Obama don't need no stinkin' protection in Iraq
It will be only his second trip into the area but he is already so much better prepared than John McCain to go there. For one thing, he gave a speech in 2002 about how he opposed the war. That was some pretty powerful speech. It is the stuff of legends, mostly because no one can find a video of him actually making it. But he has witnesses! His judgment was so much better than Hillary’s and no doubt, his knowledge of the Iraqi situation is superior to McCain’s. Like, did you know that Obama knows the difference between Sunni and Shia? He either looked it up on Wikipedia or stayed at a Holiday inn Express last night, not that it makes a hill of beans worth of difference NOW. The war’s 5 frickin’ years old. It would have been more helpful to us if Obama had spoken up in 2003 and instructed us in the difference when it counted. And where was he then? Just preparing to run for his US Senate seat that he hasn’t done a thing with since he got it. It’s just like one of those presents that a kid gets for Christmas. For months, they just yammer away about the hottest new thing they absolutely HAVE to have and when you finally buy it for them, it just sits there under the tree. They play with it for about 30 minutes and get bored and after all you went through to track down the one vendor in NJ who was located in the most congested part of the state that you had to visit at rush hour on the busiest day of the holiday shopping season to get it for them and they never even use the damn in-line skates that now sit in the garage in their dusty case. Oh, sorry, where was I?
According to Obama mourns US troop deaths; Swipes at McCain (AP):
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Barack Obama mourned the death of nine U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan on Sunday, even as he said John McCain’s numerous visits to the region don’t leave the Republican better equipped to deal with its volatility as president.
Preparing to embark on only his second visit to Iraq, as well as his first to Afghanistan, the Democrat told reporters: “I will recall the visit he made last year in which he was surrounded by helicopters and SWAT teams and he came back and reported how safe everything was in Baghdad. And I don’t think that that was indicative of what was actually happening on the ground at that time.”
McCain, a Vietnam War veteran, has chided Obama for the dearth of time he has spent in the region, failing to meet with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and not holding a congressional oversight hearing on U.S. security matters.
Asked about such criticism, Obama said: “John McCain has been in Congress 25 years, no doubt about that. If this is a longevity measure, then John McCain wins. On the other hand, before we went into Iraq, I knew the difference between Shia and Sunni.
Ahh, ha-ha-ha! McCain made a trip with all of the trappings of the military behind him in Iraq complete with SWAT team and helicopters and flak jacket but of course, Obama will need *none* of those things. He is only the Democratic Party’s nominee but he is invincible. He won’t need no stinkin’ armor, not Barack. He will merely have to invoke the difference between the two major sects of Islam. Heck, he might even throw in a Sufi proverb just to confuse the enemy.
It’s a good thing Senators Chuck Hagel and Jack Reed, who are going with him, will be protected by Obama’s nollij. Both of them served in Vietnam, one as an Army ranger and paratrooper, the other as a twice wounded sergeant but I’ll bet neither of them studied up on their Sunni and Shia differences. Stand back, Senators, Obama will light your way in this heart of darkness.
Meanwhile, back at home, the Federal Reserve is busily bailing out the home mortgage industry after one of the California banks involved in the sub-prime mortgage disaster failed on Friday. Never fear, Conflucians! I have it on good authority that Obama knows the difference between Freddie Mac, Sally Mae and Fannie Farmer.
In other news:
- Progressive Blogosphere 2.0 is hitting the radio circuit. We don’t need to be tied to our keyboards anymore! Larry Johnson at NoQuarterUSA is taking to blogtalkradio with No Quarter Radio or NQR. The first show is scheduled to debut today at 10am EST with a conversation with Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame.
- Just Say No Deal, of which we are a satisfied member, has created a community calendar. Check it out for events that may be happening in your area.
- Conflucians, I don’t know about you but I am sick to death of the DNC and the Obama campaign using race and racism as a weapon to shut us up and to diminish the power of some of Hillary’s staunchest supporters. Some African-American congresspeople have been threatened with primary challenges for sticking up for Hillary. This is just wrong. Serving every American and being a admirable public servant should not be dependent on the color of one’s skin. Let’s support these courageous individuals for doing the right thing when the pressure was intense. Please visit this PUMA ActBlue page on their behalf and show them some love. Friends don’t let friends be called racists.
Filed under: General |
The Confluence 
Where is that stinking video? Who are his witnesses?
PUMA$ Who Donate Rock & Rule!
Didn’t John Lewis abandon Hillary for BO. I still think if he had stood his ground and called out the BO campaign and surrogates for what they were doing, BO and surrogates wouldn’t have threatened and bullied so many African American SDs. John Lewis should have stood up to them instead of giving up.
What’s with all of the Sunglasses?
PUMA$ Who Donate Rock & Rule!
Carol: They’re his secret service agents. Probably not needed in Iraq.
DownListen: Yep, he eventually succumbed but the pressure on him was intense. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
Obama knows Bernie Mac, Freddie’s cousin.
Carol, there is no evidence whatsoever. Axelrod and Obama went into a sound studio and supposedly “re-recorded” what he said. If you ever hear audio of it, don’t believe it.
RD, this is the reason why BO doesn’t want a roll call for Hillary. He is afraid these people might just change their minds
This is the only video from the speech I have ever found. And I think it is hilarious. I love the enthusiasm oozing from the crowd. I think this is why the rest of the video has never been shown. haha
Considering how badly Obama has flipped and flopped on guns, NAFTA, abortion and voted for FISA I have absolutely NO doubt whatsoever that he would have voted for the Iraq Resolution. I always thought he would have voted yea, and I still beleive he would have. For him to have been elected based on that tiny little speech was so wrong and such bullsh*t.
I sent Bob Scheiffer…..Face the Nation…..this email
Who needs help
Get up to date Bob scheiffer. It’s Obama who needs the Clinton donor’s money. Hillary’s debt has been payed off by the PUMA/Just say no deal, coalition. To suggest Bill Clinton will campaign for Obama. If Obama takes care of Hillary’s debt is a cheap shot not becoming of you. But, shows just how, not up to date you are.
