Saturday, May 3, 2008

Wright Postmortem

Mr. Hanson,

You portend to know a lot about supporters of Obama, but it is clear by your viewing them as followers of a messianic cult that you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. As a supporter of Obama, I'll make it clear to you that I - and every Obama supporter I have met (and I've met thousands) - are under no illusion whatsoever about Obama, the man. We know his candidacy is different in only that it started grassroots and succeeded. But we also know that his message of change is not about what he intends to do with Washington, but what "we the people" will do to Washington, and in politics in general. A new generation is getting involved in politics again, and we will be holding our elected leaders to account. You know this from looking at the dramatic shifting of the electoral map (see LA-06), and you're scared. You should be scared, because we are taking this country back from you right-wing sociopaths, and racist cowards. Neo-Romans.

You've written some pretty racist stuff,  so you have some gall to attack Jeremiah Wright for being racist. Sure, he said some stupid things, but black people who suffered through the civil rights era get a wider berth on the topic of race than the ivory tower white elitists like yourself. The racist who was.

You must feel pretty good looking down on all the poor people of color from your position of privilege. You wouldn't know the first thing about what it is like to suffer merely because of the color of your skin, so on matters race anything you say must be viewed as nothing more than the cry-baby rants of a scared white man. The general who wasn't.

You give white people a bad name. You give America a bad name. It is joyous to see you and your ilk losing your grip, and your America slipping away from you, back to her rightful heirs. We the people.

Regards,
Jake Barlow


Macho Hillary and "obliterating Iran"

For all her tough guy talk, and her "testicular fortitude," in light of Clinton's recent remark that she would "obliterate Iran," I think it's important for folks to get an idea of what obliteration looks like, as in these recently unearthed photos of the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Seriously, I think Clinton has been infected with some kind of sickness, and I strongly assert that her remarks about nuking Iran completely qualify her as completely UNFIT to be Commander in Chief. A person that makes sociopathic remarks like this should not be allowed anywhere near the button.

 

Friday, May 2, 2008

This is exactly why Obama MUST be our next president

Because he talks to us like we're adults (to quote Jon Stewart), instead of pandering to us like we're children. Apparently, Clinton and McCain think we need to be pacified, but they keep trying to get us to suck on all these bad and rotten things. Barack, on the other hand, tells it like it is!

Blind Ass Test!

Sort of like the Pepsi Challenge, but with culos instead of colas. Try it, and see if you can tell the difference between these two asses: GO!

There's a new sheriff coming to town...

Although I think the Inauguration will be a little bit different.

S'cuze me while I whip this out...'

Indianans Are Worthless White N*****rs?

UPDATE:

The folks at FirstRead have been doing their homework, and it appears that this video may have been doctored. While I can't say I'm surprised, I still stand by my assertion that it is believable, as are the points I noted that inform my opinions on the Clintons and their positions on the side of whatever gets them votes. That said, I don't condone this type of dishonest attack on anyone. It's quite shameful.

Earlier:

Making its way around the tubes this morning is this video that just surfaced from the '92 Clinton campaign.

From HuffPo:

A former aide to President Bill Clinton, and current informal adviser to Sen. Hillary Clinton, expressed outrage and shock on Friday after a videotape from 1992 surfaced apparently showing him describing Indianans as "white n---rs."

Mickey Kantor, who served as campaign chairman during Clinton's 1992 run for the White House and says he has offered help and advice to Sen. Clinton, insisted that the tape was a fraud and that he was exploring legal steps against the individual who posted it online.

"I've never used that word in my entire life, ever, under any circumstance, ever," an angry Kantor told The Huffington Post, citing his and his parent's work fighting for civil rights. "I have listened to [the video] and so have you. You can't tell what it is I'm saying in that second sentence, you can't decipher that."

The video, which spread through the Internet like wildfire on Friday morning, shows Kantor with fellow former Bill Clinton staffers James Carville and George Stephanopoulos discussing results from the general election. In the footage, which is excerpted from the 1993 film The War Room, Kantor approaches the two aides and appears to say, "Look at Indiana -- wait, wait, look at Indiana. 42-40. It doesn't matter if we win, those people are shit. ... How would you like to be a worthless white n****r?"





Hiring "the best" libel lawyers? Sounds like Mickey's being a bit defensive. Folks don't usually get defensive unless they're insecure, guilty, or both.

