Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Interviews Ralph Nader

Words fail me.

Sunday, and the winner is: Martini Revolution

So, did anyone see that video of Palin being interviewed in front of some moron slaughtering Turkeys?  It's pretty damned awful.  What was she thinking?  Oh, I know, ... she wasn't.

Acephalous' students, channel, Shatner.   

Ya know, I got every pick Obama made for his cabinet correct.  And now I am right about this:  Infrastructure 

This year for the holiday gift giving extravaganza - there won't be one.  My brother lost his job last month.  My other brother just bought a cool house he can't afford.  My neice just bought a 5,000 SF house and found out she was pregnant - unexpectedly.  My nephew quit his job at IBM to go to law school at University of Houston and they are living off his wife's teaching salary.  My other niece just started a new job in sales and is on commissioned pay.  So, about the only one with money right now is me and my parents.  So, we usually do a gift exchange each year, but that is out.  So, we are going to give our selected person a favor, something we will do for them, a craft or artwork we do ourself, a poem - basically whatever invests the giver into that person being gifted.  Problem is I already bought my usual cool group gifts, which I do every year.  They are getting the carbon offsets anyway.  I bought the parents a group gift which is so cool I want one for myself.  All I really want is their company and some chocolate martinis.  Oh,yeah, the little ones still get gifts.

This is hilarious, (and a testimony of too many kids & parents today which is decidedly sad):  (bear with me here, and watch the whole thing)

Bush reflects?  I didn't know he was capable of such a thing.  I'm pretty sure I don;t believe it. 

This greed and administration absolutely are to blame for this mess we are in.  Absolutely to blame.

Obama himself has become a merchandisers heaven.  I know, I've bought my fifth Obama t-shirt from Rolling Stone, no less. (The one with red foil.)  I'm even getting one from Obama's campaign based on their last pre-election donation drive.  

Cool.  The Columbus Crew wins the 2008 MLS Cup. 

Go listen to this video of Shearwater (an Austin band I like).  It is beautiful.  I particularly like the third song.  

Check out Austin Cline's Mike Huckabee: The Smiling Happy Face of Theocratic Fascism over at Jesus' General.

Martini Revolution is a must read.  You won't believe it!  Hinderaker hard on for semi-literate Bush unabated

Straight White Guy Eric is a serial Christopher Lee fan as well as the movie, The Hounds of the Baskervilles  

What a great way to end Sunday.  I think I'll go have some dessert and see if I can find it on the tube.

Instatard

Michael's most favorite person in the world, Glenn Reynolds, said this about the Iraq War today:

While there may be some number of troops in Iraq for years to come, the Iraq War is pretty much over.

He mentions this in a Forbes Magazine column which blames FDR and the New Deal for extending the Great Depression. Which brings me to the obvious question: What kind of designer fucking drugs does this man snort?

[h/t Kathy]

The Senate Democrats' Vote on Joe Lieberman explained in 16 seconds

Ike and Tina Turner - Nutbush City Limits

The energy displayed by Tina Turner is amazing.

Obama Hearts Charlie Crist

President-Elect Barack Obama praised Gov. Charlie Crist Obama's remarks were aimed at green governors and given at the Governors' Global Climate Summit.

"In particular, I want to commend Gov. Sebelius, Gov. Doyle, Gov. Crist, Gov. Blagojevich and your host, Gov. Schwarzenegger – all of you have shown true leadership in the fight to combat global warming. And we’ve also seen a number of businesses doing their part by investing in clean energy technologies. But too often, Washington has failed to show the same kind of leadership. That will change when I take office."

Crist failed to go to Washington to lobby for the global warming bill. Crist was in Arizona lobbying to be John McCain's VP. Crist idea of green energy is nuclear power. A problem with nuclear power is construction, maintenance and removal of waste is more expensive than convention power plants.

Regulatory hurdles and public opposition to nuclear plants following the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island in 1979 are often cited for the freeze in new plants. Yet what almost everyone cites as the main obstacle now is cost: Nuclear power is just plain expensive.

It costs between $6 billion to $8 billion to build a new nuclear reactor, according to Steve Kerekes, a spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute. That's about four times the cost of building a new similar-sized coal plant.

If McCain wants 45 new plants, he'll have to provide the utility industry with some incentives to take on this huge up front expense.

These could come in the form of low-interest loans, laws restricting greenhouse gases (which would make coal more expensive) or the construction of a long-promised facility to handle the waste.

"The cost of building them is immense," said Peter Tertzakian, chief energy economist at ARC Financial, a Calgary-based private equity firm. "The commitment has got to be long term."

The American people will pay an estimated 11 billion to rid waste from 100 reactors. Where the waste goes should give Crist pause.

Millions of gallons of hazardous waste resulting from the nations nuclear weapons program lie in a remote location in southeastern Washington state called Hanford. Beneath this desert landscape about two million curies of radioactivity and hundreds of thousands of tons of chemicals are captured within the stratified vadose zone below which gives rise to complex subsurface flow paths. These paths create uncertainties about where the contaminants go and what happens to them. With the mighty Columbia River bordering much of the site, where these nuclear wastes migrate, their composition and how fast they are traveling are of vital importance to both people and the environment.

Crist's retroactive energy policy is radioactive.

Bye Bye Ted

Ted Stevens has lost his Senate seat.

The longest-serving Republican in the history of the Senate trailed Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by 3,724 votes after Tuesday's count.

That's an insurmountable lead with only about 2,500 overseas ballots left to be counted.

Stevens, who turned 85 Tuesday, also revealed that he will not ask President George W. Bush to give him a pardon for his seven felony convictions.

Republcans are happy that they won't have to deal with Stevens coming back to the Senate.

Whip It Good

Senator Bill Nelson has been named one of the three deputy whips for Senator Harry Reid. Nelson voted for the torture bill. The Senator was one of the members of the Florida Democratic Party that voted to move up the Florida primary. The man's judgement has been horrible. I fail to see why he should be rewarded with a leadership position.

Nicolas Cage's Bad Hair Days

Next Round celebrates Nicolas Cage's bizarre hair choices.

Hillary Sec. of State Update

The Guardian reports Hillary Clinton has accepted Barack Obama's offer for Sec. of State. No other media outlet has confirmed this. So we see how this story pans out.

Hillary Clinton fan David Ignatius makes the cae for why Clinton shouldn't be Sec. of State. Short answer: Obama should be front and center for his own foreign policy. Obamamania swepted Europe when he visited. Clinton would become the face of American foreign policy. Obama's natural charisma and intelligence is what the world wants to see. Citizens of the world are Bush-fatigued.

Clinton is more hawkish than Obama. I wonder how that will play itself out in internal Obama administration debates.

Obama has been extremely condescending about Clinton's foreign policy experience.

