Tuesday, October 28, 2008

A Prayer from Jefferson City Missouri

I received this from my sister-in-law who is an active part of the growing peace movement.

Greetings,
Please see below. If you can spend anytime at all in prayer, meditation or intention with the words in quotes below..., and especially at the same times 8am &/or 8pm Central Standard Time now through Nov. 6... Pass the word. Thanks.


----- Original Message -----
Subject: say a prayer, meditate

Hi Everyone,
A group of us have decided to join in on a global non-partisan program that centers around the upcoming election. No matter what your beliefs are or who you will vote for, it doesn't matter. I believe this will be time well spent for the planet and everyone on it. (You can find more info on this an other global events at gaiafield.net). We will devote 10 minutes each day at either 8am or 8pm from now until Nov. 6 to hold the following in prayer, meditation, or intention.

“We the people, the ancestors of our great, great grandchildren, call forth the deepest wisdom and the highest compassion from the heart and soul of America, for the benefit of the entire Earth community and the next seven generations. May Wisdom Prevail in the USA. May Peace Prevail on Earth”

If these words resonate in you please join in at either time, and ask a friend.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Liberal Courage

Wow, despite Obama leaving McCain's Ethanol gaff unchallenged (What? You're saying you're "Country First" and you're willing to import Brazilian Ethanol without tariffs and unfund Iowans alternative fuel subsidies? Schmog caught this.) I was so proud at all the shout outs Obama made to women and even labor leaders in Columbia.

McCain had his clock cleaned. That was WONDERFUL. I especially enjoyed the moment when McCain pressed Obama to repudiate John Lewis (I'm proud to say I lived near him in Atlanta and we used the same dry cleaner!!) and Obama wouldn't!! He even had the courage to slam the Palin rallies for being so hateful as well!! I was actually thinking that, surprisingly, Obama's response here would appeal to Midwestern rednecks because most rednecks do not want to be seen as extremists. It was a BRILLIANT moment. I'm dying to ask my Ohio Republican friend if she's voting for Obama yet...I think this is a generational moment, not a party moment.

Monday, September 29, 2008

My Seat Comes First

More Republicans voted against the Bush Bail Out (I'm against it whole heartedly) because they are the ones at risk of losing their seats in Congress. This means that we need to make it clear to Democrats that just because they have a D after their name, does not mean that they support a progressive agenda and we will find candidates who do, if not now, then soon.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Money to the cause

I think this is amazing. I donated $20 and then the website revealed to me who my matching donor was, someone named Tina M, retired Air Force!! MSgt and CPA! I hope she e-mails me back. I had no idea the matching donor would be revealed, wow!!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Summing up Palin

She's a nightmare. She looks like Wall Street, talks like a populist, and has a heartless, dictatorial core that only reserves love (but not attention*) for her own family. She's infectious, exciting, folksy, fun, approachable, determined, focused, and CERTAIN about God's world.

We need to do all we can to peel away all this disarming attitude and to reveal the actions of the fear-ridden little dictator underneath that beautiful sunshine.

*I've been thinking often about Palin and the way she brought her infant onto the brightly lit, noisy, overwhelming stage at the convention--something I wouldn't have done with either of our babies. But was I being too critical? Then I was reminded about Phyllis Schlafly and how she's always been the conservative symbol for feminists who think women should be no more than wife and mother. This isn't quite accurate, I think Schlafly's position was pro wife-and -mother, but not anti-work. But in either case, the biggest argument today is "what's best for children." And that's a whole can of worms for feminists and Phylis Schlafly who was really discussing a woman's sense of happiness, not a family's happiness (which often requires self-sacrifice). I grew up with a father who dedicated his life to the ministry and was out of the lives of his children most of the time. So when I look at Sarah Palin, I see a parent, and a mother, who is putting most of her attention elsewhere in a BIG WAY. I'm not saying she's wrong, but I am saying that she's not pro-family by any stretch of the conservative imagination. If the right was saying this about John Edwards' campaign, then they can darn well say this about Palin.

Peace.

Blogger chaos

It's hard to figure out which brand of feminism bloggers subscribe to, it's all over the map. We've got conservatives calling leftists sexist, and leftists calling Palin anti-woman. I think they are both right and wrong; which is why feminism is still a much needed philosophy and legal goal in this country.

Yesterday

I wonder if these banking failures will make conservatives more willing to control greed than they are so willing to control women's wombs.

She's a "Feminist for Life" member? How is she either?

I'm writing this winded piece on feminism as a response to a conservative windbag who wrote an irresponsible piece about women recently, and then I was going to tie it all to Palin, when I saw this. Enough said.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

CNN and MSNBC: VP festival

I watched a painful "Biden Revealed" on CNN tonight. The family basically danced for the cable "news" network, while the CNN producers cut Biden down with innuendo, biased commentary that related skewed "facts," (e.g. they made Biden's well informed "partitioning of Iraq" advocacy and lack of support for the surge sound like lunacy and a recent failing in foreign policy). Most of the piece had this ridiculous music that sounded full of dread and fear--it was usually played during an "if they win..." moment and it was run long and hard while they showed footage from the convention in Denver.

Contrast this with the MSNBC show on Palin. I was initially skeptical because they glowingly interviewed her family and friends and spent minutes on childhood photos and high school videos, and it all seemed so perfect. But the report has been professional otherwise, reporting accurately the criticisms and problems with her candidacy. Noticeabley, MSNBC refrains from extensive "commentary" on the candidate's "situation" which CNN was unable to stop doing. In other words, they show Palin f-ing up without discussing how or interviewing partisans to help point it out. They give her a fair shot, but don't gloss over the real problems she's been having and might have.

If only the MSM gave liberals the same treatment.

Our values rule

I have a very close (well, formerly close) conservative friend who is always pointing out how different our worldviews are even though we grew up together in the same small town, shared the same library (hmmm, actually, my father did take me to a city library close by...), had the same teachers, knew the same people, went to the same college... I always wind up saying, "We're not that different." Which either bugs her or leaves her puzzled. We used to get into arguments and I would always point out the ramifications of the policies that she advocated on poor people, or less educated people, or different people, which just made her catholic soul feel guilty, but rarely changed her mind. We don't discuss politics anymore.

We just found out that Sarah and Todd Palin had their first child 8 months after they were married. Perhaps the child was a bit early, but it sounded like she had created a path that her daughter was following. Where's the outrage? Well, where would it come from? The left doesn't judge that. The right wing? I guess they give their own a pass, but "other" women are somehow worse? If Biden had an out of wedlock pregnancy would we ever stop hearing about it?

The right wing benefits from OUR inclusive, accepting, "life happens," values (you know, the compassionate values that Jesus advocated), and THEIR exclusive, choice limiting, judgmental "values" condemn us as we forgive them.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Fun, Stella, thanks for tagging me (-:

1. Where was I ten years ago?

Atlanta, Georgia establishing artistic cred. I was living in a cheap condominium in Midtown (a great neighborhood) with two cats and working at a private university with the wear-my-ego-issues-on-my-sleeve ex-husband. My father had died in February of that year.

2. What was on my To Do list today?

Eat breakfast, catch a column in the paper, squeeze in a shower, empty the dishwasher, two loads of laundry (a drop in the bucket), water the plants on the balcony, feed the baby (at one point nursing the baby directly opposite the McDonald's at the mall) and 3-year old, entertain both and exercise both, download I-Tune and Quicktime updates for my 3-year old's "applications", this tag list, discuss the counter-offer on the condo we want to buy that costs 6 times more than the one I had in Atlanta. It was a light day.

