It's Better to Fight and Lose and Fight Again Tomorrow then Compromise Way Too Much Today

Hello Papamoka Bloggers - I think Governor Howard Dean and Democratic Party strategist James Carville have it right when they suggest that we Democrats should be willing to go it alone on health care/insurance reform, and if the Republicans succeed in defeating it by whatever means, then we should go after them at the ballot box where real issues get sorted out.

I don't think President Obama is right to fight for just any bill. Who cares if the Republicans will call it a loss, or the "end of his presidency." That is all crap and we know it. The kind of reform bill we get is more important.

Dean has been saying it for a while, but Carville is now agreeing with the strategy. Carville's sharp political mind is usually right, and I think Democratic leaders need to listen. Compromising with the Blue Dogs and the Republicans could hurt us more than help us. Half-ass health care reform will not win votes. If anything, it could hurt the party by repressing future Democratic voter turnout.

When Americans are told the truth, a public option (or even single-payer) is the reform most sought-after. The lies and propaganda are effective, but over time the truth will win over voters. Carville is right. Democrats need to stand firm for what is right. Republicans may see defeating health care reform as a victory, but politically it could also be their Waterloo. It's a fact the truth usually wins in the end.

If we lose while trying to pass real reform, the debate will continue since the issue won't just go away. In the meantime, the party of NO will pay the price. They will need a hell of a lot of dirty industry money to keep fighting the fight, and that will come with a high price. If Democrats pass a bad bill that does very little to control costs, or worse increase costs, it could mean a victory for Republicans in the future.

Think about it, if we fight very hard yet lose, it will go a long way to motivate the base for the upcoming mid-term elections. At least that sounds right to me.

I'm no expert, but half-ass reform requiring insurance companies to absorb more risk (by requiring them to take pre-existing conditions and sick people) will probably encourage them to raise rates. Regulations without real reform (controlling costs by reforming the whole system) will probably only add to our problems.

One of my favorite progressive talk radio hosts and political/sociological thinkers is Thom Hartmann, and he thinks we should simplify things by allowing Americans to buy into the Medicare/Medicaid system. The result would be a public option that is already popular with the American people. Republicans and health industry lobbyists would have a tough time fighting against that kind of option. I think that's an idea that deserves more study.

No matter what, I am no longer that angry with our Democratic leaders. I now see just how much they're up against. I see the propaganda, the lies being told every day. I see the amount of money being thrown at the opposition. If anything, I'm angry with the rank-and-file Republicans and their lack of moral fiber.

It's true. Instead of debating the issue logically and trying to learn more about how the health insurance industry is bankrupting America, and how millions of people are dying for no good reason, ordinary Republicans are foolishly buying all the crap that's being thrown at them. They seem so willing to swallow horrible, shocking lies.

Rank-and-file Republicans must think very little of Democrats to think we would want to kill old people or deny people care. They all seem too willing to believe the lies.

Where was their passion in the past? They allowed themselves to swallow billions and trillions in debt-spending when it came to wars and half-ass government reforms (prescription drug benefits) benefiting big pharm under Bush/Cheney, but have practically risen in armed revolt at the prospect of saving AMERICAN lives under real health care reform.

Let's face it, Republican unwillingness to consider any kind health care reform could be considered both immoral and unAmerican, because millions of Americans are suffering and dying every day. When you boil it all down, it's simply about saving lives. That is a moral issue, no matter how you spin it.

I hope our Democratic leaders continue to fight for what is right. I agree more with Howard Dean than Bill Clinton. Clinton and Obama think any reform is good, while Dean says that real reform is the only way to go - win or lose. Sometimes you just have to fight for what is right. Go Dean!!!

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

Let's Focus on Fixing What They Broke

Hello Papamoka Bloggers - Well, it looks like George W. Bush is leaving office having eliminated nearly 4 million jobs and leaving us in a nightmare of a recession. He didn't quite wipe out the gains of the nineties, but he came close. WOW! That is amazing, and sad.

The official unemployment rate is now at 7.2% and when you throw in the under-employed and those who simply fell out the system, economists say it's more like 14%. Of course the far right is already saying that it's the Democrat's or Obama's fault, but the rest of us know better. They were in charge - despite their ignorant belief we were after the 2006 election, filibusters be damned - and they destroyed our system. Now we need to tune them out and pick up the pieces.

So, despite the bad news, I chose to rave this morning. Why? Because I choose to remain optimistic. One way to remain optimistic and start the healing process is to reflect on success in the past. In 1992, when Bill Clinton was elected President, the American economy was barely creating jobs, wages were stagnant, and the unemployment rate was 7.5 percent. Sound familiar? That was under another Republican, and a Bush. I guess the Republicans loved those days so much they elected his son to do it all over again.

Obama's new economic plan is similar to Clinton’s at that time, however, whereas Clinton focused heavily on fiscal responsibility and debt reduction, Obama is forced to to renew parts of Roosevelt's New Deal. His bold economic strategy is focused on: government spending designed to spur growth, investing in education, and health care reform.

Once the bleeding has stopped, he also wants to focus on investing in green energy and other new industries. It's sill unclear what he'll do about Clinton's love of trade deals, so I guess we'll have to wait and see. I only hope he cares more about FAIR TRADE at the expense of free trade.

Still, if you consider what Clinton achieved, the strategy helped create over 22.4 million jobs and contributed to the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. WOW! Despite the idiotic opposition that always tries to take credit for the good while passing the buck on the bad, Democrats should be confident that we have what it takes to fix what George Bush and the Republicans broke.

So, let's try to be optimistic. Obama is not just a new beginning, he's a brilliant man, well suited to fixing the mess we're in now. He's working on creative solutions, perhaps taking the best of Clinton while adding his own bit of ingenuity.

That's what is so cool about the American system. Over the past eight years we Americans, or at least Democrats, have been envious of other countries with Parliamentary systems. We all know Bush would have suffered a vote of no confidence years ago. Our system is flawed, but the abusive presidents like Bush are few, while the number of very good, creative presidents, who accomplished great things, are clearly the majority.

