Good read: Newsweek Article on Physics and God

Even though those bastards at Newsweek hired evil non-genius Karl Rove, they are still managing to churn out quality pieces. It seems they haven’t received lightning bolts of bad karma or a plague of bubonic-infested rats and have continued publication. Of course, I know this because I’ve received my regular subscription for Festivus and those weekly issues just keep on comin. I vacillate between taking a squiz between the covers and using the magazine for kindling.

This week, they’ve interviewed Physicist Steven Weinburg (hook ‘em, horns) on this huge particle experiment starting in Switzerland this summer. The interview addresses the possibility of physics eventually proving the existence of god and a lot of fun context around the topic.

I recommend reading the interview for yourself, but if you do not have the time or the inclination, here are some interesting excerpts. At least, I find them interesting. Pat Robertson or John Hagee or any others who make oodles of dough perpetuating the idea of “The Almighty Lord” might find it distasteful. Now, because the physicist is speaking in crazy, never-leave-the-lab langue, I’ll provide the best layman translation I can following each quotation. Hope you enjoy.

Quotation: “As science explains more and more, there is less and less need for religious explanations. Originally, in the history of human beings, everything was mysterious. Fire, rain, birth, death, all seemed to require the action of some kind of divine being. As time has passed, we have explained more and more in a purely naturalistic way.”

Translation: The idea that there is some inexplicable superbeing responsible for all the eye can see and the origins of the universe - i.e. intelligent design - is a croc of shiznit.

Quotation: “But religion has evolved along with science. It is something created by human beings, and as human beings learn more and more their religion changes. Today, especially in the more established religious sects in the West, they’ve learned to stop trying to explain nature religiously and leave that to science.”

Translation: Religion and faith are man-made and as humans progress, as they inevitably do, religion and mythology fade into the past. Each time you play Guitar Hero or call someone on your iPod or recycle a plastic bottle and appreciate the progress of mankind in any way, a particle of organized religion dries up and dies. And doesn’t go to heaven.

Quotation: “The more we learn about the universe the less sign we see of an intelligent designer. Isaac Newton thought that it would require an explanation in terms of the action of God to explain how the sun shone. Now we know that it shines because of the heat produced by the conversion of hydrogen into helium in its core.”

Translation: All the peeps wanting “intelligent design” to be taught in schools want to dumbify our children so that we are less and less competitive with emerging technological economies and end up returning to the jungle as the apes we once were.

Quotation: “All human beings, whether religious or not, are caught in a tragic situation of never fully being able to understand the world we are in.”

Translation: Certitude is the luxury of the inherently stupid.

Quotation: “I don’t think that we can ever prove that God does not exist. But if he does exit [sic] it might be possible to prove it.”

Translation: Paging Richard Dawkins! It looks like closure for Atheists is as remote as orgasms for nuns.

The “Tonya Harding” Strategy

Just when I think primary coverage is getting dry and stale, a nice spicy, amusing bout of creativity enters the foray through a party official or campaign worker and we have enough crumbs to get us through another couple of days during this painful drought to Pennsylvania. Carville’s attempt to “brand” Richardson a betrayer was one of those bouts of creativity, even if it was malicious, without merit, and has no place on a legitimate political playing field.

NOW, now, we have new juicy phrase and I just love it! According to ABC News’ Jack Trapper, an anonymous Democratic official says the only way Clinton can win is take the “Tonya Harding Option,” meaning “break his back” - referring to Obama. Trapper interprets the phrase as “extra-ruthless” steps to ensure Obama doesn’t get the Democratic nomination. But, Trapper implies, this would mean neither Obama, nor Hillary get the gold - the Presidency.

She’ll settle for silver and bid her time until 2012, I assume.

I have little doubt Hillary would resort to knee-capping Obama. At this point, it is clear her personal ambitions reign supreme at Camp Clinton and there is little to which she would resort for the nomination. Its especially true now as a victory requires a very unlikely margin over Obama in the remaining primaries. And she can’t really look to North Carolina or Oregon for those margins. Her conniving team of rabid hyenas are looking relentlessly stalking Obama’s every breath, every association that would give them a clear shot at his jugular. The general election or Democratic enthusiasm be damned!
James Carville says we should all stop our sniveling. This is a grown-up election with adults in the ring and it shouldn’t bother us if a candidate (the one he supports) resorts to bellow-the-belt tactics. According to Carville apparently, there is no bellow-the belt. The belt is around his ankles. Dignity and party unity matter not. The fact is, these two knew what they were getting into and we should sit back and enjoy the mud-wrestling. I bet he enjoys a good cockfight, too. With razor blades.

It’s not about the issues to Carville. Everyone appreciates a debate on the issues. He enjoys the personal attacks - like the one he recently launched against Bill Richardson in which Carville didn’t utter one word in legitimate defense of his “Judas” comment. I certainly think that qualifies as a “Tonya Harding” strategy. Only this time, it was against Richardson.

