I watched the State of the Union address. I did not mean to but I thought it was the D.C. episode of American Idol.
Nancy looked equal parts vicious and couture and I loved it.
Cheney looked like he was gnawing a hole in his tongue to refrain from shouting, "I'll shoot all you commie healthcare loving bastards!"
And Dubya? Well, I have become quite apt at removing myself from the heinousness of his politics to see him as the gifted politician he is. He has jokes, he works the crowd, he is self-effacing in that alpha dog way that makes it clear he thinks he's more man than you. He kisses the ladies, daps up the pseudo-cool frat boys and signs autographs.
Should he have a legacy it will be that of a master cook-out host - even when the food sucks the folks have a great time.
But on policy he loses me.
If I am clear his goals for the final two years of a lame duck presidency with a Democratic congress he plans to:
* increase spending and troop levels for this war
* create a national guard like civilian support group that is the military but not?
* fund the No Child Left Behind Act
* balance the budget
* save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and
he plans to do all of this without raising taxes!!!!
Holy crap Batman. I had to stop to make sure I hadn't been hitting the bong. Alas, no such luck. I was sober, but I must question if he was.
The deal is he knows he has lost this battle. His own party is increasingly eyeing re-election and jumping ship.
Nancy and Co. smell blood in the water and Hillary has put roots on him.
I cannot help but think that this last stand is all about some super-secret post-presidential career plan. Like, we'll look up one day and he will be the Chief Consultant to Iraqi overseeing oil disbursement at 5 million an hour.
But whatever. He won't be the first.
The real issue is: are the American people tired yet of being sick and tired and gang raped by their elected officials?
Only time -- and a national election -- will tell.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Nerd Boy Love
Have I ever discussed my preference for nerd boys?
Well, one of my favorites is a solid Biden supporter and he has finally put his reasons in writing and I am happy to share them...even if I relish the opportunity to debate him ad nauseum.
Courtesy of Yobachi:
Why Biden in’ 08
First thing, Joseph Biden's resume is impeccable. He has three decades of national government experience. And as a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, and now chairman, has the necessary requisite foreign affairs credentials, not to mention other post including NATO. Now moving on from the tangible credential points that easily qualify him for the job, the reasons I like him and think he would be a damn good choice are as follows:
• He’s sensible and practical. Any time I’ve known him to speak on an issue he has a reasonable solution. For the last 3 years he’s attempted to address the Iraq war problem and advise the president on a way out. Of course unless you watch the Sunday morning talk show circuit like I do you probably never heard any of it He long pushed an idea that I thought was great: pulling Iraqi police and military trainees out of Iraq and taking them to U.S. bases in Germany where they could be properly trained to elevate the problem of trainees being targeted and the ranks being infiltrated; thereby allowing many more soldiers to be trained much faster, and giving us a reasonable chance of controlling the insurgent situation.
The time that that would have worked has largely now passed, but yet he still has a sound, practical plan: http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=264509&&>
• He’s a very thoughtful guy. If you listen to him speak, you’d see he’s well reasoned. Yet, unlike John Kerry, he tends not to bloviate and speak like he’s giving a lecture to Harvard Poli-Sci graduate students.
• He’s a moderate and sensible voice. We have a lot of both left wing and right wing ideologues who are more concerned with forcing their narrow world view on the rest us rather than solving problems for everybody. His positions on the issues that I’ve heard tend to be more broad based in their effect.
Now all the above to is not to say that I think he would be the Messiah President. He is human and he is a politician and I’m sure as the campaign goes he’s going to take a couple of positions I don’t like. Actually, I already know of one I don’t agree with, but even on that one his position is pretty fair.
I will close this post with some words from fellow armature blogger Greg Richey:
I finally figured out why the press is practically ignoring Joe Biden, who declared his candidacy to be President [recently]… the commentators said that Biden talks too much. In other words, he doesn't speak in ready made sound bites for easy consumption. A preference for style over substance.
It's not that he's not smart. To the contrary, he may be too smart. It's not that he's not experienced. He's been in the Senate longer than Senators Clinton, Edwards, and Obama combined. It's not that he doesn't have good ideas or isn't a good leader. He's pointing the way out of Iraq, and will be leading Senate hearings in the next several weeks. He understands that we need a political solution to Iraq, not a military one. He's run for president before. He knows how to campaign, and he knows how to get things done. This is the kind of president we need in the White House.