So, we should be happy. We sustained a great deal of damage, the unemployment rate continues to skyrocket, but the ship of state is still afloat, and we have a captain who understands what must be done to repair her. It's not going to be easy, but then again, tough times aren't meant to be easy. They're meant to challenge, test men of good character, weed out the bad ones, and create new solutions. It's time for a fresh start, and soon we will have it.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

George Bush single handedly destroyed the respect most foreign nations had for America simply because he could. In Bush’s private little war in Iraq and outright refusal to use diplomacy, he has made the office of Secretary of State impotent and almost pointless. George Bush is not well known for the diplomatic talent of his father and all over the world they now look at America as the bullying nation carrying not only a big stick but a constant threat against nations that do not see the Bush philosophy of “With us or against us” mentality.

How amazingly simple is it to see that the next Secretary of State needs to not only be a diplomat, well rounded on world events, but carries a resume that includes a spouse that is a previous President of the Untied States of America. Not that Hillary needs Bill Clinton to do the job, but it sure as hell could help that a popular U.S. President around the world just might be traveling with the Secretary of State on missions to repair relationships all over the world on behalf of the United States of America. Over at Gallup they have this latest poll on Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State…

Most Americans Back Idea of Clinton as Secretary of State
Nearly 8 in 10 Democrats favor the possibility

by Jeffrey M. Jones
PRINCETON, NJ -- A new Gallup Poll finds a majority of Americans (57%) in favor of Barack Obama appointing Hillary Clinton as the secretary of state in his administration. Thirty percent oppose it. - Gallup

Hillary Clinton no longer has to prove herself to the American people and could easily spend the rest of her political career as a Senator from New York. Not that she would languish in that position but I think she could do more for her country as a peace maker around the world with not just our allies but with many nations no longer friendly with the United States. If President Elect Barack Obama wants to talk with nations out of favor in todays political climate, then he needs an ace up his sleeve and Hillary Clinton and her husband are in fact TWO aces! In her position as Secretary of State she would not be a thorn but an extremely well placed political asset in the diplomatic corps for her nation.

It would be a huge mistake for the President Elect to even think of not insisting that he has made his choice for Secretary of State and it is Hillary Clinton. It is the President Elects choice and Hillary Clinton is the one he wants for the position and that should be the end of the discussion. Frankly, I honestly believe that this is a done deal already and I firmly endorse it. Hillary Clinton earned the position on her own merits.

Then there are the detractors that say that former President Bill Clinton is the cause for all the media hype over this issue. Get over it, Bill Clinton will not be the Secretary of State but he will be a brilliant advisor to the Secretary of State and the President as to how we as a nation can restore trust and faith in America. Isn’t that what we the people really want? Isn’t that why we voted for Obama in the first place? If our President Elect wants Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State then she will in fact be our next Secretary of State. Congratulations to you Senator Clinton.

Papamoka

My thanks to Memeorandum for this news tip...

*****My twin Brotha from anotha Mutha has linked in at the Gun Toting Liberal! Thank you GTL...

CBS Says What Caused Financial Crisis, Now Let's Ask Who?

Hello Papamoka Bloggers - Did any of you watch the 60 Minutes report last night that explained one of the main reasons we're in this financial mess today? The CBS report explained what Warren Buffet once called "financial weapons of mass destruction," referring to credit derivatives or the now-dreaded credit default swaps. Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes did a FANTASTIC story explaining the multi-trillion dollar market.

We should all be aware of how our elected representatives acted LIKE IDIOTS! We all need to be aware of how President CLINTON and the Republican Congress of 2000 (supported by our weak and pathetic Democrats) pushed legislation SUPPORTED BY WALL STREET AND GREENSPAN to allow gambling on Wall Street. Wow, I'm even happier we chose Obama and not Hillary. I really don't want Bill anywhere near the White House now.

The derivatives market is thought to have been one of the most important reasons why some of the biggest financial institutions in the world crashed this year. As the report explains, the new derivatives are nothing more than legalized gambling, which allow you to wager on financial outcomes without ever having to actually buy the stocks and bonds and mortgages. See the whole report here.

I've been aware of the many pieces of deregulation legislation pushed by leading Republicans that lead to market erosion, but I was stunned to learn of this specific piece of legislation that allowed the same gambling many believe caused the first Great Depression. It was supposedly pushed by Alan Greenspan himself during the last few hours of the Clinton presidency, which is why many believe it was carried overwhelmingly by both parties. They trusted him, the MORONS!

I will be doing my own research into the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 to find out more about WHO WE SHOULD BLAME! I need to know more about who pushed it, and who dropped the ball in investigating it. As citizens we are paying for these mistakes, so it is up to us to find out which of our elected officials SCREWED UP! This goes beyond parties. This is about corruption. I want to know who did this and why. This is only the beginning, so stay tuned.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

Penn Campaign Coverage

Just for the fun of it I'll be reporting on the latest and greatest on the campaign outcome. Check back often.

Papamoka

Clearer Sense of Politics

With all the back and forth of the political process between Hillary and Barack I’m ready to file the divorce papers for them. Not from their respective spouses but from one another as Democrats. Let me explain a little further.

All of the useless politics that have been going on between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has amounted to nothing but great material for Republican talk radio. Over at the McCain campaign they should be writing down all the bashing these two are doing to one another so they can throw it up in the winners face. If I were advising McCain I know that is what I would do but don’t tell anyone about that little factoid. Mum is the word on that topic.

She dodged bullets that never existed in Bosnia and he dodged a comment from his pastor caught in a sound bite when he was not there to hear it. He said, she said is all there is to report lately on this election for the next Democrat candidate for President of the United States of America.

