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.

Next Goliath To Slay: The Corporate Media

What no one seems to pick up on is that through all of these primary and general election campaigns the one party never questioned or attacked is the corporate media themselves. Last night's 20th "debate" between B. Obama & H. Clinton points this up. Tim Russert was basically given free reign: to come up with bogus scenarios about Iraq, to bring up Matt Drudge-instigated photos apropos of nothing and to point to hateful anti-Semitic language of some douchebag named Farrakhan and, guilt-by-association-like, blame Obama for it. He did all of this shit basically unchallenged by either candidate. One is left to assume that they are too concerned with scoring points off one another to make time for accountability for two obvious hacks who couldn't be bothered to do any journalism but rather just read the Drudge Report. The blogger Digby makes a much better case for this in her post here.

This is a problem, a huge problem. Obama should have slammed Russert for showing the photo at all, saying that this photo has been out in the public realm for a year and a half -- AP did the story as well as took the photo -- and shame on you for not knowing better than to rely on Matt Drudge for any truth. He did not do that, and it is unfortunate because until we have accountability for these stenographers of smear people will not see politics any differently than they do now, and will continue to be apathetic and not vote in numbers that they do in the rest of the world.

Tim Russert: Kindly Go Fuck Yourself, You Fat Ugly Oaf

So what will it take to make you go away, Tim? A lifetime supply of McDonald's French Fries, you fat ignorant fuck? Your Jack Bauer fantasies about Iraqi puppets kicking us out of Iraq and faux-mysterious photos of Obama in traditional Kenyan clothing (it's an AP photo that was put out 6 FUCKING months ago!) show you to be the Matt Drudge-obsessed hack that you are. Both Hillary and Barack slammed you hard and called you out on your idiotic, baseless, picayune and childish shit you tried to trip them up on last night. Brian Williams, take note: you are not far from the bottom of this slime pit of journalism seen most strikingly these days on MSNBC; you showed your hackery last night by putting on the wrong video clip, then claiming it has any relevance to what type of president this makes one. But for the good Keith Olbermann, who didn't get his start in hard journalism at all but rather sports, this network is in danger of becoming the new Fox News Channel - all John McCain, all the time. Bet on it: once McCoot gets enough delegates to claim his nomination, this joke of a news channel will do all it can to help him out. All of the pro-Obama bias was just a ruse to get rid of Hillary Clinton. That is plain now. What is not clear is which Jabba the Hutt, Chris Matthews or Tim Russert, gets to jerk off John McCain the most. God, that visual is disturbing!

Clinton's Maggie Williams: Dilettante Playing Into Matt Drudge's Hands

Oh, Matt Drudge, you really have me quaking in my boots. Your pathetic attempt to bring down Obama with the robe photo is really funny. This will backfire, you see.

Now the Clinton campaign has weighed in, denying any connection to the story or that anyone emailed this (funny that they'd mention "email") to Drudge. They are becoming more shrill by the minute I'm afraid. Maggie Williams, the "new" campaign manager, betrayed her (and maybe the Clinton campaign's) foreign policy ignorance by characterizing Obama in the photo as wearing "traditional Somali clothing." Maggie, sweetie, if you'd done just a minute's worth of Googling you would find the AP story describing Obama's visit to the northeastern KENYA town of Wajir in 2006, where he was presented the robe. It's Kenya, Maggie, not Somalia. Brush up on your geography, hon. And maybe next time, if you are going to make shit up on the spot like this, you pick a country that doesn't have a critical mass of Islamic extremists in it. Oh, and stop your whining about "inflaming passions and distracting voters" when it was your very Clinton campaign that was the source of the hoax e-mail last December claiming Obama to be a Muslim "intent on destroying the United States." You have no right to be outraged any more, Clinton people. Just go out gracefully already, and people will forgive you. Otherwise, expect not only to lose and lose badly, but to get placed next to Rudy Giuliani in the dustbin of political history.

The more I read about Obama and his policy positions the more I like him. He is a man with fantastic ideas - the environment, economy AND health care (see his website) who can get shit done. Hillary Clinton knows health care, I'll give her that. She has a credible plan, too. The problem is, her style betrays an unfortunate NON-ability to get shit done, i.e. passed. Her bills she sponsored in the Senate are unimpressive at best, and none of her sponsored bills concerning health care passed in the Senate. She voted for the authorization to go to war in Iraq, THEN voted against the Levin amendment demanding further diplomacy before deciding to invade. Her "35 years" of experience are a record of failure and bad foreign policy decisions. Her shrill and ridiculous assertions of Obama's Rove-like tactics are laughable and wrong. It was her campaign that was the source of the hoax emails. Is this how it's going to be, Hillary? Slime your opponent, then blame him for slimy tactics. Everyone is seeing this for what it is, and frankly it's sad and upsetting to see a competent candidate go down like this. And, if she's not careful, she will bring down not only herself but Obama and, along with them, the only real opposition to George W. Bush's and John McCain's ruling fascists we have left, the Democratic Party.

The only thing sad about all of this is the fact that Matt Drudge is taken seriously at all.

John McCain The Woman-Hater

At a fundraiser speech during the 2000 presidential campaign, John McCain told this joke:

"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."

This motherfucker needs to be taken down.

John McCain: Yet Another Fraud

Why stop there? The entire organization known as the Republican Party is a fraud. It's a fraud perpetrated on three hundred million people for some thirty years now, wreaking havoc on the economy, health care and the environment. John (McCoot) McCain is just the latest exhibit in the long list of freak shows that manage to attain political power, get attention and acquire legitimacy by the idiotic, unquestioning mainstream media.

