Executive Speechwriting: Corporate, Weddings, Retirement

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Mitt Romney lists Jeb Bush as possible running mate

President Mitt Romney and Vice President Jeb Bush

Not sure what I think, but this is either a great move or a death knell to Romney.

Romney Lists Potential Running Mates (Forbes)

Bush carries the Bush name, which I think is, politically, unfortunate. Many people have turned against George W., and would not hesitate to fry Jeb. This includes Republicans.

Whether Jeb is such a liability, though, given the current not-so-conservative crop of Republicans, is hard to say. This could focus every conservative on the Romney campaign.

It is the kind of organization and teamwork Republicans are famous for, and Democrats sorely wish they had.

Also, it could give Jeb a national light, and if a Democrat wins in 2008, set him up for a winnable campaign in 2012. He would have four years, plus this campaign, to show why he is like George W, but only in the good ways, and his own man in the ways the anti-GW cult worships.

If the Democrats do well in the White House, Jeb, of course, can't win. With the edge of a Democrat downbeat at election time, in 2012, it might be a third Bush in the White House.

The Republicans know for 2008, they are the underdog. With many Republican candidates sounding more like Democrats than Democrats, they need a strategy to distinguish themselves.

The ball is in the hands of Democrats, but it is wobbly. As popular as Hillary Clinton is, with Barack Obama generating a lot of news, they also have been biting each other's back. Enough mud-slinging amongst themselves, and we will have President Romney. No one wants a president who fosters anger.

Will the public go for it? What do you think? Who represents the perfect pairing for each party?

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Tuesday, March 27, 2007

President Bush's Statement on Tony Snow's Cancer Recurrence

Serious news here. Cancer has spread in both John Edward's wife, and White Press Secretary Tony Snow. This is beyond politics and partisan idealogy. I hope well for each.

President Bush's Statement on Tony Snow's Cancer Recurrence
Rose Garden
10:54 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: This morning I got a phone call from Tony Snow. He called me from the hospital. He told me that when they went in and operated on him they found cancer. It's a recurrence of the cancer that he thought that he had successfully dealt with in the past. His attitude is, one, that he is not going to let this whip him, and he's upbeat. My attitude is, is that we need to pray for him, and for his family.

Obviously, a lot of folks here in the White House worry a lot about their friend, as do Laura and I. And so my message to Tony is, stay strong; a lot of people love you and care for you and will pray for you. And we're hoping for all the best. I'm looking forward to the day that he comes back to the White House and briefs the press corps on the decisions that I'm making and why I'm making them. In the meantime, I hope our fellow citizens offer a prayer to he and his family.

Thank you.

END 10:55 A.M. EDT

Monday, March 26, 2007

Hillary Gets Blogged: Good, Bad & OMG

Hillary fans. Outside of one lone Hillary Duff result, the top blogging about Hillary Clinton follows a theme: 1984. A few entries I reviewed trickle in with the usual "Hillary is no good," or "I worship Hillary and want her to be my life partner." Those, in their extreme, mindless views, do not matter. No one on any side of any views listens to them. Such ideas are better suited for MySpace.

What does matter is the brilliant pro-Hillary result the 1984 video has had. Someone in the Obama camp beat up on a girl. Not that Hillary is unable to defend herself, but that's what happened.

Meanwhile, even though at election time, the YouTube video itself will mean nothing, the issues are being ignored. This allows more strategy time for all parties. It provides a reprieve for Hillary Clinton's people, and gives a break to the anti-war folks.

A few have enjoyed using profanity. but, again, that's MySpace talk, not serious political dialoging.

Let me encourage you to look through these, and comment on them. Not just here, but on their blogs.


Hillary: Hawk

Hillary in 5th Place Among DFA Democrats

Hillary Clinton's Free Commercial On GMA

Hillary says she "learned a lot."

Was Hillary Duff's Band Actually Playing On GMA This Morning?

Singles

HILLARY CLINTON SEEKS TO STOP INCREASE IN EDWARDS POLL NUMBERS ...

HILLARY CLINTON APPEARANCE AT CIVIL RIGHTS MEMORIAL SERVICE IN ...

American Research Poll

HILLARY IN HOLLYWOOD HIT: $2.6M FUNDRAISER OUTPACE...

Candidate: Hillary Clinton

John Edwards' blogornauts lack vision on Hillary 1984, Part 2

John Edwards' blogornauts lack vision on Hillary 1984, Part 1

Hillary 1984 Creator identified, Resigned ... Uh, fired!

Hillary Clinton Tries to Show She's Got the Balls

Hillary 1984

Hillary Clinton to Secret Service Detail: "Get F*cked!"

Our response to the Obama 1984 ad

Hillary Clinton, 198.... err... 2008

Lasky Endorses Hillary

Vilsack to Endorse Hillary

President Hillary Clinton: The Great Dictator?

Hillary Clinton '1984' Video Send-Up: "Big Sister Is Watching You"

The Impact of "Hillary 1984"

1984 apple Ad spoofed vs Hillary clinton vs Obama

Hillary Clinton in Houston on Saturday!

Vilsack Endorses Hillary, Surprises No One

Barack Obama Denies Campaign Ties to Anti-Hillary Clinton YouTube Ad

Vilsack to Endorse Hillary

MORE STRAY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE HILLARY AD One rea...

Who likes Hillary?

Designer of the Hillary "Big Brother" Ad Fired

The people speak — to Hillary

Vilsack Expected to Curse Hillary’s Campaign

Vilsack Backs Hillary

'Hillary 1984'

Dick Morris Still Obsessive-Compulsive Re: Hillary...