Suni = antelope
Sunni = Islamic sect
Downlisten – I have no doubt about that either. If the rumors are true that 8 Superd’s have moved back to Hillary, it is quite possible more could follow. He has ticked off a lof of dems, and it is completely possible that people would switch to her.
Hillary 08!
I’ve seen it written both ways.
Remember all the threats from BO’s boyz that super delegates should NOT pick candidate?
Dem Superdelegates Rule After All
By Craig Crawford | July 14, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
There was a time months ago — when Hillary Rodham Clinton led the Democratic nomination race — that party superdelegates were the bad guys according to the rhetoric coming out of Barack Obama’s camp.
Obama supporters trashed the unelected, automatic and unpledged delegates as undemocratic autocrats when it looked as though they might put Clinton over the top. Not anymore.
With the dust settled on the primary season, one thing is clear: Obama is the presumed nominee thanks only to superdelegates. He never did win enough pledged delegates to reach the winning number, falling about 350 votes short. His expected victory stems from beating Clinton among superdelegates 463-257, according to a tally on Real Clear Politics.
All the more reason for Obama to make sure that there is no roll call including Clinton’s name on the ballot at the national convention — which a few die hard fans of the former First Lady are still clamoring for.
Why highlight just how close the Democratic contest really was? And there is certainly no gain for Obama in dwelling on how he had to depend on superdelegates to win the nomination.
Good morning, riverdaughter. Another great post. How in the blazes do you think and write so clearly first thing in the morning? I’m so glad you’re on our side!
I can’t wait for the reports on Obama’s trip to Iraq. What new gaffes and flip flops will he come up with?
peter anderson,
OK, so you can pick out a little typo early in the morning. But what did you think of the post?
twandx, on July 14th, 2008 at 7:58 am Said:
Exactly! So we ask again, when is Donna Brazile going to quit? She promised she would if the superd’s picked the nominee. Still waiting……
Sony- of my owny
BB: It’s not me. It’s Hypergraphia and apparently, she doesn’t know Arabic.
BostonBoomer:
It ain’t a little typo to the person who practices that form of Islam.
This is what I think. Read to the end. I do hope you upend the D party and something good comes from that. But the D party bears complicity in this, the two others in the story and a coupe of wounded brothers I know.
http://www.southportlander.com/2008/05/south-portland-soldier-dies-in.html
p.s.
If you will not vote for O I ask that you vote Green, or someone other than the two major parties.
I absolutely agree with the “my vote is my own defiance”
-p
Every campaign that O has run (except Dem Congressional primary) he had to throw everyone off the ballot. He is doing the same thing with the Dem Presidential nomination. He cannot win if anyone else is on the ballot. Period. He will use every undemocratic, thuggish, sneaking stunt he can think of to be unopposed because he cannot win squat. He was beaten handily in the only race where he was actually opposed. I read that the only part of public service that he is involved in personally is the campaign strategy.
PPs
Forgive the typo “coupe”
and the quoteation mark that should have come after “own”. I got a little fired up. My apologies.
Craig Crawford says “a few diehard fans” of Hillary are “still clamoring” for a roll call vote including Hillary.
He makes it sound as if this is virtually an impossibility.
Is this true? Will she definitely not be nominated and on the ballot?
Peter: I always appreciate it when someone points out a misspelling and I make every attempt to correct them. There is no need to belabor the point or attribute it to indifference or insensitivity. As it happens, I know the difference between these sects as well. In fact, we at The Confluence have been very outspoken about how unfairly the American Muslim community has been treated. Obama certainly hasn’t done them any favors.
As for your post, my brother is in the army reserves and will be shipping off to parts unknown as soon as he’s done with his training. The current Democratic party is not the one we grew up with.
I’m not sure what your point is but maybe you’ll want to just observe for a while here until you get the hang of what this site is all about.
peter: We’re not fricking English teachers. Blogging is frequently fast paced and many of us are engaged in several comment threads simultaneously. We have rather relaxed standards. I’m not saying that an editor wouldn’t be very useful but we manage to get our point across with relatively few mistakes.
Hey peter, you spelled quotation wrong.
nitpicker.
Plural: From what I’ve heard, Donna Brazile said on This Week with GS yesterday that Hillary will not be nominated in Denver. Now, I’m thinking that she’s wrong because I most certainly would not want to be her if it’s not.
Also, there are two parts to the roll call vote: 1) A candidate is nominated. 2.) The candidate’s name is added to a ballot.
Brazile has said in the past that Obama controls the convention. he decides who speaks, who introduces her and how long she can talk. If he doesn’t want her on the ballot, if he doesn’t want her nominated, she doesn’t get nominated.
Now, he can do this. Ain’t nobody says he can’t. But if he does, he shouldn’t expect ANY votes from her supporters this fall. Our states didn’t spend millions on primaries just so Obama could take out his big red sharpie and cancel the results out.
Cynthia McKinney is a nut case. No way would I vote Green. She actually believes the US bombed the levies in New Orleans. She believes the US engineered 9/11. She assaulted a Capitol Police Officer. Are the Greens such nut-cases that they would nominate that loon?
RD
The first was meant to be helpful. The 2nd was a response to Bostonboomer and not meant to say you were insensitive.
The D party’s complicity in the mess that is Iraq and (by extension) Afghanistan was my point.
I’ll STFU now and put myself in a time out
peter: We’re not voting Green, or at least, most of us aren’t. I’d kind of drop that if I were you.
Peter: The reason we got stuck with Bush for 8 years is because Nader convinced a lot of Democrats that there was no difference between the parties. Back in 2000, this was incorrect. But in any case, we aren’t interested in Greens because our task is to fix the Democratic party or destroy the Dean Democrats. Greens are not even on my radar right now.
Morning all. Riverdaughter, although I think Peter Daou is great, I wish Hillary had hired you as her outreach to the Internets a long time ago. You really know how to make a point. 🙂
For all of Obama’s bloviations about Iraq, it is stunning to me how few times he’s been there. One might think he was using the quagmire there for political purposes, if one were of a cynical sort. 😉
Seriously – Obama’s weightless moralizing about Iraq is exactly why the military usually votes Republican.
I have always loved Craig Crawford. He is one of the only ones on MSNBC that told the truth.
