I understand why he’s doing it. I understand the nuance involved, but I still don’t like it. Yes, I’m referring to Barack Obama’s apparent flip-flopping on the FISA bill. I understand the importance of the bill, but damn, are we really going to give another free pass to the telecommunications companies? Honestly? We’ve given them wiggle room in many areas, and what have they done with it? Bandwidth throttling, anti-competitive business practices, illegal surveillance… Once again, the Republicans are favoring them over the American people. I swoon in disbelief.

Naturally, even though this act shows bipartisan effort and the ability to compromise (a marked improvement over the President v.43 model), John McCain and the Republicans at large will undoubtedly attack him on this issue (even though he’s conceding to them) for being a flip-flopper.

I would challenge the wisdom of this. Maybe I should join the trend and switch to John McCain over this one issue. Y’know, like the fanatical portion of Hillary Clinton supporters did.

It’s not like I don’t have reasons. Another issue I strongly disagree with Obama over is the issue of Ethanol. John McCain agrees with me. Oh wait, maybe not. Oh well, at least he shares the view that people like Jerry Falwell are bad for the nation. What? He’s down with Jerry? Hm.

Well, there have got to be plenty of issues we see eye to eye on. Abortion? He used to. Surely he disagrees with the use of torture. Damn. Offshore drilling? Damn. I KNOW I heard him say he was against the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy… DAMMIT! Gay Marriage? Pff, that was short-lived.

What about the issues we know Obama has flipped on? How about his decision not to take public financing? Nope. McCain can’t attack him on that, considering he doesn’t even agree with himself over what campaign finance reform ought to be. Then there’s the issue of immunity for the telecoms. Can we honestly say he flipped on this issue too? Yes. We. Can.

On second thought, maybe I’ll stick to the guy who has been giving me the straight talk. Y’know, the one who has been mostly consistent. You know which one. Still, you just know they’re going to drag him through the mud over this. Despite everything John McCain has flipped on, they’ll accuse Obama of pandering. The thing is, considering his Democratic and largely liberal base, doesn’t his stance on FISA prove that he is not pandering? (Ethanol, not so much. We’ll take ownership of that one.)

I’m troubled by the fact that John McCain turned out to be the kind of politician who will say anything to gain power, leaving us without the foggiest clue as to what he’ll actually do with it. Frightening. He had such potential in 2000.

I was recently in a discussion with someone over at the pundit about Obama’s educational program. The title of the article was asinine: “Obama education policy bad news for science.” The blog was based on a bullshit article, which is on website known for its right-wing bullshit.
The discussion started as “his plan is bad” in vague terms and eventually led to how Obama is trying to kill the American Dream and wants us to regress and let our enemies beat us in every contest. More bullshit.

Side note: the person I was discussing this with has my respect, if not for his opinion then for his cool-headed methods of expressing it.  As a rule, people who are able to stick to their opinion without twisting what you’re saying into something you’re not saying are generally easier to have a discussion with.  If he had a blog, I’d link it.

Curious as to what the opposition had to offer, I visited John McCain’s campaign website to see what he had to offer and compare it to Obama’s. I didn’t expect to discover there is no comparison.

It reads like a tri-fold pamphlet, whereas the outline for Obama’s plan is far more comprehensive. I was reading through the page and thought to myself,”does this guy even have a plan?” It tells what McCain believes, but doesn’t say anything about what he intends to do, except in the vaguest of terms.

“Place parents and children at the center of the education process.”

What? What does that even mean?

“As president, John McCain will pursue reforms that address the underlying cultural problems in our education system - a system that still seeks to avoid genuine accountability and responsibility for producing well-educated children.”

Okay, which ones for which ones? And furthermore, this is a grand misunderstanding of the role of a school. It’s not a degree factory. You still have to be a good parent. Schools can’t do it all.

The only thing that this page seems to say is “we want school choice. Yay NCLB.” The rest is padding.

Obama’s, on the other hand… well, see for yourself.

While I don’t agree with cutting funds to NASA and over-meddling in their space program (which is what prompted the pundit article), and have a few reservations about certain areas of the program, overall it’s pretty solid.