When I look for who to support for president over the next two years, I'll be looking for two things. First, I'll be looking for a candidate with substance, who I can agree with on most of the issues. Second, I'll be looking for a candidate who can get things done. That means that experience is good, but so is the ability to win.
Well, one of my favorites is a solid Biden supporter and he has finally put his reasons in writing and I am happy to share them...even if I relish the opportunity to debate him ad nauseum.
Courtesy of Yobachi:
Why Biden in’ 08
First thing, Joseph Biden's resume is impeccable. He has three decades of national government experience. And as a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, and now chairman, has the necessary requisite foreign affairs credentials, not to mention other post including NATO. Now moving on from the tangible credential points that easily qualify him for the job, the reasons I like him and think he would be a damn good choice are as follows:
• He’s sensible and practical. Any time I’ve known him to speak on an issue he has a reasonable solution. For the last 3 years he’s attempted to address the Iraq war problem and advise the president on a way out. Of course unless you watch the Sunday morning talk show circuit like I do you probably never heard any of it He long pushed an idea that I thought was great: pulling Iraqi police and military trainees out of Iraq and taking them to U.S. bases in Germany where they could be properly trained to elevate the problem of trainees being targeted and the ranks being infiltrated; thereby allowing many more soldiers to be trained much faster, and giving us a reasonable chance of controlling the insurgent situation.
The time that that would have worked has largely now passed, but yet he still has a sound, practical plan: http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=264509&&>
• He’s a very thoughtful guy. If you listen to him speak, you’d see he’s well reasoned. Yet, unlike John Kerry, he tends not to bloviate and speak like he’s giving a lecture to Harvard Poli-Sci graduate students.
• He’s a moderate and sensible voice. We have a lot of both left wing and right wing ideologues who are more concerned with forcing their narrow world view on the rest us rather than solving problems for everybody. His positions on the issues that I’ve heard tend to be more broad based in their effect.
Now all the above to is not to say that I think he would be the Messiah President. He is human and he is a politician and I’m sure as the campaign goes he’s going to take a couple of positions I don’t like. Actually, I already know of one I don’t agree with, but even on that one his position is pretty fair.
I will close this post with some words from fellow armature blogger Greg Richey:
I finally figured out why the press is practically ignoring Joe Biden, who declared his candidacy to be President [recently]… the commentators said that Biden talks too much. In other words, he doesn't speak in ready made sound bites for easy consumption. A preference for style over substance.
It's not that he's not smart. To the contrary, he may be too smart. It's not that he's not experienced. He's been in the Senate longer than Senators Clinton, Edwards, and Obama combined. It's not that he doesn't have good ideas or isn't a good leader. He's pointing the way out of Iraq, and will be leading Senate hearings in the next several weeks. He understands that we need a political solution to Iraq, not a military one. He's run for president before. He knows how to campaign, and he knows how to get things done. This is the kind of president we need in the White House.
When I look for who to support for president over the next two years, I'll be looking for two things. First, I'll be looking for a candidate with substance, who I can agree with on most of the issues. Second, I'll be looking for a candidate who can get things done. That means that experience is good, but so is the ability to win.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The War and The Race
Alright kiddies. Forgive me my delay in posting, but there have not been many presidential run bombshells and, well, to be honest, I was pretty sick and tired.
But your girl is bouncing back and what is in the news? What is always in the news – war is the topic of the day.
The Democrats have rolled out their ambitious 100 hour plan/manifesto and they are tackling some mighty big issues head on. Chief among them is a national minimum wage hike and capping the cost of prescription drug costs. I am also hearing the faint rumblings of a “national health care” plan. I anticipate being called a socialist commie in about 10, 9, 8…damn. There went Fox News. Yep. It’s official. I’m a socialist commie. Wait until they find out my views on subsidized part-time daycare and extended job protections for maternity/paternity leaves of absence. They’ll think I’m a Nazi.