If Obama’s poll numbers continue to rebound, as they have following the whole Pastor Wright maelstrom, Axelrod and Susan Rice and the rest of that lot better be on guard. Cross the i’s. Dot the t’s. Don’t fart. No prostitutes. No accidental boob photos. Cause the Clinton thugs are coming. They’re tired. They’re hungry. They’re desperate. And if you so much as get the wrong kind of haircut, they’re coming after you and your babies in the night. With a crowbar. Aimed right at that femur.

Trapper adds an amusing conclusion to the end of his piece, saying “In this metaphor, presumably, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would be Oksana Baiul. Does that make former President Bill Clinton Jeff Gillooly?” Why, yes, little Trapster, it does! A+!

I know who the gold goes to. The pop-culture genius anonymous Democratic official who came up with the “Tonya Harding Option.” I’ll be snickering all day over this!

Long live Nancy Kerrigan!! (remember her sitting there, crying, “WHY? WHY?? WHY?” How god-awful was that? It’s tattooed on my brain)

So Funny - Xinhua (Chinese News ) Article on Self-Righteous Westerners and “Heathen Aversion”

The Chinese government and, thus, much of its media are getting mighty bothered by all the negative attention they’re receiving as the Olympics draw closer. Of course, they are reacting defensively and the following article is a yummy example of how the government’s panties in a wad are filtered through the media. This writer uses no facts himself and engages red-flag vernacular to persuade the reader. The Chinese government does not have to answer for past transgressions or rectify it behavior by turning the tables on the naughty Western World. Apparently, we are heathens who should be avoided.

Anyway, it’s a good read. We Westerners are a little self-righteous. It’s a by-product of our isolationism. As are our weakened immune systems. In any case, I will NOT practice “heathen aversion” for the simple fact that I, myself, am a heathen. Though, I may have bad days, I must say that I will never be averse to myself. But, I digress.

Read on, comrades!

Commentary: Why China is often perceived as being in the wrong

By Xinhua writer Yu Zheng BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) — Some westerners believe that the period in the run-up to the 2008 Summer Olympics is one of the best opportunities to lambaste the Chinese government. This is the case with Tibet. No matter what Chinese media reported about the atrocities of the rioters in Lhasa, how they broke the law, how unpopular the law-breakers are among Lhasa residents, the Lhasa story line in the minds of some Western media has already been shaped — the public authority is evil and the protestors are vulnerable. It fits well with the western, Christian story of David and Goliath. Established perceptions cannot easily be altered in arrogant minds. Once story lines are formed they often remain, and some Western news outlets don’t even bother to discover facts contradictory to their shaped lines. With such closed mindsets, any new event is just evidence that confirms the pre-determined line (the prejudices if you like), which is, in the Tibet case, that the Chinese government is in the wrong. But the arrogance is palpable in Western attitudes towards a developing country that is going to host the Games. Despite the pristine notion of an end to war and the spreading of world harmony, the Olympics are now too much politicized. All political goals will be related to the upcoming Olympics. Self-righteousness helps boost self confidence on the one hand, but on the other self-righteous people firmly hold to their own standards of judgment. The self-righteous judgment, often arbitrary, contributes to a blurring of conceptual boundaries such as, in the Tibet case, the inability (or unwillingness) to tell right from wrong. The criminal violence in Lhasa was repeatedly translated as a justifiable release of ethnic and religious resentment, and thus should be treated leniently. With cognitive blackout, some self-righteous Westerners understandably tilt for unproven rumors, most later proven wrong, over the official supply of information, for special interests groups over legitimate governments. While showing sympathy for the causes advocated by those special interests groups, they display little sympathy for the victims suffering from the “justifiable” violence in Lhasa. Who in the Western media cares for the young law-enforcer who was tortured by mobs when a fist-sized scoop of flesh was ripped out of his hip? Okay, he is among the armed police, so what? Who is concerned for the lives of five sales girls who were burnt to death by rioters? The scenes were photo-shopped out of the picture. To dig up the subconscious root of arrogance and self-righteousness, I tend to resort to ‘heathen aversion,’ not at all a new phenomenon. Psychological studies indicate people much more easily accept views and attitudes of people like them, both in appearance and belief. Uncontrolled ‘heathen aversion’ might lead to a lesser degree of tolerance of different cultures, values and ethical codes. Collectivism, for instance, is appreciated in some cultures, whereas it is discredited by others for its tendency to trample on individual rights.

Shame On You, James Carville!!!

While I expect surrogates and supporters of the Democratic presidential candidates to be passionate, if a little ideological, about their candidate, the name-calling and malicious criticism has reached the turn-the-TV-off proportions. It’s no longer party partisanship that is making me want to hurl handy inanimate objects at the screen - it’s the ridiculous sandlot insults flung back and forth between the Obama and Clinton camps, though it is undeniable the majority are emanating from the Clinton side. They’re experienced in demonizing opponents and their experience is showing true in this election.