Maybe when John McCain figures out how the economy works, separate Sunni from Shiite, and figure out Iran’s actual role in Iraq (hint: it isn’t Al Qaeda), maybe he’ll get around to learning how the educational system works so he can have one of his aides write up something that sounds good.

What is it that fuels the Clinton campaign? Is it the constant, uninterrupted string of negative campaigning, which has been going on from day one? Is it the fact that she’s older, or that she’s a woman? Is it her perceived level of experience? Is it because of her husband? Is it because Barack Obama is black? As it turns out, it’s all of the above.

Be sure to whisper the word “black” as it appears in italics throughout this blog. Y’know, like you do when you’re talking to your white friends. Let’s take a look at the linked article to see what the typical, older Clinton supporter has to say:

John Peterman, 85, a former Navy engineer, said he supported Mrs. Clinton because “the world is not ready for a black president.” His wife, Mary, 81, agreed with him.

Wow, I’d think I was eating candy from all the sugar-coating in that statement. That is, until I bite down and realize I’m eating a fried puke-and-shit burrito. Blech!

There is only one thing “the world is not ready for a black president” means. It’s really another way of saying “a black man can’t win,” which is a polite way of saying,”I wouldn’t vote for a black guy,” a naked admission of racism. Before rolling your eyes, notice how his policies never come up when people make these statements.

What sickens me about it is that Clinton uses this to her advantage, this bigotry. Notice how she’s never come out and said,”No, he’s not a Muslim,” or how she never sufficiently distanced herself from Geraldine Ferraro, who was allowed to call Obama everything but a nigger without being condemned by the Clinton campaign.

Our next idiotic statement:

Arla Hacker, 49, a bank teller, said she also liked Mrs. Clinton because she had Ms. Hacker’s economic interests at heart. “The people who are 18 and 20 years old don’t know what it’s like to sit in a gas line,” she said. “Kids today don’t understand how tough it is. Obama just talks about it.”

Better than ignoring it. Obama talks about issues. Maybe you should listen to him some time. Clinton, on the other hand, talks about Obama, and how she’s one of you. She just knew it would come down to Texas, because Texas is soooo important. She’s got family history in Pennsylvania. She’s got Jewish roots.

Anything it takes to win, eh Hill?

This statement from Ms. Hacker is rich all by itself. “Kids today don’t understand how tough it is.” On a day where my bullshit detector might be set to low, I might have caught myself agreeing with this. Still, I would have eventually realized she was talking about my generation.

If we forget that gas is the highest price it’s ever been while the value of the dollar is now lower than the Canadian dollar… if we forget that the unemployment rate continues to rise, that the housing market crashed, that college tuition takes a lifetime to repay–if one can afford it in the first place. If we ignore the rising price of groceries, exorbitant energy costs and rising costs of living across the board, or this country’s insane healthcare system… while ignoring the fact the the United States is at the lowest point it has ever been in world opinion while people are afraid of being shot on their way to class, or in the mall, or being blown to pieces while waiting for a subway and worry constantly about loved ones serving their country in an illegal war of profit and aggression under the most corrupt and secretive administration in the history of the U.S… then sure, we don’t know a god damn thing you fucking idiot.

Yeah, we know it’s hard. Enjoy your cushy little job at the bank while the youth of this country works its ass off to barely make ends meet, then gets laid off while the company they worked for earns a massive profit.

Noel Stein, 72, and his wife, Judy, 67, both like Mrs. Clinton. Mrs. Stein said she liked her “because she’s a woman” and Mr. Stein said he liked her because of her husband.

I don’t want to jump on this with sexism accusations because women ought to be excited that Clinton has gotten this far. But to list that as your primary reason is pretty shallow. Her husband, obviously, is an idiot. There’s just no excuse for him.

“If I was in my 20s, maybe I’d support Obama,” said Germaine Donahue, 64, who lives in Sullivan County, in northeastern Pennsylvania, and helps run a cleaning service. “But life tempers you. I’m with Hillary.”

Ah yes, the tried and true “I’m older, therefore I’m right/you’re younger, therefore you’re wrong” argument. Not only is this one insulting, but it lacks merit.

