Friday, November 14, 2008
Clinton as SoS a curious move
Secretaries of State don't usually last more than a single
presidential term. And sometimes they don't make it that long. So, for
the life of me, I do not understand why Hillary Clinton would want to
give up what is in all likelihood a senate seat for life to run the
State Department for Barack Obama.Late Update: This post, not surprisingly, has generated a
big response. And a few of you have suggested that this is a way for
Hillary to angle for another shot at the presidency in 2012 or 2016.
But that strikes me as deeply, deeply improbable. Never an easy thing
to challenge a sitting president of your own party, next to impossible
to do it from his own cabinet. I don't have an answer on why either
party would want this appointment. But that ain't the reason.
Clinton may just be angling for some time in the spotlight perhaps. As a junior senator, it's going to be a long time before she gets any cherry committee positions. While she would have a great chance at shaping the future of the country through legislation, that's going to entail a lot of hard and not so glamorous work. But as Secretary of State, she'll also have an opportunity to help shape the future, especially considering how precarious the world stage is right now. And just look at Condoleeza Rice's experience in the spotlight.
Of course, if Hillary were to go cowboy and try to push her agenda over Obama's, she could find herself out on her ass in a heartbeat, and with nowhere to go. So it would be a big gamble for her, but not one that would be without its rewards. Think of all the places she'll get to travel, and all the sniper fire she'll get to dodge. ;)
Ultimately, it wouldn't bother me one way or the other. I think Bill Richards would be better at the job, considering the breadth of his experience getting the bad guys to the table during his time in the Clinton administration. But Hillary would do fine as well, I'm sure.
Post-election Pessimism
Having been completely emotionally overwhelmed after the election, and despite being incredibly joyous at Obama's victory, I was equally humbled by the Prop 8 vote. I had been hoping to draft a recap of the entire experience - just cathartic, if nothing else. Perhaps I will eventually, but for now I can't seem to get motivated.
Since the election, my anger over Prop 8 has intensified beyond belief. I'm surprised at my own anger, but I am just as hopeful about what appears to be a new civil rights movement awakening as a result.
What I can't get past right now is the garbage that is all over the news. I thought the country was f-ed up before, and I thought we had hope after Obama's victory. But since the election, Palin has grabbed as much - if not more - national air time than our President-Elect.
Sorry, Ms. Wasillabilly, but you LOST. You didn't lose because of McCain, McCain lost because of you. Please, just do us all a favor and say something outlandishly stupid on par with most of the other stupid things you've said, and hopefully the country will tire of you as fast as every other moronic celebrity.
I'm also way past being over all the ridiculous speculation about Obama's cabinet picks, and the drama over the leaks/non-leaks. Seriously, who cares?!?! First of all, maybe Obama can honor his campaign pledge for transparency and just be fucking open about his plans. Put it all out there and there won't be anything to leak!
It's not like it matters anymore, Barack. You WON! It's not like your staffing picks are going to change any of that. What's up with the Cheney-like secrecy? What the hell do you think that's going to buy you, besides a little more media speculation? Is that what you want? To stay in the headlines? Are you trying to be Palin, or just keep up with her?
There may be a strategy to what Obama is doing. That may be an understatement, actually. Either way, I don't care, and I'm sick of hearing about it, as much as I am sick of the weak-kneed Democratic response to Lieberman, and their pathetic habit of putting partisan friendliness ahead of rule of law (No impeachment, no war crime prosecution, Lieberman, etc., etc.).
What I would be happy to see is an aggressive approach by Obama to not only undo most of Bush's damage, but also prosecute those in his administration for the wrong-doings, which would have to be part of mitigating that damage.
Obama, stop playing patty-cake with the Republicans and let them know that there's a new sheriff in town, and if they want to do business, they need to come to you with hat in hand. Just don't sidle up to them with your pants around your ankles.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Filibuster-Proof Fantasy, and Why Joe Must Go!
Three words: BLUE. DOG. DEMOCRATS. Look it up. There are 44 of these Conservative Democrats who vote more often with Republicans - and against Democrats - on important issues. Blue Dogs sided with George W. Bush almost as often as John McCain.
Let that sink in.
Now, can we all just stop going on and on about the myth of the filibuster-proof majority?
Certainly, there are some moderate Republicans who vote with Democrats, but there are not that many of them. Also, having a strong majority of Democrats in Congress is a good thing, no matter how you slice it. The more the better. But filibuster-proof majority? Not even close. So just stop it.
Please, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, and all other bone-headed pundits who should know better. Stop it.
Now that we're past that, I say it is time to bury Joe Lieberman. He offers nothing to Progressives beyond being a massive thorn in our collective ass. This isn't about payback. We're tough enough to withstand a traitor hurling scurrilous lies our way and still kick ass, so I don't really care about what the Connecticut Turncoat said on the campaign trail. This is about the powerful positions Lieberman still holds, positions where he can actually be more damaging to Democrats if he is allowed to stay on. These committees:
- Committee on Environment and Public Works
- Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Committee on Armed Services
Evin Bayh fears that if Lieberman gets the bitchslap he deserves, that he might just take his toys and run home crying, leaving open the opportunity the Republiscum governor would appoint a fellow Republiscum to take Joe's place. That's fine. One more Republiscum isn't going to make a heckuva lot of difference in the Senate thanks to the Blue Dogs. But more importantly, and at the heart of my argument, is the point that the incoming Republiscum won't be heading up any of those vaunted committees that Lieberman will leave vacant. Those can go to responsible senior Democrats, while Lieberman's replacement will start out by wiping Mitch McConnell's ass.
