Barak Obama TV

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Political Bumper Stickers for the Internet

Download to your own computer by right-clicking and saving the image. You can use these in your own blogs or emails or website or forums or anywhere else that strikes your fancy. Please, NO DIRECT LINKING TO THE IMAGES HERE. Thanks. Enjoy!

Can We Impeach Him Now? PLEASE?

There is no doubt. The American people have known it for a long time. We are spending American blood in Iraq for George Bush's lie. We have spent billions on useless empire-building to fulfill the neocons' wet dreams.

Can the criminals who hijacked our country finally be brought to justice?

Study: False statements preceded war

WASHINGTON - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."

The study was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel did not comment on the merits of the study Tuesday night but reiterated the administration's position that the world community viewed Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, as a threat.

...The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain them or had links to al-Qaida or both.

THE COMPLETE ARTICLE

You Got to Love This Debate Moment

GO HERE to relive the magic moment when Hillary and Barak were zapping each other (although, I do believe Barak had the best "zap" -- heh heh, Hillary, so you were a corporate lawyer on the Board at Walmart?)

Supreme Court denies Kucinich bid

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Texas to print presidential primary ballots without Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich's name.

The court refused to step into a dispute between Kucinich and the Texas Democratic Party over a loyalty oath all candidates must sign to make the ballot.

Kucinich and singer-supporter Willie Nelson objected to the party oath that a presidential candidate must "fully support" the party's eventual nominee. Kucinich crossed out the oath when he filed for a spot on the primary ballot.

MORE...

I'm with Kucinich on this one. Why should he have to abdicate his thoughts, his personal beliefs, his convictions on what's good for the future of this country to some "higher authority" when that authority is merely a political party bent on self interest?

Of course, Mr. Kucinich could start a write-in campaign (if that's even possible for this State's primary).

This is just another example of why I am an independent and why I don't much care for any of the major political parties.

Fight the Lies, Part Deux

As a follow-up to my post below, "Fight the Lies..."

Obama takes on question of faith

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Barack Obama is stepping up his effort to correct the misconception that he's a Muslim now that the presidential campaign has hit the Bible Belt.

...Obama tried to set the record straight from an attack circulating widely on the Internet that is designed to play into prejudices against Muslims and fears of terrorism.

"I've been to the same church — the same Christian church — for almost 20 years," Obama said, stressing the word Christian and drawing cheers from the faithful in reply. "I was sworn in with my hand on the family Bible. Whenever I'm in the United States Senate, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. So if you get some silly e-mail ... send it back to whoever sent it and tell them this is all crazy. Educate."

Obama is referring to a debunked chain e-mail circulating widely on the Internet that suggests he is hiding his Islamic roots and may be a terrorist in disguise. It says he was sworn into the Senate on the Quran and turns his back on the flag during the pledge.

There are some truths in the e-mail's details. Obama's middle name is Hussein. His father and stepfather were Muslim. And he spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, a largely Muslim country. But he attended secular and Catholic schools, not a radical madrassa.

His campaign has been pushing back against the false rumors all year. His aides decried an incorrect news report that Obama was educated in a Muslim madrassa and a section of his Web site is devoted to correct that and other false rumors circulating on the Internet.

But they are stepping up the effort now that the campaign has hit South Carolina and soon turns to other southern states where religion is so important to voters. The campaign distributed an open letter from seven Jewish senators this weekend condemning the attacks; aides are planning an event this week to respond directly to the e-mails; and campaign representatives blanketed South Carolina churches Sunday with literature that touted Obama's Christian faith.

MORE...

The campaign of lies against Barak Obama reveals the desperation and fear felt by his opponents. To have to resort to such ridiculous lies... have they nothing of substance of their own? Nothing to recommend themselves? No truth of their own to say, "Here, this is why you should vote our way..."

The Great Republican Screw-Up in California

Has the Republican Party really, truly been 100% infested by morons? Who thought this was a great idea? I used to think that the Bush Cabal had merely strong-armed itself into power but this sounds like the party as a whole has gone over to the Stupid Side (possibly even worse than the Dark Side, because at least then there'd be some intelligence at work even if for evil purpose).

I also used to think of the Democrats as the political party bent on self-destruction but now it seems the Republican Party has overtaken them in that particular race, too.

