The assassination card

"Every time I think I'm out they pull me back in!"

It is not fun to beat a dead horse, I have no desire to kick a woman when she is down (even one wearing a yellow pantsuit) but sometimes the horse, or the woman, reaches out and bites you on your ankles. Today Hillary said she is staying in the race because RFK was assassinated in June. Now, of course Hillary apologized and came out saying she did not mean anything by it, I was thinking about the Kennedy's, I was chipping golf-balls with Kato, I made a mistake, etc.

But I have a theory that this was no mistake, no off-the-cuff meandering about political history. It was a planned tactical hit that accomplished the goal of introducing into the conversation the idea that Barrack may be assassinated. Just like the infamous 3 a.m. advertisement that had NOTHING to do with national security: if you think I am wrong tell me how many sleeping white children were killed in their homes by terrorist. Chris Matthews talks about the "dog whistle" theory in politics. What are they putting out there that we are not hearing? Team HRC had to get this idea out in the open so people will discuss the possibility of an assassination. It accomplished it's goal, we are talking about it.

I have watched her comments and she knows exactly what she was is doing. Hillary is the most disciplined campaigner in modern times. Nothing she says or does is spontaneous or off-the-cuff. If you don't believe me, Hillary will buy you a shot and beer! Next stop-Hooters

Black Gold

I was scanning the drudge report this morning and noticed a headline that read:
GAS at 12 dollars INEVITABLE
This headline was also followed by the more bizarre headline:
FARMERS USING MULES-CHEAPER THAN GAS FOR TRACTORS

I am currently teaching Grapes of Wrath and Steinbeck writes an entire chapter about tractors (machines) taking over and pushing man and his animals off the land. The more things change....

Now, on the first look it is natural to be angry or fearful about a future where gas costs ten or twelve dollars a gallon. It would cost $135 to fill up my Chevy Blazer! We know that oil is a limited resource and our addiction has supported and kept in power dictators and corrupt nation states. We all love our cars for the convenience and freedom that they provide but would life really be so bad without cars? I believe that McCain or Obama have a golden opportunity to address this issue and challenge the American people to live in a car free world by 2016. I know what you are thinking, "a world without cars, that's crazy talk, no wonder he is voting for Obama, he is so pie-in-the sky." But think about it, in 1960 Kennedy challenged us to put a man on the moon within ten years and we did it. In 1941 the United States was ranked 19th in military power, Roosevelt challenged the nation and by 1945 we were number 1! I could go on and on with examples.
So here are a few broad strokes on how this would work
1. People would bike or walk to work. (also would reduce obesity)
2. Subways would be the dominant form of transportation
3. The return of the railroad (we would finally get my dream-bullet train to Vegas)
4. The return of electric streetcars for massive big cities ie. Frisco, L.A. etc

The health benefits alone would make this idea worthwhile. Think of L.A. without the traffic and smog, more open spaces, streets and freeways can become parks and gardens, the return of wildlife, people outside talking with their neighbors, cleaner air, no TOLL ROADS IN STATE PARKS, the list goes on.

So is the price of gas a problem or an opportunity in disguise?

Is Terry McAuliffe the new Baghdad Bob?

Terry McAuliffe has turned his projectile nonsense into something approaching the sublime. McAuliffe comes across like a desperate junkie on the downside of a three day bender who is trying to convince you that the little green men he sees dancing on the tip of his spoon are real. This is not spinning, this is performance art by way of the used car lot. Terry is a strange combination of a modern day carnival barker mixed with a snake-oil salesman combined with the fake charm (sleaze) of O.J. Simpson. Only a man who believes the public is buying what he is shoveling can shovel it with a smile. McAuliffe represents all that is wrong with modern day politics. He believes that you treat the voters the same way you treat a four-year old who cannot handle reality. McAuliffe will tell you whatever you want to hear and he is NEVER accountable for what he has said in the past. Terry believes that as long as you say something really loud and repeat it even louder than you create reality. He is the kind of guy that you hope you do not get stuck talking with at a party. He spouts out nonsense and lies and refuses to address reality. Who does this lying con-artist remind you of? Wait, go back to early 2003, I see a man in front of a microphone named Bob......

