DeRosaWorld

Jimmy James' Great Escape

"Jimmy James, a British flier in World War II obsessed with escape plots during his five years in German captivity, most prominently the breakout portrayed in the movie “The Great Escape,” died Jan. 18 in Shrewsbury, England. Mr. James, who lived in Ludlow, England, was 92.

Mr. James made at least seven unsuccessful attempts to tunnel out of that camp. Then he was transferred to Stalag Luft III, about 90 miles southeast of Berlin. By the time he was liberated by American troops in Austria in May 1945, a few days before Germany surrendered, he had tried to escape at least 11 times from P.O.W. camps and a concentration camp and had succeeded twice, only to be recaptured.

“I was just a guy who wanted to get home; I was no hero.."

The most storied escape occurred on the night of March 24, 1944, when 76 Allied prisoners, mostly airmen from Britain and the Commonwealth nations, tunneled out of Stalag Luft III. Mr. James and another prisoner had overseen the hiding of soil displaced by the tunnel digging, supervising its placement underneath seats in the camp’s theater, where the captives had put on shows. Mr. James was the 39th man to escape through the tunnel."

The Great Escape is one of the movies that me and my friends devoured when we were young. Steve McQueen throwing that ball against the wall of the cooler and driving the German guard crazy. That fantastic escape plan. The motorcycle chase. To think that it really happened makes the story so much more powerful. I can't wait to rent it and enjoy it again. I raise a glass to Jimmy James and the gang from Stalag Luft III.

Fallen Angels: Giuliani and Edwards

Republican Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani and Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards both dropped out of the race for their Party's nomination today.

Rudy Giuliani is a strange man. I lived in New York when he became mayor. He seemed like a socially-liberal conservative. That was okay by me. To run New York City you have to go with the flow. But his dictatorial tendencies bubbled to the surface laced with the scum of racism. He got mean and nasty and of course there were the mistresses spread over the city like hot dog stands.

His political career was over as of September 10, 2001. The next day he became America's Mayor. No matter what you think of his behavior on 9/11, it was really Senator Clinton who did the most to help NYC recover, including taking George W. Bush down a few pegs when he tried to go back on his $20 billion dollar recovery promise.

His strategy to run for President was a strategy not to run for President, but to be anointed. It failed. Sorry Rudy, you just don't get to go from Gracie Mansion to the White House.

John Edwards seems like a decent guy. His speeches on poverty were powerful and reminded us all that we just don't think about the poor in the is country. John Edwards reminded us of that fact.

In 2004 Edwards was my choice among the Democrats. He was young, liberal, energetic and smart. I thought he would be a real change in the White House. But in 2008, after his wife got sick and he stayed in race, there was something that disconnected him from his message for me. He was one of the richest candidates, but championed the poor. I know that FDR and JFK too, were rich and championed the poor, but that comparison held in 2004, it broke down in 2008.

His message didn't catch on. Senator Clinton's experience and Senator Obama's celebrity muffled Edwards. It will be interesting to see where he ends up. A feisty Attorney General for either remaining candidate would keep him in the national political spotlight. I wish him well. I wish his wife and family well in their upcoming ordeal.

Hillary Clinton Wins The Democratic Florida Primary

Senator Clinton wins the Florida Democratic Primary.

"Mrs. Clinton had strong support among women, Hispanics, whites, older voters, early deciders and early voters in Florida. A majority of Democratic voters said she was the most qualified to be commander in chief, and a plurality said she was the most likely to unite the country.

Mr. Obama received the support of 7 in 10 black voters, but they made up less than 20 percent of the electorate. He did better among younger voters than older ones, but they did not support him as strongly as they had in earlier primaries, and he was unable to best Mrs. Clinton among them."

This may matter if this race stays close as the Convention nears. Once again, Florida mucks up the works for American electoral politics.

What The Fuck Is A Signing Statement?

"President Bush yesterday signed the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act after initially rejecting Congress’s first version because it would have allegedly opened the Iraqi government to “expensive lawsuits.”

Even though he forced Congress to change its original bill, Bush’s signature yesterday came with a little-noticed signing statement, claiming that provisions in the law “could inhibit the President’s ability to carry out his constitutional obligations.” CQ reports on the provisions Bush plans to disregard:

One such provision sets up a commission to probe contracting fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another expands protections for whistleblowers who work for government contractors. A third requires that U.S. intelligence agencies promptly respond to congressional requests for documents. And a fourth bars funding for permanent bases in Iraq and for any action that exercises U.S. control over Iraq’s oil money.

In his “Memorandum of Justification” for the waiver, Bush cited his Nov. 26 “Declaration of Principles for a Long-Term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship” between Iraq and the United States. This agreement has been aggressively opposed by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress as not only unprecedented, but also potentially unconstitutional because it was enacted without the agreement of the legislation branch."

Why is the President allowed to do this? Where in the Constitution does it say the Executive Branch can have this power? Fuck his Memorandum of Justification. I want Congress, or the Supreme Court or even the Washington, D.C. police to remove Bush. Jr.'s treasonous ass out of the White House as soon as possible.

Why is everyone in government and the media afraid of this guy?

When President Hillary Clinton issues Memorandums of Justification for Signing Statements, everyone from the Republicans in Congress, Christian Televangelists, FOX News and The Huffington Post are going to call for a Special Prosecutor and a treason trial.

The Final State of the Union Address by President George Bush,Jr. Say Amen Somebody!

Every word the man said was a lie including 'the' and 'and'.

President George W. Bush is an ass-wipe. His Presidency is the national sham and shame.

Why we let him sit in the Oval Office for this long is something we will never be able to explain to future generations, or for that matter when we pass into the afterlife, to the previous generations of Americans who fought and died for liberty.

The founding fathers would have run a sword through him, Abe Lincoln would have fired him. FDR would have got him drunk and let him fall face-down into a swimming pool. JFK would have mocked him until he cried and Bill Clinton would have debated him into a red-faced steaming rage that would have led to him choking on a pretzel.

The DerosaWorld response to Bush, Jr.'s last SOTU:

First of all, thank god!

-Almost every child is still left behind, except of course his twin girls.

-The economy isn't coming back anytime soon. And I have lost patience.

-He lied all of us into a war with Iraq and we all watched as Saddam Hussein was hung by the neck until dead, so what the fuck are we still doing there?

-He fucked up and mismanaged the Afghanistan War so bad that the Brits have packed up their tea-cozies and have left town, and the locals are digging holes to hide in.

-We should have sent our military into Pakistan.

-We should stop letting Saudis in or out of this country and stop all trade with them.

-The Bush tax system has given most Americans less than $500 bucks over 10 years. Shove it up your ass.

-Oil companies are raping us with gas hoses.

-Osama bin Laden is still dick-slapping you.

-You've made the world less safe.

-You've made the United States less safe.

-NATO ignores you.

-Europe mocks you.

-China will bitch slap us in about 25 years.

-You hate veterans because you were a draft dodger and deserted your post during war-time.

-America is no longer a place the world looks up to and admires.

-You mocked the global climate crisis and now it is probably too late.

-You left a legacy of pain for generations of Americans.