The NY Times piece detailing his involvement with Vicky Iseman is just one example of many in which he cavorts quite comfortably with corporate lobbyists. He campaign staff is crawling with lobbyists everywhere. Anyone who buys his tale of being anti-lobbyist and giving no favors to them is a complete fool. The Washington Post has the best and most credible stories on his history with lobbyists and makes the better point that he is not the anti-lobbyist "maverick" after all. You can read about it here and here. By the way, his denials really only refer to the "inappropriate" relationship with Iseman, meaning sex. He is not denying his history with lobbyists at all. This is typical of how the story gets played: all about the sex, nothing about the inherent problems and conflicts of interest of having lobbyists follow you around your campaign on corporate jets. It's all in the past, so who cares? Fuck this shit. If he somehow manages to squirm his way into becoming President I will be making plans to move to Canada. You just watch the fascism come streaming in like a flood. Gays? Minorities? Fuck them all, we've got a thousand-year Reich to resurrect in Iraq, and oh by the way prepare for less jobs and no health care because the President doesn't know shit about the economy. The environment? Well that was all nice to talk about during the campaign, but frankly we have more important things to worry about like building an empire. This pasty old wife-beating, war-mongering crazy piece of shit will fuck all of us. He is a nightmare waiting to become real.

[Update: Oh, and by the way, Cindy McCain is no friend of women's progress. This vile Stepford Wife of the Desert deserves no less scorn than her husband. Her attack on Michelle Obama's botched but sincere praise of America's racial progress was vicious and petty to say the least, a cheap shot sure to rally all the mouth-breathing "stand-by-your-man" types with nothing better to do than wait for dog-whistle signals like these to stir them. Fuck you, Cindy, you gold-digging witch.]

Experience vs. Experience

I've really had it with the notion that experience counts in Washington, D.C. We've had seven long, miserable years of nothing but shit coming from Congress, from Republican bullying and debate-stifling to Democratic capitulation to almost every fascist whim of Chimpee the President. Hillary Clinton was one of the Iraq War cheerleaders from the get-go, don't tell me that she has some unheard-of long list of legislative accomplishments, because it's just not there. And McCain hasn't accomplished one decent thing in the Senate that he has not trashed and/or forgotten during this primary campaign. So don't tell me Barack is inexperienced and green, unfit for the awesome challenges of POTUS. He fucking DOES have concrete ideas and they're fucking good ones. You're not seriously going to tell me that a 20-page PDF of his environment policy proposals does not count as substance. God-damn these motherfuckers in D.C. who would discount these past 7 years as anything but a crisis that needs people like Obama to tackle. Duh, he's not perfect, and yes his health care proposals need improvement but fuck you if his candidacy and potential presidency is quashed to asshole fascist McCain. Give me one good reason to stay in this country with a President McCain. Just one.

Chris Matthews: Kindly Go Fuck Yourself

Barack Obama wins big tonight. He's pretty much got the de facto nomination but for some angry dead-enders cursing his "non-accomplishments." Exhibit A in I-told-you-so back-stabbing from douchebag Chis Matthews is this clip. This is exactly what we should now come to expect from John McCain's biggest masturbator, Chris Matthews. This asshole will do all he can to install yet another fascist to the White House. May he literally explode during his soon-to-be talked-about angry anti-Obama rants. I will not be surprised to hear Matthews mutter the N-word in the slightest.

Not only will Chris Matthews prove to be one of network TV's most misogynistic bloviators but now that Obama's rising he will prove to be the motherfucking racist he always wished he could be on national teevee. His departure from MSNBC and from this earth could not come soon enough.

A Life Without Cell Phones Or Email

The American government currently has a police-state zeal to spy on Americans with no warrants and to protect telecom companies from litigation or criminal prosecution when they break the law. High-profile media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal editorial page are calling those who would oppose this government overreaching the "anti- anti-terror left." If you really parse that phrase carefully that means we who value privacy and a nation of laws and the right to bring those who do wrong to you to court -- we decent Americans, in other words -- are pro terrorist and therefore possibly enemy combatants because George W. Bush says so. Nice.

So, if this thing, this "new and improved" FISA bill a.k.a. the "Protect America Act" or whatever the fuck you call it becomes law, we have a reasonable right to be concerned for our well-being whenever we have a heated political discussion on our cell phone or sign a petition online in protest of the government. Are we prepared to live the way we do without relying on cell phones or email? Or, at least, we the people that make up 75% of the U.S. population who call themselves decent Americans and happen to not like this president.

I, for one, am concerned. We are we going to do about it?

A Lost Cause

So here are 21 more fascist members of Congress who would have corporations break the law with impunity. Welcome, everyone, to the so-called "blue dog" Democratic Congressmen in the House of Representatives. They are:

Leonard L. Boswell (IA), Marion Berry (AR), Mike Ross (AR), Earl Pomeroy (ND), Robert E. Bud" Cramer (AL), Melissa Bean (IL), Heath Shuler (NC), John Barrow (GA), Allen Boyd (FL), Joe Baca (CA), Dan Boren (OK), John Tanner (TN), Jim Cooper (TN), Lincoln Davis (TN), Jim Matheson (UT), Brad Ellsworth (IN), Charlie Melancon (LA), Dennis Moore (KS), Christopher Carney (PA), Tim Holden (PA) and Zack Space (OH)

Let's see: 3 from Tennessee, 2 from Arkansas, 2 from Pennsylvania, and one each from Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, North Dakota, Utah and California. In other words: red states, with 2 douchebags "representing" California's miserable and decrepit inland empire and the nortoriously wealthy, greedy, elitist northwest suburbs of Chicago. Good going, fascist assholes. You 21 traitors and ALL 198 members of Congress calling themselves "Republicans" make up a majority of the House. Every single one of you would and probably will sell the country out to a bunch of fascist thugs who care NOT A CENT about anything concerning the security of America -- only the security of the unchecked power of this fuckwad in the White House and his corporate cronies.