This will no doubt delight many Democrats but it really is not a good thing for America. I truly believe the bulk of the regular folks who are registered Republicans are basically the same as the bulk of the just plain folks who are registered Democrats. Families, working people, individuals trying to keep one foot in front of the other, trying to muddle through Life with some little measure of security and comfort.

Some folks think being a Republican is the surest way to arrive at their destination while others think being a Democrat is the way.

It's only because I think leadership in both parties is so mired in the doo-doo that they no longer hear the voices of the people (like me) that I no longer feel any loyalty to any political party. They're all full of shit.

But, when it comes to elections, it's independents like me that need convincing that one candidate or another, one political party or another, is the right choice for this country.

You see, it's precisely because I love my country that I'm an independent. Being independent doesn't always have to mean every act, every thought, every vote is a protest against one party or another.

And now, the Republicans have declared they don't want me. They don't need me. The vote of independents is of no consequence to the Republican Party. At all.

Okey-doke. If that's how they really want it...

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:

Shut out by GOP, independents may tilt Democratic

SAN MATEO -- -- Medea Bern, once a registered Republican, is one of a growing number of California voters who shun party membership and declare themselves independent. In the upcoming presidential election, that makes her the kind of voter all the candidates would like to reach.

But when it comes to California's Feb. 5 primary, there is only one major party where she's welcome: the Democratic Party. She isn't allowed to cast her ballot in the Republican primary, and that upsets her.

She might be inclined to vote for Republican Sen. John McCain, but instead finds herself weighing a choice between Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"It really makes me mad," she said. "I haven't decided which candidate to vote for, but I'm not happy that my voice is eliminated on the Republican side. Don't they trust the independent vote?"

Unlike the New Hampshire primary, where huge numbers of independents were embraced by both parties, California's independents will be limited to the Democratic or American Independent Party primaries.Some political analysts -- including some Republicans -- say the California Republican Party blundered when it decided last year that only registered Republicans could vote in its presidential primary, unlike 2004.

"It's pretty hard to build a big tent if you don't let anybody else in," said Dan Schnur, a veteran Republican political consultant. "It doesn't make sense for a party that wants to and needs to broaden its base to throw this kind of obstacle in the path of an independent voter who wants to hang out with us."

Not surprisingly, the Democratic Party is delighted at the prospect of attracting hundreds of thousands of independents to vote for one of its candidates next month. Democratic strategists believe that an independent who votes Democratic in February is likely to vote for a Democratic candidate in November too.

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

Say, what??? BOTH Hillary and Barak won in Nevada?

So Hillary "won" the Nevada primary? But, she got only 12 delegates to Barak winning 13. Huh? So how does that make her the winner?

READ MORE HERE

Giuliani Loses Lead In New York

This is, obviously, not a good sign for the Rudy Giuliani campaign. A poll set to be released next week will have the former New York City mayor trailing Sen. John McCain in his home state.

New York Post writer Fred Dricker announced on Tim Russert's show this Saturday morning:

"Tim, you'll find this interesting. One poll that's going to come out here next week, I'm sworn to secrecy on some of the details, but not on this part -- it is going to show John McCain overtaking Rudy Giuliani in his home state, I am told. That would be extraordinary."

LINK

Yes, indeed. I guess Rudy shouldn't have filled in all those potholes with firemen remains. His campaign was tanking, anyway, but this about flushes it down the toilet.

[How humiliating... for him to be beaten in his home State and by the candidate that was supposedly dead in the water.]

Fight the Lies

I was discussing on political messageboards this lame-o attempt at smearboating Barak Obama a very, very long time ago. I thought this had been thoroughly debunked... a very, very long time ago.

Apparently not. Perhaps the smear is being resurrected in time for that superbad Tuesday primary.

The problem for Mr. Obama's campaign is this go-round is not being openly touted as the rabid extreme right-wing cause du jour but instead is snaking its way through "decent Christian America" -- by email and through prayer forums and at church meetings.

The underlying message is that if you are a Christian, you must do your Christian duty to turn back the Moslem hordes from taking over our Christian nation's halls of leadership. And that means voting against Barak Obama.

As we saw with the Smearboat liars vs. John Kerry, even if you go to the source and discover the actual truth, if it does not suit your agenda, a lie may be substituted in place of reality. I don't think I probably would have voted for Kerry, anyway (yes, he does look like Herman Munster but that's not why I wouldn't have voted for him). But, the lies and disgraceful way the Smearboat liars attacked the patriotism and sacrifices made of all who were actually on those boats with Kerry was one of the most "bottom-feeding moments" in American politics.