Fun Quotes with "Pastor" Hagee

John McCain actively sought out a PUBLIC endorsement from pastor Hagee just days before the Texas primary. Let us take a closer look at what the good pastor has to say about my father, step-mother, Amina, etc.
"The catholic religion is a godless theology of hate."

"Catholicism is a great whore."

I do not believe that these words reflect who John McCain is nor would they influence my opinion in any form. Imagine if Fox News endlessly repeated these words by the good pastor, would your opinion of McCain change? Hmmnnnn..... It is a very dangerous game we play when we start judging political candidates by what their pastors say in the pulpit on Sunday. If you are troubled about Obama and Rev. Wright, which many people have expressed to me, are you also troubled by the words of pastor Hagee?

If you are not I suggest you open a dictionary and look up the word hypocrisy. I welcome all thoughts and comments and will up doulble my previous offer. Jeff.....................?

100 dollars

I will pay 100 dollars to ANYONE who can tell me how the sermons of Reverend Wright will influence, change, affect, shape or craft legislation or pending legislation in the United States of America. This is an open offer to all who are distracted and distorted in their belief that Obama's pastor has any bearing on this election. I do not live in a country of guilt by association, if you enjoy living in such a society I suggest Cuba, China or North Korea. I eagerly await all policy discussions by all who are "troubled" by Obama's pastor. If we take this school of thought to its logical extreme all of you who support McCain must believe God sent hurricane Katrina because of the Gay pride parade and feel Catholics will burn in hell. (bad news for Dad and Denise) McCain pastor said these things on the record, very troubling.......

Turn out the lights

Picture this scene:
Hillary is alone in her room, watching tapes of her Presidential announcement, still wearing her pantsuit like a modern day Miss Havisham. She has a small tear slowing rolling down her face as she wonders to herself, how did it all go wrong? How did she blow the best name recognition in the history of politics? How did she waste the best political talent and the millions of dollars to lose the nomination? Outside of her room nervous aides are drawing straws to see who will go in and tell her that it is over. She has lost to a man who has given HOPE to a new generation. Bill is trying to convince her to go on to Puerto Rico where he can campaign with Ms. Puerto Rico and keep this farce going. It is amazing that Obama, who the world did not know last year, has beaten Hillary and will be the next President of the United States. Obama consistently took the high road and never got down in the mud with Billary. He has campaigned with dignity and class and will move our country forward in the right direction. I can't wait for Obama to take on McCain!

