Pushing Back Against the Hillary Haters

post from Firedoglake on 04 February 2008 12:34:57 PM. © Firedoglake

I was watching MSNBC this morning and wondering how much the media thrall surrounding Barack Obama has been worth to his campaign. Having seen Obama mania up close and personal the media didn't make it up, but the way they cover this race -- the[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://firedoglake.com/2008/02/04/pushing-back-against-the-hillary-haters/

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Today's quote...'The end of the human race...'

post from uncomfortably numb on 04 February 2008 12:32:00 PM. © uncomfortably numb

"The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization." Ralph Waldo Emerson US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882) Quote Details: Ralph Waldo Emerson: The end of the... - The Quotations Page Technorati tags: today's quote, quote, quotations, Ralph Waldo Emerson, the human race, civilization

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/uncomfortablyNumb/~3/229177167/today-quote-end-of-
human-race.html

Digg this

More Obama-Rama Wonderment

post from The Liberal Doomsayer on 04 February 2008 12:28:00 PM. © The Liberal Doomsayer

As the ?fired up, ready to go? senator from Illinois makes a last push for votes along with Hillary, St. McCain and The Mittster before Super Tuesday tomorrow, it?s worth nothing that Obama recently received an endorsement that would make me question once more whether or not he is truly a candidate of change or a slightly more palatable version of much of the corporate status quo under which we currently live.

(OK, now let me emphasize here that if I take shots at Obama and Hillary Clinton, it is NOT merely out of reflex because John Edwards dropped out of the race. In this case, I think Obama has received plaudits from someone who really doesn?t give a damn about the progressive political community Obama purports to represent.)

I?m glad Hale ?Bonddad? (?) Stewart of HuffPo is so pleased here that Paul Volcker (pictured), the former Federal Reserve chairman under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, has endorsed Obama, with Stewart praising Volcker as?

? the primary reason the country didn't fall into a period of rapidly escalating inflation in the early 1980s (due to his actions). His solution wasn't exactly popular.

I would call that an understatement when you consider the following as noted in this New York Times letter from 1987 upon Volcker?s retirement?

It's true that Mr. Volcker deserves credit for stopping the runaway inflation after President Carter appointed him in 1979 as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. By the same token he must accept the consequence of his high-interest tactic: the cruelest recession since the Great Depression.

When that combined with the cuts in anti-recession measures like unemployment compensation, which Mr. Reagan engineered in 1981, literally millions of workers and their families paid the price for stopping inflation.

Also, I?m not an economist and I can?t tell you that there?s a definite link between energy prices and inflation, but I should note that the rate of inflation under Volcker peaked at least partly because of the actions of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1979, including Iran when the clerics took over and produced less oil, driving up the price; eventually, due to reduced demand and overproduction, inflation fell in the ?80s amidst an ?oil glut,? leading me to believe that OPEC?s mishandling of their oil supply deserves as much recognition here for the decrease in inflation as Mr. Volcker?s financial acumen.

Although, as noted here, Volcker is absolutely spot-on concerning global warming (really though, the time to actually debate this issue ended years ago), so he deserves credit for that much anyway.

And one more thing concerning Obama: this New York Times story yesterday by reporter Mike McIntire tells us of the deal he cut with Exelon Energy (my interpretation of the story, I hasten to add) over a bill regarding radioactive leaks at Exelon?s nuclear plants.

And if you think I?m being unkind, please note that?

?Since 2003, executives and employees of Exelon, which is based in Illinois, have contributed at least $227,000 to Mr. Obama?s campaigns for the United States Senate and for president. Two top Exelon officials, Frank M. Clark, executive vice president, and John W. Rogers Jr., a director, are among his largest fund-raisers.

Another Obama donor, John W. Rowe, chairman of Exelon, is also chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the nuclear power industry?s lobbying group, based in Washington. Exelon?s support for Mr. Obama far exceeds its support for any other presidential candidate.

In addition, Mr. Obama?s chief political strategist, David Axelrod, has worked as a consultant to Exelon. A spokeswoman for Exelon said Mr. Axelrod?s company had helped an Exelon subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison, with communications strategy periodically since 2002, but had no involvement in the leak controversy or other nuclear issues.

God, do I miss John Edwards? candidacy right now.

Read The Full Article:
http://liberaldoomsayer.blogspot.com/2008/02/more-obama-rama-wonderment.html

Digg this

EVERYONE HAS A MOST IMPORTANT RACE AND TUESDAY
MINE IS IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS

post from DownWithTyranny! on 04 February 2008 12:22:00 PM. © DownWithTyranny!

