Hillary Supporters for McCain

Oh, this stuff is rich, and I mean rich:

Donald Trump: Politico.com

"I'm with him based on the fact that I have great knowledge of John McCain. Also, this is not the right time for tax increases. And Obama wants to increase your taxes drastically.”

Well, maybe not your taxes. But certainly The Donald’s: Obama would repeal President Bush tax cuts for households making more than $250,000."

Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild: LA Times

"She and her husband, Sir Evelyn Robert Adrian de Rothschild of the prominent Rothschild banking family of England, split their time between New York and a British country estate. ...

In a July interview with CNN, Rothschild explained why, despite Clinton's calls for party unity, she couldn't back Obama. "I don't like him," she said. "I feel like he is an elitist.""

With supporters like these, who needs enemies?

Tutu for You

Desmond Tutu is one of my favorite people, he just has that great smile and positive outlook on things even when the forecast is bleak. He has a terrific article that shines hope for America's future:

"For several years now, American pundits have commented sadly on the alleged rise of anti-Americanism abroad.

I am not aware of any such anti-Americanism. What has been growing is resentment of and opposition to certain, current U.S. government policies. America itself still stands tall in international eyes as a stronghold of democratic values and the ideals of individual liberty. All that remains is for informed citizens to stand up in November and call the country back to its roots."

I wish more folks had his good nature.

761

Seven hundred and sixty-one. Tom Engelhardt has an enlightening article over at Alternet called:

The US Has 761 Military Bases Across the Planet, and We Simply Never Talk About It

You would think that all of this would be genuine news, that the establishment of new bases would regularly generate significant news stories, that books by the score would pour out on America's version of imperial control. But here's the strange thing: We garrison the globe in ways that really are -- not to put too fine a point on it -- unprecedented, and yet, if you happen to live in the United States, you basically wouldn't know it; or, thought about another way, you wouldn't have to know it.

In Washington, our garrisoning of the world is so taken for granted that no one seems to blink when billions go into a new base in some exotic, embattled, war-torn land. There's no discussion, no debate at all. News about bases abroad, and Pentagon basing strategy, is, at best, inside-the-fold stuff, meant for policy wonks and news jockeys. There may be no subject more taken for granted in Washington, less seriously attended to, or more deserving of coverage.

The article is rather long, but this is one of those stories that deserves more attention than the lipstick-laden pig.

Still a Hole (Where My Heart NY Used to Be)

Flew over the WTC site this past weekend, still a hole 7 years later. A-hole.

Reminds me we still don't have the bastards who planned and financed this dastardly deed, either. I'm still mad. I still want to get even, get justice for those poor innocent folks who died on 9/11.

3D NYC Folks

MSM Needs Accountability (like Teachers)

Since the 2004 election, I've been wondering about the intelligence of the American voter. In large part, the Mainstream Media is responsible for our collective lack of knowledge on important issues that face the country. Here's an idea that Republicans might like since it has worked so well for teachers:

From Common Dreams: "Perhaps, we can introduce a system of merit pay for reporters and news producers in which their pay depends on their success in educating the public on key issues, just as many school districts make the pay of schoolteachers dependent on how well their students perform.

Schoolteachers whose students perform badly don't get raises and could even get fired. Imagine that we applied the same standards to CBS, NBC, NPR and The Washington Post. If their audience couldn't answer basic questions about important public policy issues, then the reporters responsible get their pay cut. If the audiences are especially poorly informed, then the reporters get fired.

Unfortunately, this sort of accountability in the media doesn't exist. Most political reporters sound like high school drama coaches as they spend their time talking about candidates' appearance and speaking mannerisms. They almost never bother to discuss the positions advocated by the candidates - that might require a few minutes of real work."

If the MSM did this, news on TV would be worth watching!

McCain Taps Tina Fey

McCains Brain - video powered by Metacafe

In a bold attempt to attract a younger, more beautiful and enthusiastic audience, John McCain shocked the world and tapped NBC sitcom star Tina Fey for the VP slot.





Fey beat out challenges from both Sharon Osbourne and Valerie Bertinelli.