“It’s ironic because this is supposedly the place where experience is most needed to be Commander-in-Chief. Experience in Washington is not knowledge of the world. This I know. When Senator Clinton brags ‘I’ve met leaders from eighty countries’–I know what those trips are like! I’ve been on them. You go from the airport to the embassy. There’s a group of children who do native dance. You meet with the CIA station chief and the embassy and they give you a briefing. You go take a tour of a plant that [with] the assistance of USAID has started something. And then–you go.”

“You do that in eighty countries–you don’t know those eighty countries. So when I speak about having lived in Indonesia for four years, having family that is impoverished in small villages in Africa–knowing the leaders is not important–what I know is the people. . . .”

“I traveled to Pakistan when I was in college–I knew what Sunni and Shia was [sic] before I joined the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. . . .”

My impression, during the campaign, is Obama doesn't like Clinton or respect her experience. My guess is Obama is repaying Clinton for campaigning for him.

The case for Clinton is Foggy Bottom needs a strong voice. Condi Rice could not magement and Colin Powell was forced out. That would not happen under Clinton. Africa and the fight against the spread of HIV will receive increased attention.

Quote of the Day

"Look, I think there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us, is prepared to use violence, to use harassment. I think it is prepared to use the government if it can get control of it. I think that it is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion. And I think if you believe in historic Christianity, you have to confront the fact. And, frank -- for that matter, if you believe in the historic version of Islam or the historic version of Judaism, you have to confront the reality that these secular extremists are determined to impose on you acceptance of a series of values that are antithetical, they're the opposite, of what you're taught in Sunday school."

Newt Gingrich, serial adulterer

Eric Holder To Be Next Attorney General

Newsweek reports Eric Holder will be the next Attorney General.

Holder, who served as deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration, still has to undergo a formal “vetting” review by the Obama transition team before the selection is final and is publicly announced, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified talking about the transition process. But in the discussions over the past few days, Obama offered Holder the job and he accepted, the source said. The announcement is not likely until after Obama announces his choices to lead the Treasury and State departments.

Holder, 57, has been on Obama’s “short list” for attorney general from the outset. A partner at the D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling, Holder served as co-chief (along with Caroline Kennedy) of Obama’s vice-presidential selection process. He also actively campaigned for Obama throughout the year and grew personally close to the president-elect. Holder has not returned a call seeking comment; a spokeswoman for the Obama transition team told Newsweek in an e-mail early Tuesday afternoon that no decision has been made.

The Obama transition has been privately asking Senators if they will vote for Holder. A serious obstacle is Holder's role in the pardoning of Marc Rich. The latter was indicted for owing $48 million in back taxes and illegal oil deals with Iran. Rich refused to return from Switzerland to face prosecution.

Two interesting side note: Rudolph Giuliani was the prosecuting U.S. Attorney. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was Rich's defense attorney.

Denise Rich, the former wife of Marc Rich, contributed to the Clinton Library and the Democratic Party. Bill Clinton pardoned Rich his final day in the White House.

The Justice Department was been damaged with the U.S. Attorneys scandal. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales wrecked morale within the Department of Justice. Obama has stated he wants to appoint Republicans to cabinet positions. Republican U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is well-respected. His appointment would send a message that Obama wants to be a reformer and reach across the aisle. Fitzgerald's independent streak and investigation into Obama contributor Antoin Rezko probably makes his nomination improbable. Fitzgerald's appointment would prove Obama is serious about having a cabinet of rivals. Fitzgerald conviction of Libby for the Valerie Plame scandal, may cause a Republican filibuster. Fitzrerald would not be a lock for confirmation.

Holder sends the message that Obama wants a party loyalist in the Justice Department. Color me unimpressed.

Update: The Obama team is confident the Rich controversy won't stop Holder from being confirmed.

One person involved in the talks said the Obama team has received some assurances that, while the Rich pardon would certainly come up during hearings, the nomination likely wouldn't be held up. All spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.

The transition team must be confident they have the votes. It is hard to imagine Holder being nominated, with a GOP majority, in the Senate.

Update: Crooks and Liars has video of an MSNBC story on Holder.

Conned E

Animation Experimentation

More animation experimentation to get a feel for the rudiments. Big hat tip to BlueGal for steering me towards the Audacity audio program.

When I was finally ready to record some audio, I flipped on the TV and Condi was on one channel competing with Care Bears on another.

Fox News Punked On Palin Leak

Some of these Sarah Palin leaks were bound to be bullshit.

Who would say such a thing? On Monday the answer popped up on a blog and popped out of the mouth of David Shuster, an MSNBC anchor. “Turns out it was Martin Eisenstadt, a McCain policy adviser, who has come forward today to identify himself as the source of the leaks,” Mr. Shuster said.

Trouble is, Martin Eisenstadt doesn’t exist. His blog does, but it’s a put-on. The think tank where he is a senior fellow — the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy — is just a Web site. The TV clips of him on YouTube are fakes.

And the claim of credit for the Africa anecdote is just the latest ruse by Eisenstadt, who turns out to be a very elaborate hoax that has been going on for months. MSNBC, which quickly corrected the mistake, has plenty of company in being taken in by an Eisenstadt hoax, including The New Republic and The Los Angeles Times.

It is time for Carl Cameron to explain who in the McCain campaign he has been talking to.

Hillary Up For Sec. of State

The Barack Obama transition team has leaked to George Stephanopoulos and other ABC News reporters news that Hillary Clinton is being seriously considered for Sec. of State. The Obama team leaked the same story to MSNBC reporter Andrea Mitchell. Senator Clinton's office is referring media questions to the Obama transition team.

This may be Obama repaying Clinton for her general election endorsement. The fact is Bill Richardson is the more qualified candidate. Richardson is former Ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of Energy. He also served as a staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and State Department. Clinton could do the job well. Richardson would perform like a chess master.

The Obama Campaign Team

60 Minutes interviews Barack Obama campaign staffers David Axelrod, David Plouffe, Robert Gibbs and Anita Dunn about their historic campaign.

Draft Alex Sink

Democrats want CFO Alex Sink to run for Governor in 2010.

It's time to put a Democrat back in the Governor's Mansion! Alex Sink is Florida's rising star and we want her as the next leader of our state. Join the movement to draft her in 2010, support her fight for Florida's families and children, and complete the Sunshine State's transition to the "blue" column by electing a new chief executive with true blue credentials! Alex Sink for Governor.

Beating Charlie Crist will be difficult. The economic outlook will effect Crist's future. The mortage crisis and state budget deficit are not about to get better. Sink has been pleading with the Republican-dominated Florida legislature to hold a special session.

"When Florida's families realize they are spending more each month than they are earning, they don't wait six months before taking action," Sink wrote to House Speaker-designate Ray Sansom, R-Destin, and Senate President-designate Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach. "I urge you to call a special session in December or January so that we can reduce our state's expenditures for this fiscal year in a responsible manner."