You will all be targeted, all 39 of you "Democrats," you 18 in the Senate and you 21 in the House. You who will have fucked us come this weekend, for delivering to this fraudulent president to sign into a law what is basically the stuff of Soviet Russia and Stasi East Germany.

We're basically already at Stasi East Germany. Next stop for the U.S.: Stalinist Russia. Then maybe we can move on to Mussolini Italy and, finally, graduate to Nazi Germany. Yaaaaaay!

Police in America - Yet Another Fascist Institution

So I've been following the primary returns on my favorite blogs and other websites, and I've come across just one too many videos, YouTube and otherwise, of police brutality in all its naked ugliness.

People need to wake up to the fact that the police are NOT on our side, that the "serve and protect" motto is a complete and utter lie. Time and time again we see them abusing women, minorities, juveniles and others who are vulnerable but who make good arrest quotas that so often is the goal of sheriffs and chiefs who run the departments. Fuck them. NO ONE is safe any more. Police are only around to harass you, NOT to protect you. Anything else you may have been told is a lie. I see this every day on the streets of New York City. A city, by the way, notorious for its brutality and murder of racial minorities by the police. Police who, by the way, DO NOT come from the city but come from Long Island and points north, who think they own the city and everyone who actually live here. 

This, of course, is nothing new in our history. Many have written about the violent and sociopathic tendencies of many a cop. But now that I see raw footage of it on YouTube I get the feeling that this is NOT just some '60s tired old rant. The purpose of the police is ultimately to protect the powerful, if for no other reason than to protect the powerful. I've seen enough. And yes, there are a few exceptions, be them VERY rare and VERY precious few. Any time I see a cop I cringe, even if it's just a traffic cop or a meter cop. I am always hesitant to "call the cops" now when I sense danger, because I know that in too many cases, the victim is blamed, and this happens all too many times in rape cases. How dare they question a woman who has been raped, and ask if she "may have provoked it?" Yet all politicians of every party invariably stand with police as evidence of their being "tough on crime." More like tough on people who the police brand as criminals who "were asking for it." This is sexism/racism 101. Furthermore, one is more likely to be beaten by a white male cop in a city than to be mugged by mysterious and nefarious "brown" people. Fuck these racist fascist bastards.

For more intelligent discussion on the atrocities committed by the typical cop consult the work of Derrick Jensen. He has plenty of specific cases where minorities have been brutalized/killed JUST for being black. And I hear this all the time from African Americans I have worked with. I am sickened that they get pulled over just for being black. I am sickened by these videos. I am sickened that I have to show the contents of my backpack to some schmuck who wouldn't know a bomb from a banana. These assholes are in charge, though. They are specifically chosen for their sociopathic and sadistic tendencies. ALWAYS they have a grudge toward some specific person or type. ALWAYS they will treat you as if you are guilty, and never let you tell your side of the story. ALWAYS they will target minorities, and be typically white and typically male. This is the case in EVERY town and city in America. And almost ALWAYS they get away with a slap on the wrist for violating your civil rights. God-damn them.

Never trust a cop. Never.

Obama For President - Duh!

We need to vigorously support this man and travel to swing states to get him elected if need be. Right now you can donate money to his campaign - here is the link. I am taking election day and the day after off from work. I plan on traveling to Ohio to canvass neighborhoods wherever MoveOn wants me to go. I hope to bring friends. I want to get this out there now, so that we can get it through our heads, and early, that this election day is the final stand we make to keep this country free of fascism and state terror. I am a gay man fearing for the well-being of my boyfriend and myself if McCain gets elected/installed as President of the United States a year from now. I fear for my family, every one a Democrat; for my fabulous gay and lesbian friends; for the LGBT community in general. This is not something I can stay on the sidelines for, so I am asking everyone reading this to take action.

Really, it's serious this time.

[Update]: And please, Barack, stop calling John McCain a 'hero' in the present tense. He is a hero to nobody. He is a political coward, and he will do and say anything to appeal to the right-wing (who are anything BUT conservative, by the way) of his miserable, pathetic American Fascist Party. The world has seen too many fascists come to power, only to destroy everyone and everything standing in their way. No more.

The Infamous Eighteen

We already know about the American Fascist Party (aka "Republicans") and how much they want to shred the Constitution. We also have eighteen members of the U.S. Senate who call themselves Democrats but in reality are unworthy of the name. They are the traitors who sold us out today, with their nay votes on the anti-telecom amnesty amendment. They are the following:

Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Tom Carper (D-DE), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Jim Webb (D-VA), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Kent Conrad (D-ND), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

They are utter cowards. They are thugs. They are fascists. And they need to be drubbed out of office with every ounce of sweat we can muster. God-damn them all.

GOP: The New American Fascist Party (AFP)

I will hereby be calling all Republicans in our federal government Fascists. Fascists with a capital F, that is. They no longer get to call themselves 'Republicans' because they no longer represent anything close to a republican form of government. So, for instance, when I refer to our President (Prez, POTUS, fuckwad, if you will), "George W. Bush," I shall forever attach the word 'fascist' to it, whether it precedes it or follows it. And no longer will I refer to the "Republican" party as such. It is now the "fascist party," the "American Fascist Party" or simply "AFP." No, there is no longer room at the table for these neo-Nazi bastards.

The time for niceties and politesse is over. This is nothing short of a tipping point. If this is not an argument for the complete and permanent marginalization -- nay, destruction -- of the thing we still call, after these seven long, miserable years, the "Republican Party," or "GOP," then I do not know what is. Let John "McCoot" McCain's nay votes stand in clear contrast to the yea votes of the true small-d-democrat Democrat left in this race, Barack Obama. Let no one doubt that Obama is the single best thing we have right now that we would call the 'opposition.' Hillary Clinton sold our her party, sold out her Senate career, sold out her candidacy and sold out her country by her feeble 'absent' vote on every single improvement to the abysmal FISA bill, the only Democratic senator to do so. She had no reason not to be there, as she was campaigning in the D.C. area. All bets are off after today. If she succeeds in getting the Democratic nomination for the candidacy of President of the United States of America, she will stand as feeble opposition to Mr. "Thousand-Year-War" McCoot.