-Dick Cheney is a vampire

The Kennedy Family Is Big, But There Aren't 2.9 Million Of Them

The American Nurses Association endorsed Senator Clinton for the Democratic Presidential nomination. This is a major endorsement any Democratic candidate would covet. Clinton has worked tirelessly on health care over the years, both during her time in the White House and in the Senate. The endorsement is well deserved.

"Too many Americans must do without high quality health care, and this country deserves a president that will make health system reform a priority," said ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR. "Senator Clinton has shown a commitment to implementing real change in our health care system to ensure high quality, affordable and accessible care. She has also recognized the importance of educating, recruiting and retaining, RNs, and the need to improve the nurse's work environment which includes addressing safe and appropriate staffing. America's 2.9 million registered nurses represent the largest group of health care professionals. We have long advocated for the critically needed reforms vital to the improvement of health care and will use our power in the voting booth to make health care a priority."

From MyDD: "One of the themes of the presidential race is the choice between flashy rhetoric we often hear from politicians and real work to make the lives of real Americans better. Today, Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of 2.9 million nurses who work everyday to improve the lives of real Americans, the American Nurses Association.

Their endorsement was not based on the feel-good rhetoric of conventional politicians, but on Hillary Clinton's obvious and real leadership on heath care issues -- a life time of commitment that includes rural health initiatives in Arkansas, enacting S-CHIP which provides health care coverage for millions of children, passing legislation that extends VA health care to millions of National Guard members, and the most impressive plan for true universal health care."

Obama Is A Brat

Senator Barack Obama, the man who preaches change, hope and harmony turns his back on Senator Clinton.

Was he afraid to face her? Scared to face her? Does he just disrespect women? 

A gentleman would have reached and shook her hand.

Senator Edward Kennedy Endorses Senator Barack Obama

A very powerful endorsement for the Democratic Presidential race came from Senator Edward Kennedy today, for Senator Barack Obama.

This is an endorsement that stopped me in my tracks and made me think long and hard about Senator Obama and Senator Edward Kennedy as well as JFK and RFK.

Robert Kennedy, Jr. endorsed Senator Clinton back in November, 2007. An interesting contrast to today's endorsement by his uncle.

Senator Hillary Clinton must be feeling bruised this morning, along with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. There is a cynical side to me that believes if Ted Kennedy's endorsement was for Senator Clinton we would not be getting 'Ted Kennedy Matters' editorials, but instead comparisons of Chappaquiddick with Vince Foster, Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky. We would also be relieving time-frames of JFK-Marilyn Monroe liaisons.

The Kennedy endorsement matters to me. The location, American University matters to me. JFK made one of his Presidency's most important speeches and policy changes there in 1963. What Ted Kennedy says about Senator Obama needs to be listened to and discussed.

“If we do not turn aside, if we dare to set our course for the shores of hope, we together will go beyond the divisions of the past and find our place to build the America of the future. My friends, I ask you to join in this historic journey -- to have the courage to choose change,” Kennedy said.

“It is time again for a new generation of leadership,” Kennedy continued. “It is time now for Barack Obama.”

With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion.

"With Barack Obama we will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group, and straight against gay," Kennedy said.

"There was another time, when another young candidate was running for president and challenging America to cross a new frontier. He faced criticism from the preceding Democratic president, who was widely respected in the party," Kennedy said, referring to Harry S. Truman.

"And John Kennedy replied, 'The world is changing. The old ways will not do. ... It is time for a new generation of leadership.

Like Senator Obama's wonderful speeches, Senator Kennedy's endorsement today was full of inspiring rhetoric, but light on specifics. I'm not buying the sincerity of the endorsement. My heart-strings were moved, but my mind has not been changed.

Toni Morrison actually had something more interesting to say:

"In addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don't see in other candidates," Morrison wrote. "That something is a creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom. It is too bad if we associate it only with gray hair and old age. Or if we call searing vision naivete. Or if we believe cunning is insight. Or if we settle for finessing cures tailored for each ravaged tree in the forest while ignoring the poisonous landscape that feeds and surrounds it.

"Wisdom is a gift; you can't train for it, inherit it, learn it in a class, or earn it in the workplace — that access can foster the acquisition of knowledge, but not wisdom," Morrison wrote."

JFK's Daughter Endorses Senator Obama

"I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans."

Wow, that is some endorsement coming from Caroline Kennedy, a New Yorker. This seems to me to be a blow to Senator Clinton, a woman who has worked hard for New York State and who continues the legacy of President Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy (D-NY) in the Democratic Party.

"Senator Obama has demonstrated these qualities throughout his more than two decades of public service, not just in the United States Senate but in Illinois, where he helped turn around struggling communities, taught constitutional law and was an elected state official for eight years. And Senator Obama is showing the same qualities today. He has built a movement that is changing the face of politics in this country, and he has demonstrated a special gift for inspiring young people — known for a willingness to volunteer, but an aversion to politics — to become engaged in the political process."

Inspiring young people is great, they poll well, but they don't actually show up at the voting booth on Election Day. If he can change that, it would be something. As for his qualities...untested. His experience...nil. His ambition...great. His rhetoric...fantastic. A movement...not yet he hasn't. A movement would mean I am not missing a group of strong Democratic candidates running for President. A movement is getting white men into the voting booth and voting Democratic. Without this, we have no 'change' and no 'movement'.

Here is another view from Ted Widmer that needs to be discussed, debated and understood.

"Back in the U.S., no candidate has captured the reflected glory of JFK more than Barack Obama, thanks to his youth, eloquence, and message of change. The Kennedy-Obama parallel has been played up by the press, and Obama’s campaign has not discouraged those comparisons—indeed, it has brought in Ted Sorensen, JFK’s talented speechwriter, to make speeches and render the judgment of history.

But the comparison falls short when voters consider the key question for 2008: foreign policy experience. It’s true that Obama, like Kennedy, is a youngish senator (at 46, three years older than Kennedy when he ran for president), but the parallel falters after that. The more one looks into Kennedy’s lifelong preparation for the job, the more one realizes how misleading it was, then and now, to describe him as inexperienced. Everyone who has stressed Kennedy’s youth, from Dan Quayle in 1988 to Obama today, has bumped up against the uncomfortable fact that JFK was an extremely well-informed statesman in 1960. As Lloyd Bentsen reminded us in the zinger that pole-axed Quayle, the truth was a lot more complicated than the myth...

In an editorial supporting Obama, the Boston Globe called attention to his “intuitive sense of the wider world.” But “intuition” would have seemed a silly quality to JFK, a realist even among the realists of his day. He and the other veterans he had served with were tired of inflated promises and wanted a world that would live up to the sacrifice they had already made for it. Like Kennedy, Obama certainly has a capacity to learn, and learn quickly. But there are qualities that cannot be gleaned from briefing books, even by the quickest study—independence of judgment, calm determination, and the deep knowledge of all possibilities that comes from years of experience in the trenches. To his credit, Obama has not personally cited intuition as a reason to vote for him, but the campaign profited enormously from the Globe endorsement, and has tolerated a certain vagueness about his background and intentions that now needs to be clarified."