These are the times for campaigns to go mega negative and these are the times that make voters cringe. We won’t see the end of this race in the Democrat primary simply because there will be no outcome accepted by one or both of the candidates. That is not a bad thing because it exposes the reasons why many moderate Republican voters should vote for the eventual Democrat nominee in the general election against John McCain. Looking at the bigger picture John McCain has not one person to argue against on his positions on any issue. He’s omnipotent in this election to date. He has been literally declared the next President by many in the main stream media leaning right on politics even though the people have not voted. That sounds to familiar to the current administration with their Pharaoh like mentality of so let it be written, so let it be done.

Maybe the folks still voting need to look at not just the sound bites on the news but the combined persons that can beat John McCain in the general election. I’ll give the Clinton campaign credit for having the former President’s political machine but that isn’t enough to beat the Maverick McCain. I’ll give the Obama campaign credit for being enthusiastic in engaging the young of America to vote but that is not enough to beat the Bush/Rove/McCain machine to keep a Republican in the White House. So what will work?

Consolidation of the Democrat Party prior to the convention in Boulder, Colorado is the only answer. In no way can this political party go to the convention divided over a delegate count. That would only play to the Republican thought process that the Democrat’s do not know what they want but we do. Common sense begs for a merger of two political machines and if they do not see that as individuals then the Clinton and Obama camp’s can kiss the White House and a Democrat in it in 2009 goodbye.

Papamoka

Cross posted at MichealLinnJones.com , To the Center and Bring It On!

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Obama Family Made Big Bucks?

Let me first start out that this is an in the tank slam on the Obama campaign for President from MSNBC. While his tax filings are released, his opponent, the well respected foggy memory Senator from New York are not. I might also point out that out of all the Democrat candidates in the original field of candidates, Barack Obama was among the poorest of the mega millionaires.

Why is this even a story plays into the racial card that the Clinton campaign unleashed with the Reverend Wright matter. If black people are not supposed to make it in the big time roll of millionaires and politics then Oprah and Bill Cosby should just sit down and shut the hell up. I don't think so! Screw you MSNBC!

The beginning of this lead story on MSNBC should have read that the Clinton family has not as yet released their tax returns but the Obama family has. Yellow journalism is alive and well at this story over at MSNBC…

Obama's tax returns show leap in income
The family's best year came in 2005 with a combined income of $1.6 million

By Jim Popkin
Senior Investigative Producer, NBC News
updated 4:05 p.m. ET, Tues., March. 25, 2008

WASHINGTON - The tax returns for Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, offer new insights into the power couple's rising fortunes. They chronicle the candidate's rise from state legislator to U.S. senator and beyond.

The tax returns are dated between 2000 and 2006, showing a steep increase in family income.

For example, the first return indicates that the Obamas' combined income was $240,505. That included Obama's salary as a young state senator in Illinois, $16,500 in fees as a "foundation director/educational speaker," and his wife's salary as a hospital administrator.

But just six years later in 2006, the Obamas' combined income was $983,826, some $740,000 more. Obama had become a U.S. senator by then, making about $165,000 a year, and his wife's income from the University of Chicago Medical Center had sharply climbed to about $265,000 a year.

Obama's book-writing career had also become profitable, earning him $551,240 in author fees for 2006 alone.

Michelle Obama also made an additional $51,200 that year, as working as the director of TreeHouse Foods. According to the company's website, it's a "food manufacturer servicing primarily the retail grocery and foodservice chains."

The Obamas' best financial year came in 2005, when their total combined income was $1.6 million. That included $1.2 million in author fees for Obama's best-selling books. Michelle Obama's salary that year was $316,962 plus another $45,000 from TreeHouse Foods. - MSNBC

Maybe we need to be realistic and ask how much Bill Clinton as a former President of the United States of America gets for every speech he gives. Last I heard it was upward of $100,000 bucks for thirty to forty minutes worth of breath from Bill Clinton to spew his sense of reality to any organization with the check book big enough to pay him. Good for him to be able to take that kind of coin down!

Maybe we need to look at what Senator Clinton made off of her book deals. Not that having a book in print is a crime but that income is a play on politics just as Obama’s was so is Obama a bad person for making money off of a book deal?

Mud is flying and the press is just as guilty as the political campaigns of both candidates. What this story from MSNBC stunk, stank, and filled the back of my throat with bile was the simple fact that they do not think a Black African American should be making that kind of money? Baffles my mind!

What bothers me is not how the story was placing facts as much as it was the manner of the facts. He made X amount of dollars and his wife made X amount of dollars as if it was all ill gotten income and not deserved. Again, Screw you MSNBC!

Barack Obama and his wife Michelle earned their lot in life the hard way and overcame the many obstacles that our society threw at them. I give them full credit for a job well done and hope my children can be half as good in their life travels.

In this latest phase of the political campaign for President it seems that a black man is not allowed to have a life with financial gains even though his Harvard education and life mission is to be in public service. Hillary Clinton is somehow absolved of this guilt trip.

Hillary’s income is clean but Barack Obama’s is wrong? That is political stereo typing gone wrong and the Main Stream Media is playing it up as if the Obama’s do not deserve to have a life with rewards based on the same life mission.

Papamoka

Cross posted at MichaelLinnJones.com

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Republican Retirement or Abandon Ship?

With the new addition of Davis from Virginia dropping out or resigning from Congress the list of Republican’s fleeing public service is alarming. In some respects I’m glad that they are jumping ship but while they are jumping off, the seats they leave vacant may just be filled with Democrats. That leads me to the thought that this just might be the greatest political set up in history if you look at the economy.

Would it not be Karl Rove and W as a personal joke on America to chuck us all the bird one last time by scuttling the economy just to say screw you for not liking them more? When it comes to trust and Karl or George, they don’t deserve the courtesy of even the simplest of it.

When you really think about it and just for giggles assume that one of the Democrat’s takes the White House in 08, the Congress and Senate are all a majority of Democrat’s, and our nations economy tanks. Who will the people blame for the next eight years? Don’t place your bets on the gentleman jumping out of politics from the red and right side of the aisle accepting any blame. Regardless of the damage they have all done in the past to the nation, the blame will rest on who is in office when the crash comes.