She has already asked Gov. Charlie Crist and legislative leaders for borrowing authority of $1.25 billion from state trust funds.

Sink said, "as keeper of the state's checkbook," she has to repay trust-fund borrowing by June 30. If lawmakers wait for the regular session in March to reduce state spending - or even consider tax increases, which Crist and the GOP legislative leadership oppose - she said there will be only three months for agencies to absorb all of the necessary cuts.

"Let's make it real for Floridians," Sink said. "I think every Florida family is sitting around their kitchen table thinking, 'Do we need to cut back? What do we need to cut back on? What happens if one of us loses our job?'

Sink's calls for a special session went ignored.

"I'm not hitting the panic button," said incoming House Speaker Ray Sanson. "There's not a panic button to hit."

Sanson is waiting for the November 21st revenue estimate. No one in either party expects the revenue estimate to provide good news. Sink had to ask Crist and the legislature for $1.25 billion to fund the government. The budget has been cut the past two years. This isn't a matter of cutting pork. This is about not running the government into debt.

Asked if the state can continue budgeting for all of its needs without raising more
revenue, Sink said: "I don't know."

Which explains why Republicans are in no hurry to call a special session. Sanson and Crist do not want to admit they are running the state into debt. They do not want to offend Grover Norquist and anti-tax conservatives by discussing new taxes. Conservative dogma keeps Crist and fellow Republicans from during heavy lifting. Florida Republicans would rather run the budget like Enron. When in debt, borrow more money.

Sink, the only Democrat on the Florida Cabinet, said the state already has borrowed $300 million from its own trust funds to pay day-to-day expenses due to a growing shortfall in general revenue, mostly sales tax. She expects to borrow at least $500 million more from the trust funds.

"You can't look at these numbers and not be alarmed," Sink said.

Sanson expects the deficit to reach $2 billion. There is no reason for him not to ask Crist to call a special session.

Sarahndipity!

I don't know how to create an audio file yet, but while reading the tutorial in the animation program, they were kind enough to supply a couple of short audio files as demonstrations. One of them is this classic Bushism! How Sarahndipitous!

Joe the Plumber: Show Me the Money

For $14.95-a-year, you can read Joe the Plumber's blog and have access to Joe The Forum. The shambles of the McCain campaign delves into self-parody.

Stay Tooned...

I've started experimenting with a new animation program. Here's 8 seconds of silent footage after a few days of fooling around with the program.

Support ALL the Troops on Veterans' Day

"I, Magdaleno Sanchez Duenas, do solemnly swear...that I will bear true faith and allegiance...to the United States of America...that I will serve them honestly and faithfully...against all their enemies whomsoever...and I will obey the orders...of the President of the United States...And the orders of the officers appointed over me...according to the rules and Articles of War."



Magdaleno Sanchez Duenas 1914- February 27,2005

The Philippine Islands became a United States possession in 1898 when they were ceded from Spain following the Spanish-American War. The Islands remained a possession of the United States until 1946. In 1934, the Congress enacted the Philippine Independence Act (Public Law 73-127), which provided a 10-year time frame for the independence of the Philippines and, in the interim, established a Common-wealth of the Philippines with certain powers over its internal affairs. Full independence was delayed for two years due to the Japanese occupation of the Islands during 1942 to 1945. Between 1934 and final independence in 1946, the United States retained certain sovereign powers over the Philippines, including the right, upon order of the President of the United States, to call into the service of the United States armed forces all military forces organized by the Commonwealth government.


On July 26, 1941, President Roosevelt issued an Executive Order calling members of the Philippine Commonwealth Army into the service of the United States Armed Forces of the Far East. Under this order, Filipinos were entitled to full veterans' benefits

In 1941, Duenas answered the call of President Roosevelt for Filipinos to take up arms and join the fight against the Japanese. In 1943, he joined guerilla forces in the mountains and was captured by the Japanese while procuring food for American Soldiers. He never gave away any information regarding his fellow guerillas. He managed to escape and later helped free 10 American soldiers from the Japanese POW camp.

In October of 1945, Gen. Omar Bradley, then Administrator of the Veterans Administration, reaffirmed that the Filipino Veterans were to be treated like any other American veterans. But on February 18, 1946, the Congress passed and President Truman signed Public Law 70-301, known as the Rescission Act of 1946. It said that the service of Filipinos "shall not be deemed to be or to have been service in the military or national forces of the United States or any component thereof or any law of the United States conferring rights, privileges or benefits."


Duenas is one of thousands of Filipino World War II veterans who were betrayed by the United States. Congress rescinded Roosevelts promise of citizenship and full GI benefits to the Filipino Veterans. In fact, Filipino Veterans were the ONLY national group singled out for denial of full US Veterans status, while more than 66 other groups received full benefits.

Initially, there were 250,000 Filipinos Veterans. Today there are about 18,000, and they die at the rate of about 10 a day. Various bills have been introduced over the years to rectify the injustice of The Rescission Act of 1946, but they have never been passed. The latest bills: Last April, the Senate voted 96-1 on S.1315, an omnibus veterans bill that included a $300 a month benefit to Filipinos WWII veterans living in the Philippines and $900 a month to those living in the US. In September, The House overwhelmingly approved on a voice vote the same Senate measure, but with the benefits for Filipino veterans stripped out. Thanks alot, you Blue Dog Bastards and your Republican buddies!

The next day, the house passed H.R. 6897, sponsored by Bob Filner (D-CA) and Darrel Issa (R-CA), providing for a one time lump sum payment of $15,000 to the Filipino Veterans who are US citizens and $9000 to those living in the Philippines. The resolution authorized an appropriation of $198 million as a compensation fund.

Because of the different measures approved by the House and Senate, a conference was needed to reconcile the bills. Senator Akaka of Hawaii, chairman of the Senate veterans affairs committee and sponsor of S.1315 called for one, but Senator Dick Burr (R-NC) is blocking the motion.
Veterans groups prefer S.1315 to the House lump sum measure because it amends the Rescission Act and restores full recognition to the Filipinos as American Veterans as well as compensation. The lump sum measure requires a 'quit claim' amendment that releases the US from all obligations, including the exclusion of veterans widow from compensation, and a break in eligibilty for medicare and disability benefits.

91 year old veteran Celestino Almeda of Washington D.C told news reporters that "accepting payment without being recognized by the US Government as a valiant soldier who fought alongside American troops during World War II would make me a mercenary. I cannot sell my soul."




Information for this post was gathered from TESTIMONY OF SENATOR INOUYE BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS ON S. 623, THE FILIPINO VETERANS EQUITY ACT, PBS The American Experience, The Veterans Equity Center in San Francisco, and Jon Melegrito for Filipinas Magazine

Link Buttons

Zappadan is right around the corner. It's time for me to replace the old link button in my sidebar with a new one. The latest Blogger templates make it pretty easy to create the buttons in your sidebar without knowing the HTML, but of course not everyone uses Blogger. For folks who do use Blogger, you can still use this information to create link buttons in the body of a post.