“Barack Obama has no experience and no plans. He just works on emotions, and this is why young people like him,” said Kimberly Romm, 44, who is self-employed and heard Mrs. Clinton speak at Haverford College. “People who are more mature analyze things. They’re wiser.”

Another “I’m right for no other reason than for my age” argument. I guess that makes Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld smarter than you, since they’re older and therefore right.

See? It’s not a great argument.

It’s time to acknowledge that the older generation has failed us all. It is time for something new.

How’s this for working on emotion: As many as 28% of Clinton supporters would vote for McCain if Obama gets the nomination. Of Obama supporters, the people who are truly “more mature” and “analyze things,” only ten percent would vote for McCain.

The Clintonian reputation of divisiveness is not an exaggeration. Her people have made this personal and gave up all sense of reason in the process. Now, it doesn’t matter if Hillary is hurting the Democratic party. It doesn’t matter that she resorts to negative campaigning while Obama takes the high road. It doesn’t matter that Bill Clinton said he’d vote Republican if Obama gets it. It doesn’t matter if they intend to doom us to 4-8 more years of Bush’s disastrous policies. Now it’s about winning, forget principle.

This will eventually erode into a shouting match between us. On my side of the fence, Obama supporters who are fed up with idiot Conservatives and idiot Clinton supporters. On the other, Clinton supporters who don’t care that they’re fucking up the country as long as the (don’t forget to whisper) black guy doesn’t get nominated. Jerry Springer will moderate.

I’ll go first: SHE A HO!!

I knew I was taking a gamble by defending Pastor Wright a few weeks ago. I knew that until I saw the video, I wouldn’t have an informed opinion or a solid defense of the man. I also knew that Obama is a reasonable, intelligent man. I know that when people preach messages of hate, the few listen, not the many.

I knew what would happen. It’s what usually happens: I was right.

It also proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the blatant bias, divisiveness and lies of the Fox News Network and any Rupert Murdoch production. It proves my accusations of knee-jerk nationalism by the Right as well as the absurdity of their hateful, uninformed views. Since these videos have been around for at least a week and so-called Conservatives are still preaching the same old lie, it proves my point about their self-imposed, willful ignorance and closed-mindedness.

America’s chickens may be coming home to roost, but my ducks are neatly in a row. I can’t help but say it: I told you so.

Thanks to Grandma’s Attic for alerting me to the existence of these videos on YouTube. I’ll embed these videos within this blog, knowing they’ll probably not be viewed and even if they are, most Conservatives will stubbornly refuse to accept defeat and resort to straw-man arguments, ad hominem and hairsplitting to defend their ignorance. Chances are, I’m right about that too.

Enjoy:

Consistently, I see polls that show smart people supporting Obama and, well, not stupid people, but less educated ones supporting Clinton. To wit:

Clinton continues to lead among women, whites, voters older than 45 and those without college degrees. Obama leads among men, blacks, voters with college degrees and those under 45.

Old. White. Feminists. That’s where Clinton leads. Just priceless.

After beginning to read through Obama’s book “Dreams From My Father,” I’ve really begun to put a more human face on the superstar Senator. This book makes him more knowable and I highly recommend it so far. Up to this point it has talked about race, but it isn’t preachy or guilt-ridden like some other books I’ve read.

The reason I’ve decided to blog is to address, yet again, the Clintonian brand of hypocrisy that causes me to wonder why anyone can take her seriously.

Earlier this month I went on about how Hillary remarked that this is one of the most positive campaigns she’s ever participated in. When I see that, I see head games being played with the rest of us. Not merely “do one thing and say another,” but acting as if what you say is more real than what you’ve actually done. It is very reminiscent of what we’ve seen during the Bush administration. Bush claiming the economy is great and working how it’s supposed to, yet people are losing their homes left and right while individuals and businesses with flawless credit are being flatly denied for loans they’re fully capable of repaying. Among others, far too many for me to list here while keeping on-topic.