Last week the Federal Reserve dropped rates by three quarters of a point and one week later (Today) they dropped it again. Our economy is in serious trouble and those that will serve in the next term in Congress will face the crisis of a century. Republican’s are jumping ship because our nations future will be that ugly. The well has run dry and the game is up. They fear the future and know damn well that they screwed it up big time. Where the Republican’s saw the protectionism of a free market was the undoing of our nations economy. Free markets without gentleman rules other than who can grab the most bucks the quickest does not work. AKA home lending crisis. Who can race a company to the bankruptcy courts first but take down hundred million dollar bonuses does not work.

Not to be too depressing, only the people that look out for all of the people can get our nation through a tough recession and it is not done by huge tax cuts for the millionaires and billionaires amongst us. Our nation will get through the coming recession by legislation that looks more to the interest of where the majority of the people are in the middle and lower classes. That is not a favorite group for Republican’s in any political speech. That might just be why thet are bailing public service in droves. When the economic glass is not even half full we need leaders that think in terms of hope and not what is in it for me. The millionaires and billionaires will ride this storm out but you and I will face the full storm of what a real recession is. In eight years from now the speeches of your lot in life being better now or eight years ago will rise up from the dust and they will promise the world from the seats that never felt your pain. And just like the post Great Depression days the party of change is in the Democrat’s hand and they will need to prove their steel.

It is simply ironic that John McCain has forgotten his roots and became more Liberal in politics in the original race against Bush but then became Bush for this election. Then again Hillary Clinton has become more right wing with her voting record and yet claims to be a Progressive Democrat. I don’t get where she and Bill call themselves the first Black President? Hillary isn’t Black and neither is Bill? Neither has lived or stepped in the footsteps of a black American person and saying you are black is just wrong.

Both front runners play the game but the end result is not about the people in either of their messages. It’s about the power of the Presidency for them alone. That is not what the Presidency is all about. We elect our President based on our opinions and life situation. We do not elect them on why they demand our vote.

In the days to come I believe Barack Obama is the only hope that we as a nation have in his Roosevelt and Kennedy like message of change. I find myself thinking that he is the only light in the path that we all will be forced to follow because of the past Republican sell out of America. He didn’t create the problems but he has the power to unite us all as a nation to get the American people through it.

One politician is not America but one President at the right place and time can make hope a possibility. One can not bind hope in any political message or advertisement but the only one that shines is Obama when it comes to hope. Hope is just what it means. It isn’t about fear of war, fear of terrorist attacks and it isn’t about who did what in the past in the civil rights movement. It is about our nations future. Hope is definitely not about a flag draped casket coming home from Iraq or Afghanistan. That was George W. Bush idea of hope. That isn’t working out so good these days is it?

Papamoka

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McCain and NH Victory Speech Doubt

Somebody tell me that they thought John McCain was totally blown away that he actually won New Hampshire just by the way he gave his victory speech. He was no more prepared for the win than a new bride is for her divorce papers two days after the ceremony. Senator McCain read his entire speech from freaking cue cards that he brought to the stage with him. Cue cards that he probably found in an old forgotten election in New Hampshire. I’m sure there was a few lines that were crossed out or written over but it was the worst speech of the night.



I simply could not get past that he kept his eyes down reading from the cards and would look up when he read three or four words ahead and back down went his head. It happened throughout his entire speech! It was the worst possible performance coming from a man that just kicked Governor Mitt Romney’s ass.

Having watched John Edwards give his speech from the losers but winners circle he spoke from his heart and you could feel the connection. The heart and pulse of his election was in his personal words mixed in with his points on why folks in other states with elections coming up should not count him out. He isn’t giving up and it was there in his words, his heart felt conviction that there is still hope for his candidacy. Not from cue cards but from the gut.

Same thing with Governor Huckabee, thanking friends and supporters and all the people of New Hampshire. Good old Huckabee was impressed that we New Englanders actually knew what hospitality is? All the time Mike Huckabee was in full eye contact with the crowd and his supporters, no cue cards, just Huckabee telling the folks of New Hampshire how glad he was he discovered them to be… um… people. Southerners, in Huckabee’s opinion have a very wrong opinion of us New Englanders. Somebody should tell him that we stopped burning witches centuries ago but with the current cost of home heating prices it might come up on a ballot somewhere. No offense to witches or Wican life intended.

Then we had the stadium speech from Barack Obama and yet a continued message of hope for the next day, the next race, and he spoke with conviction from his heart to the people in the stadium. One of the many differences of the Obama speech was all the people at his concession location. He has the wave going and he needs to rock it forward and get the younger voters as well as the older voters motivated to actually vote. He’s making it rough for Hillary but she is making it just as rough for him with a well placed near tear sob.

All of the other candidates talked from the hip with the emphasis that they were there and connected to the people of New Hampshire. I have to admit I see a little of JFK and FDR in Obama because he isn’t selling fear, desperation, anger, hate or even outright rage. His speech to the folks of New Hampshire was thankful and full of hope. Not many are offering that and that is why he will do well across America. He may have lost the vote count but Hillary and Barrack both walked out of New Hampshire with the same result. Two votes for the convention. End result is a tie.

John McCain, I still don’t get why he didn’t shoot from the hip and speak his mind. It was almost as if he had to be somewhere else in less than thirty minutes and he found a speech that would get him to the airport on time. Key phrases only, stop the crowd from cheering too loud so you don’t loose your place, more key phrase like love of country, patriotism and keeping America safe. The whole speech sounded like he had not written it himself and he bought it from a very poor political speech writer. Not many checks cashed for that speech writer I’m sure.

I won’t comment on Hillary’s speech because the race was to close to call and McCain’s speech was better than a sleeping pill. I went to bed just shaking my head.