I wouldn't be surprised in the least. With the Clintons, they are only on your side if it is politically expedient. That explains why Bill has been mocking, dissing, and brushing off blacks in this election, and why Hillary is sidling up with the vast right-wing conspiracy, and pandering to the lower income/lesser educated rural folks. I tend to believe this video is accurate because it fits the Clintonian model. Just remember how much Hillary pandered to the folks in Iowa and Mississippi, and South Carolina, and other states, only to completely dismiss them as being unimportant after she lost those races. Should anyone be surprised that she ("Rich people --- God bless us..." as quoted to Bill O'Reilly) considers everyone inferior, and that in all her benevolence, she is here to save them from angry black men? Would it be surprising that key figures in her campaign are the same as her? Like minds attract like, they say. Consider Carville turning on Richardson, now that Richardson is no longer politically useful. Consider Bill Clinton disrespecting black voters, now that they are no longer supporting Hillary. It doesn't take much imagination to see that the Clintons are nothing more than opportunistic panderers.

Lets see if the MSM will be all over this like they were with Wright. I'm not going to hold my breath though, as I am addicted to oxygen.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Update on Feeds, Emails, Subscriptions, etc.

By request, here's a quick primer on how to get notified when new posts are added, with a brief description of each option:

Get The Low Bar Feed

If you prefer to use a feed reader, this is the option for you. If you don't know what a feed (or RSS) reader is, or much about them, then no need to worry about this option. However, if you have a BlackBerry, iPhone, TREO, or some other mobile gadget you use to check emails or text messages, or if you find that you are frequently checking your favorite sites for updates, you might want to look into feed readers, and learn a bit about RSS in general. It's quite handy.

Feed by Email (Once Daily)

This blog uses FeedBurner to syndicate the posts, and FeedBurner has a nifty little feature that will publish to email also. The only drawback is that emails only go out daily, so if you want to receive a post by email when it is published, see the next option. If you prefer getting notified only once per day - also referred to as a daily digest - then this is for you.

Email Subscription (via Google groups)

If you don't know much about feeds/RSS, or if you prefer receiving a copy of my posts via email as soon as they go up, this is your best bet. You can also choose to receive a daily digest if you want just one notice per day.


Mission Atrocious

There's not much I can say about this 5th anniversary since our most unpopular president in modern history stood on the deck of that aircraft carrier off the coast of San Diego and said that "major combat missions in Iraq had ended."

That was nearly 4,000 dead soldiers ago, and countless numbers of innocent Iraqis, too. All the while, the rest of this country hardly cares, and are eerily silent about the prospect of a wanna-be president nuking another Middle Eastern country.

I don't have much to say because I'm too busy crying on the inside, while I ponder what the hell has gone wrong with this country.

Sidney Blumenthal is an enemy of the Progressive Movement

The "man" that is credited with coining the term "vast right-wing conspiracy," also a rabid Clinton supporter, has aligned himself - as Clinton has - with members of said VRWC in attacking Obama. We all know the Clinton campaign will "say anything, do anything" to win, and they know no shame whatsoever, but in aligning themselves with their former enemies, they have themselves become that very enemy.

Progressives must know that Hillary Clinton and her supporters are not friends of the progressive movement, they are the enemy.

Anyone reading this who is also a Salon reader, should contact the editors and publishers at Salon and tell them it is time to stop sleeping with the enemy. Blumenthal's articles can no longer be read without suspicion, and as an enemy of progressives, his writings must be viewed with skepticism.

To see just how low Blumenthal and the Clinton campaign have sunk, read this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/sidney-blumenthal-uses-fo_b_99695.html

It's shocking, even for the Clintons.

Brilliant argument against Facebook!

Glad I've closed my account!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Kerry kicks ass

Help get this new MoveOn ad on the air




Welcome to the fully functioning police state of America

Think I'm kidding? No habius corpus, the media and the courts controlled by the administration, war can be declared without legislative approval, and major corporations are enabling and assisting the federal government in profiling everyone and everything they do. If the telecoms get away with being granted retroactive immunity, then we are indeed living in a fascist state, because that is the very definition of fascism (at least, one of them).

If it is true the Senator Jay Rockefeller and Congressman Steny Hoyer are working on a behind-the-scenes deal to include retroactive immunity in the new FISA bill, that represents a clear and present threat to our democracy. It is time to let our elected representatives know as loudly as we can that we are - at least for now - still a democracy. Otherwise, we don't deserve to have one.

Write a letter. Send an e-mail. Make a phone call. However you do it, you must contact your senators and your representatives to let them know you will not stand by and watch as our country devolves into a totalitarian state.

Oh, and when you have time, read this. Let me know if you get any sleep afterwards.

Can we handle the truth?

Yes we can. At least Obama supporters can. Too bad McCant and Hillrod supporters cannot.

Whoooooaaa.... vertigo.

