. He had attended the horse races at Bay Meadows in San Mateo as a youngster and saw the legendary Seabiscuit run.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Old Huckabee and Tancredo
did surprisingly well on the Ames Iowa straw poll, which Mitt Romney won, as expected.
I Just Returned
from watching one-time Platters lead singer (from the 1960s after original lead Tony Williams left) Sonny Turner. He is one of only two of the original or near-original Platters still alive. Turner noted during his performance that the original female singer, Zola Taylor, had passed away recently.
For the record, she died April 30 at the age of 69. Also notable is the fact she claimed she was one of Frankie Lymon's three wives.
Herb Reed is the other original surviving member of the group.
I noted some time ago there are 125 groups billing themselves as the Platters*. However, our dipshit governor did do something right and signed a bill into law in Nevada that prohibits knockoff groups from calling themselves a famous group unless they identify themselves as a tribute group. The exceptions, of course, are those who have original personnel.
It's kind of like truth in advertising.
Anyway, Turner gave a good performance, not only singing some of the old Platters songs, but he also sang versions of popular R&B/soul songs of the 1960s.
As noted in the link above, Turner joined the Platters when he was a mere 19 years old in 1959, so therefore he is only about 67 or 68 years old (he was born in 1939). I'll tell you, though, and that is I don't know how he can leap in the air with both feet in front of him and be about able--or able--to touch his hands. I asked him following the performance when I had him sign one of his CDs how he did it. He joked that it was the tight shoes he wore. It also helps he is on the diminutive side, not much taller than five feet, so if he ever fell he wouldn't have far to fall.
I couldn't do that, even when I was young.
I will note the AP/USA Today article which explains why the original Platters fizzled out after the 1950s:
The Platters' success began to fizzle after 1959, when four members were arrested in a Cincinnati hotel and accused of using drugs and soliciting prostitutes.
Those were the days.
*--Wikipedia has an interesting section about the legal messes of those who staked their claim to the name "The Platters," assuming the article is accurate.
In Addition to the Tahoe Summit,
Bill Clinton will have a campaign rally on behalf of his wife Friday.
I may attend that in lieu of the Tahoe Summit deal, which probably is restricted.
It Would Be
foolhardy in the extreme to count John Edwards out.
If he loses the nomination, the Democrats won't win the presidency next year (unless somebody like Biden wins). They won't even have a fair shot:
But counting Edwards out would be a big mistake. Flying below the radar, the former vice-presidential candidate is pulling off a feat that Democratic consultants have long considered impossible: staking out the most progressive platform among the viable candidates while preserving an aura of electability. In head-to-head polling against the likes of Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, Clinton and Obama have managed to post only modest leads. Edwards, by contrast, not only bests every Republican candidate in the race, he trounces them -- by an average of twelve points.
I Somehow
dragged myself last night to take the bus to the Grand Sierra Resort, which is only about a mile or mile-and-a-half from my place. I could have walked it, as I did the other day, but I would have had to do it at night, which isn't so good.
In previous years I drove my car, but I didn't want to mess with the traffic and having to park the car a million miles away. Taking the bus is the only way to go on the final weekend of Hot August Nights.
I didn't get to see the Four Tops (three of them being the originals with the other member having died) or the so-called Temptations at the Silver Legacy; I figured tickets had already sold out. The same is true for tonight's show at the same place with Brian Wilson. I am not going to bother even looking up whether there are tickets. I know there are not.
So I ended up attending a "free" tribute concert to Ricky Nelson by his twin sons, Matthew and Gunnar. It was pretty good. The twins performed many of their dad's old hits and added a couple of their own hits to the mix. What struck me most about the twins, who will be 40 next month, is how much they look like their granddad Ozzie, especially in profile. They look a little bit like their dad, especially when smiling, a little bit like their mother Kris, but they mostly look like Ozzie. They said they were happy to be in Reno and hoped to continue to attend Hot August Nights. Matthew lives in Los Angeles, while Gunnar lives in Nashville. I didn't know this, but they grew up in nearby Susanville, so they really like the area.
The twins talked about how close they were to their father, saying he was their best friend. They were just 18 when he was killed in 1985. It had to have been very hard on them.
They stayed around after the show for autographs and pictures and the like. I picked up their tribute CD.
When I returned, I continued watching a DVD of episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. That show was great.
Friday, August 10, 2007
On August 16, 1972,
this writer began a love affair with Saratoga.
I don't think I have to tell you who won the Sanford Stakes that day. Hint: It sure as hell wasn't Man O'War:
4:00: I cajole Eddie into staying one more race. I grab a beer and head for the paddock. The seventh is the $27,750 Sanford Stakes for 2-year-olds. Imagine, a stakes race on a Wednesday. Knowing she’s bruised me badly, she atones immediately by introducing me to her most handsome son. There he is: number two, wearing those blue and white checkered blinkers. What a sight! I catch his eye, and back he looks. He’s standing there all calm and composed, with his gleaming red coat. I ask him what’s doing. He gazes at me, eyes the horses saddling nearby, and looks up again, snorting derisively. His eyes say “This won’t take long, pal. I only have to put up with these yahoos for a minute and 10 seconds.”