One last thought on the outcome of New Hampshire is the Independent voters of the state. New Hampshire has over forty percent Independent voters and they can pick and choose which party to vote in the primary. That is why the polls were all wrong across the board. Throw out the race card from Chris Matthews and all the political hype on why Hillary won or McCain won. The Independent’s tossed the vote into never never land simply because New Hampshire is the Live Free or Die state.

Next state elections, Nevada, Michigan and South Carolina. Let’s see who shows up and what spin they have as a candidate in each state. It’s amazing to see the candidates on the right lean extreme right in the South and then try and hide it in the northern states.

This election has not even started as yet and we have the next phase of playing to the political base of each party coming up. Then we have the fun of watching all the main stream media and political polls getting it wrong again.

Papamoka

Cross posted at Michael Linn Jones

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A WALTZ DOWN MEMORY LANE IN 2009

BY MICHAEL LINN JONES

I've grown weary of the constant schoolyard buzz whirling about presidential candidates. It has become tedious. And boring. I don't think I can take much more of reading tea leaves to predict who is going to win Iowa, or New Hampshire, etc. It has become so predictable that I've decided to just leap ahead a couple of years.

What my crystal ball tells me is no less accurate than professional pontificators, or any less honest. Well, I'll concede on the honesty part because with this crop of hopefuls outright lying is not beyond the realm of possibility.

But I digress from my digression. Assume for a moment that the year 2008 has come and gone, and we find ourselves a few months into 2009. Here I offer a small collection of what-might-as-well-be's:

President-elect Hillary Clinton stunned experts by naming her husband, former President Bill Clinton, as American Ambassador to Monaco. Relations with several European countries were strained upon learning that Bill Clinton "got to know" a number of female members of European royalty as well as the wives of prominent politicians. Republicans in Congress were also outraged that a special Presidential aircraft was permanently assigned to the "First Bubba" for his exclusive use. Demanding an all-female flight crew was the cherry on top for the opponents of the Clinton(s) administration.

By February 2009 it became fashionable (and required of White House reporters) to refer to the new president as "Hillary The Great." By March, President Hillary had issued more signing statements than former President George W. Bush had in his entire eight years of tenure. Some of the over 900 Presidential edicts are listed below:

Tax on cigarettes to be $150 per pack.
Possession of cigarettes to be a federal felony offense.
Frowning prohibited in public.
Any woman with a better physique than the president barred from federal employment (this resulted in a severe shortage of employees, solved only by a then-illegal data-mining of the Lane Bryant customer base.)

Tom Brady stunned the sporting world by simultaneously dating both Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. This might explain New England's 2-14 record after their Superbowl win the previous January.

Former President Bush was named as honorary President of Baylor University in recognition of his extraordinary grasp of economics. The university subsequently filed for bankruptcy. President Bush finally fulfilled his promise to sit on the porch of Trent Lott's Katrina-damaged chalet in Mississippi. The FEMA-financed cottage had somehow expanded into a 14,000 square foot monstrosity with a final cost of $18.7 million. Former President Bush observed that if it hadn't been for that Kelo decision the costs would have been much higher in running off all those poor folks whose land Trent needed.

Many were surprised that two hours after her inauguration, Hillary The Great ordered the arrest of Karl Rove and had him placed in Gitmo as an "enemy noncombatant." In a special signing statement, HTG announced that "enemy noncomatant" was anyone she didn't like, calling Rove a "fat slob" who needed "to be taught a lesson." Rove was released after 7 weeks, in large part due to the efforts of his supporters, who had purchased and established THE KARL ROVE PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT LIBARY (not a mis-spelling, that's the way they say library) in Tickturd, Texas. The library is a simple structure built in the middle of 40 acres of bull manure-infested pasture. "Seems kinda right to me," quipped one of the site workers.

With the total collapse of the home mortgage market in 2008, along with a number of large banks and corporations, the administration decided to take immediate action by using government funds in the oil commodities market. Citing the president's luck in cattle futures in Arkansas, the thought was that funds could thus be raised to bail out destitute speculators on the government's dime. This was known as "No Greedy Pig Left Behind."

It was not forseen (except by about 298 million Americans) that the price of oil would skyrocket. By March 2009 a barrel of oil peaked at $275 . President Clinton Her Ladyship pointed to the positive effects: with so few people actually having jobs or the money to get to work, the number of traffic deaths and injuries had plummeted. Al Gore was enthusiastic, noting that the atmosphere now looked a lot cleaner from the cabin of his private jet.

62 bridges collapsed in 2008, primarily caused by overloaded Mexican trucks. A Dept. of Transportation official said that a weight limit of 34 tons was being ignored, with many Mexican trucks topping 50 to 60 tons. However, this was cited as another example of the success of NAFTA. (???)

The Clinton adminstration blamed the infrastructure shortcomings on the Bush adminstration, who immediately placed the blame on the Clinton administration (no, the first one I mean), who immediately blamed it on the Bush administration (the first one, again), who immediately blamed it on Jimmy Carter. The Houses of Bush and Clinton finally agreed to blame everything on Jimmy Carter.

As we all look forward to 2010, we can thank our lucky stars that our leaders are looking out for us almost as much as they look after themselves.

Well, it's nice to think so, anyway.

Happy New Year!!!!
**********************
Cross-posted at Michaellinnjones.com

All We Have to Fear Are Candidates Selling Fear

BY MICHAEL LINN JONES

If one is fortunate they never experience the trauma of long-term and chronic fear. I agree wholeheartedly with the "fight or flight" syndrome; that is, when confronted with a threat we either avoid it or fight back if cornered.

But fear can also be used, manipulated. Very few Americans have ever heard of Bobby Sands. He was incarcerated at Long Kesh Prison for possession of firearms. Sands was a volunteer with the Irish Republican Army. Claiming that he and other IRA members were political, rather than criminal prisoners, he took part in a hunger strike. In May, 1981, Bobby Sands died.