Live Blog

4:14 Just got home from a long day of teaching 1984 and Grapes of Wrath, pick up my mail and see Obama on the cover of Esquire, a good sign.
4:18 Turn on MSNBC and see Indiana is too early to call, Chris is blabbing about how H.R.C. kills with old ladies over 65. Polls close in eleven minutes in North Carolina. I read a book review today about Ted Sorosen's new book about his days working with J.F.K., can't wait to read it. (We are on a commercial break}
4:30 North Carolina goes to Obama! Brokaw instantly questions what the "black vote" will do if Hillary gets the nomination.
4:36 Hillary has the lead in Indiana, damn...
4:46 Ford calls the win in North Carolina a "game changer" and predicts Obama will pick up 15 new super-delegates tomorrow. We'll see...
4:53 They are calling it a "post reverend Wright" win and are obsessing about the white vote. It looks like Obama could net 15 delegates
5:17 They are still talking about rev. Wright, why? Chris finally said that only older voters care about rev. Wright and asked why is this an issue? Hillary gets 2/3 of whites with no college education and voters over 65. Vote for me if your old or dumb!
5:25 Word has it that the Obama camp will lock it up by May 20th. Let's hope so! (source-Howard Fineman)
6:10 Obama takes the stage in North Carolina...
6:11 Speech starts (old white lady right behind Obama, no word of her education level) (another old white lady next to her, no black people in the shot, but an odd multi-racial guy)
6:14 Obama congratulates Hillary on her victory in Indiana-pure class
6:26 Obama is only 6 points behind in Indiana, could he pull it off and put a dagger in H.R.C.?
6:31 "I trust that the American people no longer want to be defined by their differences" The best line of the speech
6:35 The big picture idea, does the country want a change?
7:01 Still too close to call in Indiana....
7:18 Going back and forth between MSNBC and the Dodger game, where I will be tomorrow at noon with my brother and cousin, sick day (cough-cough) (wink-wink) Man, I will miss this job. I think Vinny will vote for McCain, McCourt will go for Obama.
7:31 Clinton about to speak....
7:34 Still waiting.....does she go out with Bill and Chelsea.....socks the cat?
7:37 Yep, Bill and Chelsea, no socks...damn
7:38 Bill looks like he has been hitting the sauce, how did he get so red? Did he overdue the tanning bed?
7:39 (strange old guy with beard on cell phone in shot) Hillary is doing the Mussolini nod
7:41 cry, cry ,cry, send me money!
7:43 Hillary knows it is over, you can tell, put a fork in her, she is done! She can't even fake the emotion.
7:44 A lady with f-ing (sorry grandma) boxing gloves is in H.R.C. shot-pass the puke bags cause she is a "fighter". Yes, she is so tough she stays with her husband who habitually cheats on her with interns, she is so brave!
7:47 Hillary is planting the seeds for her exit.... hasta la vista baby!
7:49 quick shot of the one black person in the audience
7:52 Why is Bill so red?
7:58 Lame speech, it is over. HRC is done. You heard it from the source.
8:05 210,000 votes still out in Indiana, is it possible they go to Obama?
8:18 Rove on Fox News is saying it is over for Hillary. Rove is asking why was Bill in the picture?
8:24 Andruw Jones flies out to center, Dodgers losing 4-1 to the Mets.
8:37 Blake Dewitt is 2-2 and just knocked in two runs. Who needs Nomar?
8:38 Fineman said Hillary will not be the V.P.
8:45 It is less than 20,000 votes! Go Obama!
8:52 Rove says Obama will win Indiana
9:08 Hillary cancels all events for Wednesday-see ya!
9:11 Russert just said we now know who will be the democratic nominee!
9:24 Blake Dewitt just hit an inside-the-park homerun! Dodgers up 5-4!

Oil Pipelines and Roman ruins

Today is the five year anniversary of Bush prancing around underneath the famous "Mission Accomplished" banner on top of an aircraft carrier. After a five year occupation of a foreign nation the question must be asked, is America an empire in denial? Thomas Jefferson wrote "it is the duty of a patriot to always question his country." Why does Bush not engage the American people and the press in an honest assessment of what has happened in this war and why we are fighting in Iraq? Iraq is a tremendously complex country that the American people cannot understand. All of us, myself included, believed and wanted the success we had in Gulf War I. Now, in the sixth year of Gulf War II, we are fighting an undefined enemy who is willing to kill himself to kill Americans. How do you defeat this mentality? In an 2003 interview General David Petraeus spoke of being in northern Iraq and looking at oil pipelines snaking over Roman ruins, if we do not learn from history what hope do we have?
So, this is my first political blog in some time. I have heard rumors that some people believed my enthusiasm for Obama may be waning. Let me assure you that my belief in him has only increased as he has dealt with the ridiculous non-issue of his pastor. John McCain's pastor said that God sent hurricane Katrina as God's punishment for the gay parade in New Orleans. I can't wait to see the "outrage" that the comment brings. This entire discussion is so absurds, what policy could possible be affected by what his pastor has to say? Take a look at some comments about America that Nixon, Reagan, and Bush have said, again these were CANIDATES!
I will vote for Obama because he does not treat the voters like they are children at the petting zoo and he will give them an ice-cream cone if they vote for him. He also does not try to "scare" the voters into voting for him. He has campaigned with dignity and intelligence and he will win in 08. The only people who still think Hillary has a real shot also think she looks hot in those pantsuits (wink, wink).
I will leave you with an acerbic quote from General David Petraus in 2003. It is important to note that it was 2003

"We are here for liberation not occupation"

P.S. I will now go back to blogging about the Hills, why can't L.C. and Steven get together?