First, start off with an image. I offer up this image free for anyone to use as a link button to The Aristocrats.



Next, resize your image to the size you want for your link button. I find 225 pixels wide works well for the sidebar in Blogger.



Here's the code, written as one continuous line



I use Photobucket for image hosting. I've used imageshack in the past. Whatever you use, just plug the web address of the image into the second set of quotation marks. The first set of quotation marks contains the address of the site you want to link to. So, if you click on the last image in this post, it should take you to The Aristocrats. Enjoy!

Why the Hispanic Vote Matters

Mel Martinez on Meet the Press.

Hispanics are going to be a more and more vibrant part of the electorate and our party better figure out a way to talk to them," Martinez said, asked about why Hispanics had flocked to Democrats last Tuesday. He cited some GOP'ers anti-immigration rhetoric as a turnoff for many Hispanic voters.

The GOP can't call themselves a big tent and pander to racists. It one or another. The Southern Strategy is dying. Obama changed race in American politics.

I disagree with Martinez on McCain.

He noted that "Sen. McCain did not deserve what he got, he valiently fought for immigration reform, but the (anti-immigration voices in our party, if they continue we're going to be relegated to minority status."

McCain publicly disown his own immigration reform bill. Hispanics are the largest growing voting group. It was a act of political stupidity and McCain was justly punished.

The O-List

The New Republic compiled a list of thirty people that fill most influence Barack Obama's first term.

David Axelrod
Rahm Emanuel
Valerie Jarrett
Tom Daschle
Larry Summers
General David Petraeus
Joe Biden
Robert Gibbs
David Plouffe

Not mention is the next Sec. of Defense. The short list is current Sec. of Defense Robert Gates, Richard Danzig, John Hamre, Jack Reed and Chuck Hagel. Danzig publicly endorsed Gates for the job. Reports are that Obama won't initiate defense budget cuts in the first 18 months.

"Obama has apparently agreed with his defense [advisers] that he will not cut the DoD budget within his first 18 months in office," Morgan Stanley defense analysts wrote in a post-election report.

U.S. forces will not be out of Iraq by 2010. Obama plans on putting more troops into Afghanistan. That leaves little room for budget cuts.

Gates or Hagel would fulfill Obama's promise of appoint Republicans to cabinet positions. Reports are Joe Biden and Sec. of State candidate Bill Richardson are friends of Hagel. Hagel is a foreign policy realist. His bashing of Sarah Palin's (lack of) foreign policy experience endeared him to the campaign. Hagel said he would have considered being Obama's running mate. The question is can Hagel manage the Defense Department beaurocacy?

John Hamre is the the Chairman of Center for Strategic & International Studies. The bipartisan military and foreign policy think tank was created during the cold war. Hamre served as Deputy Secretary of Defense during the Clinton administration. He is currently serving on the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee.

Hamre is a Sam Nunn prodigy. He served under Nunn during the Gulf War vote. He is fiscally conservative with defense dollars. Nunn served on the CSIS Board of Trustees.

Hamre is a Clintonite and has foreign policy views that could mesh well with Obama's. Hamre's anti-Vietnam war past could place doubt in his ability to serve as Defense Secretary.

Jack Reed is a former Army Ranger and West Point graduate. Reed is a member of the Committee on Armed Services. Reed is the safest pick on Obama's short list.

I would go with Reed as Sec of State and Richard Danzig as Deputy Secretary of Defense. Don't be surprised if Obama picks Hagel.

First Press Conference For President-Elect Obama

The first official press conference for President-Elect Barack Obama.

Image of the Day

20081104_Chicago_IL_ElectionNight1137
Originally uploaded by Barack Obama

The adults are officially in charge.

More photos of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, on election night, can be seen on Flickr.

Mark Foley Interview Coming Soon

Marc Ambinder reports former Congressman Mark Foley will appear on the Today Show either this or the next Wednesday.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement never pressed charges on Foley. They were unable to obtain the legal right to search his computer.

Shepard Smith on the O'Reilly Factor

I'm liking Fox News anchor Shepard Smith more and more. Smith was on The O'Reilly Factor and talked about his interview with Joe the Plumber.

O’REILLY: Now you grilled “Joe the Plumber” a couple of weeks ago over his Israel comments. You know, when you said what do you know about Israel? And why would Israel be punished if Barack Obama…

SMITH: Actually, what he said was a vote for Barack Obama is a vote for the death of Israel. Actually, someone in the crowd said it, he said I agree with you not once but twice. I didn’t think it was important, so much, what Joe the Plumber said, about the death to Israel or Barack Obama’s connection thereto, I thought what was important was that he was on a GOP bus, on a GOP-funded tour, called the “Joe the Plumber Tour” and when he said something like that, as a apparently spokesperson of the GOP at the time--John McCain said he was going to take him to Washington—I felt that it was important for our audience to know from where that information comes. Why he came to that decision, and his answer was, “Well, your listeners, as he put it, go out and figure out why it was…

O’REILLY: He didn’t know; he couldn’t articulate it…

SMITH: He didn’t know why he did, and the truth is Barack Obama had made the statement repeatedly and demonstrated repeatedly that Israel would always be a friend to America. And I think some of this disinformation, some of the lies that show up on the internet are dangerous and those of us who hold truth dear , it’s our job to set the record straight and that’s what I wanted to do…

O'Reilly is his usual bizarre self. Nicole Belle notes O'Reilly wants to assault Barney Frank. This isn't funny.

I can,you know, yell at Barney Frank, you know slap—if he was here I’d probably slap him. I wouldn’t really, but I wanted it to, because he hurt so many people.

O'Reilly is a man that got rich from yelling at people on television. He actually thinks he is an action hero. Glenn Reynolds and Michelle Malkin would go ballistic (and rightly so) if Keith Olbermann made this same comment towards a Republican Congressman.

Related: Joe the Plumber Now Joe the Fearmonger

Why Ralph Nader Is An Asshole

Naked Brunch: Flock of Seagulls

It's taken me almost a week to tread the path of the pundits opinions in the aftermath of the stunning victory of President-Elect Barack Obama.  I'm extremely pleased about the first and not so much about the pundits, as follows.  I am, however, interested in Obama's picks for his cabinet.  

Some of the offers out there for posts to Obama's cabinet and their specialties.  Quite a list of names in that menu.  At this point, Rahm Emanuel has accepted Obama's offer for White House Chief of Staff.  I am not sure whether I would prefer him there or in position as Speaker of the House where he would be extremely useful to Obama in accomplishing his goals.  However, this suppositioning really is unnecessary and ticks me off, bt American Prospect does a good job of discrediting the idea.