Following his death there were numerous mock funerals for Mr. Sands. I was in the city of Limerick when one occurred there. It was the first time in my life that I saw fear on peoples' faces. Or trepidation. There was also anger, as the "funeral" was surrounded by an air of intimidation. If any business was open during the march down O'Connell Street, there were implied repercussions. What was eye-opening was the display of how civil authority could be so openly challenged.

That memory was the first thing to come to my mind when I read Bill Clinton Warns of "Unexpected", a Washington Post article by Alec MacGillis.

Addressing more than 100 supporters gathered at a VFW hall here, Clinton said that there were four reasons to vote for his wife: her vision, her plans, her experience -- the three reasons he has been giving in his stump speech until now -- plus, he said, a fourth, the threat of the unknown.

"Here's the other thing you need to know, the most important thing of all. You have to have a leader who is strong and commanding and convincing enough...to deal with the unexpected," he said. "There is a better than a 50 percent chance that sometime in the first year or 18 months of the next presidency something will happen that is not being discussed in this campaign. President Bush never talked about Osama Bin Laden and didn't foresee Hurricane Katrina. And if you're not ready for that then everything else you do can be undermined. You need a president that you trust to deal with something that we will not discuss in this campaign....And I think on this score she's the best of all."

I know that there are a number of endorsements for different candidates being offered. The best I can do is put forth a few "un-endorsements," specifically for two candidates. They are Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton. Guiliani has been a fear-monger from the get-go, and now we have the one man in America we can all trust telling us that his wife is our only salvation. From "it," whatever "it" is or will be.

Before contemplating who would be the best person to sit in the Oval Office on January 20th, 2009, it behooves us to look at 16 years of the Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton(?) dynasty. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both scrambled for their "legacies" in the waning months of their presidencies. It can best be summed up thusly: 8 years of a very cynical con artist followed by 8 years of a very cynical bully.

With the death of Benizar Bhutto, the emphasis of the campaign is veering towards the appeal of fear. Fear is a very emotional and irrational reaction to a threat. Constant fear, promoted for political gain, is nothing more than subjecting an entire society to massive Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's quite an effective technique in shredding the Constitution along with an extremely dangerous expansion of executive power.

But....but....there's a war on, ya know? Of course there is; there always will be. Orwell's 1984 describes the ever-changing alliances in the world, with allies and enemies constantly changing. And, with history itself re-written every few years to accommodate the agenda of "Big Brother." A common theme in Orwell's book is "Big Brother loves you."

Well, to hell with Big Brother. I don't want any government "loving" me to death because that's exactly what happens. Instilling fear into the populace is the key to the door of oppression.

Hatred is fear's roommate. Watch closely; see beyond the rhetoric and in most cases you'll see fear transformed into hatred.

In the meantime, the earth may be melting, Martians may conquer us, Islamic hordes may sweep across the world, and God forbid I might actually be mortal and die someday, despite the nanny state assuring me that this will not come to pass if I just fear everything.

How about a little encouragment? You know, the kind that tells us that we can make things happen; that tells us to believe in ourelves and our republic DESPITE the oafs who "serve" in the government.

But perhaps hope is too much to hope for.

************************ This post kindly featured at MemeOrandum

***************************
Cross-posted at Michaellinnjones.com

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NOT THE NEWS FLASH! Monica Lewinsky Throws Thong In The Ring: Cites White House "Experience"

BY MICHAEL LINN JONES

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPLETE FABRICATION USING THE NAMES OF REAL PEOPLE. YES, A PACK OF LIES, BUT THEN THAT QUALIFIES ME AS A GOOD SPEECHWRITER.

P.U. News Service (Washington)--- In a hastily arranged press conference, former White House intern Monica Lewinsky declared herself a candidate for president.

Lewinsky is basing her qualifications upon the premise of White House experience, basing THAT upon Senator Hillary Clinton's claim of said experience.

The new candidate expanded upon this: "Look, I've thought about this. A lot. I mean, I have White House experience too. (snide chortling from some reporters). I've been willing to stick my neck out on the job (murmured laughter) and besides, I wouldn't have gotten into all that trouble if Hillary had been doing her REAL White House job in the first place."

Asked about foreign policy experience, Lewinsky emphasised that she visits Cancun at least once a year. Also, she claims extensive service in South Padre Island. (statement later retracted when it was pointed out that South Padre Island is in Texas)

Lewinsky continued:

"We need a woman in the White House. But not just any woman, and certainly not THAT woman (Hillary Clinton). This country needs someone in the White House who is willing to get on their knees in the Oval Office in service to the American people. And I've done that. Just ask the Smithsonian, they have the proof."

A reporter asked, "Does this mean you're willing to put your money where your mouth is?"

Lewinsky replied, "Yes. Or vice versa"

Riotous laughter broke out, security was called and the room vacated, ending the press conference.

Asked for comment, Senator Clinton demurred, although one reporter overheard her muttering, "That stupid b****!"

Former President Bill Clinton was also contacted. His first response was "Who?" Pressed on the matter, however, Mr. Clinton said that he has not ever had sexual relations with either woman.

Clinton brushed by reporters on his way to begin a short vacation from his wife's campaign.

Reportedly, his destination is.....Cancun.

********************************************

P.U. Weather Update:

After Green Bay's loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier's Field...a game played in conditions so bleak even Polar bears wouldn't do the wave....quarterback Brett Favre was asked for comment.

"I'll be honest with you. It was cold as hell out there."

Nicely said, Mr. Favre, and let's hope the Dallas Cowboys regret having home field "advantage" when the Packers come calling. (NOTE: P.U. News is totally biased. Since the Carolina Panthers totally turned to mush this year we don't really care who wins the Superbowl. As long as it's not Dallas. So there.)
*************************
Cross-posted at Michaellinnjones.com

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CNN Live Democratic Debate

The fire is in the air and the candidates are no longer being absolute friends and playmates anymore. Two words, About TIME!

This is a rambling typing so forgive my typing errors and grammar. I had to kick the kids off of Disney for kids to get to CNN and missed the first thirty or so minutes.