Hillary pt. 2 (Liabilities)

Morris Says It's Hillary, Rudy and Maybe Bloomberg

Continuing the Conversation with Hillary

Pro-Obama anti-Hillary ad

Just Say No To ATM Hillary

The Hillary "1984" ad.

hillary 2008

1984 Look, I'm not supporting Hillary Clinton in t...

So that's why Hillary likes it!

Hillary As “Big Brother.”

Ohio, Philip De Vellis And Anti-Hillary Ad: A Step Close To Obama?

Hey, Hillary. Remind me why I'm supposed to go to the mat for you ...
Tough question

Hillary; 1984 Apple ad; Big Sister; Obama; Vote Different; Phillip ...

Edwards stays in

This is the 1984 version of Hillary Clinton's Presidency Bid

The Now Ubiquitous 'Hillary-1984' Ad Watches Over Us

"VOTE SMART: a warning to all women about hillary clinton" someone ...

I'm Hillary...Vote For Me...I'm Your Bitch!

Is Hillary Clinton Really Big Sister?

More on the Hillary/Obama ads

Here's the latest Hillary video...

Hillary Meets Orwell With Surprising Resonance

Sayet v. Hillary

Hillary finishes fifth in Dem Poll

Memo To Hillary Clinton: The Truth Shall Set You Free

Obama's Religion: Just in from Professor Kim

Hillary's Hacktacularness

Hillary Clinton's Anti-Gun Agenda

In Iowa, Clinton Calls for Repeal

Hillary vs. Obama: Some bloggers naive, some devious

So...what's the big deal about the 1984 Hillary Video?

Hillary in 1984

Obama's press secretary lived with "Hillary 1984" ad creator

Creator of Hillary 1984 Ad identified

Hillary Clinton...MrsSatan ...um... Auntie Remus!

Another reason not to support Hillary

The Moonie Media and Hillary: The Chickens are Com...

Hillary Clinton: Brought to You by Corporate America

Hillary Clinton visits a school

On Not Voting For Hillary

The problem with Hillary.

Hillary Clinton's Confederacy Hypocrisy

Cenk Uygur On Hillary Clinton's Failure To Lead

Anti-Clinton, Anti-Obama Videos: The YouTube Generation Gets Political

Hillary Clinton Leads Pack

Hillary

Giuliani Notes: Rudy Beating Hillary by 8 Points

2008: Hillary vs McCain?

Hillary Clinton knows all about sacking US Attorneys

Props to Arianna for Outing the Author of Hillary 1984 Mashup

Vote for Hillary. She's a woman like you: Divisive?

Politics Tuesday - Hillary Clinton

Hillary makes it official

Hillary Arrives!!

Bill: Quit Picking on Hillary Over Iraq Vote

Hillary: "We Need A Diplomat"

Hillary caught re-creating her biography yet again

Hillary Clinton's Accent

What Does She Really Think?

Buy Apple stuff from Amazon

Original Apple Macintosh 1984 Commercial

As a matter of history and comparison to the now infamous ad starring Hillary Clinton, look at the original Apple 1984 commercial. Those in the ada game consider it brilliant. It worked well in the context of the SuperBowl, using the forum watched by millions to launch the Macintosh. All business cliches asides, it really was the announcement of a new generation of computing.

YouTube Barack Obama-affiliated anti-Hillary Clinton 1984 video

Macintosh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Buy Apple stuff from Amazon

YouTube Barack Obama-affiliated anti-Hillary Clinton 1984 video

This is THE YouTube Barack Obama-affiliated anti-Hillary Clinton 1984 video, spoofing the famed Apple Macintosh 1984 ad.

I doubt Obama engineered this, but, as we learned with the John Edwards campaign, sometimes leaders are fools when it comes to hiring people with integrity. Edwards, as you recall, hired some people who hate Catholics, and said so on their blogs. And, we also know mudslinging is part of both Hillary's and Obama's campaign strategy.

Politics as usual.



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Friday, March 23, 2007

Sickness in Politics

Elizabeth Edwards' Cancer has returned. While whatever the right might say about the left, or vice versa, this is serious.

John Edwards' campaign might be in jeopardy, but hopefully his wife's cancer will go into remission.

Likewise Bush spokesman Snow to undergo abdominal surgery "to remove a small growth in his lower abdomen". Tony Snow's situation is less serious, but still hardly just the sniffles.

We wish them both good health.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Rules for Political Campaigns: Smear or Be Smeared (Smear Anyway)

Rules for Political Campaigns
  1. Smear your opponent.
  2. Blame your opponent for smearing you.
  3. Suggest your opponent is unworthy due to past activities.
  4. Blame rich people for fighting you.
  5. Ask rich people for money.
  6. More money is better; keep asking.
  7. Have expensive fundraisers to talk about poor who can't attend fundraiser.
  8. Claim religious superiority over opponent.
  9. Blame religion for all the world troubles.
  10. Attend church for a photo opp on Sunday.
  11. Point fingers at Christians as intolerant.
  12. Act intolerantly toward Christians.
  13. Court races you otherwise never spend time with.
  14. Tolerate comedians lampooning your opponent.
  15. Complain when comedians make you look like Big Brother on YouTube.
  16. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Search Google Video for Hillary Clinton YouTube videos.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

President's Radio Address - President Bush Addresses Defense & Democrats' Position

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. In times of war, Congress has no greater obligation than funding our war fighters. And next week, the House will begin debate on an emergency war spending bill.