The actions the Senate took today stand as an absolute failure of one branch of government to hold another accountable, what our civics and history books call "checks and balances." It stands as a testament to how much control corporations have over our government that they can literally dictate what laws get enacted. It stands as a testament to the utter failure of Bill Clinton's presidency for having had, without our realizing, a Deputy Attorney General, Jamie Gorelick, who today would be one of the corporate telecom lobbyists doing Bush's bidding. This is disgusting. This is the stuff that ruins opposition political parties. This is the stuff that ushers in mysterious knocks on doors late at night. This is the stuff of fascism.

U.S. SENATE TAKES A BIG CRAP ON AMERICA

So yay! We're one step closer to becoming a fascist country! Thanks a lot, Democratic senators for betraying us! Yay! That includes you, Diane Feinstein, you motherfucking asshole!

I am so disgusted right now I can't think. I can't work. I can't eat. EVERY FUCKING ONE OF THE GOOD FISA BILL AMENDMENTS HAVE JUST GONE DOWN IN FLAMES! FUCK YOU, HARRY REID AND JAY ROCKEFELLER!

Please just read this and this. You'll get the lowdown and a lot more information. From me, just invective right now. Fuck you, too, Hillary Clinton, for voting 'absent' on the crucial amendment to strip immunity for telecom companies that have broken the law. Yeah, thanks a lot. You have just given your consent to spying on Americans here in America, with absolutely no accountability for the government ordering this or the telcos that willingly go along.

SOMEONE, ANYONE -- TELL ME WE ARE NOT SLIPPING INTO FASCISM! I DARE YOU!

We Are About to Officially Become A Fascist Nation

I want to link a post on dailykos.com by mcjoan here, because I think she does an excellent job in laying out the stakes we face as the Senate now debates the amendments to the FISA bill. These five Democratic senators, and there may be more, depending on who fails to vote for what key amendments, should under no circumstances be supported in their re-election bids if they are running this November, no matter what:

Jay Rockefeller (WV)
Tim Johnson (SD)
Blanche Lincoln (AR)
Evan Bayh (IN)
Mary Landrieu (LA)

They are traitors to the Democratic Party, but more importantly traitors to their country. They have sold out American citizens so that the Bush thugs can spy on us with no accountability, and for that there is no forgiveness. They are the reason our Senate and Congress as a whole get such bad ratings -- it's because they do NOTHING to stop Bush's spying, fascist agenda from rolling forward and ruining our democracy. Mary Landrieu and Jay Rockefeller in particular will be the chief Democrats who will allow telecommunications companies to receive retroactive immunity for the laws they have broken in aiding Bush and his jack-booted thugs to spy on us with no impunity. How shameful. Good riddance to you five, you god-damned motherfucking traitors. You nasty-ass motherfuckers are no better than your fascist Republican counterparts. I expect to see one of the Senators Nelson, and maybe a Senator Salazar in the coming days who will also aid in this despicable FISA bill becoming law, stripping it of the crucial amendments that the good senators Feingold and Dodd and Whitehouse have added that would keep Americans safe from government spying and corporate law-breaking. You, senators, will have proven no better than the above five, and shall deserve the same rejection. Make no mistake: the Verizons and the AT&T's of this world are NOT patriotic companies in the least. They are aiders and abettors of the crimes of Bush and his regime.

This is despicable. Good luck to all of us when this bill becomes law.

Election 2008: Is It Really About Candidates & Issues?

Reflecting on the U.S. presidential race thus far, and looking ahead to the remainder of it, I'm struck by how little it has to do with real substance -- issues, character -- than it does with the self-importance of various interested players.

The debates have had less to do than with actually hashing out the important issues of the day than with advertising various media outlets and showing us the so-called journalists who want to be seen as "important." Yeah, that's you, Tim Russert. Yeah, that's you, Chris Matthews. Yeah, that's you, too, Wolf Blitzer. Ooh, look at CNN -- they're so hip and relevant because they're co-sponsoring debates with Facebook and YouTube! Look at me, America! I'm Iowa and I'm first, dammit, so notice me! Oh, yeah, Iowa? Well we're the first primary, so our election matters more cuz more people can actually vote, and we're first, dammit! Damn all you other Americans, you're not important, you don't really know who's best-qualified to be president like we do! Hey, look at us! We're the Democratic Party and so you better fall in line and "unite" behind a candidate before...before we melt and America falls apart. No, Democrats, we're the REAL Americans, us GOP, us Republicans, and so what we say "matters" more than anyone. And look, there's John McCain, he must be really serious cuz' he's so old and he's white and always so serious when he speaks. We don't really care what he actually says!

Then there's the posturing over that all-important veep slot. Cuz who's running for president doesn't matter! John McCain may a crazy old coot, running his mouth off about bombing Iran and staying in Iraq for a thousand years, but if he picks Bambi as his running mate -- aww, wouldn't that be a sweet ticket! I've totally changed my mind about him now! My, my, how we're so fooled. DICK Cheney (prounounced shuh-NAY) was supposed to lend "gravitas" to George W. Bush, and we all know what "gravitas" really means now in Republican circles -- more wars and more brown people getting bombed. After eight years of this douchebag running the country, maybe we should rethink how vp's used to be picked during the U.S.'s first 100 years: 2nd place finish for president. Hmm, that would mean a McCoot vice presidency. Stay strong and healthy, Hillary and Barack. All kidding aside, so what? Half the country would be satisfied and have a voice, no matter who wins. No, we say, we resign ourselves to remain a winner-take-all body politic where loud-mouthed minorities of people get to make up the rules, so oh well!