Until now.

Now the same old long-stale debunked bullsh*t about Barak Obama having attended a madrassah school and being a secret Moslem and part of a wahhabist Moslem conspiracy to take over America is raising a fresh stench among apparently unsuspecting victims.

They are unsuspecting because it is being fed to them through genuinely decent channels. Why would they NOT trust it?

And that's what should have Barak Obama and his campaign people worried. These are the decent family-values folks now who are being thinned out of the Obama ranks because they are being fed this diet of lies from sources they trust.

And how do I know about this quiet resurrection of the same old lies? Because one of my dearest friends, as honest and true as a human can be, forwarded the old fake email from the fake Yalie telling the same old fake crap that was exposed as lies so very long ago.

She is "concerned." And she is decent. She is NOT a liar and not one to engage in smearing innocent people. And she forwarded that email to me.

Like me, she is also disgusted with the Washington "establishment." And we were both despairing, hoping that somebody decent would show up in the political game who would represent our basic values. I believe, so far, Barak Obama is the closest match and I am an Independent and quite party-neutral.

My friend has now crossed Barak Obama off her list. And she's not a stupid person.

How many more will fall victim to the lies and will America endure even more years of nightmare because of a smear?

How do you put a lie to rest? The answer is, you can't. You can confront it, however. You must confront it. At every opportunity.

If you see a lie headed your way, don't be complacent. Confront. Confront. Confront. What America is going to be for future generations must be protected from the liars.

You're the soldiers, America. Fight the lies.

RESOURCES FOR THIS POST:

I won't reprint my friend's email because that would be a violation of her privacy, but you can read the lying lies put forth by the non-existent Yale staffer here (source: The Yale Daily News - apparently, they do not appreciate someone pretending to represent any official position from Yale in order to spread the cow manure). Do note their link to the Snopes.com page debunking the fake missive.

I urge you to also have a look here at one blogger's response to this same smear.

Has the CIA been spying on you?

Under the FOIA and/or the Privacy Act, you might be able to find out. If you are interested in requesting to see copies of what records the CIA may have on you, go to this webpage for some helpful hints on how to obtain that information.

The webpage also details what information may NOT be shared with you. Some of that is interesting and makes me wonder how the Bush bots in his administration squared what the law demands with their own actions. Oh, that's right. One of them ended up a convicted felon.

From the CIA:

Personal Information Which Must Be Denied by Law
Unless "officially" acknowledged by executive acknowledgment or official release, an intelligence organization like the CIA takes exemptions under the PA to protect sources and methods and national security information by neither confirming nor denying the existence of those records and denying records on, but not limited to, the following:

Privacy information on other US citizens unless granted permission by the individual or can prove person is deceased.

CIA operational activities.

Specific confidential or covert relationships.

So let's see, that means our law-abiding President and his bots showed the media, especially the ratfink traitorous Bob Novak who obviously did an America-hating act by publishing Valerie Plame's name and identifying her as a CIA operative, proof that she'd granted permission for her name to be used in that way or proof that she was deceased... according to the law, the Bushbots - namely Cheney, Rove and Libby - absolutely would have had to have done that. Oh, that's right. One of them is a convicted felon.

And, of course, no one EVER told the media anything at all about any CIA operations, such as, how did Robert Wilson get sent to Niger.

And all persons in the CIA or elsewhere who ever worked with Valerie Plame were all deceased at the time she was outted so none of them could be harmed after she was outted.

Aw, shucks, I just can't quite twist myself into the Republican pretzel.

Well, maybe such aggregious crimes against the American people and Ms. Plame will eventually be resolved to the satisfaction of the American people. Maybe.

Anyway, thought you might like to look up anything the CIA snooped out on you.

I wonder if they know I once sneaked a look at my Dad's Playboy magazine when I was a little girl?

Again, here's the webpage to those helpful hints on getting that information.

Rep. Doolittle to retire from Congress

Rep. Doolittle to Announce Retirement From Congress Amid Lobbying Scandal Investigation

Republican Rep. John Doolittle of California, who is under investigation in a congressional lobbying scandal, said Thursday that he'll retire from Congress at the end of his current term.

...The development comes as Doolittle, in his ninth term, faced growing political pressure from fellow Republicans who considered him a liability because of his involvement, along with his wife, in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling investigation. House Republicans, still smarting from losing control of Congress in 2006, are eager to put that ethics taint behind them and welcomed Doolittle's announcement.

