IA-Sen: Another sign Grassley will not retire

post from MyDD on 04 May 2009 11:44:17 PM. © MyDD

I've never thought Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa was likely to retire, especially after Tom Vilsack's appointment as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture took the A-list challenger out of contention. (Only an unexpectedly tough re-election campaign, in my[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mydd/~3/I0XWxtWqFBA/1026

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Houston Political Consultant Marc CamposA Blogger
Like Any Other

post from Texas Liberal on 04 May 2009 11:41:21 PM. © Texas Liberal

Each time I look in the mirror, I’m reminded there is nothing lower than a political blogger. We sit on the sidelines and snipe while the doers of the world get things doneA hero of mine has long been Houston Political Consultant Marc Campos of Campos Communications. Marc says of his operation that “We know to win [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://texasliberal.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/political-consultant-marc-campos-a-b
logger-like-any-other/

Digg this

VA-Gov: Who knew

post from Daily Kos on 04 May 2009 11:32:04 PM. © Daily Kos

Remember the guy who made this?

video details and more

Well, will.i.am - a prominent Obama surrogate and Democratic activist, in addition to being a famous hip-hop artist and actor - will now campaigning with former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe, one of the most prominent surrogates for Obama's former rival, now Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

What a difference a year makes!

"Terry is my good friend and my closest political mentor," said will.i.am. "He will be a great governor because of his passion to help people and his understanding of the grassroots community. I look forward to joining him on the campaign trail."

As Chairman of the DNC, McAuliffe partnered with the long-time Democratic activist to encourage youth voters to register, volunteer, and go to the polls. In 2005, McAuliffe served as chair of the Rock the Vote Awards in Washington, DC, where he honored both will.i.am and Barack Obama. Last year, will.i.am was a dedicated supporter of President Obama, producing the internet sensations "Yes We Can" and "We are the Ones," and advocating for his campaign.

McAuliffe and will.i.am apparently go back several years. The artist's support, along with that of former President Clinton, certainly gives McAuliffe a considerable degree of star power as the campaign rolls into its final weeks.

Primary day is June 9.

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/V6P_f3VEK2E/-VA-Gov:-Who-knew-

Digg this

Was it really Gauguin

post from AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth on 04 May 2009 11:31:00 PM. © AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth

The story of Van Gogh slicing off his own ear may not be accurate after all. The Guardian:

But two German art historians, who have spent 10 years reviewing the police investigations, witness accounts and the artists' letters, argue that Gauguin, a fencing ace, most likely sliced off the ear with his sword during a fight, and the two artists agreed to hush up the truth.

In Van Gogh's Ear: Paul Gauguin and the Pact of Silence, published in Germany, Hamburg-based academics Hans Kaufmann and Rita Wildegans argue that the official version of events, based largely on Gauguin's accounts, contain inconsistencies and that both artists hinted that the truth was more complex.

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/ybKj6iRq-PQ/was-it-really-gauguin.h
tml

Digg this

Open Thread

post from Crooks and Liars on 04 May 2009 11:30:20 PM. © Crooks and Liars

video details and more

too funny. From Putnam Pig, lyrics at the Youtube page. Open thread below.

Read The Full Article:
http://crooksandliars.com/bluegal/open-thread-157

Digg this

Who You Callin Queer

post from Kmareka.com on 04 May 2009 11:22:00 PM. © Kmareka.com

“All the world old is queer save thee and me, and even thou art a little queer.” Robert Owen

?Joe? the ?plumber? gave an interview to the Colorado Independent where he expressed his Christian love for everybody?even those friends he doesn?t let near his children.

People don’t understand the dictionary–it’s called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It’s not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we’re supposed to do–what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we’re supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I’ve had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn’t have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they’re people, and they’re going to do their thing.

This amazes me. How on earth does he define friendship? Or love?

And that ?man and woman? thing. Newsweek describes him as a twice-divorced single father. Does he subscribe to the Old Testament style of divorce? The New Testament is pretty restrictive. But maybe his church grants annulments. It works for Newt.

And what?s up with the shaved head?

Mr. Clean’s appearance with his tight muscle shirt, ear piercing, stylishly handsome looks, fastidious habits, and helpful but deferential persona in television commercials, has made Mr. Clean into something of a gay icon.

Sam Wurzelbacher doesn?t wear an earring, but the resemblance is remarkable. I?m not a Christian, so I don?t have to try to love him. As a patriotic American I will defend his right to express his opinion. He may be a great help to the Democratic party.

Like Sam, I have given some thought to the root meaning of the word ?queer?. If he?s normal, then queer doesn?t look so bad.

Read The Full Article:
http://kmareka.com/2009/05/04/who-you-callin%e2%80%99-queer/

Digg this

Rebuilding Chrysler: Haircuts, Cram-Downs, and
Waterboarding

post from Sustainable Middle Class on 04 May 2009 11:17:11 PM. © Sustainable Middle Class

Things have gotten a bit “testy” at the negotiations to restructure Chrysler, according to this from Bloomberg News. It seems the hedge-funds will not be made whole; they’re getting a “haircut.” The Obama Administration worked a $2.25 billion deal, which was accepted by 70-percent of the Chrysler creditors. A few “dissidents” in the minority are [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://blog.sustainablemiddleclass.com/?p=1045

Digg this

Blue Gal blogs about her personal experience at
Kent State

This is a first hand account of how Blue Gal from C&L saw Kent State:Well, if this[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.whereistheoutrage.net/wordpress/2009/05/04/blue-gal-blogs-about-her-pe
rsonal-experience-at-kent-state/

Digg this

Monday Stuff

I definitely like what Barney Frank has to say here, and I hope he can pull it off (might be tough with Bayh and his lackeys in the Senate); nice job by Fareed Zakaria to act like an adult and actually participate in the conversation also (he's capable of wankery to be sure, but on balance, he has more brains that most of his ideological brethren)...

...meanwhile, in "reality avoidance" land (here)...

...and I thought this was an interesting Rachel Maddow interview with Professor Jeffrey Rosen of George Washington University about retiring Supreme Court justice David Souter and his reactions to the Bush v. Gore travesty, as well as about what Obama may be looking for in a potential nominee to replace him...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

...and time to "rock between the rain drops."

Read The Full Article:
http://liberaldoomsayer.blogspot.com/2009/05/monday-stuff.html

Digg this

A torturous thought experiment

Andrew Sullivan raises a good question:

One way to look at how the Bush administration redefined torture out of existence, so that it could, er, torture human beings, is to compare their criteria for "enhanced interrogation" with those for rape. Raping someone need not leave any long-term physical scars; it certainly doesn't permanently impair any bodily organ; it has no uniquely graphic dimensions .... and although it's cruel, it's hardly unusual....

So ask yourself: if Abu Zubaydah had been raped 83 times, would we be talking about no legal consequences for his rapist - or the people who monitored and authorized the rape?

This is actually quite a powerful argument. It would be interesting to hear a response from the "nothing to see here, quit looking backward" crowd.