Catching Up with John Edwards

The New Republic has a terrific article out about the National Enquirer and how they got the goods on John Edwards. It's not pretty, I just wish we had real reporters working this hard on real important stories:

"For two weeks, a team of four reporters-including Alan Smith, who broke the Donna Rice scandal-staked out Hunter's OB/GYN office until she was spotted and snapped outside a nearby grocery store on December 12. "The picture you see where she looks like Camilla Parker Bowles took fifteen days," reporter Alan Butterfield, who was at the scene, remembers. "We sat in our car."

Before publishing the photograph on December 19, the Enquirer pressed Edwards to confirm the story, Perel says. Edwards's attorney offered to provide a sworn affidavit that his client hadn't fathered Hunter's child, but, according to two former Edwards staffers, Edwards never signed one. Perel says the paper also offered Edwards the chance to take a polygraph test; if he passed, Perel would kill the story. Edwards declined the offer."

It could have ended there, everybody was covering up pretty good. Then came the incident at the Beverly Hills Hilton. Read the whole article, but amaze yourself with this moment first:

"Shortly after 2 a.m, Hitchen saw McGovern return to the lobby. Expecting Edwards to take the elevator to the basement where he could escape through a rear stairwell, the reporter positioned himself at the bottom of the stairs. Edwards popped out of the elevator and started up the stairs.

Then Hitchen pounced. "Mr. Edwards, Alexander Hitchen, from the National Enquirer. Would you like to say why you were at the hotel this evening to see your mistress Rielle Hunter and your love child?" he asked. Edwards froze and "turned pale," Hitchen remembers. Edwards made a move for the top of the stairs but Butterfield, standing with a photographer, was blocking the exit. "He ducked, tucked, and ran," Butterfield says. The Enquirer reporters ran after him, Hitchen asking questions all the while. "Do you think for the sake of your child, you should admit paternity?" he said.

Edwards said nothing."

Ouch. Here's more from the National Enquirer:

McCain's Georgia Problem

McCain's top foreign policy adviser is up to his eyeballs in the Russia/Georgia conflict:

If there's any comic relief in the war between Russia and Georgia, it's this statement from Randy Scheunemann, John McCain's top foreign policy adviser: "In the twenty-first century, nations don't invade other nations." Coming from America's No. 1 advocate for invading Iraq -- Scheunemann headed the neocon-inspired Committee for the Liberation of Iraq in 2002 -- that's rich. Or perhaps Scheunemann thinks the US invasion of Iraq happened in an earlier century.

What's not funny, though, is Scheunemann's ties to Georgia. Where's the outrage? Why isn't there a congressional investigation of the McCain's adviser's entanglements?

It's no laughing matter that McCain's top adviser is multiply connected to Georgia, whose ill-advised assault on Russian positions in South Ossetia fully qualifies it as the first, overtly American-allied "rogue nation."....

...Indeed, there's a nice Iraq-Georgia connection through Scheunemann: the offices of Orion Strategies shared the same address as the neocon-inspired Iraqi National Congress, founded by charlatan Ahmed Chalabi

Update:
Putin Accuses US of Starting Georgia Crisis as Election Ploy

@U2, Even Better Than the Real Thing

@U2.com is simply the best U2 website out there, including U2.com. I link to articles there every now and again and post in their forum pretty often.

But now @U2 is making me a whore. That's right, I'm selling the soul of the watts4u2 blog to enter a contest to win 3 CDs I already have (well, I have the unremastered versions), plus a few songs that didn't make the cut originally, and one or two that were added to recently in some fashion. I hear the boxes and artwork are nice though, and since I have virtually everything they've ever released and then some, I sure would like to win those.

Seriously though, I don't have them but I want them. I can't justify the expenditure to my wife or myself for that matter. But to win them? Mmmmm, I'm feeling giddy all over, that would be so exciting.

Sold!

Update: Look at the winner, who posted after me: Hello Mimi - @U2 Whore
What a great concept.

Not the Georgia with Atlanta in it

For those interested in the Russian/Georgia conflict, Ted Galen Carpenter at CATO has a tasty scouring for our current policy:

"One passage in the president's statement is cause for alarm, however. He announced that he was directing Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to execute a "humanitarian mission to the people of Georgia, headed by the United States military." Bush stated that a C-17 transport plane loaded with humanitarian supplies was already on its way, and that in the days ahead U.S. military aircraft and naval forces would be tasked with delivering aid.