...Doolittle came close to losing re-election in 2006 in one of the most conservative districts in California, and some in his own party believed he couldn't survive this time around.

...Party leaders pointedly declined to encourage Doolittle's re-election plans and his fundraising lagged.

...For months, Doolittle resisted suggestions that he retire, branding his GOP critics "weasels."

...Doolittle will be the latest in a string of House Republicans to announce their retirements, although most don't have his legal problems. Nearly 20 others are headed into voluntary retirement.

...The Abramoff investigation already has led to a dozen convictions, including a guilty plea from now imprisoned former Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio.

MORE...

PRIORITIES: How would you spend $150,000?

Ron Paul not so crushed in Iowa?

This blog entry titled, "Ron Paul Crushed in Iowa," makes one point but the comments section has a few interesting points of its own. First, the main point ofthe original blog entry:

No surprise, of course, but some vindication for our own Michael Learmonth, who caught hell's full fury earlier for observing the obvious--that Iowa would be the beginning of the end for the president of the web.

And some of the comments:

"Crushed? Double Digits is alot better than anyone expected him to do just a few weeks ago. What about Rudy, is his campaign over now?"

"...he more than exceeded my limited expectations..."

"...it was almost a three way tie for 3rd."

"Wyoming on 01/05/2008 may be a good showing for Rep. Ron Paul (although probably little media coverage). New Hampshire, with it's libertarian leanings, may be really big for Paul. Also, I suspect that Nevada on the 19th will be good for Paul especially if N.H. is big on the 8th."

"...Lastly, Paul's fund raising has been increasing at an exponential rate and far surpasses Huckabee."

"10 percent is not crushed. 10 percent with no mainstream media coverage is impressive."

And so on. Some of the commenters seemed a bit "testy" or upset at the notion that Ron Paul should be portrayed as any sort of loser.

Yes, if 10% of the judges at a beauty pageant said I was drop-dead gorgeous, that still wouldn't get me the Miss America crown. I'd be merely dropped dead from shock, lol.

A three-way tie for third place is still third place. It ain't winnin.'

Huckabee gaffes tarnish credibility

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Republican Mike Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses by campaigning as an honest conservative, yet he has made a series of blunders that raise questions about his credibility.

..."He's not plastic," said GOP strategist Greg Mueller. "He speaks American, not Washingtonian. The way he communicates is coming off as a person who understands and can connect with middle America."

...For all his directness, Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, sent a series of conflicting messages in the days before the caucuses:

_He decided not to air a commercial attacking Romney but played it for journalists, anyway.
_He said he supports the Hollywood writers' strike but crossed the picket line to appear on the Jay Leno's "Tonight" show.
_He campaigned at a casino in Burlington, Iowa, despite his opposition to gambling.

Even his senior aides have had trouble keeping their story straight.

LINK TO ARTICLE

O'Reilly Bashes (Yes, Physically) an Obama Staffer

Fox's O'Reilly gets pushy at Obama event

The above linked story goes into detail of how O'Reilly, the Faux News blowhard, showed up at a Barak Obama event and muscled his way around the Secret Service security barricade to get at Senator Obama and when he was stopped by one of the Senator's staffers, he physically assaulted the staffer.

O'Reilly is damn lucky he didn't get wrestled to the ground or pepper-sprayed or handcuffed. What an ass.

From the article:

..."Then he grabbed me with both of his arms and tried to push me out of the way," Nicholson said after the campaign agreed to make him available to reporters.

...The scene was hard to miss. O'Reilly is about 6-feet-5-inches tall. Nicholson is 6-feet-8-inches tall.

"I told him, 'Sir, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't shove me anymore.'
"He called me 'low class.' He was pretty upset."

Secret Service agents assigned to protect Obama ordered O'Reilly back behind the barricade.

..."I've never seen a member of the press lay hands on a staffer before," he said.

Obama, Huckabee sweep to Iowa victories

DES MOINES, Iowa - Sen. Barack Obama swept to victory in the Iowa caucuses Thursday night, pushing Hillary Rodham Clinton to third place and taking a major stride in a historic bid to become the nation's first black president. Mike Huckabee rode a wave of support from evangelical Christians to win the opening round among Republicans in the 2008 campaign for the White House.