3. And my favorite number. What would I do if I were a billionaire?

Wow. Like, Stella, I would want a self-sustainable house and garden, but in a nice neighborhood near lots of shops, and that would include a big, light art studio and reception area. I would set up personal retirement and education funds for our children, and fund children's health charities, research into environmental issues that effect health, as well as alternative medicines. I would vigorously support progressive candidates and transparent, efficient government.

4. Five places I've lived.

Beverly Hills, California
Brooklyn, New York
Columbus, Ohio
St. Louis, Missouri
Eastbourne, England

5. Bad Habits. Numerous!
  • Procrastination; putting off the stuff I don't enjoy doing.
  • Distraction; doing the stuff to the detriment of the stuff I should do, and even WANT to be doing, and Peripheral focusing (which isn't focusing at all, it's multi-tasking ALL THE TIME).
  • Chocolate binges.
  • Anger; a short temper (I profusely apologize when this happens to my sweet kids), and raging against things I have no control over (right wing idiocy) to those who also have no control over it (and occasionally to those who do, but I try to keep my composure then).
  • Budget busting (I'm trying to get better at this!)
  • Using TV like a babysitter (okay, not for THAT long...).
  • There's more...

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Bull Shit McCain/Palin

I didn't want to watch this. We're house hunting with 2 kids under 4, so it's not like we don't have anything to do.

Country First. No.

Power First.

Let's ask Palin why she belongs to a secessionist group and why she censors public libraries. And let's ask John McCain exactly where it is in the Constitution that innocent Americans can be RAIDED because they use cameras. And we'll all ask the MSM why they haven't covered this fascist police action!!

Family Values. No.

Willful Ignorance.

I'm sorry, but if abstinence education and advocacy "works" then...what happened there at ground zero?

I stopped watching it, I only caught the end where she endorsed a "great man" for President. That would be Obama. She supported Pat Buchanon in 2000...

I haven't had the stomach to watch the key note speech, how many times did he lie or mention 9-11?

Peace.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Hey McCain, if Hillary's so great, why didn't you pick her?

Reckless choice

The more we learn about the charming Palin, the less she has going for her. It makes me think that not only is John McCain ambitious without good judgement, and disdainful of government, in particular the office of the Presidency, but perhaps he could find no other takers. As my charming and absolutely qualified husband pointed out, McCain could have picked any number of better qualified Republican women for the ticket--was his "choice" really a slap in the face to them? Or was it a slap in a face to him? I'm still shocked he didn't pick Rudy, I was sure of it...

Any news that Democrats are fighting/revealing this?

Backfire

Everything of which McCain accuses Obama, McCain is. He puts politics before country, HE wants to be President out of ambition, not patriotism, he isn't trustworthy; McCain is insane. He's volatile, reactionary, desperate and this "maybe I'll get lucky" choice reminds me of that scene in "Nemo" when Gill hatches yet another plan to escape the fish tank...all his fish followers say, "Okay," except the last guy who says, "I think you're nuts!!" But McCain doesn't listen to that guy.

A Republican Woman VP, what now?

I think there are good reasons Republicans have waited so long to put a woman on the ticket. It raises issues for conservatives...just think about Coulter's cheery evaluation of women (we should not vote). McCain, reportedly, has been very disrespectful to his wife; I'm not sure how he is toward women professionally, except that he's generally seen as insane. So, how is he going to handle a strong, vocal woman on the ticket? She may very well have her own agenda--and his reaction to her rising up from her place in the hierarchy might sink his candidacy without word one from Obama.

Friday, August 29, 2008

The only choice argument, for the GOP VP candidate

Abortion happens, whether it's legal or not. Do we make it illegal and dangerous, even for victims of rape and incest, or the critically ill, who have the greatest moral imperative to abort? Or do we do everything we can to make unintended pregnancies rare? Period.

Update: I've heard a lot of conservative women on NPR saying how happy they are that Palin is so strongly "pro-life." I wrote this last night:

I don’t know the governor of Alaska, but I find her extreme position on abortion severely lacking in compassion for women who are raped, victims of incest, or who simply don’t want to risk their lives in an unintended pregnancy (esp. if they are already mothers). Both times I was pregnant I was keenly aware that my life could end, especially at my age (600 women in America die from childbirth). And in any case, women always seek abortions whether they are legal or not, so the question is, will we keep women who do it safe in this country; and do we try to make them rare? I’m not so dismissive of more moderate pro-life positions (setting some legal limits for those who are not in the situations I mentioned above), but not that one—and I wonder if she supports the use of contraception (sigh). I guess she’s a libertarian on other issues (just not for all women I guess!).

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The MSM hammer

Obama's "inexperienced" BS! Yes, Vigilante, can we please tear McCain's corrupt, unethical, pandering experience apart sometime soon? And, more important, can we hear over and over and over about Lugar Obama? And transparent government?

Change

Leaving Iraq
green jobs
alternative energy
equal rights
equal pay
constitutional rights restored
healthcare availability
successful schools
efficient government (the bureaucrats and white collar military know it's coming)
help for the poor
transparent government
less power to the lobbyists (the lobbyists know it's coming)

CHANGE

The Evolution of Peace

I keep goading my husband into agreeing with me that violent and non-violent people are biologically different. He's not buying it and keeps poking holes in my theories (he's awesome). But that description is the closest I've gotten to getting his approval..."liberal" vs "conservative" didn't cut it for him and he quickly gave me an example of a violent liberal and a peaceful, patriotic conservative. I myself have been a very angry liberal, a "fighter" and now that I have kids I'm trying to check myself so that they will be more like their father, a judicial, playful, principled and peaceful man (of course, both of my children know this about their father already!).

There are a few reasons I keep thinking about violent vs. non-violent. It has always bothered me that the liberals have been assassinated so much more than the conservatives (attempts were made on Regean, but the liberal list is long: John Lennon, MLK, JFK, RFK, and even the recent killings of the Democratic chairman and the Unitarians.)

It's like the peace symbol is a target for some people, and it helps me to realize that there are just some people who think that peace is threatening to their future. It helps me realize that peace is really something we need to advocate, stand for, and educate each other about. It means that I no longer take it for granted that people want to be good...being in a state of goodness, tranquility, and peace is a battle inside each one of us to some degree. A peaceful world is worth securing for the safety and health of our families and country.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

We have to lie about Cindy to get John elected...

Wow, I'm stunned. I'm adopted and I just see this political lie as a line that should never be crossed. "Daddy, why did YOUR campaign get my adoption story wrong?" Bizarre.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Where do we get the real news, Holland?

I'm pretty sad. It used to be that my father got the real news from the Manchester Guardian, I believe it was mailed to us in northern Missouri twice a month. My brother now reads The Economist for his real news. But I'm thinking...our lobbyists are probably implicated in the Georgia/Russia fiasco. And Tony Blair basically takes hush money from Saudi Arabia, the country that appears to be calling the shots in this world.


What country publishes news that YOU would trust?

We're voting for CHANGE, netroots

I'm becoming weary of the leftist whining for VPs that are the same old Democrats that have been compromised in every way. I'm praying that Obama picks someone brilliant that I've never f-ing heard of--that would be CHANGE. Now I'm reading whining about WHO will speak at the convention, it's not Gore, I guess. WHO CARES?!

Let's just see what happens, Obama's team is brilliant, let's stop second guessing him all day long. Gees.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

McCain: Off-shore drilling NOW, IMMEDIATELY!