The purpose of this legislation should be to give our troops on the front lines the resources, funds, and equipment they need to fight our enemies. Unfortunately, some in Congress are using this bill as an opportunity to micromanage our military commanders, force a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, and spend billions on domestic projects that have nothing to do with the war on terror.

Our troops urgently need Congress to approve emergency war funds. Over the past several weeks, our Nation has begun pursuing a new strategy in Iraq. Under the leadership of General David Petraeus, our troops have launched a difficult and dangerous mission to help Iraqis secure their capital. This plan is still in its early stages, yet we're already seeing signs of progress. Iraqi and American troops have rounded up more than 700 people affiliated with Shia extremists. They've also launched aggressive operations against Sunni extremists. And they've uncovered large caches of weapons that could have been used to kill our troops. These are hopeful signs. As these operations unfold, they will help the Iraqi government stabilize the country, rebuild the economy, and advance the work of political reconciliation. Yet the bill Congress is considering would undermine General Petraeus and the troops under his command just as these critical security operations are getting under way.

First, the bill would impose arbitrary and restrictive conditions on the use of war funds and require the withdrawal of forces by the end of this year if these conditions are not met. These restrictions would handcuff our generals in the field by denying them the flexibility they need to adjust their operations to the changing situation on the ground. And these restrictions would substitute the mandates of Congress for the considered judgment of our military commanders.

Even if every condition required by this bill was met, all American forces -- except for very limited purposes -- would still be required to withdraw next year, regardless of the situation in Iraq. The consequences of imposing such an artificial timetable would be disastrous.

Here is what Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recently told Congress: Setting a fixed date to withdraw would "essentially tell [the enemy] how long they would have to wait until we're gone." If American forces were to step back from Baghdad before it is more secure, the scale and scope of attacks would increase and intensify. A contagion of violence could spill out across the entire country, and in time, this violence would engulf the region. The enemy would emerge from the chaos emboldened with new safe havens, new recruits, new resources, and an even greater determination to harm America. Such an outcome would be a nightmare for our country.

Second, the bill would cut funding for the Iraqi security forces if Iraqi leaders did not meet rigid conditions set by Congress. This makes no sense. Members of Congress have often said that the Iraqis must step forward and take more responsibility for their own security -- and I agree. Yet Members of Congress can't have it both ways: They can't say that the Iraqis must do more and then take away the funds that will help them do so. Iraq is a young democracy that is fighting for its survival in a region that is vital to American security. To cut off support for their security forces at this critical moment would put our own security at risk.

Third, the bill would add billions of dollars in domestic spending that is completely unrelated to the war. For example, the House bill would provide $74 million for peanut storage, $48 million for the Farm Service Agency, and $35 million for NASA. These programs do not belong in an emergency war spending bill. Congress must not allow debate on domestic spending to delay funds for our troops on the front lines. And Members should not use funding our troops as leverage to pass special interest spending for their districts.

We are a Nation at war, and the heaviest responsibilities fall to our troops in the field. Yet we in Washington have responsibilities, as well. General Petraeus was confirmed by the Senate without a single vote in opposition, and he and his troops need these resources to succeed in their mission. Many in Congress say they support the troops, and I believe them. Now they have a chance to show that support in deed, as well as in word. Congress needs to approve emergency funding for our troops, without strings and without delay. If they send me a bill that does otherwise, I will veto it.

Thank you for listening.

END
source: WhiteHouse.gov

Download a video from Amazon.com

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Right-Wingers Accused By Hillary Clinton of Having Issues With Her - Conspiracy Tales Abound

I think this is spot-on. Hillary Clinton is up against right-wingers attempt to keep her out of office. They did not like Bill Clinton, and they like Hillary less. I'll wager Bill looking better now than then, to them. Given a choice between Mr. Clinton or Mrs. Clinton, I think the GOP prefers Mister.

Consider the situation:
Bill's accused of an affair while in office. The Republicans were then considered the family party (this is before it was figured out that there was a wife-ditch divorce bonanza in the GOP). Here was a great opportunity to do a few things --
  • Gain support among pro-family and other moral conservatives
  • Decrease interest in the Clinton brand
  • Deflect awareness of anything controversial the GOP wanted to push
  • Gear up for what became the Bush Dynasty
Bill was easy. He played into their hands because of his personal dalliances. He was not beyond reproach, and was nailed trying to nail someone other than his legal Missus.

Calling what was no conspiracy was, in itself, though, conspiracy talk by the Democrats. It is a term (conspiracy) that builds fear among voters.

Additionally, what the conservatives are doing is no different than the campaign efforts done by each party. The language being used in speeches is not generated randomly, but through marketing efforts. Blacks are subjected to it by the Democrats. Evangelical Christians get it from the Republicans. Each demographic becomes insulted and manipulated (to be black, you must not vote Republican; to be Christian, you must not vote Democrat).

Is the Walter Reed fiasco conveniently happening now, allowing the Republican campaign to be disrupted? Maybe. Just like the Clinton extra-marital affair, though, those accused are apparently guilty of that which they are charged.

The moral of the story? Live beyond reproach.

If you walk into a bar, no matter whether you are a teetotaler or a drunk, people will presume you drank. If that's OK with you, walk on in. Otherwise, stay home. Bill took the risk of a little hanky-panky with Monica Lewinsky, and his party paid for it. The gang heading up the Walter Reed Army Hospital is talking heat now.