James Carville has always been one of these Clinton-loyalists. On the front line, ready to spout truths or untruths - whichever might advance his candidate more successfully. I’ve always found him entertaining and exciting. The War Room is one of my favorite documentaries. Lately, on Larry King and Meet The Press, his opinions have bordered on fictional and he has resorted to repeating the same view over and over when no other lies about the vibrancy of the Clinton campaign are readily available. Click on the links to the shows if you’d like to read the transcripts.

Carville, however, has outdone himself with his recent opinion of the Bill Richardson endorsement of Obama. “Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic,” he said, according the The New York Times.

How immature. How bitter and sinister and ridiculous. To compare Richardson to Judas, giving Mrs. Clinton the role of Jesus. Only a political filthy degenerate would make such an association.

Such a statement infers that the Clinton appointments are given out with the expectation of returned favors - not because of the credibility of the appointee and belief that they will serve that position well. The statement plays politics at such a schoolyard level - on a tit-for-tat, back-scratching, sex-for-money jaundiced playing field leaving no room for healthy progress and debate.

The political atmosphere James Carville seeks to create is one of corruption and collusion. Candidate loyalty above all else. Above party loyalty. Above political ethics. And above the will of the people.

I think it is not Bill Richardson who is irrelevant, as Mark Penn tried to assert. It is James Carville and his nasty brethren who have forgotten what political leadership is all about and that the rest of us “citizens” wish to hell these people whom we elect would do the right the thing simply because it is right and not because they will benefit from it.

It’s time someone gave James Carville his pink slip and sent him out the back door. Or at least stuffed some boudin in his mouth so he can’t speak.

The only amusing thing I can see in this whole Judas analogy is that it probably makes Al Gore salivate at the idea of endorsing Obama. Obviously, he probably won’t need much prodding, but if I were in the Clinton camp, I’d be preparing my reaction for when that day comes.

UPDATE: Carville stands by his putrid verbiage Monday, saying, “I was quoted accurately and in context, and I was glad to give the quote and I was glad I gave it,” Mr. Carville said. “I’m not apologizing, I’m not resigning, I’m not doing anything.”

Well, if you’re going to be an idiot, it’s probably best not to apologize for it. Perhaps he doesn’t care about credibility. Because he just lost a lot of it. Jackass.

UPDATE: I’m watching Anderson Cooper 360 with James Carville speaking. He keeps repeating that his Judas quote was transcribe “in context” - um, who gives a shit? No one is questioning whether he was quoted in context or not and what does that have to do with the veracity of his metaphor? Secondly, he says that he made the metaphor not just because Richardson owes the Clintons for his appointments but for other reasons he will not say - only that Richardson knows what they are. So, he’s got the balls to make the Judas comparison, yet won’t provide the justification for the comment.

Let’s hurl indefensible, unreasoned insults. That really makes sense in this arena. Didn’t someone recently compare Bill Clinton to McCarthy? That comparison should have been saved for James Carville. I won’t say why, though. He knows.

Clinton’s Experience Exaggerations Just Keep Coming

The Washington Post publishes an article questioning the veracity of Clinton’s account of her trip to Bosnia in 1996, well disproving the veracity, actually. You can read the article here.

What’s really funny is that the voters who vote for Clinton largely defend their decision by saying their voting for her experience. Yet, she’s exaggerated her experience repeatedly. China, Ireland, etc. What about her experience as a liar? What about her unwillingness to have in-depth documentation of her time in the White House released? She wants to claim this experience as a feather in her cap, yet we have to believe her at her word, which is more than questionable. We have no idea what occurred during the closed meetings she held while trying to reform health care and refused to cooperate or compromise with other Democrats, which killed any progress when they could have achieved at least some movement in the right direction. Here we are over a decade later and those little victories compromise would have accomplished would have made a great difference by now. No one ever asks her about her refusal to compromise and she never addresses it.

I do question why her repeated falsehoods are not getting any airtime on the cable news channels? Obama’s pastor and his “typical white person” comments are basically on a loop - but all these holes in Clinton’s speeches are receiving no attention. Apparently, her complaints about media bias are influencing their coverage. Though, that doesn’t surprise me.

In any case, her candidacy may be DOA by the convention anyway. More and more print and internet media outlets are saying it’s getting harder for her to get the Dem. nomination (see links below). Perhaps my Clinton kvetching is merely an exercise in futility. Wouldn’t that be grand?! Then we can sit back and have fun watching the Republican media try to rip Obama from limb to limb. CAN’T wait for that!

NYTimes: Clinton Facing Narrower Path To Nomination

Politico: The Story Behind The Clinton Myth

Voter Totals: Obama vs. Clinton

I keep hearing the news say that Obama has 600,000 more of the popular votes than Clinton and that made me curious, so I decided to add up all the primary votes each of the Democratic candidates has received.