The link is courtesy of the election website here (courtesy of Schmog). Wow, money talks, eh, McCain? And a reversal, to boot!

Monday, August 04, 2008

Image and the $100 bill

Some might think that Obama has a mistake (the world is full of Republicans who look for mistakes). One being something like saying, "I don't look like most presidents on our dollar bills," (I actually think he resembles Abe Lincoln's physique and possibly some Jeffersonian features, but I digress). Even liberals may see this as Obama injecting racial issues into the debate, but they may not be aware that he was reacting to an ad McCain ran in June that showed Obama on a dollar bill, highlighting his white shirt and dark features (turning up the CONTRAST for us) and as the dollar fades and enlarges Obama's face turns yellow, grotesque and "explodes" out of the frame. I'm trying to find the blog that reported this with images but I can't seem to load any of those websites. Oh, here's one.

So why the retraction? I think Obama's retraction is a wise move to keep race out of the fight. He doesn't need Americans lining up trying to decide if McCain's a racist, or if Obama's sensitive to racism (I think he knows what an insensitive society we are, and how intolerant we are of the sensitive of ANY color, race or gender) but what we do know is that McCain's consciously appealing to racists. Does using racist tactics make someone a racist? Uh, yeah. But who's job is it to call him one? The voters.

Update: Ah, this is what I was speaking of (let's be callous, America! No need to be sensitive to the feelings of blacks, women, Jews, atheists, liberals, Christians, oh, maybe I'm going to far there...): Suck it up

Sunday, August 03, 2008

The superficial vs. content

This is the "cling to guns or religion," comment that Obama made that still draws so much judgement. One can say it's stereotyping bitter (not every!) small town people, and if we read the whole quote for INORMATION it's also full of UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHY for people who he describes as watching their jobs go overseas and their communities crumble. It's so annoying that we get these quotes out of context over and over and over, like Dana Milbank who turned humility into hubris.

"But the truth is, is that, our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there’s not evidence of that in their daily lives. You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Lies about Taxes against Obama

Here is a link that outlines the economic plans for both candidates, a good tool to refute the misinformation that so many people have (and plan to vote on). I must say here that I am stunned that Republicans are still, "Taxes, taxes!" when our country is such a f-ing mess economically, structurally, environmentally, and in terms of civil rights, education and health care. They seem just fine to vote indefinitely for lower taxes AND criminal, corrupt, incompetent and crazy politicians.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Sticks to McCain

All the insulting charges against Obama hit McCain:

"He's elitist" McCain and his wealthy wife own 7 houses.

"He's got a messianic attitude!" "Thinks he's the Lord's gift...[Pat Buchanon]" Well, McCain keeps a rabbit foot or some other such nonsense with him at all times...so who's out of the realm of reality here?

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

So, was this just "for fun" or serious?

It is my belief that we are an American community. The way that Coulter is slicing and dicing us, stereotyping and insulting us, judging people and grouping us, is so much like what it must have been like to live in Germany in the early days (maybe not so early) of the Third Reich. The press should not be giving this wounded woman (is she not like a dying carnivore?) a voice--does CNN give her one now? Every person who publicly declares that a liberal is the "enemy" of America bears some responsibility for the deaths and injuries of the innocent Americans from Tennessee.

Swiftspeech has found the best post I've seen on this responses to the Tennessee tragedy.

McCain's popularity contest...and the elites

Huh? I just don't get how useful it is that McCain keeps pointing to how popular and admired Obama is. First he showed us how much the press, especially NY Rudy-loving Chris Matthews, loves Obama. Now he's showing us how much the world loves Obama. Gee, it's almost like Obama's RONALD REAGAN. I honestly think McCain is trying to lose.

Meanwhile, I keep hearing rich white collar execs say that Obama's going to soak them with tax cuts (which means they are rich, but they vehemently deny being rich, which drives this formerly poor person over the edge of anger). I said to my husband, "Yeah, and the Bush's think they aren't rich because the Saudi's have more money than they do." That's our whole problem, isn't it? That's Limbaugh's job, to convince poor people that voting for Republican elites helps them. A scam! As if to answer my prayers, here's this: Bill Kristol

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Supporting the liberal media...

Putting our money where our mouths, and TVs, are.

Let's boycott those businesses that support hate radio

This post gave me an idea. How can we find out what companies are supporting Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly with advertising dollars without watching them? I will be happy to list them here:

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/rushbusted.html seems out of date...

Bingo

This is why, the comments being made by McCain that are SO OUT OF LINE, need to be CALLED OUT by our media. Suggesting that Obama would like to lose a war to win a campaign is hate speech for some folks, and suggests treason to all of us. And that is true DESPITE some people's inability to understand the criminality of our current President.

Terrorism in Tennessee

A very sad, tortured man committed this hate crime and I believe that he will be tortured further since he did not die. I hope to see that the Rush Limbaughs, Bill O'Reillys and Sean Hannitys who encourage hatred toward liberals will be held accountable as well--they owe us sincere apologies and a change in their behavior. If this isn't a wake-up call to ALL of us that we need to tone down our rhetoric toward those who hold different opinions to us (mea culpa) I don't know what is. I also believe that if this man is not tried on terrorism charges, then our government is sanctioning fascism in this country. I believe that anyone who takes a gun and shoots down innocent civilians should be tried as a terrorist.

This was an abomination to our liberty and our freedom of religion.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

America's thirst for the violent and morbid...

We saw X-files last night and I was hoping for aliens, but I got spiritual pedophiles, horrifying stalkers of and imprisonment of women, morbid body part scenarios, and a few depressing stories thrown in, including a dying child and already dead child (the last narrative was completely over the top!). I'm not saying it was a bad movie, it held together as a story, but it was horrifying, disgusting and cruel. I seem to remember the X-files being spooky, creepy and FUN. Not f-ing depressing and gruesome. I left thinking that Chris Carter must have been influenced by CSI, which I can't stomach either (and may actually be worse, I don't know). And before the movie we got the History channel's advertisement for CGI graphics of dinosaurs killing each other like we've never seen, complete with blood squirting on to the screen for us. Ugh!

I have a three year old and a baby boy, and right now I'm learning how much affection means for their health, and for us, actually. Hugs actually change our brain chemistry to make us feel good about ourselves. I just don't understand the lust for violence, gore and horror in our entertainment. Sex, yes, more love and beauty please.

Peace.

Friday, July 11, 2008

The Fog of Time

Oil. It's in our faces. Why can't we believe our eyes? I've been very affected by Greg Palast's article. It explains everything.

We are not in Iraq to GET their oil, we are in Iraq to STOP the flow of that oil.

Mega profits for Exxon-Mobil and the Saudis, OPEC.

The CABAL of oil executives in the White House.

It's a no-brainer.

During the "Gulf War," I told a very good friend that that war was about the oil and not about protecting people, she said, "Is that so bad?"

Complacency is rampant...

Thursday, June 19, 2008

I've Been Hard On Hillary, about that glass ceiling...

I just browsed Hillary's photo album, it appears she's still raising money and is possibly passing the baton to Chelsea, our hedge fund guru.

I think both women demonstrate that women in this country can DO anything. But WHO are they? And what do they BELIEVE? I don't know anything about Chelsea. But I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about Hillary's morality...that the ends justify the means.