Clinton revives 'right-wing conspiracy' term
More on Clinton

Monday, March 12, 2007

They're All Bums

An assorted, sordid bunch of chumps are looking at the White House for their next job. With minimum wage getting stronger, I think it is safe to presume jobs will be adequate, no matter what happens. There's always Wal-Mart.
  • Hillary not admitting she was wrong about Iraq
  • George thinking he was right about everything
  • Rudy's been through women than men on Craig's List, and only a few less than Bill Clinton
  • Newt thinking he's righteous (if you don't count the affairs)
  • Barack thinking he's hip
  • McCain thinking he's Republican (except, sort of, on certain certain days, when he's independent)
  • Kerry thinking he matters ("I'm not Bush")
  • Edwards thinking he's Jesus, but hires Catholic bashers

(Just posted this on Craig's List, and thought it deserved to be here.)

Buy Some Election Trinkets, Or Browse Other Sites
Hillary Clinton Store (also Bush stuff)
Hillary Clinton Store in the UK (Bush stuff too)
Would Hillary Support Danish Cartoon Freedom?
Anna Nicole Smith 1967 - 2007: A fan site
Diary of a Newspaper Hawk: An Everyman's View
Rubik's Cube: Get Your Nerd On

Chuck Hagel's Wishy-washy View on His Presidential Candidacy

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton doesn't know yet if she'll be facing Chuck Hagel. Not only is he a Republican, and she would not see him until November 2008, but he's not ready to run for president.

Hagel Postpones Decision on 2008 New York Times

If he isn't sure yet, he will never be. The winner of each primary is already among those running. The rest have been too indecisive. Either they are waiting on opinion polls and have no conviction besides that, or they are waiting for the floor to drop under those already running.

By waiting, they are playing. We don't need a player. We need a leader wrought of conviction and integrity. Hagel may have integrity, but his wishy-washing thoughts on candidacy indicate he is no leader -- at least, not on the international level.

I recommend he look into a hobby more suited for uncertainty: Gardening All-in-One for Dummies

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Bush Bait Bites -- Chavez Speaks Spite

Hugo Chavez, loud mouth of South America, of Venezuela to be exact, tried his darnedest to goad Bush into a potty-mouthed playground slap fight.

Bush, more a man than Chavez, held his ground through silence. I'm confident Hillary Clinton is more of a man than Chavez. So is Nancy Pelosi. Chavez's own mother is more of a man than he is.

I suppose, if I were an insignificant chump strong-arming what might have otherwise been a great country, I would yell and stomp my feet too. Whining as Chavez has will get him attention. In grade school, he would get sent to the principal's office, but, as a grown-up, he gets media attention.

With Saddam dead, Castro all but dead, dictators and other bums fading from usefulness, Hugo has every right to be concerned. Communism is dying. Islamic terrorism will be crushed. Dictators will no longer be negotiated with. Even the currently oppressive China is joining the capitalistic world, if only by degrees.

His days, in a world that will not tolerate puny ideologies, are numbered.

Why he cries? It is not because he is afraid of Bush. He knows Bush is gone in 2008, and will be lame duck before that. It is because he hates America. He'll hate Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Rudy, G, or John McCain. Whomever is the next president, no matter who, will be despised.

Bush, wisely, spits on Hugo by not saying anything.

Bush refuses to comment on Chavez during Latin America trip

The crumbling Hugo Chávez power equation
Petroleumworld.com, Venezuela - 9 hours ago
Hugo Chavez's power equation is based upon two main components: resources and strategy. The resource side of the equation has been based in oil income. ...

Friday, March 9, 2007

Important to the New York Times Political Scene: 49 Terms

Those terms below (49 of them) will be familiar to many of you. Readers of the New York Times will know them as today's "Popular Tags." What becomes a curious question is why are these the ones, and, of deeper interest to me at the moment, why the missing ones missing?

Apparently, these are newsworthy terms, and those who are left off, aren't. Logical? Of course.

Granted, the list must be finite. Still, where's Newt Gingrich, scandal-monger of the moment? Why are Mark Foley and John Kerry still being talked about? And Dennis Hastert? Isn't he old news, now that Nancy Pelosi is now strong-arming the House as Speaker? Why is Illinois missing. Hastert and Obama, both on the list, are Illinoisans, and Hillary Clinton was born there.

Click them to go to stories with the corresponding tag (you're it!).
  1. 2008
  2. barack obama
  3. bill clinton
  4. California
  5. campaign cash
  6. Congress
  7. CONSERVATIVES
  8. debates
  9. Democrats
  10. Dennis Hastert
  11. ethics
  12. Florida
  13. fund raising
  14. george allen
  15. George W. Bush
  16. Harry Reid
  17. health care
  18. Hillary Rodham Clinton
  19. House
  20. immigration
  21. iowa
  22. Iraq
  23. john edwards
  24. john kerry
  25. john mccain
  26. lobbying
  27. mark foley
  28. midterm elections
  29. mitt romney
  30. Nancy Pelosi
  31. Nevada
  32. new hampshire
  33. New Jersey
  34. Ohio
  35. page scandal
  36. political advertising
  37. polls
  38. primaries
  39. Republicans
  40. rudy giuliani
  41. sam brownback
  42. Senate
  43. South Carolina
  44. Tennessee
  45. terrorism
  46. texas
  47. tom vilsack
  48. Virginia
  49. White house

McCain Backs ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and Safely Waddles the Politicosphere

It looks as if John McCain is drawing on 'safe' liberal issues -- ones that appeal to middle-of-the-roaders. 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is one of those issues that are the least consequential, but the most discussed.

