After all the compromising on other issues, the Democrats have finally passed legislation to end the Armed Forces policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." By a vote of 65 to 31, including eight Republicans, the up or down vote passed the Senate and will go to President Obama's desk for his signature.
Finally, an important promise made during his campaign has been kept by President Obama, righting the wrong that was done back under the Clinton Administration that forced gays and lesbians in the services to hide who they are.
For anyone who once respected Senator John McCain, I think his opposition to repealing DADT will be the final straw; his reinvention as a right wing idealogue is complete. From the article linked above:
"Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and his party’s presidential candidate in 2008, led the opposition to the repeal and said the vote was a sad day in history. 'I hope that when we pass this legislation that we will understand that we are doing great damage,' Mr. McCain said. 'And we could possibly and probably, as the commandant of the Marine Corps said, and as I have been told by literally thousands of members of the military, harm the battle effectiveness vital to the survival of our young men and women in the military.'"
Needless to say, some day people will look back on that comment and note the absurdity of it, especially since gay and lesbian service members have already been serving honorably in the armed forces all along, side by side with their heterosexual comrades in arms.
Even Joe Lieberman was on the right side of history, voting to repeal the act, and saying:
"'We righted a wrong,' said Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, the independent from Connecticut who led the effort to end the ban. 'Today we’ve done justice.'"
Of course, the day wasn't all good - the DREAM Act that would have allowed young immigrants to gain a path to citizenship by joining the armed forces or attending college for two years, among other stipulations, was voted down. Despite passing by a majority (55-41), it lacked the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
Something has to be done about the ability of opposition parties to filibuster just by saying they will. But that is a problem for another day.
Today is a day to rejoice.
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Saturday, July 11, 2009
A Cat's Eye View
Baxter here. I am finally able to Blog again. My Humans have been Hightailing it off to That Place they call The Cabin so many times I haven't had my Time to Blog and I am Quite Annoyed. So much News has happened since I last posted that I just don't see how I can Catch Up. However, I will try.First of all, how could even I ignore the Death of Michael Jackson. It is truly the Gift that Keeps on Giving for those News Programs. One breathless account after another. First, he's Dead! Oh My God. Then, why? Why did he die? We still don't know. So it will continue to Fuel the Controversy and Morbid Curiosity for a couple more weeks until we find out the results of the so-called Toxicology Tests. As a Cat, I'm not quite sure what it's all About, but something to do with Too Much Catnip I guess.
Personally, I can't Imagine any Cat being so Notorious as to generate that much interest among Fellow Cats. Sure, we are sad if one of our Number goes to that great Catnip Field in the Sky to be with Ceiling Cat. But hey, that's Life. Or Death. Whatever. We don't make a Big Deal about it. Oh well, Humans are different from Cats I guess.
Moving on. President Obama's approval rating among Independents is starting to Slide. It's hard to tell whether It's the Economy in General or his handling of Things that is disappointing them. There has also been a Lot of Outcry among Liberals and the LGBT Community about his not Keeping Promises he made during his Campaign. Personally, that bothers Me more. The Economy wasn't Broken in six months and won't be Fixed in six months. But some of his Promises could be Kept very quickly.
Be that as it may, it is not unusual for a President's approval level to Wear Off a bit after the inauguration. That's why they talk about a Honeymoon Period. I guess his is over. Let's see what Happens next.
On the Plus Side, President Obama is in the midst of a worldwide Trip which should help distract Folks from some of the other Stuff that is going on. He met with Putin in Russia, the Pope in Italy and is now in Africa. Thank Goodness we now have a President that people abroad actually Respect.
Well, what else has happened since I last Spoke to You? Oh yes, the whole Sanford thing. The guy who Up and Disappeared from his duties as Governor of South Carolina to be with his Mistress in Argentina and then got caught on his way home. It's not so much the Sin as the Hypocrisy and Stupidity, in My Opinion. We Cats are not known for our Faithfulness, but then again, we never Profess to be all Honorable and Goody-Twoshoes about Sex. But this Human did Profess to be all Upstanding and Moral. Then he thinks he can Get Away with running off for five days without anyone knowing where he was. Hello? You're the Governor? Someone might miss you? Sheeesh.
Speaking of Republican sex scandals, I won't get into the Ensign thing but just in case you want a little Help in figuring out Who did What recently, TPM posted a nice chart to help you Keep Track.
And of course there was Sarah Palin quitting being the Governor of Alaska. (Things having to do with Sarah Palin always seem to Happen when my Humans are in the Adirondacks. They were there last year when that McCain guy announced he was picking her for VP Candidate too.) At any rate, that was a Shocker indeed. Here was this "possible Presidential Candidate" with almost no Experience deciding to give herself even Less Experience by quitting the first Big Political Job she even had. Beats the heck out of Me why she did it. All kinds of Theories Abound. But Columnist Ellen Goodman has a theory of her own - Midlife Crisis anyone?
That was about It for the main News that I have missed talking to you about. If I think of anything Else, I'll be Back. In the meantime, have a great rest of the Weekend and enjoy some Catnip (responsibly, of Course). And with that, I'm outa here!
Monday, November 03, 2008
The Last Day
It's the last day before the election and a strange calm has settled over me. Gone are the butterflies in the stomach and nervous nail-chewing I was succumbing to yesterday. The latest Rasmussen poll shows Obama up +6 pts. and with a continued strong lead in the electoral college. On the other end of the scale, Gallup shows Obama with an +11 pt. lead.
Time has run out. The last speeches are being made today, the last frantic criss-crossings of the battleground states are coming to an end. The pundits have said it all and said it again. Now it's time for the rest of us who have not yet voted, to go to the polls tomorrow and cast our vote. Remember, even if there is voter suppression or fraud, the more of us who go vote for Obama, the harder it will be for the Republicans to pull off another "upset."
The feeling of calm that came over me reminds me of the day my father had open-heart surgery at age 86. I had done all the research I could on his condition, I'd pushed his doctor to procure a noted surgeon whose record I had researched thoroughly. My father was being operated on in a hospital with an excellent record for the type of surgery he was having. When he went into surgery, I wasn't nervous. I knew whatever happened would happen. But I knew I had done what I could do to make sure things went well. He came through the surgery and lived another 6 years.
Similarly, I feel as if Obama has done everything he could to win this. His strategy has been great, his ground game has been organized, enthusiastic and extensive. His budget has been huge and his advertising advantage overpowering. Sure, there was a gaffe here and there, but nothing compared to the kinds of things the McCain team has done during this campaign. I feel that Obama is as poised as a candidate can be to win. Now it's up to the voters, just as it was up to the surgeon and the nurses for my father. And, if you believe in an all-powerful Being, then that too.
Let us go forward into Election Day with all of our fingers and toes crossed and our knuckles knocking on wood!
Go Obama!
Time has run out. The last speeches are being made today, the last frantic criss-crossings of the battleground states are coming to an end. The pundits have said it all and said it again. Now it's time for the rest of us who have not yet voted, to go to the polls tomorrow and cast our vote. Remember, even if there is voter suppression or fraud, the more of us who go vote for Obama, the harder it will be for the Republicans to pull off another "upset."
The feeling of calm that came over me reminds me of the day my father had open-heart surgery at age 86. I had done all the research I could on his condition, I'd pushed his doctor to procure a noted surgeon whose record I had researched thoroughly. My father was being operated on in a hospital with an excellent record for the type of surgery he was having. When he went into surgery, I wasn't nervous. I knew whatever happened would happen. But I knew I had done what I could do to make sure things went well. He came through the surgery and lived another 6 years.
Similarly, I feel as if Obama has done everything he could to win this. His strategy has been great, his ground game has been organized, enthusiastic and extensive. His budget has been huge and his advertising advantage overpowering. Sure, there was a gaffe here and there, but nothing compared to the kinds of things the McCain team has done during this campaign. I feel that Obama is as poised as a candidate can be to win. Now it's up to the voters, just as it was up to the surgeon and the nurses for my father. And, if you believe in an all-powerful Being, then that too.
Let us go forward into Election Day with all of our fingers and toes crossed and our knuckles knocking on wood!
Go Obama!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
The Political Meme
As my first post for the month of November, I thought I would finally complete the Political Meme that Spartacus tagged me with way back in September. This meme was originated by Katie Schwartz and it is a good way to sum up my feelings on the upcoming election on Tuesday. Plus it gave me an easy way to complete my first post for the 30-day marathon of posting that is required for the November NaBloPoMo event! With no further ado, here is the meme and my answers:
1) What is your name (nickname, whatever you're comfortable sharing), your age (range), gender, occupation, income bracket (range), how you identify (gay/straight/whatever)? Married/Single/Divorced? Kids (how many)?
My name is Mauigirl, I'm 55, I'm female, work in market research at a Big Corporation, and our household income puts us in the upper middle class bracket. I'm straight (strongly pro gay-rights), married to my husband DH, and we have no kids, just our dog Diva and our cat, Baxter, whose posts you will often read here.
2) What are the most important issues to you in this presidential election and why?