Obama: 12,435,042 votes

Clinton: 11,940,795 votes

That’s a difference of: 494,247

So, the news must be counting each of the caucus group votes as one vote. I hate caucuses and nominating contests and territory meetings. They are fairly undemocratic, discriminate against older voters and shift workers - plus it makes it much more difficult for those of us with a lot of time on our hands to add up all the individual votes and try to extrapolate any meaning in the numbers.

Obama has won all but 3 of the 16 funky elections. Clinton took Nevada, New Mexico, and American Samoa (wooohoo!). Obama won the TX caucus even though Clinton won the TX primary. I wonder if she would take New Mexico now that Bill (complete with Just For Men-dyed beard) has endorsed Obama because Clinton only took it by a smidgen.

That being said, Clinton could possibly be in the lead if Florida and Michigan counts voted, but those bastards decided screw the DNC - we’re moving our elections up! And now we’re in this mess. Jackasses - the whole lot of ‘em.

And if you didn’t get my Just For Men comment, please continue reading:

Richardson during the Superbowl:

Bill Richardson March 14:

Personally, I think he looks GREAT with a beard. Sigh, what could have been…

Best Video Of The Day

Chris Wallace accuses Fox and Friends of Obama-bashing.

Watch it on ThinkProgress here.

It’s fun to see the three hosts crawfishing against the allegations. I respect Chris Wallace, but the fact that he works for Fox News is a shame. Just like watching Gonzaga losing. Which I’m doing right now. Aaaahhh, my bracket is going to shit!

Freakonomics Posts Newt Gingrich’s Answers to Reader Questions

You can read his answers here.

Of course, they were boring and politically contrived. The explanations he gives for the partisanship of the 90’s is an example of his delusional excuses for the behavior of him and his ilk. He seems to be reaching into the same bag of untruths and ambiguous explanations that provide Dick Cheney with all his diarrhea of the mouth.

Example:

“Q: Do you think that corporations have too much power in government, through lobbyists and monetary incentives? What should be done to correct what I see as an imbalance of power between voters and the rich/powerful?

A: There is a direct relationship between the size, influence, and power of a government and the influence of lobbyists on that government. If we are serious about limiting the ability of lobbyists to dictate government policy, we should be serious about limiting the size and scope of the government’s power. Until that happens, the wealthy and powerful will always be able to have influence through lobbying.”

I disagree wholeheartedly. Anyone can see that through lobbying efforts, corporations receive tax privileges and are not regulated, increasing the burden on consumers. I agree that there is a direct relationship between lobbying and government and it seems very much that the more lobbyists there are, the less government. Blackwater has received no-bid contracts and has answered for only a few of their many criminal actions. Yet, they have a slew of lobbyists and have made more money than god on the war in Iraq.

Gingrich, buddy, you’re on the train going to hell and no amount of old-school Republican dogma cult bullshit followers are going to stop it. I’d recommend you pull your head out of your ass, but it’s probably too swollen.

Personal Update - The End of the World is Near

Good evening! The impossible has happened! I got engaged last week - everyone must look to the sky to see either swines flying or christians ascending to the heavens! I suggest sombrero’s to protect from the pig poo.

Needless to say, my free time has been filled with research regarding nuptials, rather than politics. This week I will return to my wily writing and baseless to well-researched opinions!

If any of you out there have advice regarding prenuptial agreements or taxes for newly married couples, I would greatly appreciate any words you can offer. Also, I suggest storing canned goods and non-perishable food items. I’m not kidding. If someone has asked for my hand in an eternal commitment of love and devotion, Armageddon is just around the corner…

Jury Duty Sucks!

Maybe if I’d gotten picked to actually sit on a jury, I’d have had a good time proportioning justice as my civil duty requires. We have crime here in Tarrant County! Hell, every time Cops is on, it always says Fort Worth Police Department. You’d think we were in Compton with the amount of episodes Cops devotes to this town. One time, when I lived in Austin and was at a dance club, a man approached my girlfriends and me, asking if we had any ecstasy. One of my girlfriends read him the riot act and shooed him away. She was a goody-two shoes. One time, she accidentally ate a pot-brownie and thought she was going to die. Apparently, this dance club was the ecstasy hot-spot in Austin, but we were unawares never having delved greatly into the rave scene. Later, we saw the man exiting the club followed by some po-po and a camera crew. Cops. I could have been famous, daddy! If only I’d had some ecstasy…. I stayed away from it after one of my girlfriends had sex with this guy on a pool table in the middle of a party after taking some when were in high school. When we were in college, she used to snort cocaine on the end of a key and shout, “I’m king of the world!” Titanic had just come out. Strangely, I felt the need to stay away from cocaine because of her, too. She was a good friend.