Sunday Morning Music

The Grateful Dead performng Ripples.

Saturday Musings

After seeing the results of The Australian Open, I guess the stories and rumors about the Russian Mob muscling in to the sport and making top players throw games is true. The odds against all those tops seeded players losing makes me distrust the game. Next time I see a match, I will assume someone is cheating.

When given a good roll, Brokeback Mountain, Monster’s Ball, Heath Ledger was better than most young actors around today. He seemed like a genuine, talented, smart actor. The ‘Movies’ are a strange, rough place to make a living. It can be a very good living, but if things go wrong, the press is reporting about your dead, naked body in a strange bed even before your body is cold. There was such a lack of respect shown for the young man who died alone in a New York apartment. I saw the body-bag being removed before his family knew he was dead. In the 21st century, instant access makes news travel fast, even unsubstantiated rumors are thrown up onto the Internet, and out in the media without a second thought. 24 hour news cycles become 10 minute news cycle.

I caught some of the Republican Party Presidential Debate in Florida last week. The candidates are one bunch of scary, weird, white men. They are all insane. I mean, after all this country has been through, to still associate yourself as a member of the GOP has got to mean you are really stupid, suicidal, blind or insane. The things that came out of these men’s mouth were frightening. They spouted off the same lies that Bush, Jr. Administration told during the run-up to having our military destroy Iraq and capture Saddam Hussein. And Tim Russert sat there smiling at them like he was sitting around the country club having bourbon with the boys. If this country gets another Republican President, especially one of these fools, game over, and deservedly so.

Strange how no one is discussing the candidacy of Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in the context of feminism or the woman’s movement or just plain history.

I was sitting in a barber’s chair getting my haircut and was watching CNN. There was an interview with some woman spokesperson, or expert of something or other and her quote on this South Carolina primary day was about how she believed Hillary Clinton would be as popular as David Kucinich if it wasn’t for her husband’s last name: Clinton. Of course the story ended there. No counter argument or anything.

Senator Obama won the South Carolina Democratic Primary by impressive numbers. So he stays alive going into Super Tuesday. Edwards is finished. He was born in the state and it looks like his campaign is dying there. It’s time for Hillary and Barack to make nice to him and try to get his support.

Well don’t let anyone tell you Los Angeles doesn’t have winters. I’m freezing my ass off and have been rain-soaked for the past week. I am actually going to have a substantial heating bill this January.

Filling my car with gas cost me over $50 dollars this weekend.

Comb Sucking Freak Back On U.S. Tax Payers' Dime

"Paul D. Wolfowitz, who resigned as World Bank chief after serving as second-in-command at the Pentagon, has returned to the Bush administration, albeit in an advisory role."

"The Department of State is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Paul Wolfowitz as the Chairman of the Secretary of State’s International Security Advisory Board.

As we said when the job offer was reported in December, the board meets quarterly to provide advice to the secretary of state and one of her deputies based on classified intelligence on some of the most important issues in United States foreign policy today, from Iran to North Korea.

His experience in arms control issues stretches back to the 1970’s, but his role in the Iraq war was the basis of last month’s criticism of the reported appointment. Mr. Wolfowitz is also a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

Preceding Mr. Wolfowitz was former Senator Fred Thompson, who resigned as chairman in the summer to run for president. But his successor wasn’t appointed until two days after his campaign crashed and burned on Tuesday."

Paul Wolfowitz is insane. He is one of the functioning insane neo-con Republicans that manage to wake up, eat, shit and fuck everyday, but his mind is that of a warped Cold War refugee.

His ideas and policies have been more than discredited. He is probably a war criminal and certainly a traitor.

What the fuck is he doing back in government? My tax dollars are paying this asshole-freak's salary?!

The New York Times Endorses Senator Clinton

The New York Times has endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party Presidential candidate.

It seems they waited until John Edwards was well out of it.

They really seemed to have given it some thought and looked for a reason to go for Senator Obama, but just couldn't get past his lack of experience. Even with all the debates and speeches we have seen and heard from him, his stump speech of Change and Hope can only go so far. He needs to work at substance. Work in the Senate and get re-elected and be the heir apparent. He is about to embark on an amazing Senatorial career if he is the man many hope he is.

"It is unfair, especially after seven years of Mr. Bush’s inept leadership, but any Democrat will face tougher questioning about his or her fitness to be commander in chief. Mrs. Clinton has more than cleared that bar, using her years in the Senate well to immerse herself in national security issues, and has won the respect of world leaders and many in the American military. She would be a strong commander in chief.

Domestically, Mrs. Clinton has tackled complex policy issues, sometimes failing. She has shown a willingness to learn and change. Her current proposals on health insurance reflect a clear shift from her first, famously disastrous foray into the issue. She has learned that powerful interests cannot simply be left out of the meetings. She understands that all Americans must be covered — but must be allowed to choose their coverage, including keeping their current plans. Mr. Obama may also be capable of tackling such issues, but we have not yet seen it. Voters have to judge candidates not just on the promise they hold, but also on the here and now.

We opposed President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq and we disagree with Mrs. Clinton’s vote for the resolution on the use of force. That’s not the issue now; it is how the war will be ended. Mrs. Clinton seems not only more aware than Mr. Obama of the consequences of withdrawal, but is already thinking through the diplomatic and military steps that will be required to contain Iraq’s chaos after American troops leave.

We know that she is capable of both uniting and leading. We saw her going town by town through New York in 2000, including places where Clinton-bashing was a popular sport. She won over skeptical voters and then delivered on her promises and handily won re-election in 2006.

Mrs. Clinton must now do the same job with a broad range of America’s voters. She will have to let Americans see her power to listen and lead, but she won’t be able to do it town by town.

When we endorsed Mrs. Clinton in 2006, we were certain she would continue to be a great senator, but since her higher ambitions were evident, we wondered if she could present herself as a leader to the nation."

Her ideas, her comeback in New Hampshire and strong showing in Nevada, her new openness to explaining herself and not just her programs, and her abiding, powerful intellect show she is fully capable of doing just that. She is the best choice for the Democratic Party as it tries to regain the White House."

Bush, Jr. Says No To Child Health Care and Yes To Lots of Aid To Pakistan...Pakistan?!!!

President Bush, Jr. and Republicans in Congress say to sick, poor children.

But if you keep them healthy...you can draft them when they grow up!

"Democrats cited the nation’s economic problems as a reason to expand a popular health insurance program for children on Wednesday, but their effort failed as the House sustained President Bush’s veto of a bill to provide coverage to nearly four million uninsured children.

The bill would pump $35 billion more into the child health program, providing a total of $60 billion over the next five years. The money would allow states to cover nearly four million children, in addition to the six million already on the rolls. The program helps families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private insurance."

So that is $35 Billion divided by 5 years...even Hot Dana Perino could do the math on that one.

House Republican whip, Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri, said the bill was “aimed more at paving the way to government-run health care than making sure poor kids have access to adequate care.”

But...but...BUT...the United States is going to give more military aid to Pakistan to continue to not fight terrorism, not help find Osama bin Laden and kill their political leaders on the streets. Sounds like Texas!