Pat – Eddy is on Fox right now. As you can see, I let him loose. He looks a little tired,but unharmed.
Now, I intend to get my hands on Craig – I love his sense of humor.
As far as McCain, sony, suni, sunny, sunni, shite, shia, shit, shit ola,……………..BO – we are glad you can spell and pronounce the names correctly – now spell and pronounce this correctly – shyster, charlatan, confidence man, the great pretender………………..
PUMA$ Who Donate Rule!
Please consider dropping by.
http://nobloodforhubris.blogspot.com/2008/07/netroots-nation-in-second-life-be-there.html
RD:
“Our states didn’t spend millions on primaries just so Obama could take out his big red sharpie and cancel the results out.”
Well, yeah. This is like in the primaries when the cry was “Stop her before she wins again.”
Keep her from being nominated so no one can see how much support she has.
What a bunch of losers.
And by the way, did you know that Obama was flying to Iraq with… (long gasp)… Chuck Hagel!
OMG! OMG! OMG! Chuck Hagel!
Where I come from, we consider people like Chuck Hagel to be Right Wing Freaks. And his voting record agrees with me.
Good morning all — I know I’m simple minded and all, but it sorta worries me that BZero keeps saying in order to firm up his war policies that he has to go to Iraq and Afghanistan in order to talk to the Generals. Hasn’t anyone told him about phones, conference calls, or video conferences? I mean he’s been running for a couple of years surely by now he would have picked up a phone.
Mawm, I thought it was pretty well-settled that he had re-recorded the most awesome 2002 speech after the fact. Is that wrong?
How easy to say “I would have voted against the war” and then be credited as the presumed nominee simply based on that one statement alone. I too was against the war but other than a few of my close friends and relatives, there is no evidence as such.
He came riding into this election with that being the hallmark of his opposition but caving into FISA and his allegiance with recent SC positions leads me to the conclusion he would have voted in favor at the time HAD HE BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!
Just for the record: Craig Crawford was a Hillary supporter and his family lives in FL. He was not happy when those votes was cut in half. You see his usual frequent appearances on MSNBC reduced since his was one of the few voices who spoke out on behalf of Hillary.
How dare this fake claim to mourn dead US soldiers when he has YET to call any meetings of the Afghanistan committee of which he was made CHAIRMAN – when all know that is where action is needed?!
Stay up to date on the MSM summer spinbama – without having to actually watch their disgusting act. Go here:
http://unityindiversity-spiritedpolitics.blogspot.com/
MABlue—it is rumored Obama wants Hagel to be the VP, and the Obots call US republicans…
jmk: Surely the MSM knew what it was doing from the start. There was such hatred piled on Hillary by just about every cable show and talking head that it was almost impossible to find objective reporting. Most of us gave up and tuned out.
The blogosphere created and proclaimed the same message. It was not easy to ignore the same message and derision threading itself through the diaries. It took people like Riverdaughter to throw up her hands and say enough is enough. And thank God for that!
As it is, we are looking at an unqualified and unprepared politician with little experience beyond the Chicago machine to lead us? You do not even need be a Hillary supporter to recognize that she is the far more qualified candidate to step into this demanding role.
Crying foul is the only means we have left to attempt to correct this carnage encased in an Obama presidency. If the only means left to achieve this end is McCain, so be it.
Hagel was rumored to want to run for President so at the end of 2006 he got the national press corps all ginned up for a huge announcement in Omaha. The entire national press corps schlepped out to Omaha and Hagel’s announcement, “I haven’t decided whether I’m going to run.”
Hagel is about as popular in NE as corn blight.
gary:
Are you kidding me? Chuck Hagel VP on a Dem ticket? I challenge these clowns to come up with anyone with a more anti progressive voting record. Can anybody name me the one issue Chuck Hagel didn’t vote as Bush wanted him to?
Just because he said something against a Bush policy once or twice he should jump to a leadership position on “our” ticket?
No wonder Dems are now lead by celebrity f*ckers like Arianna and Markos.
Gary why are you ruining my morning caffein intake?
Promoting Hagel is Obama’s ridiculous attempt to show how he can “reach across the aisle”.
G’mrning. (Yawning)
I am reading here and just cringing because I am visualizing O. feeling rage when anybody tries to do anything to quell his narscissitic sense of entitlement by bringing truth into the picture, arrogantly claiming as his own anything that he needs to strengthen his criminal ruse and shamelesly slithering forward in his plan to be “King of the World.”
I have visualized this before ..it was…it was….OH…it was before the MSM turned on GWB after the second time he got elected.
OMG. I will do ANYTHING that my situation permits me to do, to not have this sh*t continue, where people with clearly clinical personality disorders have the ultimate power over our people’s future.
sorry MA, I saw it on CNN, so it’s probably not true. now enjoy your coffee..
pat–its also part of his ongoing search to find someone who is less qualified than he is. Seriously, its going to end up being Claire Mclacksskills because she is the only one in the senate who is dumber and less experienced than he is.
(bright eyed)
RD, did you go to the Al Stuart concert? How was it?
Gary——I said that, too, a while ago. I feel nauseous again.
Good Morning all! Haven’t checked in all weekend, family was in to see my son off to Iraq. Great post, RD!! I am glad there is a post on the change’ling’s view on Iraq. I have a question though, if someone is injured or worse, given my circumstances, I will not even voice the “worse” option. Does spelling the word correctly make them any less injured?
Obama would not want to choose anyone who could possibly eclipse him. Probably why he is leaning toward McGaskill and Sibelius who are guaranteed to produce yawns.
Biden could offer some measure of star power but Hagel will only harden the resolve of most of us that Obama is a closet Repub. Dodd seems to be having some angst of his own with the mortgage deal which leaves Edwards, Kerry, or Bayh.
Not that I care since I won’t be voting for him anyway. And I believe it is time we remove that “progressive” label from Obama. He definitely is not.
I saw Claire this weekend on Face the Nation. Is it me or is she more and more of a Pelosi drone as time goes on?
Kim: Wish I could make things easier for you. Just stay with us here. You know we are all in your corner.