By supporting it, McCain alienates few conservatives, but will snag voters who want to see that he's not a cookie cutter conservative. They like he speaks his own. Here, he gets to come across as an independent thinker, yet safely within the realm of what is acceptable.

He'll have enough difficulty gaining conservative votes with his prochoice views. His Iraq position, more pro-Bush than anti, will earn him conservative points. This here, the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' gets him in the news, talked about in the venerable NYT, garners fresh votes, and offends few.

see: McCain Backs ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in the New York Times

Hillary Clinton: Supporting Our Troops : Press Release

Below, verbatim, is a release from Hillary Clinton's campaign HQ. Everything here is easy to agree with. Who wants to say, apart from the former head of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, "Let's give our troops awful health care. They don't deserve better."

Of course not. What they are doing in Iraq is noble - beyond noble. They deserve this, as well as our personal help. Know a returning vet and own a company? Hire him or her. Lend them your car. Loan them a few bucks. Help them do their taxes. Babysit their kids so that Mom and Dad can get to know each other again.

-begin press release-

3/8/2007
Hillary Clinton: Supporting Our Troops
Hillary Clinton spoke at the Center for American Progress today, calling for immediate steps to better train and equip our troops and get them the care they need when they return home.

IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH CARE: In her speech, Hillary proposed improving the screening process for our troops before they deploy to better track mental health conditions and cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. She also proposed a measure to provide assistance to families struggling to care for a loved one with psychological and brain injuries.

FIXING THE DISABILITY SYSTEM: To deal with the high number of disability claims being rejected, Hillary proposed an independent review of denied claims to help veterans get the benefits they deserve.

TAKING CARE OF ORPHANS: To ensure that the children of single parents killed in combat are cared for, Hillary proposed allowing soldiers to designate someone to receive their benefits and care for their children.

source: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=1380

A NEW GI BILL OF RIGHTS: In the coming weeks, Hillary will announce a new GI Bill of rights that will expand opportunities for veterans to get a college education, afford their own home and start small businesses.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Gingrich Sleeps Around While Impeaching Clinton, Reviews Books on Amazon

My title is misleading. There is no admission of any sleeping around. It implies sleeping, and more than one affair. Neither of which is known for certain. The part about book reviews is true. Keep reading and enjoy the ride!

Strangely popular among conservatives who usually hold morality and ethics in high esteem. Gingrich has demonstrated neither over his career, or, at least, has failed miserably in both along the way. However, some things are negotiable, and Newt can negotiate with the best.

Hard to know what to think, because here (Gingrich had affair during Clinton probe) he admits it. Not only does he admit he had an affair, but he tells a bunch of conservative Christians that. He knows, as they say, it won't play well in Peoria. Or Colorado Springs, Colo. Or Wheaton, Ill. Or Grand Rapids, Mich. Or the rest of America which still makes decisions based on their belief system.

Admitting you are wrong to those who you can be confident think what you did is a vile sin is not common for a politician. Remember, Hillary Clinton has yet to admit to the Democrats that her vote to send in troops into Iraq was wrong. While much of American still believes that Iraq needs democracy, and shudder when the WMD issue is brought up, the Democrats are now saying we should never have gone in for any reason (including Saddam Hussein). In Hillary's camp, she was dead wrong, and although she won't truly cheer on the troops, she is not wavering in her nonadmission. These admissions are like pulling teeth. Our pal Bill Clinton had a difficult time acknowledging what happened with his sweetie-on-the-side Monica Lewinsky. That must not have been too bad (what Monica and Bill did), as Hillary stood by her man.

He's (back to Gingrich) worthy of intellectual respect. He's smart, and the Democrats know this. They know he's one of the best minds in politics. That concerns them. The last they want is old hound dog Newt thinking up ways to beat them. He might not be true presidential material, but if he is behind a candidate, he might cause the Democrats more to shake about that the whispered name "George."

Besides engineering brilliant strategies for the Republican Party on the macro and micro level, he's an accomplished and respected Amazon.com book reviewer. Yes, THE Newt Gingrich reviews books. Sure, sure, we know he has been written about. And some in his familyare writing books, letting the famous Gingrich name help them out. But he reviews. And is repected for them.

You might be thinking he has whipped out a few book reviews of rah-rah Republican books or leadership-types. No, sirree. Lots of thrillers.He's the real deal. He's ranked 944 today, with 141 reviews.

Check 'em out: Newt Gingrich's book reviews

Pelosi, Blagovich, Libby, Capt. America, GI Bill of Rights

Summing up my thoughts today is said on another blog: Captain America's Death & Blagovich to Raise Taxes Big. Two parts of today's news, one involving a fictitious character getting the literary axe, and the other involving tremendous amounts of money.

It seems people care about money. A lot.

Nancy Pelosi is getting on about getting out of Iraq. Not everyone thinks the Democrats mean business.
Dems Aren't Urgent Enought About Withdrawal Yahoo! News

With Libby, Libby, Libby getting heat on the table, table, table, (sorry, that joke is now overkill, but prerequisite to any discussion of this criminal) George Bush has a new political problem. Pardon Libby, and he plays the game of being Libby's equal. Let Libby fry, and he risks admitting he think Libby is guilty and deserves punishment. He loses either way.
Pressure mounts for President Bush to pardon Libby

Wikipedia: Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Jr., former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.

I looked for the Libby Soup homepage, and found nothing. Any faithful readers who can find it will get a special mention in a forthcoming post. Have I spelled it wrong?

Hillary Clinton Wants a New GI 'Bill of Rights'
FOX News - 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton offered a new GI "Bill of Rights" for men and women in uniform, arguing that Democrats can do a better job of protecting ...

