Nonintervention is Patriotic

From Robert Scheer's new book:

"That guiding idea of nonintervention -- developed by the colonists in rebellion, espoused to great effect by the brilliant pamphleteer Thomas Paine, and crystallized as a national treasure in the final speech to the nation of George Washington -- is as fresh and viable a construct as any of the great ideas that have guided our governance. Washington's Farewell Address, actually a carefully considered letter to the American people crafted in close consultation with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, is one of our great treasures, but although read each year in the U.S. Senate to mark Washington's legacy, it contains a caution largely ignored by those same senators as they gleefully approve massive spending to enable international meddling of every sort. Their failed responsibility to limit the president's declaration of war has become a farce that as much as anything mocks Congress' obligations as laid out in the Constitution."

We had a chance to reshape the world after the Cold War, after 9/11.... but this isn't what I had in mind at all! What have we become with our insane foreign policies? We need to get back to basics and have our government act within the bounds of the Constitution. That alone would have prevented the Iraq debacle. We need more talk about these big themes, and that's why I liked Ron Paul. Barry would do well to adopt some of these broader ideas and reignite the real patriotism of the Founders, rather than this false patriotism we see today from the likes of Sean Hannity.

McCain Good and Bad

Robert Scheer asks for the real John McCain to please stand up in this eye opening article on Alternet:

"Thanks in part to McCain's vigilance, a defense contracting scandal he exposed resulted in a Pentagon procurement officer and the CFO of Boeing being sentenced to federal prison when it was revealed that the Air Force was leasing unneeded air tankers at an initial cost of $30 billion.

It was not the first time that McCain had risen on the Senate floor to accuse the Pentagon of being in cahoots with defense industry lobbyists, and he does deserve high marks for being one of the few members of Congress willing to hold the military-industrial complex accountable. But we hear little from that McCain these days as he goes on and on praising a pointless war in Iraq that has become the main excuse for wasting trillions in so-called defense dollars.

This last is the deal breaker. It is simply not possible to be a genuine small-government-give-taxpayers-a-break president while planning to pour trillions more down that rathole of failed imperial adventures."

This is my biggest problem with McCain. He knows we're wasting trillions of dollars in Iraq, and how bad that is for our economy, and the future of our country. He's long been critical of wasteful spending, and that's great. But we could stop a thousand "bridges to nowhere" and still be stuck with huge debt from Iraq alone. We're not going to solve our debt crisis unless we leave Iraq, or find a way to take all their oil. What's it gonna be, John?

5 Planes Down

Did you know, John McCain lost 5 planes for the Navy?

"McCain may be attempting to hide why the Navy was in fact slow to promote him upwards despite his suffering as a POW and his distinguished naval heritage.

One possible reason: After McCain had returned from Vietnam as a war hero and was physically rehabilitated, he was urged by his medical caretakers and military colleagues never to fly again. But McCain insisted on going up. As Carl Bernstein reported in Vanity Fair, he piloted an ultralight single-propeller plane -- and crashed another time. His fifth loss of a plane has vanished from public records, but should be a subject of discussion in his Navy file. It wouldn't be surprising if his naval superiors worried that McCain was just too defiant, too reckless and too crash prone.

Regardless, McCain owes it to the country to release his complete naval records so that American voters can see his documented history and make an informed decision."

Wow, five planes! What a hero... or what a crappy pilot? Hard to say. And it was his plane that started the Forrestal tragedy. Surely these weren't all his fault, but hey, that's some bad luck.

Genius George Carlin Dead

George Carlin was a genius, and had the greatest grasp of the English language of anyone I've ever seen. He made me think, laugh, question.... once he made me pee in my pants. Some of his bits made me uncomfortable, made me question things that were 'givens'.
Check out the comments in this article, and you'll see how many people hated him because he questioned the status quo. There was a logic in his comedy that Vulcans would appreciate more than Christians. Here are a few quickies from Brainy Quote:

Death is caused by swallowing small amounts of saliva over a long period of time.