Chuck Hagel is about as personally responsible for the rigging of elections by e-voting machines as anybody…
When McGaskill announced that she was backing Obama simply because her teen daughter told her to, I knew we were not in the company of a great thinker.
Does she consult the teen every time she has to cast a Senate vote? Is policy being made on the whim of teens these days?
These women, Donna B, McGaskill, Pelosi, are unable to hold a candle to the likes of Hillary and they know it.
They are sexist enough that they would prefer to take orders from an unqualified man than an experienced woman. I have seen this happen so many times in the private sector.
He’s going to Iraq to put to rest the baloney from McCain, who announced Obama was not qualified because he had not been to Iraq “recently” – or recently enough for McCain, anyway.
Going over there means nothing. He can learn anything he needs to, stateside, by talking to vets and the military. Trotting over to Iraq in body armor did not help McCain see reality.
I think less of him for allowing McCain to insult him into visiting Iraq.
Is policy being made on the whim of teens these days?
It sure seems like it
Blair, Obama is not qualified to run a 7/11, much less the us military. one trip to Iraq is not going to change that
OMG. Imagine McGasKill as PRESIDENT if something should happen to O. OMG. I am so embarassed that either of those two JUNIOR senators is even near that kind of position. The government at the highest levels is out of control. I have long believed that other countries dabble (or should I say power-too) in our government, and now that people are shamelessly greedy, they have more to work with to weaken our country.
Sorry about breaking into conspiracy-theory mold, but I am in denial if I don’t look at WTF is happening here.
Yeah, I need to calm down. No caffeine this morning, jusy Zen tea for me….
DRII –
Starting with his own election to the Senate.
I am convinced this is why Obama likes Hagel so much. Hey, new bumper sticker idea!
“If you can’t win it, steal it. Obama/Hagel ’08!”
Sorry, my humor is as dark as my coffee this morning.
power-tool
Karolina, like I said before, they barely have one senate term between them….Imagine if she became president, we’d actually have her teenage daughter with her finger on the button. Quick–get that girl some hannah montana tickets or she’ll kill us all!!!!
Do you guys want to start a pool about what Obama will flip-flop on next?
Does anyone think he will come back from Iraq, and say that the surge worked, and we need to stay?
He likes to take the same position as his opponents, so he can say me too. I think he thinks that if people believe his positions are the same as his opponents, they will vote for him because he is much more “charismatic”. It is what he did with Hillary. Oh Hillary said that? Me too then.
Doesn’t it seem like he is taking over Republican positions? Maybe he is trying to become the 46 yo black McCain?
Kim – I thought your son wasn’t going until later this fall?
Kim, sorry to hear your son has to go back.
@ Hillary-zilla or anyone else for that matter:
Do we know if we’ve wiped out Hillary’s debt?
RASMUSSEN POLL: BO and JM n a dead heat.
BTW, do we know if Obama has agreed to ANY town hall meetings w/ McCain? I haven’t heard a peep.
Finally, all the gals that have swung over to BO, McCaskill, Sebelius, etc. – are looking like drones. It’s hard not too.
I’m not too worried about our new president being qualified as defined by previous experience. Nobody is qualified to be president in that sense because nobody has never done that exact same job before.
Congress is like a ballast for the presidency and finally we will have a Democratic congress.
I’m bitter about the nomination for different reasons. Losing by a hair is just hard to take.
Here’s BO’s 2002 speech via Wikipedia (I know, I know) but just for the sake of discussion, it’s not a great speech. I think his speech about the increase in pregnancies among teenage celebrities was much more compelling. Oh, he hasn’t made on yet. Well, there’s still time.
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Barack_Obama's_Iraq_Speech
That didn’t work, let me try again…
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Barack_Obama's_Iraq_Speech
Blair, on July 14th, 2008 at 9:52 am Said:
I’m not too worried about our new president being qualified as defined by previous experience. Nobody is qualified to be president in that sense because nobody has never done that exact same job before.
Bwahahahaha. Qualified as previously defined???? Like prior full time job wexperience. She didn’t lose by a hair. She lost by the Super Delegates. That’s it.
Gary, I …I…can’t even think of what to say to that. Because, it’s ACTUALLY a F*^CKING POSSIBILITY. Can you imagine?
Mawm, he is not that charismatic when he feels threatened and doesn’t see a way out. He turns into a thug and his true colors show.
Blair, have you been in a coma the last 8 years???? We have just witnessed what happens when a petulant do-nothing is selected for a job that is way over his head. War, recession, destruction of the constitution…. . Do I want 4 more years of the same under Obama?? No thanks.
Kim, I hope that your son, you, and your entire family will be fine when this is all over. White light around all of you.
Madamab, I think that your bumper sticker is great.
Gary:
“We have just witnessed what happens when a petulant do-nothing is selected for a job that is way over his head. War, recession, destruction of the constitution…. . Do I want 4 more years of the same under Obama?? No thanks.”
this is great advertising copy for TV.
Blair…
experience in these times is important, now pre-9-11 experience is not as important…
However, perhaps if Bush had a little more experience; 9-11 would not have occurred…
think about that…
Guys:
Valerie and Joe Wilson on NQ right now..
go to NQ for the link
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nqr/2008/07/14/No-Quarter-Radio-Live-Internet-Talk
I just read the New Yorker article in its entirety. Basically, this is a puff piece. The few named people willing to speak to the writer are all worshipful to a great extent.
What I came away with is an impression of sheer arrogance from this man. His willingness to use people with the right connections then eventually throw them under the bus is longstanding. The guy is a user, plain and simple.
It also appears that he set his ultimate goal to reach presidential status more than 10 years ago. His climb is indicative of someone whose only purpose in life is to achieve that goal at whatever means available. There is little in the article, short of the praise of how wonderful and impressive he appears, that demonstrates any clear successes. He hitched himself to those who would only benefit him and that became his only profession.
Nothing in the article, aside from maybe one former colleague, goes very deep into the slimy world of Chicago politics. His rise comes solely from that association.
Even his “religious conversion” to Christianity is suspect. The book about his father is beyond explanation. From what I can deduct, this man basically used his mother than abandoned them. Why give credit to someone who had such little impact on your life? Because it jazzes up the narrative. Phony baloney all the way through.