Let's build a better America by electing a union carpenter to Congress
I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who's managing a congressional campaign. He seemed grateful someone was willing to talk with him. "You just can't break through with all this Super Tuesday presidential stuff." I know what he means; even I find myself a little swept up in it all-- although just a little. I even endorsed Obama today, surprising some of my colleagues, my readers and myself. But there's a race I'm far more interested in. Tomorrow I can vote for Obama-- and I intend to-- but I can't vote for the candidate I want most to vote for, John Laesch.

Hopefully if you're a DWT regular you already know who John is. If not, briefly, he the grassroots, progressive candidate running for Congress in northern Illinois, in the district Denny Hastert has abandoned to pursue staying out of prison. Before John can take on whichever right wing sociopath the GOP decides to run (tomorrow), he first has to beat a self-confessed Blue Dog multimillionaire the Chicago Machine and Inside the Beltway Establishment has decided they want, Bill Foster.

Tomorrow's double-primary in IL-14-- first to fill out Hastert's unexpired term and then to see who will represent the Democratic Party in November-- is the race I wish I could be voting in. John Laesch was a guest on BlogTalkRadio today (you can listen here) and a local Illinois enthusiast and Kos diarist, Downtowner, posted a long and well-reasoned piece yesterday about why a victory for John is crucial for a coherent progressive coalition.

Like myself, Downtowner, is frustrated that the mainstream media has, at the behest of a venal Democratic Insider Establishment, dubbed reactionary Democrat Bill Foster the "frontrunner."

Bill Foster, the DC insider-backed, self declared Blue Dog candidate, and newborn politician, is widely touted by the mainstream media as the "frontrunner" in IL-14. How did he get to "frontrunner" (as defined by no poll or fact-checking on the ground but rather MSM parroting official party talking points) from zero history of involvement in the local Dem party and zero enthusiasm on the ground for his candidacy?

The short answer is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

It?s a given to the MSM that a candidate who can self finance to the tune of a promised $1 million in the primary (he?s already given himself $1.4 million, $370,000 in the last week) and $1 million in the general, is, by default, the "frontrunner."

...By and large, with the exception of writing checks-as-calling-cards, Foster is not working with or for any local Dem candidates or organizations. He isn?t meeting with local rank and file, much less voters. His public appearances are few and far between ? and strictly controlled. People in the western end of the district like candidate for Sheriff, Dem volunteer and official Tim Wise, complain they can?t even get a callback from his campaign when they are trying to invite him to a candidate forum. The western end is very far from where I (and Foster) live, but Dem rank and file people like Tim tell me the voters out there are dismayed that Foster spends no time in their part of the district, except in their mailboxes and on their TV screens.

And Foster?s campaign is largely and primarily being conducted by mailer and TV advertising, produced by the aforementioned usual suspect DC insider consulting businesses. His campaign manager, a former employee of one of them, Rahm Emanuel?s friend Pete Giangreco?s The Strategy Group, is beginning to look like a token with a lot of time on his hands. Foster?s "ground troops" are hired guns, almost all reputedly brought in from Iowa where they were paid staffers of the Dodd campaign. He?s been able to generate virtually no enthusiasm from the crowds at the local debates he has appeared at and his reading of prepared responses from note cards he shuffles through has been remarked upon frequently.

John Laesch is a perfect fit for this district and, especially for this district's Democrats and independents. He's a union carpenter who served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy in the Middle East. He's the son of a family of missionaries-- he grew up in Africa-- and speaks with authenticity about people working together in the same boat. John is politically savvy, attuned to the special needs of his own district and to a broader, national, progressive, value-based coalition. Most congressmembers who get elected are happy to get the new job, service their constituents and do whatever they need to do to get elected over and over. John Laesch has far grander plans to help build a coalition for real change in our country. He's a big picture guy who wants to start the long and difficult process back from the divisive and disastrous policies of the Bush years.

Today, many of my younger friends are biting their nails over the first race they've ever really cared about: Barack Obama's bid to do the impossible. I'm there with them. But my heart is in IL-14. I cut my nails this week so I won't bite them. Since there's so little media coverage of this race, I've taken to reading letters to the editor in the local Illinois papers. Here's one from Stephen Foust of Batavia (in the Daily Herald:

The only candidate in either primary who guarantees advocating major change in our government is John Laesch.

The Herald is correct when it says there is scant difference between Jim Oberweis and Chris Lauzen. And Bill Bob Foster is simply Republican Lite.