The most moving image was of a woman who reminded me of my own 70 year old mother. She had Hillary buttons all over her hat, and I thought, wow, I can't see my mom doing that for Hillary, but maybe some other woman or candidate; and I felt sad that this unknown woman is probably disappointed right now. But I honestly think that we already had cracks in that ceiling when that woman (and millions of others) taught her daughter, or niece or neighbor that girls and women can DO anything in this country. I think that glass ceiling will be broken when both women and men aren't required to DO and PROVE everything, especially based on gender, and we're all accepted for who we are, loving human beings who love others. And I'm a feminist mother of sons.

Hey, I love Hillary.

Cheers.

Um, we're STOPPING Iraq's oil flow on purpose...

And does Saudi Arabia rule the world? My husband told me Tony Blair capitulated to them on war planes for oil. Where are our heroes? The British people and Americans would not have capitulated to Saudi Arabia's threats...

Friday, June 06, 2008

Jews and Obama

Obama's AIPAC speech

Obama does express his love for Israel (in both words and money) and for a two-state solution, and AGAINST expanding settlements, and for SOCIAL JUSTICE and TO HEAL THE WORLD. He is the one, the guy that really wants peace in the Middle East. Sure, I would have liked him to rail against extra-judicial killings, but as a Brit I wonder if this is that much different from how we less formally treat Britain--they even had a terrorism problem once...

I'm blogging this because I'm so irritated by things I'm reading and things I know about people. We know a Jewish guy who thinks Obama is an angry, black-power anti-Jew and I keep reading atheists' (I think) comments who think Obama is beholden to Israel and American Jews. How can they be talking about the same guy? It's crazy!

I think he wants peace for the United States, and our ALLIES. That just doesn't agree with some people, I guess.

FYI, I'm Jewish.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

WeHo Dem Party? -- Vote for Pavley!!

We got a suspicious looking flyer for the so-called West Hollywood Democratic Club (it also made it look like they are allied with a Beverly Hills Dem Club) endorsing Lloyd Levine, one of the most crooked Democrats I've ever heard about. The WeHo "club" looks like it has about 4 members (my husband called that!) and I guess we can check out a P.O. Box if we're interested in joining (compare their website to another local Democratic club: http://www.palisadesdemclub.org/PPDCJoin.html)

I have inside information about this Levine guy, I'm so close to his political career that I've been in the same car with him. He's the kind of guy that fires people, or tries to get CITIZENS fired, because it's "politics." Nasty? You betcha.

We don't need Democrats like Lloyd Levine. Let's keep him out of the California Senate.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Hillary

I got an e-mail yesterday from the Hillary campaign asking me to contact the DNC about the May 31st meeting to decide if Florida and Michigan should be counted. She's saying it's an "every vote counts" decision! Every DISQUALIFIED VOTE, HILLARY. I promptly went to the DNC website and reminded them that they had set the rules and changing them now would make them look REALLY corrupt.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

I just have to say this again

We cannot let Republicans and Conservatives win the con game of this:

They seem to get away with saying, "We can't trust our government; keep it out of our businesses, out of our homes!" and this is PATRIOTIC, then the minute a liberal says, "Our government's intervention in Iraq is wrong," that liberal is "attacking America!"

Bull #@#$@#$

Obama speaks:

"This is a phony issue. . . . I've been saying the pledge since I was, what, 4?" he said to applause. "So I make this comment and suddenly a bunch of these TV commentators and bloggers say, 'Obama is disrespecting people who wear flag pins.' Well, that's just not true. Another way of saying it is: It's a lie. So . . . don't listen to them. Look at what I do and what I say and my commitment to making this a stronger country. I get pretty fed up with people questioning my patriotism, especially a bunch of folks who have instituted policies that have made America weaker. I am happy to have that debate with them, any place, any time. All right?"

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Personal Venting

I sit here blogging after telling my husband how much our downstairs neighbor's complaints bother me; they are about our toddler's footsteps/jumping/running/way of being. I often want to leave my home so I won't have to confront an angry neighbor, or to avoid having an angry neighbor take out illegal remedies against us--and leaving my home is often difficult with a 2-1/2 month old baby AND a toddler.

So, like I said, I'm sitting here blogging and I smell my downstairs neighbor's cigarette smoke. I shut the window, and the smell intensifies.

Which neighbor has it worse? We're suffering second hand smoke. Are my son's sounds noise pollution? They seem to pale in comparison to the garbage truck backing up, the leaf blowers, the construction next door, the weed wackers...ugh...

The good news is, house rental prices seem to be dropping!

Peace.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Obama Flap

I watched the Rev. Wright Press Club Q & A and, unless I'm Obama who might take offense at being called political (oh please!), I can't find what was so outrageous. It is factual that our intervention in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, and our military training of Osama bin Laden preceded 9-11; our Ambassador said our chickens were coming home to roost.

Is it really that crazy to believe that our government had something to do with HIV? I don't believe that, but then, I haven't researched it either--and it's not impossible in the context of the rest of our history: as in do "white" people know about the Tuskegee "Experiment", forced sterilizations in hospitals on black women, and more recently, the reporting of the actual importation of drugs into the black community by the CIA? And in any case, REV. WRIGHT IS NOT OBAMA! Obama strikes me as a quietly religious person who lives a very secular, politically active life. It seems obvious that he belonged to Wright's church because of it's ties to the black community, not Wright's bombastic preaching. Let's see, does Obama strike you as a leader or a follower? Exactly.

However, I think Wright may be on to something when he claims that the press is attacking the black church. Think about it. I think the press, Hillary, and the right wing are really trying to make us see Obama as BLACK and RELIGIOUS in the skewed way that Wright's being smeared. There are people in this country that will do ANYTHING to stop Obama from being elected...he's like a Kennedy.

I also find Wright's views of our government's policies very consistent with the preaching of my Methodist father. It's pretty simple: God is good, war is not. Criticizing our government should not be outrageous (I'll never get that conservatives don't trust government yet won't defend our right to criticize it; a paradox) and is consistent with most liberal moral philosophies whether religiously based or not. I think many atheists are just ticked off that Obama actually seems to believe in God; a view I find shockingly intolerant for Americans to hold.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Living in Karl Rove's Universe

We are now in the world of Obama as "other" and Obama as "right." These are two of his strengths, so Hillary and Rove are turning them into weaknesses.

Hillary has taken us into the Republican trap of using anti-intellectualism and otherness to alienate voters, and using that we will never again elect an inspired, intelligent, effective world leader.

In particular, we know people who are uncomfortable with Obama being "religious," and also baselessly think he's "anti-Jewish." We also hear that maybe he's really an "angry black man" (I think every black American is entitled to be angry and denying that is denying racism in this country; and why is it okay for Clarence Thomas to be angry?). We'll keep hearing that his middle name is Hussein, and well, that's just out there for some people even though we supported Sadam for decades. And Obama's foreign names make Americans question why people are saying he doesn't do patriotic things like wear a flag pin.

Now Rove is trying to characterize him as a marginal legislator, even though Obama accomplished this when Sam Nunn couldn't...Lugar Obama

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Who cares about Fox News, this implicates the FDA...

Note that Monsanto produces NUTRASWEET (purchased from G.D. Searle after a very controversial FDA approval...)