That is a reckless move. The supposed cease-fire that was proclaimed on Tuesday seems largely ineffectual. Without a reliable truce in place, U.S. military forces would be entering a volatile war zone. Moreover, there was no indication that Bush was asking the Russians for permission. Indeed, his statement had all the characteristics of a demand — or a dare. "We expect Russia to ensure that all lines of communication and transport, including seaports, airports, roads, and airspace remain open for the delivery of humanitarian assistance."

The arrogance of that position is breathtaking. When a major cyclone created widespread devastation in Burma earlier this year, some proponents of humanitarian aid urged the U.S. military to compel delivery even in the teeth of opposition from the Burmese junta. American leaders rejected their pleas, however, deeming such an operation to be too dangerous. Apparently that situation was considered more dangerous than barging into a war zone where the military forces of a nuclear-armed power are conducting military operations.

Washington is creating a situation in which one nervous or trigger-happy Russian soldier could ignite an extremely ugly and perilous confrontation."

Let me put it this way.... if we decided the border with Mexico was a military problem, if we decided to enforce our border down there.... what the hell business is that for Russia? Would we allow them to use military transport to bring humanitarian aid to say, Tijuana? Let's go a step further.... let's say Russia also is building "missile defense" systems for El Salvador, Colombia and Venezuela.

Maybe we have some folks in Washington who can look at both sides of an issue? If not, maybe we can elect some this year, whayddaya say?

That Red Button

Philip Butler went to the Naval Academy and roomed across the hall from John McCain. Later, he roomed with McCain at the Hanoi Hilton, so this is a guy that knows McCain well, and he says:

"Most of us who survived that experience are now in our late 60's and 70's. Sadly, we have died and are dying off at a greater rate than our non-POW contemporaries. We experienced injuries and malnutrition that are coming home to roost. So I believe John's age (73) and survival expectation are not good for being elected to serve as our President for 4 or more years.

I can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced first hand. Folks, quite honestly that is not the finger I want next to that red button."

Really interesting article from someone who has known McCain for almost 50 years.

Dear Colin

Ray McGovern (a CIA analyst for 20+ years), has written an open letter to his friend and colleague Colin Powell. You gotta read this one if you ever cared for ol' Colin. There is still work left for this soldier to do if he truly wants to be an American hero and patriot:

Dear Colin,

You have said you regret the “blot” on your record caused by your parroting spurious intelligence at the U.N. to justify war on Iraq. On the chance you may not have noticed, I write to point out that you now have a unique opportunity to do some rehab on your reputation.

If you were blindsided, well, here’s an opportunity to try to wipe off some of the blot. There is no need for you to end up like Lady Macbeth, wandering around aimlessly muttering, Out damn spot…or blot.

It has always strained credulity, at least as far as I was concerned, to accept the notion that naiveté prevented you from seeing through the game Vice President Dick Cheney and then-CIA Director George Tenet were playing on Iraq.

And I was particularly suspicious when you chose to ignore the strong dissents of your own State Department intelligence analysts who, as you know, turned out to be far more on target than counterparts in more servile agencies.

It was equally difficult for me to believe that you thought that, by insisting that shameless George Tenet sit behind you on camera, you could ensure a modicum of truth in your speech before the U.N. Security Council. You were far savvier than that.

That is certainly the impression I got from our every-other-morning conversations in the mid-80s, before I went in to brief the President’s Daily Brief to your boss, then-Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger, one-on-one. ...

continue to article

Goodbye John Edwards

I told ya, back on 12/19/07, that the Enquirer was onto something. Now it's out there, he's admitted it.

Who was Edwards to think he could run, when this story has been 'out there' since well before the primaries began? Dude.

I've liked Edwards for the most part during his brief political career. A few of of my first blog posts were about Edwards back when he shone like a meteor, taking his Senate seat to the national stage, contending for two presidential nominations. Now he is gone. Toast. Worm meal. Lower than a crawdad's belly in a sink full of soaking hot seaweed.

At least his wife was in remission at the time?

At least it's not his baby, that we know of, yet?

At least he didn't love her?

Dude? Dude.....

I say this as a joke, but you know there's some truth here:
I think he could have done better than that, I mean it's not like she's super hot, or a brewery heiress or something. Color me disappointed.