Generational Greed

One thing that I think is striking about our current financial crisis and the collapse of many of the institutions that we’re familiar with is the dominance of the 60’s “flower power” generation in positions at the top of troubled organizations.

This cohort, now in their 50’s and 60’s, went from an ethos of “peace, love and harmony” to one of “grab all that I can for me” with amazing velocity. The generation before – the people in their late 60’s and 70’s – are somewhat shocked, and those like me, a few years behind, feel like there’s nothing left for us.

It is this generation, the children of the late 40’s and early 50’s, that have sucked our economy, our ecology and our ethical compass completely dry. It is this generation that learned to take without giving. It is this generation that will leave us bankrupt.

Flower power, my ass.

America Is Becoming Less Christian, Less Religious

ABC News: America Is Becoming Less Christian, Less Religious.

I know that some will think that this is a shame but I, for one, am celebrating the good news!  Maybe religion will, once and for all, get out of our laboratories and schools.

Why is this happening?  I can venture a guess.  Unlike past crises, where the holy could easily blame the secular for the trials and tribulations, this crisis came of age during a religious renaissance (fundamentalism in all religions has grown dramatically over the past 30 years).  Clearly, becoming more holy didn’t avert the crisis – in many ways it may have made it worse.

There are religious wars all over the world right now.  In past years, the religious wars tended to happen in minor states that, frankly, no one cared about.  But now, the US is involved in one – our Crusade against radical Islam.  And, gee, religious wars kill just as many, cost just as much (maybe even more)  and are just as horrific as secular ones.

So its no wonder that, this time, we’re turning our back on orthodoxy.  It’s about time!

Let’s Apply Scientific Principals to Religion!

Now that we seem to finally peeling the cold, dead hands of religion away from Science (see Obama Aims to Shield Science From Politics), I have a suggestion.

Let’s apply science to religion for a while and see what we find out.

• Water to wine?  Fail.
• Bread to flesh?  Fail.
• Tongues? No – Gibberish.  Fail.
• Voodoo Dolls?  Fail.
• Jihad?  No, suicide silly.  Fail.
• Shabbas goy?  Jeeze… Fail.
• No work on Shabbas?  Instead, the elevator stops itself?  Fail.

Turns out that most religious bullsh*t doesn’t stand the test of science any better than science stands the test of religion.  But…

• If I want to get to the moon next week, I’m voting for science.
• If I want my cancer cured, I’m voting for science.
• If I want to win a war, I’m voting for science.
• If I want someone to read this post, I’m voting for science.

Me, I’ll put my faith in something that shows results, not something that shows intolerance, stupidity and lies.

Science Wins.

So the Southern Republicans hate the UAW…

That’s great. But you know what? It is beyond credibility that this group of yahoos would kill an industry because of some idealogical bull crap… but wait, isn’t that why we’re in Iraq? Idealogical bull crap.

I’ve long believed that this particular group – evangelical christians and those who curry their favor – are more interested in driving us as fast as they can to the judgment day than anything else. They keep proving it over-and-over.

Now, its time to take action against them. Refuse service to them – everywhere they go. Boycott institutions that they love – like big churches, chambers of commerce, and country clubs. Make them play golf alone.

And more than anything, vote these lying, cheating, holier-than-thou a-holes out of office.

Why the Religious Right will burn in it’s own self-described Hell

Frankly, I’m sick of the religious right’s attempt to interject itself and control the behavior of those who aren’t affiliated with it. The “Yes on Prop 8″ campaign is a perfect example. Prop 8 – which attempts to institutionalize discrimination against gay couples – is “christiandom’s” (and I use little letters and quotes intentionally) to turn us into a fundamentalist christian nation.

In this case, the bad actors are the LDS (Mormons) and the Catholic Church. They should be ashamed of themselves for supporting this institutionalized discrimination. If being christian means hating with “christian love” those different from you – then something is definitely f*cked up.