Anyway, back to jury duty - it was lame. This crazy man was running the metal detector and x-ray machine by himself and kept yelling at people to walk through the machine normally, not too fast or too slow. This was interesting because when I lived in Oklahoma City (as punishment for a crime in a past life, no doubt), I went to the court house there and nary was a metal detector present. I didn’t think anyone was going to pop a cap in my ass, but still…I saw some angry people. This morning, I forgot I had my little Swiss Army key chain knife, but the mean metal detector dude said it was small enough and I get to keep it. It’s only $12, but I would have been pissed to have it taken away.

Once I checked in, we waited for a couple of hours in this big room. I brought The Prometheus Deception by Robert Ludlum to read. It’s pretty good, so far. Then we’re told all the cases were dismissed and this judge - who does not look like a judge - comes in and tells us the cases were settled because the parties involved knew we jurors were ready with our impartial verdict! What a crock.

Then we collected our 10 bucks cash and were free to go with certificate in hand that says we don’t have to attend jury duty for two more years. I still might go if I get a summons by mistake - but don’t tell anyone.

And, btw, all you people who believe illegal immigrants will be the downfall of this country, no one checked my I.D. Not once. I could have been this undocumented, illegal Irish immigrant with an uncanny American accent and served on a jury! The horror!!

What Would You Do If Your Neighbor’s Dog Bit You?

Given:

• Your neighbor is a good person and is not irresponsible.
• The dog is a deaf blue heeler, that the neighbor exercises by throwing a tennis ball for it, unleashed in the front yard.
• You were speaking to your neighbor when the dog led a sneak attack that wasn’t necessarily aggressive - just a blue heeler, doing what it does, which is keep things in line.
• The bite didn’t break the skin, just caused bruising around the ankle.
• The neighbor apologized multiple times, legitimately felt bad and had her nurse roommate come over to look at the wound.

I don’t think I can get all self-righteous on her and say I think her dog should be on leash whenever it isn’t in the backyard. At the same time, I always keep my dog on leash when it’s not in the back yard. But, I don’t want to sour relations between us, we’ll probably live here for a while and have a few loud parties from time to time (like this weekend - St. Patty’s Day, hell yeah!). And one time, when I was grilling, the lid to my Grill Pam (love that shit!) popped off and over the fence onto their driveway and I forgot to go the next day and apologize. Maybe god was punishing me. Discipline by deaf blue heeler.

Talk About Just “A Speech”

You know, she’d be dead if lightning really did strike people who lied. Or she’d have a reeaallllly long nose. Or her pantsuit would be aflame. Take your pick of the idioms. They all apply.

When Hillary claimed that she and McCain had lifetimes of experience and Obama had “a speech,” she was inferring that he was unqualified to be president. When asked if Obama was a Muslim and she answered, “not as far as I know,” she was inferring her could be a Muslim - an incredibly important statement when considering many Ohioans’ belief that he actually was a Muslim, which they allowed to influence their votes.

Hillary’s inferences, however, apply to herself as well.

She has repeatedly claimed her experience includes working for women’s rights in China and helping bring peace to Northern Ireland. Now, as someone who watches the news quite a bit and was raised on nightly news before my parents would change the channel to torture me with “Wheel of Fortune,” I have paid attention. And having a decent grasp on past events, these claims she made raised red flags - small red flags - but flags nonetheless.

Her working for women’s rights in China is pretty much limited to giving a speech in Beijing in 1995. Granted, it was a groundbreaking speech, but she hasn’t really been back in that bullpen since.

Furthermore, she claims she helped bring about peace in Northern Ireland. Parties involved in the peace process have come out and corrected her claims, saying it is an exaggeration to infer she was a principal player in the peace process, rather than on the sidelines and present simply because her husband was U.S. president.

Does she have experience? Sure she does. Hell, it’s no small matter being first lady. I’ll give it to her. She did a lot more than just pick dishes and wallpaper.

But when she’s making mountains out of her own molehills while strategically, deliberately and unfairly diminishing Obama’s credibility, she’s presenting a false idea of who she she is and what she’s done.

She has not, indeed, helped to speed the release of White House documents to help give a better understanding of her role in the White House. She is just now claiming she will release her tax returns on April 15.

A lot of people voted for Hillary because of her experience. She has lot of it. Experience in misleading, inferring lies, being less-than-transparent and open to the public. No wonder she can’t find her voice. It’s hard when you’re making it up as you go along.

It’s not all about experience. It’s about character. And since we never actually see the “real” Hillary that Carville says is wonderful and Dee Dee Myers has faith in, I’d say her character as a politician is more than in question. And, after Bush, I’d rather have a president who told the truth than an ambitious, power-hungry shell of a “civil servant.”

I will not vote Republican in the general election, but if Hillary receives the Democrat nomination, Nader has a much better chance of getting my vote. Much better.