This guy is dangerous. His rise to power is suspect and his motives, as far as I can see, are strictly for himself.
Karolina NYC, sorry that was failed sarcasm. I never got that he was ever “charismatic”.
Just for the hell of it. From my favorite post-primary Obama piece:
Freedom Rider: So Long Suckers
And here is something we always knew:
Blair, experience does matter. Give me a break. Obviously no one can have the experiece of being President before they are, but Bill CLinton had been a Governor, and CLinton was very involved in the white house and is a two time US Senator. Obama started running as soon as he became a Senator thereby totally neglecting his duties there.
Even Bush had been a Governor. Obama is totally unacceptable as a Presidential candidate.
Sorry guys, kinda lurking, I am at work. My son leaves August 3 for Ft. Jackson and August 28 to ???? All his orders say are “Training not exceed 25 days”. Then that he meets with new unit (hasn’t had a unit in 4 1/2 years) to deploy to Operation Iraqi Freedom. So in 25 days, he is to get his life plan in order, his medicals up to date, his gear ready and retrain, if there is time. Can somebody ask Claire’s daughter to step in for him?
Kim – my thoughts and prayers are with you and your son. Hugs to you…
Experience matters! That is what got us into the voting booths while holding our noses because even those candidates, Kerry, Gore, Dukakis, Mondale, all had it. We could depend upon that much at least.
But Obama is running on NONE. What experience? What does it look like? How can that experience act as a guide of where he stands for the future? How does he process information? We have no idea. Just not there.
Obama thinks because he loves himself so much we will too. Forget about his thin resume, just follow. It has to get better, right? Trust me, says the used car salesman as he takes your money. Would I lie to you?
Kim, I can’t imagine what this must be like for you, but if your son is half as smart as his mom I’m sure he’ll be ok.
I think a better campaign slogan for Obama would be:
Vote for me! what else have you got to lose?
Riverdaughter … you read my mind about the racism issue, and the natural sequelae of overuse of the word will be that the more it is used the more the true meaning and impact of the word will be diluted to being meaningless .
I was called much worse when I was working for civil rights and womens rights and ending the war in vietnam . So if the words n – lover ; commie pinko liberal , and all of the female insult words bounced off then , the charge of racist bounces off now with ease ,.
Now the bullets fired at me then didn’t bounce off but they didnt hit me either …. but I think that making the word racist close to meaningless would be unfortunate .. but that is what is happening ..
and as for typos hey .. LIZ DEXIC strikes at the most inopportune times and makes my posts unintelligible .. if it wasnt for backspace I cuoldn’t type at all.. and I am a walking dictionary and word snob , so what a comeuppance for me yes? LOL
Once again i am grateful to be here
Hugs
Swannie
PJ – You are right!
YES. That is why I have always voted for every D in the Presidential elections. The candidates, while usually not liberal enough for me (but I know I’m super-lefty so it’s okay), at least had something going for them. You knew they were competent and they had voting records and actions to prove it.
Barack Obama has absolutely nothing to offer, now that his promises of a “new kind of politics” have been shown to be a crock of BS.
This was the brilliance, by the way, of Hillary’s primary campaign – she ran for the GE campaign all the way. She would not have to change a thing to appeal to the general public – she already did it. Her win over McCain would be a landslide.
gary: That slogan needs to be rushed into production now! It sums up his entire campaign. I wish somebody could explain in detail how we got this far with such an unseasoned nobody who gave a speech 4 years ago.
Just one big conspiracy to get a black man into the White House without regard to what the job entails. This guy just wants to be addressed as Mr. President. He’ll fake it from there.
And as much as I shy away from conspiracies, this one has all the elements.
blair –
IMHO Hillary didn’t lose by a hair…. the rigged caucuses saw to that.
and as for Backtrack, it is impossible for me to think less of him no matter what anyone uses to goad him into Panderville.
madameb – great bumpersticker — let me know if you want one
— I make things like that ya know!
madamab: Someone has to convince me (and it just cannot be done) what we he has done to gain my vote and confidence.
I am still waiting for Godot.
indigogrrl – wow, I didn’t know that! We PUMAs are so talented. 🙂
Should Obama indeed pick Hagel, you may get a lot of takers on that bumper sticker.
PJ – You are, indeed, waiting for Godot, since the experience Obama doesn’t have will never materialize…;-)
No Maum….I got the sarcasm totally. I just reacted to it with panic …. instead of with a sense of humor. I, apparently, didn’t sleep restfully, or else am freaking out with the fear that Obambi is going to keep on going, anf going, and going….
What I had wanted to write, Maum, was that we need to keep him feeling threatened, but at the last moment erased it, because I don’t think that the MSM would stop him even if he did start to act with rage. Thugs are a drag.
http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/does_obama_chair_a_senate_subcommittee_that.html
Q:
Does Obama chair a Senate subcommittee that oversees the war in Afghanistan?
John McCain claims that Barack Obama chairs a Senate subcommittee that oversees the war in Afghanistan. Is McCain correct?
A:
He chairs the Senate’s Subcommittee on European Affairs, which has some oversight in Afghanistan through NATO.
At a town hall meeting in late May in Reno, Nev., Sen. John McCain accused Sen. Barack Obama of not doing more for Afghanistan through his position on a Senate subcommittee:
John McCain, May 28: Senator Obama is the chairman of an important subcommittee that has the oversight of what’s going on in Afghanistan. He has not held one single hearing on Afghanistan, where young Americans are in harm’s way as we speak.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Obama, shouldn’t be pretending to mourn the soldiers as it comes off as insensitive.
Obama mourns US troop deaths, swipes at McCain
http://myembarq.com/news/news_reader.php?storyid=16211162&feedid=14
Why didn’t he ‘Chair” the committee that directly affects the war in Afghanistan? If he cared or was a working ‘Senator” he would have done his job. I think he should let someone else do the JOB and stop saying he is mourning them.
Action (work) is what matters…a record is proof…
Obama, Lead, Follow or GET OUT OF THE WAY! Let someone else CHAIR the Subcommittee on European Affairs, which has some oversight in Afghanistan through NATO, if you are truly mournful. WORDS, we know what they are….FLIPPER!