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The Snake surfaces, James Carville

I don't know where I heard that James Carville spiked the Kerry campaign in the final hours. I'm sure he's loyal to the Clintons, and I find his "branding" of Bill Richardson fully revealing of dirty, nasty, and racial, Clintonian tactics. If you're not tightly in the Clinton power fold, or have enough power on your own (e.g. former Senators that support Obama) then you better shut-up and get in line. Otherwise, you'll be called Judas on national television.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Feeling Rome

Can this describe the gap between rich and poor any clearer? As middle and lower income people lose their homes all over the U.S., elites are paying MORE for summer rentals in Malibu. Ick.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

1,000 reasons to love life



Thanks Vigilante and Stella for wanting to share in our precious baby!

My children remind me that every human life is precious. Babies make me wonder why, why, why we pollute the environment, hate other people, and commit violent acts. I wish baby-love would guide our world toward the light!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Insane Nation

I've been out of the loop for three weeks, mostly taking care of our newborn and a very manic toddler.

I am just amazed at how insane so many Americans are, here's a short list:

Geraldine Ferraro/Hillary Clinton (can she please stop wining in public and get back to sipping her mint julep at the plantation?)
Dr. Laura (why do we let this woman on TV?)
Eliot Spitzer (did he think he had anonymity?)
McCain's new "spiritual advisor" (I can't get the TPM link to work)

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Ohio and Texas

I think Obama will win Ohio, but Texas is just out of my league for predictions. In any case, it looks like Obama can claim the following come the Convention:

Most states won.

The popular vote.

Most independent and Republican votes.

Largest margins of winning.

There is NO WAY that Hillary can counter this MOJO and justify asking for the Super delegates to support her instead...I have no worries that this will successfully happen for her...for the peace of this nation, it simply can't.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Post-bumper sticker

Hopefully I'll run across an Obama campaign headquarters at some point and pick up some stuff to save for posterity. But until then I just don't think bumper stickers are needed!

With Bill Clinton I was like, "Oh wow, he actually won!"

With Al Gore, I was like, "Hey everybody, he's smart and great, even though he comes off like a nerd."

With John Kerry I was like, "Hey, he can win, he's a veteran!!"

With Obama, I'm like, "Yeah, me too!"

Peace.

Post-partisan, maybe, but NOT post-racial

Obama will be our first black President.

Something absolutely devastating would have to happen to prevent this. And this is why:

1. There are currently 7 million more Democrats than Republicans voting in the Primaries.

2. If McCain runs, the anti-gay, anti-immigrant conservatives and the unregulated capitalists stay home (and there are not enough occupation-supporting hawks to get him elected nationally); if Huckabee runs; the unregulated capitalists stay home or cross their fingers and vote for Obama.

It should be a landslide in favor of Obama. And knowing this will not deter Obama's supporters one whit.

Friday, February 08, 2008

Guns easily kill people

The mayor's wife was close to my father and was actually with my father when he died, during a charity fund-raising walk. These angry, crazy people, armed with their objects that are designed to kill, are our suicide bombers.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

L.A. County stops counting votes...

Hi Bloggers,

The Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters is refusing to count all of the votes cast for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on Election Day. I just signed a petition from the Courage Campaign demanding that the Registrar count every single vote.

Will you join me? Click here to sign the petition.

http://www.couragecampaign.org/counteveryvote

Thanks!

Gore to endorse?

My own opinion is that Gore will not endorse Obama, as much as he might wish to, until the Primaries' state-by-state races are closed and the Convention is next. And only then if it looks like the Clintons are playing dirty (which is likely if there's a tie).

Thanks to the L.A. Obama listserve member, E. Trinidad.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Hillary lied like a Cheney during the last debate...

This is very, very scary.

Thank you A. Avakian [Los Angeles Obama listserve]

Fox Loves Hillary

I hear that Hillary has invited Obama to debate on Fox. Cough. It's amazing how Hillary will talk the talk about "fighting" the right wing and then capitulate to Faux News!! What fighter?

And beware of every right-winger downplaying Obama's surge and holding up Hillary as the front-runner. Pat Buchanan was on MSNBC last night doing everything he could to make Hillary's wins look bigger and more significant (he screwed himself by overemphasizing the importance of Hillary winning Missouri--rich!!).

Right-wingers want to run against Hillary. They are TERRIFIED of Obama's ability to draw Independents and Republicans, and frankly, LOTS and LOTS of new and especially young voters. They want less voters, not more.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Delegate Watch

Please let me know if you find a better tally. Thanks!

Update 1: Hmmm, the numbers don't match CNN yet. But this is very interesting, note that Super Delegates are included in the totals.

And this MSNBC count!!!

Thanks to L.A. Obama supporter Ms. J. Sullivan (listserve).

Hello, Georgia

Thanks, my former Southern home.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Honest Michelle

This is a new kind of politics. Clearly, Mrs. Obama is not the shrinking, get-along, act-nice first lady along the lines of Laura Bush. I doubt we'd ever find Michelle being interviewed by Katy Kurick while nursing along native plants back at the ranch, and discussing decorating, while a distant-to-her war rages.

Can the left stop eating our young and give this woman a break? She answered a difficult question honestly, which was something like, "Given that Hillary Clinton's campaign has attacked you non-stop from everything from cocaine, to choice, to taxes, and using race-baiting, will you work for her to get her elected?"

She essentially said, "Probably not for her, but yes, for the Democrats." This is personal for them and the Obama's get to feel what they feel without playing nice for our f-ing party.

Every person is good and bad, but we don't have to work for the people who cross the line into unacceptable behavior; Democrat or not. And yes, I would vote for Hillary if she wins the nomination...but I probably wouldn't if my husband was running against her. For whatever reason, the McGovern family did not vote for Carter. They were probably right.

The Healthcare Debate

Who are these mythical healthy people who can afford health insurance but don't buy it? And if they are choosing to take this stupid, possibly expensive gamble, why is it unfair to have penalties for those who don't buy in at the registration time when they could afford it?

I think I went without health insurance for a few months in my life after college, and it was because I couldn't afford $200/mo for an HMO. I was constantly scared that I'd have an accident or health emergency and get hit with hospital bills. I don't even know these financially secure risk-takers personally; do you?

Paul Krugman simultaneously defines them as irresponsible "gamers" that will avoid Obama's plan (unlikely considering Dean's argument that employers will enroll people and there will be subsidies, and that government plan...), and then as "victims" of Obama's penalty plan.

Krugman has it out for Obama, doesn't he?

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Don't Tread on Me

For a long time I very mistakenly thought that the "Don't Tread On Me" image was an English, Scottish or Irish one because I had strong associations with it's message. I thought of it today when I visited Swiftspeech's blog and saw the shocking video they have of police brutality against an innocent American woman.

As Americans, I believe we all need to adopt this old American attitude toward our government. Thank you Swiftspeech crew, Stella, M.D., every one of you, for being the eyes and ears of justice for our citizenry. We must be ever vigilant, as Vigilante reminds us, and ready to fight injustice in our communities.

Here is Benjamin Franklin (via Wikipedia):

In December 1775, Benjamin Franklin published an essay in the Pennsylvania Journal under the pseudonym American Guesser in which he suggested that the rattlesnake was a good symbol for the American spirit:

I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.—She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.—As if anxious to prevent all pretentions of quarrelling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenceless animal; and even when those weapons are shewn and extended for her defence, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal:—Conscious of this, she never wounds till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her.—Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America?

How do couples get here?

It is my belief, once divorced and married for real only the second time, and based on the book, Will Our Love Last? by Sam R. Hamburg, that couples need to have a successful two out of three of the following agreements, or dimensions, in order to be happy:

Sex (frequency, level, desire)
Wavelength (morality, spirituality, politics, world-view)
Practical (money, neatness, schedules, home environment, food)

My husband and I have the first two in spades, although one or two aspects of the Practical dimension are sometimes treacherous for us, but we're getting better at understanding each other there. I belatedly realized that I had none of the above with my first marriage (that guy I married role-played being a liberal, among other things, for years).

