Sunday, January 27, 2008

Kennedy Comes Around

They're so meaningless, but I just can't help myself.  From ABC News:


ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Senator Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., will endorse Barack Obama's presidential bid on Monday in Washington, a source close to Kennedy tells ABC News.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Please Stop Them!

The Clinton campaign really does seem to have no limit to their shamelessness. Their lust for power is shocking. After 8 years of Bush, it's really hard to feel shocked but somehow this couple manages to do it.

It's been all over the 'sphere that the Clintons have started hinting that they would work to seat the Michigan and Florida delegates at the convention.  Remember, both states were punished by the DNC (and all candidates signed an agreement to abide by the decision) for moving up their respective primary dates.  The punishment was to strip both states of their delegates and the candidates agreed not to campaign in those states.  Well, almost all of the candidates.  Hillary apparently signed the agreement then decided to put her name on the Michigan ballot anyways, guaranteeing her a win there.   Most assumed it was a symbolic victory, although I'm not sure what kind of symbol it sends when you win a state as the only candidate running.  Oh well.  Recent polls also show Clinton ahead in Florida.  


Now that the race has tightened up, the Clintons have decided to renege on their agreement and have called for the delegates to be seated (see their statement here).  The potential for this decision to wreak havoc is limitless and could threaten to rip the party apart.  In essence this would give Hillary 250+ delegates (10% of the total needed to win) and would most likely give her the edge she needs to capture the nomination.  Why could this be so destructive? Well, most things in politics are not based on written rules or laws but based on gentlemen's agreements.  The foundation is thus pretty shaky to begin with and requires only a small amount of cheating to bring the whole mess down.

I have always sympathized with Democratic values (although I've never actually been a registered Dem), but with the ways things are going now I can't see myself supporting a Clinton campaign. At this point, I feel it's a moral imperative that she not be allowed to win an election this way. If that means supporting a Republican candidate then so be it. I would rather hold my nose and vote for a Huckabee or a Romney then give the office to this morally bankrupt, shrill power grabber. 

Damn, this is too good to pass up.

Via Marc Ambinder, I found this absolutely hilarious:


Anti-Steroids Grandstander McCain Endorsed by Convicted HGH User Stallone

best.chili.evah

Tonight was impulsive-cook-a-chili-recipe-off-the-internets night. And mama, it did not disappoint. I found a killer recipe for Cincinnati style chili, the key ingredient of which is cocoa and cinnamon. You says, "Cocoa and cinnamon? Son, is you crazy?"  To which I reply, "Crazy like a fox. crazy like a fox."
Seriously, the mix of chipotle, cocoa, cinnamon, ground turkey and various other spices tickled my palate like you wouldn't believe. The flavors were vaguely reminiscent of mole, which was a hated dish growing up but a rare treat now that I'm oldish.  I daresay from now on I'll be trying cocoa in all of my recipes.

Link to recipe

Ruh-Roh

Classic stuff:



Friday, January 25, 2008

Red State Dems for Obama

Current list is:

  1. Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota
  2. Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota
  3. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri
  4. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska
  5. former senator Gary Hart of Colorado
  6. Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin
  7. Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia
  8. Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona

These are all states that lean or are solidly Republican. It's nice to think that their endorsements are based on the idealistic language of Obama's campaign, but the hard fact of the matter is they are based on the cold realization that a ticket including Hillary Clinton would be fatal to the Democratic party in those states. Hillary's favorable ratings are generally abysmal among the GOP and Independents, so it's not hard to make the logical inference that ALL state races (house, senate, gov, etc.) would be dragged down by Hillary.

Great Interview with Obama

Obama and Race

Yesterday I posted a blog entry on voter suppression and also added a sentence or two on why I thought the Clinton's chose to play the race card, especially puzzling since Bill is generally revered in the black community. The gist of it was that they're attempting to win by provoking a response from Obama, which may trigger a response from the white community via a backlash. They know that their margin of victory could be very slim, and they're attermpting to peel off Obama's white supporters one at a time if needed. The Chicago Daily Observer has a piece today on the exact same topic, saying it much better than I could. The money quotes:

The more the conversation gets to be about race, the better the Clintons think they will do. It’s as simple as that.
They want to nudge—even provoke—Barack Obama into becoming the “black” candidate rather than the healing, unity candidate. They want black supporters to raise their voices on his behalf—preferably the Al Sharpton types who will shrilly cry “racism” and thus exacerbate the divide.

Voter Suppression Fails in Nevada

(cross posted from my blog on the Obama website, hence the reason its out of date).

Via Reuters, it looks like the Clinton push to suppress voter turnout has failed.

At this point, it really feels like Clinton is pushing the race button along with the voter suppression lawsuit in hopes of baiting a response from the various minority groups. This could fuel a backlash amongst white Dem voters. This backlash may give her an overall victory because of the power of the Dem base (a classic Rove tactic), but could really fuel disgust among blacks and possibly Hispanics (although she tends to do very well with the Hispanic population). A pyrrhic victory won in this manner could really impact the general election depending on who the GOP nominee is.

So, yet another reason why we need to reject the restoration of the Clinton family and inject some new blood into Washington. Obama may (or may not) be able to change the political landscape, but to my mind he's the most likely to do something. Electing anyone else will only perpetuate the sickness in our political system.

Rapidly Losing Respect For Bill

Obama: Running against 2 Clintons

Over the last couple of weeks I've really been losing respect for the former President. Here is a man who spent most of his career building up a bridge of support with the black community, to the point where he's almost universally loved. But in the blink of an eye, as soon as his grip on power becomes shaky, he's willing to toss that support out the window. He's willing to alienate and divide a community that he has professed to love, as well as risk his own legacy in the pursuit of elected office. Their lust for power is really pretty breathtaking and shows that behind all of their words of progress and caring, they're really just power-hungry slash and burn petty office seekers.

From The Nation: Slick Willie Rides Again

Hilarious and oh so true.

my favorite part:

The one-two style of Clintons, however, is as informative as low-life street fighters. Mr. Bill punches Obama in the kidney and from the rear. When Obama whirls around to strike back, there stands Mrs. Clinton, looking like a prim Sunday School teacher and citing goody-goody lessons she learned from her 135 years in government.

Or maybe:

The recent roughing-up of Barack Obama was in the trademark style of the Clinton years in the White House. High-minded and self-important on the surface, smarmily duplicitous underneath, meanwhile jabbing hard to the groin area. They are a slippery pair and come as a package.

God I hope the Dem voters in this country can find some sense - and soon.

Back in the saddle again

I'm back. And I'm in full-out Clinton hatin', Hillary Derangement Syndrome mode.