Again, the real issue is the one that the majority of Americans voted on in this past election – the Iraq war. Or more to the point, how in the hell are we going to get OUT of Iraq without looking like bumbling, incompetent idiots. As usual I hate to be Debby Downer – no, I really do! – but we are a bit too late on both of those objectives. We no longer even have an articulated goal or definition of “success” in Iraq, we are seemingly way more vested in the democracy of the Iraq people than they are themselves, and the rest of the world has already seen the little man behind the curtain. This ain’t purdy folks.
I feel like we are in some clichéd sitcom where the comedy of errors has gone on so long that no one even bothers to ask if the joke is funny anymore.
Well, this joke is no longer funny. The President’s “surge” idea is just another word for “escalation” or “throw more water on that oil fire” or “we have deemed the lives of American soldiers expendable”. Sending MORE troops to achieve an objective that isn’t even an objective with an enemy that cannot be defined or defended against goes beyond foolish at the speed of light and head-first into criminal.
Some pundits speculate that this is all political posturing – America’s last stand before we pull-out. Even that is a fool’s agenda. This is beyond pageantry at this point. If you feel the same way I strongly urge you to contact your senator. Sure, the wartime power we gave Bush after 9/11 makes them about as impotent as Bob Dole after he misses a dose of the little blue pill, but if you are like me, you will at least sleep better at night.
With all of this warring and lawmakering it would be easy to forget that for all practical political purposes the 2008 presidential election is underway. Easy to forget if you do not read People or watch TV that is.
It is official folks: Obama is sexier than John McCain and Edwards doesn’t not hate black people.
In other news, Joe Biden should be announcing any day and the Good Reverend Al Sharpton is considering tossing his Blue Magic into the ring.
When Al Sharpton runs for President he’s not running for President. It means someone has not told him what he wants to hear and he wants a seat at the debate.
Could it be some Dems are already slacking on courting that black vote? It seems Brother Al thinks so.
And I have heard plenty of rumblings about an Edwards-Obama ticket. That rumbling always leaves me vaguely confused. Why in the hot hell would Obama play second to Edwards? The other way around, maybe.
But the ticket dream that keeps me up nights is an Obama-Biden ticket. Yep. I said it. And the order is no mistake. Obama has the “it” factor and should capitalize it to no end, if that is his heart’s desire. However, I do think that Biden’s experience and breadth of foreign policy knowledge could add some gravitas to the unseasoned Senator from Illinois.
Here’s hoping the boys – and Hillary – can stop measuring themselves long enough to do what is best for us all.
But your girl is bouncing back and what is in the news? What is always in the news – war is the topic of the day.
The Democrats have rolled out their ambitious 100 hour plan/manifesto and they are tackling some mighty big issues head on. Chief among them is a national minimum wage hike and capping the cost of prescription drug costs. I am also hearing the faint rumblings of a “national health care” plan. I anticipate being called a socialist commie in about 10, 9, 8…damn. There went Fox News. Yep. It’s official. I’m a socialist commie. Wait until they find out my views on subsidized part-time daycare and extended job protections for maternity/paternity leaves of absence. They’ll think I’m a Nazi.
Again, the real issue is the one that the majority of Americans voted on in this past election – the Iraq war. Or more to the point, how in the hell are we going to get OUT of Iraq without looking like bumbling, incompetent idiots. As usual I hate to be Debby Downer – no, I really do! – but we are a bit too late on both of those objectives. We no longer even have an articulated goal or definition of “success” in Iraq, we are seemingly way more vested in the democracy of the Iraq people than they are themselves, and the rest of the world has already seen the little man behind the curtain. This ain’t purdy folks.
I feel like we are in some clichéd sitcom where the comedy of errors has gone on so long that no one even bothers to ask if the joke is funny anymore.
Well, this joke is no longer funny. The President’s “surge” idea is just another word for “escalation” or “throw more water on that oil fire” or “we have deemed the lives of American soldiers expendable”. Sending MORE troops to achieve an objective that isn’t even an objective with an enemy that cannot be defined or defended against goes beyond foolish at the speed of light and head-first into criminal.