There are so many, it's hard to know where to begin. One huge issue for me is the Supreme Court. The next president will probably be appointing 2 or 3 new justices to the Court and it is crucial that these justices are not people like Antonin Scalia or the other right-wing appointees. It's not just Roe v. Wade that is at stake, although that too is an important issue for me. It is our entire system of government, the checks and balances, the issues of privacy and civil rights, that are at stake here.
Beyond those key issues, there are also more day-to-day concerns, including the economy. I am tired of the gap growing larger between rich and poor, the CEOs getting their golden parachutes, the stock market being turned into a Las Vegas casino. I want to see the middle class maintained so that we don't turn into a third world country with the well-to-do blocked off from the angry poor by electric fences and vicious dogs roaming their grounds. I want to see children grow up with the right to a good education, proper healthcare and a real ability to pursue happiness. Right now, some have it all, and some have none of it.
I'm tired of this country wasting money on a war that didn't have to be fought, and in fact represents the first time this country has actually invaded another sovereign nation without provocation, as far as I know. I am tired of this country being looked down on by the rest of the world for our actions, which do not live up in any way to the founding fathers' ideals.
3) Why do you think voters should vote for Obama/Biden, what differentiates this ticket from McCain/Palin?
Where do I begin? In every way, the two tickets couldn't be more different. John McCain, whom I once respected, has disappointed me deeply by completely going over to the side of the right-wing base in his stances. Suddenly he is right along with them on the racial and class divisiveness that the GOP has been using in the past several elections. I had expected better from him. To have picked Palin is a sign of very poor judgment and I feel she is not only unqualified, but a slap in the face to all women. In addition I am very concerned about her far-right, "Biblical" views about gay rights, abortion, and science.
What I love about Obama is his judgment, his sense of fairness, his philosophy of looking at more than one side of an issue before making his decisions. I think his priorities are right, and he goes about things in a non-divisive way that is a refreshing change. I am not concerned about his "lack of experience." This is a man who reads, who has traveled much in his life, unlike the current president who hadn't been out of North America before being elected president. If there are any pockets of inexperience in Obama's background, he will make it up by choosing good advisers, knowledgeable people who are competent in their fields. Joe Biden is a good example of this type of choice. He is experienced, well-traveled, understands international affairs and never forgot where his roots were. They would be an excellent combination for the next four (and hopefully eight) years.
4) If McCain/Palin wins this election, where do you see our country going in the next four years?
Simply: Down the tubes! I think we would have more economic distress, more wars, more gaps between rich and poor. I don't think I could stand to even live through it. I'd have to go live in the Adirondacks in hiding, holed up in our cabin with enough canned goods and alcohol to get me through the next four years!
5) Economically, where do you think this country is today and how do you think Obama/Biden can make a positive impact?
We are at a crossroads economically. The stock market doesn't work anymore, it has become a roulette wheel. People are losing their life-savings and are afraid to retire. I read that the sale of in-home safes is through the roof - people don't even trust the banks. The government is deeply in debt due to the bailouts and the Iraq war and it won't go away anytime soon. I fear for the future if we don't elect Obama/Biden. They will be able to have the intelligence and knowledge to make the needed reforms that we need. The GOP would just give us more of the same policies that got us into this mess in the first place.
6) In the past 8-years, how do you think this country has changed under the Bush regime? Have you been affected by these changes? If so, in what ways?
We have lost many freedoms in the past eight years - we have been illegally monitored by government agencies, the president and vice president have gained unprecedented powers, we have gone from having a budget surplus to a huge budget deficit. My retirement fund has lost over 40% of its value and that is probably the biggest effect I've experienced personally.
7) I have read that Palin is considered the new voice of feminism, which is offensive in my opinion. Of equal concern are her views on abortion and the removal of books from libraries. I'd like to know what you think about all of that and how you feel about McCain choosing Palin as a running mate. And what kind of message you think that sends to women?
Palin is the antithesis of everything I believe in. She is "pro-life" at the expense of the lives of the existing women who would be affected if Roe v. Wade were repealed. She is anti-science and anti-knowledge (believes in banning books, believes the earth is only 6000 years old, thinks dinosaurs co-existed with mankind, and is in favor of teaching creationism in schools). And her views on gay rights make McCain look liberal.
She is dangerous in her propensity to attack Obama and liberals in general, riling up her audiences to near-violence. McCain showed extremely poor judgment in choosing her and the message it sends to women is that he believed that just picking a woman VP candidate would get women to vote for him, which is the worst kind of sexism there is. I don't know any women who fell for it, either.
So that's it - I'm not going to tag anyone because I know a very large number of you have already responded to this meme. But if anyone out there hasn't yet been tagged with it, please consider this your tag and go for it!
Three more days till election day. The suspense is killing me.
1) What is your name (nickname, whatever you're comfortable sharing), your age (range), gender, occupation, income bracket (range), how you identify (gay/straight/whatever)? Married/Single/Divorced? Kids (how many)?
My name is Mauigirl, I'm 55, I'm female, work in market research at a Big Corporation, and our household income puts us in the upper middle class bracket. I'm straight (strongly pro gay-rights), married to my husband DH, and we have no kids, just our dog Diva and our cat, Baxter, whose posts you will often read here.
2) What are the most important issues to you in this presidential election and why?
There are so many, it's hard to know where to begin. One huge issue for me is the Supreme Court. The next president will probably be appointing 2 or 3 new justices to the Court and it is crucial that these justices are not people like Antonin Scalia or the other right-wing appointees. It's not just Roe v. Wade that is at stake, although that too is an important issue for me. It is our entire system of government, the checks and balances, the issues of privacy and civil rights, that are at stake here.
Beyond those key issues, there are also more day-to-day concerns, including the economy. I am tired of the gap growing larger between rich and poor, the CEOs getting their golden parachutes, the stock market being turned into a Las Vegas casino. I want to see the middle class maintained so that we don't turn into a third world country with the well-to-do blocked off from the angry poor by electric fences and vicious dogs roaming their grounds. I want to see children grow up with the right to a good education, proper healthcare and a real ability to pursue happiness. Right now, some have it all, and some have none of it.
I'm tired of this country wasting money on a war that didn't have to be fought, and in fact represents the first time this country has actually invaded another sovereign nation without provocation, as far as I know. I am tired of this country being looked down on by the rest of the world for our actions, which do not live up in any way to the founding fathers' ideals.
3) Why do you think voters should vote for Obama/Biden, what differentiates this ticket from McCain/Palin?
Where do I begin? In every way, the two tickets couldn't be more different. John McCain, whom I once respected, has disappointed me deeply by completely going over to the side of the right-wing base in his stances. Suddenly he is right along with them on the racial and class divisiveness that the GOP has been using in the past several elections. I had expected better from him. To have picked Palin is a sign of very poor judgment and I feel she is not only unqualified, but a slap in the face to all women. In addition I am very concerned about her far-right, "Biblical" views about gay rights, abortion, and science.
What I love about Obama is his judgment, his sense of fairness, his philosophy of looking at more than one side of an issue before making his decisions. I think his priorities are right, and he goes about things in a non-divisive way that is a refreshing change. I am not concerned about his "lack of experience." This is a man who reads, who has traveled much in his life, unlike the current president who hadn't been out of North America before being elected president. If there are any pockets of inexperience in Obama's background, he will make it up by choosing good advisers, knowledgeable people who are competent in their fields. Joe Biden is a good example of this type of choice. He is experienced, well-traveled, understands international affairs and never forgot where his roots were. They would be an excellent combination for the next four (and hopefully eight) years.
4) If McCain/Palin wins this election, where do you see our country going in the next four years?
Simply: Down the tubes! I think we would have more economic distress, more wars, more gaps between rich and poor. I don't think I could stand to even live through it. I'd have to go live in the Adirondacks in hiding, holed up in our cabin with enough canned goods and alcohol to get me through the next four years!
5) Economically, where do you think this country is today and how do you think Obama/Biden can make a positive impact?
We are at a crossroads economically. The stock market doesn't work anymore, it has become a roulette wheel. People are losing their life-savings and are afraid to retire. I read that the sale of in-home safes is through the roof - people don't even trust the banks. The government is deeply in debt due to the bailouts and the Iraq war and it won't go away anytime soon. I fear for the future if we don't elect Obama/Biden. They will be able to have the intelligence and knowledge to make the needed reforms that we need. The GOP would just give us more of the same policies that got us into this mess in the first place.
6) In the past 8-years, how do you think this country has changed under the Bush regime? Have you been affected by these changes? If so, in what ways?
We have lost many freedoms in the past eight years - we have been illegally monitored by government agencies, the president and vice president have gained unprecedented powers, we have gone from having a budget surplus to a huge budget deficit. My retirement fund has lost over 40% of its value and that is probably the biggest effect I've experienced personally.
7) I have read that Palin is considered the new voice of feminism, which is offensive in my opinion. Of equal concern are her views on abortion and the removal of books from libraries. I'd like to know what you think about all of that and how you feel about McCain choosing Palin as a running mate. And what kind of message you think that sends to women?
