X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD


This movie will be released on Friday, May 1, 2009. As far as I'm concerned, this day should be a federal holiday. Via Ezra Klein.

In the Interest of Full Disclosure...

So in my last post, I whined about Rafa Benitez's pessimistic take on Liverpool's chances of winning the Barclay's Premier League title. One of his statements that I highlighted was his insistence that Arsenal, Chelsea, and Man U would have to collapse in order for Liverpool to have any chance winning the Premiership. In order to demonstrate that Arsenal in fact was near collapse, I pointed out that they lost at the Emirates to Hull City. Well, on Saturday, freaking Liverpool only managed to hold Hull City to a draw. Unfortunately, the game wasn't televised on Fox Soccer Channel so I wasn't able to see it, but I was extremely disappointed. However, I feel that since my previous post consisted of me bragging about Liverpool's superiority over Arsenal, I thought it was only fair that I hold myself accountable. So there you have it...

A Post that Probably Only I Care About

What the fuck is this Rafa? As some of my thousand upon thousands of readers may know, over the summer I developed quite an affinity for European football, particularly the Barclay's Premier League. My favorite team is Liverpool, largely because my favorite player Fernando Torres is their striker, but also because as a Wisconsin native I love the Green Bay Packers, and Liverpool (as one of England's most historic football powerhouses) is a lot like the Packers of English football. Anyways, now that we have the background out of the way, Rafa Benitez, Liverpool's oft brilliant manager has stated that it will take a "miracle" for Liverpool to claim the Premier League title. What!?! Maybe I'm living in some kind of fantasy world, but wasn't it the Reds of Liverpool that ended Chelsea's 86 game unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge (their home stadium in West London)? Wasn't it the Reds of Liverpool that beat Manchester United at Anfield (Liverpool's home stadium) 2-1 without Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard? The answer to both questions is yes. I don't know what my boy Rafa is smoking, but this is very distressing news. I'm not 100% confident that Liverpool will win the Premier League title, they've got a long and difficult road ahead of them, but by no means do I think it would take a miracle for them to do so. Also he's talking about the need for the other 3 members of the big four (the Big Four refers to the 4 best teams in English football: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool) to totally collapse in order for Liverpool to take the tile, has he seen Arsenal lately? They lost to Hull City at the Emirates (Arsenal's home stadium in North London), they lost to Aston Villa (admittedly a great squad) at the Emirates, and they lost to Stoke City! Seriously, you assholes lost to Stoke City? Granted Liverpool only managed to hold them to a draw at Anfield, but that's still better than a loss, and again Liverpool was decimated by injuries at that point. Don't get me wrong, I love Arsenal as well. Cesc Fabregas is an amazing player to watch, and Robin van Persie scores more goals than God. However, it looks to me that Arsenal is close to collapse, couple that with Liverpool's previous defeats of Chelsea and Manchester United, and I think their prospects for Premier glory are looking bright! So, Rafa, I love you buddy, but there's no need to dismiss your side's chances while you are sitting on top of the table. Go Reds!

Terminator - Salvation

Still a little nervous about this one, but the trailer is pretty awesome...

Oi, This is Bad

I think that I probably should do a post on the whole Blago thing. Ok, as I'm sure you are all aware of by now, Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois was arrested by the FBI yesterday on charges of corruption related to his attempted sale of Barack Obama's now vacant seat in the U.S. Senate. No, that's not a misprint, the dude actually tried to sell a seat in the United States Senate. Obviously, this isn't a very classy move and even though it appears that Barack Obama was not involved, it's not exactly an ideal scenario for the president-elect. That being said, in the criminal complaint (pdf), Blagojevich calls Obama a "motherfucker" and bemoans the fact that Obama isn't offering him anything in exchange for his desired candidate, candidate 1 (believed to be Valerie Jarrett) to which he states, "fuck him!" If I were Obama, I'd be pretty stoked that this cat hates me. It was also reported initially, that the individual that tipped off the FBI about Blagojevich's wrong doing may have been none other than Barack Obama's new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. Although his office is now denying that (however, it should be noted that a federal investigation is underway, so don't look too deep into his denial). If Emanuel did indeed tip off the Feds, that is great news for Obama, and he probably has little to worry about aside from some embarrassment. Another important thing to take away from this is that it is highly doubtful that this arrest is in any way politically motivated. The U.S. Attorney for Chicago is Patrick Fitzgerald. He's the prosecutor that handled the Plame-leak investigation that led to the indictment of Scooter Libby. In other words, this dude is as straight arrow as they come. The indispensable TPM has even pointed out that Obama wants Fitzgerald to stay on in Chicago for his administration.
Needless to say, this is a sad state of affairs that further blights the name of an already famously corrupt city and state. One can only hope that Blagojevich will face serious consequences for his actions and that the fallout from this disaster will have little bearing on Barack Obama's agenda at this crucial juncture.

P.S. One of the positive elements coming out of this whole affair is that The New Yorker is already tossing around ideas for "Blagojevich! The Musical"

P.P.S. According to some of her statements in the criminal complaint, it's not unreasonable for one to draw the conclusion that Patricia Blagojevich, Rod's wife, hates the Cubs. That's change that every Milwaukee Brewers fan can believe in!

Picture courtesy of Flickr user jburwen December 9, 2008

I Was Wrong...Dead Wrong

I meant to comment on this post by Andrew Sullivan last week, but it somehow got lost in the shuffle. Sullivan's post notes that Rick Warren is out in the public sphere advocating (along with Sean Hannity) that the US should "take out" Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I'm certainly no fan of Ahmadinejad, but this is pure insanity. I wrote back in Auguast how it seemed like Warren was decent and sensible cat. I retract everything positive I said about this guy. Props to Andrew for pointing this out, and take those of us whom dubbed Warren a moderate to task!

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Urbana.org February 15, 2007

On Kanye

First things first, I believe that Kanye West is one of the most gifted artists of our generation. I must confess that I own all of his albums, and his latest 808s & Heartbreak is one of the best albums I've ever heard. Oftentimes on the subway going home from work at night, I listen to the songs "Heartless" and "See You in My Nightmares" over and over again. If you don't have the album yet, minimize this window, go to iTunes and download the damn thing, you won't regret it. While you're doing that, get College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation while you're at it. Also, the death of his mother last year following cosmetic surgery was unbelievably sad, so it can be understood that Kanye West has had a lot of shit to deal with.
However, Kanye West as you all probably know, is a complete toolbag. The absolute egomania that infects this guy is agonizing to witness. Whenever the guy doesn't win an award, he makes a public scene at the ceremony. Pretty much the only outburst of his, that I enjoyed, and for that matter agreed with, was during a televised fundraiser for Katrina victims in which he stated next to a befuddled Mike Myers that, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." That was brilliant, he should have won something for that, I think that brought to bear the utter incompetence and indifference of Bush's response to the catastrophe for a lot of people that may never have bothered otherwise. That, however, is pretty much where my sympathy for Mr. West ends. When he said earlier this year that he envisions himself "the voice of this generation, of this decade" I promptly puked all over myself. Being dubbed the "voice of a generation" is a label that another party bestows upon you, like 30 years later. Rolling Stone can do that, or TIME, hell even the Enquirer, but not Kanye West.
You might be asking yourself, why the hell is he writing about this? Well the answer is here, dear friends. Stephen Colbert's Christmas album has surpassed Kanye West's on the iTunes best-seller's chart. Apparently, Colbert (whom I haven't watched in ages, shame shame) asked his viewers to mass purchase his album at 5pm EST on Wednesday, and the ploy worked. After hearing of this plan, Kanye West Twittered (or Tweeted, whatever the fuck you Twitter people call it) "who the fuck is Stephen Colbert?" Seriously, grow up Kanye! Here's hoping that "Operation Humble Kanye" did, in fact, humble Kanye West. I want this, if for no other purpose than to spend my money on artists that I actually like and respect as individuals.
In closing, it's important to remember that whether you like his music or not, Kanye West is a gifted musician and probably a decent guy in private. However, he needs to tamper down on the Dangerfield-Ali "I get no respect, yet I'm the greatest" combo. Also, you should probably purchase Stephen Colbert's Christmas album, I will do so this weekend!