It all adds up to a bunch of noise, these CNN's, these Chris Matthewses, these Iowas and Nevadas and Facebooks and would-be vice presidents of the world who end up making their mark on the whole process (Finally I can be on Facebook and connect with everyone! Thanks, '08 election for making this possible! Iraq? Health Care? Vote? Whaaaa?) but ultimately leave us empty of knowledge. At least in the Ukraine people vote in droves and wear orange and it means something. In France they attach clothespins to their noses on their way to the polls while turning out right-wing nutjob Le Pen and that means something. In Spain they elect Zapatero president, a socialist (oh. NO! scary!), and within five months all their troops are out of Iraq, and if that doesn't mean something and tell us that maybe we should just stop playing these games and treat our democracy with a little more heft and a little more respect, I don't know what will mean anything.

Ann Coulter Will Endorse: Hillary Clinton!

I don't know if this is really what she thinks (as much as Ann Coulter can think) but here it is on Fox News. Assuming John McCain is the de facto Repug nominee come Feb. 5th, what with winner-take-all primaries in most states and the momentum that goes with a formidable lead in delegates, and it's a fairly safe assumption at this point, America's hate-iest hater, Ann Coulter, will campaign for Hillary Clinton. Or so she says.

This is either the most stunning news in modern political history or it's a complete fake-out on the part of the Fox News Channel. I suspect it's the latter, because they are afraid that Obama might win tomorrow (God I hope he does!), and so by pulling this obvious stunt they get more people to vote for Hillary because, and this is where it gets tricky -- they think that we will see this "endorsement" of Hillary by Ann Coulter as an obvious stunt, an attack on Hillary, and it will rally people behind her out of hatred for Ann Coulter. And presto -- Hillary gets more votes Feb. 5th, making her the de facto nominee against McCain, which is exactly what they want.

Only, I don't think this will work, or at least not have any affect whatsoever. NO ONE WATCHES THE FAUX NEWS CHANNEL ANY MORE! No one cares what the fuck they think because people know it to be the fraudulent propaganda machine for the Republican Party that it is, NOT a credible outlet for news.

Nice try, assholes!

John Edwards: You Should Be Proud

A big round of applause goes to John Edwards for showing the way progressive politics needs to be played. He has steered the "debates" toward a more substance-based, issue-oriented dialogue that really have spotlighted where everyone stands. He has moved Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama toward the progressive side, confronting them to be more forceful in committing to pull out of Iraq, getting universal health care and getting tough with corporations who would steal, murder and plunder us. Kudos to John for his grace and fighting style, for inspiring us to believe that yes, politicians sometimes do get what's important. The race would not have been what it is without him.

I am now throwing my full support behind Barack Obama because I think he is the one who has most listened to Edwards' message. Obama has also given me confidence that he will stick up for gays, and has learned from his past mistake of appearing with an anti-gay gospel singer. The enthusiasm surrounding Barack is very palpable, and I cannot pretend that doesn't affect me. I remember Bill Clinton doing the same to me in 1992 - I only wish he could see what is going on right now and just chill the fuck out. I'm afraid he'll mostly be remembered for his self-absorption and for Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell, not the incredibly important budget battle he won in 1993, which wound up getting us out of deficits; or creating 20,000,000 new jobs, with economic growth that made the record books. Sadly none of that matters any more to our amnesiac and childish corporate media, who now refer to the presidential race as the "ballot bowl" and keeps repeating the lie that "the surge is working." Thanks a lot, CNN, for getting more soldiers killed in Iraq while you pretend you "like" Barack Obama. We all know what's coming, and it ain't challenging John "100-more-years-in-Iraq" McCain to point-by-point explain his war-mongering statements. You LOVE John McCain and would LOVE for him to start EVEN MORE wars! Prove me wrong you stinking bunch of douchebags!

Well, it's off to Super (-"douche-per") Tuesday and hoping Obama can pull it off. So far it's looking good.

Bill Clinton Slams Corporate Media: What Could Be Wrong With That?

The more I listen to Bill Clinton's "testy" exchanges with reporters who are overwhelmingly, by the way, corporate media reporters -- the more I realize how right on he is to take them on. Witness the latest exchange with a CNN reporter where Bill is asked about "tactics used in the campaign" being reminiscent of Lee Atwater. Whaaaa? As if this is the pre-eminent question to be asked of a former president after he spoke to people in South Carolina engaged as citizens in the politics of a presidential race, listening to issues and asking questions concering their futures. This hack of a reporter indeed represents the wolf pack mob that unfortunately gets first access to the candidates, asking horse-race questions always, never caring about substantive issues that affect actual people. I think when you watch this clip you will see why he has been the way he has with our masturbatory media. That Bill is only now calling them out on their shit is a little bit late to the game, of course. Still, I am happy to see him doing it.

What the fuck do we expect him to do, when faced with herd-like packs of high school newspaper-grade journalists asking questions no one else cares about but that only the D.C. press corps think of during their many cocktail-induced circle-jerks?

Who the fuck do these people think they are?

Where the fuck do they get off being allowed to ask these questions?

Please watch this clip, as I think regardless of who you are supporting in the primaries Feb. 5th this speaks to the larger issue of willful journalistic incompetence.