Palin is the antithesis of everything I believe in. She is "pro-life" at the expense of the lives of the existing women who would be affected if Roe v. Wade were repealed. She is anti-science and anti-knowledge (believes in banning books, believes the earth is only 6000 years old, thinks dinosaurs co-existed with mankind, and is in favor of teaching creationism in schools). And her views on gay rights make McCain look liberal.
She is dangerous in her propensity to attack Obama and liberals in general, riling up her audiences to near-violence. McCain showed extremely poor judgment in choosing her and the message it sends to women is that he believed that just picking a woman VP candidate would get women to vote for him, which is the worst kind of sexism there is. I don't know any women who fell for it, either.
So that's it - I'm not going to tag anyone because I know a very large number of you have already responded to this meme. But if anyone out there hasn't yet been tagged with it, please consider this your tag and go for it!
Three more days till election day. The suspense is killing me.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A Chilling Guarantee by McCain
On today's Meet the Press, John McCain "guaranteed" that he would win in a squeaker.
"'I guarantee you that two weeks from now, you will see this has been a very close race, and I believe that I'm going to win it,' McCain told interim "Meet" moderator Tom Brokaw. 'We're going to do well in this campaign, my friend. We're going to win it, and it's going to be tight, and we're going to be up late.'"
The article goes on to say that the most recent polls are showing a tightening race, but I am not sure about that. It could be Obama's short absence from the campaign trail to visit his grandmother might have taken him off the top of people's minds for a day or so. The polls can't change that radically in two days.
But what does it mean that McCain has so much bravado that he is willing, like Joe Namath, to guarantee a victory? Does he know something we don't? Does he know what the GOP may have planned for all those hackable Diebold voting machines out there? Does he expect a massive voter suppression effort by the underground right-wing forces to whom he's sold his soul?
This pronouncement shouldn't bother me, but it does. Sure, he might just be putting a good face on his situation. He might be trying to buck up his supporters. Or maybe he really knows he's going to win.
We must not let this happen. If there is another stolen election I think half this country will rise up in revolt. And I'll be right there with them. We must make sure that every Democratic vote is counted, and every Obama supporter gets to the polls and votes. We cannot take any chances this year. Too much is at stake.
"'I guarantee you that two weeks from now, you will see this has been a very close race, and I believe that I'm going to win it,' McCain told interim "Meet" moderator Tom Brokaw. 'We're going to do well in this campaign, my friend. We're going to win it, and it's going to be tight, and we're going to be up late.'"
The article goes on to say that the most recent polls are showing a tightening race, but I am not sure about that. It could be Obama's short absence from the campaign trail to visit his grandmother might have taken him off the top of people's minds for a day or so. The polls can't change that radically in two days.
But what does it mean that McCain has so much bravado that he is willing, like Joe Namath, to guarantee a victory? Does he know something we don't? Does he know what the GOP may have planned for all those hackable Diebold voting machines out there? Does he expect a massive voter suppression effort by the underground right-wing forces to whom he's sold his soul?
This pronouncement shouldn't bother me, but it does. Sure, he might just be putting a good face on his situation. He might be trying to buck up his supporters. Or maybe he really knows he's going to win.
We must not let this happen. If there is another stolen election I think half this country will rise up in revolt. And I'll be right there with them. We must make sure that every Democratic vote is counted, and every Obama supporter gets to the polls and votes. We cannot take any chances this year. Too much is at stake.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Dispatch from Whitehall, NY
We're up in the Adirondacks for the week and, although the place we're staying at is supposed to have wi fi, we haven't managed to connect yet. I'm hoping we'll figure it out today, as I was looking forward to the uninterrupted blogtime!
We were happy to discover the laundry in Whitehall has wi fi so we can sit on the street and steal some internet time!
We closed on our property yesterday - all went well - and we are now the proud owners of 6.6 acres of woods, pond and cabin in the Adirondacks! We are now in the process of sprucing up the place and hope to get a few estimates on some work we need done while we're up here this week.
The foliage is beautiful and I'll be posting some pictures after we download them.
In the meantime I'm feeling panicky, not knowing what the daily polls are doing and missing out on all of your great commentary.
I did happen to read Adirondack Musing today, where there is a great post pointing out that the so-called projector that McCain keeps ranting about is actually to replace an obsolete sky projection system for the Chicago Adler Planetarium - something that will benefit everyone, since people from all over come to this planetarium. Given the hole the U.S. is in compared to other countries in terms of scientific knowledge (and the increasing desire on the part of right wing fundamentalists to teach non-scientific ideas like creationism) it is important to continue to support educational institutions such as planetariums.
I wish Obama had called McCain on this during the debate - I thought he did a very good job of explaining McCain's outrageous lies about his associations with ACORN and Ayers, and definitely seemed calmer and more presidential than McCain. But this one "projector" earmark that McCain loves to bring up annoys me and I wish Obama had pointed out that it's not the kind of projector you use for PowerPoint presentations but a very high tech, scientific machine and that its use is worthwhile. But of course probably anybody who supports McCain would think this was a waste of money too - after all, these are the people who think anyone with brains and an ability to speak coherently is a member of the "elite" and not "one of them."
That's my two cents for the day - off to our cabin to do some more work!
We were happy to discover the laundry in Whitehall has wi fi so we can sit on the street and steal some internet time!
We closed on our property yesterday - all went well - and we are now the proud owners of 6.6 acres of woods, pond and cabin in the Adirondacks! We are now in the process of sprucing up the place and hope to get a few estimates on some work we need done while we're up here this week.
The foliage is beautiful and I'll be posting some pictures after we download them.
In the meantime I'm feeling panicky, not knowing what the daily polls are doing and missing out on all of your great commentary.
I did happen to read Adirondack Musing today, where there is a great post pointing out that the so-called projector that McCain keeps ranting about is actually to replace an obsolete sky projection system for the Chicago Adler Planetarium - something that will benefit everyone, since people from all over come to this planetarium. Given the hole the U.S. is in compared to other countries in terms of scientific knowledge (and the increasing desire on the part of right wing fundamentalists to teach non-scientific ideas like creationism) it is important to continue to support educational institutions such as planetariums.
I wish Obama had called McCain on this during the debate - I thought he did a very good job of explaining McCain's outrageous lies about his associations with ACORN and Ayers, and definitely seemed calmer and more presidential than McCain. But this one "projector" earmark that McCain loves to bring up annoys me and I wish Obama had pointed out that it's not the kind of projector you use for PowerPoint presentations but a very high tech, scientific machine and that its use is worthwhile. But of course probably anybody who supports McCain would think this was a waste of money too - after all, these are the people who think anyone with brains and an ability to speak coherently is a member of the "elite" and not "one of them."
That's my two cents for the day - off to our cabin to do some more work!
Monday, October 13, 2008
"Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?"
The famous question that Joseph Welch asked Senator Joseph McCarthy during the McCarthy Hearings in the 1950s could as easily be asked of John McCain today.
The head of the GOP in Virginia, Jeffrey Frederick, has compared Barack Obama to Osama Bin Laden. This is no longer a campaign of sly, vicious innuendo. This man has come right out and compared Barack Obama to the worst terrorist there is. Comparing Obama to Bin Laden, he said: "'Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon,' he said. 'That is scary.'"
What is scary is that there are people out there making these absurd comparisons. And what else is scary? John McCain isn't repudiating them.
According to Talking Points Memo, McCain refused to condemn the comparison, saying he needed more "context" and once again brought up the idea that Obama has not been forthcoming about his real relationship with Ayers:
"'I have to look at the context of his remarks. I have always repudiated any comments that have been made that were inappropriate about Senator Obama. The fact is that William Ayers was a terrorist and bomber and unrepentant. I don't care about that. But Senator Obama ought be the candid and truthful about his relationship with Mr. Ayers in whose living room Senator Obama launched his campaign and Senator Obama said he was just a guy in the neighborhood.'"
Come on, John. You know as well as we do that there IS no possible context that would make that comparison acceptable or appropriate in any way, shape or form. And to follow up that "context" remark with yet another aspersion cast on Obama's so-called relationship with Ayers, is just disingenuous to the extreme.
John McCain has sunk to a new low and will never be able to regain the respect many people had for him until this campaign. It is sad in a way to see a person completely give up any remnant of their soul just to try to win an election.
I hope, in the most reasonable, above-the-fray way he can, that Obama will call him on this behavior in the debate on Wednesday. I hope McCain has the grace to look ashamed.
In the meantime, the latest poll shows McCain's favorability ratings going south while Obama's lead is now 53%-43%. You'd think McCain would realize that trying to tell the American people that Obama is a terrorist is just not working.
The head of the GOP in Virginia, Jeffrey Frederick, has compared Barack Obama to Osama Bin Laden. This is no longer a campaign of sly, vicious innuendo. This man has come right out and compared Barack Obama to the worst terrorist there is. Comparing Obama to Bin Laden, he said: "'Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon,' he said. 'That is scary.'"
What is scary is that there are people out there making these absurd comparisons. And what else is scary? John McCain isn't repudiating them.