Denis Kucinich slammed John Edwards on the China tainted products being shipped into the USA with the fact that Edwards is a trial lawyer and should know what liability is.

Obama fired one over the bow with a fact of what the Japanese do to have trade with China, they send inspectors to China before the products ship. We should do the same.

Hillary doused the question on the so called “Boys Club” issue with her campaign for President pointing out that it has been the achievements of woman in her lifetime that have made it possible for a Latino, an African American and a woman to be able to run for President.

Biden blew his top with the fact that none of the people on the stage know that the WTO agreement with China has the enforcement written into the agreement to shut China down till they clean up their act. He is calling to shut down the agreement today!

Edwards pointed out the fact that we do not need to elect or replace a corrupt corporate Republican government with a corrupt Democrat government.

Richardson blew the Nuclear waste and not in my back yard issue off the table with the fact that we need to stop giving incentives to oil, coal and nuclear energy corporations and change our nation to renewable energy incentives.

Audience / Questions

Biden called for Bush impeachment on the lack of a full vote from Congress to go to war in Iraq.

Edwards wants to stop the Bush, Cheney Neocons with stopping the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. He was the only one that stated God bless you and your mother for your service to the questioner.

It’s Bill Richardson birthday, pointed out by a questioner. He would pull out all of the private contractors and our troops within the year. War in Iraq has bled our military and he would renew the GI Bill. New VA health care card for veterans care anywhere not just at VA hospitals and including mental health care. Mental health care for our troops does not get the coverage they need.

Harassment of immigrants. Edwards wants to review Patriot act and racial profiling. Close Guantanamo, and no more torture as President. Restoring respect for America.

Kucinich on the patriot act… I did not vote for it because I actually read it! He slammed all of the opponents on flip flopping on everything from Iraq to Nafta and the border. Richardson called him on the carpet that he is just a Governor.

Biden voted against funding Gitmo. Called for closing it three years ago. What are the other candidates going to do to change things now.

Mexican border… Richardson, deals with immigration locally. Two years ago declared a border emergency and is against the fence. Secure the border, detection equipment, employer prosecution. Mexico needs to give jobs to your people and stop handing out maps to the easiest place to cross the border.

Chris Dodd, Spanish… have no freaking clue what he said to the questioner. Oath of office is not about giving up rights.

Baby boomers retirement. Pensions and many will not have them. Social Security and Medicaid. Protecting Social Security

Obama, not raising age requirement is the way to go or failing to adjust the income cap is wrong, Warren Buffet pays less in tax and higher income needs to be looked at. Medicare… Premiums up 78% under bush, health care for all.

Clinton raising tax on higher income levels to fund Social Security and Medicare and she fuddled against it. Crisis with healthcare and Medicare. Fiscal responsibility is the way to go. Bipartisan commission to look at the entire issue. Not for lifting the cap on higher income. Trillion dollar tax increase if that is the route taken.

Obama slammed her on the top six percent of income earners paying into Social Security and Medicare. Hillary went back to Reagan and Tip O’Neil on bipartisan committees to solve the Social Security and Medicare problem back in 1983. Double speak and avoid the question.

Dodd on the Supreme Court… Against anyone that would even think of overturning Roe Vs Wade.

Biden, enough proffesors on the Supreme court bench. Wants real people on the SCOTUS bench. Wants someone with real life experience and not

Would you support abortion? Richardson, yes, Kucinich, great divide in our country, we need a healer in the White House? Clinton, privacy is inbedded in the constitution. Yes! Kudos to Biden on this issue from Hillary. Slammed Bush. Obama, What makes a good justice, outsider and poor vunerable, wants an outsider. Edwards, for privacy, back bone in judges and respects that courage and wants that in SCOTUS.

Middle East divided electorate, what message can unite our country?

Obama blah blah blah not answering. Restoring Habius Corpus?
Clinton… Working together, looking for common ground. There is differences but we can work together. Smart people can get involved and get back to being Americans again.

Biden… Gain respect with the truth. Repbulicans think this war and our policy stinks. Loyalty to bush is key. Republicans are afraid to take on Bush.

Richardson… Diplomacy and negotiations and talk to the world Syria and Iran and repair the last eight years.

End of the Debate… Man this was great but it sucked.

It was clearly evident that Hillary Clinton was the go to candidate by CNN and Wolf Blitzer. Obama was next and the rest of the field including John Edwards were second class candidates according to how the debate aired.

You could see that Biden, Richardson, Kucinich were pissed off that they were cut off time and time again because Hillary or Barack had the next question.

I do have to say that Kucinich impressed the crap out of me with his performance and you could actually see the passion and the reason why he does not want to be the soft candidate. Biden was cut off every single time he spoke and so was Richardson.

While Hillary was allowed to run on and on and so was Barack, anyone else was coldly cutoff. I would have liked to hear more from Biden and Richardson. Kucinich had the guts to call them all on the carpet for not having the ability to stick to a position and live with it.

Feel free to tell me what you thought about the debate!

Papamoka

Feel Free to link or steal this post for your site…

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Cross posted at Bring IT ON!

Others talking about the Debate...
The Left Coaster...
Crooks and Liars...
Informed Comment aka Juan Cole...

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Obama Lands Governor Patrick Endorsement

Picture courtesy of Boston Herald

Barack Obama landed the golden trophy of the new up and coming political star governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick. Tears I’m sure could be seen over at the Clinton campaign where they so much would have loved to put this endorsement in their “Must Have” endorsement folder. I’m sure that this decision to go with Obama over Clinton was a tough one for Governor Patrick.

As rock stars go in politics, Obama is to national politics what Governor Patrick is to Bay State politics. With the backing of Governor Patrick comes a plethora of uniting forces in both the Democrat’s and the middle of the road Republican’s. Governor Patrick has a way about him that unites people on issues rather than separating them and our nation needs more political leaders like him. If he puts his name behind Senator Barack Obama then it sends a loud voice of confidence on uniting our people once more.