More than any other candidate, Laesch reaches out to the middle and lower middle classes. He is the only candidate who demonstrates an understanding of the catastrophe that is our health care system in this country, and the only one advocating a single-payer system.

His background as a soldier (including extensive experience in the Middle East), as a "working man," as an environmental advocate, as a community activist, is the type of background that an excellent representative of the people needs.

Last night I blew off a little nervous energy with this video I hope you enjoy:

video details and more

Read The Full Article:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2008/02/everyone-has-most-important-race-and.
html

Digg this

Take Action: Stop Spying on Americans; Oppose
FISA Expansion

post from Everyday Citizen on 04 February 2008 12:21:10 PM. © Everyday Citizen

After all the twists and turns in the government surveillance debacle, we are finally down to the[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2008/02/take_action_stop_spying_on_ame.html

Digg this

Take Action: Let Your Voice For Freedom Be Heard

post from Everyday Citizen on 04 February 2008 12:21:10 PM. © Everyday Citizen

Digg this

The Daily Rant

post from My Left Wing - Front Page on 04 February 2008 12:20:01 PM. © My Left Wing - Front Page

OK, you fuckers, enough is enough. Yeah, you: the fat cats of the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the thinner cats of the Writers' Guild of America, west (and east, striking in sympathy).

One of the reliably productive industries this country has left has been at a standstill for twelve fucking weeks. Now, I grant the WGA has a real point: given their usual inclinations, the AMPTP folks (and how many of them are there in this country now, about twelve?) would pay them nothing for what will probably turn out to be very lucrative Internet rights. These are folks who are so greedy they'd steal dimes from their own mothers' purses if they thought the old ladies wouldn't notice. Hell, the fact that Peter fucking Jackson, writer and director of one of the most successful series of movies in history (if not the most, hands down: ROTK alone pulled in over a billion dollars, worldwide) had to take New Line to court for nickel and diming him proves that.

Wasn't the last writers' strike about the same shit? Only in 1988 it was TV reruns and residuals? Don't some of these people ever learn? Or is it just that "unscripted" "reality" shows (a genre which was old before it started, IMO) are too lucrative and consequently they're figuring they can do fine without writers---not that a fair number of those aren't hacks lacking in imagination, or maybe it's just that the studios don't produce anything really innovative for "fear" of "scaring off" the viewers?

Now, I don't watch much commercial TV, so I don't really have a dog in this hunt. I quit watching when "reality" shows started showing up, and I'm proud to say I have never watched one of those pieces of trash. The last weekly program I watched faithfully (Firefly) was cancelled quickly after 11 episodes were shown (and it was put in a time slot, 9 PM Fridays, where it was bound to fail, since its natural buzz-generating demographic is out trying to get laid at that time of the week). I never got into Lost, since the first episode I thought was borrringgg, or 24. And even with what I do watch, I'm reminded of Harlan Ellison's description of TV from the 1970s as "The Glass Teat".

But there are thousands of people whose livelihoods and ability to support their families are being hurt by this strike, as we well know here. Eventually, nobody in that industry in California works when the writers are on strike. Camera operators. Set techs. Gaffers. Makeup artists. Costume design. F/X techs. Stunt men and women. All the dozens and dozens of people who are essential to getting House's stubble just right, or blow up Jack Bauer again. And thanks in part to the attitudes fostered by somebody who really, as a retired actor, should have known better (but then, the good actors keep working, and the smart ones learn to direct), there is not nearly as much safety net for the folks sitting on the sidelines while the writers and producers argue.

Enough, you bloated excrescences of the AMPTP. Give them their fucking residuals already. It's pennies out of your pockets, and you'll survive. Let's not have this strike last as long as the last one.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.myleftwing.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=20779

Digg this

Arent they all mythical

Now this is interesting: apparently a quarter of the British population is convinced that Winston Churchill never really existed.The survey found that 47 percent thought the 12th century English king Richard the Lionheart was a myth.And 23 percent[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://mouemagazine.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/arent-they-all-mythical/

Digg this

FEAR.

Responding to news that you can now text "HOPE" to number 62262 for regular updates from the Obama campaign, one of Chris Hayes's readers writes in:I hear the republicans are jumping on the bandwagon..you can now text "FEAR" to 62263 and you get local[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=02&year=2008&base_name
=fear_1

Digg this

Two Futures

NOTE: This is a personal position, and does not in any way constitute a endorsement by Docudharma of a candidate. Though we try to keep DD a candidate diary free zone, this election is too important not to take a stand, or for me to try to hide the stand[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.docudharma.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4258

Digg this