Pitching a softball to supporters, Hillary's plan is a good one. Fix problems like GI health care, jobs, all of that. She blames Bush, but, she sent the troops over too. She's shooting fish in a barrel, but those fish have it coming. Expect Goldy to be floating in the fishbowl soon.

She believes the Democrats can care for the troops better than the Republicans. Politically, this is brilliant. Easy to support, hard to criticize, and requires more agreement than money.

Her greatest cavity in support is a result of a national lack of confidence in her ability to lead a world class military. This won't address that completely, but it butters the fire.

Barack Obama is catching up. This tidy, safe move will boost her a few points. She has, according to RealClearPolitics, 35.6% average support. Obama has 24.6% (among Democrats only). When Edwards drops out, his 12.3% could put Obama over him. Al Gore's support, 8.4%, is meaningless until he says he'll run. The "ain't no way no how iz I votin' fer a wommin" crowd aren't hopping on the shirt with the shirt bandwagon.

The move is important too. Our troops have received questionable care. Our boys (and women, since the cliche of "our boys" is more inclusive than ever, but I have no nice sounding replacement phrase) -- our men and women are giving their lives, limbs and leaving love behind (family, friends and country) to secure freedom globally, just as they always have. They need to know they are coming back to a country which applauds them.

"I support our troops" must mean more than lip service and protests. Bush and Clinton can help lead the idea brigade to ensure this.

As Hillary piggybacks on George Bush's bipartisan move to take head-in the Walter Reed fiasco, we can have hope that politics might not reduce the effort, but enhance it. I hope they use their mutual influence for good, not to win an election. Winning an election should be the byproduct of good work, n0t the other way around.
(Bush Forms Vets' Healthcare Panel - Time Magazine) and (Soldiers Testify to Lawmakers Over Poor Care at Walter Reed & General Is Fired Over Conditions at Walter Reed New York Times)

Support Hillary Clinton for President. Buy stuff.
Hillary Clinton Store (Shrub is here too) - USA (Amazon.com)
Hillary Clinton Store in the UK (Shrub is here too) - United Kingdom (Amazon.co.uk)

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Obama's Money is Funny? Capt America Dies While Americans Spy for Osama

Disgust. Americans helping the enemy.

Because of
Former Navy man accused of spying for Osama

and

Charity accused of funneling funds to Iraq

we need this
Captain America Must Not Die - The World Needs a Hero


Barack Obama spots a doozy...
Meanwhile, Democrat hopeful chasing Hillary's skirt tails, Barack Obama, runs into trouble that will require more sorting out than a few articles.

New York Times says about Obama, "He said he had not been aware that his broker had invested up to $100,000 in two companies backed by some of his top donors."

See stories below.

Obama Says His Investments Did Not Present a Conflict of Interest
New York Times, NY - 3 hours ago
WASHINGTON, March 7 — Senator Barack Obama said Wednesday that he did not believe it was a conflict of interest to seek investment advice and use the ...
Obama Offers Explanation of Stock Purchases New York Times
Obama on Those Stocks New York Times
In ’05 Investing, Obama Took Same Path as Donors New York Times
all 163 news articles »

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Gays, Jews, Blacks, Men, Women, Hungarians, Scooter, Hillary, Obama

Sometimes you can have it all. The newsies are chomping - so many salacious stories. So little room on paper. Too much room online. What to do?

Gossip. Lie. Campaign. Say naughty things about sex.

While the world ponders the insignificance of Ann Coulter, as conservatives cheer her on for saying what they wish they could, and liberals decry her even though they do not care, the sun sets.

And Scooter Libby has been found guilty of a litany of things. That's more serious than Ann Coulter's poopy talk. The most serious is that, essentially, he was found lying and obstructing a leak investigation.

Another day.

Turn the screw another notch, please.

Covering the racial demographics, parsing people into subgroups and statistical possibility, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are becoming quite the duo. Last week, blacks. This week, Jews. I have not seen her agenda, but I think they'll work their way to Hungarian Americans, undereaters, fans of cartoons, and men. Scheduled also (and this is certain) are women and gays. No word on Ann Coulter's involvement.

Hillary Clinton Calls on Women to Help Her White House Campaign
FOX News - 4 hours ago
WASHINGTON — Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton called Tuesday for the majority of voters — women — to help her break the nation's highest glass ...
Hillary Clinton launches drive for women's votes WZZM
Hillary Clinton Campaign Organizes Pro-Abortion Women's Network LifeNews.com
Hillary Clinton Pledges White House Partnership with Gay Activists KTTC
Bgay.com - San Diego Union Tribune
all 241 news articles »

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to speak to Jewish group
American Federalist Journal - 8 hours ago
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are both scheduled to speak to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Monday. We just can't wait to hear Hillary's ...
Clinton-Obama Race Inspires and Divides Black Voters and Generations ABC News
Obama, Clinton turn civil rights marches into campaign event Turkish Daily News (subscription)
Is Hillary Steaming on the Titanic? RealClearPolitics Blog
National Ledger
all 998 news articles »



Libby Found Guilty in CIA Leak Trial
Forbes - 1 hour agoBy MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN and MATT APUZZO 03.06.07, 5:44 PM ET.
Once the closest adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted Tuesday of lying and obstructing a leak investigation that shook the top levels of the Bush ...
Libby Convicted on Most Counts WCBD-TV
Bush Accepts CIA-Gate Verdict Prensa Latina
San Francisco Chronicle - Yahoo! News - Daily News Journal (subscription) - Los Angeles Times
all 1,510 news articles »

Controversial Columnist Draws Fire for Anti-Gay Slur
ABC News - Mar 5, 2007 - By TAHMAN BRADLEY, Political Unit. March 5, 2007 -
Conservative bomb thrower Ann Coulter's lashing of 2008 ...
Washington Post - Huffington Post - Scripps News
all 367 news articles »

Eat Hungarian food tonight. Find a Hungarian restaurant
Ann Coulter? All Ann Coulter's books are here on Amazon.com.
The other
Howard Stern?

