The Wayback Machine for the Delusional

So, Barack Obama has a prayer circle. Well, we have Rodgers and Hammerstein:

Fal-de-rol-de fiddley-dee-fiddley-faddley-foodle
All the dreamers in the world are dizzy in the noodle.

It’s over when WE say it’s over

Mega Kudos to Katiebird for catching this on FOX this morning. Diane Mantouvalos sent this clip through the JSND network this afternoon of Gary Mauro, former head of Hillary’s campaign in Texas.  He’s saying it’s not over until he gets a chance to vote for Hillary for nomination.  This just proves how viral the movement is.  We had no idea this was coming.  As far as I know, Mauro did this without any prompting from us.

Check it out.  This is Quicktime (for a change) but we’ll see if we can get a Youtube later.

***UPDATE*** we have video!

Gary Mauro on FOX

Hillary to visit Latino voters, plus PUMA-SF’s Hillary photo journal!

Huge-tent-sized-Mexican-sombero-hat tip to the marvelous PUMA-SF who wanted to share more Hillary event photos, where she and Simofish gave the exclusive break on Hillary’s delegate petition video.  Please give a big PUMA hug to PUMA-SF and Simofish for being so generous in sharing their Hillary moment with us!  

"Powerful and graceful, even in repose" (h/t Arabella Trefoil)

I looked for news to accompany PUMA-SF’s photos, and look what I found at the Guardian UK:

Hillary Clinton to hit swing states to campaign for Obama

Clinton will hit the campaign trail for her erstwhile rival in Florida and Nevada, two states that have not voted for a Democrat since 1996.

The Democrats this year hope to retake the two states, largely on the strength of legions of newly energised Hispanic voters.

Clinton has a strong appeal among Hispanics – the group backed her roughly two to one over Obama during the primaries this winter. She won primary contests in both states

The visits are planned for mid-late August before the convention.  QUESTION:  Why can’t Obama do this by himself, isn’t HE the so-called leader of the Democratc Party now?  Can’t he at least take some time out of his presumptuous schedule to show up together with Hillary to campaign for Latino votes?  Oh wait, isn’t that when the Precious is on vacation in Hawaii? 

UPDATE:

Obama’s Hawaii vacation in August expected to include fundraiser
Candidate set to attend private fundraiser during vacation here

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Government Writer

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois is expected to attend a private fundraiser for his presidential campaign on Aug. 12 at the Halekulani Hotel, several sources said.

Obama is expected to be in the Islands for about a week for a vacation and local organizers are also hoping for a public rally, possibly at Magic Island.

Andy Winer, Obama’s state director, said yesterday he could not confirm the visit or the details about the fundraiser or rally but said the campaign may make an announcement this week.

The fundraiser is being co-chaired by Mayor Mufi Hannemann and corporate executive and prominent Democratic financier Walter Dods. Donors are being asked to contribute $2,300 per person, sources said, and can attend a reception with the Hawai’i-born candidate for $10,000

.

MAGIC ISLAND????  The jokes just write themselves with Obama. 

OMG, the Precious can’t be bothered to campaign for Latino votes when he has to have his mani/pedi, body exfoliating, deep tissue massage for the Denver Convention!  Snark aside, it’s insulting and condescending to our community and mark my words, it’ll be a major brou-haha if in fact Obama’s on vacation that week.  But what am I talking about?  Latinos are already under the bus anyways, Hillary ‘s under the bus too, so the trip will be shorter for her, right?  Maybe that’s part of Obama’s energy plan, you know, to save gas and stuff?  Yet if Hillary’s by herself, this may not be such a bad thing.  Some Latinos in the crowd might just say “quédense con el Obama ese, nosotros queremos a Hillary!”  (Stay with that Obama guy, we want Hillary!)

Just Say No Deal & ¡que viva los PUMAs! (Long live PUMAs!)

(More pictures inside!)

Our Post-Racial Paradise: A Play in One Dreamy Act.

(H/T to Garychapelhill for the title)

THE SCENE: President Barack Obama’s Oval Office. A wall with a computerized panel and a door occupies center stage left, and the office occupies the remainder of the stage.