"The U.S. military plans to significantly expand and accelerate its counterinsurgency training and provision of equipment for Pakistan's armed forces this year as part of a five-year, $2 billion U.S.-Pakistani effort to help stabilize the country, senior U.S. and Pakistani officials said."

Make sure you skip to the bottom of the article:

"Much of the increased U.S. military cooperation will be tailored to improve the counterinsurgency operations of the Pakistani military and Frontier Corps, a large but ill-equipped force that has suffered most of the government's combat casualties in tribal areas. For example, it will involve sending in small teams of U.S. trainers, including Special Forces soldiers, as well as technical experts to work with the Pakistani Air Force and intelligence personnel. The U.S. military is planning to expand the number of trainers for Pakistan's Frontier Corps, possibly including contractors or allied forces, and is also seeking to tap into $37 million in counterterrorism funds for that effort, according to U.S. officials.

This increased cooperation would both expand a multiyear U.S. counterinsurgency plan that is being implemented, with $157 million in aid planned for 2008 and more U.S. contract and Special Forces trainers expected to arrive in Pakistan this spring, U.S. officials said."

Well, now that sounds like a lot more money being talked about in the final sentence of this WaPo article than in the lead paragraph...a lot of sick American children only want about $6 billion dollars a year.

Remember: Pakistan is evil. American children are good. Saudi Arabia is evil. American children are good. Military contractors are evil. American children are good.

“Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Let's see if Dana Perino knows who said that. (Hint: It wasn't Mohammad.)

A Big Gun For Hillary...No, Not Bill...Ed

Senator Clinton had a reason to leave her husband behind in South Carolina and head north. She was picking up the endorsement of Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

Governor Rendell is one of the quiet, big guns of the Democratic Party and I was keeping an eye on him entering the race in case this group of Presidential contenders didn't catch fire.

There were also rumors of a Bloomberg/Rendell ticket.

Pennsylvania's primary is late on the calendar, especially this year with other states vying for the early, 'first-to-decide' spotlight. In the general election, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania carries 21 Electoral College votes. In 2000 PA went for Gore and in 2004 for Kerry.

"Governor Ed Rendell, a longtime Clinton ally and prominent member of the national Democratic Party, endorsed the New York senator Wednesday.

Rendell's backing likely won't sway many votes outside the state, but he is a prolific fundraiser and can help round up superdelegates -- uncommitted delegates who can back candidates at nominating conventions no matter who wins the popular vote in their states.

Of the 4,049 delegates who will choose the party's nominee in August at the Democratic National Convention, 794 are unbound by the results of state primary elections and caucuses. They are U.S. representatives, governors, party leaders and elected state officials, and about half of them haven't pledged their support to a presidential candidate, said David Wasserman, U.S. House editor of "The Cook Political Report," a nonpartisan publication."

Pennsylvania will send 188 delegates to the national convention, 30 of whom are superdelegates, according to the Democratic Party. Among those delegates who have pledged to support Clinton are Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak and state Rep. Paul Costa, D-Wilkins, said Clinton campaign spokeswoman Adrienne Elrod.

Who Farted?

"The Bush administration and Congressional leaders, increasingly concerned about a possible recession, are moving closer to agreeing that an economic stimulus package is needed soon, Washington officials said Friday.

Increasingly concerned?!!

A Republican familiar with the administration’s thinking said Mr. Bush would present ideas to stimulate the economy, most likely in the form of tax relief, in his State of the Union message on Jan. 28. Mr. Bush will not decide on the details until he returns from the Middle East next week.

The Administration's thinking?!!

Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are also suggesting that they might be able to put aside longstanding partisan differences and work on a stimulus measure, lawmakers and aides said Friday."

Isn't this the shit? The Democratic Leadership should be on the Hill, in the White House and on TV cutting Bush, Jr.'s knees out from under him.

I don't want bipartisanship. I want very partisan anti-Republican Party, Federal Regulations slapped back on Wall Street and big corporations in this country.

De-regulation is the American Nightmare. It led our grandparents into a Depression and after FDR and the Democratic Party put America back together again, we end up, within one generation, in a de-regulation frenzy that leads right to our current problems.

A strong Federal Government watchdog on the Free Market. How does that sound to everyone losing their homes and paying over $50 dollars to fill their car with gas.

$800 dollars come out to a little over $15 dollars a week. I don't think regular folks spending an extra $15 dollars a week is going to solve this nation's economic problems.

We need a New Deal for the American people. The next time the Democratic Leadership heads up to the White House, they better be hauling some hot tar, feathers and a rail.

Bush Jr. must go, now!

Can You Hear Me Now?

This isn't surprising, but if this asshole's legacy is not that of a lying, hypocritical, treasonous fool then why have freedom of the press in this country. Bush, Jr. should not be able to walk down any street in this country without plain folks pelting him with rotten fruit and dog shit. And that goes for his Vice President, too.

"A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."

The study was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel did not comment on the merits of the study Tuesday night but reiterated the administration's position that the world community viewed Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, as a threat.

"The actions taken in 2003 were based on the collective judgment of intelligence agencies around the world," Stanzel said.

The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain them or had links to al-Qaida or both."

Duets - Adding New Life To My Music Collection

I no longer keep up with the current music scene and as I get older, the radio gets harder to listen to. I guess that is the way of things with popular music, but I have found solace in the following four albums. Collaborations between two artists (guys and girls) that at first might sound like an odd pairing, but in the end both talents create something unique and new and worthy of our attention.

Here are some duet albums I have been enjoying.

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning

I like both of these artists for different reasons. Emmylou has the voice of a country angel who has been drinking in Hell. Mark Knopfler sounds like Hell's bouncer, so I guess it made sense for these two to hook up.

Knopfler's guitar playing is always a major part of the experience with him and with Emmylou singing either lead or backup, well it just makes good, strange sense somehow. The songs on this album are not the strongest set of writing from either of these folks, but there really is a magic in their duets. If This Is Goodbye is the standout classic from this album, but Beyond My Wildest Dreams and the title track, All The Roadrunning are great , middle-aged drinking tunes. Much better than most country music out there today.

This album made me dig out Richard and Linda Thompson's dark Shoot Out The Lights. Mark and Emmylou both have unique and different voices that blend together into a group of songs that are something rock, something country and folk and something very working class Americana. They are exploring something that is sad and desperate in the American landscape with a group of characters that are struggling and not too smart, but know enough to just keep moving forward.

Matthew Sweet and Susana Hoffs - Under The Covers, Vol. 1

I hope there is a Vol. 2, because what looks on the surface to be a collection of 1960's pop remakes, turns out to be a great collection of duets between these two, kind of pop, kind of alternative rockers. Susana Hoffs just sings out like these songs belong to her, even the tough ones like Fairport Convention's Who Knows Where The Time Goes, The Velvet Underground's, Sunday Morning and many more hits from The Zombies, The Bee Gees, The Mamas And The Papas...and they all work.

Matthew Sweet is one of the premiere guitar players on the music scene right now and like Knopfler on his album, Sweet not only sings, but brings his guitar playing as an invisible third member of the duet.
This album is fun to drive to and fun to bop around the house to. Again, there is a very pop edge to these songs, just the right speed for my developing middle-aged sensibilities and tastes.

