America Suicide Watch: Day 2,642

Part of me just wants Hillary to get the nomination after all. Why not? Then I could just sit back and watch the slow implosion of the Democratic Party right along with Hillary Clinton and her band of thugs. I mean, it wouldn't be the end of the world, would it? The break-up of the Democratic Party would then mean we could then have real choices. Yeah, we'd lose a few elections, yeah, we'd be going the way of the Soviet Empire. But think about it: not just one party, but several parties representing genuine progressive change, represented by genuine liberals and progressives. One one side you would have the "Republican" Party, all monolithic and standing for nothing but economic royalism, American imperialism and exceptionalism, and racist protectionist policies - all of which vast majorities of Americans reject. This "Republican" Party would have as members at that moment a big plurality of voters, yes, and achieve many successful election cycles. But now faced with real choices would not quite a lot of them flock to other parties in the realization that no, they do not have to choose from a lesser of two "evils" but can pick and choose from a variety of very viable parties representing very viable alternatives? Because we know the very fascist, get-in-line, all-or-nothing "Republican" Party is simply incapable of breaking apart. They just won't do it. Democrats, on the other hand, are a bunch of cats. A Hillary Clinton nomination would be the opportunity of a lifetime to achieve actual political choice in America. Not that I'm optimistic that this will happen, but it's the best chance that it will. I, for one, were Hillary to become the Democratic nominee, would welcome it.

Hillary Clinton Political Suicide Watch, Day 22

What's the Clinton plan now? Her lies about being under sniper fire in Bosnia certainly don't help the experience meme very much, do they? Hmm. Oh, but bringing up Jeremiah Wright by saying you would have left his church had you been a member really places you on the moral high ground, doesn't it, Senator? To dismiss the African American experience -- Jeremiah Wright's experience -- with such a flippant, mean, simplistic response not only demeans the African American community everywhere but demeans religious choice and insults people's intelligence and their ability to simultaneously disagree with certain ideas while embracing the overall message. Even a pastor of Clinton's former church in D.C., Dean Snyder, has said that it is wrong to attack Wright based on a couple of sound bites, given the experiences he's had as a black man in the segregated 1960's. But no, why would Hillary bother to research the history of Obama's pastor and his church when she can use this story as an opportunity? The word "monster" not only comes to mind here, it forces itself. That would be you and your Tanya Harding squad of thugs, Senator Clinton, you monster. You are finished. History. Done. No one will vote for you in November because you are a lying, scheming power-hungry asshole who resembles a member of the Bush regime with each passing day. You do NOT deserve my vote, Senator, not now, not ever, not for Senator, President or dog catcher. And as for you, Bill Clinton, implying that Hillary and McCain are "true" Americans while Obama is not brings you down right to her level. I pity you now, Mr. President. And to think you were once called America's first black president. This makes me want to vomit.

One wonders what tricks this bitter autocrat and her loyal bunch of knee-capping thugs have up their sleeves. UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE (really? you and whose Congress?)! EXPERIENCE (really? where was the sniper fire?)! READY ON DAY ONE (really? by tackling the mortgage crisis through hiring the very same people that helped get us here?)! LOOK AT ME, I'M SO MORALLY UPRIGHT I WOULD PICK ANOTHER CHURCH (go fuck yourself)! LOOK AT HOW PATRIOTIC I AM BY AUTHORIZING WAR IN IRAQ AND IRAN (go fuck yourself)! I'M SO MUCH MORE AMERICAN THAN OBAMA, 'CUZ I AND BILL SAY SO (go fuck yourself)!

As if all of this weren't enough now there is word of one of Hillary Clinton's economic adivers, a one Mr. Roger Altman, owner of a media corporation which owns the tabloids The Globe and National Enquirer. Apparently the Enquirer ran a story implying that Barack Obama was somehow responsible for the murder of the choir director - who was, get this: GAY - of his church. All of this from "unnamed" sources, of course. This story comes on top of other stories alleging Obama had shouting matches with his wife over young girls surrounding him, among other garbarge now fitting Clinton's down-in-the-gutter approach. Roger Altman, as some may rember, was Deputy Treasury Secretary in Bill Clinton's White House, and to some a favorite pick for Treasury Secretary in a Hillary Clinton White House. Oh, but no - he couldn't have had anything to do with these stories, could he?

