ThinkFast: September 9, 2008
ThinkFast: September 9, 2008
Speaking yesterday to the annual Conference of the White House Initiative on National Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice admitted that there are too few African-Americans in her agency. “I can go into a whole day of meetings at the Department of State — and actually rarely see somebody who looks like me,” Rice said. “And that is just not acceptable.”
President Bush “has accepted the recommendation of his senior civilian and military advisers to reduce the number of American troops in Iraq by 8,000 in the early months of next year.” Bush will unveil his decision today in an address to the National Defense University.
Gov. Sarah Palin’s (R-AK) claim to have opposed the Bridge to Nowhere “comes with a serious caveat,” the Wall Street Journal reports, since she “endorsed the multimillion dollar project during her gubernatorial race in 2006.” The Journal further notes that, as governor, Palin has requested $750 million in earmarks, “which the AP says is the largest per-capita request in the nation.”
“The Department of Veterans Affairs said Monday that it would no longer ban voter registration drives among veterans living at federally run nursing homes, shelters for the homeless and rehabilitation centers across the country,” reports the New York Times. In May, the department had banned the registration drives, saying they would be “disruptive.”
On the trail today: John McCain will hold a campaign rally outside the Golden Lamb restaurant in Lebanon, OH. Barack Obama will appear at Stebbins High School in Riverside, OH.
The bipartisan Partnership for a Secure America has found that “the federal government has made only limited progress toward preventing a catastrophic nuclear, biological or chemical attack on U.S. soil and combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction abroad.”
Yesterday, former congressional aide Kevin Ring was arrested and accused of conspiring to corrupt government officials, including Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA). Ring pleaded not guilty to a 10-count indictment accusing him conspiring with Jack Abramoff to win assistance from government officials “by giving them things of value, and helping them skirt requirements to report those gifts.”
“The sharp rise in joblessness is draining unemployment insurance trust funds in many hard-hit states,” such as California, New York, Ohio and Michigan, “setting the stage for a federal bailout to keep the funds solvent.” Roughly one-third of the jobless collect unemployment insurance from state governments.
One of the nation’s largest Hummer stores will shut its doors. The Dan Towbin dealership in Las Vegas “is at least the eighth Hummer dealer closing this year, nearly a 5% decline in the brand’s U.S. dealer base.” The WSJ notes that, “with the national average for a price of gas resting at $3.66 a gallon, it costs $84 to fill up Hummer’s smallest model–the H3.”
And finally: The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has decided to repeal a policy requiring all players to speak English. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) is incensed at the change, saying that “the players on the tour that will pay the price in the long term for not speaking English.” Tancredo accused the LPGA of caving to the “politically correct left.”
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If I were on the Obama campaign staff right now, I would be suggesting that they produce an ad pimping McCain for his bus – the “Me Too Express”.
When the republicans were in favor, McCain shouted “me too” and voted with Bush 90 percent of the time.
When earmarks were in favor, Palin shouted “me too” and wallowed around in the pork barrel.
Now that change is in favor, McCain and Palin are shouting “me too”.
What’s the difference between the “Straight Talk Express” and the “Me Too Express”? Lipstick.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:00 amstrong>Palin is Alaska’s Nightmare
The Palin administration has allowed Chevron to triple the amount of toxic waste it pours into the waters of Cook Inlet. It has gotten so bad that Robert Kennedy Jr. is now involved. He put out a Press Release on August 12, 2008.
In his letter, Mr. Kennedy notes that Chevron dumps billions of gallons of toxic oil and gas wastes into Cook Inlet’s rich coastal fisheries each year. Chevron could properly treat these wastes by reinjecting them back into the formation, but the corporation – which reported net profits over $5 billion in the first three months of 2008 – has balked due to high costs. An EPA study around Cook Inlet Native villages in 2001 found a broad array of toxics in subsistence fish and shellfish, including the same types of contaminants found in industry waste streams.
A lawsuit has been filed as of June 2008, to protect endangered whales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet. The Beluga Whale needs the protection, it should have been added to the endangered species list and is being illegally delayed. Under Palin’s administration their numbers have dropped to around 370-375 Beluga Whales left. “There is simply no lawful reason for further delay in protecting the Cook Inlet Beluga whale,” said Vicki Clark, an attorney with Trustees for Alaska who represents the conservation groups in today’s suit. “If we don’t act soon we stand to lose this treasured part of Alaska’s and the United State’s natural heritage.”
A coal strip is proposed over local objection; 45 miles west of Alaska’s largest city Anchorage, across Cook Inlet in the small community of Beluga, population 32. Beluga, and neighboring Tyonek, population 199, are off the road system — the only way to reach these communities is by small airplane or boat.
Despite overwhelming local opposition, PacRim Coal and its wealthy Texas investors Richard D. Bass, Herbert Hunt, and the Hunt Trust are pursuing development of the Chuitna coal strip mine less than 10 miles from Beluga and Tyonek. The 12 mile coal transport conveyor and accompanying infrastructure would run within a few hundred yards of the residential subdivision in Beluga, inundating the small community with coal dust and the constant clamor of industrial equipment.