The decor of the office has totally changed. The drapes around the room are now printed with the Obama faux-presidential seal. Everywhere are pictures of President Obama, looking saintly and generous. There is also a picture of Michelle and the kids, but it is much smaller and less prominently placed. The American Flag has been redesigned; in the center of the field where the stars were is now a picture of Our Dear Leader.

The man himself sits behind the desk in the Oval Office, garbed in spotless white robes. Above his head, a sign reads “President Barack Obama” in large, elegant letters. He is in deep meditation, or perhaps, is sleeping off the effects of too much “holy water” the night before.

BILL BURTON, Barack Obama’s now Chief of Staff, appears at the door. The door speaks in a pleasant, female, robotic voice.

DOOR: Please enter your permanent password.

(BURTON enters a few numbers on the keypad.)

DOOR: Please speak your name.

BURTON: William Burton.

DOOR: Voiceprint authorized. Please state today’s password.

BURTON: Ummmmm…Obama is the greatest president that was, is, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen?

DOOR: Password expired. Please state today’s password.

BURTON: Ummmmm…(pulls out an iPhone, checks it, smiles) All hail Barack Obama, President Extraordinaire and really awesomely cool dude?

DOOR: Password accepted. (BURTON enters the Oval Office. OBAMA opens his eyes calmly.)

OBAMA: Good morning, Bill.

BURTON: Morning, Mr. President!

OBAMA: Please, sit down. (BURTON does so.) Now, what’s on your mind, Bill?

BURTON: Well, it’s this “New Racism Handbook” we published last week. Even though our NBC affiliates are over the moon about it, I’ve been hearing a lot of complaints in the (using air quotes) “blogosphere.”

OBAMA (frowning): Really? I thought those guys loved me.

BURTON: Oh, most of them do, sir! But some of them are saying that 10,000 forbidden words are too hard to remember. Words like “arrogant” and “presumptuous” are easy, but some of the scientists are protesting about changing the term “black hole” to “lightwardly challenged hole.” And making public racism a crime! They are really not on board with that one.

OBAMA (smiling): Oh, that’s okay, Bill. Let me tell you a bit more about my master plan. (getting up and striding commandingly around the room) You see, I wanted to take the troops out of Iraq and transfer them directly to Afghanistan to continue fighting there. But, it turns out, they’re already so exhausted from their fourth and fifth tours, they were useless to us. Our mission in Afghanistan, whatever it is, cannot succeed this way. We need more bodies, but Blackwater keeps raising its prices. It’s a tough situation.

BURTON: Sounds tough, Mr. President!

Tuesday: Stop fooling around

The NYTimes was full of some pretty gruesome articles this morning.  For example, there was the announcment of the release of a book intended for medical personnel headed into the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.   The book, “War Surgery in Afghanistan and Iraq: A Series of Cases 2003-2007”,  had been under wraps by US Army censors because it shows men, women and children whose bodies have been damaged by war.  They don’t want to upset the delicate sensibilities of the American people who are funding such experiments in cutting edge medicine.

The battlefield treatments are amazing and innovative.  It’s just desperately sad that they are needed at all. Photographs in the book were taken by Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist David Leeson of The Dallas Morning News.

Then, there is this piece, “At Freddie Mac, Chief Discards Warning Signs”.  Back in 2004 the warning signs of trouble in the home mortgage industry were presented to the head of Freddie Mac, Richard Syron, who said the corporation couldn’t say no to anyone.  Here’s a classic quote from Syron that Yes Man Extraordinaire, Barack Obama, should take to heart:

“If I had better foresight, maybe I could have improved things a little bit,” he said. “But frankly, if I had perfect foresight, I would never have taken this job in the first place.”

Ooo, here’s another cautionary quote for the Yes Man, he who has no coalitions of his own and will be completely at the mercy of the Blue Dogs in Congress with whom he has made his bed:

Indeed, executives of both companies maintain that one of the reasons the firms hold so many bad loans is that Congress has leaned on them for years to buy mortgages from low-income borrowers to encourage affordable housing. In 2004, Freddie Mac warned regulators that affordable housing goals could force the company to buy riskier loans.