Monkey McChimpy: One Year Left

As I write this, it is now 365 days, 1 hour and 35 minutes until the day that the most gigantic lying and murdering asshole in U.S. history will no longer be President of the United States. This beast we have occupying the White House has shed any traces of humanity long, long ago. The people of the U.S.; the legislative branch, the House and Senate that supposedly act as a "check" on the crimes committed by the executive branch; the Supreme Court in enabling this criminal administration in their war crimes and crimes against our rights to privacy, speech and assembly; the go-along-to-get-along corporate media acting as this administration's stenographers -- all these have done essentially nothing to overthrow this stinking pile of shit we call George W. Bush. No impeachment. No investigations of those at the top. Nothing. And so, in this season of presidential primaries, campaigns, and faux debates, all arbitrated meaninglessly by corporate media masturbation, what is there to be hopeful for? The entire Republican Party and a critical mass of the Democratic Party does not want to end the American Empire Project known as the Iraq Occupation, nor even discuss it rationally. Climate change as an issue has merited, in these so-called debates, only about five questions out of thousands put to the Democratic candidates -- NOT the Republican candidates -- for discussion. Not one single Republican was asked anything meaningful about the most critical issue in history facing us. Not a one. This set of events brings a few critical choices. The Republican Party MUST be broken or we will slowly but surely become a police state and a country perpetually at war. Every single time they are allowed to have majority status since 1995, whether it be in the executive branch (100% majority rule), legislative branch or in the courts they have proven themselves to be bullies. They block, threaten to filibuster, drown out with majority rule and otherwise strong-arm the opposition so that they can get what they want, no questions asked, no meaningful debate held. There are no intellectual arguments left for them to exist. They have proven themselves unfit to govern. Corruption and incompetence are the rule with them, and they do not give a flying fuck.

We are one year away from something. Whether that will be any meaningful change depends on on a lot of things. Certainly whoever the Republican nominee is, and let's face it, it is going to be John McCain, will want to stay in Iraq indefinitely, which means that a Republican in the White House will, to the degree that he has an environmentally friendly agenda, only undermine it: resources and money will instead go to the military, defense spending, the Iraq Occupation and perhaps a war with Iran. McCain -- and we have to assume the worst on this -- wants to do some things to end abortions, which means his party will force him to sputter more pablum about the rights of the unborn and the "sanctity of life." Possibly he will succeed in overturning Roe vs. Wade by nominating and confirming a Supreme Court justice that will want to do that. Well, encouraging us to have more babies and then not caring for the ones that aren't wanted is a sure way to increase crime, and not very conducive to conserving what resources we have left to live on a healthy planet. You see, then, how all of these issues would - would, if people just, for once, think about who they push that lever for! - conspire to undermine an ostensibly "moderate" but in reality politically expedient and cowardly President McCain.

There is the distinct possibility of a Clinton Democratic candidacy going up against McCain in November. I still hold out for Edwards, but at this point it is worth discussing possible scenarios given our fucked-up electoral system and how stacked it is against those who would be good, sensible candidates wishing for honest, intelligent, rational discourse by Our Dear Corporate Media on What Really Matters. My second choice, I should state clearly, is Barack Obama, a man who, like Edwards, would be a transformational candidate and likely president, willing to tackle issues of race, civil rights and climate change in an honest, intelligent, straightforward manner (let's face it, civil rights is indeed an issue once again). And, I think he would beat the pants off McCain. All that said, we still need to consider Clinton as the nominee this fall. I would support her one hundred percent, but I have many doubts and fears about her viability against a McCain. Her record in the Senate on Iraq was uninspiring at best, pro-Bush at worst and always calculating for a run for president. She's smart as cookies and sharp as a whip, even more so than Bill I think, but she leaves me fearing that she will not differ from a John Kerry in style and forcibleness. She has to come out fighting and not stop until all the polls have closed on November 4th. She must go on the offensive like Kerry never could, and be willing to respond immediately and with full force to Swift-Boat-like attacks that are sure to come her way like a flood, not only from McCain's campaign but from outside 527 groups. She will need to attack McCain on his record, his lies about being a straight-talker, and on his voting in the Senate time and again for whatever Bush wanted, and for not fighting for the things he disagreed with Bush on, namely torture. McCain allowed a bill to be passed in the Senate and signed by Bush that allows torture, and Clinton needs to remind people of that, over and over and over again. She needs to stress her youth over his old age, her sensibleness over his macho and warmongering posturing. She has to stress the sense of history in her becoming the first female president, all the while making herself look fresh while making him look like an old, pasty white guy. Her husband did a marvelous job campaigning in 1992, was able to respond right away to GHW Bush's slurs and attacks, and was able to, as they say, capture people's imaginations like no other candidate since JFK. Obama has those same qualities -- I see it in front of my eyes. I don't know if Clinton does, and her negative ratings scare me. I don't want to see another Kerry meltdown. I'm in no mood to start thinking about having to move to Canada, which might become a reality given Republican meanness towards gays and the very real possibility of a police state that results from endless war. I hate all of these possibilities, yet what would Hillary Clinton have to fear, like John Kerry, if she lost? A cushy mansion in Westchester, a respectable career in the U.S. Senate, secret service protection for life...these things do not seem to me to be the best motivators not to lose. How do I know from having watched her how Hillary will govern, given her mixed record in the Senate? How tentative will she be on ending our disastrous occupation in Iraq? Words are nice, Hillary, but we need to see more fight in you.

Let's hope it is still a contest come March. I think Hillary Clinton needs to be challenged at least through April, like her husband was in 1992 and which made him a stronger candidate against a seemingly popular incumbent president. Unlike Bill Clinton in 1992, Hillary Clinton in 2008 has D.C. baggage that she needs to reconcile. The sooner, the better.

The Strange Irony of Mike Huckabee

So Mike Huckabee is the "likeable" sort of candidate, an honest and decent man fighting the big bullies of the Republican machine. Really? As Jack Nicholson in The Shining sneeringly says to Shelly Duvall while locked in the food locker, "Wendy? Wendy? You got a big surprise comin' to you. You're not goin' anywhere. Go check out the Sno-Cat and the radio and you'll see what I mean. Go check it out. Go check it out! Go check it out."

Mike Huckabee's certainly got a big surprise for us. Go check out his remarks conflating homosexuality and bestiality and you'll see what he means. He apparently wants to change the Constitution to conform to God's standards. OK, Mike, whatever you say. Had to go there, didn't you? You sort of had me for a while thinking you were at least decent. Now you're just a bat-shit crazy, hateful motherfucker. And in a more insidious and less smarmy way than George W. Bush could ever be. And that's what makes your candidacy all the more deadly.