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad Of The Broken Seas

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan may not be a familiar to you as the other artists in this post, but Isobel comes from the Scottish band Belle & Sebastian (a wonderfully eclectic group that deserve your attention, but that is another post) and Mark Lanegan is from the Seattle band Screaming Trees, a band that after you get past Pearl Jam and Nirvana, was one of the best rock bands to come out of that scene. Ballad Of The Broken Seas is not going to be for everyone. It is more cocktail hour music than folk, pop-rock. It is more Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood sung buy...Francois Hardy and Gordon Lightfoot, if that makes any sense to you. It is like nothing in your music collection. With Honey Child What Can I Do, (Do You Wanna) Come Walk With Me and Ramblin' Man, this poppy, sometimes dark, sometimes creepy pop duet album will make you hipper than your friends, freaks to your kids and put you in a good mood.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand

Raising Sand, the duet album from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss has taken me by storm. With a much stronger set of songs than All The Road Running the album holds its country-blues theme throughout. This album has a great song selection. Robert Plant has never been one of my favorite rock voices, but he keeps it understated and respects the music and genre. Alison Krauss has a beautiful voice and adds a country polish to the old Brit rock god. Killing The Blues, Please Read The Letter, Through, The Morning Through The Night are country duets that rank up there with Dolly & Porter, Waylon & Jessi and Loretta & Conway.

There is no real common thread to these four duet albums other than the artists' love of the music, whether original songs, covers of classics or obscure favorites, this trend of talented folks teaming up and making music together is something that I hope continues.

These albums have added some much needed life to my languishing music collection. I feel that as an adult, I can proudly buy new music again.

How To Get Shot In America, 1960s Style

Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke out against the Vietnam War in 1967. One year later, to the day, he was shot and killed by one of those lone gunman that helped change American history in the 1960s and cleared the path for the Republican Party to take over the reigns of American politics.

"A time comes when silence is betrayal." And that time has come for us in relation to Vietnam.

The truth of these words is beyond doubt, but the mission to which they call us is a most difficult one. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government's policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one's own bosom and in the surrounding world. Moreover, when the issues at hand seem as perplexed as they often do in the case of this dreadful conflict, we are always on the verge of being mesmerized by uncertainty; but we must move on.

And some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. And we must rejoice as well, for surely this is the first time in our nation's history that a significant number of its religious leaders have chosen to move beyond the prophesying of smooth patriotism to the high grounds of a firm dissent based upon the mandates of conscience and the reading of history. Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movements and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us."

I don't think anyone, including Richard Nixon himself, could imagine a Nixon Presidency with Robert Kennedy in the Senate and Martin Luther King, Jr. calling him on his lies and betrayals. If there was to be a 'silent majority' and 'neo-con' takeover, then men like JFK, RFK and MLK had to be in the grave.

And so it came to pass.

Sunday Morning Music

Here is Mark Knopfler perfroming Sailing To Philadelphia, a song about Jeremiah Dixon and Charles Mason coming to America to survey the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland to end a dispute between the two colonies in 1763. The result...The Mason-Dixon Line and this really cool song.

Ladies Night In Vegas - Senator Clinton Wins Nevada Causcuses

"Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton won the Nevada caucuses on Saturday, capturing strong support from women voters and adding a fresh boost of momentum to her campaign as the Democratic presidential race heads to South Carolina, where she is engaged in a fierce battle with her rival, Senator Barack Obama.

Mrs. Clinton’s victory in Nevada – her second straight win over Mr. Obama – underscored her strength among Hispanic voters, who comprise a large share of the electorate in several upcoming states, as the campaign expands into a coast-to-coast series of 22 contests on February 5th.

The New York senator had 51 percent of the vote to Mr. Obama’s 45 percent, with just over 90 percent of the state’s caucuses reporting. John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina, faded to a distant third place with 4 percent of the vote."

Senator Clinton wins again against the odds and the pundits. The media and progressive blogs are spinning it as best they can to try and prop up Senator Obama for another few rounds, and John Edwards, whose campaign tanked here in Nevada know matter how you look at it. Clinton won more than half the votes.

Oh, and no one has yet to mention Hillary is the first woman to be winning these states.

Moving into South Carolina next, where once again the press and blogs don't want Hillary to be the front runner, they are predicting a vote along racial lines for the Democrats in the southern state. Well, let's see if they are right this time.

++++++++++

Postscript: the next morning...from Cogitamus...Senator Obama gets more Nevada delagates than Senator Clinton?

Carolina In My Mind - Alison Krauss

One more for the Democrats...Alison Krauss singing the James Taylor song, Carolina In My Mind.

Ooh, Las Vegas - Emmylou Harris

Here's one for the Democratic candidates...Ooh, Las Vegas performed by Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band.

Can I Have Mine In Euros?

Wow, Bush, Jr. might give me $800! I want to have a beer with this guy!

Someone in Washington is making the President do something about the American economy as it sinks into a depression. Us plain folks are getting a stimulus package!

"President Bush, acknowledging the risk of recession, embraced about $145 billion worth of tax relief Friday to give the sagging economy a "shot in the arm. "

Bush said such a growth package must also include tax incentives for business investment and quick tax relief for individuals."

If I get money back I'm buying a Nintendo Wii! Or maybe Guitar Hero 2...or maybe gasoline so I can get to work.

Can someone get a Clinton on the phone to straighten the economic mess out?

Let's end the Primary Season romance with these other silly candidates. Senator Obama has no clue how to get the United States economy back on track after the Republican Party rape of the last seven years. John Edwards seems like a nice guy, but has no depth of policy or internal government and international gravitas to bring to fore what needs to get done.

In the absence of Al Gore or some other yet unknown Democratic lead actor, let's get serious and seriously take the reigns of power from this failed, phony President and the Republican minority in Congress and let's get America back into fighting shape. Enough is enough.

I Don't Think America Can Wait Another Year...Bush,Jr. Must Go

Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers can't hold it together.

"Merrill Lynch the world's biggest broker, has unveiled a record loss after writing down $US16.7 billion ($19 billion) on assets infected by sub-prime mortgages.

The fourth-quarter net loss of $US9.83 billion compared with a $US2.35 billion profit last year.

Merrill shares fell 8 per cent in New York trading, the biggest decline since the 2001 terrorist attacks, as the loss was almost three times bigger than analysts estimated.

It was the first full-year loss since 1989.

"We hope it's all written down and they've thrown in the kitchen sink," one analyst said.

Chief executive John Thain called the results "unacceptable" and said Merrill should stop taking risks that have the potential to wipe out profit."

Hmmm...Clintonomics anyone? 

------

"Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. said Thursday it would eliminate 1,300 mortgage jobs in its fourth round of cuts resulting from the collapse of the mortgage market.

The company said its Aurora Loan Services unit would close three offices, including an Orange County office in Lake Forest. The other offices to be closed are in Florida and New Jersey. The company gave no breakdown of the job losses.

Aurora, which makes nontraditional mortgages known as alt-A loans to customers with higher-than-sub-prime credit ratings, also will stop funding loans made through outside brokers, Lehman said.