Presidential Notes.
As the World Turns.
Chances are
that piece of shit will be temporarily extended until 2009 so that politicians won't have to deal with it in the 2008 elections.
The Gazette-Journal
has more about Michelle Obama's appearance in Reno yesterday.
She was a big hit.
She also gave an interview.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
For Some on the Left,
in this case bloggers, Democratic leaders simply aren't good enough for them.
Which only goes to show how ignorant of political reality these people are. The bloggers, not the Democratic leaders.
_____
Speaking of clueless, Cindy Sheehan embarks on another publicity stunt.
_____
Presidential Notes II.
Will the Iowa poll be the straw that breaks some Republican candidates' political backs?
_____
1982 Kentucky Derby Winner
Gato Del Sol (Sun Cat) was euthanized Tuesday due to infirmities of old age.
He was 28 years old, one of the oldest surviving Kentucky Derby winners.
Not only do I remember him winning the Kentucky Derby, I also remember when he lost the 1982 Travers (along with 1982 Belmont winner and favorite Conquistador Cielo) to longshot Runaway Groom.
The article notes, and I want to note as well, Gato Del Sol was sold to foreign interests in 1992, but co-breeder and original co-owner Arthur B. Hancock III bought him back because his wife, Staci, feared he would wind up in a slaugterhouse like Exceller or Ferdinand.
My Sister and Brother
left Reno early this morning. They had a great time going to different events during Hot August Nights week, which is only about halfway over with. I plan to take in more events in the next couple of days, including some free concerts.
I took the bus over to the Grand Sierra Resort, and then I walked home from there. I then realized I had forgotten Michelle Obama was going to be in town today. When I arrived at home, I found my paper of the announcement, but thank God, I wasn't too late to attend.
I walked down to the Pioneer Center and went to a small room where she was to give her remarks. There were reportedly "more than" 300 supporters there, but it didn't look as if there were that many people. A couple of hundred, perhaps, but still a good turnout considering it was on a workday.
It was probably 20 minutes or so before she arrived. Since I forgot my camcorder, I didn't tape her remarks. Michelle Obama talked about her background and how she met the Audacity of Hype and then married him and all (their two daughters were there, but they didn't want to be onstage). She made her point that there needed to be change in Washington because the status quo simply wasn't working. She hit on similar themes her husband hit on, including restoring America's values, including the American Dream, and she said in effect she was able to achieve her dreams. She went to Chicago public schools and she, like her older brother, wound up going to Princeton. When she graduated there, she went to Harvard Law School*. Following that, she ran into Barack, and the rest, as they say, is history.
I do have to say this much about Michelle, who is VERY tall, by the way, almost six-feet tall in her shoes (she's probably around 5'9" or 5'10"*, but she is very tall and had to stoop down a bit in order to get her picture taken with many supporters), and that is SHE, not her husband, is charismatic, articulate, and very intelligent (not that he is stupid, but he sure appears out of his depth). She was dynamic, forceful, animated, and knew exactly what point she wanted to get across to the crowd. I was VERY impressed with her. If she were running for president and not her husband, I'd have no problem supporting her. She'd give Hillary Clinton a run for her money.
As I always do, I stayed around after she gave her remarks, and shook her hand and complimented her on her speech and said I felt she was a definite asset to her husband. I meant it.
Oprah has her work cut out for her, that's all I'll say.
Apparently she and her daughters cruised down Virginia Street as part of Hot August Nights. I missed that!
I took some pictures, and I will try to post some on the blog perhaps tomorrow. She was so animated, it was hard to get clear pictures, but I did have some.
*--According to Wikipedia, Michelle is 5'11". She's every bit that.
**--If I have any criticism of her remarks, it's that she should be careful talking about the Ivy League colleges as if they are the "best." They aren't really the "best" academically; instead, what they ARE superior at is providing connections for their graduates to the wealthy and powerful that the rest of us poor slobs don't have. The reason she needs to be careful about this is that few people outside of the Northeast actually give a shit about the Ivies or really care about what college one goes to. The vast majority of people who do go to and graduate from college, a minority of Americans, by the way, go to state universities and community colleges. One should not leave himself or herself open to charges of elitism, and Michelle needs to watch it. Hillary Clinton also went to elite postsecondary schools, but she never makes a big deal about it.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
I
have a couple of family members visiting me today and tomorrow to attend some Hot August Nights events. While we were home, we saw a little bit of the Democratic AFL-CIO debate. I had to shut the damned thing off once the pundits starting talking about how we should view the debate.
They are really going after John Edwards, who didn't do poorly at all. It is SO transparent what is going on here.
As the World Turns.
Since the columnists have complained nobody reads their worthless screeds, it seems the NYT is about to ditch its "select" service.
Not to mention readership is down.
_____
It Appears
reports or rumors or whatever of left-leaning bloggers forming a union are wrong.