Why Pirates are NOT Funny

One of the running conversations I've been having at work involves the reemergence of Piracy off the coast of Somalia. These pirates have hijacked a number of ships, including a Saudi tanker with over $100 million of oil on it. The recent cultural obsession with Pirates has caused many in the media to joke about these guys. The truth is, while I'll admit I chuckled when I first heard about the Somali Pirates maybe a month or so ago, the more I've read about them, the less funny it becomes. The shipping industry is now avoiding the Somali coast, and the Gulf of Aden, in order to avoid engaging the Pirates. As I'm sure most of you are no doubt aware, Somalia is a desperately impoverished nation. As the helpful video in the Yglesias post I linked to above points out, the food aid that comes into Somalia, does so largely from the sea. These selfish Pirates could jeopardize the livelyhood of hundreds of thousands of people. This is no laughing matter. Some form of action really needs to be considered, I hope the international community concurs.

Honey Ryder - Numb

I'm trying to figure out if I like this song. It's certainly catchy, and the band name is a clear reference to Honey Rider from Dr. No. Both of these things work in their favor. Frankly, I just have an illogical fear that all these female fronted hard rock bands are Christian rock bands. I mean Evanescence, Flyleaf, and Paramore all turned out to be Christian. Why is that? In all honesty, I'm not really sure why I was ever into Evanescence, because on further inspection, they totally sucked. Anyways, it's kind of a cool video, and she's very attractive in a refreshing sort of way. Here's their MySpace page. They remind me of late 90's alt-rock, and that's a very good thing. I've frequently said that I can't wait until the 90's become the new 80's, because I still haven't gotten over the previous decade. I will be the guy at the party that actually knows all the songs! Matt Yglesias has written frequently about the coming 90's rock renaissance and how awesome it's going to be (I'm to lazy/busy with work to look for a link, but he has mentioned it).

Spitzer on the Economy

In Sunday's Washington Post, former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has an excellent rundown of the current economic crisis (brought to my attention via Noam Scheiber at the Plank). Spitzer also details a helpful framework that would correct many of the root causes that led to the current situation. I think my favorite passage from Spitzer's piece, is this disarming explanation of government's role in free markets:

Those who truly understand economics, as did Adam Smith, do not preach an absence of government participation. A market doesn't exist in a vacuum. Rather, a market is a product of laws, rules and enforcement. It needs transparency, capital requirements and fidelity to fiduciary duty. The alternative, as we are seeing, is anarchy.

It's unfortunate that Eliot Spitzer's personal problems have prevented him from taking an active role in correcting our current economic ills. However, it is good to see that his ideas are receiving a platform, if only for a day, at the Post.

Dan Savage on Prop 8

(Via Andrew Sullivan)

While Tuesday, November 4 was certainly a day of celebration for many a cause, one of the black marks on that day was the passage of Proposition 8 in California. It's passage marked the end (hopefully, temporarily) of legalized same-sex marraige. It has since been revealed that the Mormons provided much of the funding for the campaign in support of Proposition 8. Consequently, over the past week there have been numerous protests outside of Mormon churches across the country. Many in the Mormon church, and the Christian Right in general, see this as a violation of their rights. I don't have the time nor the energy to lay out why that is complete bullshit, so in short, cry me a fucking river. One of the benefits of Proposition 8's passage however, has been the emergence of Dan Savage. Savage is not only incredibly funny and extraoridnarily intelligent, but he's a passionate advocate for LGBT issues. He's certainly made a fan and supporter (though I've always favored same-sex marraige) out of me!

Why Bush is Still Dangerous

Last night, Rachel Maddow touched on an issue that has been extremely underreported. I assume that she was informed by this great article by Matthew Blake in the Washington Independent. Watch the clip and read the article, because this is important stuff that could have devastating consequences.

Good Crazy

(Note: Poor Picture Quality)

The more material of Ta-Nehisi Coates I read, the more I kick myself for not having discovered him in a more timely fashion. In yesterday's Post, Coates has a lovely essay referencing the Rev. Joseph Lowery's introduction of Barack Obama at an event in Selma, Alabama in March of 2007. Rev. Lowery speaks of the difference between "good crazy" and "bad crazy." He likens the good craziness of Barack Obama's historic run for the presidency with that of Harriet Tubman's efforts on the Underground Railroad.

Coates' piece is particularly interesting because it documents his journey from an Obama skeptic, to one embracing the promise of the nation's first African-American president. As a white American, while I am certainly thrilled with Obama's victory, I don't think it's possible for me to entirely realize the historic nature of his ascendancy into our nation's highest office. Only black eyes and ears can fully realize what this election really means. Ta-Nehisi Coates' essay is the closest I've come to fully experiencing the joy of Obama's victory. Please take 5 minutes and read this moving piece. After that, do yourself a favor and become a regular reader of Coates' blog.

Where's Scott?

Dear readers, I know the thousands upon thousands of you that frequent this blog in order to be charmed by extremely well-informed opinions and off-handed wit are probably wondering where I've been. This answer is New Hampshire. I received an e-mail a week or so ago at work asking for volunteers to do election work in the battleground states. Being every bit the heroic and selfless person that I am, I answered the call. As a result, I've been in New Hampshire canvassing, phone banking, and adventuring for Barack Obama, Jeanne Shaheen (running for Senate against the incumbent John Sununu) Paul Hodes, and Carol Shea Porter (both of whom are running for Congressional seats)since last Friday. Since this is not a blog about me, I won't keep a log of my experiences unless I think it's something that my massive readership would find especially interesting. Anyways, blogging will be extremely light to non-existent. If I don't post before the election, I would just like to remind you to GO OUT AND FUCKING VOTE! If you live in Wisconsin or New Hampshire, there is same day registration, so you can go register and vote simultaneously. All you need is a piece of mail and a photo ID that contains your current address! Election day is Tuesday, November 4. However, if you are a Republican, you guys actually vote on a different day! You guys vote on Thursday, November 6. Therefore, those of you that support John McCain against the all the gay socialist Democrats, you need to put country first and have patience until next Thursday! I know you guys can do it, USA! USA! USA!

The Onion: McCain Accidently Left on Bus

Via Andrew Sullivan, The Onion is probably America's best media outlet!

If You Read Only One Thing Today...