To hell with the Clintons, I am so through with them it hurts. I now have to navigate my way out of the sewer from the likes of Richard Mellon Scaife, Rush Limbaugh and Anne Coulter. This is the definition of gut-wrenching. My head is spinning so fast I can hardly see.

As for you, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton: Congratulations! You are now an honorary White Male Republican. You have joined the ranks of Karl Rove and Dana Perino and Dick Cheney (pronounced shuh-NAY). I am so very happy for you, Senator. Why not go all the way and blow up the only American political party that has any chance of defeating the fascists in our midst? Only the Clintons, who claim they ARE the Democratic Party, could really do that.

[UPDATE]  Speaking of Richard Mellon Scaife, there was Hillary Rodham Clinton speaking to same at his newspaper, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. And not only that she brought up Jeremiah Wright. Congratulations, Senator, for JOINING that vast, right-wing conspiracy. Thank you so very much.

Hillary Clinton Political Suicide Watch, Day 20

The clock keeps a-ticking - to Pennsylvania. Four weeks to go, another primary releases more delegates. Another Obama endorsement, this one from Governor Bill Richardson. Only one endorsement left that would really count. That's you, John Edwards. What are you waiting for? Florida and Michigan refuse to revote, Jeremiah Wright was right after all and all the Clinton camp can come up with is having James Carville call Richardson's endorsement a betrayal? Betrayal? Is that all they really care about now? No big pro-woman speech to compete with Obama's "A More Perfect Union" in the Women's History Month of March? C'mon, there's still seven days left, Senator. Really? You feel betrayed, by someone who competed against you no less than Obama, whose Iraq policy, getting out and getting out now, couldn't be different from yours? We've seen the face of blind loyalty and its face is the Bush regime. No thank you, Senator.

America Suicide Watch: Day 2,633

The Economy is tanking, war in Iraq and Afghanistan is getting worse and draining our treasury by the hour with no foreseeable benefit, and Americans when polled choose the economic and foreign policy positions held by most Democrats, and resoundingly reject "conservative" ideology. And yet, with zero economic know-how and an endless hell in Iraq proffered by John McCain, this old fuck still polls just about even with either of the two Democratic rivals.

This country is bat-shit insane.

Hillary Clinton Political Suicide Watch, Day 10

I am starting an ongoing daily diary of the stunts Hillary Clinton and her campaign thugs are pulling to try to take down what should otherwise be a very good year for those would want to end eight years of fascist rule, a.k.a. Democrats. In a very short period of time Hillary Clinton has transformed into a mean, ugly white male fascist monster incapable of nothing but attacking her main rival in the Democratic Party with lies, smears and whisper campaigns, all the while fueling the new American Fascist Party headed by current nominee John McCain.

I'm calling this day 10, the first day being the day after the March 4th primaries, when everyone realized in horror the depths that team Clinton had sunk to in order to "win."

Let's take a look at some recent zingers by the likes of Jabba the Hutt Mark Penn and his knee-capping sidekick Howard Wolfson, as well as some unsavory and passive-aggressive assists by newly "free-lanced" surrogate and racist, former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro. Yesterday we heard from big fat piece of shit Penn that winning Pennsylvania is an absolute must to win the election. Douchebag, Obama's shown he can win by picking up Virginia, Nevada, Colorado and Missouri, while Hillary loses in New Hampshire. Nice try. Oh, yes, I almost forgot - there was that bitter old white asshole Ferraro spouting off how very lucky Obama was to be black, saying it over and over and over again. And then there's the tale of Hillary picking off superdelegates and Obama pledged delegates, while Obama continues to pick up more superdelegates. What a way to get people to vote for you. What, no big ideas, no nice slogans, no vision for the country, no real progressive agenda? No, of course not, these would be Obama's domain. You just like to talk tough, don't you Senator? You kneecap Obama, Jeff Gillooly-style, then claim you're the victim and it's Obama's fault.