Obama, 46 and a first-term senator from Illinois, told a raucous victory rally his triumph showed that in "big cities and small towns, you came together to say, 'We are one nation, we are one people and our time for change has come.'"

Nearly complete returns showed the first-term lawmaker gaining 37 percent support from Iowa Democrats. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina appeared headed for second place, relegating Clinton, the former first lady, to a close third.

MORE HERE...

What ALL other candidates of any party need to address now is the magnetic attraction Barak Obama has with the American people and the REASONS FOR IT. Here's a hint: People regard Mr. Obama as a family man who speaks for REAL family values -- not the kind of "family" values that the Republicans push that entails sex scandals and blatant corruption and a crazy man who wants to be Emperor of the World occupying the Oval Office -- and not the slick political machine that is the now stopped-dead-in-its-tracks Clinton "juggernaut."

The just plain folks of America, especially those of independent mind, those who cherish real family values are sick unto death of the stinking pile of shit that our government has become.

Americans are going to vote for the candidate they believe actually cares about their family and the struggles that most working families must face on a daily basis.

Oh, the reality may very well be that Barak Obama is as heartless as the rest of them but that's not what he represents. And people will vote for the representation.

TPM´s Great List of Scandalized Administration Officials

They've updated. So, folks, if you choose to vote Republican, this is the style of governing you will be voting for as represented by the character and the actions of the following individuals...

FROM TPM:
Since a complete catalog of administration officials who've been accused of some form of corruption or abuse of power would be endless, we tried to maintain a high standard for inclusion. Most of those below were the subjects of criminal probes, but we also included officials who were credibly accused of acts that, if not criminal, were a corruption of office (like the U.S. attorney scandal). And even then, such officials were only included if their accusers had them dead to rights (which is why Karl Rove didn't make the cut). We also limited ourselves to officials who were either political appointees or whose actions were so political that they were effectively political appointees (like John Tanner).

SEE THE LIST

Dropping Fast In Polls, Rudy Unveils New Campaign Tack: Call For More War

With his candidacy cratering in multiple polls, Rudy Giuliani has hit on a new campaign strategy designed to turn things around: He's calling for more war on multiple fronts.

READ THE ARTICLE

Are Candidates Telling LIES? Eek. Who'da thunk it?

FROM POLITIFACT...

Fast and furious finish
With just two days until the Iowa caucuses, the candidates are unleashing a flurry of charges -- and making a few slip-ups. We find that Biden is overstating his role on Bosnia, that Romney never got an NRA endorsement and that Obama is wrong about gas prices. >>more

More from PolitiFact:
Pardon me: Huckabee vs. Romney: The two former governors have been criticizing each other about pardons. We find their claims are accurate and reveal starkly different approaches on clemency.

He didn’t stand in the way, but he didn’t always lead: The former Arkansas governor says he had the “most impressive” education record among the GOP pack. But open-ended superlatives are tough to prove, especially when you’ve got critics.

New Video of Bhutto's Assassination Raises Questions

Do see the video for yourself here at this webpage. Do see the assassins. Do hear the gunshots fired. Do see Benazir Bhutto's head scarf go flying. Do see her fall back inside her bomb-proof vehicle BEFORE the explosion of the suicide bomber. None of the other persons inside that vehicle were killed.

And the official Pakistani version of events says there were no bullet wounds on Benazir Bhutto. The official government version says that Benazir Bhutto was "accidentally" killed when she hit her head on the sunroof of her vehicle.

Video proof and eyewitness accounts show otherwise. It is obvious the Pakistani government is lying.

WHY?

See the article and the video

And this: Meanwhile, The Chicago Tribune had a good rundown yesterday on the government's "bizarre" inquiry into Bhutto's assassination. Beyond the now-infamous decision not to perform an autopsy, there was the decision to cordon off the crime scene and wash it down with fire hoses afterward. [item found on TPM Muckraker]

Who Can Win in November? A guide to 'electability,' as the voting draws nigh

Even at this late date, more than half of all voters in Iowa and New Hampshire say they have not made up their minds for sure. Many are still deciding which candidate they think would make the best president. But thousands of others are wrestling with a more cold-blooded question: who can win in November?

Most early head-to-head polls show John McCain and Barack Obama as the strongest candidates in a general election, a reflection of their slight edge over their primary opponents among independents, who make up at least a third of the electorate and often determine the outcome.