Read this absolutely bracing Ta-Nehisi Coates post about Barack Obama's grandparents.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user shaesmith2002 April 14, 2008

The Extremism of Sarah Palin

This ad aired on CNN last night after the debate. It is, in my opinion, the most devastating political ad I've ever seen. You heard it here first: this ad, and McCain's mocking of women's health last night, will shift the women's vote another 5-10% in Obama's behavior. Checkmate.

The Deconstruction of "Joe the Plumber" (Plus Debate Thoughts)

Alright kids, since John McCain (and to a certain extent, Barack Obama) decided to make "Joe the Plumber" the most important voter in the United States of America, I think it's only appropriate that we get some of the facts straight on Mr. Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher. First off, it's important to note that according to the Toledo Blade, "Joe the Plumber" is a registered Republican. John McCain was making him out to be an undecided voter. Now, I will acknowledge that it is possible for a partisan to be undecided, however it's reasonable to conclude that Mr. Wurzelbacher's political affiliation is an important caveat in this instance. Also, according to ABC News' Chief National Correspondent Jake Tapper, "Joe the Plumber" would actually receive a tax cut under Obama's plan, as he admits that his income would be well under $250,000. It gets better, Sam Stein over at the Huffington Post reveals that "Joe the Plumber" has long been confused by taxes. In fact the state of Ohio has filed liens against our hero "Joe the Plumber" because he has failed to pay the entirety of what he owes. Basically what we appear to have here, is a partisan Republican know-nothing masquerading as an undecided voter. His intent is to score political points for John McCain as the "every man" skeptic of Obama's intentions. In short, "Joe the Plumber" is a fraud and a massive tool!

Alright, now that we've efficiently dispatched of "Joe the Plumber" let's move on to the debate in which he was mentioned numerous times. I agree with most of the talking heads that McCain seemed to be in control for the first 30 minutes. He was managing to effectively seize the offensive on the issue of the economy. However, I feel that he began to lose his composure after his numerous jabs couldn't seem to find a whole in Obama's defenses. John McCain looked enraged the whole time. A friend with whom I was watching the debate with remarked that his blinking was bound to trigger epileptic seizures. My take on McCain's many grimaces and sighs was that he really needed to go to the bathroom. Anyways, I digress. McCain also said a number of things that are sure to inspire a lot of controversy. First, when he used scare quotes to argue that the "health" of a pregnant woman was something that the "pro-abortion movement*" stretched to mean almost anything. This is extremely offensive and insensitive to the legitimate health concerns that can be the consequence of an unplanned pregnancy. I can only imagine that women voters did not react particularly favorably to this snide remark by McCain. Secondly, I thought it was striking when McCain said that we shouldn't "spread the wealth." I'm quite puzzled by this as McCain seems to be taking pleasure in the acute inequality that plagues American society. Many Republicans have leveled at least somewhat persuasive arguments over the years that progressive taxation is unfair, however few have seemed to take delight in the plight of the less fortunate, and bragged about how their candidacy would not address their economic shortcomings. Finally, I thought McCain's best moment was when he told Barack Obama that he's not George Bush. However, I feel like Obama effectively parried this by stating that he realizes that McCain isn't Bush but he was naturally confused because the economic philosophy championed by the Mac is eerily similar to that of W's. Overall, I thought the debate was easily won by Obama. He certainly didn't have his best performance, but considering the large lead he's currently nursing in the polls, he hardly needed to knock it out of the park. Particularly in regard to his tax policy and health care plan, Obama levied concise arguments that I believe will resonate well with voters concerned about the economy. Moreover, Obama was calm and collected. In short, he was presidential. McCain was noticeably uncomfortable. It was clear to anyone with half a brain that McCain was seriously pissed and that he holds nothing but udder disdain for Obama.

*It always sends me into a fit of rage when conservatives and pro-lifers label those in support of abortion rights "pro-abortion." Nobody is "pro-abortion." Abortion is a horrible thing, and Obama was correct to point out that the main goal should be to reduce the number of abortions in America. However, the religious right has insisted on dubbing those who support choice as "pro-abortion" which is offensive and just plain wrong. It's wrong because if you follow this reasoning to it's logical conclusion, anyone that was "pro-abortion" would believe that every fetus conceived should be aborted! That's a "pro-abortion" policy! In contrast, those that are pro-choice support abortion rights. Therefore, it's fine to say that someone is pro-abortion rights, but it's a fallacy to label someone "pro-abortion."

P.S. One more thing. John McCain kept crediting Sarah Palin for her support for families with children suffering from autism. Autism is a horrible affliction that deserves much more attention from the government. However, what McCain meant to say was that Sarah Palin is an advocate for families with children suffering from down-syndrome. Palin's infant son, Trig, suffers from down-syndrome, not autism. Needless to say, the government would be well served to design programs that combat both of these conditions.

John McCain is the Penguin!

Via Ezra Klein.

He even sorta laughs like him!

Obama's Ohio Hurdle

I've been meaning to recommend this great George Packer piece from The New Yorker. Packer probes the thoughts of the undecided voters of Ohio's white working class. This article is at times very sad and immensely frustrating. Needless to say, Obama's race and name provide a great deal of anxiety for a number of these people. It's important to keep in mind that many of the people interviewed in Packer's article don't have a lot education and have led somewhat insulated lives, at least in terms of their exposure to African-Americans. Frankly, even with that in mind, it's hard not to manifest a deep sense of anger towards these people. While it's not always their fault, the ignorance and racism on display is astounding. It's best to remember that Obama's candidacy is truly historic and he was bound to face some of these obstacles on the road to the White House. One can only hope that if he wins (which as the days go by, is looking increasingly likely) many attitudes will begin to change.

Traitor!

Via Think Progress.

The unrepentant filth that is the McCain-Palin campaign continues again at this rally in my home state of Wisconsin where some woman yells "traitor!" while McCain is describing (inaccurately) Obama's tax plan. John McCain, who constantly talks about honor, smiles and continues his speech. Then the crowd begins to chant "USA, USA, USA!" This makes me extremely ashamed of my home state, these people are not patriotic Americans. I remember when I was 12 years old watching the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, I used to think it was cool when people would chant USA over and over again. My mother cautioned me at the time, that while there's nothing wrong with having pride in one's country, to chant USA like that represented the ugly American. I kind of shrugged her off at the time, but it turns out my mother's warning was extremely prescient (as so many of her thoughts have proven to be over the years!). This is the ugly American. Republican supporters always chant this in response to their candidates railing against the Democrats. They seem to believe that Democrats are trying to hurt America. What the fuck is wrong with these people? They did the same thing at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul whenever a Code Pink protester would interrupt a speech. I have to be honest, while I agree with the message of Code Pink, I don't necessarily agree with their methods. I think that Code Pink often does more harm to the anti-war cause than good. However, to chant "USA, USA, USA!" at these women, as if they don't love their country is an absolute abomination. The Republicans have nothing to run on except resentment and hatred. Hatred of African-Americans. Hatred of Muslims. Hatred of intellectuals. In short, hatred of anyone that is not like them. This truly represents Rome before the fall. How do you reason with people like this. I'm glad to see that my beloved state of Wisconsin is still trending blue, and I'm confident that Barack Obama will win the state. However, I'm deeply ashamed of the type of reactionary and mindless anger that persists in these people. That woman, whomever she is, and the people that chanted USA are not real Americans, despite proclaiming themselves the exclusive holders of the title. I will refrain from stating what I really think of these individuals, because if I were to do so I would be playing their game, on their terms. I simply refuse to do that. This is desperation. This is folly. This is fear coming home to roost. Vote Obama '08!