Monday, March 5, 2007

Edwards Speak for God, Hillary Speaks for Blacks, Coulter Speaks for No One (and Rudy's Kids Hate Him)

Hillary and Barack play the race card with more dexterity than a New York Harmonic violinist.
Obama and Clinton vie for black vote

Obama must, because he's black. He won't lose votes if he plays the race card, but he would if he blew them off. Hillary, however, has other issues.
Hillary under pressure

Edwards, not known as a man who thinks deeply about faith, has invoked religion, especially Christianity, by suggesting he knows what Jesus would feel like.
Edwards: Jesus Would Be 'Appalled'

Dick Cheney has dodged and squirmed out of a few things, but the one troubling him is not the pain in his ass (which is anyone who disagrees with him), but the one in his leg. No, I'm not pulling your leg. Cheney has a clot.
Dick Cheney treated for blood clot in leg

As if Dick Cheney is not already dealing with enough, Bill Maher wondered on TV if we'd be better off with Dick dead. This is keeping Republicans busy, and Democrats silent.
Anatomy of an impropriety, or Ann Coulter vs. Bill Maher

Ann Coulter, not a politician, said 'faggot' and apparently caused a one-woman censorship sensation. John Edwards did not like this, but his employees have no problem insulting Christians with hate speech. I'm not sure who is more wrong, but a thick skin Edwards does not have. To Coulter's credit, her thick skin is akin to a bovine hide. Democrats are acting surprised, Republicans aren't acting quickly enough, and no one cares but noisemakers. Whining is all the rage, as is insulting the other side.

My view: Coulter is a loud mouth, but never said she was anything but a conservative wench. Edwards pretends to be a man of tolerance, but all he can tolerate his his own view. This leaves Coulter as a jerk, but Edwards as a hypocrite.
Edwards' response to question about Ann Coulter remark

Rudy G is leading the Republicans, but his son is mad at him. I'm not sure why. One of Rudy's harem is the boy's mother. Rudy divorced at least two of woman. I lost track. Rudy has not yet begun to take Republican heat for his pro-abortion stand. The Democrats can't point that out. Mostly, they are pro-abortion too. Who wants to call the kettle black? Maybe Ann Coulter, but she would not call it black, would she? So Rudy is dancing, as always.
Giuliani Estranged From His 2 Children

That's the news in Lake Wobegon.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Why Iraq's Democracy Matters to the Next USA President

When the United States was still a few British colonies, for the most part, we fought over money, taxes, land and the right to call our own shots.

In Iraq, some boneheaded thugs who call themselves the "Islamic State of Iraq" murdered 18 Iraqi police. Bums like this are one reason it is easy to ridicule the absence of humanity found in Jihad and Osama (the "bin of morality is empty") bin Laden. This is why the Islamic cartoons hit so close to home.

Whomever is our next president will either accept this kind of terrorism as OK, and not something the US should be concerned about, or, will reject it on a variety of causes, included ethics. Politics, to be sure, is at play, but murder is murder.

The difference between the US and Iraq in the fight for freedom? There are plenty, but a doozy is that the British were not going around killing willy-nilly, saying Allah told them to do it.

Is Allah a murderer? As it seems, the Islamic State of Iraq would like to think so.

Execution of 18 Iraqi police posted on Internet
Gulf News - 2 hours agoThe gruesome execution of 18 Iraqi security troops, by a group calling themselves the Islamic State of Iraq, was posted on the internet on Saturday.
Iraqi Sunni men, boys slain after threats
Boston GlobeIraqi forces hunting killer gang
Taipei TimesCNN - News24 - FOX News - The Australian
all 1,242 news articles »

Saturday, March 3, 2007

How Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton Are Selling Out to the Black Vote

Racism in America is not dead. Usually, this refers to hateful white Americans bigoted toward black Americans. In this case, it refers to politicians pandering pompously to grab a few votes.

Let's start again. I'm not against any politician using their influence to reduce racism. Every American should be realize that racism of all kinds is bad, no matter what spin is placed on it. White Supremacists, the KKK and other lower life forms have shown us that their insecurities only self-destruct. Find me such scum that has somehow raised the quality of life in America. Not out there.

Furthermore, I've not decided who I'll vote for. I'm not, be default, for or against any candidate or any party. The dust is still in the air, but, with news like this, all I see is smog.

However, by making racism, and the showing off of being against it for the purpose of winning an election is pandering. Barack Obama is half black, if someone can be half of a color. Hillary Clinton is 100% white, who, likewise, is not a color, but a person. How they show up in a spectrometer is not important. Obama grew up in Hawaii, and Hillary grew up in a very white affluent suburb of Chicago. Neither of them have lived the difficult life of a kid in Harlem or the west side of Chicago, or the toughest parts of LA. That is not their fault, and does not suggest they do not understand racism or have a sincere desire to eradicate it.

Both are going to march in Selma, Alabama at a convenient time. Later, they'll brag, and point to this, and which of their opponents weren't there. They might even hug or hold hands in a show of unity. Maybe they'll sing gospel tunes around a campfire and pretend they are Christians too.