According to Talking Points Memo, McCain refused to condemn the comparison, saying he needed more "context" and once again brought up the idea that Obama has not been forthcoming about his real relationship with Ayers:
"'I have to look at the context of his remarks. I have always repudiated any comments that have been made that were inappropriate about Senator Obama. The fact is that William Ayers was a terrorist and bomber and unrepentant. I don't care about that. But Senator Obama ought be the candid and truthful about his relationship with Mr. Ayers in whose living room Senator Obama launched his campaign and Senator Obama said he was just a guy in the neighborhood.'"
Come on, John. You know as well as we do that there IS no possible context that would make that comparison acceptable or appropriate in any way, shape or form. And to follow up that "context" remark with yet another aspersion cast on Obama's so-called relationship with Ayers, is just disingenuous to the extreme.
John McCain has sunk to a new low and will never be able to regain the respect many people had for him until this campaign. It is sad in a way to see a person completely give up any remnant of their soul just to try to win an election.
I hope, in the most reasonable, above-the-fray way he can, that Obama will call him on this behavior in the debate on Wednesday. I hope McCain has the grace to look ashamed.
In the meantime, the latest poll shows McCain's favorability ratings going south while Obama's lead is now 53%-43%. You'd think McCain would realize that trying to tell the American people that Obama is a terrorist is just not working.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
I Am Afraid
I am afraid the country is on the verge of another Great Depression.
I am afraid of the vicious, hate-filled mobs who are cheering McCain and Palin.
I am afraid that the government may declare martial law and even postpone the election if the economic situation worsens.
I am afraid that McCain-Palin's completely heinous, false and misleading video about Obama being tied to terrorism might actually work because so much of America is full of people who are ignorant.
I am afraid of the Bradley Effect.
I am afraid of voter purges in swing states, voter suppression, and Diebold.
I am afraid of an October Surprise that would benefit McCain. I wouldn't even put it past the GOP to either engineer or allow a terrorist attack if they thought it would help him beat Obama.
I am afraid of the anger that is seething in America, which could erupt if things get worse.
One part of me is excited that Obama is in the lead but another part of me is full of fear for the future. There are still 27 days until the election. Anything could happen.
I've seen some overconfidence among Democrats - a headline today talking about a possible "Obama Landslide." This also makes me afraid. We cannot become complacent, cannot take anything for granted. This article from Alternet makes some very good points:
"Along with throwing mud and benefitting from racism, McCain stands to gain from the fact that the national Republican Party now has a lot more money in the bank than the Democratic Party does. And in many states, a wide range of anti-democratic measures -- including purges of voter rolls and very unreasonable requirements for voter ID on Election Day -- will work to the benefit of the McCain-Palin ticket.
Overall, the polls showing Obama with a sizeable lead should be taken with a box of salt. The count on election night could be close. In the meantime, McCain can only benefit when progressives assume he'll lose.
Such rosy assumptions are dangerous. They're apt to result in overconfidence, reducing volunteer energy and voter turnout for Obama.
Assume that the economic crisis has doomed the McCain campaign? He hopes you will."
I am afraid of the vicious, hate-filled mobs who are cheering McCain and Palin.
I am afraid that the government may declare martial law and even postpone the election if the economic situation worsens.
I am afraid that McCain-Palin's completely heinous, false and misleading video about Obama being tied to terrorism might actually work because so much of America is full of people who are ignorant.
I am afraid of the Bradley Effect.
I am afraid of voter purges in swing states, voter suppression, and Diebold.
I am afraid of an October Surprise that would benefit McCain. I wouldn't even put it past the GOP to either engineer or allow a terrorist attack if they thought it would help him beat Obama.
I am afraid of the anger that is seething in America, which could erupt if things get worse.
One part of me is excited that Obama is in the lead but another part of me is full of fear for the future. There are still 27 days until the election. Anything could happen.
I've seen some overconfidence among Democrats - a headline today talking about a possible "Obama Landslide." This also makes me afraid. We cannot become complacent, cannot take anything for granted. This article from Alternet makes some very good points:
"Along with throwing mud and benefitting from racism, McCain stands to gain from the fact that the national Republican Party now has a lot more money in the bank than the Democratic Party does. And in many states, a wide range of anti-democratic measures -- including purges of voter rolls and very unreasonable requirements for voter ID on Election Day -- will work to the benefit of the McCain-Palin ticket.
Overall, the polls showing Obama with a sizeable lead should be taken with a box of salt. The count on election night could be close. In the meantime, McCain can only benefit when progressives assume he'll lose.
Such rosy assumptions are dangerous. They're apt to result in overconfidence, reducing volunteer energy and voter turnout for Obama.
Assume that the economic crisis has doomed the McCain campaign? He hopes you will."
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
-508 Points...Need I say more?
What a mess. Even states, such as California, are looking for bailouts. And it's not just over here. Whole countries are going bankrupt.
I really am wondering where it will end. If McCain comes out tonight and tries to talk about Obama's ties to Bill Ayers when the world is crumbling around him, I think it will backfire and the people at that town hall will not let him get away with it.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Turning the page? I don't think so...
This week McCain's adviser, Greg Strimple, publicly announced that the McCain campaign would try to distract the voters from the financial crisis by attacking Obama. In his own words:
"'We are very well-funded, and we are looking for a very aggressive last 30 days,'' said senior adviser Greg Strimple. 'We're looking to turning the page on this financial crisis and getting back to discussing Mr. Obama's liberal, aggressively liberal record and how he will be too risky for the Americans.'"
Sticking to this script, Sarah Palin has been trying to tie Obama to Bill Ayers, a former member of the radical Weather Underground group, which carried out a series of bombings during the early 1970s. From the same article linked above Palin has been saying:
"Obama 'is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country,' Palin, 44, the Republican vice presidential nominee, told donors at a fundraiser last night in Costa Mesa, California. 'This, ladies and gentleman, is not the kind of change that I think we should be believing in.'"
Palin and her backers are ignoring the fact that the man in question is now a respected professor, the bombings took place 40 years ago when Obama was only 8 years old, and Palin herself was hardly out of diapers at the time.
In the meantime, Obama has finally come out with ads pointing out that McCain was one of the "Keating Five" from the 1980s, a much more recent and pertinent connection to the current crisis facing our nation. Although McCain was ultimately cleared of illegal actions in the scandal, he was reprimanded for "poor judgment."
If McCain wants to try to "turn the page" away from our economic crisis and attack Obama to keep the American public's mind off the mess he helped get us in, it isn't a wise strategy. How many other skeletons does a 72-year-old man have in his closet compared to a 47-year-old man? I'd wager a lot more. Two can play this game.
In the meantime, Wall Street is continuing to tank, with stocks down nearly 500 points to below 10,000this morning after the markets in Europe went into free-fall overnight. This isn't the kind of financial problem you can just wave $700 billion at and it will make it go away. This is a serious, long-term financial debacle and it will take more than Congress passing a bailout package to fix it.
McCain will try to turn the page, but I think the American public won't let him do it, as long as their 401ks are going down the tubes and their mortgage payments are in arrears and there is so little confidence in the entire banking system. They'll just keep going back to the first chapter and seeing that the hero of this story is not going to be John "Keating Five" McCain. There is a reason Obama's poll numbers keep going up no matter how many attacks McCain and his henchwoman make on Obama.
As President Dubya famously said, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me...you can't get fooled again."
"'We are very well-funded, and we are looking for a very aggressive last 30 days,'' said senior adviser Greg Strimple. 'We're looking to turning the page on this financial crisis and getting back to discussing Mr. Obama's liberal, aggressively liberal record and how he will be too risky for the Americans.'"
Sticking to this script, Sarah Palin has been trying to tie Obama to Bill Ayers, a former member of the radical Weather Underground group, which carried out a series of bombings during the early 1970s. From the same article linked above Palin has been saying:
"Obama 'is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country,' Palin, 44, the Republican vice presidential nominee, told donors at a fundraiser last night in Costa Mesa, California. 'This, ladies and gentleman, is not the kind of change that I think we should be believing in.'"
Palin and her backers are ignoring the fact that the man in question is now a respected professor, the bombings took place 40 years ago when Obama was only 8 years old, and Palin herself was hardly out of diapers at the time.
In the meantime, Obama has finally come out with ads pointing out that McCain was one of the "Keating Five" from the 1980s, a much more recent and pertinent connection to the current crisis facing our nation. Although McCain was ultimately cleared of illegal actions in the scandal, he was reprimanded for "poor judgment."
If McCain wants to try to "turn the page" away from our economic crisis and attack Obama to keep the American public's mind off the mess he helped get us in, it isn't a wise strategy. How many other skeletons does a 72-year-old man have in his closet compared to a 47-year-old man? I'd wager a lot more. Two can play this game.
In the meantime, Wall Street is continuing to tank, with stocks down nearly 500 points to below 10,000this morning after the markets in Europe went into free-fall overnight. This isn't the kind of financial problem you can just wave $700 billion at and it will make it go away. This is a serious, long-term financial debacle and it will take more than Congress passing a bailout package to fix it.