Four Days in Denver

A long, but really cool video featuring Barack, Michelle, the Obama girls, big Joe Biden, and numerous others. Well worth a watch (that is, if you're a partisan Democrat like me!).



Update: Via Oliver Willis. Sorry Oliver!

The Maverick King of Phoniness

Recently, I finished reading this explosive Rolling Stone piece on John McCain by Tim Dickinson. This article comprehensively outlines a side of McCain that his adoring fans in the MSM have never bothered to report on, or even look into. Not all in the blogosphere have received this article well, but it certainly has its defenders. I'm of the mind that the article is fair. Dickinson certainly is one-sided in his portrayal of McCain, however he sources everything and even has numerous direct quotes from McCain's associates of the past and present (most importantly a number of his fellow POWs at the Hanoi Hilton). I strongly recommend that you give this article a read. Definitely approach it with a grain of salt, as it is quite one-sided. However, it's important to note that until recently the MSM has only ever said positive things about McCain; don't ever forget that everyone has a dark side. Yes, that does include Obama and the Democrats. After all, we're all human!

So this is what it's come to

(Via Jason Zengerle at The Plank)

Did you see that? John McCain asked a crowd of supporters "Who is the real Barack Obama?" In response, some man in the audience yelled "terrorist!" What did John McCain do? Well, he continued with his speech. Pretty mavericky, huh? This is the measure of just how far John McCain has fallen. This is what his campaign has inspired. Insipid hatred. Vile racism. God Bless America! The same can be said of Sarah Palin (color me unsurprised!). In some of the recent rallies she has headlined an African-American sound technician was told to "sit down, boy!" and when she asked the crowd what should be done about Barack Obama, another good ol' boy shouted "kill him!" Once again, what did noted hockey mom Sarah "Barracuda" Palin do about this? Let's just say the silence was deafening as she cracked a smile. (Links courtesy of Christopher Orr over at the Plank) How do McCain and Palin look at themselves in the mirror? How do they sleep at night? Have they been consumed so thoroughly by amorality that they are completely and utterly indifferent? Do they enjoy this? Or, is this campaign tearing them apart inside? For their sake, I hope that it's the last one. I'm 24 years old. I can't make the claim that I've seen a lot of things, because I haven't. However, never in my life have I experienced so vile an endeavor as the McCain-Palin campaign. Christopher Orr says it best "If Steve Schmidt and the other architects of this increasingly disgraceful candidacy didn't anticipate such an outpouring of violent, racist bile, they are imbeciles. If they did, they are worse." John McCain, to paraphrase the great Joseph N. Welch, "Have you no decency, sir?"

Georgia?!?

Nate Silver, over at FiveThirtyEight, has a very encouraging post up about the latest voter registration figures out of Georgia. Between November 2004 and October 1 of 2008, the percentage of the active registered voter pool that is African-American jumped from 27.4% to 29%, and is likely to climb up to almost 31%! Silver outlines how this could move Georgia from a safe red state into the toss up category. This is very exciting stuff.

All this leads me to the main point of this post, VOTE on November 4! If you don't vote and your candidates lose, you have absolutely no right to complain. For my readers in Wisconsin, you can register at polls. For the rest of you, just google your home state and voter registration (e.g. Colorado Voter Registration). Do yourself and your country and vote. I won't try and influence your vote but you should really vote for Barack Obama.

Disturbing Possibilities

Via Michael Tomasky, I found this unsettling post from Robert Dreyfuss over at The Nation. Dreyfuss reports on the tenous situation on the northern Lebanon border with Syria, were the Lebanese media reports there are at least 10,000 amassed Syrian troops. It's becoming increasingly clear that Syria believes that groups operating in northern Lebanon pose a serious threat to its security. This set of circumstances is particularly disturbing because Syria is currently in the midst of negotiations with Israel over a peace deal that would include a return of the Golan Heights to Syria.

Despite the obvious consequences of a Syrian invasion of northern Lebanon including civilian casualties and a possible collapse of the talks between Syria and Israel, it could also be a huge boon to John McCain. This is of course completely illogical, however, the voting patterns of the American people are rarely steeped in logic. Rationally, one would conclude that an increasingly calamitous and unstable situation in the Middle East would call for a different approach. However, as was demonstrated in 2004, the Republicans usually shift into full bear fear mongering mode (with a great deal of help from the MSM) in order to remind the public that only they can protect America from the terrorists. The surrender happy Democrats would cut and run. There's no doubt that McCain in his infinite wisdom would proclaim that "we are all Lebanese" now, just as he did when Russian made incursions into Georgia. We see this over and over again from McCain. The man is prone to hyperbole. In fact, it's probably fair to call him a hypochondriac. Whenever anything happens, he completely freaks out. When Russia invaded the South Ossetian region of Georgia it was the "greatest foreign policy challenge since the fall of the Soviet Union." Also, McCain has regurlarly called the current financial crisis (actually, he calls it a fiscal crisis, which Matt Yglesias is right to point out is wrong) the "greatest crisis since World War II." Admittedly, the current fall out on Wall Street could prove to be the greatest crisis since World War II, but is irresponsible for McCain to say so before the entire scope of the problem is known. Anyways, to get back to my point, many in the media like Chris Matthews and Wolf Blitzer and Tom Brokaw would tout McCains resolute stances on national security and foreign policy. It doesn't matter that John McCain's views are completely wrongheaded, in today's media landscape a strong disposition towards military force and increased tensions with America's "enemies" is equated with deep understanding of international affairs.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user failasoof April 25, 2007

R.I.P. Paul Newman

Great Actor. Great Man. Via Eric Alterman at Altercation.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user JamesAlec September 27, 2008

Wah! Wah! I'm losing! TIME OUT!

Look, John McCain, there's no crying in baseball! You can't call time out! You've said numerous times that you don't know a lot about economics, and suddenly you are going to rescue the bailout package! This reminds me of something I would've tried in high school debate! I really hope people are smart enought to see through this. To anyone that's unsure, THIS IS A TOTAL GIMMICK! It's a stunt! McCain knows he has no credibility on the economy so he's hoping a little political theater will save the day. Bullshit. Don't buy it. For those of you that aren't yet convinced of Sarah Palin's knownothingism check out this clip courtesy of Think Progress:



I'm sorry, but I have no fucking clue what she just said. I'm in league with Glenn Greenwald on this, I actually feel sorry for her in this instance because she clearly has no idea what the hell she's talking about. I'm pretty sure bailing out Wall Street has nothing to do with health care reform, but perhaps I'm just being inflexible!