But should we be surprised? Fundamentalists (christians, jews, muslims) have, for a long time, replaced the word “hate” with the word “love.” Thus, they kill to save you “because they love you.” Mormons baptize the dead – people who didn’t necessarily want to be baptized – “because they love you.” They kill because “they love you” or in Jesus’, Mohammed’s or God’s name. No, this is institutionalized hatred, plain and simple.

This country will burn in its own self-created hell if we keep following these pretenders to truth. It has already begun, and I expect it will continue. Unfortunately, we may all be damned.

The wall between church and state must be made taller and be fortified, not weakened by these false prophets.

Redistribution – Why a Problem?

I wonder why this has become the horrible concept that it is. After all, in the past 8 years, we have seen a redistribution of massive proportions – some of which is voluntary, some of which isn’t.

Lets look at the most extreme redistribution – health care. One can go along nicely and then, one day, have an accident or be struck by a disease. All of a sudden, the retirement is gone, the house is gone, and the family is broke. Even with good insurance. Is this not redistributive?

The recent financial crisis is another redistribution. Money was carefully saved, put into corporate pension plans, and otherwise responsibly stewarded. Then, one day, out of the blue, a “credit crisis” ensues and those who acted perfectly responsibly – with care and prudence – find their wealth redistributed or evaporated.

Trickle down has proven a failure. The wealthy haven’t recently invested in productive means, they have invested (particularly recently) in financial instruments that have little effect (or a detrimental effect) on productivity. This isn’t the days of old – where investment was made into a company that produced goods and services for the population. It is, instead, a day of investment in “financial instruments” who’s primary goal is to profit from the losses or risks of others.

Perhaps a little redistribution to the middle class would make more sense. After all, another $1,000,000 to a wealthy person is not likely to enter the commercial marketplace – instead it will be parked in a financial instrument that makes money on the margins. However, $10,000 given to a family that makes $100,000 will, in all likelihood, find itself back in the retail marketplace, buying clothes, cars, and other items that they need or want – and that keep our economy alive.

This isn’t a centrally-controlled economy – which was the real crime of communism. Instead, it is a recognition that putting money in the hands of people who will spend it will do more to bootstrap our economy than putting it in the hands of people who will invest in non-productive means.

McCain’s Service Record – Does it Qualify Him for Leadership?

McCain’s service record – particularly his status as a prisoner – is irrelevant when it comes his ability to lead.

Comparing two Republican war heroes, McCain and Eisenhower, one can see significant differences. McCain was a bomber jock who got shot down and spent time in Hanoi. While perhaps heroic, that experience did little to prepare him for the need to balance issues and deal with nuance as president.

McCain’s quickness to jingoism and brashness highlight this trait. For example, the claim that we will bring our troops home “in victory” has one small problem. But McCain has not defined what victory is. These are the words of a fighter jock who views the world – and the state of affairs – as a battle, not a war.

Eisenhower, not a POW, had substantial experience in managing a large bureaucracy – the US Military in World War II. That experience was quite useful in governing a country. While I may not agree with much of Ike’s record, he did some important stuff – like turn a recession around (1958) by creating a vision for the future (the Interstate highway system). McCain hasn’t suggested anything like that to help us dig ourselves out of our hole. Instead, McCain is spending (like Bush) without a plan or a clear vision.

Both were Republicans. Both were war heros. But only one had the experience to be president on day one – and it isn’t McCain.

Uppity…

Am I the only one who thinks that McCain/Palin treat Obama like he was an “uppity n***er?” When I was growing up in the South, that was the extremely derogatory remark used to describe African-Americans who thought that they had a place in white society. That, along with “oreo,” seemed to sum up most of the white establishment’s view of people who were ambitious enough to work hard to cross the old, vile racial barrier.

Certainly, the many comments about Obama not “being one of us,” or “sharing your background,” or being “that one” are calculated to play that racist chord. McCain’s disdain for Obama also seems to be based, in part, in this vile attitude. Unfortunately, although many in our society are past that, the racism still lives – and prospers – in the hearts of people like McCain.