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.

I'm not concerned about all hell breaking loose, but that a PART of hell will break loose... it'll be much harder to detect.

If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten.

Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist

The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.

The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.

There's no present. There's only the immediate future and the recent past.

Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?

and some from Digital Dream Door:

If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.

Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.

Why is the man (or woman) who invests all your money called a broker?

Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.

I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.

Digg has some raunchier ones (check the link):

Get on the plane. Get on the plane." I say, "***** you, I'm getting IN the plane! IN the plane! Let Evil Knievel get ON the plane! I'll be in here with you folks in uniform! There seems to be less WIND in here!"

Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do “practice”?

What year did Jesus think it was?

Have you ever wondered why Republicans are so interested in encouraging people to volunteer in their communities? It’s because volunteers work for no pay. Republicans have been trying to get people to work for no pay for a long time. (side note from watts4u2: I worked for two of these types, they are real.)

Cloud nine gets all the publicity, but cloud eight actually is cheaper, less crowded, and has a better view.

So far, this is the oldest I’ve been.

Here's hoping GC's enjoying Cloud Eight. He's not getting any older!

The Edge on The Election

"The Edge seemed more interested in talking about the U.S. presidential race. Wondering whether "Americans really are ready for a black president," The Edge said he hoped so, but predicted "it's going to be very, very close ... perhaps as close as the one in 2000." Whatever the outcome, The Edge, like virtually every European I met the past two weeks, is convinced either Barack Obama or John McCain will greatly improve America's standing on the world stage."

They're Back!

Ahhhhh.....

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Ty Lawson have decided to withdraw from the 2008 NBA Draft and return to Chapel Hill for the 2008-09 season, head coach Roy Williams announced on Monday.

How to Win

The New Republic has an interesting article with different perspectives on a path to victory for Obama. Jonathan Chait makes a really good point:

4. Hit McCain's policy reversals. This week, McCain didn't show up to vote for a climate change bill that he helped shape, and which he holds up as one of the great points of contrast with the Bush administration. (He said he probably wouldn't have voted for it even if he had shown up.) McCain has also refused to endorse his own immigration bill. He has also changed his mind on the Bush tax-cuts, torture and the Geneva conventions, and the rape-and-incest exception to the GOP's abortion amendment. These are matters of high principle, and not nearly enough attention has been paid to the lengths McCain went to in order to make himself acceptable to the GOP right. Obama frequently hits McCain on his support for tax cuts he once called unconscionable, and that's great, but he needs to expand the list. Moderates should realize that the McCain they once admired--I was one of them--is not the same man.

Perhaps the best advice was from commenter 'Dan':

I would like to see Obama announce one cabinet appointment every week or two in the weeks or month preceding the convention. This would accomplish several things. First, it would give us a chance to see what his administration would look like. Second, it would reassure those who don't know Obama or have concerns about him what kind of people are advising him and which direction his administration will likely move. Third, announcing a high level appointment each week would create a drumbeat of news at a time in which there isn't much and would get Obama some positive attention in the press. Fourth, it would provide Obama with several heavyweight surrogates who can help defend him against unfair attacks during the general election. Imagine Obama selecting John Edwards as Attorney General, Bob Graham to head Homeland Security, Richard Gephardt as Secretary of Labor, Sam Nunn as Secretary of Defense, Joe Biden or Bill Richardson as Secretary of State. Most have already been vetted in national campaigns. Most are southerners and would appeal to whites who may have concerns about voting for a black president. This would also reduce the importance of the vice presidential pick. Instead of counting on one announcement to act as a magic bullet to appeal to all groups Obama needs to court, he can select a few people who can help him in different ways -- Biden on foreign policy, Richardson with Hispanics, Graham with Florida and so forth. Just a thought.

Nice plan Dan, I like that thinking!

I think this guy would make a good pick for VP:

The Mis-Leader in Chief

....overstated, mis-claimed, inflated, oversimplified, misused.... but not lied. Can we go as far as to say deceived?