McCain will try to turn the page, but I think the American public won't let him do it, as long as their 401ks are going down the tubes and their mortgage payments are in arrears and there is so little confidence in the entire banking system. They'll just keep going back to the first chapter and seeing that the hero of this story is not going to be John "Keating Five" McCain. There is a reason Obama's poll numbers keep going up no matter how many attacks McCain and his henchwoman make on Obama.
As President Dubya famously said, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me...you can't get fooled again."
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Haiku Thursday
I have some serious blogging I need to do - Spartacus has tagged me for the political meme - which I'm really looking forward to having the time and energy to do - and Christopher very kindly honored me with an award a few days ago, which I want to pass on to worthy bloggers.
But I've had a hectic week; lots going on at work, and for the first three nights of the week I've been out every night at meetings (non-work). So the energy level just isn't there tonight, especially after watching three straight hours of political commentary (Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert).
So, like John McCain, I'm going to wimp out. I'm going to write a few haiku and go to bed! Tomorrow, as Scarlet O'Hara liked to say, is another day.
McCain's on the run
And suspending his campaign
Flying to D.C.
Skipping the debate
Is the prudent thing to do
He knows he can't win.
On the other hand
Obama is looking good
He can do it all.
Fly down to D.C.
And negotiate a deal
Fly back and debate
He's the younger one
He knows how to multi-task
McCain's just too old.
And in the meantime
Negotiations drag on
No deal has been reached.
The stock market tanks
The Feds take over WaMu
The dominoes fall.
But I've had a hectic week; lots going on at work, and for the first three nights of the week I've been out every night at meetings (non-work). So the energy level just isn't there tonight, especially after watching three straight hours of political commentary (Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert).
So, like John McCain, I'm going to wimp out. I'm going to write a few haiku and go to bed! Tomorrow, as Scarlet O'Hara liked to say, is another day.
McCain's on the run
And suspending his campaign
Flying to D.C.
Skipping the debate
Is the prudent thing to do
He knows he can't win.
On the other hand
Obama is looking good
He can do it all.
Fly down to D.C.
And negotiate a deal
Fly back and debate
He's the younger one
He knows how to multi-task
McCain's just too old.
And in the meantime
Negotiations drag on
No deal has been reached.
The stock market tanks
The Feds take over WaMu
The dominoes fall.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
A Cat's Eye View
Baxter here. I have to tell you, I have had a Very Bad Week. On Wednesday evening I used my Box a lot but didn't Do Much, if you know what I mean, and my Female Human dragged me off to the Emergency Clinic at 9 o'clock at Night.
Usually it is That Dog that gets dragged to the Emergency Clinic because of fear of something called Bloat (which always turns out to be Simple Indigestion and is curable with a dose of Pepcid, after my Humans spend hundreds of Dollars). But this time, it was My Turn. About Time they spent some Real Money on Me. After all, I'm Worth It.
I was Taken into the Back and poked and prodded and returned to my Human with a bottle of Disgusting Medicine. The Vet claimed it is Chicken Flavored. Bah! My Humans forced open my Mouth the next Morning and squirted it in and it was the Most Foul Tasting Stuff I've ever had the Misfortune to Taste. Ugh. It made me Foam at the Mouth.
Then yesterday my Male Human dragged me off to the Regular Vet to have what he called an "Ulstrasound." I have No Idea what happened because I fell Asleep very Suddenly after they took me into the Room to do it. When I woke up my Stomach was Naked. Yes, Someone shaved my Stomach while I was Asleep! The Nerve! It is really Embarrassing to have a Naked Stomach when you're a Fine Figure of a Cat.
Apparently Nothing Bad showed up in the Ultrasound and they are just continuing to give me the Disgusting Medicine. In fact, my Female Human is walking around the House calling to me with that Squirt-Thing in her Hand, trying to give Me another Dose of it. Little does she know I have now Sneaked Upstairs and am Blogging. If I hear her coming I may have to stop and run under the Bed for awhile, but I'll be Back.
So, I'm finally getting back to Normal and am ready to talk about this past Week.
In fact, it was a Very Bad Week for Everyone, wasn't it? The Stock Market was like a Roller-Coaster! First it tumbled something like 900 points, then it was up again by the end of the week because the Feds bailed out everybody! So in the End, it didn't really Change. However, the Author of the article Linked Above says:
"Nobody understands who owes what to whom — or whether they have the ability to pay. Counterparties have become afraid to trade with each other. Sovereign wealth funds are no longer willing to supply badly needed capital because they no longer know what they are investing in. The crisis continues because nobody knows what anything is worth. You simply cannot have a functioning market under such circumstances."
Then there's this whole thing about Short Selling. Everybody is Upset about it and suddenly it is being Controlled - which is probably like the old Saying, "Closing the Barn Door after the Horse is Gone."
In fact, the New York Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, is launching an Investigation to see if anybody was Manipulating the Markets to fall just to make Short Selling more profitable. But no one would really do That, would They? Hmmmmm....
As near as I can tell, one of the more Egregious Practices on Wall Street is something called Naked Short Selling. Sounds kind of Racy, but it really means selling something at a Lower Price that you don't even Own; in fact, you haven't even borrowed it. According to the Financial Times,
"Short sellers aim to profit from share declines, usually by borrowing a stock, selling it and buying it back after its price has decreased. In abusive 'naked' short selling, the seller does not borrow the stock and fails to deliver it to the buyer."
So for instance, our Neighbor, Ethel, has a lot of Cats. She has a lot of Cat Food out on her Porch for her Cats. It's as if I, Baxter, said to you, "Tell you what. I'll sell you Ethel's Cats' Food for this price." But I don't even have that Food. It's on Ethel's porch.
That's about as far as I can understand this Complex type of Transaction. It sounds kind of Fishy to Me. I know I'm just a Cat, and not a Financial Wizard. But it seems to me that this kind of Wizardry may have gotten us into this Predicament. I hope my Humans will still be able to buy my Cat Food. That is all I care about. So Far so Good in that Department.
However, I don't think this Mess is Over Yet. The underlying Problems are Still There.
"'What we can say is that volatility is extremely high by historical standards,' said Ken Tower, senior vice president at Quantitative Analysis Services.
'What we need to see is volatility to come down, as it reflects market uncertainty,' he said. 'Let's see more about the government's plan and what the market makes of it on Monday.'
'We've now weathered this recent storm,' Tower said. "If somebody wants to talk to me about a two or three months rally, then OK. But it's not the end of this overall downturn, with the economy still going down the drain.'"
On the Bright Side, the Economy's problems seem to be a Big Help to the Obama Human in his Fight against the McCain Human. The latest CBS Poll taken in mid-week shows he has regained the Lead from the McCain Human, 48% to 43%. And also, fascination with the Palin Human may be Waning, which can only be a Plus.
And in Other Good News, the Hillary Clinton Human is really Stepping up to the Plate, showing that those who doubted her Commitment to the Democrats were probably Wrong. She has begun an effort named "Hillary Sent Me" and is urging her Supporters to go to Other States and campaign for Obama, and donate to the Cause.
So that about Sums up This Week. Let's hope the Obama Human can keep this Lead and that the Economy continues to be the Leading Issue, as it seems to help! (But not such an Issue that my Humans' 401ks tank Completely. Or they can never Retire. )
In the meantime, I will leave you with This, from YesWeCanHas.com:
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Fiddling While Rome Burns
While McCain whines that Obama was referring to Palin when he used the phrase "lipstick on a pig," and the federal government refuses to step in, Lehman Brothers is going down the tubes, possibly pulling AIG with it, while Merrill Lynch will apparently be acquired by Bank of America.
According to Bloomberg.com,
"Reports this month point to a heightened risk of a recession. Unemployment rose to a five-year high of 6.1 percent last month, and retail sales fell 0.7 percent, excluding autos, the biggest decline this year....
'Financial conditions are extremely fragile,' said former Fed governor Lyle Gramley, now a senior economic adviser for the Stanford Group Company in Washington. 'With the Lehman situation deteriorating, this tends to have knock-on effects.'
In a sign that creditors don't expect Paulson to blink, the cost to protect against defaults by AIG, Merrill, WaMu and Wachovia Corp. reached records. Credit-default swaps on Seattle- based WaMu are trading at levels that imply a 75 percent chance the company will default in the next five years, a JPMorgan Chase & Co. valuation model shows."
This may only be the beginning. According to the New York Times, there is concern that the wave of failures will inspire certain fund managers to look for other weakened financial institutions and try to make a fortune by selling them short.
So where do we go from here? Is this the start of a new Depression, or will the wizards of Wall Street manage to stop the dominoes from falling? Only time will tell. But I do know it is a sign that something is very seriously wrong with our economy, and despite all of these important issues, the only thing the media can talk about is the "lipstick on a pig" controversy.
I am starting to lose hope for this country. The latest polls show that McCain continues to gain on Obama and now the electoral vote is no longer in Obama's favor.
If the American public doesn't wake up and start realizing that the McCain campaign is playing them for fools - just as George W. Bush has done for 8 years - we may get McCain and Palin in the White House. And here we thought maybe, this time, they wouldn't be so stupid.