And why did Cindy McCain not shake the hand of Michelle Obama? Racist?

McCain once referred to Vietnamese as “gooks,” voted against MLK day in Arizona, and has done little to dispel any evidence of a racist past (and present).

Since McCain’s wealth comes from Anheuser-Busch, we should all boycott A-B products – lets put our money where our mouth is!

Boycott Anheuser-Busch

It is time to boycott Anheuser-Busch products. A-B (the makers of Budweiser, etc.) makes the products that are sold by Cindy McCain’s family (the person responsible for the 7 houses and 12 cars).

The McCain’s treatment of the Obamas in last night’s debate was shameful. The “that one” comment, the snub by Cindy of Michelle – these are signs of the racist white establishment of the past.

Everyone who cares should, immediately, boycott all Anheuser-Busch products – and their racist distributor!

McCain is a Lying Sack of Poop

McCain is now saying he’s going to “buy up the mortgages.” Where is he going to get the money? Particularly since there will be a spending freeze on anything that isn’t military (ok, that’s only the great majority of our budget).

Now McCain (live) is saying he’s going to balance the budget? How? With an endless war at $10b/month? Buying up TRILLIONS in bad debt? McCain’s numbers are so far from reality that they are RIDICULOUS! He’s either lying or simply cannot add.

McCain needs to be tried for perjury – he’s lying to the American people!

False Patriotism/False Patriot

The GOP has a public face that stands for economic growth, solid energy policy and peace. They took a surplus from Clinton, turned it into the biggest deficit on record – while keeping everyone looking the other way with a financial shell game; took a legitimate threat and turned it into a failed imperial war – all while ignoring the real underlying threat; and had an energy policy that encouraged – and basically rewarded – over-consumption and irresponsible energy use – and when the quails came home to roost – tried to blame that on the “market.”

The Bush/Cheney years have now cost us more – in lives, money, confidence and our standing in the world – as the 9/11 attack has. McCain was basically a cheerleader for this policy. This wasn’t Reagan’s principled approach (whether or not I agreed with the principle), but instead a financial grab on the American people hiding behind jingoism and false patriotism.

The problem is that real patriots died in Iraq because of these falsehoods; real patriots are losing their life savings because of these falsehood; and real patriots cannot find jobs because of these falsehoods. But as long as the GOP (or Party of God – wait, isn’t that what Hezbollah means?) waives the flag in our faces, they seem to get carte blanch when screwing us from the other end.

Angry? You bet. I’m angry because of the false patriotism offered by McCain/Palin (note that I am not refuting McCain’s war hero status – but instead his “Country First” falsehood – the only apparent thing is that the country will be screwed first). I’m angry because people seem to be drinking this like Jim Jones’ Kool-Aid. And I’m angry because it’s my country, too, and I hate seeing it torn apart by these folks.

The Teflon Party

I realized this morning that the Republicans are doing their best to become the “teflon party,” blaming all of the country’s woes on the Democrats. While in normal times, this can be viewed as normal politics, this time around, with the two crises that we’ve seen this year – oil and the economy – this really needs to stop.

George W. Bush was a man who was supposed to understand oil. The Republicans were a party that was supposed to bring economic security and stability to our land. Both failed miserably.

During the recent oil run-up, with a President and Vice President who are supposedly expert in natural resources, we were blindsided by a near 100% run up in the price of crude oil. The culprit according to them? The “market.”

During the even more recent economic crisis, with a President and Vice President who are supposed to be of the party of economic growth, we were blindsided by what is beginning to look like a depression. The culprit according to them? Two years of a non-Republican majority in congress. What about the prior six years? The years that turned a surplus into a record deficit? Where is the mea culpa?

Lately, they’ve been quiet about Iraq and Afghanistan. Why? Because the party of security has clearly screwed that up, too. Peace? Hah. Afghanistan is in flames – and if anyone convinces you that Iraq’s thousand-year old conflict will be resolved by a few more months of the surge – I’ve got a bridge to nowhere to sell you. Again, abject failure.