Patrick gets behind Obama
Reveals plans for rally in Hub

By Casey Ross and Dave Wedge
Thursday, October 18, 2007

Rallying behind Barack Obama, Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday announced a major event in Boston next week to cement his endorsement of the Illinois senator’s presidential campaign.

The endorsement by Patrick, the nation’s only black governor, will help solidify Obama’s support from the African-American community and help boost his fundraising advantage among liberal Bay State campaign donors.

In an e-mail to political supporters yesterday, Patrick announced plans for a rally in the HubTuesday, and aides said he will stump for Obama in Iowa and New Hampshire following the end of legislative sessions in November.

“I believe we need unifying, visionary leadership,” Patrick wrote. “I believe we need a president who will level with the American people. I believe we need Barack Obama.”
The endorsement comes after months of quiet deliberation by Patrick, who has been torn between Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Former President Bill Clinton appointed Patrick to a top civil rights post in his administration in the 1990s. The Clintons also campaigned for Patrick during the gubernatorial election.

Both presidential campaigns made a bid for his support, and Patrick called Clinton and Obama yesterday to inform them of his decision, according to aides. - Boston Herald

I’m taking up a collection for all the political wounds the Governors endorsement is causing not only the Clinton camp but also many of the other contenders in this presidential race. Injuries of this magnitude can hurt the front runner but in the same sense give a much needed boost to the Illinois Senator. Being a compassionate political blogger I’m looking at the destruction and loss of political blood and we are going to need a ton of bandages, sutures and some boo boo kisses big time. Send your donations to the American Red Cross. We are an emergency network for political campaigns rapid response unit.

Papamoka

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Joe Biden, Statesman Enough for You?

Picture courtesy of Senator Biden office

For the record I kind of like Senator Joe Biden for a couple of reasons for President. He isn’t afraid to put his neck out on the line on any issue and he backs his stance up with the facts needed to do so. There isn’t an “Um, um, (cough, little bit of throw up there in the back of the throat) when he speaks when asked about any topic. His recall of facts immediately come forth and he tells the voters why he has the position he has and then follows up why the voter should have the same thought process.

Of all of the Democrat’s running for President I would have to favor Senator Biden over all of them when it comes to foreign policy. Unlike a former beauty pageant contestant, Joe Biden seems to know all there is about the world conflicts and he does not need a map to know where they are. I tend to doubt that the rest of the candidates other than Bill Richardson could go toe to toe with him on issues to do with conflict around the world.

Then there is the man that is Joe Biden and his style of campaigning that does not need one hundred million in the bank like Hillary or Barack. Knocking door to door, running for President in Iowa is as grass roots as you get.

Over at Yahoo News they have this story on what Senator Biden is doing for his bid for President of the United States…

By AMY LORENTZEN, Associated Press Writer
Tue Oct 2, 4:05 PM ET

DES MOINES, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden remains mired in single digits in Iowa polls, but he's racking up support from the state's legislators.

Biden has the backing of 10 legislators, including the House majority leader. That makes him at least competitive with top tier rivals Barack Obama, who has one more endorsement, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, who garnered the most endorsements. He also has more endorsements than John Edwards, who is vying with Obama and Clinton for the lead in Iowa polls.

Biden said the endorsements demonstrate that local politicians think he has a shot at gaining the nomination.

State lawmakers know the ins and outs of the caucuses, and they "wouldn't be endorsing me if they didn't think I could win in Iowa," Biden said in an interview with The Associated Press.

And, he said, their support could be crucial in the days leading to the caucuses.

"An endorsement in a caucus state from someone who gets out and knocks on doors and has an organization is significantly more valuable," Biden said. "You've got to be pretty dedicated to spend a couple of hours on a very cold January night somewhere in the 1,700 (caucus) precincts in Iowa."

Biden, who is making his second bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, has worked hard for the support. - Yahoo News

Our nations highest office has gone from George Washington who could have been the first American King to someone that thinks he is a King. Where George and Martha would put up visitors from all of the land if they ventured to Mount Vernon, George Bush would have the Secret Service have them arrested for trespassing. Granted the times and attempted assassinations on our President’s has made protection part of the job but the simple idea of being able to talk to your President no longer exists in America.

Has anyone actually talked to the current President, the past couple of President’s? Form letters in response to a letter you sent does not count.

If I had a choice of watching a television commercial of all of the candidates running for President or just one of them knocking on my door, I think I would be more persuaded to listen to the actual person standing in my kitchen or living room. Name twenty or more people that you would boast to about having a Presidential candidate in your home? Not on the television but he sat on your sofa or at your kitchen table and told you what he was all about. Then he asked you what you thought, holy crap! I would be telling the world.

You can spend millions on television and radio ads but nothing beats the one on one contact with the voters. In my lifetime I have met many politicians and the personal encounter is far different than what you will ever see in a thirty second advertising commercial. Not one person on this earth can have their entire message wrapped up in one television or radio commercial. Twenty minutes in your home breaks down a plethora of evils in the advertising dollars to be made on Presidential advertising.

Senator Biden is following a tried and true method of campaigning but the time for doing so is growing shorter. With many states vying to be first for bragging rights, the process of actually getting to know all of the candidates is lost. In doing so, the best person for the job of President ends up being in the hands of who can pay for enough advertisement.

It has been said that candidates for President love to press the flesh of the voters. In the same context, the voters need to press the flesh as well with the person that may just be the next President. Shaking hands with a man or woman that wants to be the leader of the free world is kind of important. You cant sell that or describe that emotional moment on television.

Carry on Senator Biden, I wish you luck and the opportunity to meet many interesting and concerned people that will welcome you into their homes in Iowa! Press the flesh my friend.

Papamoka

Cross posted at Bring IT ON!

UPDATE 10/21/2007: The Storm Lake Times endorses Joe Biden for President

It’s hard to go wrong with any of the candidates. We stand with Joe Biden because he has all the professional skills and, more important, the personal strength to get the job done unlike any other candidate.

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