Lehman, the fourth-largest U.S. securities firm, cut 2,450 jobs last year by closing its sub-prime mortgage unit and shrinking Aurora.

"It's a little disappointing that they have to keep announcing new cuts," said Andrew Corn, head of Clear Asset Management, which owns Lehman shares. "It shows the mortgage market will get much worse before it gets better."

Maybe Wall Street should have supported a total recount in Florida in 2000, huh?

Happy Birthday Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, one of my heroes from American history was born on January 17, 1706. Here is a link to an on-line version of his famous The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

Ben was a revolutionary, and inventor, a scientist, a writer, a statesman, a printer and an all around cool guy.

Here are some quotes:

-Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security

-To Follow by faith alone is to follow blindly.

-Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.

-Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.

-Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.

-Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.

-Never confuse motion with action.

-This will be the best security for maintaining our liberties. A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the religion of ignorance that tyranny begins.

-If you would not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worthy reading,
Or do things worth the writing.

I'll Take Two...Clintonomics Part II

Senator Obama may hearken back to the Reagan Revolution, but I am looking for something like the first Clinton Administration coming in to save the United States economy again.

CNBC let Hillary talk for a while on the economy and guess what? Senator Clinton sounded pretty damned smart and totally involved in the economy and the future of our country.

I like the green-collar jobs talk.

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?

Everybody sing!

America's Financial Crisis, Brought To You by the Politics and Policies of the Republican Party

"Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side..." FDR - First Inaugural Address

"Citigroup Inc. is likely to announce on Tuesday a significant dividend cut, at least $10 billion of new capital and a writedown of as much of $20 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

The largest U.S. bank is also likely to announce more than 20,000 job cuts when it posts fourth-quarter results on Tuesday, the Journal reported, as new Chief Executive Vikram Pandit tries to cut costs.

The new capital is expected to come from sources including the Government Investment Corp (GIC) of Singapore, the Kuwait Investment Authority, and Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, already one of the largest Citi shareholders, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the plans."

"True they have tried, but their efforts have been cast in the pattern of an outworn tradition. Faced by failure of credit they have proposed only the lending of more money. Stripped of the lure of profit by which to induce our people to follow their false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfully for restored confidence. They know only the rules of a generation of self-seekers. They have no vision, and when there is no vision the people perish.

The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit."

Okay, Now We Understand The Stupid Trip...Bush, Jr. As Saudi Bitch

"Coinciding with Bush's trip, the Bush administration in Washington notified Congress on Monday that it will offer Saudi Arabia the chance to buy sophisticated Joint Direct Attack Munitions — or "smart bomb" — technology and related equipment, the State Department said. The administration envisions the transfer of 900 of the precision-guided bomb kits, worth $123 million, that would give the kingdom's armed forces highly accurate targeting abilities.

The proposed deal follows notification of five other packages to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, bringing to $11.5 billion the amount of advanced U.S. weaponry, including Patriot missiles, that the administration has announced it will provide to friendly Arab nations, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. Administration officials say the total amount of eventual sales as part of the Gulf Security Dialogue is estimated at $20 billion, a figure subject to actual purchases."

So the fact that most of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi and the fact that Osama bid Laden is Saudi doesn't bother anyone in this admistration...in fact it never has.

The Fool Abroad, (Or the Crawford Yankee in King Abdullah's Court)

What is the President doing in the Middle East? He's not visiting the front line troops. He's not bringing new peace initiatives or offering his insight into the problems of the area. He's eating and hanging and playing with falcons.

"In a region of autocratic rulers, Bush did not single out any country for criticism. He spoke about democracy in a deeply undemocratic country, the United Arab Emirates, where an elite of royal rulers makes virtually all the decisions. Large numbers of foreign resident workers have few legal or human rights, including no right to protest working conditions."

I don't see the troops in Iraq or Afghanistan benefiting from Jr. being over there. I don't see any gain in the never-ending Middle East peace efforts. I don't see any America citizen being better off because our President is fucking around in the Middle East.

"Usually averse to sightseeing, Bush rode out into the sand dunes to the desert encampment of Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Sheik Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He let Bush hold one of his prize falcons. Later, Bush returned to his suite in the opulent Emirates Palace Hotel, constructed at a cost of more than $3 billion and reputed to be the most expensive hotel ever built."

Come back and do something! Do something about climate change or the economy or our infrastructure or our health care system or for our veterans. You term is almost over. You have nothing but failure and...just look at yourself.

Next stop: Saudi Arabia! Oh, this should be good.

Sunday Morning Music

Not Dark Yet by Bob Dylan from his album Time Out of Mind.

What, No Turkey? No Jog Through The Green Zone?

"President Bush said Saturday it's "fine with me" if generals recommend no more troop-strength reductions in Iraq than those already planned to take the force posture down to about 130,000."

That's big of the Command-In-Chief. I'm sure the troops appreciate the support and thoughtfulness of the President's remarks.

"After spending a day in Kuwait meeting with its leaders and addressing U.S. troops based there, Bush was welcomed as the first sitting U.S. president to visit Bahrain, an oil-refining and banking island in the Persian Gulf that is host to the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet."

So Jr. is just hanging out, visiting old oil buddies. Ignoring the troops in Iraq. Don't tell me it is too dangerous for the President of The United States of America to stroll the streets of Baghdad. I thought the 'surge' made life better for Iraqis. Get out there Mr. President, buy a rug.

"We cannot take the achievements of 2007 for granted. We must do all we can to ensure that 2008 brings even greater progress for Iraq's young democracy."  Jr. said.

Ain't that the truth.

Bush, Jr. Wastes Everyone's Time In Israel

"President Bush capped the two days of talks Thursday evening with a restatement of U.S. goals for a peace deal as well as encouragement for both sides to pursue talks. But if it hasn't been already obvious, Bush's trip to Israel and the West Bank this week has made one thing abundantly clear: the Israelis and Palestinians aren't making peace anytime soon. Israel is as resistant to basic peace process concessions as it has always been and the Palestinians are alternately weak or violent, depending on which part of their territory you look at.

So once again, Bush, Jr. failed. We had another senseless photo-op and Fox News can say The Decider is kicking ass and being holy. Hell, he even found Christians in Israel.

In response, the U.S. has delivered more talk than action since the Annapolis summit late last year, and some of that talk has been contradictory. When the hope and hoopla of Bush's trip to the region fades in coming days, the U.S. will need to come up with more realistic goals for the next twelve months of diplomacy. Otherwise it risks undermining the very regional leaders it says stand the best chance of making progress in coming years."

Annapolis, 'The Road Map', remember that waste of time, with our Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice proving once again how in-over-her-head she really is in that position?  Here is a woman who was the President's National Security Adviser during the worse national security failure in American history...promoted to head the State Department. I guess her job was to get some Clinton-like photos of a Middle East Peace conference for the history books and Jr.'s biographies.

And Next We Are Going To Un-Hang Saddam Hussein

"Iraq's parliament adopted legislation Saturday on the reinstatement of thousands of former supporters of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to government jobs, a key benchmark sought by the United States as a step toward easing sectarian tensions."