You will notice that the Republican Establishment will not be condemning him for these blatantly bigoted remarks. No, what they hate is his populist and quasi-eco-friendly message. How dare he talk about reforming health care! How dare he talk about being good to the earth! He's not a true Republican...like Ronald Reagan! He's not a true conservative! As if the the right wing blowhards ever had the slightest idea of what the word 'conservative' means. Christ these people are freaks. And they just can't get over their obsession with Mr. Senile-While-In-Office, Mr. Welfare-Queen-Driving-Cadillacs, Mr. Deny-AIDS-Is-An-Epidemic-While-Thousands-Suffer-And-Die-In-New-York-And-San-Francisco Ronald freakin' Reagan. Go ahead, have him, Republicans. He's in every fucking one of your freak candidates for president, only you're too blind, confused and otherwise fucked up in the head to see it. And yes, he's in John torture-boy McCain, too.

Republicans(TM). Hating On America For Thirty Years (And Getting Away With It)!

And Now, Corporate Media Douchebag #3: Tim Russert

Way to go, Timmah, asking those important questions about climate change and Iraq -- oh right, you were too busy concerning yourself with ridiculous "pledges" candidates should make, or asking insipid questions about "strengths and weaknesses" that any moron asks college interns at job interviews. You fucking washed-up corporate douchebag. Oh, and then there's that pretty-boy frat punk Brian Williams joking about shooting craps and sounding "serious" about yellow lights and red lights and being seven feet away from the candidates.

Please do not be fooled by these shows of "civility" and "respect," for these inhuman corporate-bots moderating these "debates" (one cannot speak of our network corporate media these days without using quotes ad infinitum, and frankly I'm sick of it but this is what has to happen when you have a culture that values what these morons say over other more independent and intellectually competent voices such as those of Truthout, The Nation, MotherJones,...oh let's face it, the left is just smarter, more innovative, creative, interesting, moral and all around better!) will only turn on the Democratic nominee come summertime, and anoint John McCain as the "serious" candidate for these "serious" times. Expect the Rethuglicans to swift-boat whoever is the presumptive nominee, assuming we have one by May or later; and watch with horror as the All-Knowing Media that is ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX/CNN just repeat the allegations as if it were news, like the fucking stenographers they are. Think it won't happen? Just look at what happened to John Kerry in '04, and he was a true war hero. The corporate media just do not like Democrats, this is fact and has been since the 2000 election cycle. These primaries and debates are just a ruse to butter the Democratic candidates up and set them up for a sucker punch. And whoever is our nominee had god-damned better be prepared to call these bastards out on all their shit. And she/he had better go after McCain/Romney/Ghoul-iani/Fuckabee hard and not give up. No trips to Sun Valley, ID for a ski vacation, no wind-surfing in Nantucket Sound, no assuming that your reputation is unimpeachable and not worthy of responding to attacks like Kerry did in '04. Because, Dem nominee, if you do this then You. Will. Lose.

McCain-Bush!

George W. Bush's Best Buddy: John McCain!

John McCain's Best Buddy: George W. Bush!

Brenda Dickson Like You've Never Seen Her!

So some gal named Deven Green has become famous for her voice-over of Brenda Dickson (aka Jill Foster Abbot from Y&R, 1973-80, 1983-87). This has got to be among the funniest things I've ever seen. Take a looksey. Oh, and then there's this, this and this. And, finally, watch this.

Enjoy!

World's Second Biggest Douchebag: Lou Dobbs

...Because he is such a xenophic, racist and, of course, elitist asshole. Number 3: Bill "Roll 'em" Bennett, also of CNN, declaring how nice Iowa was because people weren't shooting other people like in Iraq, a war WE started and a mess WE created. Fuckwad!

On another note, about that Obama "big win" in NH. Oops. I guess it's good that it's now a real race. Whatever. We should have one national primary, or at least a series of regional primaries, and they should start no earlier than March. Why states get all selfish about being "first" when it comes to picking a president for the WHOLE FRIGGIN' COUNTRY I can't really fathom. Really. So two small, largely white states making up maybe 2% of the population get to choose which 3 or 4 candidates are "viable" for the rest of us? Really.

So, to recap. Matthews, Dobbs, Bennett: Douchebags! John King, Howard Fineman, Andrea Mitchell, and oh yeah that really old looking pasty guy that stands in a corner with Soledad O'Brien yapping away about what voters are thinking in the deepest recesses of their cerebral cortices -- wankers, all of them. Obama: hope. Clinton: getting better when actually faced with the possiblity of losing the nomination. Edwards: a fighter I'm still going to vote for. Kucinich: a dream candidate I would love to support but can't afford to. BOLLOCKS!

My Prediction for NH '08 Primary: Chris Matthews Will Become World's Biggest Douchebag

Chris Matthews, a.k.a. Tweety. Expect him to fawn over McCain's come-from-behind victory, milking that story over Obama's likely big win and over the likely scenario that Obama takes more independents than McCain. Just as he condescendingly described the youth vote going to Obama in droves in Iowa as being desperate, watch him tonight as he tries to crown McCain the Repub (more like Rethug) nominee, going against an inexperienced Obama. Maybe he'll say there's still hope for Clinton -- after all, even though Edwards finished second in Iowa, she was the story about being the viable one. Stupid fucking arrogant, entitled, elite asshole. Keith Olbermann should have Matthews' seat, hands down. Ever notice the puzzled Jim-from-The-Office-like look on Olbermann's face looking into the cameras after having to endure Matthews' completely insane and baseless commentary? I love that he doesn't engage in the madness but rather moves on to the straight story. You'll see it again, tonight. And Matthews looks tired, pasty and old, and he is completely insane. He only knows what he hears at DC cocktail parties, he's washed up.