This made me dizzy just watching it...

Another winner from FDL

Things Americans Don't Like to Talk About.

I'm working on a piece tangential to this, and a good friend of mine is also working on a terrific piece that is in this same vein, and will be published here soon. But in the meantime, this is a good read.

Leslie and Nino

If I hadn't been so damned mad, and if it wasn't so late at night, I might have gone a bit more in depth on what pissed me off so much about Leslie Stahl's interview with Scalia. I stand by my assertion that she should be ashamed of this interview. Watertiger at FDL does a better job of making my case:

This is "brilliant" judicial reasoning? This is the ginsu-sharp intellect that has Lesley Stahl simpering in her chair like a 13-year-old at a Jonas Brothers concert? Like the husband who asserts that his wife was asking to get hit, Scalia was more than happy to shift the blame to Gore for the 7-2 decision that found the Florida recount method unconstitutional. Whether it was within the Court's power to shut down the recount and anoint George Bush President, well that's another matter, one that was decided 5-4. Not that the audience was given the chance to absorb that, since Stahl seemed uninterested in challenging the cocksure Scalia as she moved on quickly to her next talking point.

But nothing was quite so outrageous, and would demand Scalia's recusal from any case that might eventually make it up to the Supreme Court, as his looking-glass position on torture...

...

So here's to you, Lesley Stahl. If your intention was to reveal the awful plot to seize the White House, then job well done. If not, then "60 Minutes" should be relegated permanently to the dung heap of "entertainment programming.

I'll have a roundup of all that is wrong with Scalia from my perspective, and the damage he has wrought on this country with his decisions. Needless to say, I have a lot to say, so it may take some time.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Keepin' Hope Alive!

Thanks, Andrew, for this refreshing perspective:

Obama is still in this; and the Wright fiasco gives him a chance to remove this cloud and address it again. He has the most votes, the most states, the most money, the most new voters and the most delegates and the most Senators on his side. This is no time for a failure of nerve - on the part of the Obama team or his supporters.


It wasn't the outcome of PA that has been bringing me down - I expected exactly what happened, even while quietly hoping for something better. But I have been incredibly surprised at the degree to which the media has taken what was expected by most and turned into something far more than it's worth. Clinton's win in PA was just another bump on her molehill, and the media is trying to make a mountain out of it.

But I also sense what is seeming like a coordinated attack by the media players to not only destroy Obama's candidacy, but also to help bolster McCain's. Normally, I tend to think of the media and most so-called journalists as money-grubbing whores, whose only agenda is to create controversy where there is none in order to feed the beast. But this latest article from the AP that TPM's Josh Marshall dissects looks like clear evidence of deliberate bias to him, and to me.

But back to keepin' hope alive:

Whe-e-e-r-r-re's Johnny?

UPDATE 2:
Okay, I'm not being fair to Edwards, or his wife. I'm frustrated with this campaign, with the media, and all the bullshit nonsense that they focus on instead of the fact that April was the deadliest month in Iraq since last September, and that oil companies are raping our asses without even bothering to spare a little Vaseline, but McCan't and Hillrod want to take 10 billion dollars out of our treasury that will cost the jobs of lots of construction workers and further erode our already crumbling infrastructure and telling voters they'll save some money on gas when they really won't because the oil companies aren't going to lower gas prices to compensate for the measly 18 cents difference which is less than the gas price increase in the last few months which means they'll pocket that difference.

We've got some very serious fucking problems in this country and we're running out of time to start fixing them, and the media wants to play politics with race because god forbid a black politician knows a scary black man that has all us whiteys scared shitless that the blacks are going to take over.

It should come as no surprise that the MSM would eventually devolve into a parody of itself, right down there alongside the National Enquirer and similar rags. Hell, those tabloids are profitable, which is more than can be said about the dying newspaper industry. As for cable "news" shows, with regard to MSNBCs and CNNs ratings war with Fox, it seems they learned the same lessons that Hillrod has learned about Republiscums. In order to beat your enemy, you have to become your enemy.

Circling the drain, babies. Circling the drain.

Sorry Sen. Edwards, and Mrs. Edwards. I let my emotions get the better of me. Again.

UPDATE:
Lets see if Johnny is a pussy and decides to vote with his wife's genitalia.

Earlier:
I used to respect John Edwards, because as much as I hate frivolous lawsuits, I understand the need for and the value of trial lawyers, in spite of their gross profits. But in this election he has borne himself out to be a charlatan and a moral coward.

Edwards talks a good game, like most lawyers do, but he's been a vulture leering over the fight between a vicious hyena and a hungry lion, waiting to feast on whatever remains when the fight is over.