Strip mining is inherently destructive and current plans submitted by PacRim call for the direct mining of 11 miles of a salmon-bearing tributary to the Chuitna River. This would be the first large mine in Alaska permitted to directly mine a salmon stream, a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications. Additional adjacent leases held by PacRim, along with adjacent and nearby coal leases held by Barrick Gold Company, combine for 60 square miles of threatened wildlife habitat straddling the Chuitna River.
The ecosystem that feeds local communities would be destroyed
The local communities rely heavily on the health of this intact ecosystem to support their lifestyles. Tyonek is a Dena’ina Indian village where to this day they practice a subsistence lifestyle harvesting local foods. Rural Alaskan communities commonly harvest up to 35% of their daily caloric requirements, 60% of which is fish. Subsistence users tend to harvest in traditional use areas near their villages, in this case right where PacRim Coal wants to strip coal from the river’s watershed — destroying the delicate balance that sustains this healthy, intact environment.
Link to the whole post, this is a very small portion.
What she has allowed Chevron to do to Cook Inlet is inexcusable. They salmon industry is taking a large hit because of all the toxic waste and the Beluga whale use to number 1,300. At the rate Palin is going they will be extinct soon.
I couldn’t post the whole indepth piece, it will give you even more insight into how little she cares about the people of Alaska. Palin is cut from the same cloth as McCain.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:00 amGolden Parachutes go to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac CEOs-Obama Says No
Shareholders in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac saw the value of their stock nearly disappear Monday after the mortgage giants had been taken over by the federal government, but the companies’ chief executives will leave after banking millions and taking millions more on the way out the door.
Mudd earned $11.6 million last year, and Syron made $18.3 million. In both cases, a large portion of their pay packages included stock that was valued much higher at the end of 2007 than it was as of Monday, when it was trading at less than $1 a share.
By conservative estimates, Mudd, 49, and Syron, 64, will leave with an additional $7.3 million and $6.3 million, respectively, as part of a severance package, according to an analysis by Paul Hodgson at the Corporate Library.
Some higher estimates show that Mudd and Syron could leave with a combined payoff exceeding $23 million. Daniel Mudd, disembarked from Fannie Mae, might be given $9.3 million in pay and retirement benefits.
Richard Syron, the departing CEO of Freddie Mac, could leave the ship with a towering $14.1 million, under the terms of his contract. Richard Syron’s greater payoff is due to a clause added to his contract last summer following the initial signs of the credit meltdown.
Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), in a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. and James Lockhart, the housing agency director, urged them to void the “inappropriate” payments. “Under no circumstances should the executives of these institutions earn a windfall at a time when the U.S. Treasury has taken unprecedented steps to rescue these companies with taxpayer resources,” Obama wrote.
Link
Great Idea!! Let’s reward Mudd & Syron possible to the tune of $23 million for bad judgement and mismanagement. As the taxpayers foot the bill, the shareholders foot the bill and the CEO’s get to stab us all in the back one more time as they walk out the door.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:03 amTancredo believes the ability to speak English is prerequisite to Playing on the LPGA circuit. I’da thought it was the ability to play golf but I’m Kinda rational.
BTW, Tom, you do realize “colorado” is Spanish for “red,” right? “Tancredo,” OTOH, is apparently Latin for “I believe a whole lot of horse droppings are gold.”
September 9th, 2008 at 9:09 amCondoleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezza says: “I can go into a whole day of meetings at the Department of State — and actually rarely see somebody who looks like me,” Rice said. “And that is just not acceptable.”
Maybe this is why she loves shoe-shopping so much. She can walk into the shoe department and “see people who look like her”
September 9th, 2008 at 9:12 amThe bipartisan Partnership for a Secure America has found that “the federal government has made only limited progress toward preventing a catastrophic nuclear, biological or chemical attack on U.S. soil and combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction abroad.”
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…but…but…but I thought “we are fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here”! Isn’t that what getting mired in a tar pit where no WMDs exist means?
September 9th, 2008 at 9:12 amYeah, disruptive to GOoPers maintaining the attachment of their fat, greasy lips to the public teat.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:12 amGood Morning Lady Freedom, great post’s..Thank you for all the work you do…P, B & J
September 9th, 2008 at 9:13 amFreedom Rebel Says:
September 9th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Great Idea!! Let’s reward Mudd & Syron possible to the tune of $23 million for bad judgement and mismanagement. As the taxpayers foot the bill, the shareholders foot the bill and the CEO’s get to stab us all in the back one more time as they walk out the door.
_____________________________________________________
And even worse, CEOs who have essentially failed and have escaped with golden parachutes are often in high demand for similar jobs with other companies because of their “experience”.
What’s wrong with this picture?