And where has John McCain been on this? Oil? The answer is “drill baby drill” – maybe we can put off the crisis for our kids. The economy? Nowhere – with nothing – a hollow call for more regulation. And Iraq? Well – please define “victory” to me – and how we’re going to get there – and don’t forget Afghanistan!

How Hitler Came to Power… And Why Sarah Palin is so Dangerous

As I watched Sarah Palin in the debate, it struck me that I might, once again, be watching history repeat itself.  Where many saw a blank stare, I saw a calculating, devious and ultimately dangerous person.  As someone with a Jewish heritage (and who is a child of a holocaust survivor), I did a little more research.  The result was chilling…

Hitler came to power through parliamentary maneuvering.  He was the leader of an ideologically pure, conservative group (the National Socialists or Nazi Party) who strove to appeal to farmers, war veterans and the middle class.  They promised a better life while maintaining a hard-core, lock-step ideology.  He ascended to the chancellor’s role (a high-level, but not top-level, political office) and then quickly consolidated power with his core followers.

Sarah Palin appears on a similar path.  Her core supporters are ideologues – fundamentalists who use what they must to get to their heaven – including the Jews.  She has had at least one too many Freudian slips about being in charge (the Palin-McCain ticket, the “Cheney” Vice-Presidential comment and several other comments that have been occasionally mocked).

This is a politician, supported by a core, motivated group of extremists – a group who has proven its ability to use whatever it can to reach its goals.  This is a politician with a dangerous world view – myopic, uninterested, uneducated, and militaristic.  This is a politician whose core support comes from people who have learned to hate – and have no problem with the mental gymnastics required to call that hate “love.”  Folks, please read between the lines!

Hitler didn’t start at the top – he just positioned himself close enough to the top to consolidated power.  Palin is looking to do the same thing – supported by her group of fundamentalist extremists.  She puts forth an image that is sugary sweet, but hides a viper’s bite.  Palin – who will probably become president if elected VP – has the potential and desire to be the next Hitler – don’t let that happen.

In the 30’s, I’m sure even plenty of Jews voted for Hitler.  He was young, dynamic, attractive and inspirational.  He also killed 6,000,000 of us and millions of others – all because of his ideology of purity and national salvation.  Under her folksy facade, Sarah Palin understands that she will need the support of people who don’t scratch the surface – be they Christians, Jews, Muslims, African Americans, Asians or Hispanics, to put herself in the very same position, with respect to our government, that Hitler did with respect to his.

Folks, please look beneath the surface.  For people from a similar tradition, don’t be blinded by her “support for Israel.”  The evangelical movement has long supported Israel – they need our backs to climb on to reach their heaven.  The real question is whether these people, so convinced that the End Times are upon us, will use the tools of true political power to speed our way to them.  In that event, Israel – and the rest of the world, free or not, will burn.  This is why she is so very dangerous.

We, as free people, need to stop this train BEFORE it leaves the station.  Had Hitler not ascended to the Chancellory, he could have been stopped – well before millions had to perish at his hand.  History teaches us lessons – but it is our job to hear them.  Learn the lesson – and don’t let Sarah Palin ascend to the Vice Presidency.

China & the US

OK… so China just launched a manned space flight – and we’re arguing whether dinosaurs were part of the food chain during Adam and Eve’s time…

I can’t tell if America is experiencing a Cultural Revolution but our capitalist Great Leap Forward in deregulation has certainly been a disaster…

GOP Ticket Split over Condom Use

This was a headline within the LA TImes today – referring to a story that little miss sarah had apparently supported, eee gads, condom education.  

Now, after I stopped laughing, I thought that it would be good to rearrange the headine (and slightly modify it)… now it should say:
“GOP Ticket’s Condom Splits During Use”
oh… and by the way, what is Trig short for?  Trigger?