Part of what I’ve seen from the Clinton camp has been a kind of immaturity. Thinking back to my childhood, I remember how all the petty arguments between playmates seemed to go. “You’re stupid!” “Nuh uh! You’re stupid!!” “Nuh uh!! You are!!!” One thing I’ve observed on several occasions is the Clinton campaign pulling a “Nuh uh! You are!”

Take, for instance, the blatant refusal of Hillary Clinton to distance herself from Geraldine Ferraro after her racially charged comments concerning Senator Obama. Her denunciation of those remarks was lukewarm at best. She didn’t ask Ferraro to leave, at least publicly, and only mildly criticized statements that required a strong, decisive response.

Then, through some super-human act of contortion, Ferraro turned it around to claim that the entire fiasco–over statements she made–was somehow the fault of Barack Obama. Somehow, drawing anger from people for suggesting that the only reason Obama is where he is is because he’s black means that people are being racist towards you because you’re white? How does that even make sense? How, in any way, could this be blamed on Obama?

The response from the Clinton campaign? Silence.  I wouldn’t characterize the Clintons as racists, but it’s pretty shameful that they’re still willing to exploit the issue for power.

For the tepid reaction, prominent figures from around the country made their disdain heard. Keith Olbermann and many others accused Hillary of campaigning against Obama by acting as if he were the Democrat, and she were the Republican.

What did the Clinton campaign have to say about this? “Nuh uh, he is!” It was perhaps a week ago when I saw this claim by Clinton’s campaign manager. Do they just copy what the other side says every time they want to make a comeback?

It gets me every time how Clinton gets all high and mighty over the matter of ethics. On the matter of such she says she’s been fully vetted, thus making “vetted” the latest buzzword amongst the news crowd. Because she has been fully vetted, it is argued, she is the most electable candidate. The overtones are obvious in this one: Barack Obama hasn’t been looked into like I have, and therefore has undisclosed baggage of the ethical variety.

Is that so? Senator Obama has released his tax returns and openly addressed controversies surrounding his dealings with Tony Rezko, who is under investigation for corruption charges, as well as the controversial statements of his pastor. As a response to the claim that he hasn’t been given the rubber glove treatment by the media, the Obama camp demanded that Clinton release records of her tax returns as well as a list of financiers for the Clinton library. For this, Obama is compared to Ken Starr–a name reviled by numerous Democrats–special prosecutor whose report eventually led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

So she hasn’t been fully vetted after all. Looks like she does, in fact, have something to hide. One can only wonder how much they cook the books for her tax returns and list of donors to her husbands library before finally releasing them.

The troubling part is not that she has something to hide–the Clintons have been hiding crap for years, we expect that. It’s the sheer hypocrisy of it all. How dare Barack Obama question Hillary Clinton’s integrity, yet she does the same thing by suggesting he’s got enough skeletons in his closet to cost him the general election? Then goes on record perpetuating myths against him with statements like “(he’s not a Muslim) as far as I know” yet expects us to buy her victim facade as her campaign releases unflattering photos and digs up dirt wherever they can get it, all while claiming that the media has given him a free pass?

Where does the madness end? Does anybody really buy this shit? Oh, that’s right, she’s attracted the uneducated majority. No wonder they keep falling for it. I guess I’ve answered my own question.

I don’t get what’s so terribly offensive about Wright’s sermons. I don’t agree with all of it, but I can at least see where he’s coming from.

Browsing the news articles today, I found a wealth of ignorance left by commentors on the articles. I couldn’t help but think,”Oh look, white Republicans ganging up on a black Democrat because his pastor–not he, but his pastor made comments that reflect ugly truths and perceptions of white Americans, things you white Republicans aren’t comfortable acknowledging about yourselves. Then, without even willing to look at why you’re being criticized (since understanding is a catalyst for resolution), you simply make a judgment about a man based on comments FROM HIS PASTOR. His pastor, who you’re labeling a bigot while refusing to accept a shred of responsibility for the things he’s angry about.” Who’s the hypocrite again?

What gets me about it is that these are comments from people–and you can tell by their arguments–who wouldn’t have voted for Obama anyway. It’s made by people who are looking at this as a way to justify their already-racist attitudes. Is race involved in this election? Hell yes it is. When you read the tripe these people regurgitate, it becomes quite obvious.