I can't imagine how a marriage can work successfully when Wavelength, which must be the Arnold and Maria strike out, isn't working. I mean their respective endorsements are "100 years in Iraq," "Scalia," and "cutting spending" vs. "a change in military-use mindset," "Pro-choice," and "universal healthcare and environmental health investment." But according to the Will Our Love Last book, these marriages can survive. But how can Arnold and Maria not place top value on Wavelength when they are both so involved in politics?

A Hillary Push-Poll?

It's unfortunate that there's not any company mentioned or trace of who might actually be responsible for this.

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Obama's cross-over appeal...

Thank you DB Cooper and Vigilante:

Eisenhower endorsement

I was just thinking today about Obama's point during the debate, something like "We need a new mindset," when it comes to using our military. Spot on!! The main reason I am opposed to Hillary being our nominee is because she has so strikingly supported every Bush military move, especially the last one with Iran. She claims she couldn't have foreseen him using their Iraq vote for invasion (huh?) and that she doesn't think they can now use that Congressional Iranian National Guard = Terrorists bill to go to war with Iran. If she hasn't learned by now that lawless Bush and Cheney need little, if any, encouragement for war, she is worse than Wolf Blitzer's "naive" slap--she's blind.

Being Green Today

I'm feeling really good because I've spent the morning actually doing something to prepare for our new baby. We're reusing a double stroller that my sister-in-law (married to a Reagan Democrat, no less) wonderfully saved for anyone who would need it (possibly us in particular) for six years! It's been painstaking but also a welcome brain puzzle to disassemble it so that I can wash every fabric part.

The other thing I've begun successfully and consistently doing is to use a big, soft "cool" insulator bag for grocery shopping (it's kind of like a big beach bag with a zipper) that I bought at Costco for $6. Not only is it good at the grocery store (the baggers actually put the cool stuff in there for me!) but when I get home it's really easy for me to recycle or reuse any paper and plastic bags I've used by putting them in the empty "cool" bag to take back out to the car. Then I just pull it out of the car whenever I grocery shop. I feel good about all this today!

Peace.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

No Nader

The ego of this guy just drives me nuts. If you want to tell him not to run (or to run) the link is above.

I'd forgotten how bad he made things, update: Crooks and Liars

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Reflecting on conservative policies

Bush did not look very confidant last night. He sounded like it, but the only attitude I picked up from both he and Cheney was, "I can't believe we're still here saying these things."

Today, we have blatantly obvious evidence in the housing market that UNREGULATED capitalism is bad for our economy, our nation, and our people. We need oversight, competition and fiscal responsibility.

Today, it is obvious that we can't afford two foreign occupations, or to bail out our banks, or to fund children without health insurance, when we give enormous tax breaks to the rich.

Republicans, as evidenced by the FISA fight in Congress and the Presidency right now, are wrong when they put the rights of corporations to break the law ahead of civil rights. This is not constitutional, it is fascism. It is the extreme representation of how far certain members of our government will go to let our banks and businesses off the hook from old fashioned, patriotic responsibilities toward our common good.

Obama vs. McCain

Via TPM.

Pell Grants for kids $20...thanks Greg Palast.

God forbid we fund the SCHOOLS instead of the millionaires and get rid of No Child Left Behind's multi-millions money-making test scheme. I wake up every day and think, "In what way is Bush a Christian? Bush's worldview is 'Let those of us on earth fund the millionaires, for they are God's best."

Dividing Feminists

Wow, I'm just in shock. Of course, I am one of those "men" who believes "not this woman." Does NY NOW think that critics of Margaret Thatcher are really misogynists underneath? Please. Did official feminism regress to adolescence in the past two decades?

In my college in the 1990s, there were competing types of feminism. One was historically angry, bomb-throwing, and segregating, and the other was based on human morality, empathy and understanding. I liked both in different ways and for different purposes (sadly, the first one put many of my friends off of feminism so they never discovered the second option or a combination thereof); but what I really liked about the empathetic version was that it didn't use GUILT to persuade people that women are equal and valuable. That "Carol Gilligan" kind of feminism preached acceptance.

When Hillary Clinton made her cookies comment years ago, it showed me (and a lot of non-feminist women) that she didn't accept some women's choices (or perhaps didn't see us as having choices). As an educated artist and stay-at-home mom, either view of women is still abhorrent to me; and simply does not reflect mainstream American attitudes. Today, girls and women are expected to do anything men can do, in school, in work, in the military. This is quite different from the country where I was born; England still has well-defined roles for women and men. So this type of accusation against mostly American men (and women like myself, really) is Clinton/Bush-style politics, folks. Slice and dice...I'm through with that.

Peace, your raging feminist.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Obama's vision frames MSNBC commentary about Bush's SOTU

There was no "big think" about our nation.
There was no "what can we do for our country?"

Next Time

I was just in my kitchen imagining next year's State of the Union. Who will be the next President? What will those themes be? Will it be fear, legislative issues, or new hope and dramatic change? There's only one human being I'd like to hear speak that day, and I'm thankful I heard him today. That is Barack Obama.

The Democrats have begun to show up...

Reid begins to acknowledge that Bush is the bully on the playground...and at least for today, we have been the party that does not fear that bully, does not play by that bully's rules, and peacefully offered an alternative to satisfy the Bully's desire to extend FISA's powers 30 days (although I wouldn't have bothered with the latter which seems PR-based).

It's a start.

Three Lies

I listened to Hillary Clinton's comments on this TPM post.

1) Bill Clinton will be minimized in her campaign and she blatantly says the opposite.
2) She does not always "stand our ground" to Republicans in defense of Democratic ideals in VERY important ways. This was Barney Frank's point, too, that we shouldn't be uniters, that we need to fight! Who has been fighting for us in Congress? Feingold, Dodd, Kucinich. At least Obama doesn't pretend to be partisan! Yet I think he has been and will be the most progressive!
3) I don't think this was in the video, but she has denied that Clinton's Jesse Jackson comment was racial, or that they are race baiting. B.S. As Maureen Dowd points out, they dissed MLK [my comment on this incident was that they could have logically and clearly made their policy point merely by mentioning just JFK and LBJ; they didn't need to bring in MLK at all] as someone who couldn't get policy made, and now they are comparing Obama's win to someone, who's connection to Obama just happens to be that they are both "black," who didn't win the nomination.

A bridge to the Spanish-speaking and older liberals?

I hope this changes the polls in CA!

On This Day

Today, the Kennedy, progressive and liberal mantles were passed to Obama. The vote on FISA this afternoon is a test of progressive policies vs. fascist. Is this the DLC's death knell?

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Backing out of agreements with our party

Via TPM. It will be interesting to see if the DNC bows to the Clintons and allows her to retroactively take Michigan's delegates, and now Florida's, when she was the only one on the ballot in MI. This is stunning.

Obama in DC on Monday

So the Kennedy's are good friends with Chris Dodd, I'm praying they're telling Obama to vote against immunity tomorrow. Politico article found via Schmog's post today and TPM. Has anyone heard anything?

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Thanks, Republicans and Democrats!