But "electability voters" need more than polls. With the stipulation that 10 months is an eon in politics, let's make some educated guesses about the pros and cons of how each of the plausible candidates would do in the Big Show.

READ THE ARTICLE

I probably won't have my mind made up with 100% certainty until the moment I mark my ballot but in all likelihood, I think I would prefer to vote for Barak Obama even though I do not believe he can win a general election. I don't think the scum of society with all its racist blatherings (which you can find in plentiful supply on many right-wing messageboards) is enough to keep Barak Obama from winning. I do believe a general lack of confidence in his ability to lead just because he doesn't have much of a track record in national leadership will keep him from winning an election.

Hillary is fifty-fifty. I think she is the best qualified in terms of national and world experience for the job but she has a lot of negatives. If she was the only name on the ballot, I think there would still be a significant portion of the voting public who would come out to vote against her if that was an option on a Hillary-only ballot.

I can't think of a single Republican candidate that I would consider voting for. I think I am most closely aligned, politically speaking, with the candidacy of Rudy Guiliani but I think his past numerous ethical challenges are good reasons to be concerned. I don't think I can vote for him. Pity.

Even with all the rats scurrying to desert the sinking Bush ship, I do believe he is going to drag the entire Republican Party down with him. The Republicans have not seen an election disaster like this looming since the Watergate era.

It's all up to the Democrats now. Will they follow their own usual course and shoot themselves in the foot, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory? Really, '08 is the Democrats' election to lose.

Sources: Bhutto was to give U.S. lawmakers vote-rigging report

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- On the day she died, Benazir Bhutto planned to hand over to visiting U.S. lawmakers a report accusing Pakistan's intelligence services of a plot to rig parliamentary elections, sources close to the slain former Pakistani prime minister told CNN Tuesday.

Bhutto was assassinated Thursday, hours before a scheduled meeting with Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania.

A top Bhutto aide who helped write the report showed a copy to CNN.

"Where an opposing candidate is strong in an area, they [supporters of President Pervez Musharraf ] have planned to create a conflict at the polling station, even killing people if necessary, to stop polls at least three to four hours," the document says.

The report also accused the government of planning to tamper with ballots and voter lists, intimidate opposition candidates and misuse U.S.-made equipment to monitor communications of opponents.

"Ninety percent of the equipment that the USA gave the government of Pakistan to fight terrorism is being used to monitor and to keep a check on their political opponents," the report says.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

This could grow into a nasty problem for the United States and President Bush. Musharraf is an "ally" who plays both ends against the middle but he's still our guy in Islamabad. They can't all be our bestest buddies.

However, if evidence mounts that Musharraf was behind Bhutto's assassination, how will that affect Pakistan's instability and its vulnerability to terrorists and how will it ultimately affect its relationship to the United States and the role it plays in helping us as an ally?

If Musharraf gets his ticket punched due to scandal, will the replacement dictator also be our ally?

Ron Paul Doesn’t "Accept" Evolution

This is an interesting opinion put forth on an Alternet blog by Manila Ryce who is (obviously) not a Ron Paul supporter.

This line is kind of funny: "I guess Paul decided to keep Huckabee company amongst the presidential candidates who think the Flintstones was a documentary."

The blogger goes on to mention some of the paradoxes that make up the paradox that is Ron Paul... voting for the border fence while claiming to be a libertarian, for example. I don't really know enough about the Libertarian Party to understand that. I'm pretty sure that Libertarians are against any sane gun laws and they are for the legalization of marijuana but that's really all I know about them.

This one makes a little more sense: the paradox of voting against the impeachment of Dick Cheney while claiming to love the Constitution. Dick Cheney is only Public Enemy Against the American People Number Two by virtue of the fact that he is Vice-President and not sitting in the Number One spot.

I don't understand the blogger here: "He's against the occupation of Iraq, yet claims to be from Texas." Hello?

The blogger states, "Understanding Paul is like trying to nail jello to a tree..." which is another very clever turn of phrase but couldn't the same be said of almost every politician?

"Despite eyebrow-raising revelations that continue to surface, such as Paul not believing in the separation between church and state or the donations he accepts from white supremacist groups, nothing is stronger than the love a Paul fanboy has for his golden idol." Yes, I have seen this devotion in action. And why does Ron Paul not seem to mind being associated with Nazis?