So, I guess this suicide mission continues. Calling Hillary Clinton a political coward at this point seems to be the best thing one could say about her. She's certainly trying on the racist Southern strategy for size and applying it to the even more racist Appalachia. It fits you well, Senator, now maybe you could try channeling Jesse Helms for some more tips on how to blow that dog whistle to scare more white people away from Obama.

We're onto you, Senator. You're days of cheap stunts and racist smears are numbered. We're waiting for you, Senator, and should you cajole and coerce your way to the nomination we are ready to pounce. And pounce hard we will. I have news for you, Senator: you're not going to like it.

To paraphrase a scene in The Shining: "Oh, Hillary?"..."Yes?"..."You got a big surprise coming to you - go check out the future scenario of Clinton versus McCain in the fall of 2008 and you'll see what I mean. Go check it out. GO CHECK IT OUT!" Hysterical laughter ensues.

Hillary Clinton and Elliot Spitzer: The Real Manchurian Candidates

As if her candidacy weren't already poisonous enough for the Democrats' chances to take back the White House, now we have Geraldine Ferraro spouting off about how lucky Obama is that he is black. Yes, Congresswoman Ferraro, you are racist, you bitter old fuck. And no, Obama doesn't need or want you doing any fund-raising for him, as if he needed your "help."

It's as if Hillary Clinton's people have no idea what's at stake. We have a runaway fascist government doing their damnedest to bankrupt the country and shred the Constitution, while this loser does their bidding by effectively saying, oh no, Democrats, look over here at poor ol' victimized me, not at the crimes being committed in our name every day. No, no, Obama is the one we should be scorning, NOT hundred-years in Iraq McCoot or war criminal Chucklenuts. And all you can say, Senator Clinton, is that this is "regrettable?" What, no denouncing and rejecting the Congresswoman altogether, as you have demanded Obama do with never-before-been-seen-with Farrakhan? You small, pathetic power-hungry person. You, Senator Clinton, will one day see the mess you've made, how small you've made yourself by the lies and deceptions you've told to get people like myself to pull that lever for you. You will one day come to realize your betrayal of all those Americans clamoring for real change when all you had to give them was lies and whispering campaigns of your Democratic opponent. When you come to realize what you've done, maybe a conscience somewhere within you will creep up and you can begin to come to terms with the pain you have caused. Maybe, but I'm not counting on it.

There are many women qualified for President I would vote for over Obama, among them Barbar Boxer, Elizabeth Edwards, Kathleen Sibelius. You once had the potential to be on that list, given Obama's imperfect voting record and misstatements about funding the Iraq War. You have proven to be the worse choice, politically to the right of Obama on foreign policy, civil liberties and the environment. Experience? Nope, not when it's the wrong kind. And now this. Maybe you and Elliot Spitzer can get together someday, when you've both been drubbed out of office and out of power, and realize how much you both lost your way. Maybe you've both never had it to begin with, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, because deep within the power-hungry exterior of you both lie intelligent, engaged citizens that want to have an impact on society. And unlike the sociopath we currently have in the White House you both have shown your capacity to at least try to do some good. This is why it's betrayal.

Farewell to you both, Hillary and Elliot. Some day maybe you will realize that it's not about you.

To Hillary Clinton: I'm Through With You

Dear Senator Clinton:

I joined your campaign for the Senate against Rick Lazio in 2000, and volunteered enthusiastically from the summer right up until November. I logged phone calls for you, transcribed speeches you gave upstate, and even got the chance to meet you in person and shake your hand. You impressed me then, and I was happy to see you get elected and serve our state, the state of New York.

I no longer support you. I will not support you in your continued career as New York Senator nor for your candidacy for President of the United States. You have sunk to new lows in your primary contest with Barack Obama. You have used tactics that have made Karl Rove and the rest of the heap of shit that is the Republican Party proud. You are basically one of them now. You have given your bigoted campaign staff and advisers free reign to attack Obama's race (desaturating, darkening and stretching his image in one your detestable lie-athon ads) and lie about his religion. You have allowed this to happen, and therefore you are no better than they are. You have now joined Joe Lieberman, Zell Miller and, as far as I'm concerned, Strom Thurmond in the hall of Democratic traitors who have given aid to or become one of the fascists in our midst - the terrorist organization known as the Republican Party. Congratulations, Senator.