George Bush, as president, has official Back History Month functions he must perform, and can be, at this time, excused from this discussion. He's not running for office. Hillary and Obama are. Obama has done things in his career that give him credibility. Hillary has only done politically-related things. Now, both are playing the game.

At least one of them will not be our next president. If the loser(s) is still out there, doing the right thing, then I'll be impressed. But, for now, if I want to be entertained, I'll watch the Anna Nicole Smith Funeral Circus (starring impresario Howard Stern) .


Obama and Clinton chase black vote in Alabama
Belfast Telegraph, UK - 6 hours ago
But that calculation changed last week for the Clinton campaign with a poll showing that Mr Obama, the young African-American Senator for Illinois, ...

Clinton, Obama to Walk in Selma 6abc.com
Selma march raises political stakes for Obama, Clinton USA Today
Hillary Clinton to join bridge crossing Montgomery Advertiser

CBS News - Wilmington Morning Star
all 158 news articles »

Hillary Clinton Store (also Bush stuff)
Hillary Clinton Store in the UK (Bush stuff too)

Friday, March 2, 2007

John McCain pulls a John Kerry

John McCain pulled a John Kerry. Remember when Kerry said something like this, and wound up insulting every man and woman in uniform? McCain did something similar, but unlike Kerry, hurried to take take the heat rather than dodge it.

What he said: "We've wasted a lot of our most precious treasure, which is American lives, over there."

The key word is 'wasted'. This means those men and women, according to his words, meant nothing as they died. However, he responded humbly, "I should have used the word 'sacrificed,' as I have in the past."

Ironically, the Democratic National Committee was the one asking for an apology. Might be the Democrats are more pro-war than they are letting on.

What a long strange trip this is going to be.

McCain says he misspoke in saying US lives 'wasted'
CNN International - 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Sen. John McCain on Thursday became the second presidential contender to back away from saying the war in Iraq had "wasted" ...

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Barack Obama's Austin Speech on Video

Barack Obama's groupies are on the video, as well as select cuts. I saw most of the original - he rambles and gets lost a bit, but overall is a strong speaker. He falls into campaign cadence, as if he is setting up applause. The groupies look doe-eyed, rather cookie-cutter sorts. It seems it is intended for a specific demographic.

Notice, no notes.

Hillary Clinton's Presidential Announcement Video

This is old news, but it should be here for reference. Not all of it is true, some of it is exaggerated, I'll save the commentary at the moment . This is the YouTube election.

White House Lust vs Iraq and Taking a Stand: Democrats Struggle to Retain Focus

War-weary, with a case of White House lust, the Democrats are in a pickle.

With issues like the military vote, and candidate branding breathing heavily, the Democrats must be more than what they tried unsuccessfully to present George Bush as, a one issue candidate.

Liberal activists are in a similar pickle, at least the antiwar ones. While their job, if you will, is to push their pet issue (mind you, the issue of the war is not as trite as I'm making it sound, and believe both Bush and the liberal activists realize this), there are political realities. Candidates do not win on one issue. They win on presenting themselves a person who stands for what the majority stands for. Or something like that.

Bill Clinton won, partly, on his claim that "It's the economy, stupid." Although he called the voting lot stupid, they voted for him, and the economy did, in fact, happen to improve greatly under his watch. Ronald Reagan partly won by focusing on the Cold War, and the Cold War did, in fact, end during his watch. Both of these enormously popular candidates had more going on that this, and so they trounced the poor opposing candidates.

Similarly, it is one thing to talk about how awful Iraq is going until it might be that you're the guy or gal who will calling the shots. What do they people really need to hear? "Cut and run." is the populist phrase among conversatives, and, "Viet Nam," is the phrase touted by the liberal side of the issue.

Poll numbers all point toward Americans wanting the US to leave Iraq. However, there are polls and there are polls. The polls said John Kerry would win the election in 2004, but George Bush did with record numbers of voters on his side. The polls now are equally questionable.

Like the weeks before during the Super Bowl, all kinds of noise was heard about Rex Gossman's merits. The Bears lost the Super Bowl. What should the Bears' coach have done? Don't ask me. This is about Iraq, and what should the Democrats do, among which Hillary Clinton is the lead candidate.

Don't get me wrong. The polls might be right. There lay the gambit. Hillary's own views on Iraq are suspect among liberals and conservatives alike. I think she has a clear and strong view that will leave the troops in longer than antiwar people prefer, and shorter than the democracy for Iraq by force crowd prefer. She's tasting the winds, and is careful because she needs support through the primaries, or, she is just another Ted Kennedy, or, worse yet, John Kerry. People still listen to Kennedy, whilst Kerry has become a one issue voice.

What should the Democrats do to win the White House? They can't align themselves with conservatives, since this will split up liberals who'll vote for the third party candidate du jour. The Democrats need unity. The Republicans will have it, and if the Democrats don't, they lose the most winnable election since Jimmy Carter tried for a first term.

War-Weary Dems Face Heat From Left and Right
CNSNews.com - 4 hours agoBy Susan Jones. (CNSNews.com) - Don't go wobbly on us, liberal activists are telling "nervous" Democrats in Congress, as those Democrats mull the best way to stop what many of them describe as President Bush's war.

Dems to push tough bill on redeployments San Francisco Chronicle
Democratic Leaders Revamp Anti-War Plan ABC NewsHuffington Post - R-N University Observer - Pueblo Chieftain - International Herald Tribune
all 1,017 news articles »