But as H.L. Mencken said, "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."
He also said:
"The men the American public admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth."
Unfortunately, Mencken was apparently a very wise man.
According to Bloomberg.com,
"Reports this month point to a heightened risk of a recession. Unemployment rose to a five-year high of 6.1 percent last month, and retail sales fell 0.7 percent, excluding autos, the biggest decline this year....
'Financial conditions are extremely fragile,' said former Fed governor Lyle Gramley, now a senior economic adviser for the Stanford Group Company in Washington. 'With the Lehman situation deteriorating, this tends to have knock-on effects.'
In a sign that creditors don't expect Paulson to blink, the cost to protect against defaults by AIG, Merrill, WaMu and Wachovia Corp. reached records. Credit-default swaps on Seattle- based WaMu are trading at levels that imply a 75 percent chance the company will default in the next five years, a JPMorgan Chase & Co. valuation model shows."
This may only be the beginning. According to the New York Times, there is concern that the wave of failures will inspire certain fund managers to look for other weakened financial institutions and try to make a fortune by selling them short.
So where do we go from here? Is this the start of a new Depression, or will the wizards of Wall Street manage to stop the dominoes from falling? Only time will tell. But I do know it is a sign that something is very seriously wrong with our economy, and despite all of these important issues, the only thing the media can talk about is the "lipstick on a pig" controversy.
I am starting to lose hope for this country. The latest polls show that McCain continues to gain on Obama and now the electoral vote is no longer in Obama's favor.
If the American public doesn't wake up and start realizing that the McCain campaign is playing them for fools - just as George W. Bush has done for 8 years - we may get McCain and Palin in the White House. And here we thought maybe, this time, they wouldn't be so stupid.
But as H.L. Mencken said, "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."
He also said:
"The men the American public admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth."
Unfortunately, Mencken was apparently a very wise man.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Another Year, Another Anniversary
Here it is again, September 11. It's been seven years. The memories are starting to fade a little, the world is moving on. Construction is finally starting on the Ground Zero Memorial. This may be the last year that the memorial service will be able to include a descent into the crater that the devastation left there.
This morning I almost forgot the date. Then when I turned on the radio I heard Mayor Bloomberg speaking about September 11, 2001, and I remembered. On my way in to work I heard part of the annual recitation of all of the names of those who were lost on that day. That always affects me, even if I think I'm going to be OK at first.
Seven years is a long time. Babies born to those who died that day have grown into children, children who don't remember the parent or parents that they lost. Teens who were young children when they lost a parent still remember their mother or father, but the memories are growing distant. Wives or husbands may have grieved, moved on and married again. Or not. Parents who lost a child may have started to accept it; but will never forget or be consoled.
Life has continued on for all of us. Even thinking back to where I was on that blue September morning, so much has changed in my own life. Since then, my father died, I lost three friends to cancer, my mother and aunt moved out of their homes into apartments, friends of mine have married, my mother-in-law entered a nursing home, I completed a certificate course in historic preservation, my job has changed in several important ways, my husband stopped working in New York and changed his career path as well. All of you can think back on your last seven years and see how far you've come down the road since that morning.
But once a year, on September 11, we all return to that day together. We all think back on what we were doing, how we heard about it, what we remember.
Suddenly it is all there; the panic, the fear, the foreboding. What if there are more of them? Will there be another attack? How many planes are actually missing? Do I know anyone who might have been there? What about my neighbor? Doesn't he work in the Towers?
The sudden shock when the Towers collapsed. The screams of the people in the videos shown, over and over, of the planes hitting the buidings.
The endless smoke from the ruin over the next months, with that image of the remaining pieces of the structure jutting into the smoke-filled sky, shown over and over on television while the news covered the massive cleanup.
The made-for-TV specials, the documentaries, the conspiracy theories then followed.
But in the end, it seemed that a bunch of low-tech terrorists just got lucky with a plan that included box cutters and exploding jets; they took advantage of our trust and our free society, and were able to inflict a terrible wound.
Could it happen again? Yes, of course. Nothing we have done in the past seven years would prevent another attack like this. Whatever precautions are taken now only prevent the same thing from happening again. Not something different.
Here is an example: Only three ounces of any one liquid are allowed on a plane. But there are plenty of ways to bring separate ingredients aboard that can then be combined into an explosive and detonated once aboard. See this Washington Post article for more details.
For the past seven years our government has wasted effort, time and treasure - not to mention uncounted thousands of lives - attacking Iraq, which had nothing to do with the September 11, 2001 horror. This debacle has actually made us less safe by strengthening Iran and provoking more people around the world into hating the U.S.
While we can never feel completely safe again, there are other ways we could be trying to track down terrorists who may attack us again. Going to war in a conventional manner is not one of them.
Today both Barack Obama and John McCain will go together to Ground Zero to pay their respects to the dead. Since they are putting aside politics for this day, so will I.
But tomorrow is another day.
This morning I almost forgot the date. Then when I turned on the radio I heard Mayor Bloomberg speaking about September 11, 2001, and I remembered. On my way in to work I heard part of the annual recitation of all of the names of those who were lost on that day. That always affects me, even if I think I'm going to be OK at first.
Seven years is a long time. Babies born to those who died that day have grown into children, children who don't remember the parent or parents that they lost. Teens who were young children when they lost a parent still remember their mother or father, but the memories are growing distant. Wives or husbands may have grieved, moved on and married again. Or not. Parents who lost a child may have started to accept it; but will never forget or be consoled.
Life has continued on for all of us. Even thinking back to where I was on that blue September morning, so much has changed in my own life. Since then, my father died, I lost three friends to cancer, my mother and aunt moved out of their homes into apartments, friends of mine have married, my mother-in-law entered a nursing home, I completed a certificate course in historic preservation, my job has changed in several important ways, my husband stopped working in New York and changed his career path as well. All of you can think back on your last seven years and see how far you've come down the road since that morning.
But once a year, on September 11, we all return to that day together. We all think back on what we were doing, how we heard about it, what we remember.
Suddenly it is all there; the panic, the fear, the foreboding. What if there are more of them? Will there be another attack? How many planes are actually missing? Do I know anyone who might have been there? What about my neighbor? Doesn't he work in the Towers?
The sudden shock when the Towers collapsed. The screams of the people in the videos shown, over and over, of the planes hitting the buidings.
The endless smoke from the ruin over the next months, with that image of the remaining pieces of the structure jutting into the smoke-filled sky, shown over and over on television while the news covered the massive cleanup.
The made-for-TV specials, the documentaries, the conspiracy theories then followed.But in the end, it seemed that a bunch of low-tech terrorists just got lucky with a plan that included box cutters and exploding jets; they took advantage of our trust and our free society, and were able to inflict a terrible wound.
Could it happen again? Yes, of course. Nothing we have done in the past seven years would prevent another attack like this. Whatever precautions are taken now only prevent the same thing from happening again. Not something different.
Here is an example: Only three ounces of any one liquid are allowed on a plane. But there are plenty of ways to bring separate ingredients aboard that can then be combined into an explosive and detonated once aboard. See this Washington Post article for more details.
For the past seven years our government has wasted effort, time and treasure - not to mention uncounted thousands of lives - attacking Iraq, which had nothing to do with the September 11, 2001 horror. This debacle has actually made us less safe by strengthening Iran and provoking more people around the world into hating the U.S.
While we can never feel completely safe again, there are other ways we could be trying to track down terrorists who may attack us again. Going to war in a conventional manner is not one of them.
Today both Barack Obama and John McCain will go together to Ground Zero to pay their respects to the dead. Since they are putting aside politics for this day, so will I.
But tomorrow is another day.
Friday, September 05, 2008
A Cat's Eye View
Baxter here. I am feeling a bit Grumpy. Not only didn't I get to Blog for Much Too Long, but I had to sit through that Debacle called the Republican Convention two Nights in a row.
Usually my Humans sit out on their Deck for the Evening in the warm weather and leave me to my Own Devices. Well, Wednesday and Thursday evenings they sat Inside and watched the Convention. They were both Curious about this Palin Human that was chosen by the one called McCain to be his Sidekick. Wednesday Evening I joined them for the main Reason that they were eating Salmon for Dinner. And I really like Salmon. So I sat in my Female Human's Lap and cadged some Salmon while we watched the speeches.
The first one was by that Guiliani Human. What a crass fellow HE is. No self-respecting Cat would have said the Obnoxious things he did. He spent his whole time making Fun of the Obama Human. He went on so long I'm surprised they didn't pull him off the Stage with a Hook. But the Crowd ate it up.
Then the Palin Woman finally came on. She wasn't any better. She babbled on about her "Executive Experience" running a State that has a Population less than most major Cities in New Jersey. My Female Human says when she reads about what her "Experience" consisted of, it reminds her of the small-town Politics in the Town we live in (which has almost 10 times the Population of the Town where the Palin Woman was Mayor in the 1990's).
And then the Palin Woman had the Nerve to make fun of the Obama Human too! Talking about him being a "Community Organizer" as if that was a Bad Thing. I'm only a Cat, but aren't the Republicans the ones who tout their "Family Values"? Isn't helping the Community a good Value?