September 9th, 2008 at 9:14 am“I can go into a whole day of meetings at the Department of State — and actually rarely see somebody who looks like me,” Rice said. “And that is just not acceptable.” - Sec. of State Rice
When Barak Obama wins the presidency of the US, you’ll see someone who looks like you in the oval office!
September 9th, 2008 at 9:15 amThe Department of Veteran Affairs will no longer ban voter registration drives among veterans…
Why does the government hate its own troops? Oops, I forgot
September 9th, 2008 at 9:16 am“Support the troops” is only a bumper sticker slogan for the Republic party – not a policy.
Just what we need – more gap-toothed clowns willing to sell their soul for ambition. Paging Dr. Faustus.
BTW, isn’t Rice somewhat culpable here? I mean, who does the hiring at State, anyway?
September 9th, 2008 at 9:17 am“The bipartisan Partnership for a Secure America has found that “the federal government has made only limited progress toward preventing a catastrophic nuclear, biological or chemical attack on U.S. soil and combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction abroad.”
But we have DHS, TSA and Domestic Spying. This administration has gotten everything that it wanted.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:18 amThe WSJ notes that, “with the national average for a price of gas resting at $3.66 a gallon, it costs $84 to fill up Hummer’s smallest model–the H3.”
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Just curious — do Hummers take regular or premium?
Curious also as to how many miles that $84 would take the H3 (bet it runs out of fuel before my Corolla does). Who, besides Arnold Schwarzeneggar, is driving these things?
September 9th, 2008 at 9:20 amAlaska has no income tax and writes checks for $3000 for each person in the state. Why is Sarah Palin asking for federal earmarks which amount to $1150 per person in Alaska when the rest of the country is drowning in debt?
September 9th, 2008 at 9:21 am#8 Witch1 Says:
Good Morning Lady Freedom, great post’s..Thank you for all the work you do…P, B & J
Good Morning Witch1 :) It took me two days of research to do the Palin Nightmare piece. I thought I would never get done. But it was well worth it.
Thank you so much for the compliment. Glad to see you up and about. I hope your back is doing better. Miss you much….
September 9th, 2008 at 9:25 amPalin may be breastfeeding, but she knows how to milk the system:
Palin bills state for nights at home, kids’ travel
September 9th, 2008 at 9:25 am
OMG, Senator Songbird’s courting Lebanese voters! This won’t play well to AIPAC.
He’d never go to a high school; the students might ask him an impertinent question to which he has no scripted answer, like how much is 2+2.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:26 amJust watch this 8,000-troop reduction in Iraq get trumpeted by McNumbNuts and Failin’ Palin as a “victory”.
GDumbya set a country on fire, sent in thousands of hook-and-ladder rigs. Now he is bringing home the equivalent of a small bucket brigade.
BFD
September 9th, 2008 at 9:27 amI get this great sense of karma reading today’s ThinkFast. The Hummer is losing popularity, a Jack Abramoff stooge is reaching the end of the line, the VA has backed down on voter registration drives, the LPGA is returning to making golf skills a bigger requirement than English skills, and even Condi is acknowledging certain realities.
Even better, the WSJ and the AP are recognizing the hypocrisy of the McCain/Palin ticket. Now if only the rest of the mediabots would open their eyes…
September 9th, 2008 at 9:29 amMcPalin campaigning in front of Golden Restuarant,in Lebanon Ohio :
September 9th, 2008 at 9:31 am“And today..we will be serving you moose meat”..
#9 misshusseinmolly Says:
Freedom Rebel Says:
September 9th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Great Idea!! Let’s reward Mudd & Syron possible to the tune of $23 million for bad judgement and mismanagement. As the taxpayers foot the bill, the shareholders foot the bill and the CEO’s get to stab us all in the back one more time as they walk out the door.
_____________________________________________________
And even worse, CEOs who have essentially failed and have escaped with golden parachutes are often in high demand for similar jobs with other companies because of their “experience”.
What’s wrong with this picture?
Good Morning :) My husband’s company had the same thing happen. The CEO ran the company into the ground, which prior to his coming on board they were very successful. He found an even higher paying job after the company shut its doors.
You and I however, could never get away with something like that in the real world. We would be fired or never hired again by another company. It boggles the mind….
Working class have different rules and standards than the CEO’s… Where incompetence is handsomely rewarded…
September 9th, 2008 at 9:31 amshoeless Says
September 9th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Alaska has no income tax and writes checks for $3000 for each person in the state. Why is Sarah Palin asking for federal earmarks which amount to $1150 per person in Alaska when the rest of the country is drowning in debt?
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Because she can?
I’m getting a wee bit tired of Republicans who chant “wasteful Washington spending” to their base because they know it fires them up, but have no qualms whatsoever about any of this “wasteful spending” flowing directly into their pond.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:33 amcavjam Says:
——————————————————————————–
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has decided to repeal a policy requiring all players to speak English. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) is incensed at the change, saying that “the players on the tour that will pay the price in the long term for not speaking English.”