So as you see, now with the 'adults' in charge, the ship of State: U.S. foreign policy, nation-building and empire, we learn as we go. That's how this Administration rolls.

"The strict implementation of so-called de-Baathification rules also meant that many senior bureaucrats who knew how to run ministries, university departments and state companies ended up unemployed in a country where 35 years of Baath party rule and extensive government involvement in the economy had left tens of thousands of party members in key positions."

George Bush, Jr. is touched by god and all, but I don't think even he can raise the dead (ie. Dick Cheney) so I guess putting Saddam Hussein back in charge and letting him go back to ruling Iraq like he did when there was no sectarian violence, and no bombs going off everyday and no Al Qaeda and oil flowed and no AMerica soldiers were dead or injured...is not an option... and yes, considering we admitted we were wrong about him having weapons of mass destruction and buying yellow cake and all that mushroom cloud bullshit...he was hung by the neck...I saw it on You Tube, I guess we screwed up.

Maybe Jr. can ask god for a little Lazarus innervation.

Can I Get Euros From My ATM?

Paul Krugman has a few things to say about the state of 'Old Europe".

"What European countries definitely haven’t done is dismantle their strong social safety nets. Universal health care is a given. So are a variety of programs that support families in trouble, helping protect Europeans from the extreme poverty all too common in this country. All of this costs money — even though European countries spend far less on health care than we do — and European taxes are very high by U.S. standards.

In short, Europe continues to be a big-government sort of place. And that’s why it’s important to get the real story of the European economy out there."

The election of 2008 may decide if the strong Federal Government in America is all about war and corporations or about the citizens of the United States and our quality of life.

Is Anyone Going To Congratulate Senator Clinton On Being The First Woman In American History To Win A Presidential Primary?

...anyone?  Anyone?

I have three sisters and I think it is pretty damned awesome!

The Band - The Weight (with The Staple Singers)

From Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz.

Senator Clinton Wins The New Hampshire Democratic Primary

Congratulations to Senator Clinton (D-NY) for winning the Democratic Party Primary election in New Hampshire. There was some doubt as to the outcome when all the polls suddenly turned against her and a feeding frenzy of both mainstream media and the big progressive blogs tried to turn her campaign into a train wreck.

There actually seemed to be lies being told by respectable blogs like Talking Points Memo, The Huffington Post and Firedoglake. Jane Hamsher is even being very ungracious in the light of Clinton's victory, questioning how polls can turn around overnight and blaming 'lying white voters'...shame on her. The polls turned around at the behest of the likes of the liberals feeding into the media's hatred of everything Clinton.

I am very happy Hillary Clinton won her Party's New Hampshire primary. It brings a sense of fairness back into the campaign. It brings a sense of truth back into politics.

If, after a hard-fought primary season and most Americans getting a chance to vote, Senator Clinton is not the Democratic nominee, that is fine and it will be fair, but the way the Iowa caucus and the run-up to the New Hampshire primary was played out in the media and the blogosphere it seemed more like a political hit or vast right-wing and left-wing conspiracy. What did Senator Clinton ever do to generate such animosity? Was trying to give us health care so wrong? Is having won election twice in New York State so wrong for a Presidential contender?

With the way Americans, and Democrats especially, allowed President Clinton to be mistreated by the Republican Party and the Press in the 1990s, we should be ashamed. When we didn't take to the streets and support Al Gore and our own votes in 2000, we emitted a self-inflicted death rattle.

Hillary Clinton's victory in New Hampshire is a small redemption of that past. The polls were jacked. The Press was in full battle-cry. The progressive blogs became something unseemly and yet, the voters selected Hillary Clinton.

Maybe somewhere in my mind, as voters in a free  democracy, a Hillary Clinton Presidency will redeem us from our previous shame.

Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel - Happy Birthday Elvis

Elvis Presley, The King of Rock & Roll performing Heartbreak Hotel. Shake it, brother.

Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch

From Bloomberg.com: "The U.S. economy may be on the verge of -- or already in -- a recession, based on the increase in 2007's unemployment rate, economists said.

The jobless rate rose to 5 percent in December, the highest in two years. The figure was 0.6 percentage point higher than March's 4.4 percent, which was the lowest reading of the expansion that began at the end of 2001.

``Since 1949 the unemployment rate has never risen by this magnitude without the economy being in recession,'' John Ryding, chief U.S. economist at Bear Stearns Cos. in New York, said in a note to clients. ``We now put ourselves on recession watch.''

President George Bush, Jr. has always been a simpleton. He neither understands nor cares about the U.S. economy. He cut taxes with his Republican accomplices and went to war on two fronts and is spending trillions. He lost the surplus from the Clinton years. He obviously can't wait to get out of the Presidency and back into Texas oil where he can get $100 per barrel now.

The economic news is bad. Jobless statistics are worrisome. Jr. couldn't give a shit. What are the articles of impeachment in the Constitution for if not for the likes of him.

-Stole the 2000 election

-Watched the World Trade Centers collapse

-Has never captured Osama Bin Laden

-Went to war in Iraq for his own (and Dick Cheney's) reasons and lied about why

-Erased crucial parts of the Constitution

-Tortures prisoners (and brags about it)

-Lost our budget surplus

-Oversaw $100 a barrel oil

This may be his last year in office, but even if we get him out one day earlier than his term, that would be a victory.

Sunday Morning Music

Here are The Decemberists performing live O Valencia! from their album The Crane Wife.

Saturday Night In DeRosaWorld

It is cold and rainy here in the South Bay. Winter has set in and is torturing the natives. I went to the Sprouts Organic Market and bought a boneless chicken breast and some winter/root vegetables.

I chopped up the chicken and the rutabaga and parsnips and placed them in a glass Pyrex dish with olive oil and sea salt. Then I placed some baby carrots around and chopped up a tomato (I am Italian after all...see oregano later) Then put plenty of black pepper over the top, the aforementioned oregano and the generic 'italian herb mix' then Lady D added her two cents and sprinkled lavender on top while I was opening the wine. (Tavaglini Gattinara 2002 red wine).

We put on Rosemary Clooney sings Johnny Mercer, drank the wine for an hour, then ate.

I served it all over a brown rice medley that absorbed the natural chicken/vegetable stock.The chicken was a little dry, but the vegetables were perfect. I set the oven for 425 degrees F. I would probably adjust the oven temperature down next time.

This was a hardy, healthy dish that hit the spot on a windy, cold night. A light Italian red wine was the perfect appetizer.

HuffTalkingPostMemo Continuing To Act As Fluffer For Obama Campaign

Why is Talking Points Memo and The Huffington Post faking another surge for Senator Obama? They have even resorted to unflattering photographs (a favorite tactic of Drudge) and misleading banner headlines. New Hampshire voters and Democrats in general are catching on to something bad going on in the progressive blogosphere.

TPM is one of my favorite blogs and an inspiration for me starting DeRosaWorld, but we had a constant barrage of Obama surge stories being shared by TPM and The Huff Post leading up to Iowa and I think they were misrepresenting...or under-representing the Democratic candidates. The surge in Iowa seemed to having nothing behind it coming from the Senator from Illinois...it was the Press and the Progressive blogs that lit the fire and blew the smoke.