The blogger finishes by making the point that Ron Paul's background in and avocation for matters scientific seems to be woefully inadequate and the American people ought to consider electing someone with "at least an elementary school understanding of what constitutes scientific fact this time around, and not someone who thinks "both sides" are equally credible [re: evolution]." I agree with that.

We've had enough of morons and I'm not necessarily speaking of intellectual capacity (although, that may play into it). If you don't respect the Constitution, you're a moron. And you shouldn't be President of the United States.

Anyway, here's a link to the blog post.

Looking at America

There are too many moments these days when we cannot recognize our country. Sunday was one of them, as we read the account in The Times of how men in some of the most trusted posts in the nation plotted to cover up the torture of prisoners by Central Intelligence Agency interrogators by destroying videotapes of their sickening behavior. It was impossible to see the founding principles of the greatest democracy in the contempt these men and their bosses showed for the Constitution, the rule of law and human decency.

...This sort of lawless behavior has become standard practice since Sept. 11, 2001.

...Out of panic and ideology, President Bush squandered America’s position of moral and political leadership, swept aside international institutions and treaties, sullied America’s global image, and trampled on the constitutional pillars that have supported our democracy through the most terrifying and challenging times. These policies have fed the world’s anger and alienation and have not made any of us safer.

...We can only hope that this time, unlike 2004, American voters will have the wisdom to grant the awesome powers of the presidency to someone who has the integrity, principle and decency to use them honorably. Then when we look in the mirror as a nation, we will see, once again, the reflection of the United States of America.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

For real Americans, those who actually cherish this nation and those G-d given rights that are our birthright, what's been done to our nation in the name of greed and zealotry is absolutely heartbreaking. We are shattered and it is nearly incomprehensible that an American President could so utterly betray the American people. It is to be hoped that our long national nightmare will begin to be over after this November. It's only the beginning for there is much damage to repair.

If you are an American and you love your country, it is your sacred duty to vote. Please, don't sit this one out and assume your vote doesn't matter. You matter. Your vote matters. America matters.

Is Huckabee his own worst enemy?

Huckabee's latest antic truly belongs in the bizarre column. It was "The Great WTF Moment" of his campaign.

It seems Romney launched an ad campaign that highlighted questionable things that Huckabee had done in his political past. All of the factual data in that ad was correct even if presented as negatives against Huckabee. Pretty much, par for the course in politics.

A source from Huckabee's own campaign said Huckabee went "white-hot" with rage over the political ad. So, Huckabee fired back with his own disturbing and nasty anti-Romney ad.

The problem with Huckabee's ad is that it was not entirely truthful. At least, Romney stuck with the facts. Huckabee, it seems, did not.

Probably, also par for the course in politics but there's just one problem when it comes to Iowans and their elections: they tend to turn against negative campaigners.

Somebody must have whispered same into Huckabee's ear so he thought to launch a preemptive strike against negative campaign ads in general by featuring his own negative campaign ad!

Are you still following this? LOL.

What Huckabee did was to hold a news conference in which he played his negative campaign ad for all the assembled media types stating something along the lines of, this is not the sort of ad he would be using in the media for his campaign.

HUH????

Dude, that's exactly what you just did! Huckabee claims he was using his negative attack ad for demonstration purposes only and not as an actual negative attack.

From the article:

Huckabee showed off the spot to the journalists, knowing full well his negative message would seep out of the room. He told the media to pay close attention.

"You're not going to get a copy of it," he warned, "so this is your chance to see it, then after that you'll never see it again."

The media laughed.

This man is indeed his own worst enemy.

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2008 Political Dashboard

This is a nifty little webpage from Yahoo. Includes "key indicators" on all the major candidates.

GO HAVE A LOOK

Bush signs Sudan divestment bill

Hey! Bush does something right! Give the man credit where credit's due. Well, how many people have died or been raped while waiting for the world to give a shit? Oh well, at least this is a step in the right direction...

CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush signed legislation Monday to allow states and local governments to cut investment ties with Sudan because of the violence in Darfur.

But in doing so, Bush made clear that he will construe the law as he chooses to make sure that lower governments do not try to intrude on the powers of the federal government.

...Bush's administration has for weeks objected to letting state and local governments adopt divestment policies that delve into foreign policy, a traditional federal role.

Nevertheless, Bush signed the bill, which was approved with strong support in Congress.

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Is this like bill signing under duress?

Clinton holds lead as Romney slips in Iowa

Interesting. See post below that proclaims Obama beating Clinton by a handy margin.

link to this article