This seems so easy, can never figure out why dems don’t ask this question…” Hey Tom, what about baseball which is as American as apple pie…should we have an English only policy with baseball? ..
September 9th, 2008 at 9:34 amThe Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has decided to repeal a policy requiring all players to speak English. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) is incensed at the change, saying that “the players on the tour that will pay the price in the long term for not speaking English.” Tancredo accused the the LPGA of caving to the “politically correct left.”
What EXACTLY is the price of golfing while not speaking English, Tancredo aka f uckwit?
September 9th, 2008 at 9:39 amTwo thoughts: Maybe African-Americans don’t want to be associated with Condaleeza Rice in the State Department or anywhere else. George Bush will announce the reduction of 8.000 U.S. troops in Iraq today. Only problem is they’re not coming home, but will be redeployed to Afghanistan or Pakistan or some other hellhole.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:39 am“I can go into a whole day of meetings at the Department of State — and actually rarely see somebody who looks like me,” Rice said. “And that is just not acceptable.”
If it’s not acceptable Ms. Rice, then why didn’t you do something about it?
Some of the things Ms. Rice has been saying lately sound like she is trying to redeem herself. I say it’s too little too late. History will not judge her kindly.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:39 amsatirev,
I just put in a bid on your airplane — $2.00. ;)
September 9th, 2008 at 9:40 amPresident Bush “has accepted the recommendation of his senior civilian and military advisers to reduce the number of American troops in Iraq by 8,000 in the early months of next year.”
Well, since he won’t be President in the early months of next year (unless he pulls a coup), he really won’t have anything to say about it.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:40 amSecretary of State Condoleezza Rice admitted that there are too few African-Americans in her agency. “I can go into a whole day of meetings at the Department of State — and actually rarely see somebody who looks like me,” Rice said. “And that is just not acceptable.”
Way too little, and WAY too late, Condi. Your legacy is cast in white.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:41 amOh damn….
Give me my $2.00 back!! :D
September 9th, 2008 at 9:41 amThe Journal further notes that, as governor, Palin has requested $750 million in earmarks, “which the AP says is the largest per-capita request in the nation.”
Wow, that’s something. The WSJ calling Ms. Palin on her lies. Maybe the MSM has finally awakened and see that this country can’t survive another 4 years of Republican rule.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:42 am“I can go into a whole day of meetings at the Department of State — and actually rarely see somebody who looks like me,” Rice said.
Yeah, most people are aware that modern dentistry can actually fix that gap.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:42 am#21 satirev Says:
#3: Isn’t the identical principle forming here right before our very eyes as we uncover McCain and Palin’s past history?
Rewarding someone for raping the citizens?
Good morning :) Very good point, I agree. I feel that Palin is even worse than McCain. In her short time in office she has been very destructive. Her own people back home are fearful of speaking out against her because, she carries vendettas to an extreme. She is just as corrupt as McCain and uncaring.
Everyday is a new revelation with her. It is nice to see that the some of the MSM is getting sick of her talking points already and are speaking out.
Have a good day…
September 9th, 2008 at 9:42 amBack at ya Lady Freedom,..Good to read you here…You provide a lot of info I would not find out….I appreciate the work you do..
Feeling pretty good this morning,…The Bear got me up at 4 so this old hag may take a nap soon….LOL…..Chores to do so will check back in later….Blessings
September 9th, 2008 at 9:42 amIn May, the department had banned the registration drives, saying they would be “disruptive.”
It’s nice to know that bad publicity occasionally makes these criminals do the right thing. Registering someone to vote is no more disruptive than that person having a visitor. Besides, that wasn’t their original excuse. When their original excuse, saying that registering someone to vote was a “partisan” activity, did not hold up to legal challenges, they really had no choice but to allow the registration.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:44 amThe bipartisan Partnership for a Secure America has found that “the federal government has made only limited progress toward preventing a catastrophic nuclear, biological or chemical attack on U.S. soil and combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction abroad.”
Duh…
September 9th, 2008 at 9:44 amGreat Lady, it’s good to see you here. I hope you are well. :)
September 9th, 2008 at 9:46 amRoughly one-third of the jobless collect unemployment insurance from state governments.
And the other 2/3 have nothing to support themselves with. Did they finally let the cat out of the bag and admit that our 5% unemployment rate is bogus. If you include the two thirds that aren’t receiving benefits, that makes our jobless rate at 15%. Now that’s scary.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:47 amBack at ya Lady Z,….Plan to write you a note later…Bear and I are gonna have some marmalade and english muffin’s, Well, he only get’s the muffin with out the jam…
Good to read you and RUCerious here this morning….Blessings all
September 9th, 2008 at 9:51 amOn the trail today: John McCain will hold a campaign rally outside the Golden Lamb restaurant in Lebanon, OH.
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Hmm… somehow, I would have thought it more appropriate for McStain to choose “The Sacrificial Lamb” for his rally…
September 9th, 2008 at 9:53 am“And there are many more journalists and pollsters and city dwellers and other undesirables who might benefit if every American had the same right to leech off the government as do the good citizens of Sarah Palin’s Alaska.”