Candidates’ Aides Take Center Stage

As Democratic Primary Fatigue sets in, we voters are settling in for the long haul of drama and nail-biting anxiety over whether Clinton will actually devour Obama alive, diminishing enthusiasm and threatening Democratic chances for the White House. The messages of both the candidates seem to be stagnating and the major primaries have passed, leaving the media grasping at straws to maintain viewer interest. So, they’re resorting to daily death-matches between the candidates’ aides. And why not? Probably going on little sleep, imbibing untold amounts of caffeine, high fructose corn syrup and beef by-products, those aides are having enough brain-farts to make it seem like Jerry’s Kids are running both circuses.

Shall we count the feet in mouths?

1. Someone in the Clinton campaign leaks picture of Obama dressed in Muslim garb. Even if they didn’t do it, it’s blamed on a Clinton aide.
2. Obama aide tells the Canadian government not to fret their passive little heads over NAFTA comments. Major mistake. Major.
3. Clinton aides Mark Penn and Harold Ickes have shouting match on conference call replete with expletives. Awesome.
4. Clinton aid Harold Wolfson compares Obama to Ken Starr. Now anyone who attacks Clinton can be compared to Ken Starr. Smart move? Not bloody likely.
5. Obama foreign policy adviser Susan Rice says neither Obama or Clinton are ready for the 3 a.m. phone call. Wow, that’ll have the Republicans heading over to the Democrat side, Rice. That was about as smart as taunting a tiger in San Fransisco on Christmas.
6. Obama aide Samantha Powers calls Clinton a Monster. Off the record. But, the quotation is still used and Powers is booted.

Has anyone seen the Japanese movie “Battle Royale” in which 8th grade students are dumped on an island, each given a different tool or weapon, where they face all types of challenges and have to kill each other and only the last one left alive gets off the island? We should do that. But with campaign staffers. And whichever candidate is represented by the last staffer wins the Democrat nominating contest.

News of the Day 080506

1. Legislative opposition to online gambling is slowly fading, according to Patrick O’Connor on Politico. Wooohooo! This has been a ridiculous regulation (perpetuated by those crafty “limited government” Republicans. Remember kids, the word is “hypocrisy”) for a longtime that prevents the government from making a lot of money and adults from making adult decisions.
2. OPEC tensions on the rise as the organization refuses to increase production, citing mismanagement of the American economy as being largely responsible for the increase in oil prices. In fact, many OPEC countries were thinking of cutting production to drive oil prices up in order to compensate for the weak dollar. It’s good to know the providers of the world’s equivalent of “mothers’ milk” continue to use their control over the valuable resource to bend consumers over. I swear to god I’d buy some solar panels if my house wasn’t covered by a massive pecan tree!
3. Freakonomics posted this paper by a few economists saying, “smaller businesses create more jobs, on net, than larger ones. It’s a long, boring read - but the result are interesting. And it’s pdf, so it might take a little time to load.
4. Rolling Stone endorsed Obama today, I’m sure you heard. Should we revisit this culture of news publications (which Rolling Stone isn’t, necessarily) endorsing candidates? I get why they did it back in the day when access to information was limited and they thought they were doing a public service (albeit, motivated by bribe monies much of the time). But these days?? When the public has widespread access to information and can easily make up their own minds? All the major newspapers in Texas endorsed Obama. Didn’t do him much good and aren’t they supposed to be unbiased? Interesting topic for debate and discussion. I must marinate on the topic a bit more.
5. Experts are returning to their professional dominance after years of tyranny of the masses on the internet, according to Newsweek. “In December, Google began testing Knol, a Wikipedia-like Web site produced by “authoritative” sources that share ad revenue. The sample page contains an insomnia entry written by Rachel Manber, director of Stanford’s Insomnia and Behavioral Sleep Medicine center. In January, BigThink.com, a self-styled “YouTube for ideas” backed by former Harvard president Larry Summers and others, debuted its cache of polished video interviews with public intellectuals.” Us neophytes with our misinformation are going to be relegated to the netherworlds of the web where we belong!!

Rasmussen Reports Refute Rove

I decided to sully my computer screen today by reading Karl Rove’s commentary in the Wall Street Journal, entitled “Alive!“, because, like any other red-blooded American, this leftie likes to take a peek into the enemy’s play book now and again. I try not to do it too often, lest I become tinged by the homogeneous, asexual organ that is Conservative analysis, which replicates through osmosis among sheep-like group thinkers dominating the Republican Party - the talk-radio carnies being largely responsible for this unnatural form of procreation.

Mr. Rove had some interesting things today. Some things which surprised me. I quote, “The big development to watch is not the rise of the ‘Obamicans’ — Republicans who are backing the charismatic Illinois senator. The interesting electoral phenomenon is the emergence of the ‘McCainicrats’ — Democrats backing Mr. McCain. It’s not just Sen. Joe Lieberman. In three recent polls, (Fox, LA Times/Bloomberg and Gallup), almost twice as many Democrats support Mr. McCain as Republicans support Mr. Obama. Three times as many Democrats support Mr. McCain as Republicans back Mrs. Clinton.”