Corporate Socialism

You, my dear readers, might have noticed that I've been relatively silent on the financial meltdown that we are currently in the midst of. In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that it is because most of this stuff is over my head. Perhaps the only affinity I have with John McCain, is that I also don't know as much about economics as much as I should. I blame this on my own shortcomings and supply side doctrinaire professors that taught me voodoo economics back in college. However, I'm not running for president. John McCain is. Anyways, I'm getting off on a tangent here. I titled this post corporate socialism because lately we've seen a lot of government nationalization of business, particularly in the financial sector. I think the irony of this is lost on a lot of people. A deeply conservative, radical free-market, Republican administration has been nationalizing (at least partially) corporations left and right! I wrote a somewhat sarcastic post about AIG last week, but just think about it, we as taxpayers own a 80% of AIG, the largest private insurer in the world! Or to put it in more socialistic terms, the state controls an 80% stake in AIG. Isn't that crazy! Wow! If you'd like to learn a little bit more about the crisis, and some ideas on what to do about it; I'd recommend reading the blogs of Paul Krugman, Ezra Klein, and Dean Baker. You should also check out this report by the Center for American Progress on Paulson's proposed $700 billion bailout plan.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user grahamlyth July 20, 2008

OK, Now I'm Just Pissed!

In past posts, I've had some harsh criticism for John McCain. But this time, seriously, he's stuck a personal chord. You dishonorable, undignified fool. My ire is the result of this post by Democracy Arsenal's Max Bergmann, which came to my attention via Ezra Klein. John McCain has completely flip-flopped on the issue of U.S. involvement in the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Here's what John McCain wrote in 1996:

"Motivated by romantic, anachronistic notions of Irish republicanism, some prominent Irish-Americans persuaded the president (over the objection of the State Department) to jump headfirst into the Northern Ireland problem, severely straining our relations with London...[through our] mistaken involvement in the Northern Ireland problem, President Clinton has deepened the risk to his credibility and further damaged relations with our British allies." [Foreign Policy, Summer 1996]

OK, now I realize this is from 12 years ago, but that's just an outrageous claim. This condescending, cowardly rant reeks of the up most hypocrisy. John McCain is incredibly supportive of groups lobbying in favor of Israel, but apparently lobbying in support of peace in Ireland is repulsive to him. That's not to take anything away from Israel or those that ardently support it. While I have a number of disagreements with some of the U.S.'s strongest voices in support of Israel, I admire their devotion to Israel and the Israeli people and they have every right to petition and lobby their government in support of Israel. The same should go for those who love Ireland, right? Well not if you're John McCain! If you're an Irish-American that supports peace efforts in Northern Ireland you're simply motivated by "romantic and anachronistic notions of Irish Republicanism." Also, if anything this has helped our relationship with Great Britain. Indeed, as Bergmann points out in his post, via a quote from Congressman Richard Neal, Tony Blair has actually thanked the U.S. for it's efforts in the peace process! Man, it's hard to contemplate how unbelievably stupid John McCain is. He literally makes George W. Bush look like Aristotle!

Anyways, I mentioned that John McCain flip-flopped, well here's John McCain today in Pennsylvania flipping and flopping:

If I am elected President, I will continue America’s leadership role. I am committed, as I know the American people are committed, to furthering the bonds of cooperation that have been forged in Northern Ireland’s peace process. As a demonstration of that commitment, I will continue the practice, begun by President Clinton, of appointing a U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland. I know Senator Obama has questioned whether that appointment is needed. I would urge him to reconsider. If I am elected president, I assure you that there will be no weakening in America’s commitment to peace in Northern Ireland. I’ll maintain the special U.S. envoy for Northern Ireland, and I will welcome peacemakers to the White House.

Flip-Flop! Flip-Flop! Flip-Flop! Bergmann says he's not sure if McCain just can't remember his previous position or if he's just lying. I assume the worst and that McCain is lying. But if he's not, then his demonstrable senility disqualifies him for the presidency.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user News Corpse May 23, 2008

Community Organizing: A Noble Profession

Via Oliver Willis. Perhaps I'm just a sap, but that video kinda got to me. I was actually most stuck by Biden's "last chance" remarks and I thought that their entrance into the video was just at the right time.

Willis also links to a great article in the Los Angeles Times by Richard Fausset. Fausset's article is an in-depth look into the profession of community organizing. The article is extremely well written and it gives you a better sense of what it is that a community organizer actually does. In stark contrast to the perspective taken by Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani, community organizers actually have many responsibilities and far fewer resources to go about them than mayors. This article is a must read for anyone interested in social change.

Two Items

I'd like to call my dear readers attention to two articles that I think are well worth a read. The first is by Alan Wolfe, a noted political scientist at Boston College. Wolfe's article dissects why McCain essentially has to lie in order to sell his candidacy. The key graf:

The current lie du jour of the McCain campaign is that their man will aggressively take on the greed that is causing the collapse on Wall Street. Given McCain's lack of interest in the economy, wealthy campaign contributors, and ideological hostility toward government regulation, this stance is laughable. But McCain's lie unconsciously reveals an important truth, which is that when the economy goes into a tailspin, the public prefers a solution long identified with liberalism. McCain could tell the truth, which is that he is all for the free market and can barely wait until the crisis passes so the rich can go about the business of becoming ever richer. But if he does that, he will lose. McCain wants to win. Therefore he lies.

The second article is over at the American Prospect and is written by Matt Yglesias. Yglesias argues that it would be prudent for Barack Obama to once again highlight his foreign policy and national security bonafides. He focuses on the fact that the president has a lot more control over foreign policy matters than he/she does over domestic issues. Indeed, no matter the outcome of the presidential election, the Democratic majority is certain to expand. This majority will be able to hinder many of the more undesirable elements of McCain's domestic agenda. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said on the foreign policy front. Here, McCain will have the ability to send troops wherever he pleases, with little to no intervention from Congress. This is disturbing since the McCain foreign policy platform makes the international policies of the Bush administration look tame.

Bailout Sponsors

In light of the news that I now have a partial stake in AIG. I have a number of concerns that I'd like to bring up at the next shareholders meeting. For instance, if we are in such dire straits how come we still can afford to be a leading sponsor of one of the most expensive sports franchises in the world? As exhibited by star midfielder, and Manchester's resident douchebag, Cristiano Ronaldo our company even adorns the jersey of the Red Devils! Now, I'm willing to be reasonable here. I believe that we should maintain our sponsorship of Manchester United. Our influence over one of the English Premier League's flagship clubs presents many attractive marketing opportunities for our business. Seriously people, the opportunity for growth and expansion is overwhelming! However, as owners, I feel that we deserve a fair return on our investment in the Red Devils. For instance, we should have access to a luxury box. How are they going to fit 240 million of us in there? Can we take turns? If so, I would like a dozen tickets for Sunday's clash with Chelsea. Also, as a partial owner of AIG, I would like to have access to the personal cell phone numbers of the star players and their agents. This way I can get in contact with them to discuss business matters. I have this great ad campaign in my head with Ronaldo, Carloz Tevez, and Wayne Rooney that would be dynamite! I'm really looking forward to talking this over with them. It's amazing to think, that just a day ago I was a Liverpool and Arsenal fan! I hated Manchester United! Now, I'm a partial owner of their chief sponsor. This is exciting times people. Opportunities abound!