I am thrilled beyond measure that one of Obama's first issues is to review and reverse Bush's executive orders.  There are a lot of them and most are reprehensible.  More on Obama's intentions to reverse these executive orders:

Transition advisers to President-elect Barack Obama have compiled a list of about 200 Bush administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse White House policies on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues, according to congressional Democrats, campaign aides and experts working with the transition team.

A team of four dozen advisers, working for months in virtual solitude, set out to identify regulatory and policy changes Obama could implement soon after his inauguration. The team is now consulting with liberal advocacy groups, Capitol Hill staffers and potential agency chiefs to prioritize those they regard as the most onerous or ideologically offensive, said a top transition official who was not permitted to speak on the record about the inner workings of the transition....

More on Obama's fist steps.

Saxby Chambliss is such a pig, which must make McCain and Palin alike in their support. 

This is an awesome synopsis of what Obama's next steps entail. 

Jonathan Chait asks:  "What part of "overwhelming electoral defeat" does the GOP not understand?"

Damn, I'm getting hungry.  I wonder what's for brunch?

On Obama's reception throughout the world.  I agree, show me the money!

I love this:  Obama a two-term President of the USA and tte folks jostling to create a relationship with him.  A more negative attitude from the Boston Globe.

The New Yorker details "How Obama Won."

Naked Brunch Music:  Amos Lee (Get them at my place)

Naked Brunch:  Lusty French Toast, thick smoky bacon, tangy tangerines, and java.  Yum! 

And, just because it will aggravate Michael's musical taste:

Ta Ta!

Sean Hannity's Top 10 Items of Conservatism

I read Sean Hannity's hysterical Top 10 Items of Conservatism. Nation building, torture and warrantless wire tapping aren't conservative ideals. Which is why the Republican Party lost. The GOP doesn't have ideas. It has talking points of smaller government, anti-earmarks, and victory in Iraq.

Hannity's foreign policy is pure neoconservatism.

1) To be the Candidate of National security:
a) Victory in Iraq
b) Fully support NSA, Patriot act, tough interrogations, keeping Gitmo open
c) A Candidate that pledges to NOT demean our military while they are fighting for their Country. eg Harry Reid: "the surge has failed", "the war is lost"
d) Candidate that promises to ensure that our veterans can live out their lives in dignity.

2) The Candidate who pledges to oppose Appeasement:
a) The Candidate will oppose any and all efforts to negotiate with dictators of the world in places like Iran, Syria, N.Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela without "pre-conditions"

Being pro-torture is a disgusting political position to take. Hannity can't argue he is for freedom and American values. The Constitution forbids "cruel and unusual punishment." Waterboarding and attack dogs are not the actions of people that respect freedom. The fact that Hannity thinks otherwise should give people pause.

Below are two pictures of an Abu Ghraib detainee. His injuries came from a dog bite. Do these pictures make you think of freedom? "Tough interrogations" is Hannity not having the courage to use the proper word: torture.





Hannity harping of Reid's statement about the surge. We are still in Iraq and the country's future is uncertain. I don't believe the current government will respect fair elections and Israel's right to exist. In 2006, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki condemmed Israel's military actions Lebanon. al-Maliki played into his fellow countrymen's support of Hezbollah. In 2007, the Iraqi government enforced a boycott on Israel.

Hannity's opposition to peace negotiations is irresponsible and anti-conservative. Richard Nixon talked with the Soviets. Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev meetings helped end the Cold War. Hannity alternative is to fight wars with troops we don't have. The U.S. mititary is strained and neither party will support a draft. How does Hannity plan on getting tough with foreign leaders?

This rhetoric works for Hannity on talk radio. Bush and Cheney tried this national security policy. The United States international standing suffered and Republican approval ratings tanked. Osama bin Laden is still free. Sadly, Republican foreign policy think tankers think much like Hannity.

Florida's Rising Foreclosures.

The September unemployment rate for Florida hit 6.6 percent. Florida's unemployment rate is higher than the national average. In May of 2006, the Florida unemployment average was 3.3 percent. The rising unemployment created massive foreclosures.

Florida had the second-highest rate of foreclosures in the nation in September, according to foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc.

One in every 178 Florida housing units received a foreclosure filing last month. Foreclosure filings were reported on 47,956 Florida properties during the month, an increase of 44 percent from September of 2007.

The foreclosure numbers were a driving factor in counties that leaned for Barack Obama.

The analysis compared a county's economic data with its presidential election results. It showed a correlation that for every 1 percent of Florida households in foreclosure in September, McCain lost 16 percentage points to Obama.

Quote of the Day

"I mean, I have to tell you if I heard once, I heard 1,000 times from people, and I never said this, never said this on the air because you just don’t say these things, but I heard a million times from people, “I’m going to vote for John McCain and, you know, I mean, he’s old. Maybe we get Sarah Palin in the first term.” You know what I mean?"

Glenn Beck, saying on-air what he just said should be publicly said.

Meet the New Supervisor of Elections

Via Kenneth Quinnell: Phyllis Busansky is the newly elected Hillsborough County Super of Elections.

“I’m absolutely thrilled," Busansky said from her home Thursday night. "I ran on restoring confidence in this office and that’s what we’ve done.” When asked what she planned to do her first day in office, she said, "I have no idea. Until two minutes ago I wasn’t at all sure I was going to win.”

"You may not have seen the last of Buddy Johnson," said the current office holder.

My hunch is seeing Johnson, in the political arena, will be as rare as Elvis sightings.

In related news: Kathy Castor asked Attorney General Michael Mukasey to investigate Johnson's handling of the election.

"The problems I witnessed firsthand and supervisor's inability to count the votes in a timely manner have shaken the public's confidence in fair elections," she wrote.

Even if Johnson won his race, it is hard to envision a scenario that would allow Johnson to keep his job. Johnson could not be found on the night of the election. That doesn't instill confidence.

The End of Lieberman

Senator Joe Lieberman hints he will caucas with the Senate Republicans. Lieberman talks about being against partisanship. Lieberman has freely attacked Democrats since the start of the Iraq war. Lieberman is now paying the price for going against his caucas.

Bolstered by a newly expanded majority, Harry Reid met with Joe Lieberman on Thursday to sketch out the conditions by which the Connecticut independent could continue to caucus with Senate Democrats. But Lieberman did not accept Reid's initial offers, leaving his future in the caucus uncertain, and potentially setting off a campaign to pressure the Democratic steering committee to decide Lieberman's fate.

Reid offered Lieberman a deal to step down as chairman of the homeland security committee but take over the reins of another subcommittee, likely overseeing economic or small business issues officials said.

Lieberman's political instincts have been horrible. He was the only Senate Democrat to be openly friendly to President Bush's Social Security privatization plan. Both parties expected Republicans to lose Senate seats. Lieberman seems surprised that Reid is contemplating removing him from the caucas.