Did you read that?!?! Rove is saying more Democrats are heading over to the Republican side than Repubs heading over to the Democrat side! Does that make sense to you? Yes, he smokes the from the same delusional pipe as Bush himself which induces a lack of concern for actual thruth when speaking or writing or thinking.

Fortunately, I also read this piece on The Rasmussen Report by Alan I. Abramowitz, a respected electoral forecaster and author of Voice of the People: Elections and Voting Behavior in the United States.

Abramowitz states, “Turnout in the Democratic presidential primaries this year has greatly exceeded turnout in Republican presidential primaries. Moreover, evidence from exit polls indicates that in states with open primary laws that make it easy for voters to cross party lines, a good many Republicans have been casting ballots in Democratic primaries. Evidence of this can be seen in two states with open primary laws that held their presidential primaries in February: Virginia and Wisconsin.

Based on the overall turnout in the Democratic and Republican primaries in these states and estimates from the exit polls of the size of the crossover vote in each party’s primary, we can calculate that about 16 percent of Republican voters in Virginia and 25 percent of Republican voters in Wisconsin cast their ballots in the Democratic primary. In contrast, only 2 percent of Democratic voters in Virginia and 3 percent of Democratic voters in Wisconsin cast their ballots in the Republican primary.”

McCainicrats my ass!

Rove, in his commentary, goes on to offer strategies for Hillary and McCain to beat Obama - a clear indication of his fear that Obama stands a much better chance of beating McCain than Hillary. And let me just add that I have seen little evidence of Rove’s evil genius since his introduction to the outside world from the diseased underbelly of the Bush administration. Don’t get me wrong, he is evil (isn’t he the one who came up with the idea to ban gay marriage in order to motivate Repub votes in 2004?) - but Genius? Is there such a think as a mediocre genius? No? How bout just mediocre?

Well, Dick Morris - who, in all his bitterness, would likely vote for Hitler over Hillary - gives a Rasmussen Report on strategies Obama should use to beat Hillary - in clear opposition to Rove. He, stop the presses, says it’s time for Obama to go negative against Hillary. He is, after all, the czar of the political attack. I can’t decide if it’s too bad he defected to the Conservative side or not. In any case, I doubt the two Democratic front runners will utilize tactics proposed by two of the biggest Conservative former-strategists-turned-commentators. It’s good to see the Conservatives throwing in opposing lots, however, regarding the Democratic race.

The fun never ends. Especially since I recently rented “Bush’s Brain” - a documentary, unbiased I’m sure, about Karl Rove. I haven’t watched it yet and will probably have to imbibe alcoholic beverages beforehand to numb my resulting outrage. I wonder if it bothers Karl that his last name is practically in Roe v. Wade. You can find irony in the smallest places if you look hard enough…

817 Represent!

The Star-Telegram is reporting that Democrats voted almost 2 to 1 over Republicans in my county, Tarrant County, which is FORT WORTH, TX!! That’s cattle town, people! Old school, oil town, echoes of the bible belt country.

Total Tarrant County turnout = 301,957 (33.59% of the 898,855 registered voters)

Democratic Party turnout = 200,240

Republican Party turnout = 101,717

Change - it’s ahappenin!!

(plus, it’s totally sleeting and snowing here, today - which is pure craziness)

Great Idea!! Reschedule FL & Mich. Primaries For April 22

Cheers to Mark Green on The Huffington Post. He thinks Florida and Michigan should each schedule another primary for April 22 - the same day as Pennsylvania. We can have one more final Super Tuesday to keep Democrat momentum going and then settle this shite. Love it!!

AND Florida should open their primary to independent voters.