You are a fraud. You are a phony. You are a wolf in sheep's clothing, a White Male Republican in a woman's body willing to destroy everything and everyone to get your way.

I will never vote for you, as President or Senator. All your campaign promises of universal health care, energy independence, blah blah - they mean nothing because you will never be elected President of the United States, you will only succeed in turning two-thirds of the American public against you and you will blow up the Democratic Party, the only effective opposition to the American Fascist Party known colloquially as the "GOP."

I cannot trust you. I do not trust you. I will never trust you. Ever. I loathe you.

Good bye, Senator. Nice knowing you. And yes, you really are a monster.

Stupid Tuesday: The Real Loser Is Critical Thinking

Hillary Clinton's smear tactics and hush campaigns attacking Obama's non-existent Muslimism worked, apparently. Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island voters were largely duped into voting not based on a hard look at each candidate's record or at each candidate's message but by fear-mongering attack ads on the Tee Vee. Clinton took advantage of the uneducated masses in both Ohio and Texas to smear her way to small but important victories. That's the long and short of it as I see it. Obama didn't counterattack forcefully enough because that's not his style quite frankly. The sad outcome of this is that no one is any smarter from this, and Ohio voters, for all their anti-NAFTA bitterness, seem to forget that Bill Clinton, with Hillary's tacit approval, was the one who enacted NAFTA into law. Oops! Jesus these people are dupes. Really. They voted for George W. Bush twice, and if Hillary has anything to say about it she will do enough damage to the eventual Democratic nominee (including herself should she snatch it away from voters) that Ohio will once again vote against their interests this November. Good, going, Hillary. I'm sure you must be really proud of your "victory." As for Obama he now has to go negative against Hillary. He's a somewhat damaged candidate now. They both are.

I guess it's up to the superdelegates to decide this now. They should do the right thing and get behind Obama, and fast. The intra-party ugliness just cannot continue.

Clinton's Path to the Nomination, Part II: The Superdelegates

Under no reasonable scenario will Hillary Clinton, assuming she and Barack Obama contest the nomination through June 7th (the last primary, Puerto Rico), and even including a re-vote of Michigan and Florida, come out ahead in the pledged delegate count or the popular primary vote. The superdelegates, those who aren't "pledged" and not determined from popular vote, will be the ones that decide the nomination. That is a certainty now. The implications for Clinton going forward are huge. Should she somehow pick up and pick off enough superdelegates to push her past the magical 2,025 delegate total needed for the nomination, she will have done so without a lead in the pledged delegate count or the popular vote. This poses huge problems not only for her candidacy but for the Democratic Party as an organization.

Really, Hillary, you want to win this way? By pissing off half of the Democratic electorate and pushing a small but still significant minority to either a) not vote for you in November or b) vote for John McCain, as silly and idiotic such behavior would amount to? Really, Hillary? Because you realize what a handicap this gives you, what with the entire political press establishment, a good portion of Obama supporters and the entire Republican slime machine all looking for ANY and ALL missteps you take. You would have my vote of course, but what does my vote count for you, really, in New York State?

Fine. Bust up the Democratic Party. God knows it needs busting up, what with Democratic capitulation rampant in Congress to every god-damned Constitution-shredding whim of Emperor George W. Bush. And what do we really have to look forward to, Hillary, in your match-up against McCain? Losing? Probably. Losing down-ticket Congressional races to Republicans and "blue-dog" Bush-loving "Democrats" that you love to support (remember traitor Joe Lieberman?) in primaries? This doesn't concern you at all, clearly. Oh, but history. Yes, you'd be making (U.S.) history be being the first female nominee, yada yada. But at what cost? We entered this year with a huge electoral advantage over the Constitution-hating, anti-freedom "Republicans" but if you have anything to say about it you will have none of that. Howard Wolfson? Mark Penn? They were BRILLIANT strategists and tacticians, you'll say. I'm the COMEBACK KID! Look at me, I'm the NAH-MIN-NEEEEEE! Yaaaaay, now let's make history and lose AGAIN in November! Yaaaaay!