September 9th, 2008 at 9:54 amView this article on Time.com
#satirev Says:
Tom: Great idea. McCain*Palin: The “Me, Too’s”.
Palin’s earmarks = $750 MILLION – THE LARGEST per capita in the nation. I guess that qualifies Palin to be the “earmark Queen” of this country??
And that’s another ad or bumper sticker waiting to happen – “Sarah Palin, Queen of Pork” (I like Pork better for her).
September 9th, 2008 at 9:55 am“I can go into a whole day of meetings at the Department of State — and actually rarely see somebody who looks like me,” Rice said. “And that is just not acceptable.”
It’s one thing to ignore the racism of your own party Condi, but it’s another when you have yet to acknowledge that you can go a whole day of meetings and rarely see somebody with the intelligence to run the place. Oh yeah, you supposedly run the place. Guess what Condi, you lost your integrity when you grabbed hold of the Neocon puppets.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:55 am“I can go into a whole day of meetings at the Department of State — and actually rarely see somebody who looks like me,” Rice said. “And that is just not acceptable.”
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Well, Condi — you could always lodge a complaint with the HEAD of that department…oh, wait…
September 9th, 2008 at 9:56 amMcCain: 90% Bush, 10% Geritol
September 9th, 2008 at 9:56 amIolair Says:
Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a “per diem” allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.
Well, if they would just let her move the capital of Alaska closer to home, that wouldn’t be a problem, would it.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:56 amSarah Palin, who sold Alaska’s state plane, gets her own campaign one now
For everybody at the Republican National Convention who suspected that the absence of Sarah Palin’s name on the John McCain campaign jet was perhThe campaign jet for Alaska Governor and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin chartered from JetBlueaps a sign he wasn’t fully behind her, this morning comes proof to the contrary.
Nikki Waller over at the Wall Street Journal Travel blog notes the unveiling of the vice presidential candidate’s own chartered campaign jet, an Embraer 190, with Palin’s very own name right there in big blue letters.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:59 am[...]
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/09/sarah-palin-pla.html
satirev Says:
Hi Zooey: I’d taken a break from politics because I’d spent the day barfing since last Friday when this “empty skirt” made the national scene. It just reeked “fraud” to me in every respect.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:51 am
One is inspired by Palin — to vomit. ;)
September 9th, 2008 at 10:00 amZooey says:
What EXACTLY is the price of golfing while not speaking English, Tancredo aka f uckwit?
One can no longer yell “cuatro” after hitting a mean slice?
September 9th, 2008 at 10:00 amsatirev Says:
Well, I’m now working for the Obama/Biden campaign in my community! And I’ve contributed to their campaign as well.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Yay!! :-)
September 9th, 2008 at 10:01 amJust like in Men In Black, where Tommy Lee Jones verifies that his only ‘real’ news source is the National Inquirer, the Inquirer has done it again…anyone else heard about the supposed affair Palin had with her husband’s best friend & business partner?
They were right about Edwards, could this be true? Stay tuned…
September 9th, 2008 at 10:01 amsatirev Says:
Miss Molly: Howdy! Yes, there is a sense of a shift in the critical mass today, isn’t there? For me, I began sensing it last evening while watching the great Olberman show which segued into the Rachel Madow show. They both hit it out of the park in my opinion.
I was rather disappointed in Keith’s interview with Obama. He allowed Obama to neatly sidestep a couple of questions. The first was when Keith asked Obama why he can’t call the Republicans liars. Obama never answered that question and Keith let it slide. To be truthful, I wasn’t very impressed with Obama’s interview. It sounded more like a stump speech than an interview. It kind of reminded me of Keith’s interview with Hillary.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:02 amZooey Says:
What EXACTLY is the price of golfing while not speaking English, Tancredo aka f uckwit?
the other golfers get confused when you shout “cuatro!”
September 9th, 2008 at 10:03 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
I get this great sense of karma reading today’s ThinkFast. The Hummer is losing popularity, a Jack Abramoff stooge is reaching the end of the line, the VA has backed down on voter registration drives, the LPGA is returning to making golf skills a bigger requirement than English skills, and even Condi is acknowledging certain realities.
I’m seeing the same thing. The one thing I find the most encouraging is the terms “lie” and “liar” are making it into the MSM. And it was all started by the wonderful Ms. Rachel Maddow. Her show last night was awesome.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:03 amGood morning, Freb! Thanks for the links to the Zoo. I have to say, on top of my outrage of the gold parachutes, scrolling over to find that Miss Criminality billed rape victims for their kits makes one want to scream their vocal cords into disarray.