The Era of the Lie

Michael Tomasky asks a simple question: How do you fight these people? I don't really think anyone, particularly the Obama campaign, has quite figured that out yet. It is absolutely stunning the role that dishonesty has played in the McCain campaign. These people just continue to lie. Even after they've been caught. It's utterly baffling! The obvious example is Palin and her lies regarding the Bridge to Nowhere and earmarks. However, it doesn't end there. Most of you have no doubt heard of the Fed's bailout of AIG. Everyone that is currently reading these words, is now a partial owner of AIG, as the taxpayers now own 80% of the insurance giant. Congrats...I guess. Of course as Tomasky points out, McCain (in light of this news) is talking about the need to fight corporate greed and enact a new, stronger regulatory framework. Unfortunately for McCain, he's always opposed regulation in the past. In fact the best label for his economic perspective (as limited as that may be) is that of a radical deregulator. Thankfully, the apparently revitalized Washington Post, has a front page story (brought to my attention by the Tomasky post) that details McCain's long held antipathy for government regulation of business. However, the McCain campaign is out again today, lying. They're claiming that McCain has always been a strong proponent of regulaton. Surprised? You shouldn't be! This is how the McCain campaign operates. Tomasky sums up the situation appropriately:

Imagine this happening in your own life. You knew your spouse was cheating, and she or he kept on denying it and called you despicable. Imagine that in a court of law, a plaintiff or defendant's attorney could lie, get caught, lie again and then get at least some members of the jury to believe that the allegations that he lied were just an elitist plot. That in business, one party could break a contract, lie about it, lie about having lied about it, charge that the other party's willingness to stand by the original terms of the contract showed only that the other party was weak and inflexible -- and still come out of the deal smelling sweet.

I couldn't of said it better myself. Thankfully, the media finally seems to be jumping off the St. McCain bandwagon. While the reporting of the McCain campaign's lies were initially just popping up in individual stories, it now seems that the MSM is beginning to create a narrative focusing on the campaign's outright dishonesty. However, it's aggravating that the MSM seems to be hesitant to utilize the word lie. When an individual makes a statement they know to be false. That's called a lie. It's spelled L - I - E. The present tense of the verb lie, is lying. Since the McCain campaign is actively and knowingly engaging in deception, they are lying. See MSM, it's easy! Anyways, I digress. While the MSM certainly plays a role, the onus is on John McCain, Sarah Palin, and their campaign. This overt reliance on the lie is unprecedented in a political campaign. While elements of the Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II campaigns were deplorable; none of them really ever continued to lie after having been caught. John McCain is so bereft of honor and dignity that he outright refuses to stop. I used to hate John McCain, now I just pity him.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user captainleadbottom, September 9, 2008.

Turning on the Mac

I thought the day would never come where I sing the praises of the Washington Post editorial page! If I were to do such a thing, it would probably be in regards to either Eugene Robinson or E.J. Dionne (both of whom are actually great columnists). Perhaps maybe even a shout out to David Ignatius, whom occasionally writes a superb column. Surely Richard Cohen, of in-the-tank for McCain infamy, wouldn't garner praise from a big time mega-blogger like me. Alas! The day has come. Ok, enough with that. Richard Cohen has somehow managed to write a coherent column about how McCain has completely lost his way. Cohen even admits that he was on the McCain bandwagon. Fortunately, for himself and his readers, he has managed to exorcise himself of this particular demon. Cohen's definitive and comprehensive take down focuses primarily on the cynicism that McCain displayed in his anointing of noted moose hunter Sarah Palin as his protege. However, Cohen is also quite perturbed by the ease and frequency in which St. McCain engages in outright deception. For anyone interested in reading a chronicle of the divorce between John McCain and one of his most ardent supporters, Cohen's column is a can't miss.

Hitting Back

FINALLY! Barack Obama, it would seem, has gotten the message and is beginning to hammer John McCain. The McCain campaign is lying at a pace and frequency that is absolutely mind boggling. They have repeatedly claimed that Obama is planning to raise taxes on the middle class; when in actuality, his tax plan will lower the burden on 95% of the American people. Sarah Palin, even today, still claims that she was against the "Bridge to Nowhere" even though virtually ever MSM outlet has called them out on it. This is honestly stunning. McCain prided himself in 2000 as an honorable candidate that would not take the "low road" to the presidency. That John McCain is dead. He's been dead for sometime. The new John McCain is a man entirely devoid of principle. The new John McCain is a man that will say anything to get elected, even if that includes repeating outright lies, over and over and over again. The new John McCain is a man that makes George W. Bush look like the patron saint of nobility. The new John McCain is a man that has sold his soul. John McCain is a disgrace. He's a man that has stripped himself of every last shred of honor and dignity he once possessed. While his military service was honorable, past deeds cannot forgive the sins of the present. It's really quite sad, and you almost have to wonder how he looks himself in the mirror at night. However, at this point, any nostalgia-fueled allusions to the past are irrelevant and counter-productive. This man, this hollow shell of lies, is the candidate that Obama must spar with; and this ad signifies that he is at last congnizant of this new reality.

Sarah Palin Doesn't Know What the Bush Doctrine is!

Via Matt Yglesias, I found this telling clip from the National Security Network. It's a huge deal that Sarah Palin doesn't know what the Bush Doctrine is. For those of you who don't know, the Bush Doctrine is the policy of preemptive war. In other words attacking countries that the US perceives may cause a threat to our interests in the near future. If you don't know what the Bush Doctrine is, don't feel bad. You are most likely not running for the Vice Presidency of the United States. If you are, get with it!

Seven Years

I'm not very good a memorializing, but I feel I should at least say something. This is the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It's not a day any of us will soon forget. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those that were killed in the attacks, and those that died trying to save them.

Another Bond Trailer

I CANNOT FUCKING WAIT!

Metallica - The Day That Never Comes

Pretty decent. Guitar solo is a little long at the end though.

Palin's Manifesto of Cruelty and Polarization

Last night, Sarah Palin gave a powerful speech. She did not stumble and proved herself to be an effective and charasmatic orator. It certainly should be noted that she's a very effective hatchet (wo)man. She used her network time, which was reduced by the self-serving and over-the-top Rudy Giuliani, to make clear to the American people that she is against an Obama presidency. Obviously, this is what the GOP expects their candidate for Vice President to do. Sarah Palin did a great job of introducing the American people to her good-looking family and the endearing subtleties of life in small town Alaska. The cameras constantly shifted back and forth between Palin and her pregnant daughter Bristol (with her shotgun fiancee in tow). Even a candid, and admittedly adorable, moment where Piper Palin licked her hand in order to smooth back the hair of Trig Palin was captured. I can only imagine that the American people let out a collective "awww."

