Sunday: It’s on YOUR head, Howard Dean

We have become aware of attempts by the DNC and the Obama campaign to intimidate delegates.  We know how Obama feels about “those people”, like there’s something wrong with us and they should  stay away from us.  Oh, yes, they are trying to make us as unpopular as Michael Moore.  It’s their goal to dehumanize us, to make us objects.  That way they can heap scorn and derision on us  and diminish our power.  The Obama supporters can treat us like less than human without penalty.

Well, that kind of $#*^ has consequences.

Tonight, one of our coalition members is missing.  She hasn’t been seen since she left our conference site earlier this afternoon.  No one has been able to contact her on her cell phone.  Her mother is worried because she knows her daughter has had anonymous threatening phone calls to her cell phone.

We are all very, very concerned.  But this is what happens when you reduce your opponent’s supporters to dirt beneath your feet, easily ignored, dismissed, illegitimate.  This is what happens when you unjustifiably accuse people of being racists and one of “those people” instead of a wife and a mother and a wonderful, caring person.  This person’s only goal is to make sure that voters’ voices are heard.  It allows unstable zealots permission to act on their emotions, unchecked. Someone must be held accountable for these outrageous acts of psychological and perhaps physical aggression against our coalition members.  Someone needs to be held responsible.

Now, it could be that she is sitting on the tarmac and her flight was delayed by rain and that her cellphone battery died and there is nothing to worry about.  We will all be very relieved to hear her voice tomorrow morning after a night of nerves and worry.  But there is no doubt in my mind who those responsible persons are if anything happens to her at the hands of one of the people who has threatened her because of her political activity.  If our friend doesn’t show up soon, Howard Dean and Barack Obama have a lot to answer for.

Update: DancesWithPumas reports that our friend checked in and is safe.  We are all very relieved.  But the point still stands.  We are sick and tired of the smears and dehumanizing speech and the death threats from the Obama supporters (and I have the proof in the spam filter, complete with the IP and email addresses and the Obama cheers. They’re sickening.).  It’s time to reign them in.  We’re people, we’ve got lives and people who depend on us and none of us deserve this treatment from the mouths of the DNC, the Obama campaign and or Obama’s out-of-control supporters simply because we choose to exercise our right to speak freely and assemble.

Enough is enough.  Someone is going to get hurt.

Zero fiddles with golf clubs while Rome burns

While Obama was doing THIS in Hawaii:

"Hey Sweetie, watch it with the O-hair, got it?"

In Hawaii for vacation, Sen. Barack Obama arrives at the Olomana golf course near Waikiki. Meanwhile, Democrats meeting in Pittsburgh decided on a party platform. (By Alex Brandon -- Associated Press)

Seems like Obama took note of Dubya’s selected-but-not-elected trend of going golfing in the most inappropriate times, like yesterday when the Democratic Platform was presented to Howard Dean at Pittsburgh.  Shouldn’t have Obama been there though, since he’s the new DNC presumptive princess?  Oh silly me, he had to golf to relieve all that stress from dealing with lowly dead-ender voters.  ProudMilitaryMom give’s the play-by-play scoop on what happened.  Many hugs to ProudMilitaryMom next time you see her comment here at the Confluence! 

Also happening while Obama gets his mani/pedi after golfing for all those hours under the hot Hawaiian sun, Hillary was out on the campaign trail hustling for Obama votes:

Hillary Clinton stumps for Obama

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 9 (UPI) — Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is urging her backers to switch their allegiances to likely nominee U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.  

Clinton, D-N.Y., appearing at her first solo campaign rally for Obama in Las Vegas on Friday, told cheering supporters to disregard any lingering resentment from the bruising Democratic primary election battles and instead back the party’s probable nominee, the New York Daily News reported.

“Anyone who voted for me or caucused for me has so much more in common with Senator Obama than Senator McCain,” Clinton said, referring to Obama’s probable Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

McCain, meanwhile, campaigned in Clinton’s former home state of Arkansas, where the newspaper said he is leading Obama in some state polls. Looking to court independent voters, McCain said, “I’m certainly pleased with where we are” in the state.

McCain said his campaign was gaining support among “Reagan Democrats” and others — “some we might call ‘Clinton Democrats’ as well,” the Daily News reported. 