The only thing more fearful than this extremist veep selection is the potential of her single-handily running the country. God help anyone who supports this ticket, because if another election is stolen through manipulation or emotional knee-jerk voters, the onus isn’t on the democratic party. Our platform is clearly 21st-century compatible. Frankly, the American people have one opportunity to vote their affairs in order.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:06 amObama: These folks are shameless
Posted: 09:05 AM ET
From CNN Political Producer Alexander Marquardt
Obama mocked the McCain-Palin ticket for casting themselves as agents of change.
Obama mocked the McCain-Palin ticket for casting themselves as agents of change.
FARMINGTON HILLS, Michigan (CNN) – Barack Obama’s mocking of John McCain and Sarah Palin casting themselves as the agents of change reached new heights Monday night as he called their message “shameless” and “empty words.”
“What are they talking about?” Obama asked incredulously. “How do they have the nerve to say it? When you’ve been supporting this current president, your party has been in power, you are not offering anything new, how is that you’re serious about change? You’re not! It’s just empty words.
“I mean think about it,” Obama continued after saying they were trying to adopt the ‘change’ label because it has worked so well for him. “It was just like a month ago they were all saying ‘experience, experience, experience.’ Then they chose Palin and started talking about ‘change, change, change.’ What happened? What happened?”
He also took aim again at an ad released by the McCain campaign Monday morning claiming that Palin was against the infamous pork barrel project known as “the Bridge to Nowhere” in Alaska. Palin was a proponent of the project before stopping it as governor.
Watch: McCain-Palin stealing Obama’s theme?
“I got to admit these folks are shameless,” Obama said to cheers from the audience.
“Now she’s out there acting like she was fighting this thing the whole time!” Obama laughed. “I mean I’m not perfect,” he continued, “but you know what I’m not going to do is, I’m not going describe in an ad that I did something that’s the opposite of what I did!”
McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said in response that Obama has been uniformly negative against the Republican ticket’s message.
“Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin have shook up the the establishment and delivered real reforms – Barack Obama has a speech he gave in 2002,” said Bounds.
Halfway through his energized speech Obama said, “I’m not going to be mean,” to which the crowd shouted back, “be mean!”
But Obama relented for a moment, saying McCain and Palin both having compelling biographies and complimenting Palin’s “moose shooting” hobby.
“I mean that sincerely,” Obama said as the crowd laughed, “Mother, governor, moose-shooter, I mean I think that’s cool, that’s cool, that’s cool stuff.”
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/09/obama-these-folks-are-shameless/
September 9th, 2008 at 10:08 ambonzo 1958 Says:
View this article on Time.com
____________
I just went to Time.com and read an editorial title “Palin’s Alaskanomics”… holy Shi’ite… the press is growing a pair. I’m speechless,,, I am without speech.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1839724,00.html
And I quote:
“Any sympathy the governor of Alaska expresses for folks in the lower 48 who are suffering from high gas prices or can’t afford to heat their homes is strictly crocodile tears”
Go read the editorial. The writer just cold cocks “the lovely Sarah”. The righties are gonna be stunned… the press… treating them like this??? WTF??? How DARE they… actually tell the truth…
Methinks Palin might not end up being the Party Savior the GOOP was looking for, after all.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:08 amI saw something encouraging yesterday. I stopped by the Obama campaign office to volunteer. I’m going to be registering college students two days a week. While I was there a guy came in to volunteer. His comment was “That Sarah Palin scares the begeezes out of me”. The young guy who was signing us up (all the workers in the office were young) said that they have signed up 40 new volunteers in the last week, all because of Ms. Palin. In a town as small as Corvallis, that’s pretty big.
It’s going to be fun to see what the college students have to say about McBush and Ms. Palin.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:08 amIn her eighth year with Bush, Rice only NOW notices?
September 9th, 2008 at 10:11 amMarie Says:
In her eighth year with Bush, Rice only NOW notices?
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They forget to put the blinders on for ONE day, and look what happens…
September 9th, 2008 at 10:12 am“Why, this moose meat tastes just like….PORK!”
September 9th, 2008 at 10:13 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
I saw something encouraging yesterday. I stopped by the Obama campaign office to volunteer. I’m going to be registering college students two days a week. While I was there a guy came in to volunteer. His comment was “That Sarah Palin scares the begeezes out of me”.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:08 am
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I like to think we’re going to be seeing more and more of that sentiment when the post-convention bump wears off and the voice of the reality-based community begins to be heard again.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:13 amMore great examples of how privatizing works so well! Privatize what ever you can; go crazy with money making schemes; screw it up at while knowing that the government will save you; and get great departure package of millions $$$$ and ride off to your island free of prosecution.
And we worry about Ponzi schemes and Nigerian cyber scammers!!!!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:15 amSeeing as this is a Think Fast thread, it s/b okay to go a little off politics to point out that oil has broken the $100/bbl barrier this morning, and continues to fall…
http://www.bloomberg.com/energy/
September 9th, 2008 at 10:17 amsatirev Says:
TROS: This link is awesome and to realize that Time has presented it to the american public gives me great hope that our media is growing a pair for sure.
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I’d be emailing this little beauty all over the planet. Let’s make it go viral.