You may notice I am not calling her the Palin Human. I haven't quite Decided whether she IS Human or not. She may be some kind of Doll that walks and talks. The speech she gave sounded Suspiciously as if it was a Script coming out of her mouth in many places. Maybe it was recorded and then they pull a string in the back of her to make her talk?
The whole Scene left a bad taste in this Cat's mouth that all the Salmon couldn't wash away. Some of you have likened it to a Nazi Rally. I have seen Nazi Rallies on the History Channel (yes, we Cats really ARE watching the Television while we sit there next to you purring). And I can see the Resemblances, which is a Scary Thought.
My Female Human felt it was highly immature, juvenile Behavior, and a Stark Contrast to the Democratic Convention from last Week. Chanting "Drill, baby drill!" and "USA, USA"? What is this, a High School Pep Rally?
As a Cat, I have my own Perspective on it, which is, of course, why you come here to read my Posts. After all, it's always good to have another View of things, right?
To me, it reminded me of a Pack of Dogs in a fenced yard, seeing a Cat on the other side of the chain link fence. They can see the Cat, smell the Cat, but they can't get the Cat. But that doesn't stop them from barking, yapping, slobbering and jumping at the fence. They're Stupid, you see. And the Cat knows they can't get him, so he sits there and washes his Face and ignores the Dogs, which makes them even Madder. They taunt the Cat, tell the Cat what they'll do to him if they get him, but it is all Noise.
The only thing the Cat has to worry about is if the Fence falls down. Then no matter how Stupid and full of Bluster the Dogs are, a Pack of them can run that Cat into a Corner and kill it.
Right now the Fence is the Unpopularity of the current Government which has been run by the Republicans for 8 years. If the McCain-Palin Combination manages to Convince the American Public that they really ARE "Mavericks" - the Fence will start to weaken. So the Cat needs to be ready if that happens and have a Plan to Fight Back in order to Outwit the Dogs.
The last night of the Convention the McCain Human spoke. But first they had a long Dramatic Video about his Life, with a Lot of Emphasis on his family's Military Service and then his own. It was very Inspiring. However, it reminded me of watching those really old Films on the History Channel. The ones that are from so Long Ago that they're scratchy looking and sepia-toned. It felt like Ancient History.
Then when the McCain Human shambled on to the Stage, he didn't make up for that image. At one point he mentioned remembering when Pearl Harbor was Bombed. This Human is seriously Old!
At least his Speech wasn't devoted solely to bashing the Obama Human. But it was very rambling and disjointed - and his Audience kept interrupting him with "USA USA." What is up with that? Don't they WANT to hear their own guy speak? Maybe not, a lot of them looked Bored.
The really ironic thing was when he vowed to end "Partisan Rancor." After that Display the night before? Who is he Kidding?
I have to tell you, this Cat is already Exhausted and we still have 2 Months to go! Let's hope this Election turns out the way we Hope.
Then maybe I can get back to reporting Important News, like kittens born with four ears (which apparently is not all that uncommon.)
I think in the meantime I'll load up on the Catnip, and leave you with this, from YesWeCanHas.com.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Dispatch from Schroon Lake
I'm writing from a combination cybercafe-coffee shop-antique store in the idyllic little village of Schroon Lake, New York. DH is accusing me of internet-addiction and of course it's true. I have been feeling bereft without being able to read blogs discussing the Democratic Convention and the choice of Governor Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate. I sat and watched Washington Week in Review last night to at least get a feel for the response to both.
We arrived Thursday night just in time to see Barack Obama's speech in full (except for about 5 minutes when I had to go walk Diva who was barking loudly and distractingly).
The speech was rousing, it addressed all the issues he needed to talk about, it was strong, and it was fantastic. All of the pundits agreed he did exactly what he needed to do and the convention was a great success.
So it was with dismay that I got up the next morning and turned on the television to hear that McCain had announced a surprise running mate of Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska. I knew he planned to announce his running mate right after the Democratic convention in order to step on Obama's "bump" in the polls. But I was expecting Mitt Romney or someone equally dull. McCain did pull off a surprise announcement, one cynically calculated to try to make his campaign look like "change" and perhaps steal away some of the disgruntled Hillary supporters.
To me, it was exactly the same thing that the first President Bush pulled by nominating Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court to replace Thurgood Marshall.
Although Ms. Palin is a woman, her resemblance to Hillary Clinton stops there. She can talk all she wants about the 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, but if any woman who supported Hillary truly believed in the stands that Hillary has taken, there is no way she will support Palin. Governor Palin is a conservative right wing idealogue who is on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Hillary on almost every issue.
McCain's choice was hailed as "Maverick Picks a Stunner" on the front page of the local newspaper. But it was not an action of a maverick at all - he chose a conservative who would thrill the religious right, who had not been all that excited about McCain himself. Palin is enthuasiastically in favor of drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. She is also pro-NRA and is not supportive of gay and lesbian rights. Her positions are totally in line with the right wing. But because she's a woman,McCain is hailed as being brave for picking her.
Let's hope no moderate Independent or undecided Democrat will fall for this cynical ploy by the McCain campaign.
We arrived Thursday night just in time to see Barack Obama's speech in full (except for about 5 minutes when I had to go walk Diva who was barking loudly and distractingly).
The speech was rousing, it addressed all the issues he needed to talk about, it was strong, and it was fantastic. All of the pundits agreed he did exactly what he needed to do and the convention was a great success.
So it was with dismay that I got up the next morning and turned on the television to hear that McCain had announced a surprise running mate of Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska. I knew he planned to announce his running mate right after the Democratic convention in order to step on Obama's "bump" in the polls. But I was expecting Mitt Romney or someone equally dull. McCain did pull off a surprise announcement, one cynically calculated to try to make his campaign look like "change" and perhaps steal away some of the disgruntled Hillary supporters.
To me, it was exactly the same thing that the first President Bush pulled by nominating Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court to replace Thurgood Marshall.
Although Ms. Palin is a woman, her resemblance to Hillary Clinton stops there. She can talk all she wants about the 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, but if any woman who supported Hillary truly believed in the stands that Hillary has taken, there is no way she will support Palin. Governor Palin is a conservative right wing idealogue who is on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Hillary on almost every issue.
McCain's choice was hailed as "Maverick Picks a Stunner" on the front page of the local newspaper. But it was not an action of a maverick at all - he chose a conservative who would thrill the religious right, who had not been all that excited about McCain himself. Palin is enthuasiastically in favor of drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. She is also pro-NRA and is not supportive of gay and lesbian rights. Her positions are totally in line with the right wing. But because she's a woman,McCain is hailed as being brave for picking her.
Let's hope no moderate Independent or undecided Democrat will fall for this cynical ploy by the McCain campaign.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The Right Choice
I hope everyone was as relieved as I was to hear that Barack Obama picked Joe Biden as his running mate. By picking Biden, Obama has shown he has the political awareness to understand that he needs someone with experience to bolster his credentials with those who have doubts about his readiness for the Presidency.
Given the situation with Russia, it is especially important that he have someone by his side who will give voters confidence that he can handle international crises.
Even before Obama's pick was announced, conservative David Brooks set forth a lot of good reasons Biden should be his choice. Brooks pointed out that Biden's working-class roots, his honesty, and his experience in the Senate would help Obama connect with the voters and help him steer his way through the Gordian Knot of Congress when he wants to get things done. And he won't be a yes-man to Obama; he'll tell it like it is, which Obama himself has said he needs in a Vice President.
Best of all, Biden will be able to go after John McCain in a way Obama can't, with his image of being a new kind of politician. Being all post-partisan is all well and good, but Obama has to win, and McCain's smears have been starting to take their toll. Biden can help bring the conversation back to what a disaster the Bush Administration has been and why McCain will just perpetuate the mess, as well as pointing out the many mistakes McCain has been making during this campaign.
Frank Rich in today's NY Times discusses what Obama should be doing next - talking about the future and how his vision of the future differs from McCain's. And he also points out that Americans are more worried about the economy than foreign affairs.
"How we dig out of this quagmire is the American story that Obama must tell. It is not a story of endless conflicts abroad but a potentially inspiring tale of serious economic, educational, energy and health-care mobilization at home. We don’t have the time or resources to go off on more quixotic military missions or to indulge in culture wars. (In China, they’re too busy exploiting scientific advances for competitive advantage to reopen settled debates about Darwin.) Americans must band together for change before the new century leaves us completely behind. The Obama campaign actually has plans, however imperfect or provisional, to set us on that path; the McCain campaign offers only disposable Band-Aids typified by the 'drill now' mantra that even McCain says will only have a 'psychological' effect on gas prices."
Back in 1992, then-candidate Bill Clinton had signs up in his campaign headquarters saying "It's the economy, stupid!" to keep him on track. Obama needs to take that lesson to heart and be more single-minded in his emphasis on the economy. There's nothing that helps a candidate from the opposing party more than a lousy economy in an election year.