Commentary On The Hillary Clinton Clusterf**k

• John Hood on National Review Online: Well, You Wanted Change
  • except: “Clinton had several advantages going into Tuesday’s big prizes of Ohio and Texas. First, the Clinton team is tough, experienced, and willing to do pretty much whatever it takes to win a nomination to which the Clintons feel morally entitled. When my own boys, aged 10 and 7, came home from school the other day and asked how ‘the Muslim’ was doing in the presidential race, I knew that the Clintons’ viral marketing was infecting the broader population.”
• Marc Cooper on The Huffington Post: It’s 3 a.m. and Hillary’s Dreaming
  • excerpt: “Clinton regained her footing this past week primarily by running a classic, Republican-style campaign of negative, fear-based ads. She blanketed the airwaves with a detestable spot that, stripped to its core message, warned that if Obama were selected, your children could be murdered in their beds in the middle of the night. Somewhere up above (or more likely from down below), departed GOP mudmeister Lee Atwater is cracking a grin.”
• John Nichols on The Nation: Now It Gets Dangerous For Democrats
  • excerpt: “There was ‘Barack stole lines from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’ hit. There was the ‘Barack stole a page from Karl Rove when he sent out negative mailings’ hit. There was the ‘Barack dresses like a Muslim’ hit. There was the ‘Barack’s campaign told the Canadians one thing about trade and Ohio another thing’ hit. There was the ‘Barack’s not the guy you want answering the phone in the White House’ hit. There was even the ‘Barack’s defiling the memory of Ann Richards because she would have wanted Hillary to have a clean shot at the nomination’ hit. And always, always, always, there was the steady drumbeat from candidate Clinton that: ‘”I have a lifetime of experience I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech (against authorizing President Bush to attack Iraq) he made in 2002.’”
  • And “If the Clinton camp runs the right campaign on legitimate issues, and if it does so with dignity, they will not harm Democratic prospects in November – no matter who the nominee turns out to be. On the other hand, if they run wrong, and seek to destroy Obama by any means necessary, they could be responsible for two defeats: Clinton’s for the nomination and Obama’s for the presidency in November.”
• Alex Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair on CounterPunch: A Great Day for McCain (and maybe Nader)
  • excerpt: “The Clintons have never been confused their own political fortunes with those of the Democratic Party. In 1996 and 1998 Bill Clinton refused to release campaign surpluses from his own war chest to help elect Democrats to the House and the Senate. Obama’s campaign has most certainly rallied blacks and the young to the Democratic Party. These new recruits will surely melt away as they see the party machine grind the politics of hope in the dirt.”
• The Huffington Post: Obama Camp Lays Ground For Negative Attacks
  • excerpt: “The Obama camp appears to be laying ground for pushing back against Hillary Clinton’s latest campaign attacks, even if that means taking a negative approach themselves. The difficulty, as has been noted in the past, is maintaining the positive approach that has dominated his campaign while still drawing contrast with the Clintons.”

News of the Day 080305

1. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson would do away with pennies but doesn’t think it’s “politically doable.” I think we should get rid of pennies too. They take up too much room and it would be so much easier for me to do math in fives.
2. According to AP, “FBI Director Robert Mueller says an upcoming Justice Department report will show the bureau improperly used national security letters to obtain personal data on Americans during terror and spy investigations.” How unsurprising that the more power the government is given to spy on us, the more they abuse it. Under a Republican administration. Go figure.
3. McCain likely won’t investigate any possible criminal activity perpetrated by Bush and Cheney if elected. I really don’t think Obama or Hillary would either. Whoever wins the election likely wants to just get on with running the country and Bush and Cheney will get away with years of criminal an unconstitutional behavior on many, many levels.
4. Obama lawyer crashes Clinton Campaign conference call. Haha - why haven’t they done this before and when they do do it, they only bring up Clinton’s attacks of the caucus process. Well, the caucus process is seriously flawed and needs to be reformed. Why couldn’t they bring up how she’s pissing on the Democrats’ chances in November by spouting slimy rhetoric about Obama?

Hillary - The Gift For McCain That Keeps On Givin’

Ugh. Does everyone feel like that this morning? I do and it’s not because of the three glasses of wine I had, either. The foreshadowing last night provides as to what’s in front of us makes me want to hit the bottle again and it’s only 10 in the morning! The Democrats might just turn into New Guinea cannibals if that’s the measure it takes for personal glory. Hillary already has blood all over her face.

Alright, alright. I’ll say it. She deserves to stay in the race. The results last night by no means require her to step aside in the name of Democratic success. She wouldn’t do it anyway. I think she probably would have taken Texas and Ohio by a slight margin without all the negative ads and ridiculous answers on 60 Minutes and reprehensible comments saying she and McCain have life experiences and Obama just has a speech. She’s beginning to make me ill. But, Texas and Ohio are slow to change their ways - especially in TX with the cultural divide between Latinos and African-Americans. And the race continues.

Now Axelrod and Obama are going to have to decide how down and dirty they want to go in response. They’ll take into consideration the health of the party in the general election, unlike Hillary, before making this decision. And, believe you me, there is plenty of meat for them to throw in Hillary’s face - plenty. In fact, they don’t even have to get dirty, but can simple reiterate time and time again her singular focus on personal victory rather than ensuring the Democrats succeed in November.

The fact is that Hillary’s willing to stop at nothing for the nomination - trying to seat Florida and Michigan, leaning on the superdelegates, and ripping Obama to shreds whenever she can. The reality and results of such actions will reveal itself if she wins the nomination and people are so disgusted, they either don’t vote or the independents head over McCain’s direction.

She should be on notice now that if the Republicans win the general election, it will be her fault and everyone will blame her. She’ll be vilified worse than Nader ever was.

I’m all for the Democratic process and I’ll get over the events of last night, but if the next few months devolve into a frenzy that sucks all the enthusiasm out of the Democratic Party and McCain wins and stacks the Supreme Court and abortion is criminalized and the tax cuts for the wealthy are made permanent and the war in Iraq continues for years and big business gets even bigger and trade gets more and more unfair, I will never forgive her. For staying in it, I can forgive, for going negative and attacking, not a chance.

Think about that, Hillary.