Track and Trigger… sounds like they watched one too many episodes of the Lone Ranger or Gunsmoke…

Forget about Palin

If we want to get Obama elected, we need to stop lavishing so much attention on what’s-her-face. That’s exactly what Rove & Co. want. Comparing Palin’s experience to Obama’s only diminishes him and brings her to his level.

McCain isn’t smart enough, wise enough or even-tempered enough to be president of anywhere. That’s the real issue. Let’s not get caught up in the Sarah idiot sideshow.

The Party of God

Does the Party of God (the GOP) really think that we’re that dumb?  I’m listening to Orrin Hatch qvell over this trailer-trash VP candidate.

McCain isn’t “change.”  Palin isn’t “change.”  They’re all tools of the right-wing nutcase fundamentalists.  I hope that their god comes quickly and scoops them up and takes them to the next life… someone needs to.

The Party of God – the American Taliban!

The Trailer Trash VP

OK… Sarah Palin’s kid is pregnant… Trigger couldn’t be her kid – why, because she’s already knocked up!

Oh, wait, weren’t these folks from Juneau the same folks who hated the movie Juno?

Palin can just govern from the double-wide… as she drives all all to hell in a handbasket.

Face it, Jesus isn’t going to save us from this comedy of errors.

Obama, Age and Race

Noticing the 50+ crowd (of which I’m a member) complain about the upstart Obama campaign – and watching the news reports of how these folks are, if not flocking to, at least in some numbers joining, the McCain camp, I can’t help but wonder about a couple of things.

First, is this – the generation who never trusted anyone over thirty – now the generation that never trusts anyone under sixty?  After all, there does seem to be a feeling of “it’s our time” among this crowd that smacks of a bit of ageism.

Second, is all this talk about experience and age just cover for the racism that many of these folks feel?  Remember, these are the folks who championed civil rights – but never had any meaningful black friends.  These are the folks that fear black neighborhoods, but don’t know what to do about it.  These are the folks that broke cultural boundaries with their art and music, but run from the next wave – Rap and Hip-Hop – which broke cultural boundaries for the next generations.

If Obama was 60 instead, we may have a clearer picture of whether this is race or age… but to me, the underlying distrust in this country can, nearly always, be brought down to race and religion.

Why is Obama Black?

Obama is the first “black” presidential candidate.  At least that is what the press, the various campaigns, etc., are saying.  Also, Barack does more identify with his black roots than his white roots.

But here is the rub.  Barack is as black as he is white.  His mom was white, his dad was black.  He should be “grey.”

And there is the problem with the underlying racism in our society.  Racism that may (or may almost) prevent Mr. Obama from winning the presidency over a tired, cranky, old white guy who should be spending his time in an RV in Del Ray.  

A person can be white (e.g., both parents white), or something else.  The something else is never white.  It is Asian, Black, Jewish, Hispanic, Indian (US and Asian), etc.  The “impurity” is the problem

And the bigger problem is that we look at it as an impurity.

Face it, America.  We’re a racist, homophobic, xenophobic society.  We have a national religion – unaffiliated fundamentalist christianity.  

Maybe Jesus will save us – but I doubt it.  We still measure a man or woman’s worth by their race, sexual preference, religion, etc.  Jesus and god – ok, I don’t believe in either – aren’t going to bother with us as long as we buy into this crap.

The Conservative Jihad

Seven years after 9/11/01, we’re a nation on our knees.  Perhaps the “terrorists” didn’t bomb the crap out of us, didn’t blow up our malls or kill our children, but what they did do is make us so scared – and so gullible to the Bush/Cheney hegemony – that we took our eyes off of any truly meaningful issues.

So we sit here, with an economy in tatters, an infrastructure that is crumbling and a national consciousness that is beaten down – and still get roused by McCain and his promise of a continued war against “terror.”

But when will we realize that Bush/Cheney and their henchmen have actually conducted the war on terror AGAINST US?  They’ve filled the coffers of their friends while emptying ours.  They’ve let our infrastructure crumble – more quickly and certainly than any terrorist bomb could have.  And they’ve left a nation cowering in the corner, fearing that their homes will be taken, that their future will be bleak and that their children will be worse off than them.