Another thing Obama needs to remember is that this country is all about marketing. While many of us truly value Obama's ability to see both sides of an issue and thoughtfully discuss solutions, that needs to be done in back rooms with his advisers. To the press, he needs to seem resolute and have a clear concise message. Obama's brand until now has been "Change," and he's been good at marketing it. But as Rich points out, now he needs to come up with something more potent that will resonate with those who are disheartened by the direction the country has taken and have not yet heard either candidate articulate their concerns or offer solutions they can relate to. Economic policy details are fine on a website but not in a sound bite. His message needs to be clear, simple, memorable and strong.
From now until the election, Obama and Biden have to hammer away at John McCain, while simultaneously telling the American people how they will fix the mess we're in. It's a tall order, but they can do it. They have to. The future of the country is depending on it.
Given the situation with Russia, it is especially important that he have someone by his side who will give voters confidence that he can handle international crises.
Even before Obama's pick was announced, conservative David Brooks set forth a lot of good reasons Biden should be his choice. Brooks pointed out that Biden's working-class roots, his honesty, and his experience in the Senate would help Obama connect with the voters and help him steer his way through the Gordian Knot of Congress when he wants to get things done. And he won't be a yes-man to Obama; he'll tell it like it is, which Obama himself has said he needs in a Vice President.
Best of all, Biden will be able to go after John McCain in a way Obama can't, with his image of being a new kind of politician. Being all post-partisan is all well and good, but Obama has to win, and McCain's smears have been starting to take their toll. Biden can help bring the conversation back to what a disaster the Bush Administration has been and why McCain will just perpetuate the mess, as well as pointing out the many mistakes McCain has been making during this campaign.
Frank Rich in today's NY Times discusses what Obama should be doing next - talking about the future and how his vision of the future differs from McCain's. And he also points out that Americans are more worried about the economy than foreign affairs.
"How we dig out of this quagmire is the American story that Obama must tell. It is not a story of endless conflicts abroad but a potentially inspiring tale of serious economic, educational, energy and health-care mobilization at home. We don’t have the time or resources to go off on more quixotic military missions or to indulge in culture wars. (In China, they’re too busy exploiting scientific advances for competitive advantage to reopen settled debates about Darwin.) Americans must band together for change before the new century leaves us completely behind. The Obama campaign actually has plans, however imperfect or provisional, to set us on that path; the McCain campaign offers only disposable Band-Aids typified by the 'drill now' mantra that even McCain says will only have a 'psychological' effect on gas prices."
Back in 1992, then-candidate Bill Clinton had signs up in his campaign headquarters saying "It's the economy, stupid!" to keep him on track. Obama needs to take that lesson to heart and be more single-minded in his emphasis on the economy. There's nothing that helps a candidate from the opposing party more than a lousy economy in an election year.
Another thing Obama needs to remember is that this country is all about marketing. While many of us truly value Obama's ability to see both sides of an issue and thoughtfully discuss solutions, that needs to be done in back rooms with his advisers. To the press, he needs to seem resolute and have a clear concise message. Obama's brand until now has been "Change," and he's been good at marketing it. But as Rich points out, now he needs to come up with something more potent that will resonate with those who are disheartened by the direction the country has taken and have not yet heard either candidate articulate their concerns or offer solutions they can relate to. Economic policy details are fine on a website but not in a sound bite. His message needs to be clear, simple, memorable and strong.
From now until the election, Obama and Biden have to hammer away at John McCain, while simultaneously telling the American people how they will fix the mess we're in. It's a tall order, but they can do it. They have to. The future of the country is depending on it.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Haiku Thursday
I recently realized I had been neglecting my haiku posting. Since I don't have the energy for an insightful commentary on the political scene and others have provided excellent analyses of the Georgia-Russia debacle, today seemed like a good day for some haiku. So here goes:
Theories are rampant
Who will be the VP choice?
Obama's not telling us.
Could it be Biden?
How about Bill Richardson?
Maybe even Hillary?
Some say Sebelius
Others think it's Evan Bayh
Or perhaps Tim Kaine.
One thing is for sure
No one will be satisfied
Whoever is picked.
McCain is gaining
Barack was on vacation
Can't he take a break?
McCain's slinging mud
Using Rovian tactics
This is no surprise.
Polls are looking bad
But it's still the mid-summer
Time is on our side.
John is out to lunch
He's asked, How many houses?
He can't even say.
Russia makes the scene
Invading little Georgia
Which of course has oil.
Bush is blustering
McCain is following suit
Hypocrisy rules.
We invade Iraq
Now we tell them what to do?
Very ironic.
The world is turning
There's never a dull moment
Lots of blog fodder.
That's it for now. Happy Friday!
Theories are rampant
Who will be the VP choice?
Obama's not telling us.
Could it be Biden?
How about Bill Richardson?
Maybe even Hillary?
Some say Sebelius
Others think it's Evan Bayh
Or perhaps Tim Kaine.
One thing is for sure
No one will be satisfied
Whoever is picked.
McCain is gaining
Barack was on vacation
Can't he take a break?
McCain's slinging mud
Using Rovian tactics
This is no surprise.
Polls are looking bad
But it's still the mid-summer
Time is on our side.
John is out to lunch
He's asked, How many houses?
He can't even say.
Russia makes the scene
Invading little Georgia
Which of course has oil.
Bush is blustering
McCain is following suit
Hypocrisy rules.
We invade Iraq
Now we tell them what to do?
Very ironic.
The world is turning
There's never a dull moment
Lots of blog fodder.
That's it for now. Happy Friday!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A Cat's Eye View
Baxter here. My Female Human has been all tied up this Week trying to finish Packing up her Office as her Group is Moving to Another Part of the Building. And on top of that, she and my Male Human are trying to buy Property in that Place they call the Adirondacks. They are still Waiting to hear back on an Offer they have made. Apparently buying Property involves much Waiting and Anticipation. So, in the Meantime, she suggested that I fill in here and Post some Updates.
Now, you have to understand, it is the Middle of Summer. The biggest News around here lately was people getting hit by Lightning at the Jersey Shore and on Long Island. One Human man died. Very Sad. However, at least there were no Shark Attacks, which usually also make it into the News in the Summer.
Since it is Summer, we Cats have also gotten some Attention. There's the cat whose Fur looks like Jesus. Personally, I can't see it. But some People claim they do see His Face in the Fur. (What is it with Humans always trying to find the Image of this God-Human they call Jesus in all kinds of Incongruous Materials? It's either Him or His Mother. Once they saw Her in a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. And then the Owner of the Sandwich sold it on E-Bay for $28,000. I'm not Religious, myself, but don't you think it's a little Sacrilegious to be seeing Jesus and Mary in Cat Fur or Grilled Cheese Sandwiches? And then making money on the Sandwich? Sheesh.)
In other Cat News, a 44-pound Cat was found in Voorhees, New Jersey. They are calling her Princess Chunk and will try to Adopt Her Out if Her Owners do not come forth to claim Her. Not only is this Cat getting all kinds of Press, she now is scheduled to appear on Good Morning America and Regis and Kelley. Here is Her Picture. She makes Me look positively Petite. Do you realize she only weighs 8 pounds less than Diva, That Dog that I am Forced to Live With? And she's twice MY Weight.
On to Other Subjects. Since it is the Depths of Summer, it has been Hard to Concentrate on Politics that much, but I have Followed the Obama Human's World Tour with interest. He really knows how to Wow them Over There. 200,000 or so turned out to hear him Speak in Berlin. He was looking all Presidential and Important and people were Enthusiastic.
In the Meantime, the other Human running for President, John McCain, was trying to make an Impression on the Folks Back Home by being interviewed in a Supermarket near the Dairy Case. It didn't really Go Over very Well, what with falling Applesauce and various other Mishaps.
But despite these Contrasts, the Polls remain extremely Close. There could be Many Reasons for this: Fear of the Unknown (McCain may not be Perfect but he is Well Known). Possible Racism. A Myriad of other Possibilities.
But on The Daily Show last night, another Theory was advanced: The Pity Vote.
John Oliver's Theory is that McCain is so Inept and Incompetent that people will Feel Sorry For Him and he will Win. Oliver also compares Obama to Lassie - almost Too Perfect - and McCain to an appealingly Scruffy Dog called Mr. Sniffles.
This Pity Theory may Very Well be Accurate. After all, we got George W. Bush because people "felt like they could have a Beer with him." If People don't feel as if they could have a Beer with Obama, he is at Risk of Losing. The American Humans have proven Time and Again that they don't have the Sense they were Born With and will vote for Anyone they feel is Ordinary enough that they could Relate to them. None of those "Elite" people will Do.
It's Time for the Obama Human to come home and eat some American Hot Dogs and hang out with the Ordinary People talking about the Price of Milk. (And of course, the Price of Milk is Very Important to us Cats as Well.)
Until Next Time, this is Baxter, Signing Off. Have some Catnip and we can All try to make it through the Dog Days of Summer. (Why are they Dog Days, anyway? Cat Days would make more Sense and be more Suitable. Cats like to relax on Hot Days! Dogs run around like Idiots and lie in the Midday Sun.)
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