Firedoglake is running a petition asking the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee to remove Lieberman as chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee. Lieberman practiced his own brand of partisanship, at the expense of Katrina victims.

In a statement released by Leslie Phillips who is Senator Joe Lieberman’s chief committee spokeswoman and as reported by Newsweek she stated, “The senator now intends to focus his attention on the future security of the American people and other matters and does not expect to revisit the White House’s role in Katrina,”

Lieberman aligned himself with a highly unpopular President. There is no way he can not escape the political consequences.

Strayed Talk

Yesterday's post wasn't meant to be a downer, but more a tempering of the euphoria.It didn't take long for that whole test if he has a spine thing to start up.

It's a common myth that cartoonists want the idiots in charge so they can have someone providing them with material. The idiots don't need to be in charge. I voted for Obama knowing that even with an Obama Presidency, there will be plenty of Republican ass-clowns, ass-hats, moonbats, wingnuts, and dingbats providing us with comic fodder. So, yes, let's celebrate!

I've compiled a handy list of ways to celebrate Obama's victory.

1. Bake a pie. No, bake 2 pies, and give one to that old man with the McCain sign in his yard a few doors down, the guy that chases leaves on a daily basis with his leaf blower. This will not only help the pie based economy, it will help usher in a Golden Age of Pie-Partisanship. Spread the wealth!

2. While the pie is cooling, do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonite.

3. Eat some pie.

4. Rewrite the song Lonesome Cowboy Burt as Lonesome Plumber Joe. Perform the song in a garage with the garage's owner, Joe. Be sure to include lyrics with Joe The Plumber eloping to Vegas with Ashley Todd.

5. Visit your favorite Progressive Liberal Think Tanks, and say hello.

Just a short list to get you started. I'm all for dancing in the streets, too, just don't go getting carried away thinking Obama's going to feed all the hungry gasoline engines with a bag of fish and a couple of loaves of bread. The "Lower Gas Prices to $2.00 a Gallon Right Before The Election" strategy didn't work out for the McCain cronies, so you can expect gas prices to shoot up fairly quickly.


The "John McCain: Apocalypse Now Redux" T-Shirt can be purchased at The Zencomix Online Market.

political, cartoons,political cartoons, parody, satire, Republicans, GOP, Iraq, War, Theocracy, Bush, Cheney, comics, comic strips, McCain,webcomic,Palin,Sarah Palin

Zencomix

We did good America

Thank You. (Your Prize: the coolest thing I could find)

Each and every one of you. You thinking individuals, with a mind and soul that understands deeper than looks and shallow words, and denies the hatefulness and treachery, deceit and bigotry in the world. Thank You. Thank you to each and everyone one of you that voted with an open heart, using their conscience and sensibilities to guide them and with a wider understanding of who we need to reunify, accomplish and overturn the horridness of these past eight years of shame. Thank You.

Maybe I can actually get a full 8-hours of sleep for the first time in 9 years.

And I'll be there is spirit if not in person at the inaguration of our 44th President of the United States.

President Barack Obama.

I can't quite believe it....

Let's move on to the real work that needs to be done. And, let me know if you need any help. I'm here for you, America.

I love this place.

But, I haven't liked it much for the past 8 years.

Change. It's a good thing.

The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121 AD - 180 AD), Meditations

Our Responsibility As Political Bloggers

"A recent poll by Momentum Analysis has Gus Bilirakis in trouble in his re-election bid in FL-9. Gus only hits 45% in the poll. Newcomer Democratic challenger Bill Mitchell currently sits at 22%, but as the campaign moves forward and his name recognition increases, he’s likely to take a large chunk of the 34% undecided vote. Undecided voters tend to break for the challenger, particularly in a Democratic year such as 2008. Additionally, the undecided voters lean Democratic, 46%-37%."

Kenneth Quinnell, President of the Florida Democratic Party PAC, the Florida Netroots Coalition.

Florida: District 9 results

Bilirakis - 197,025 62%
Mitchell - 113,000 36%

I previous wrote that Quinnell's read of the poll was pure spin. Quinnell is a supporter of Bill Mitchell and a noted FDP activist. I'm a lefty wonk blogger. Quinnell's numbers (and lack of link to the poll) didn't back his argument. The only way Bilirakis was going to lose his seat was to a strong candidate.

I have been wrong. I don't expect Quinnell to be right every time. Human error is a part of blogging in a high-paced information age.

I don't want to see progressive blogs become Democratic Party propaganda. InstaPundit has defended torture and Bush's economic policies. No rationale person takes Glenn Reynolds seriously. I have no problem lefty or conservative bloggers backing candidates or causes. Regardless, if I agree or disagree with their views. Freedom to express our values and beliefs is what makes this country great. We aren't entitled to our own set of facts. It hurts discourse and misinforms the public. Blogs are gaining more political influence. We should use our responsibility wisely.

Correction: Netroots Coalition is a constituency caucus of the Florida Democratic Party. It is not a PAC.

Why Ralph Nader Is An Asshole

Only a huge gaping asshole would imply that Barack Obama an Uncle Tom.

To put it very simply, he is our first African American President; or he will be. And we wish him well. But his choice, basically, is whether he is going to be Uncle Sam for the people of this country, or Uncle Tom for the giant corporations.

Nader has decided to be the cracky racist uncle. Only a self-destructive politician, a racist or huge gaping asshole would speak this way of Barack Obama on the day of the election. Anyone who still thinks that Nader has the judgement or temperment to be president should watch the video.

Shepard Smith: I just wonder in hindsight, if you wished you used a phrase other than Uncle Tom?

Ralph Nader: Not at all.

Shepard Smith is the most rationale anchor on Fox News. He asked Nader if he regretted his statement. Nader stood firmly behind his use of a racist term. A huge gaping asshole.

Bob Novak Vs. Bob Novak

Columnist Bob Novak has jumped the shark with outing Valerie Plame's identity, his profanity-laced walk off on CNN and leaving the scene after hitting a pedestrian. Novak's latest column declares Barack Obama has no mandate. Even with a decisive victory and Democratic majorities.

But Obama's win was nothing like that. He may have opened the door to enactment of the long-deferred liberal agenda, but he neither received a broad mandate from the public nor the needed large congressional majorities.

The Democrats fell several votes short of the 60-vote filibuster-proof Senate that they were seeking and also failed to get rid of a key Senate target: Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Republicans, though discouraged by the election's outcome, believe Obama will be hard-pressed not so much to enact his agenda but to keep his popular majority, which he considers centrist, as he moves to enact ultra-liberal legislation, particularly the demands of organized labor.

Apparently, Novak felt differently about George W. Bush's 2004 51 percent victory. A CNN interview captures Novak's fair and balanced punditry.

Q: Bob Novak, is 51 percent of the vote really a mandate?