Behold, the Conservative Jihad.  A holy war waged by Bush/Cheney against the American People.  These are the true terrorists.  This is where our outrage should be directed.

Protest Song

Eddie Vedder has about the best protest song I’ve heard during the troubles… 

It goes through several of the top guns in George W. Bush-league’s administration, saying:

“Here’s to the land you tore out the heart of…”

and 

“[official name] go find another country to be part of.”

This pretty much sums up my feeling about our asshole president and his cast of thieves.  Unlike Michelle Obama, I cannot be proud of this country as long as those pricks lord over us.

Yahoo vs. Wall Street

OK… so now Yahoo is taking all sorts of heat for wanting to remain independent of Microsoft’s grip.  Is it so true that the highest form of corporate existence is to be acquired by a bigger company?

While we’re all familiar with smaller fish getting eaten by bigger fish and smaller animals falling prey to larger animals, it isn’t clear to me that being so consumed is the highest purpose of each animal.  If so, then there would have to be something at the end of it all, eating the big fish… and I doubt that humanity is it.

This leads me to an alternative theory of god – one where god is the next bigger evolutionary creature.  God’s purpose is to consume us, just like we consume fish and animals, who consume other fish and animals.  Could that be it?  We’re just a link in god’s food chain?

Is there nothing that she will stop at?

Today’s news report finally pushed me over the edge with regard to the Clinton campaign.  After whining about sexism – and OK, I acknowledge that it exists, but where was the acknowledgment that Obama suffers both racism and misplaced anti-muslim behavior – she goes on and says that she’s in the race because “you never know what might happen” evoking the memory of Bobby Kennedy.

Geeze.  Wasn’t it her that said that only she could get the vote of white working class voters?  Wasn’t it she who pandered to every religious, social, ethnic and gender group out there?  Wasn’t it she who violated the election rules in both Florida and Michigan?  You can bet your bottom rupee that if she was on the other side of the table, she’d be arguing about how Obama can’t now expect to bend the rules.

The problem with Hillary is the same problem that we have with Bush – that moral and ethical relativity is taken to an extreme.  Certainly, no one realistically expects complete honesty from their elected officials, but the bald-faced disingenuousness of her bullshit is only equaled by the moral torpor of the Bush white house. 

This candidate needs to simply shut up and go away.  Period.

Ohhh…. that’s scary

I’m watching Fox News – now we have a boogie man… “Black Liberation Theology.”  They had some minister, Rob Shenck, talking about how it is “out of the mainstream” and even “advocates violence” … ohhh… scary…. and maybe even touches on, get this, Marxism.

Can you say “inquisition?”  War in Iraq?  War in many places?  War friggin everywhere?

Lets see… christianity was used to keep blacks down… to enslave them.  To kill Jews.  To kill Indians.  To kill Muslims.  So what’s so different about this?

Frankly, if a community is being violently oppressed – then what’s wrong with a little violence to stop it?

How else are we going to stop these f*cking right-wing nut jobs?  The folks who are using this war in Iraq to oppress the American middle class?  Are we the last group to stand silently and take it up the ass?  Maybe someone really does need to stand up and say “enough” and have something behind it.

EE

Jeremiah Wright – is he right?

I’m reading with interest the controversy over Obama’s minister, Jeremiah Wright.  Much of the controversy seems to be whether he is “anti-American” or racist.  I think not.

First, let me say that I am neither black nor Christian.  I don’t come from either of those traditions, nor do I embrace any religious tradition (in fact, I am a non-believer).  But, I do think that we, as a nation, have deluded ourselves on several major issues – issues that Rev. Wright points out (with much criticism).