However, for me at least, that's where the charm ended. It's nothing new for the Republicans to embrace negativity at their convention. In fact they've been doing just that since the Nixon days. Really, this is what they have to do. Republicans win elections by highlight divisive wedge issues and polarizing the country. They accuse Democrats of "raising taxes" and "killing babies." Also, there is the timeless allegation that Democrats are "going to take your guns away!" Unfortunately for the Republicans, basically none of this is ever true. Barack Obama is not going to raise your taxes. Unless that is, you make over $200,000 a year and can afford to pay extra in order to help middle class working Americans. Barack Obama is not going to kill any babies. In fact, while Obama is pro-choice, he wants to pursue sex education policies that will lead to fewer unwanted pregnanices which, in turn, naturally leads to fewer abortions. Isn't that a good thing? No, Barack Obama isn't going to take away anybody's guns. It's pretty much impossible to argue against that for two reasons: 1) it's so ridiculous that it's laughable; and 2) giving it more than a passing thought lends it undue credibility. Anyways, I digress. Sarah Palin's speech was notable for its offensiveness, cruelty, and utter lack of substance. She certainly seemed to delight in claiming that community organizers have no actual responsibilities, but she failed to make the case of how her experience as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska lead her to a better understanding of working Americans. Also, in regards to John McCain, we heard inspiring rhetoric about his trying experience as a POW, but nothing about what he would do as president. She didn't sell his candidacy at all. All I know from watching her speech as that John McCain was a POW in Vietnam. Oh, and because of that experience, he will bring the change we need to America. Nothing about what he would do, or how he would govern? Isn't that sort of important? Finally, what about the economy? She made no mention of home foreclosures, gas prices, unemployment or any other major economic concerns. In addition, there was absolutely nothing about what a McCain-Palin administration would do to stimulate a stagnant economy. Palin indicated that while offshore drilling isn't the cure-all solution to our energy ills, that shouldn't stop us from drilling. Ok, fine, but what else are you going to do? That's right, you are going to invest in wind energy and renewable fuels. With what money exactly? If we're going to stay in Iraq of 1000 years like McCain wants to, with a $10 billion a month price tag, can we really afford to do that?

Sarah Palin used her time in the spotlight in order to divide Americans along the same old cultural lines. Yet she did so without proposing any solutions. Democrats are cosmopolitan elitists that love eating arugula and drinking Belgian beer; but we are just like you! In addition she lied about Barack Obama's tax policies. (Fact: He's going to cut taxes for 95% of Americans and increase family rebates by $1000) She also lied about her opposition to the "Bridge to Nowhere." She was for it and then turned against it as it became increasingly unpopular politcally. One more inaccuracy I'll mention, among many others, despite her seemingly heartfelt support for families with special needs children, she actually slashed funding for special education programs by 62%! I mean, what! (Evidence for this point is in the link I provided above in regards to the "Bridge to Nowhere")

It's hard to tell how the speech will play out. I have no doubt that she will appeal to many Americans. However, her sarcastic and negative tone will likely turn off just as many. Also, working people are looking for someone who will uplift them economically. Not exactly someone that is like them (which she isn't anyways). At some point she's going to have to be made available to the media, and that should be, shall we say, interesting.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user MBS1983 September 1, 2008

Alaska?

Via Jake Tapper at Political Punch, I came across this hilarious little ditty from, well, Diddy! Diddy certainly has a unique presentation for his vlog (isn't he dizzy spinning around like that!?!) but he actually hits a number of salient points. Look, I've never been to Alaska. However, the pictures I've seen of it are spectacular. I'm sure Alaska is an absolutely lovely state and an amazing place to call your home. That being said, does the governor of Alaska really have a good grip of the complex social issues that ordinary Americans deal with on a regular basis? Diddy is right to ask, are there any black people in Alaska? Now, I'm sure there are, and it shold be noted that Alaska has a history of racial conflict between whites and Native Americans. However, Sarah Palin just does not look like a woman that would be comfortable campaigning in Detroit or Philadelphia.

Michael Tomasky's excellent post on Palin directed me to this revealing article by the New York Times' Elisabeth Bumiller. It turns out that Palin essentially was not vetted at all. McCain really wanted either Joe Lieberman or Tom Ridge but his aides shot them down because they were pro-choice. A pro-choice running mate would be DOA on the convention floor. So in recognition that he wouldn't get what he wanted, he shot from the hip and picked Sarah Palin. My theory behind this is that the McCain campaign thinks that women are stupid. No really, that's my theory. Let me elaborate. I'm theorizing that McCain is betting everything on disaffected Hillary voters. Without carefully thinking it through, McCain believes that if he puts a woman on the GOP ticket as his running mate, women won't be able to help themselves and they'll vote for him. Why else would Sarah Palin be praising Hillary Clinton with every opportunity? Also, this prevents the Democrats from monopolizing the "history making" market, by having a woman on the ticket. Nevermind the fact that Palin's beliefs are completely anithetical to those of most of Hillary Clinton's supporters. Palin believes that Creationism should be taught alongside evolution in public schools and she opposes abortion in all circumstances, including rape and incest. In other words, McCain thinks women, and Hillary Clinton supporters in particular, are stupid.

Geek Alert

I'm not sure how I feel about this. The Max Payne games, are in no small way some of the best video games ever conceived. However, the word on the street is that this movie will be PG-13. Look, Max Payne can't be PG-13. It's not that I'm a sadist that enjoys watching people get blown up, but when it comes to movies, I'm a sadist that enjoys watching people get blown up. Ok, I'll be serious now. Max Payne is like Batman in sense that both stories are EXTREMELY dark and nihilistic. A PG-13 rating worked with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, because Batman doesn't kill anyone. It's the one line he will never cross. The same cannot be said of Max Payne. Max Payne's wife and baby were murdered by drug dealers. This essentially ends Max's life, and he is reborn as a creature of vengeance. He kills people. He kills them violently. A PG-13 movie just can't convey that. Also, what the fuck is with the demon thingys? Valkyries? In the first game, there's mention of the Valkyrie Project, but it's a military industrial project. It's not some kind of occult summoning of demons. I've read that in Max Payne 2, if you beat the game on the hardest level (which I will never be able to do) a new playable level gets unlocked that includes demons. I'm hoping this is just some sort of dream sequence. However, I fear that it's not considering that these things are featured so prominently in the trailer.

On the other hand, the trailer is fairly well put together. It certainly peeks interest in the viewer. I could make some kind of half assed excuse, but the truth is, I'll probably see this movie right away since I'm such a fan of the games. I think it sucks that the movie is PG-13, but since 20th Century Fox is running the show, I'm not all that surprised. Anyways, this has been way too long of post, especially since it's about a video game movie. I should be talking about Sarah Palin. Oh well!

A Night to Remember

Wow. What a speech! I've seen some great speeches in my 24 years, but I think that this might just take the cake. Obama was brilliant last night. I think I feel the need to try and match that speech by writing a very insightful commentary post. Why even try. I'll just note a few highlights that really struck me. In my opinion, Obama did a great job of defusing the "celebrity" and "elitist" critique that the McCain campaign has been so desperately trying to link him with. By highlighting his struggles growing up as the child of a single mother on welfare, I think it's pretty much impossible to call Obama an "elitist." I was particularly struck by the line, "I don't know how John McCain thinks a celebrity lives, but that's how I grew up." In the words of John Madden, Boom. However, it's really up to the media whether or not they will keep covering this line of attack. Since they know it's BS, they should leave it alone. Another highlight for me, as I sure it was for everyone watching the speech, was the bit on Osama bin Laden. As I'm sure you're all aware, McCain has said that he will follow Osama Bin Laden to "the gates of hell." Now, that plays really well in a cheesy 80's action flick, but in the real world such macho nonsense should be dismissed as utter inanity. Obama said "John McCain wants to chase Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives!" This, of course, is in reference to McCain's puzzling refusal to go after bin Laden in Pakistan. In fact he's accused Obama of wanting to "invade Pakistan." Of course, Obama has never said anything even close to that. I think that line was a watershed moment in this election; as it cuts to the very core of John McCain's perceived national security bonfides.