Of course there is that off chance that she could win the presidency despite all this. That would, of course, require overcoming mountains of self-doubt among Democratic supporters, which feeds into press stories, which feeds into self-fulfilling prophecies I won't get into. It would require overcoming negaive press narratives and YouTube slime campaigns and a host of as-yet-undetermined "suprises" thrown her way. I hate all of this, of course, maybe that's why I just want her to give up her bid and just be a really good Senator who can replace Harry Reid as majority leader, and go on to do really good things. Maybe I'm dreaming here, I mean she's already shown her propensity to slime Obama, maybe she can take McCoot down just by tiring him out. God knows she's tired me out just being an Obama supporter.

Can we make it to April 22nd and the Pennsylvania primary, Hillary's next "firewall," intact? I'm seriously beginning to doubt it given the intra-party nastiness of this race.

I find myself in the crossfire that's taking place in my head. On one side, I see Obama being the true uniter Bush could never be, and with a progressive agenda to boot, and I see him winning states we haven't won in a generation. On the other side I see Clinton possibly making universal health care a reality, and defeating an antagonistic, misogynistic, self-hating media and political slime machine that puts all past slime machines to shame, and being the first woman POTUS. The problem comes when I face reality and the fact that our media does not cover this race with substance in mind. They seem to be taking turns sliming the candidates, from Clinton to Obama, all the while treating McCain with infant while he goes about lying his way to the Presidency.

What is sad is that the people of Ohio and Texas, at this point at least, don't seem to get any of this, and want the race to continue. Maybe they actually think Hillary can wrap it up by tomorrow morning, and that Obama will give up his bid and endorse her. What the fuck do I know? Maybe it should go on, to Pennsylvania and beyond, to North Carolina, West Virginia, Oregon, Puerto Rico et. al. Maybe I'm just a pathetic worry-wort. The problem is that this race does not occur in a vacuum, that there are things called newspapers and TV and that they shape people's perceptions. And we all know that these things called newspapers and TV are filled with plenty of slime and misinformation that will mar, discourage and otherwise turn many a potential voter away. It's as if the people who make up the political "press corps" just don't think that elections matter, that outcomes don't matter and that all this is just a horse race to witness from the sidelines. To all of you who would feel this way, and are covering the race this way: fuck you. You have no right to be in journalism. Either that or what they're teaching you in journalism classes in universities across America these days is to just read the Drudge Report and ask for a comment. What the fuck?

As much as I hate seeing this self-immolation take town two really good Democratic candidates, the though occurs to me that a possible outcome from this is more viable third parties. The Democratic Party is currently being hijacked in Congress by these so-called "blue-dog" House members who, together with 100% of the Republican membership, act as a pro-Bush majority that is slowly taking away our Constitutional rights. I have heard nothing from either Obama or Clinton on the FISA fight going on, the central issue of which is whether to allow telecom companies such as AT&T to break the law and spy on your phone conversations without a warrant, and then not being able to sue them. This is fascism writ large, and yet this is just how FISA is about to get passed into law. No word on this, potential President Obama or Clinton? The problem is that third parties haven't established themselves much at all even at the state or local level, let alone the U.S. Congress or federal level. So how can we expect a Ralph Nader to ever be a viable candidate? He's the only presidential candidate right now who is unambiguously, uncompromisingly pro-Constitution, anti-corporate and pro-environment, with no asterisks as to how he capitulated to this or that politician. But I and most people will and won't vote for him because he has no chance in hell at becoming president. That in itself is a problem. One that we might just address were the Democratic Party to implode via a brokered convention.

I'm so tired of writing about this. Brokered conventions, third parties, coalition third-party-rich governments, robust Congressional oversight of a power-hungry Executive branch, an intellectually honest corporate media somehow springing to life. Yeah, ok. Our march to fascism continues.

Hillary Clinton's Path to the Nomination: Backroom Deals

Because that's the only realistic scenario for her at this point. She will almost certainly be behind in both the pledged delegate count and the popular vote come June 7th -- here's a good link that shows this. Does she really intend to drag this out that way? Combined with the anti-Obama garbage that both she and the right wing are slinging, and will continue to sling through June if she and she alone decides, could we come up with a better way to lose in November? Really?

God the news just SUCKS today.