Others, however, dismiss that explanation. “Sure, it’s hard to deal with the pressures of Congress and shareholders and regulators,” said a former high-ranking Freddie Mac executive. “But that’s why executives get paid so much. It’s not acceptable to blame those pressures for making bad choices.”

Yes, well, why is it always the guys who get paid the big bucks that end up costing us so much in money and lives?

A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to a podcast of Fresh Air with Terry Gross where she interviewed the chief economic strategists for the McCain and Obama campaigns. I love terry Gross and have listened to her for years so it pains me to hear how totally she is in the tank for Obama. (Sidenote: A couple of weeks before the economic strategists interview, she had one on the pension crisis with Theresa Ghilarducci from the University of Notre Dame.  Ghilarducci sounds like an FDR New Dealer and a Clintonista and Gross treated her like she was from Mars.  The last minute or so of the interview was so frosty and tense you’d think Terry was talking to Gene Simmons)

Terry’s interview with Jason Furman, Obama’s chief economic strategist, was notable not so much for Terry’s fawning but for Furman’s vague ideas.  As the conversation progresses, Furman starts to channel his inner child and he begins to sound like a floppy young puppy, all wide eyed and playful.  He’s all “REALLY” and “a LOT” and a “WHOLE BUNCH”.  Golly!   But underneath all that innocence, there are subtle signs that Obama is planning something not so nifty.  For example, when he talks about Social Security, Furman says:

“This is our most important program.  It’s REALLY important that we protect it, not just for people today but for generations to come.  Second of all, for middle class families, for a lot of them, it’s their only source of income… So it’s not something you would REALLY want to burden them with in the course of adjusting to that.”

Ok, Ok, stop right there.  “Adjusting” to WHAT exactly?  Terry never asks.  Furman goes on to describe the taxes on people making over $250K that would go up “a bit”.  Fine.  A little rate hike isn’t unreasonable.  But what is all of that middle class “Adjusting” about?  It sounds faintly familiar.  Like, when the Bushies were talking about privatizing and how there would be initial overhead but then we would all just have to settle for less in benefits down the road.  But anyway SS was insolvent and we’d all just have to get used to funding our own retirements through the fabulous new “instruments” that the Wall Street Peeps would set up to handle all of our retirement savings.  Is that the kind of “adjustment” that Furman is referring to?

Not that Terry cares much anymore.  I get the distinct impression that the poor or those in need of a safety net are really sad stories but not much she and HER class can do much about.  I mean, the Republicans will never allow for real reform.  So, the people who slip through the cracks are like Bangladeshis who get wiped out in the latest cyclone.  Terry and The Nation Letter Writer types just tsk-tsk, shake their heads in disbelief and say, “Those poor people, they shouldn’t farm so close to a major body of water on those rich soils of the delta plains.  What did they expect?  Pass me another canape, please. And did you see that new book with pictures of civilians caught in a warzone?  Revolting!”

Reminder: The Audacity of Democracy is currently filming all across the United States.

Let’s get this baby shot and in the can!  If you’re interested in becoming an associate producer or even making a small donation to this worthwhile endeavor, click here.

DNC at the Scratching Post? Break-up song and late night open thread

Big Sombrero tip & dedicated to Pat Johnson & Regency G who asked me to “write it out:”

What are you doing here, Democratic Party?  Look, if you’re looking for trouble, well you just found it.  Huh?  You came to talk about you giving me my full Floridian vote back?   Oh.  Uh, sit down then.  Here, let me get you a drink.  Rico, 2 Pink PUMAs, please.  Oh, I forgot, you don’t like PUMAs.  Well, then let me buy you a scotch on the rocks, I guess old habits die hard since I’ve supported you financially my entire adult life.  Yes, I did get your email about the Florida and Michigan reinstatement, and?  What do you mean why haven’t I called you to support Obama?  You don’t get it that it’s really “over” between us, do you?