Overall, I thought the speech was very inspiring. Those were two little highlights that struck me amongst numerous others. I mentioned those two because they marked Obama's response to McCain's two main lines of attack: 1) Barack Obama is an "elitist celebrity" obessesed with his own image; and 2) Barack Obama does not have the experience and national security bonafides that would enable him to be an effective comander-in-cheif. There were many other tidbits that stuck me. In order to go over those, I will outsource any additional commentary and analysis to Michael Tomasky and Ezra Klein.

McCain's Celebrity

Over at the TIME groupblog Swampland, Ana Marie Cox has a post noting John McCain's 13th appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. That's the same amount of appearances as such celebrity heavy weights as Pamela Anderson and Simon Cowell. Just in case your wondering, Barack Obama that "elitist celebrity" has only appeared on the show once.

Via Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo.

Thoughts on Biden

I realize that this is coming 4 days late, but I really think that Joe Biden is a solid pick for Barack Obama's running mate. Biden is a very endearing Senator and I have no doubt that he will convince many voters that were on the fence in regards to Obama to fall fully into his camp. His personal story about commuting home every night to be with his sons after the tragic accident that killed his wife and daughter will resonate with American voters. Joe Biden truly is a blue-collar guy, an Irish Catholic from Scranton (yeah Dunder-Mifflin!!!) that grew up with absolutely nothing. Just like Barack Obama, the son of a single mother on welfare. Hopefully this pick will help combat the "elitist" and "celebrity" narrative. However, I think the Democrats could nominate a homeless 12 year old for President and the GOP would still call them an elitist. Mark Schmitt has a great mini-profile of Joe Biden over at the American Prospect. It's a short read that I highly recommend.

As for the convention last night, I thought the tribute to Teddy Kennedy was very moving. I thought considering the circumstance he looked good. His speech conveyed the fire and passion he still possesses, especially for lifting up ordinary Americans. Also, his vow to be on the Senate floor in January 2009 was very touching, and reassuring for that matter. His voice is a crucial one, and if Obama hopes to enact progressive change through the Senate, Kennedy's skills will be vital. I thought that Michelle Obama was electrifying. I had high expectations for this speech, but she absolutely knocked it out of the park. Her speech exhibited how normal she is. Personally, I find it abhorrent that millions of Americans still need to be convinced of that. It shows just how far our country has to go. However, her presence on that stage also demonstrated how far our country has progressed.

Photo used courtesy of Flickr user IowaPolitics.com July, 17 2007

Kicking it McCain Style

Via my coworker Taylor, via Daily Kos.

Bush Flip-Flops on Timetables

It's official. Condoleezza Rice has negotiated a draft agreement towards a timetable for withdrawl of US forces from Iraq. The draft calls for the removal of combat forces from cities by the end of June 2009, with all combat forces out by December 2011. Unfortunately, this agreement does leave a little room for so-called "residual" forces. Nevertheless, this is very encouraging news, as it will be good to have the majority of our troops home where they belong. This is, of course, a huge flip-flop for Bush. The administration has long made it clear that they view timetables for withdrawl as tantamount to surrender. Considering McCain thinks we need to stay in Iraq anywhere between 100 and 10,000 years I can only guess that he must've spontaneously combusted when he heard of this news.

It should be noted that the Bush administration has made a wise move here, so I will give credit where credit is due. However, it should be clear that this is a draft agreement so nothing is set in stone. In other words, in the unfortunate event of a McCain victory in November, he could throw this agreement out the window. Moreover, the Times article makes clear that the Americans and Iraqis have somewhat different interpretations of this agreement. In the end though, this is good news and it hopefully means that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the troops over in Iraq.

This ADORABLE photo was used courtesy of Flickr user soldiersmediacenter April 23, 2007

Game On

Via Ezra Klein.

Why Republican Attacks Work

Michael Tomasky, the editor of Guardian America and former editor of the American Prospect, has a great post up on his new blog that explains why Republican attacks are so much more devastating than Democratic ones. The long and short of it is that Republicans attack character, while Democrats attack policy. The American people, are of course much more in tune with character issues than they are knowledgeable of policy. This is something the Democratic Party really needs to correct, and Tomasky has a few ideas on where to start.

The Shifting Evangelicals

E.J. Dionne has a great column in todays Post. Much has been made amongst the talking heads over the appearance of John McCain and Barack Obamma at Rick Warren's, the author of The Purpose Driven Life and an up-and-coming leader in the evangelical movement, forum last weekend. The main narrative that has been constructed by the MSM is that John McCain knocked it out of the park. This is, of course, about as surprising as 90 degree weather in August. However, Dionne strikes a number of chords that bring into focus the gravity of Obama's appearance at this forum. It demonstrates that Obama is comfortable talking about his faith, and he feels that he can use his faith to reach out to voters that normally wouldn't be inclined to vote for him. While I must admit, I was watching the Olympics and English Premier League football (Go Liverpool!) during the forum, many of the clips I saw of Obama were of him giving thoughtful answers and receiving polite applause in response. Moreover, Warren seemed to genuinely be interested in what Obama had to say; and while he didn't always agree with the Senator, he seemed to appreciate Obama's answers and he conveyed a great deal of respect for him.

McCain of course received a rousing reception (holy alliteration!), because let's be honest, most of these people are going to vote for him anyway, and he has all the right answers to the pressing social issues. However much Warren agreed with McCain's shoot-from-the-hip talking point responses, he seemed to be much more intriguied and impressed by Barack Obama. In that sense, I think you have to chalk this off as a victory for Obama. He had the guts and wherewithall to speak eloquently and thoughtfully in front of a potentailly very hostile audience, and he managed to at least gain the respect of Rick Warren and his parishoners.

It should also be noted, as alluded to by Dionne in his column, that Rick Warren seems like an inherently reasonable dude. While I find a number of his religous beliefs abhorrent, he seems to have a genuine respect for different opinions, and he's clearly an extremely intelligent individual (holy assonance!) Warren will actually invest himself in civilized discussions over issues, and conduct himself in respectable manner that serves to elevate the tone of political discourse. Barack Obama was more than happy to play along, John McCain wasn't, because frankly, he's not nearly smart enough to do so. The other note of praise I have for Warren, which Dionne again is wise to point out, is that he has brought a renewed focus on issues of poverty, hunger, and climate change that have been noticeably absent from the culture war platform of the evangelical movement for some time. I think Rick Warren would be a much better moderator of presidential debates than any of the dunces the MSM will throw at us!

Show Me the Money!

Via the Huffington Post, I found this nice little dity about Michael Phelps. It turns out that some business gurus think that Phelps could cash in on up to $40 million dollars in endorsement deals! That's $5 million per gold medal! Now, I'm not bringing this up to in any way impunge the character of Micheal Phelps. Phelps is without a doubt the most gifted athlete in Olympic history and he seems like an all around good guy. He endeared himself to me in 2004 when he gave up his spot in the medley relay so Ian Crocker, one of his biggest rivals, could have a chance at gold. That was a selfless move of pure class, and he deserves to be commended often for it. Moreover, Phelps' success will turn a lot of young people on to the great sport of swimming. It's just disappointing that Phelps' performance in Beijing will likely result in the rampant commecialization of a sport that has remained fairly pure throughout the years. However, this commercialization is indicative of the system, and Phelps should not be blamed for bringing it about.

Photo used courtesy of Flickr user nataliehehring.com August 12, 2008