NOVAK: Of course it is. It’s a 3.5 million vote margin. But the people who are saying that it isn’t a mandate are the same people who were predicting that John Kerry would win. … So the people who say there’s not a mandate want the president, now that he’s won, to say, Oh, we’re going to accept the liberalism that the — that the voters rejected. But Mark, this is a conservative country, and it showed it on last Tuesday.

This classic Daily Show video captures the true greatness of Robert Novak.

Flashback

On September 8, I wrote the post "Obama Will Lose." I had the foolish idea that I knew better than Obama on how to run his campaign. I disagreed with the Biden pick and was frustrated with Obama's response to Sarah Palin's attacks.

Money quote:

Obama is going to lose this election. He has gotten too cocky and is a horrible finisher. There is a reason he lost 9 of the 16 last states to Hillary Clinton. Change only happens if you can govern. Obama believes change is being the nicest campaigner. Naivete is not a campaign strategy.

I have never been happier about being wrong.

The Map of Change

Meet the new Florida. Blue looks good on her.

Feminist Town Forum

Via Jill: The Feminist Town Forum is today.

A Feminist Town Forum
Wednesday, November 5 @ 7:00PM

Lesley University Ampitheater, 1815 Mass. Ave., Cambridge

PARTICIPATE IN PERSON: Lesley University Ampitheater, 1815 Mass. Ave., Cambridge

PARTICIPATE ONLINE IN REAL TIME: Participate by logging on 11/5 at 7PM EST to any of our participating blogs, including Feministe, Feministing, Girl with Pen, CrossLeft, WIMN’s Voices, No Cookies for Me, Viva La Feminista, Writes Like She Talks, Heartfeldt Politics, TakePart, The Sanctuary, The Real Deal, or at our mogulus channel.

It’s been a long election season, and now it’s time to come together to figure out what it all means and what’s next.

At this culmination of our This Is What Women Want election project, join us, our panel of national leaders, and feminists around the country to discuss what happened on Election Day, and what we should be thinking about and doing now to fight for equality and justice for all.

This is a first of its kind event convening feminists from around the country live via the blogosphere! Watch live, converse with other audience members around the country and submit your comments and questions in real time.

Panelists will include:

BYLLYE AVERY
Founder of the National Black Women’s Health Project and MacArthur Genius Award Recipient

MICHELLE GOLDBERG
Journalist and author of Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism

ANNE ELIZABETH MOORE
Critic, activist, artist, journalist and author

PAULA RAYMAN
Founding Director of the Radcliffe Public Policy Center

LORETTA ROSS
National Coordinator, SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective

ANDREA BATISTA SCHLESINGER
Executive Director, Drum Major Institute for Public Policy

Come optimistic, disgruntled, angry, or just exhausted. Come in person or online. But come. We need to hear every voice and idea!

Hit the link to get an RSVP for the event.

Where's Dick Cheney?

I don't mean to rain on anybody's parade, but let's face an ugly political reality. The Secret Cabal's Secret Cabal ( Illuminati, Shadow Government, call it what you will) doesn't just roll over or disappear with the election of Obama. No, what you'll see is what Joe Biden was talking about a few weeks ago. Someone will "generate a crisis/Obama will have steel in his spine".

A test. Is Obama going to play ball, or is he going to fart rainbows while dancing 'round the May Pole? If he plays ball, and he's given all indications he will, he gets to keep presidentin'. And if he's farting rainbows...well, they know where he lives, and they know where his kids go to school.

So, it's not if, it's when. Do the Cheneys in our government jerk off their Iran War Boners now, or do they wait until Obama is inaugurated before whipping out their inflatable Gulf of Tonkin dolls?




The "John McCain: Apocalypse Now Redux" T-Shirt can be purchased at The Zencomix Online Market.

political, cartoons,political cartoons, parody, satire, Republicans, GOP, Iraq, War, Theocracy, Bush, Cheney, comics, comic strips, McCain,webcomic,Palin,Sarah Palin

Zencomix

President Barack Obama

Fox News has declared Barack Obama the winner.

Obama Wins Iowa

Obama wins another battleground state.

Barack Obama has now added Iowa's seven electoral votes to his total, as he builds on his commanding lead over John McCain.

Obama now has 202 electoral votes out of the 270 he needs for the nomination

Obama Wins Colorado

Another victory for Barack Obama in Colorado. Democrat Mark Udall is Colorado's new U.S. Senator.

Progressives will dance in the streets, if Betsy Markey defeats Marilyn Musgrave.

Betsy Markey has a substantial early lead over incumbent Marilyn Musgrave as she attempts to become the first Democrat in two generations to represent Northern Colorado in Congress.

The Democratic challenger built up a huge advantage in early and absentee returns in Larimer and Boulder counties.

Those are counties Musgrave lost in her 2006 re-election bid, but the incumbent is performing even more poorly in early returns today than she did two years ago. The 4th Congressional District's other population center, Weld County, historically has supported Musgrave but hasn't yet reported any results.

This is turning out to be a fun night.

The McCain Campaign Smears On Last Day

McCain economic advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin defends his campaign calling Obama a socialist. Holtz-Eakin then tells Chris Matthews not to believe the exit polls. The same polls showing McCain losing the election. Notice the bottom of the screen shows Obama's lead in college electoral votes. The McCain camp can't stop lying.

Update: Holtz-Eakin is sounding like Baghdad Bob. Spin has taken over reality for these people.

Obama Wins Ohio

So much for Joe the Plumber helping John McCain in Ohio.

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama moved within 70 electoral votes of becoming the first African-American president in history on Tuesday night, winning Ohio, Pennsylvania and several other large Eastern and Midwestern states, according to projections by NBC News.

Obama won his home state, Illinois. Republican Sen. John McCain was in a close fight in his home state, Arizona, in a race that NBC News said was too close to call.

Arizona should be an easy win for McCain.

Kevin Beckner Leading Brian Blair

Creative Loafing Wayne Garcia on his Twiiter feed "Kevin Beckner ahead by 12,000 votes over Brian Blair with 30 percent counted." It appears Beckner will will the new Hillsborough County Commissioner. This is is victory for tolerance, smart growth and environmentalism. This is a defeat for former professional wrestlers that wish to get into politics.

MSNBC Calls Pennsylvania For Obama

Barack Obama is the winner of Pennsylvania.

Electoral Votes

Obama - 103

McCain - 58

Yes They Can

I just thought I give a shout out to Sine.Qua.Non and Litbrit. These ladies have been spending their free time working the phones for the Obama campaign. These women are politically astute and dedicated.

McCain female supporters have to phone their parents on how to vote. One of the women told Creative Loafing's Franki Weddington she knows that McCain and Palin would hurt women's rights. She still was voting for McCain.

To save my voting mates the embarrassment that I hope they will someday experience for their insane “Decision ‘08″ I will call them Girl 1 and Girl 2. Girl 1 told us that her roommate tried to convince her to vote Obama, asking why she would vote for a candidate who wouldn’t help her in any way.