MSM still won't say Bush lied, just check out the synonyms in these headlines:

• The New York Times: "Bush Overstated Evidence on Iraq, Senators Report"
  
• San Francisco Chronicle: "White House scolded on prewar claims"
  
• Detroit Free Press: "Officials' Iraq claims unsupported, report says"
  
• Washington Post: "Bush Inflated Threat From Iraq's Banned Weapons, Report Says"
  
• Bloomberg: "Bush Oversimplified Iraq Intelligence, Report Says"
  
• Reuters: "Bush misused Iraq intelligence - US Senate report"

I know, we can call him "The Mis-Leader", perfect!

Spank You Very Much, Hillary

Yours Truly,
North Carolina

Now get out, already!

Obama Points the Way

obamapoint0339, originally uploaded by Watts4.

Fellow North Carolinians, the time has come to place your vote, and I'm expecting better results from us than those smarty-pants folks in CA, NY, PA, OH, etc.
Yesterday after church, an older man came up to me and said he had seen me on Monday. At first, I thought he must have seen me driving around town or something.
But this gentleman had seen me at the Obama rally. He had waited in those long lines because he thinks Obama is the best chance we've ever had to make a difference. He thinks Obama is the one person who can best deal with the folks in the Middle East. He thinks Obama can make America great again. And I couldn't agree with him more.
I gave him some 3D glasses and some pictures from the rally, and implored him to go vote on Tuesday. His response: "I already have".
So fellow North Carolinians, I implore you, go vote tomorrow, and vote for a real change.

Update: Not soon after I posted this, that older gentleman just stopped by our house and dropped off a big bucket of fresh strawberries, from his farm. Found out he took his grandson (who I've played ball with) to the rally. Gotta love NC!

Hillary's Curse

Eight Belles, the only filly in the Kentucky Derby, had to be euthanized on the track.
Thank Hillary. From ABC News :

"Tragedy struck the first filly in the Kentucky Derby since 1999, as Eight Belles went down on the track after her second-place finish today, broke two ankles, and was euthanized.

Showing a sisterhood with the female horse, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., during a trip to Louisville this week had said she was going to bet on Eight Belles to win, place, and show....

... Eight Belles' trainer, Larry Jones, returned the love. "It looks like it could be the year for the girls," he said. "Eight Belles I’m sure would want to endorse.""

Military Spending Out of Control

Interesting article on AlterNet from Chalmers Johnson about how much we (mis)spend national defense:

"It is virtually impossible to overstate the profligacy of what our government spends on the military. The Department of Defense's planned expenditures for the fiscal year 2008 are larger than all other nations' military budgets combined. The supplementary budget to pay for the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not part of the official defense budget, is itself larger than the combined military budgets of Russia and China. Defense-related spending for fiscal 2008 will exceed $1 trillion for the first time in history. The U.S. has become the largest single seller of arms and munitions to other nations on Earth. Leaving out President Bush's two on-going wars, defense spending has doubled since the mid-1990s. The defense budget for fiscal 2008 is the largest since the second world war.

Before we try to break down and analyze this gargantuan sum, there is one important caveat. Figures on defense spending are notoriously unreliable. The numbers released by the Congressional Reference Service and the Congressional Budget Office do not agree with each other. Robert Higgs, senior fellow for political economy at the Independent Institute, says: "A well-founded rule of thumb is to take the Pentagon's (always well publicized) basic budget total and double it.""

Only so many places we can cut, and we need to make cuts. Our military spending is hurting us in the pocketbook (not to mention the immorality of the Iraq invasion/occupation, or the fact that it has actually worked against our national interest, making us less safe). Time to regroup.

Barry & Me

Mike Easley, Wanker

He looks scared to me.

Maybe he endorsed Hillary out of fear. Maybe, just maybe, Hillary promised him something for his endorsement. Ambassador Easley has a nice ring to it.

The Guv is on his way out, hope he enjoys clinging to Hillary and Bill while they fold.