H/T to Bonzo for finding it first!!!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:19 amGrim Reaper Says:
Weap Lefties!
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Apparently, McCain/Palin is also pulling in the Stupid vote…
You spelled “weap” wrong… you’re not very bright, are you?
One of those “low information” voters we keep hearing about?
September 9th, 2008 at 10:21 amReaper, if you can’t even spell the word weep, please go back to your home school instructor and vent your anger on your mom.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:22 amYou spelled “weap” wrong… you’re not very bright, are you?
One of those “low information” voters we keep hearing about?
Like Obama says: “These guys take pride in their ignorance.”
They really do.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:23 amThe Republic of Stupidity Says
September 9th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Go read the editorial. The writer just cold cocks “the lovely Sarah”. The righties are gonna be stunned… the press… treating them like this??? WTF??? How DARE they… actually tell the truth…
___________________________________________________________
I know that most of the MSM is owned and controlled by Big Business, so I’m sure some of that agenda filters into their slant.
But I have a theory that what REALLY drives the MSM is ratings, ratings, ratings. And people pay more attention and get more excited with the race is close. McCain and Palin are now enjoying their post-convention bounce in the polls, which have put them a little higher than Obama/Biden on most of them (10 points higher on USA Today/Gallup!). And since politics is like Whack-a-Mole to the press, they are going to bash the head that’s sticking up the furthest at any given moment.
Furthermore, the media sees there’s a lot to be mined with Palin. They’ll have their field day, and then when the luster is off their shiny new toy they will go back to bashing the frontrunner.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:24 amMornin, WitchyOne, satirev and all!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:25 amObama’s got a new ad out, and it’s perfect….
ATTACK
VerbalKint Says:
You spelled “weap” wrong… you’re not very bright, are you?
One of those “low information” voters we keep hearing about?
Like Obama says: “These guys take pride in their ignorance.”
They really do.
And the problem is that there are far too many “weapers”!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:26 amRUCerious Says:
Reaper, if you can’t even spell the word weep, please go back to your home school instructor and vent your anger on your mom.
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Kind of impressive, isn’t it? If there’s one moment that sums up the GOOP in ‘08, it just might be this one right here…
I’d say the Reaper just stepped on his own d*ck, but to do, he’d have to have one of the shortest pairs of legs ever seen on a hominid…
September 9th, 2008 at 10:26 amGrim Reaper Says
September 9th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Hey will Think Progress report this!
McCain Now Winning Majority of Independents
Weap Lefties!
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A post-convention bounce is expected, temporary, and of little significance. The press is starting to expose Palin for what she is, and you can expect to see these poll figures go down as the public starts seeing beneath the veneer.
Oh, and get a dictionary if you wish to impress us.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:27 ampbg Says:
“Why, this moose meat tastes just like….PORK!”
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W/ just a subtle hint of crow…
September 9th, 2008 at 10:29 amGlop is now polling independent voters, as in voters with a bedroom down the hall from mom and dad?
September 9th, 2008 at 10:29 am#78 McWars Says:
Good morning, Freb! Thanks for the links to the Zoo. I have to say, on top of my outrage of the gold parachutes, scrolling over to find that Miss Criminality billed rape victims for their kits makes one want to scream their vocal cords into disarray.
Good Morning McWars :) What is incredible is most of the other communities did not have that practice. In fact none around Wasilla billed rape victims for the kits….
Especially being a woman I would have thought a little sensativity would have prevailed. But she let that go for 4 years until it became a law, that speaks alot about how much she cares about victims of violent crimes…
McWars, only in the US do we reward criminals and CEO’s for their lack of ability to solve problems… This country has so many things to fix…
I read an article that put a smile on my face. It was about how the Dems are going to kick Liebermann out in November.. It’s about time…. Have a good day McWars..
September 9th, 2008 at 10:31 amIolair Says:
“Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a “per diem” allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.”
Biden should rip her a new hole over this one during their debate. Biden takes the two hour ride via commuter rail back home to his family every night and has done so throughout his career in DC. Can you imagine the uproar among the hypocritical right if Biden had attempted reimbursment for his expenses all these years?
On a seperate topic, can someone PLEASE figure out a way to convince Flippy McFlop to pilot Sarah’s jet for the rest of the contest?
September 9th, 2008 at 10:35 amI’d say the Reaper just stepped on his own d*ck, but to do, he’d have to have one of the shortest pairs of legs ever seen on a hominid…
September 9th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Sums up these Neanderthals…he’ll have his wanker ready to vote for the moose-laden librarian on Nov 4. Then, he can wallow in joy on the way back home and tell his blow-up doll about his major achievement.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:37 amsatirev Says:
IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID! And the failed Iraq War which is bankrupting this country is tied into the largest national debt ever in the history of this country.