Given this, can anyone offer me any logical reason that Lieberman should stay with the Democrats? I can't think of any beyond that old tradition of crooked politicians scratching each other's backs.
Review the 501(c)(3) status of The Church of Latter-day Saints
Sign the petition to force the review of the Mormon church's 501(c)(3) status, for their flagrant violation of this important law, and make the Mormons pay!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Protest H8 Saturday Everywhere
Saturday is D-Day!
This will be the time to get up and on
your feet, raise your voices, and shout and cry and tell the world
you're not going to stand by and let others trample on your civil
rights!!!
Stand in solidarity with California, and with everyone whose rights are being threatened by hateful and intolerant people!
Find a city: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.
SF LOCAL: http://protest8sf.wordpress.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Over it, beyond words
Hence forth, I will refuse to read any Blog post that mentions Palin,
or watch any news or pundit show segment on Palin unless the piece is
about her being impeached, recalled, or somehow publically humiliated.
She went way over her limit in the national spotlight in the election,
and now she is irrelevant and useless to anyone other than the
Republiscum man-boys spanking it to their broken Pygmalion in their
circular jerking squad. It is time the media and bloggers relegate the
Wasilla-Billy back to her former status as an unknown.
Maybe Bill Kristol can follow.
Letting them die
It's the same with bailing out the financial institutions. It may be painful for a while, but pain builds character by teaching hard lessons. If the pigs at the trough keep getting fed, they just keep coming back to the trough. Cut 'em off! Let 'em starve. Thin the damn herd! What's so hard about seeing the logic in this?
Tired of bailing out rich people with your taxes?
A great way to keep those rich Wall Street vultures, and the over-bloated US auto industry from stealing any more of your money via bailout plans is to simply not pay your taxes. Certainly a few people can't make a difference that way, and definitely not without risking penalty of jail. But imagine the response we'd get from our lawmakers is suddenly a million or so Americans decieed collectively to just stop paying taxes.
First of all, the government, Federal and State, would be too underfunded, and too overwhelmed to do anything about it, apart from going after the low-hanging fruit. But I'm willing to risk taking one for the team if it means that our Congress finally stops taking sides with the evil corporate overlords, and starts listening to their constituents again.
So who's on board with me?
Signs of weakness?
Apparently, the other morning Harry Reid said that Joe Lieberman votes with Democrats more than Harry Reid. That tells me that Harry Reid needs to have his bony ass booted from the Senate first, and then he can take his good buddy Joe with him.
We all know why Joe must go. He's garbage, and not the kind that can be recycled, but the kind that belongs in landfill. Harry Reid is worse, because Harry Reid is the guy who enables garbage like Lieberman's rotting soul to desecrate the halls of Congress. Neither of these bastards has done much worth being proud of from the Democratic perspective. They've both either been lifting their skirts for Republicans, or have been actively bending over and spreading for them.
By not booting out Lieberman, Reid has given his best demonstration yet as why he is a worthless, ineffective Democrat. It should be no mystery that almost every senator or congressional leader is not actually interested in their parties' platforms nearly as much as they are interested in the power of their office. Most of them should be thrown out on their sorry asses for robbing us peasants to pay off their corporate and financial masters, the same bastards that have been robbing us blind for the past decade or so. That's no real surprise, though.
What is surprising is that our new President-Elect has decided to be magnanimous and has suggested that Democrats be nice to Ol' Joe. I have no problem with that type of grace, and I think on some level it is a sign of strength. But in this case, it demonstrates glaringly Obama's naiveté that Lieberman warned about. Obama may think he's being graceful, but he's being played like a fiddle.
Of course, it's not even about magnanimity, it's more likely about Obama still trying to prove he's friendly with the Jews, as with his Rahm Emanuel pick. That's going to be his death knell. Because if I am seeing signs of Obama's weak effort of trying to appear like he's being diligent and shrewd, when in fact he's still making it up as he goes along, falling back to Clintonian hacks instead of brandishing young guns who are highly capable and very contemporary, then just wait until Gingrich and the Right get hold of him.
I wasn't seeing this at first, but Obama taking the side of Lieberman just shined a big light on the fact that Obama isn't bringing real change to Washington, he's just bringing Washington back to where it was before Bush.
Yes, the Clinton era was incredible compared to the past eight years. But I can vividly recall that those years weren't as great as everyone likes to think they were. It is only by comparison to the Bush years that they stand out. But the Clinton years paved the way for Bush. By capitulating to the Right, and to the so-called Center, the Democrats boldly admitted that progressive and liberal policies were wrong. So that part of the country that paid little attention to politics got the signal that being Conservative - nay Republican - was good, so they voted with Republicans.
Obama is sending out those same signals and he's not even in office yet. I'm not ready to cry "buyer's remorse" just yet, but I am starting to get worried.
I'll be watching Obama closely, and I will do so with a critical eye. I'll be doing my damnedest to keep him - and the country - from moving right. And I'll continue making the case that Reid, Pelosi, Lieberman, and Feinstein must go, along with their buddies.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Mars Phoenix farewell letter
Just as Doug McCuistion from NASA said on the news conference
today, it's certainly more of an Irish wake than a funeral today. We're
drinking to you tonight, little buddy. You can see all of Phoenix's previous entries and the official press release announcing the end of Phoenix's mission.