Some pundits speculate that this is all political posturing – America’s last stand before we pull-out. Even that is a fool’s agenda. This is beyond pageantry at this point. If you feel the same way I strongly urge you to contact your senator. Sure, the wartime power we gave Bush after 9/11 makes them about as impotent as Bob Dole after he misses a dose of the little blue pill, but if you are like me, you will at least sleep better at night.
With all of this warring and lawmakering it would be easy to forget that for all practical political purposes the 2008 presidential election is underway. Easy to forget if you do not read People or watch TV that is.
It is official folks: Obama is sexier than John McCain and Edwards doesn’t not hate black people.
In other news, Joe Biden should be announcing any day and the Good Reverend Al Sharpton is considering tossing his Blue Magic into the ring.
When Al Sharpton runs for President he’s not running for President. It means someone has not told him what he wants to hear and he wants a seat at the debate.
Could it be some Dems are already slacking on courting that black vote? It seems Brother Al thinks so.
And I have heard plenty of rumblings about an Edwards-Obama ticket. That rumbling always leaves me vaguely confused. Why in the hot hell would Obama play second to Edwards? The other way around, maybe.
But the ticket dream that keeps me up nights is an Obama-Biden ticket. Yep. I said it. And the order is no mistake. Obama has the “it” factor and should capitalize it to no end, if that is his heart’s desire. However, I do think that Biden’s experience and breadth of foreign policy knowledge could add some gravitas to the unseasoned Senator from Illinois.
Here’s hoping the boys – and Hillary – can stop measuring themselves long enough to do what is best for us all.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Universal Healthcare...again
WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential contender John Edwards says it is more important to invest in universal health care and lifting people out of poverty than to reduce the budget deficit.
The 2004 vice presidential nominee said in an interview broadcast Sunday said "there is a tension" between the two directions, but he has made his choice.
"If I were choosing now between which is more important, I think the investments are more important," he said on ABC's "This Week."
Entire story here.
OK, I'll admit that I can respect Johnny taking a pretty controversial and unequivocal stand -- especially so early in the race. That takes some guts because the Republican election machine may be down, but it is NEVER out. And maybe some folks do not remember the liberal, socialist commie ass whooping they gave Hillary and Bill on this issue 12 years ago.
I am interested to see how Hillary would address this. She has worked too hard to go very centrist and I guarantee she has not forgotten that aforementioned ass whooping. So I imagine she won't be excited to embrace this issue again, but it is a good issue that plays well to her party. It could be one of many important compromises she will have to navigate as she tries to distance herself from her past to reach out to moderates and quasi-Republicans while not losing her base.
So the pretty boy is taking this run seriously. I can applaud that. If nothing else every entry into the race brings a set of issues to the fore that may otherwise be ignored. I believe it is high time we stop allowing the Republican party to reframe the debate on issues as important as health care. A healthy body politic is a healthy country, and wanting to provide for the least of us is no more socialist than the New Deal that gave so many Americans that almighty Social Security benefit they will fight to the death to keep.
But, John still cannot win. LOL
The 2004 vice presidential nominee said in an interview broadcast Sunday said "there is a tension" between the two directions, but he has made his choice.
"If I were choosing now between which is more important, I think the investments are more important," he said on ABC's "This Week."
Entire story here.
OK, I'll admit that I can respect Johnny taking a pretty controversial and unequivocal stand -- especially so early in the race. That takes some guts because the Republican election machine may be down, but it is NEVER out. And maybe some folks do not remember the liberal, socialist commie ass whooping they gave Hillary and Bill on this issue 12 years ago.
I am interested to see how Hillary would address this. She has worked too hard to go very centrist and I guarantee she has not forgotten that aforementioned ass whooping. So I imagine she won't be excited to embrace this issue again, but it is a good issue that plays well to her party. It could be one of many important compromises she will have to navigate as she tries to distance herself from her past to reach out to moderates and quasi-Republicans while not losing her base.
So the pretty boy is taking this run seriously. I can applaud that. If nothing else every entry into the race brings a set of issues to the fore that may otherwise be ignored. I believe it is high time we stop allowing the Republican party to reframe the debate on issues as important as health care. A healthy body politic is a healthy country, and wanting to provide for the least of us is no more socialist than the New Deal that gave so many Americans that almighty Social Security benefit they will fight to the death to keep.
But, John still cannot win. LOL
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