Darraugh Murphy, founder of PUMA PAC at 1120AM EST
http://gateway.andohs.net/player/default_noax.aspx?nid=2920&sid=826&customlogo=
Hey everyone – did you see this? Our girl says the Republicans should just not run anyone for President because they suck so badly. LOL!
Interesting. She must be terrified McCain will beat Obama. She is really stressing how hard Obama is going to work as President.
Poor Hillary. It’s hard work being a loyal Democrat.
#
Pat Johnson, on July 14th, 2008 at 10:10 am Said:
…………….
This guy is dangerous. His rise to power is suspect and his motives, as far as I can see, are strictly for himself.
————————
Pat, I read the article as well. As I commented last night, he is in it for himself and can be easily swayed by anybody to do anything that will benefit him. What would that mean on an international stage with foreign actors/players? No where in his rise to where is he is today, has he done the job he was hired to do — others have said this. I don’t think he wants/cares to do the heavy lifting. So what would that mean to the country and the rest of the world? At the very least it means corruption of the highest order in the highest echelons of the government.
madmad:
Hillary has been saying that line for a while now for a year..
I can gurantee you.. Hillary wants mccain to win.. the fraud has been in the senate for 143 days before running for president..
and MORE IMPORATANT::
mccain wins… hillary can run in 2012
As for being sick of the DNC and Obamabots using race and racism to try to shut us up, one of the ‘bots actually had the nerve to compare me to a “Dixiecrat” last night on the DNC blogsite. Told him we were not for segregation, just fairness. Go figure. Boy, are they getting NERVOUS over there. Hey–that’s what happens when you tell one too many of your fellow Democrats to “quit whining and get over it”.
ssmith – I don’t think Hillary wants McCain to win. Otherwise, she wouldn’t support Obama at all.
What her supporters want is an entirely different story. 🙂
Woman voter—thanks for putting that up. I had heard McCain say something like that, but I didn’t follow up to understand. His frigging “mourning soldiers” thst I read here this morning really upset me, because we know that’s pile of baloney to make him look like he gives a flying fluck.
PJ: “This guy is dangerous. His rise to power is suspect and his motives, as far as I can see, are strictly for himself.”
Doesn’t he sound like the kind of person that Stalin and Hitler were as they were fighting to gain more and more power for themselves. To me that is very scary, and I can’t understand that ANYONE would back him up, because, looking at history, when those guys got into power they turned on the people that helped them, as well…which also sounds familiar, right?
Rd & Gary — re the New Yorker and above. He?
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/07/obama-blackwate.html
looks like this, too —- I guess—Hillary was cheered in LA!
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/07/clinton-obama.html
Bill Clinton was interesting— in this one…
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iHfLsUnpGKUF1eK-kfwF0Nr_AQbwD91SNPL00
It’s all very scary to me. I just wanted Hillary. If I can’t have her? RD it seems as if everything like the banks ARE collapsing — like the whole thing is totally out of control. Maybe I worry to much but we seem to be on the edge of 1929? Dunno. I sure don’t want him if we are going 1929 around here.
I just wanted Hillary. God.
ssmith – Hillary is doing what Hillary has to do to keep her word.
We are doing what we have to do to keep our word that “we have your back” Hillary!
Don’t be confused. We are not.
Now donate, I can’t wait for 2012 – I need her now.
PUMA$ Who Donate Rule!
I think that Hillary is playing along because she thinks that she might still be able to be POTUS this time around. I think that both she and Bill see who/what O. is and she knows that the country is potentially in even bigger trouble than the last 8 years.
His “dangerousness” is the quality of the unknown. Like giving that 16 yr old the keys to the car for the first time. I am more afraid of his “benign neglect”. I do not see him having any real interest in “digging down” into a problem in attempting to reach a conclusion. His candidacy is based simply on rhetoric.
I am up to my ears in rhetoric. I want solutions. His background suggests others doing the thinking on his behalf. That is dangerous.
I love Hillary but her statement, “I cannot wait to see Barack take the oath of office” nearly brought both lunch and breakfast back up for a return visit.
Come on Hillary, I know you are in an awkward position but let’s not overdo it. Think of us out here you totally, violently, purposely, heartily, absolutely disagree!
PJ – When Hillary says things like that, I think she is snarking inside. Her inner thoughts versus spoken words would make a great cartoon.
Spoken words: “I cannot wait to see Barack take the oath of office.”
Inner thoughts: “I never said WHICH office, now did I? Heh-heh-heh. You’ll take VP and like it, Barack. Sucka!”
madamab: Time for another play??? Please.
Hee! I’m all out of plays for the time being, PJ. My Muse has carried me elsewhere today.
As we holdouts become more successful, the DNC will push harder on Hillary to stop us or counteract us. They really don’t understand us at all.
Getting to this thread rather late…I’m a west coaster & I had to pick my blueberries and raspberries and water the strawberries before coming in to check on all the news that gives me fits.
Please take time to read Professor Juan Cole ‘s blog today entitled “a friendly warning to Obama” on his so-called Iraq AND Afganistan policies (www.juancole.com ) It is a devestating takedown by one of the most well respected mideast scholars on our side of the pond.
Short version: Barry’s plan to leave a small US force in Iraq to fight “Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia” is a baaad idea, especially since no group is even using that appellation. The surging violence in Afganistan may be ethnic hatred of occupational forces rather than “Taliban” resurgence … so rather than send in more US forces into that giant sucking chest wound, the US would be better served to send billions to Karzai to stand up an Afgan army and bribe tribal leaders.
My only disagreement is with the title of the article…he should have just called out Obama and his advisors for sheer ignorance, but he’s an Obama supporter so he had to phrase it delicately.
“I do not see him having any real interest in “digging down” into a problem in attempting to reach a conclusion. His candidacy is based simply on rhetoric.”
Pat, there is no question that if he were to, oh God forbid, become POTUS there would be absolute “benign neglect” of the economy, the country’s resources, the civil rights of the people, etc., etc., because “doing his job”, whatever it was ever, has never been his agenda. His agenda has been to amass all that he can for himself — power, money, influence, prestige, etc.