I'm listing these guys so I can give them a call tomorrow and give them the news that they are helping Bush win even more power!!:

Bayh (202) 224-5623
Carper (202) 224-2441
Inouye (202) 224-3934
Johnson (202) 224-5842
Landrieu (202)224-5824
McCaskill (202) 224-6154
Mikulski (202) 224-4654
Nelson (FL) (202) 224-5274
Nelson (NE) (202) 224-6551
Pryor (202) 224-2353
Salazar (202) 224-5852

Poor Bill, he was born with a silver tongue...

The Clintons seem to be constantly set up with ideally framed questions from their audiences and so victimized!

Cheney and the Telecoms

I heard him say that if we don't let corporations break the law upon government request then we'll have another 9-11. CORPORATIONS BROKE THE LAW AND COMPLIED WITH GOVERNMENT REQUESTS BEFORE 9-11, DARTH.

Lame!

No one believes that Obama started the negative attacks, so to say, "Oh, he's attacking back when he said he wouldn't attack!" is the pot calling the kettle black. And then to act as if his attack, which sounds accurate to me, that Hillary will say anything to get elected, is so over the top that it hurts Hillary, well that just doesn't seem possible. She's mad, not hurt, not offended, and simply, pegged.

A Very Decent Post

Outlines the "slum lord" connection.

Bush and the Middle East

I was reading the Economist this morning and Bush just sold 900 bombs to Saudi Arabia and begged them to produce more oil for us to buy. We gave Israel 10,000 bombs, and Israel is bragging that they are "smarter," thus ticking off and undermining our deadly "gift" to Saudi Arabia. Oh, and thanks for bailing out our banks with billions. Could we be more stupid, could we be more self-defeating?

In the last debate Hillary said...

something like, "We are not going to use race and gender in this campaign." Well, that lasted about an hour. Outrageously, here is Bill saying that "black" people will vote for Obama, and that women will vote for Hillary. Someone should ask him, who does he expect "black" women to vote for? What a racially aware guy this is--he's talking to "white" folks here, the slime ball.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Tucker's guest says Obama loses by becoming the "black" candidate

Okay, it is truly stunning to hear a "white" talking head named Margaret Carlson (Bloomberg News) say, "In the first two weeks of 2008, suddenly Obama became the 'black' candidate." She credits the Clintons comparing him to MLK for this. Now he's just like Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton.

Well, he's ALWAYS been the "black" candidate so what is she really implying? He's transgressed some "white" line? Margaret's solution for Obama is to throw "white" people a bone by saying he's against something like affirmative action on the federal level.

I can't even stomach this kind of talk--no wonder I hardly ever watch this stuff.

Is Governing Hard?

This looks like Democrats are thrilled to have a financial crisis so they can avoid the hard stuff. It stinks.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The Health Insurance Debate

I find Robert Reich's comments particularly helpful.

Hillary's swamp

"[To Obama] We need you to speak in the sacred voice of authentic power.

When you do it, you will win the nomination, the White House, and the chance to bring a new era of strength, universal opportunity, and universal prosperity to America and the world."

Update:
The Rove Legacy: Hillary Clinton

Hmm, something to remember...

Choice is still important in 2008.

Here is Obama's latest statement:

Freedom of Choice Act

Is this how Clinton won in 1992?

I just don't remember the primary campaign at all. Any memories folks?

Great editorial

National unity is a value Obama holds, that's a great observation. However, I don't think he holds the usual liberal "let's all get along and compromise our other values." I think Hillary is a big example of this, and although Edwards sounds like a progressive now, his voting record in Congress was a lot like Hillary's. Obama isn't a compromising type of guy, as we can see from his debate last night, he stands by his words and actions and tries to do the right thing for everybody.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Don't call us on our B.S. or we'll call you an enemy

I can't stand the Clintons right now. I want them no where near the White House again--as my husband pointed out, it would be another family dynasty. Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton. I'm tired of their divisive politics! I think they, along with the Republicans, will keep this country fighting against itself.

Obama is so clearly a gifted, honest, thoughtful candidate and it's amazing to me that Josh Marshall will say he isn't good at defending himself. Perhaps Marshall didn't hear his defenses since he didn't lose his temper the way that Hillary does.

The plus here is that Hillary and Co. are actually preparing Obama to take on the right-wing nuts in the general election.

Obama and the truth

My husband and I have spent a week hearing Democrats attack Obama for "supporting" Reagan. It's ridiculous. I'm so glad he made the point I've been trying to make on his behalf tonight in the debate. He would like to draw support for his policies from Republicans and Independents, just as Reagan drew support from Democrats (against their own economic interest...let's see, can someone on our side get the same effect? Rich people voting against their own economic self-interest??).

I will be beyond sad if Hillary wins the nomination. I think she is the farthest person from a transformative, truth-telling political figure. As Obama said tonight, she'll, "Say anything to win."

Peace.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Stereotypical blather in the L.A. Times

It's stuff like this that helped us decide to dump this newspaper subscription; we read it every day.

What wasted breath. If you're going to go after Hillary for being too eager, why not just cite her desperate, Rove-like tactics that are shown below. The pro-choice newsletter, the cocaine comments by her people, etc. There's nothing particularly male or female about her ambition, it's human. It's going after the gold ring.

But future generations are going to cite crap articles like this to prove how sexist we still are.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

I think I could watch this all night...

I particularly like Matthews' "antsy-pantsy" line...

IDs and illegal immigrants in the West

I went to Arizona in 2004 to register Democrats to vote with a clip board and paper registrations. We went to places like Wal-Mart and Costco. There were definitely immigrants around, and probably illegal ones at that. They wouldn't come near us.

They do not vote.

Republicans on this are corrupt, lying bastards. Let's hope the Supreme Court doesn't buy their arguments.

Volatile Voters

Josh Marshall outlines three possible explanations for the fact that both polls and exit polls showed Obama comfortably ahead in the New Hampshire primary. He leaves out another one: FRAUD. Pundits are all very uncomfortable with the results but few seem ready to acknowlege fraud and I just don't get it.

Are 40% of the voters actually relying on Diebold machines in NH? If so, can we do a recount of those ballots to verify the machines' results? If they are correct, we can establish some trust for them, so should we even go there? I certainly think we should no longer look the other way when exit polls and results don't match, even when the Daily Kos asks us to (I think the comments make some good points for investigating this anamoly). I think it's lunacy to trust without verfication:

Diebold Lunacy Post

Update: I'm leaning more toward believing that her victory was the success of Hillary's anti-choice and tax hike propaganda that she accused Obama about. Everything will get more negative from them.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Mountains of mole hills

Can we move on from the townships of New Hampshire? Crikey people, we're talking about roughly 300,000 Democratic voters and even fewer Republicans. There are more people in a single L.A. neighborhood. To make assumptions about anything with such a small sample of Democrats (and highly volatile and suggestable Democrats at that) just doesn't go very far.

Hillary squeaks to a win, should it be a surprise?

What a difference a few days makes! If we look at the last month, Hillary actually LOST some of her lead in New Hampshire, she didn't "come back" from anything! The real story is that she still won even though Obama had eroded some of her support. I think people are giving too much attention and weight to the possibilities that helped her win, instead of the possibilities that eroded her stronger lead.

Monday, January 07, 2008

This is just wrong

Hillary, acting like a Republican attack machine. This is just so hard to understand. It says, "I'm willing to give voters a FALSE impression so that Obama won't win and I can win." It's cheating to every child.

A poisened well

The first time I saw the emotional Hillary video I hadn't heard or read the intro question and I thought, "Hey, she's human!" Then I saw Obama's bus interview and actually cried after he talked about his daughter and praying for G-d's will to guide him (he reminded me of my husband at that moment). I still thought Hillary's emotion was welcome.