At this point, I see him as a coward. Edwards has had the chance many times to have an effect on this nominating cycle, and he has passed each of them by, as he will again this time. Edwards is as calculating as Clinton is, and he is too scared to throw his weight behind either candidate for fear of ending up on the wrong side and having nothing to show for two failed runs at the presidency. Of course, that is if you count $400 haircuts and a few million dollars as nothing.

Johnny has one last chance to prove relevancy before history passes him by. Any takers for a bet that he doesn't have the balls that his mill-worker daddy had? I'd love to be proven wrong.

Monday, April 28, 2008

High Hope

I took my support for Obama to the skies this weekend. High Hope indeed. Compliments to my good friend Brian "Bolt" Genereaux for getting this awesome shot!

A 2nd pass at 60

The second segment on 60 Minutes worthy of comment was a focus on Justice Antonin "Nino" Scalia. Two takeaways: 1) Scalia is every bit of the *dick I always thought of him as, and 2) Leslie Stahl's pathetic interviewing makes Katie Couric look like Edward R. Murrow. I never thought I would say this about her, but I think she should resign in disgrace. Nom kidding, if Nino whipped out his skippy, I wouldn't have been surprised if Leslie cracked her knee caps going for it.

Granted that Scalia is a dick, that does not mean he is always wrong, but I do believe he is most often wrong. Leslie Stahl just had her moment where he was in her trap to be proven wrong about the SCOTUS decision to hand the '00 presidency to W. She let him slip like the wet turd that he is.

As for the "scoop" that the jack-off Mike Stark from HuffPo got on Scalia over 60 Minutes, Leslie Stahl made you look like one of those bimbos from Fox.

What the fuck is wrong with journalists? Is Scalia truly the Prince of Darkness with powers of persuasion that he can just look at you and make you forget that he's a complete fuckwad who may or may not have read the rules to Monopoly when you didn't, so he can therefore tell you how to fuck yourselves and get you to say "thanks?"

Give me five minutes alone in a small room face to face with that twerp and I'll bet he'd come out with a seriously different interpretation of what the word "constitution" means.

*dick - repugnant, small, selfish, self-aggrandizing, controlling, geek/dork, chip on the shoulder, grudge against the world, I-was-picked-on-all-my-life-as-a-single-child-so-I'm-going-to-give-it-back-in-spades, duplicitous, perpetual antagonist.

Quote (totally taken out of context, but noteworthy nonetheless): "I'm too stupid to be on the Supreme Court, so you should get somebody with more sense..." - Scalia.

Couldn't agree more, Nino. Do us all a favor an recuse yourself from any further judgments.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

60 Minutiae

60 Minutes kicked off it's Fox News Impersonation Hour with a piece on the Israeli Air Force, just before showing their segment on just how Scalia likes his cock loved. Hint: he likes it when Andy wears a mask in place of his dentures.

I can talk about this program this way because I used to like and respect it. But with this broadcast tonight, all credibility of this news program went out the window when "journalist" Bob Simon proclaimed that "Iran wants Israel obliterated from map." Never mind that this myopic misinterpretation of Iranian president Ahmedinejad's statement has been widely reported for nearly a year, the rest of the segment clearly shows that the AIPAC group and their friends have lobbied the shit out of 60 Minutes to help kickstart another war.

What the rest of the Israeli Air Force segment shows is that we might very well see a war against Iran started close to the US presidential elections. The drums are beating fast and hard, and the Bushies have been having a hard time selling another WAR™ after the brilliant and successful escapade in Iraq. Keep focused on the droplets of "good news" our ever so trustworthy media has been so good to propogand- er, "present" about the Iraq War™. What better way to sell another WAR™ than prove the first WAR™ they (the media) helped sell has succeeded in short order, and not a moment too soon. Now, on to the next WAR™! Because hey, whether the WAR™ is good or bad, WAR™ sells papers (and bring in ad revenue).

What the media and 60 Minutes needs to know right now is that they are not helping Israel or anyone else by fanning the flames. As an former avid supporter of Israel,  I can say reports like this only serve to turn people away. It's been a long time coming, but the distorted and lopsided reporting by the MSM, and their blind allegiance to the Israelis has been successful at accelerating the erosion of my support for Israel.

I once thought I would see a palace revolt against the Bush administration, bu now I think the revolution may ultimately be against the media. That has been a long time coming.

Weekend Snap!

William Curry, former counselor to Bill Clinton, on Hillary:

"She's done what many thought was impossible. She's raising her negatives."

Ooooo. S-s-s-s-nap!