Do you believe that he would start to change the agenda if he made the Whitehouse his new address? All he knows how to do is to seek more for himself …. and if POTUS that would open up the world for him. I don’t know what that would mean for him. I imagine that what he would be interested in amassing is what most people who have access to those levels of power want — to globalize the world, keep everybody else powerless & dependent, and be the ones with the most resources?
The New Yorker cover? Donna B on Stephanopoulos? Obama in Iraq? Obama in Germany? Obama in the Denver Stadium? The items are endless to build on.
I know, I am just spoiled at all the creativity on this blog. My fave detective stories are by Sue Grafton and the alphabet series. I finish one and I can hardly wait until the following year for another.
I am rather greedy come to think of it.
Karolina: Should he get to be POTUS (and if there is a God this will not happen) his first move will be to hire an historian, David Maraniss, Douglas Brinkley, to follow him around to begin writing his legacy. He is so full of himself it is a wonder he has room for those waffles and lattes.
When Juan Cole disagreed with Hillary, he wrote slashing attacks on her. With his darling, it’s just a gentle admonition.
Hillary-zilla said “Hillary’s debt has been payed off by the PUMA/Just say no deal, coalition”
Does anyone have a link to this?
I heard Ms. Murphy say we shut down the DNC, Pelosi and 70,000 letters.
Why aren’t we doing this everyday?
I need a mission. Biting my nails and worrying all day will not get this done!
PUMA$ Who Donate Rule!
I just tried to email the NYer about the cover, and the server is down. What a Hoot!
Pat:
“Should he get to be POTUS (and if there is a God this will not happen) ”
I have to disagree with this, and I have no interest in converting you or anyone to any religious belief, but in the Bible it says that God gave man free will.
That is one of the things in the Bible that I don’t question, and now it is proven by science, apparently. I can’t look it up right now to give backup to this, but I was told that on “the Secret” this was talked about. I saw it. I think on Larry King live last week on, I think, his psychic children show. Scientists can make things happen in their microscopes by “thinking what they want really hard.”
Well, the medai is trying to manage the things that we think really hard, as advertising has been doing for years, so clearly thy’re on to that. Thing is, positive energy has an easier time “flowing” than negative energy, which does not, so if we think really hard that Hill will be in and will work everything out for the benefit of the world, as she wants to….the sky’s the limit for goodness.
….the media is trying to manage…..
I’m sure that you already knew this, but, hey, sorry for giving you no choice in whether or not you wanted to indulge me.
(looking embarassed)
Hear hear, riverdaughter, and I don’t think it will stop if he is POTUS; it will be used to push through policies e.g. On Fareed Zakaria’s show on Sunday BO basically reiterated the argument for unilateral military action in Darfur that Susan Rice and Tony Lake have been pushing, with the suggestion that the reason we haven’t taken military action in Darfur is that we are r@#%$st:
We Saved Europeans. Why Not Africans?
By Susan E. Rice, Anthony Lake and Donald M. Payne
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/01/AR2006100100871.html
This is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed, but not in the context of “if you don’t do what we say, you’re a r@#$st”.
kim @9:29A
My family and I will pray for the safety of your son and your family and all the others in his position.
Thank him and you for your service.
If backtrack barack get into office God forbid the country will see a show of Nero fiddling while Rome burns.
His attention will be on him and not the country.
COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMA RULES
PJ – the Denver Stadium is a definite possibility! I am a bit preoccupied with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s new book right now, as I will soon be doing an interview with her about it.
I highly recommend the book, by the way. She has laid out her case in a clear, factual and entertaining way. Yes, ladies, we have a LONG way to go before our American brothers treat us with the financial and physical respect we deserve. But all is not hopeless and there’s a lot you can do to make things better.
RD and all, forgive me for seemingly dominating the trhread at the moment, but I think that most people have left, which I will be doing in a moment.
Robin, I have not read a review of the book, but, my feeling is that Africa is not being aided by the US or Britain or anyone, not due to racism, but due to economics and international politics. It is a continent with tremendous resources, therefore tremendous opportunity for anyone who can dominate the continent. It would look really bad to go in and conquer those resources by waging war on the natives—so let the people get each other out of the way .
Okay, sorry again. See ya later, if you let me come back….
Carolyn Maloney——I LOVE her!
There’s no place like home … there’s no place like home … there’s no place …
Good luck Madamab!
Karolina NYC, on July 14th, 2008 at 1:19 pm Said:
——————
I completely agree. I am very concerned about what BO and his backers’ plans in Africa are, and it has gone virtually unexamined. Africa is very vulnerable to exploitation and I don’t trust BO.
why are Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Yvette Clark, Ed Town, or Gregory Meeks on there? they all endorsed Obama in early June. and esp John Lewis? he endorsed Obama in Feb.
a LOT of SDs in my area waited until early June to endorse Obama bc most of the area voted for Clinton. they were getting leaned on too. a lot of their support comes from the Blogger Boyz and if they didn’t fall in, they were going to lose many GOTV volunteers and $$$$ for the GE plus have the threat of being primaried for their next election. i’d think that was true in many places.
how is that different?
Madamab, I like to think there’s things we can do, but I just can’t believe it at this point. I see too many ways in which the current system hangs together and reinforces itself, the system that keeps us ignorant and hopeful, then in denial, then disillusioned, and then finally — when we wise up aqnd have things to say worth listening to — safely ignored and invisible.
I see so many women who are absolutely doing everything they can to convince themselves that it’s not as bad as they think, because they fear being alone — so they spend their entire private lives maing excuses for men and walking around behind current and prospective boyfriends and husbands with conversational shit-coopers going, “He didn’t really mean that,” “He’s not like that at home,” and so forth. They spend all their time doing this in their bedrooms — is it any wonder they turn around and do the same thing in the boardroom and the voting booth?
There are some downsides to having the brain I have (I have something called TLE that results in what’s called “hyperconnectivity;” end result, I’m not what you’d called neurotypical). A little more emotional equanimity would be nice sometimes. But the extremely low sex drive that comes along for the ride with it strikes me as one of the best things in the universe, every single time I look around and watch women who are freaking out over the prospect of not getting any sex who are turning themselves into logical knots to excuse men who by any reasonable standard flushed down the pan of evolution.