And then there's this. Chris Matthews is a disgusting, sexist pig.

Olbermann for top political MSNBC desk anchor!

Immigration Is a Fake Issue Drummed Up by Republicans & Mimicked by the Corporate Media

First, last night's caucuses. A hearty congratulations goes to Obama for an incredible turnout and getting new voters and independents to support him. And what an awesome speech he gave -- Jeff and I were in tears. That said, I am still supporting Edwards because I like his anti-corporate message better and because I think he is hitting all the right notes regarding the awesome destructive power corporations have wielded in this country and in Iraq, and the influence they have had in making us a fearful and consumptive and anti-intellectual society. That said, I think Obama could be an absolutely amazing, energizing candidate, the force for change we desperately need. And he could easily get elected President. I admit, emotions play a factor with me when I think about Mr. O, but I am confident he, like Edwards, is on the progressive side of the Democratic Party, the side needed so badly right now.

So, on to my subject for this post - immigration. The reason I made the title so long is because I want to drive home the point that immigration as an issue in this presidential race is one wholly fabricated by the right-wing machine, and now, as is usually the case in these dumbed-down times, it is being faithfully echoed by the corporate political press as a major issue. It is not, and has not been, a major issue for a majority of Americans. It is entirely a Republican issue and one that those who identify as Republicans make an issue because those who identify as Republicans act like sheep and do what the right-wing media and political (i.e. Republican) machine tell them to do, and believe what the right-wing media and political (i.e. Republican) machine tell them to believe. No, most people know that immigration is what made us who we are, that we have in place now rational immigration policies that have worked well for over a century, that need only minor tinkering so as to let more good people who are not citizens to become citizens. Of course, the Republicans would never end our corporate "free" trade that enslaves and disenfranchises millions of non-Americans, that enriches the pockets of American CEOs, that allows us to and begs us to mindlessly consume more and more stuff we do not need. No, no, no. The answer, these Republican terrorists tell us, is to deport these undesirable brown people and have more Americans report them to "authorities" so that they can deport even more undesirable brown people.

This is just the latest Republican wedge issue du jour, desperately employed by desperate old white men desperate to hold on to power.

'In Rainbows' Disc 2 Kicks ASS!

I've been listening to the songs of disc 2 ("bonus CD" as they called it on their blog) of Radiohead's In Rainbows on YouTube. Oh. My. Fucking. God. It is absolutely among the best music ever recorded in history.

Timeline of American Fascism, 2001-2007

Holy fucking shit. The number of laws passed by Congress, signing statements by Bush-monkey defying Congress, and US Supreme Court decisions upholding what amounts to a police state these last seven years is quite staggering. Whoever becomes president next year (assuming monkey-boy doesn't declare martial law, halt the election and declare himself president for life) had better acknowledge these blatantly un-American, illegal, immoral and destructive acts, laws and decisions.

This little-noticed blurb regarding this act of terrorism by our Senate got my attention:

October 2006
• The U.S. Senate passes the John Warner Defense Authorization Act. The act allows a president to declare a public emergency and station US military troops anywhere in America as well as take control of state based national guard units without consent of the governor or other local authorities. The law authorizes presidential eployment of US troops to round-up and detain "potential terrorists", "illegal aliens" and disorderly" citizenry.

The Iowa Caucuses Are a Sham

Why do we keep doing this? The fact that so many people are shut out of this undemocratic procedure because they simply can't make it to the precinct location at 7pm on a weeknight, for up to 2 hours or more, because they have to work/take care of kids/etc. is simply wrong. It's elitist in all the wrong ways, it allows 20% of one small state's voting population, mostly white and mostly able-bodied -- and who are vastly made up of the political activists responsible for continuing this travesty of a sham of a joke of the democratic process, the ones least likely to actually need government assistance -- to be able, in large part, to decide which two or three candidates of each party (out of 8 to 10 candidates) are viable for the rest of the primary season. And the corporate media has decided, unthinkingly and unfailingly, to declare "winners" based on delegates each candidate supposedly "won" based on not how many show up to vote/caucus (maybe an undecided person will switch to Clinton in the second round of voting/caucusing because her supporters are giving out cake) but rather based on turnout in the precinct's previous two general elections. If this all sounds complicated and obfuscatory it's because it is. Oh, and then there's this rule for the Democratic caucuses that says a candidate is only viable to pick up any delegates in each precinct (there are 1,781 precincts in Iowa for Thursday's dog and pony show) if he or she receives 15% of that precinct's caucus-goers, with two rounds of voting to try and pry off supporters of one candidate to make another viable. So, ba-bye to Richardson, Dodd, Biden, Kucinich and Gravel right off the bat.

This isn't a game, and I hate it when I hear people in Iowa staying away because they just can't make it or are uninterested. Part of me wants to kick them. Take the night off, or just bring your kids to the precinct, figure it out. But then I think, no, actually some of these people actually could lose their job for deciding to help pick a president, or just can't drive themselves, or who are just too old to be out and about that late in the evening, when it's dark. And it's fucking early January in fucking Iowa.

This sucks. It is way too early to be deciding who will be the Democratic and Republican nominees for POTUS. At best we can hope for a virtual tie in the delegate count at the end of the night Thursday, just so it can be competitive through New Hampshire (there's another sham, albeit a more democratic sham -- and New Hampshire is even whiter than Iowa) and beyond. The sad thing is it might just practically be over and a nominee all but declared by our Dear Corporate Media by February 5th, when most of the country gets to actually vote on their choices. We should really have a national primary on one day, say in late May, when everyone votes at once and candidates are forced to campaign everywhere. But no, Iowa and New Hampshire are king, "momentum" is the game, and winners must be declared before virtually anyone actually votes. Total bullshit.