Then, I was listening to NPR and I heard a reporter phrase the question that was asked of Hillary:

"How do you, how do you keep upbeat and so wonderful?"

I immediately had visions of George Bush's "town halls" that had planted questions like, "You are such a great President!" and then I remembered how Clinton has already been busted for planting questions. I felt a little sick when I again heard her emotional answer that didn't really say anything deeply revealing about her.

I came away from the NPR interview thinking, "This could be genuine, but there's every reason to believe it's planted and staged." That's been her political operation and she's poisoned the well.

Sunday, January 06, 2008

The Democrats

I've taken awhile to write this because my 2-1/2 year old is suddenly scared of the bath so I've been reading up on childhood fears as well as checking out the Republican debate. I have to think that Republican's fears were never appropriately met in childhood!

So last night Edward's made his campaign for President personal. That's okay I guess, but I'm not sure what he was implying about the other candidates by that. If he's been so moved by his humble beginnings why did he fall in lockstep with the DLC when he was in Congress? I realize he says he's had a change of heart since he ran for V.P. with Kerry and voted for the war, but the whole thing makes me a bit nervous about him. With the exception of a clear anti-nuclear plan (praise the Lord), he failed to differentiate himself from Obama's policies much (and I was hoping he would challenge Obama on these differences).

Obama was much more specific about some things, like how he ideally wants a single-payer healthcare system, and he maintained his cool "it's not about me" vision and managed to stay above the Hillary defensiveness. The whole Richardson/Hillary experience vs. inspiring vision was a waste of time.

I thought Hillary started strong because she stopped saying she was experienced and demonstrated her perspective on world events with the Pakistan example. She was right in the groove there, then she moved on to the same old defensive attacks and entitled attitude. This is what I posted on the Political Wire:

I liked Hillary's resume points, particularly standing up to a veto threat (if she indeed did so), but I felt her defense of her own record was communicated through anger and resentment; perhaps because of a sense of entitlement, or a feeling of not getting credit, etc. And then topping off what could have been a sincere defense with a fatalistic statement about false hopes (which seems to undermine her own claims to be able to make change) puts her right back on the attack track AND again converges her with Mitt Romney's attitude who also said we couldn't combat global warming in 10 years like Huckabee wants to. No thanks to those who put limits on our abilities before we even begin--plus those limits seem defined by corporate interests.

I actually think this was a good debate for her, but I still think Obama wins by his grace and confidence.

Emotion in Politics

I thought this was a very interesting post, particularly apt description about how so many liberals are tied to rationality above all other principles or appeals--sometimes to our detriment.

Funding Blackwater

I want to know how Congress allows the Pentagon to contract paramilitary units. I believe this is unconstitutional.

Obama's query to the Pentagon

I guess Obama has no standing to ask the Pentagon to stop hiring military contractors as a lone Senator, but I think this is a good question for Obama to answer. Would he allow the Pentagon to hire private military as President? As Naomi Wolf points out, our government having the capability to send private paramilitary troops into U.S. cities is a chilling sign of the threats of fascism.

McGovern

Schmog is reading Schlesinger's Journals and Schlesinger notes that the McGoverns voted for Ford, not Carter, in 1976. McGovern is not a blind partisan. In any case, this is a meaningful and welcome move on his part.

The Republicans

It was so interesting seeing all the Democrats and Republicans on stage last night. The animosity was absent because right now they are not fighting with each other. The links between them were fascinating.

By the time I was thick into the Democratic debate, I had such a sense of cohesiveness among the arguments made, and trust for these sharp, experienced, articulate folks (not so much Richardson) that I realized the chaotic structure of the Republican debate was absent from this one. I remember looking at the stage of Republicans and thinking that Huckabee was the only one who seemed decent and somewhat grounded--and he's a zealot. It occurred to me that his zealousness for his religion is probably directly tied to his patriotism, which isn't necessarily a bad thing since he was the first to cite the Constitution when Gibson asked what the candidates principles were. My husband pointed out to me long before that moment that the #1 job of the President is to defend the Constitution, not to make us the strongest, toughest nation (McCain, Mitt). McCain seemed petty and defensive, even when he didn't need to be. Thompson is out to lunch and wings it. Paul is a theoretical purist who ignores historical precedents that blow serious holes in his extreme libertarian, anti-federal philosophy (although it's fun to see how he runs circles around his peers). Mitt seems like a policy wonk who likes social policies and loves pharmaceutical companies, but doesn't think we can change global warming in ten years (like Hillary?). Huckabee was pretty impressive with his compassionate rhetoric (is it real?) and he seemed calm and humble compared to the rest. Giuliani seemed confidant and sounded sane but he's full of misstatements (do Republicans still believe we have the best healthcare in the world? Does Fox tell them that?) and only about 30% of the country believes we should still be shaking our fists at the world in that bullying post 9-11 way.

I'll post about the Democratic paradigm later today.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Tacit Hillary support from O'Reilly and Fox

While complaining about allegedly being blocked for a shot at an Obama rally, O'Reilly and Fox News plays images of "good girl" Hillary who spoke to O'Reilly at a rally before the Obama event. Yuk.

Love this cartoon!

Obama is a force. I think Hillary Clinton is going to HELP him get elected. She, and the folks around her, appear to be throwing a tantrum and I think they are so deeply entrenched in a fog of entitlement that they won't realize that they have to take the path of light instead of smears and attacks. Whenever I hear Hillary speak she's saying, "Me, me, me...I, the great me, will rule in this manner" (Huckabee does this too, but not only this). Obama says, "This government isn't about me."

Thursday, January 03, 2008

History Made!!

What a great day! I was a puddle shortly after Obama and his family left the stage. This is something we have never seen in this country, and it is awesome.

Peace.

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Grow up, Democrats.

I swear, if we can't take a poke from our own every once in awhile, what are we?

Update: As my brilliant husband consisely put it, "Why can't we just admit the truth that the country was/is divided and the he is a candidate that might unite it?"

This does fall under the "Obama's right, but why say that..." banner. Gore wasn't the most popular and inspiring candidate when he was running in 2000, and Kerry, well, ARGH, and I defended that guy then. I remember thinking Gore was an academic boob at at least one debate (and I can be one too). The truth is, this is a divided country and the Republicans and Democrats in Washington and elsewhere keep it that way. They have so much more to run on when they are in opposition while they both take cash from some of the same lobbyists. Give me a break, lefties.

The Kos

This post takes me back to that debate when Obama said Clinton's criticisms, something like "That's raising taxes," to Obama and Obama's heated response was something like "That's something Romney or a Republican would say!" Which is true!! It's such a paradox; we are not mortal enemies, those Republicans and Democrats, but we DO want to separate ourselves from their anti-American tactics. So it is not EVIL to say that Clinton is like a Republican, but it behooves us to differentiate ourselves from their B.S. Obama is not engaging in B.S. when he is accused, by Democrats, of using Republican talking points. Obama's attacks are real criticisms of policy and just because they could benefit Republicans doesn't mean we shouldn't voice them. Besides, we need to stop stepping around Republicans and what they will make/say/do of us ASAP. Who cares what fear-mongering they are going to engage in? If they don't have facts they'll just make crap up, so all that matters is how we respond to THEM, when the time comes.

Blue Collar Brilliance

Damn, I'm speechless. Edwards latest Iowa ad.