Instead it sounds like some want to find some way to help pay for health insurance in case they need it:
Madrak is applying to blogger Matt Stoller's Blogpac fund for a $5,000 grant to pay for an attorney who could help set up the insurance system. But she imagines that most of the money in the fund would come directly from readers of left-leaning sites, and, she hopes, influential progressive organizations and perhaps even the Democratic Party itself. Such groups would pay into a fund -- in much the way listeners pledge to public radio, Madrak says -- and when a blogger hits hard times, the fund would cover the costs.
I asked Madrak about the difficulty she'd have deciding who's covered and who isn't; after all, I could set up a site tomorrow and call myself a progressive blogger in an effort to get some insurance. Madrak says the fund would set up rules to sort this out, and it would start very small. "Probably what we'd do is look to start something in the Northeast area -- say, Washington, Philadelphia, New York, Boston. We'd work out the kinks, and then try to expand and perhaps set up regional pools around the country."
Which goes to show how outrageous it is anybody should die because of the lack of decent health insurance.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Time for a Couple of Obits.
Cult favorite Lee Hazlewood, 78, has died.
_____
Famed civil rights attorney Oliver W. Hill died very prematurely.
He fought for an end to segregation.
_____
Presidential Notes.
Obama went where few dare to tread and he somehow drew some 900 spectators.
_____
Don't call Jeri Thompson a lawyer. She isn't.
_____
Rudy's daughter demonstrates her support for her dad.
_____
The bloggers at the Yearly Kos certainly welcomed Hillary Clinton with open arms.
_____
Paul Krugman
believes the Democrats in general have more substance than the Reublicans, with John Edwards having the most substance of all>
Sunday, August 05, 2007
You'd Almost Swear
this is some kind of hoax:
While he waits for his trial related to dogfighting charges to start, Michael Vick will be honored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
I certainly hope there is a storm of protest over this.
It's Interesting to Note
there is talk about bloggers forming a union.
I am not sure how that would work, since true bloggers don't work for anyone but themselves.
Hiking Notes.
I just returned from a hike on Lower Table Rock. Hiking guides in the southern Oregon area call the trail "moderate," but in fact it is largely strenuous. After one gets to the top of the rock, there is a trail continuing for about a mile to the edge. It used to be an airplane landing:
I will have to make it a point to visit the rocks during the spring months because there are many wildflowers there, including the endangered dwarf woolly meadowfoam, which grows only on the Table Rocks and nowhere else on the planet. What would also be worthwhile is seeing the vernal pool fairy shrimp, which can be seen during the rainy months of November through April. It is also on the federal list.
Presidential Notes.
Iowa Republicans are not happy with the field they have been saddled with backing.
_____
I'd say "sex with strategy" would fall on its sorry ass.
Oh, and what in the hell is with all of these "trophy wives" anyway?
"Sexuality has this unconscious power," said Pepper Schwartz, a University of Washington sociologist who believes that the looks and interactions of political couples send powerful messages. "It goes past the rational brain and goes into the emotional circuit. It's one of those visceral things where voters say one thing and think another."
Schwartz said that although older women might be put off by the May-December aspect of some of these marriages, younger men might be impressed. "The men say, 'What a guy!' and women say, 'What an ego!' "
I don't think so. It makes me like a candidate less, first for not being able to stay with the same spouse, and second for thinking women their age are just not worthy.
It's NOT a smart political strategy.
Frankly, the one candidate's wife who really is a trophy wife is Ann Romney, who is gorgeous. She's only a couple of years younger than Mitt, but at least I give him credit that he didn't ditch her for somebody far younger.
For the record:
For the record, Thompson is 24 years older than Jeri. She is a political professional who has worked for the Republican National Committee and as a media consultant for a Washington law firm.
McCain is 18 years older than Cindy, Giuliani 11 years older than Judith. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, a Democratic hopeful, is 18 years older than his wife, Jackie. The prize for greatest age gap, however, goes to Democratic contender Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio, who is 31 years older than his 29-year-old wife, Elizabeth.
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Here is another report about the Democratic candidates at the Yearly Kos.
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Of Course
impeachment of Bush and Cheney would be the height of idiocy. The votes aren't there, and, as Tomasky points out, many Democrats are from red areas, and they can't possibly go too far to the left and get re-elected.
That's also why Democratic senators seemingly "caved" over the spying bill. Almost all of those senators who voted for the bill, with an exception or two like Dianne Feinstein, were from red states.
The problem with many on the "left" is they don't understand most people don't think like them, and they also don't understand the Democratic Party isn't monolithic.
Furthermore, any impeachment effort would be seen as blatantly political. And you know what? Democratic presidents would be impeached over and over again, just as Bill Clinton was impeached over nothing, as an act of revenge.
Finally, Bush and Cheney, though they will be out of office (unless they decide to suspend the Constitution and remain in charge indefinitely) in 2009, make a good campaign issue in the upcoming elections. Why the hell would Democrats spoil a good thing?
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Although
Chicago is in Obama's backyard, and it was his birthday, the Yearly Kos crowd decided to cheer on his rival, John Edwards, instead.
Edwards was on fire today. Clinton, however, was booed a couple of times as was Gravel.
I don't know why Biden decided to skip the forum.