A good percentage of them were only regurgitating what they heard on Limbaugh. I caught part of his racist diatribe during lunch and hit the refresh button on one of these stories, only to see it filled with comments that weren’t merely inspired by Limbaugh’s statements, but were directly plagiarized, at times word-for-word! Republicans are such sheep.

Anyway, I don’t think the pastor believes that white people are the root of all evil. In fact, nowhere did I see him even suggest that. But from a black perspective race is important, especially–especially–considering this country’s history. I think we can all agree that there are issues within the black community that can’t be fixed by any amount of reparations or actions by whites, things that need to be dealt with from within, but that doesn’t mean we’re off the hook. People ought to take this into consideration when weighing the Pastor’s statements.

In addition to that, I can’t find any fault with what he said. That Hillary had it easier than Barack? He makes a good case for it. Is the idea that maybe we were responsible for 9/11, maybe even had it coming, so outlandish? Tell that to the 9/11 Commission, the Iraq Study Group, numerous political scientists and foreign policy specialists. Tell it to the intelligence community. Tell it to the people of the Middle East. Tell it to Palestinians.

The blowback phenomenon works almost like a law of physics: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” When we grant Israel a license to do whatever it damn well pleases while we turn a blind eye to their crimes against humanity, we would be reasonable to assume there would be consequences. When we attack foreign countries based on lies while arming their enemies, it would be reasonable to think that there would be resentment. When we allow our corporations to run amok in these areas, it is reasonable to believe that we may be viewed in a negative light. It is not only reasonable, but absolutely necessary to assume that when we employ an unjust foreign policy towards a region, their people will hate us. It is insane to ignore the fact that every person killed as a result of our policies has friends and relatives who wish to avenge them.

It is reasonable, my friends, to draw a line connecting our actions in the Middle East and the attacks of 9/11 as a direct repercussion. The attacks were evil, but they were not random, and they were not unprovoked. No, I don’t find anything wrong with the Pastor’s thinking.

Now we’ve got the Conserfascists demanding that Obama outlines which parts he does agree with (copying this line from Limbaugh, like everything else they think), rather than simply saying he doesn’t agree with certain parts. Apparently, to a conservative, this is an Ace-in-the-Hole argument, even though it’s not an argument. They reason that even though he may not agree with certain statements, he’s been listening to 20 years worth of these sermons, so he must agree with some of what he says (never failing to add foreboding finger-pointing Republican emphasis).

The truth is, like I said before, these people weren’t voting Obama anyway. They’re happily going to vote for whatever bum the Republicans squeeze out of their dookie-holes. In this case, John McCain is the turd they’re willing to sniff for the next 4-8 years. I, however, smell another foulness on the air. You see, most of the time, Republicans don’t even give a shit about the Democratic candidate until one has been chosen. This year, however, they’re all over it. If you ask me, I think it’s part of their little fraudulent conspiracy to put Hillary Clinton on the ballot. Scumbags.

“This is one of the most civil and positive campaigns that I can remember.”

I can’t believe I let this slip under my radar. I also can’t believe the statement was made about the current Democratic primaries, and by Clinton, of all people. Hillary Goddamn Clinton, who has run the most negative campaign I’ve ever seen. If anyone has been paying attention this year, they know it’s been anything but positive from her side.

Obama? Way positive. Clinton? What has she attacked so far: Obama’s experience, his record, his competence, his readiness, his integrity (funding), has engaged in race-baiting, compared him to Ken Starr and refused to apologize for it, releasing embarrassing photos to propagate the Muslim characterization/falsehood, among many others. At least when someone on Obama’s side talks shit, he disowns it. His people are respectful enough to resign over things like calling Clinton a monster, but calling Obama a monster (Ken Starr) is, according to Hillary at a press conference,”a true statement.”

She really is a monster, and I’ve said it before: she’ll do whatever it takes to win, no matter how absurd. She’ll say anything to win, because this race is all about her. Hillary is in this to advance Hillary’s career, not for the good of the nation. After everything that has been said and done, I don’t see how anyone could doubt that. Don’t be surprised if this ends up in an “I told you so.”