1) The US commits terrorism.  What is terrorism?  Why is it different from our acts?  Does anyone think that our mortal enemies would have crashed passenger jetliners into buildings if they had B-52’s?  Of course not.  They would have sat there at a comfortable 45,000 feet pushing buttons and dropping tons of bombs.  That’s what we do to them.  Why is our action justified and theirs not?  I simply don’t understand.

2) The US committed sins against blacks.  Yes.  This is obvious.  It still does.  Duh.

3) The government has conspired to keep the black community down.  Duh, again…  of course they have.

This stuff is obvious.  The problem is that no one wants to hear it.  That’s it.

EE

Health Care Crisis (or is that Health Care Circus)

At one point, I worked for a health insurer (actually, I’ve worked for several).  The most obnoxious among them has a political action committee for its employees dedicated to “preserving choice” in the health care system.

But who’s choice?  Certainly, not the individual’s choice, in the main.  No, it is the choice of the large employers, mostly.  

And then there is the retroactive disenrollment (recision for the uninitiated).  That’s where they sell someone a policy, wait for them to get sick, then cancel the policy retroactively to its issuance and seek to get the money back.  And yes, it is a programmatic effort.

Consumers claim that the applications are complex and misleading (they are).  Insurers claim that the policy holders lie (some do).  But this is a mess – and really goes to the heart of insurance “choice.”  Now we know who has the choice – the people who sell the policy and then, two years later, try to claim a mulligan.

And privatization is good, right?  I can’t wait for socialism to return!

Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

I started the election cycle a solid fan of Hillary Clinton.  After all, my life was better during the Clinton years than any years since, and since I have two kids, I would want the improvements in their lives to occur too.  Plus, I really think we need single-payer health care (more on that in another post) and believe that she’s the only one who could bring that home.

But Hillary couldn’t have done a better job of botching a campaign.  This will go down in history as one of the worst campaigns ever – and now I’m a solid fan of Mr. Obama.

What did she do wrong?  

1. Pandered to the “core” democratic base – people that most of the country feels a certain amount of contempt for – union bosses, entertainment execs, party hacks.
2. Blown every opportunity to benefit from an Obama gaffe.  The latest one – Bittergate – is a perfect example.  Whether or not the next-day quaffing of a beer in a bar was pre-planned, it looked ridiculously staged.
3. Tried to pull a Dubya – by pretending to sound like a stupid white lady.  Shit, I expect her to show her sagging back tatoo soon – maybe a heart with an arrow through it, maybe some “wings.” (time to ask LA Ink whether they can quickly “age” a tatt.  Bush, for all his faults, is exceptional at sounding like a dumb redneck.  (note that I believe that Bush is as dumb as a fox – and that the Dems have consistently made the mistake of thinking he’s stupid – he isn’t).
4. Forgot to elevate the debate.  What Obama does brilliantly is pull people up by their brains.  More than anything, this country needs to start using those silly little organs to solve our problems.  Being pulled up by the brain is a good thing.

Hopefully, the final stake will be driven through the heart of the Clinton campaign by the good people of Pennsylvania.  Then we will be able to see how absolutely devoid of ideas and a plan Mr. McCain is.

EE

Sitting on a Bench in Delray

Every time I see John McCain on television, I think about my time in Florida, surrounded by the geriatric crowd.  Sure, they make him up from the front – a little rouge to make the cheeks look healthy, a touch-up here and there, etc.

But when you catch a glimpse of him from behind, you see a guy who should be waiting for a bus in Delray Beach, Florida.  Someone who, if is “plumbing” still works, will get casseroles brought to him nightly, someone who drives a white Grand Marquis – and peers through the space between the dashboard and the top of the steering wheel.

I’m sure that Washington’s restaurants are bracing for the onslaught of 4pm diners – after all, even state dinners will be early-bird specials.  Certainly, McCain will win the “Wal-Mart Greeter” vote – but the rest of us?  No.

The other thing is that McCain spent a few years in Hanoi.  No doubt, he was a military hero – but have you seen the Manchurian Candidate?  Watch the first one… and ponder the possibilities.

Is this what we want for President?