McCain may be gaining some support, but not all of us “Clinton Democrats” are joining the Unity Pony Express or the McCain camp, as we all know here at the Confluence.  McCain, Obama, not even Mama Clinton herself can herd us in.   Yet that’s what the DNC/Obama Camp think.  That it’s HER job to that, not Obama’s.  It’s HER job to talk to  “those people,” while their Presumptious & Precious Post-Partisan Princess goes on vacay and gets his body exfoliating seaweed wrap and cucumber mask.  Well, he does has to prepare for the coronation after all!  Let Cinderella do all the work, since she’s not going to the ball anyways.

Meanwhile in swing-state Ohio, a FBI investigation hits a Democratic Party chief, which may cost Obama and down-ticket Dems votes in the November election:

Inquiry in Ohio Could Hurt Obama Vote

CLEVELAND — A federal investigation of Democratic Party leaders in Cuyahoga County could pose problems for Barack Obama’s campaign in Ohio, party insiders and political analysts say.

If the party’s local campaign operation suffers, some Democrats said, it could cost Mr. Obama votes in a Democratic area where he must win overwhelmingly to offset Republican strength elsewhere in the state.

“There’s no question that this is not helpful,” said Peter Lawson Jones, a Democrat who serves on the three-member Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners with Jimmy Dimora, the chairman of the county Democratic Party, who is at the center of a federal inquiry.

Is Hillary going to help Obama fix up the problem in Ohio too?  Maybe she can mow lawns in exchange for Obama votes because you know, she did win Ohio by 16% ?  And FL and NV….and PA, MA, NJ, NH, CA, NM, TX, MI, and many others.   

The hubris, the arrogance and the defecation on Democracy by the Obama camp and DNC makes me more PUMA everyday.  Keep hustlin’ Hillary out for Obama votes while Princess Obama  gets his facials & body wraps and manscaping in Hawaii, narcissistic-enabling DNC.  Because every minute that passes while Princess Obama is on vacation, the more Democrats you will PUMAtize.

¡Que viva los PUMAs! (Long live PUMAs!)

Sunday Afternoon Open Thread

For those scared off by the headline (or the geese & the earlier photo of Obama) the conversation in this morning’s thread has some wonderful ideas about the future of PUMA and a possible spin-off future party.  Take a look at those comments and let’s continue that conversation here.  Maybe we can surprise the Conference Attendees when they get back with some exciting ideas of our own!

Around and about:

Our friend Charles Lemos at By the Fault covers everthing from Senate races to developments on the War in Georgia.  Many of us depend on Charles for news covering a wide range of subjects.  If you haven’t visited lately, today would be a good day to return.

Madamab’s Oooh, nuance! is more than her fabulous one-act plays.  Today she’s talking about Obama’s weaknesses in foreign policy.  And it just starts with Iraq….

At Tennessee Guerilla Women they want Hillary’s votes counted.

And finally, Joseph at CannonFire has totally debunks the Birth Certificate story.  If that is story of interest to you please read his post and share it far and wide.

Let this be the last time this topic is discussed at The Confluence.  Just as we didn’t discuss The Reverend Wright issue until it was exposed by the public distribution of the video tapes, let’s not discuss the many fringe rumors here.

There are any number of substantive reasons for opposing Barack Obama’s nomination.  Let’s stay focused on them.

Walking it off

Walking the neighborhoods this summer is not without risk. You stumble across all sorts of people. Still, there is some value to it. I’ve noticed that if I walk more than 5 miles a day for a couple of weeks that I WILL lose weight.

Which for me is always a goal.

When I don’t walk regularly my weight creeps up. Mister says: Just don’t eat so much! HA! Like it’s really that easy.I know the formula as well as anyone. Eat fewer calories than you burn to lose weight.

And I’ve got a secret formula to make that easier. I don’t eat between meals and I don’t take seconds (most of the time.) Controlling when I eat goes a long way toward controlling how much I eat. But, it’s just not enough. If I don’t walk regularly my metabolism slows to a crawl and I’m not sure it’s possible to eat fewer calories than I’m burning.

Ah, But if I walk 5 miles a day . . .

Walking — especially if I take 3 moderate walks a day — has a power way beyond the calories I’m burning. Most obviously, if I’m walking then I’m not eating. So my trick (when I’m on a roll) is to walk when I’m inclined to snack. Sometimes I end up taking way more than 3 walks!

The thing is that these walks don’t have to be that long. It’s amazing how the miles stack up just walking around the block once every couple of hours.

And on this lovely Sunday in August let’s share our walking experience. Take a camera with you and send me photos of whatever strikes your fancy at katiebird@gmail.com. I’ll post them later this evening.