And since they have bought into the nonsense about how older women are ignorable and trivializable, they don’t listen — and the last thing they want is to support an older woman’s ambitions by, oh, voting for one.
It’s all a very neat, coherent, unshakeable structure, and I don’t see how to disassemble it unless something comes up from the outside. We need something like space aliens to take over the planet and impregnate men, thus turning the entire race into women or some other weirdo sci-fi thing like that. We’re not going to stop circling this drain that our species seems to have settled on. It’s galling, fucking galling.
This New Yorker cover controversy is just one more gambit to paint opponents of the Dear Leader as nothing more than r*cists.
The campaign will make major, major hay out of this.
Not-so-subtle message: there are no legitimate reasons to oppose the Dear Leader. Any criticism is illegitimate and a moral failing of those that do not embrace the Dear Leader.
I think the OFB world must be very simple and small. I can appreciate differences: I can loathe r*cism and still find BO to be a lying, sleazy, vainglorious ass.
I wonder if the breathless fanbase realizes what harm they’ve done with the endless accusations of racism… against fellow progressives, no less.
Terry Gross is having a very good interview with a NewYorker writer about Obama’s political career in Chicago….Ofcourse the MSM is stating things calmly, but the info is still quite revealing and damaging (atleast to me). Barry is definitely a politician, no doubt whatsoever…
Yall should check it out today…Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR…
Heard O’s on the radio the other day addressing some Hispanic group….seems like he has totally co-opted H’s message: “If you elect me, I will work for you”….interesting.
O’s= O’s speech
“If you elect me, I will work for you”….
That’s what all the politicians say! Every single one.
Janis, well said.
And since they have bought into the nonsense about how older women are ignorable and trivializable,
this is a huge problem IMO. it plays into two powerful stereotypes – sexism and ageism – and a huge narcissistic conceit – the idea that the bad things older ppl warn about are not going to happen to you. bc you’re different (better). your generation is different (better).
as long as young women don’t believe that they are going to have to face sexism that is pervasive and powerful, like it was for their mothers and grandmothers (even if it manifests itself somewhat differently), they will trivialize our experiences.
I can’t stand it. Obama’s people are (of course) saying, the New Yorker cover is unfair. Boo Woo woo.
Men don’t do that — they have this attitude that they get better and sexier and more fabulous as they get older, and women feed this nonsense along with them.
So they mentor one another, connect with one another, shepherd one another through a hierarchy that is set up for their benefit.
But if we try to do that, we are punished, because that hierarchy doesn’t work for us. We will get shoved out in a world where there is room for one accomplished woman, and the men will make sure it’s the biggest kissup with the tightest skirt. Her very presence scares them, so they make damned sure that the only ones allowed in the inner circle are the ones who bolster and buy into the hierarchy even more. (Pelosi and Huff are perfect examples of this.)
It’s mindblowing how feminists have been accused of saying that women should try to be men when it’s obviously these sellouts that are all over buying into the male power structure lock, stock, and barrel.
Pelosi is all about being the Queen Bee, the one girl among the guys. Huff is a borna nd bred trophy wife who’s entire career consists of “stab the competition in the back” because there is only one winner.
If we try to mentor or build a competing power structure, it’s starved. There IS only one game in town, and it’s rigged to make sure the game never ends, and we never win or completely lose.
When McGaskill announced that she was backing Obama simply because her teen daughter told her to, I knew we were not in the company of a great thinker.
Does she consult the teen every time she has to cast a Senate vote? Is policy being made on the whim of teens these days?
Maybe the kid was using salvia? I had never heard of this until recently. First reference I saw to it I thought it was a typo for saliva… 🙂
(sigh) I’m so far behind…in my day it was some weed, maybe a little coke, some mescaline, oh the occasional hit of acid or maybe mushrooms and some downers every once in awhile. 😉
I’m soo confused by the *new* drugs!! Good thing I’ve stayed with Jim Beam, Wild Turkey and Bailey’s in my adult years! LOL!
By the way, in case you didn’t know, Heidi Li is going to be on “Your World” with Neil Cavuto today between 4 and 5 EST. Fox News obviously.
Janis,
i agree that it’s difficult for women to help each other because of the way orgs limit women’s advancement. ppl say that it’s women’s fault for not mentoring other women. there is some of that (though women have less time to mentor bc of the unequal division of work outside of paid employment). however, as you say, women are punished for mentoring. even if they ignore that, there is not much payoff for mentoring other women. few will gain much power. many will leave (i.e., essentially be pushed out). of those who gain power, many will be pushed out or marginalized after they get “too old” (i.e., not attractive to men), which will happen much sooner for women than it will for men.
the risk/reward ratio for mentoring women (esp if done by a woman) is very different than the risk/reward ratio for mentoring men.
Speaking of women supporting women, here’s one for the where-were-you-when-we-needed-you department. Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation, had this to say about the New Yorker cover:
Dear XXXXXX,
Let the New Yorker’s editor-in-chief, David Remnick, know your outrage over the magazine’s July 21 cover. Of course some will say that feminists have no sense of humor, but there is absolutely nothing satirical or funny about it. This is a vicious attack masquerading as satire.
By choosing to publish this artwork without context on its cover, the editors have created a visual representation of racial, ethnic, religious, and sexist fear-mongering. If the New Yorker wishes to condemn the myths, lies and prejudices being spread about Barack Obama, why not ridicule those who are perpetuating them, rather than furthering their cause.
As feminists we refuse to be silent. We who have been infuriated at the sexist media coverage of Hillary Clinton will not tolerate the racist and sexist coverage of Michelle and Barack Obama. Express your outrage to David Remnick and demand that the cover be pulled.
For Equality,
Eleanor Smeal
President
Feminist Majority
***************************************
Smeal co-signed a letter to NBC about Matthews in January, and has been MIA ever since. Glad this cover fauxtraged her so much. Write her and thank her for her loyalty and courage. Tell her it’s a shame she missed the boat on the single most devastating historical event for women’s progress in 50 years: The Democratic Primary 2008.
http://feminist.org/forms/comments.html
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