I understand that Arianna Huffington lives or dies based by her hatred of everything Clinton. I remember having to put up with her as a daily staple on TV during the Clinton Administration. Then, when the news shows and pundits realized she also was not automatically a Bush, Jr. supporter, she was shut out...and now she may see a resurrection as the networks and cable news shows invite her back to bash another Clinton...but why is Josh Marshall allowing his blog to be used in this misleading way? TPM is becoming a lapdog for The Huff Post.

The Huffington Post is losing credibility anyway with its increased coverage of Britney Spears and other mindless Hollywood gossip, but the political headlines remain consistent...consistently deceiving.

Not since George Pataki and George Bush, Jr. took on Governors Mario Cuomo (D-NY) and Ann Richards (D-TX) have I seen so much hot air coming from a candidate being given so much credence as Senator Obama. I know blogs can hide behind the facts that they are not newspapers and bloggers are not journalists, but that excuse is wearing thin as we act more and more like the voice of authority and the conscience of The Fourth Estate rather than opinion givers.

Where Is The Knowledge We Have Lost In Information?

An excerpt from a poem by T.S. Eliot for Saturday morning.

The endless cycle of idea and action,
Endless invention, endless experiment,
Brings knowledge of motion, but not of stillness;
Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;
Knowledge of words, and ignorance of the Word.
All our knowledge brings us nearer to our ignorance,
All our ignorance brings us nearer to death,
But nearness to death no nearer to GOD.
Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
The cycles of Heaven in twenty centuries
Bring us farther from GOD and nearer to the Dust.

T. S. Eliot (1888-1965),
The Rock (1934)

The Elements of Journalism

The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect, Completely Updated and Revised by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel.

"Of the many books that have been written about reporting the news, this one best captures the shortcomings, subtleties, and possibilities of modern journalism. It deserves to become as indispensable to journalists and journalism students as The Elements of Style." — Tom Goldstein, Dean, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University

The elements of journalism are:
* Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.
* Its first loyalty is to citizens.
* Its essence is a discipline of verification.
* Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover.
* It must serve as an independent monitor of power.
* It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.
* It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant.
* It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional.
* Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience.

"Isn't it pretty to think so." - Jake Barnes (The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway)

Two Good Men Drop Out Of Democratic Race.

Senators Joe Biden (D- DE) and Chris Dodd (D- CT) have dropped out of the 2008 Presidential Primary race after the Iowas caucus. Neither candidate picked up over 1% of the over 350,000 caucus participants. The level of debate will be diminished with the absence of these two men, a debate the American citizen needs to hear. The brain-power of the Democratic field is most impressive, especially compared to the total lack of intelligence the Republican Party is offering the American voter.

Senator Obama (D- IL) won the caucus with former Senator John Edwards coming in second and Senator Clinton (D- NY) coming in third.

Senator Barack Obama : 37.58%
Senator John Edwards : 29.75%
Senator Hillary Clinton : 29.47%
Governor Bill Richardson : 2.11%
Senator Joe Biden : 0.93%
Uncommitted : 0.14%
Senator Chris Dodd : 0.02%
Precincts Reporting: 1781 of 1781
(Percentages are State Delegate Equivalents.)

Both Senators Biden and Dodd are respected and experienced politicians. We need both men in the Senate supporting the next Democratic President. I must say, it worries me that both men had so much more to say on the campaign trail than Senator Obama, but the Iowa caucus participants have spoken.

I congratulate Senator Obama, but I must say I think the Democratic Party needs to look again at the other candidates and consider experience over media flash.

Senator Obama has showed me nothing, has said nothing and has no voting record in the Senate that informs me who he is and what he will do as President. His rise in the polls before the Iowa caucus is a mystery to me. There was no reason for it based on his performance or platform.

I look forward to the rest of the nation's Democrats having their say as to which candidate they want to lead the Democratic Party to victory in November.

Where Was He The Last 16 Years?

Experience matters. (Hell, even being aware of American history over the past 25 years would help.)

Here is a video that I found on The Left Coaster of Senator Obama being quite naive. It very briefly shows why I, as a Democrat, am not supporting him.

Talking to Republicans? Having a majority and being civil? Pushing the drug companies aside? Sir, if you become President, you are going to get your ass kicked.

Republicans don't talk. They act. They act badly, and they attack. Corporate America attacks. The media attacks. You are a palm tree on a beach and that wall of water coming is called a tsunami. God help us.

Someone Owes Bill Clinton a Blow Job

Richard Mellon Sciafe, the billionaire, phony right wing monster of American politics is found to be an adulterer, a liar and one of the biggest hypocrites in American history. He helped ruin, what was for me, one of the best Presidencies in my life time...remember...I had to live with Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush, Sr. and Bush, Jr. and we didn't impeach any of them!

So now Vanity Fair has a story for the five or six people who read that magazine. We won't see this story played up to much in the corporate media. Too scandalous. Too private.

"In December of 2005, the private detective proved Ritchie’s fears to have been well founded: he took pictures showing the reclusive 75-year-old billionaire with a woman named Tammy Vasco, a tall, blonde 43-year-old whose criminal history includes two arrests for prostitution. The pair was photographed at Doug’s Motel, a roadside establishment near Pittsburgh, where rooms rent for $49 a night, or $31 for three hours."

So I ask you, was a blow job worse than Iraq? Worse than Afghanistan? Worse than Alberto Gonzales? Worse than torture? Worse than losing the World Trade Centers? Worse than losing New Orleans? Worse than $100 a barrel oil? Worse than losing Osama Bin Laden? Worse than the election of 2000? Worse than Valerie Plame? Worse than Dick Cheney? Worse than losing the budget surplus?

Republicans are chumps and if you associate with them or support them, you are a chump. Republicans are everything that is wrong with this country. All of America's ills can be led back to their door.

Senator Clinton Surges 20 Points Ahead of Obama and Edwards in Iowa...Overnight

   

I'm getting sick of all the poll results. Just caucus already. Having lived in New York and California for the majority of my life, I think  both those states should hold their primaries during the first week of June and then a week later, everyone else. Then the general election plays out in the summer and fall...simple.

And why is Barack Obama dumping on John Kerry and Al Gore?

"I don't want to go into the next election starting off with half the country already not wanting to vote for Democrats. We've done that in 2004 and 2000. 47 percent of the country on one side, 47 percent of the country on the other . . . We don't need another one of those elections." -Senator Obama

Senator, try getting re-elected once.

I think there is a sinister reason the country is polarized at the voting booth. If the questions are asked properly, most Americans sound like they are hard-core Democrats. The Press and the Republican Party have blurred what people think and what people believe is good for them.

In America, this bastion of democracy, the people vote pretty consistently against their own good. I might go as far as to say, based on he way we treat her, we don't deserve democracy.

I can't understand why there are any Republicans in Congress at all? Who could justify voting to be represented by that party? Look at the record, progress is made by Democrats. Go back to the election of 1932 and up to 2008 and give me a reason to re-elect a Republican.

The DeRosaWorld poll predicts Senator Clinton wins Iowa by 11%. Edwards second and Obama third.

I don't care about the Republicans.