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This scares me as much as anything… well that and the fact that Botch has single-handedly re-ignited the Cold War and an arms race w/ his delusional gibberish… but I digress…
But back to the deficit. No matter who winds this fall, Botch has buried this country in so much red ink, I’m not sure what we can do. I’ve read more than once in the last few years that the secret GOOPer plan was to bury the Fed Govt in so much debt that it collapsed, was forced to sell off all its assets (hint: YOUR national parks…), slash social spending, and retract permanently.
Now does the endless deficit spending, going back to that barstid from Hell, Reagan, make sense?
The Grand Canyon, brought to you by Disneyland…
September 9th, 2008 at 10:38 amSatirev, great posts this morning. Enjoy your day.
Freb, great response. Thank you for the additional info. You have a great day.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:46 amI blame the woman who runs the State Dept. Clearly, she isn’t doing her job!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:50 amThere is a real problem that has not and I believe will not be addressed this campaign: America used to be a producer and a consumer. Over the last 20, 30 years America has become predominately a consumer and much less a producer. In order to maintain the average citizens ability to be a consumer, the country has had to borrow. This can only go on so long and I think the cracks are definitely showing. What really has to happen is a concentrated effort to consume less – and no candidate has the will to do that – yet!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:53 amlivelongandprosper Says
September 9th, 2008 at 10:53 am
There is a real problem that has not and I believe will not be addressed this campaign: America used to be a producer and a consumer. Over the last 20, 30 years America has become predominately a consumer and much less a producer. In order to maintain the average citizens ability to be a consumer, the country has had to borrow. This can only go on so long and I think the cracks are definitely showing. What really has to happen is a concentrated effort to consume less – and no candidate has the will to do that – yet!
_____________________________________________________
You’re right — this is not sustainable, and it has created economic relationships with countries like China that are anything but healthy.
Unfortunately, Joe Citizen doesn’t understand a thing about economics, so he doesn’t see any problem and won’t support any long-term solutions if they cause him even the slightest amount of pain. And Big Business wants to stay at the trough until the very last scrap is gone. Any politicians who propose long-term remedies that actually have a chance of working will have their heads handed to them in the voting booth.
Therefore, we’re where we are — with our leadership doing their best to keep the system gasping at least until they’re out of office.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:03 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
——————————————————————————–
shoeless Says
September 9th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Alaska has no income tax and writes checks for $3000 for each person in the state. Why is Sarah Palin asking for federal earmarks which amount to $1150 per person in Alaska when the rest of the country is drowning in debt?
_________________________________________________________
Because she can?
I guess my question should have been, why does Sarah Palin hate the other 49 states in America?
September 9th, 2008 at 11:12 am“Bribery scandal rocks Big Oil”
yes, it directly involves
our friends at halliburton.
*
good luck.
#
September 9th, 2008 at 12:38 pmMore like the “Grim Weeper” dumbass.
September 9th, 2008 at 12:46 pmGreat story joe cantwell, I put it up at TheZoo.
September 9th, 2008 at 1:27 pmpbg Says:
“Why, this moose meat tastes just like….PORK!”
MOOSE MEAT, the new PORK.
September 9th, 2008 at 1:31 pmsatirev Says:
Grim R”ee”per
grimWEEPER
September 9th, 2008 at 1:33 pmThe MSN money story on Halliburton’s bribing for Nigerian contracts had the company denying it, blaming it on rogue underlings.
How do you cut a $50 million check without company approval?
The other sleazy piece is Halliburton’s Board policy of making facilitating payments, aka bribes for foreign business.
This is from their policy on facilitating payments:
The Company may be required to make facilitating or expediting payments to an official or employee of a government outside the United States, the purpose of which is to expedite or to secure the performance of routine governmental action by such government official or employee. Such facilitating payments may not be illegal under the FCPA and similar Laws of other countries. Nevertheless, it may be difficult to distinguish a legal facilitating payment from an illegal bribe, kickback or payoff.
September 9th, 2008 at 2:59 pmmisshusseinmolly, It’s not something that Joe Citizen will do on their own. I mean, some will and do consume less. Just like some do go into the Armed Forces because it’s voluntary (oh and some are promised stuff they don’t get and that’s a different story…) It’s all about sacrifice. If Iran nuked Israel or any other country, then I would suggest that Americans (as well as many other countries) would put out the sacrifice needed to stop Iran. Replace any country with Iran and the response would be the same.
In the case of economic catastrophe, the whole country has to sacrifice. Until this is widely recognized then I’m afraid the path does not get altered. I would like to know Obama’s ideas on this but he will NOT be sharing that with the public. The country is in denial and sharing this view would be a campaign killer. Things will get a whole lot worse before denial is set aside and sacrifices made.
I like Obama and “Change” is needed. I hope he can get elected so I can see if the “Change” he talks about will move America out of denial. I know McCain won’t. There is a great book out by Andrew Pacevich called “The Limits of Power”. It is a great a n a l y s i s. He is conservative but in the old definition not the Neocon view and he seems to me to have hit the nail on the head. He was on Bill Moyers a week or two ago.
September 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pm