“That’s just great,” Girl 1 said. “If we all voted for the candidate who would benefit us personally, we would be screwed. We have to vote for who is best for the country as a whole.”

Oh, really? A McCain supporter is making the argument that he’s the best candidate for the country as a whole, and not just for a small fraction of American citizens? That’s rich. But it got better (and by better I mean much, much worse) when Girl 2 decided to share her political beliefs. Which exactly mirror the beliefs of her parents.

She said that she joked that she would be voting for Obama, to which her loving mother replied that she wouldn’t “if you want a place to come home to.” I had the pleasure of hearing Girl 2’s phone conversation with her mother, whom she called to ask how she voted on the amendments (so that she could be sure to vote the same way.) MOG2 (Mother of Girl 2) had apparently misunderstood the language in several of them and voted incorrectly.

Voting for the candidate that won't help you hasn't worked too well for the Log Cabin Republicans.

Quote of the Day

"McCain = Change from Bush. Obama = Change from 232 years of American history, prosperity, and capitalism."

Patrick Ruffini, political activist and conservative blogger.

I'm real cynical about a former Bush campaign staffer talking about change. Tas is more blunt in his assessment of Ruffini.

College Electoral Breakdown.

CNN reports college electoral votes favor Barack Obama 77 to John McCain's 34.

Vermont and Kentucky

CNN calls Vermont for Barack Obama and Kentucky for John McCain.

Electoral Votes

McCain - 8

Obama - 3

The 21 Century Candidate

E.J. Dionne's column is a must-read. He summarizes how Obama ran a brilliant campaign.

Obama understood better than any other Democrat that a vast new progressive movement, called into being by antipathy toward Bush and outrage over the Iraq war, was waiting for leadership. Yet Obama knew that the often-irate legions of the blogosphere needed to be fused with a soft-spoken center weary of partisanship and division. It was another unlikely marriage that Obama sanctified.

All this created Obama's opportunity. But every campaign offers make-or-break tests, and the key moment this time came on Sept. 24, the day McCain suspended his campaign and proposed postponing the first presidential debate so the candidates could devote themselves to work on the financial bailout.

Obama quickly rejected McCain's suggestion, McCain backed down and Obama established himself as a leader. When the debate took place two days later, Obama's calm, deliberate performance confirmed his leadership skills for millions in the ranks of the uncertain.

Howard Dean had the savvy to make the netroots into a political force. (Jerome Armstrong of MyDD invented the term.) Dean could race money and communicate online. He lacked Obama's immense speaking and people skills.

Obama was the candidate of change that didn't change campaign tactics. Obama's self-discipline did not allow him to be flustered by the news cycle or change his message. When faced with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright controversy, Obama addressed the sensitive subject of race. and never attempted to deny being a member of Wright's church. Obama was able the weather the storm by directly facing it. John McCain has spent his campaign denying previos statements and stances on issues. There was a candidate that didn't blink and it wasn't John McCain.

The Obama campaign successfully used grassroots organization, netroots, the Democratic Party establishment and advertising to make a successful campaign. Their blog outreach was weak. The Obama campaign believed that the progressive bloggers would surport Obama the nominee. They were correct.

Florida RNC Robocall

Talking Points Memo reports the Republican National Committee is responsible for today's anti-Obama robocall. The robocall made the claim Fidel Castro wanted Barack Obama to win. The fearmongering never ends.

Side note: who gives a shit who Castro wants to win. Americans selects their leaders. Not a third world distator. The RNC has much to answer for with their bogus claims that Obama is a socialist/communist nonsense.

Is Sarah Palin Popular?

"The Reformers who seem to want to destroy Sarah Palin are picking an incredibly self-destructive fight for the simple reason that, as a political matter, Palin is popular and they aren't (How many divisions does David Brooks have?). Rather, they should be fighting to win Palin and Palin supporters to their cause."

Jonah Goldberg

Fellow National Review contributors Kathleen Parker and Christopher Buckley found the Palin pick unacceptable. Parker wrote, "If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself."

As for Goldberg's claim of Palin's popularity, a recent NBC News/">Wall Street Journal poll tells a different story.

Believe Palin is qualified? 55% no, 40% yes

Palin favorables: 38% positive, 47% negative.

Goldberg reads news reports and polls every day. He still refuses to believe that Palin is unpopular. The Goldberg conservatives are the reasons the GOP is in trouble.

Where It Began

Barack Obama announced his presidential candidacy in Springfield, Illinois on February 10, 2007.

Hat tip to Melissa McEwan.

New Voters Supporting Barack Obama

CNN reports that 72 percent of new voters are voting for Barack Obama.

Charlie Crist's Excellent Voting Adventure

Florida's Fearless Leader had trouble finding his voting precinct and publicly stated voting for the anti-gay marriage Amendment 2. It takes true courage to vote against the rights of a minority group that doesn't vote Republican. Governor, we salute you.

Another Buddy Johnson Screw Up

Photo by the Miami Herald

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink put her foot down and got Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson to deliver more voting booths to the USF voting precinct.

"He said he's going to send more booths out there,'' Sink said after her phone call with Johnson. "But he said there's a space issue" and the university is going to have to expand the amount of space being used for student voting. Sink, a Democrat who has spent Tuesday working with the Obama campaign, said the Obama campaign will work with university officials to get the issue addressed quickly.

Student were waiting inline 2 to 3 hours to vote. That is inexcusable. Voters, please vote for Phyllis Busansky and Buddy Johnson packing.

The Healthcare Vote

Healthcare is an issue that made staunch Christian conservative Republican Lauren Miller vote for Barack Obama.

"I said, 'Lord, I'm not hearing you right. I just know you're not telling me to vote for a Democrat,'" she said.

The tipping point? This morning, before going to the polls, she went to her doctor's office for an annual checkup -- and discovered that her health insurance wouldn't cover the visit. That made her furious. Her father was a doctor. Both parents were Republican. But she pays nearly $400 a month in premiums and sees little return.

Miller went to her doctor today. She found out her health insurance wouldn't cover her yearly checkup. Miller had enough and voted for Obama.

"When that thing happened at the doctor's office," she said, "it was like a sign from the Lord. He said, 'Did you hear that one, Lauren? Did you hear me that time?'"

Conpassionate conservatism doesn't care about healthcare. We will finally get real healthcare reform when people catch on.

The Magic Bus

We haven't seen the worst of George W. Bush!


The "John McCain: Apocalypse Now Redux" T-Shirt can be purchased at The Zencomix Online Market.

political, cartoons,political cartoons, parody, satire, Republicans, GOP, Iraq, War, Theocracy, Bush, Cheney, comics, comic strips, McCain,webcomic,Palin,Sarah Palin

Zencomix