This post is interesting. It seems to say that Obama may not be the uniter that he claims if he couldn't get Edwards (John and Elizabeth) to understand his health care policy - thus having them endorse him. I think Edwards is trying to play to big a role in this election. Thoughts?
Health care plan hurts Obama
Side Note - Here is an interesting chart on health care costs - US vs. World Health Care
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
McCain's First Ad
This blog post does a better job of summarizing the ad than I could -Vote for the American
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Hillary on FOX
She really looks annoyed and pissed. Watch this interview - there is NO way she is backing out before the convention.
Jon Stewart Visiting Wounded Soldiers
I guess he has been doing it quietly since 2004. Nice to hear.
Turns out the comedian has been quietly visiting soldiers at Walter Reed and Bethesda hospitals, trips he began in 2004 to better understand the Iraq war. "I felt that I was living in a world of theory," he told the audience, "but I hadn't touched the reality and the humanity of it." The first patient he met was "funnier than I was" -- and Stewart's been a regular ever since.
Stewart told the Post, "I certainly get a lot more out of it than they do...If anything, it's made me angrier... You can be for the war, against the war, but you can't be uninformed about it. To see the human cost is part of the equation."
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Iraq War on PBS
These are both fairly long, but very fascinating documentaries about the Iraq War. They focus a lot on how we ended up going to war in Iraq. It is hard for me to even say the Iraq War anymore because that implies we are at war with Iraq, when actually we went in to take out Saddam, who was part of the Sunni minority.
Bush's War - Movie Link
Buying the War (this one is very interesting) - Movie link
Bush's War - Movie Link
Buying the War (this one is very interesting) - Movie link
"Hillary" the movie
Don't know how may of you have watched this on YouTube but it is interesting. I know most of the people that appear in the movie have an axe to grind, but even if it is only partially true it is interesting. Just a warning though, there are 9 parts to this and each is 10 minutes so it can suck you in. I am attaching part 1 that is mainly an intro.
Since I was drunk during most of the Clinton Presidency alot of this was new to me. You guys may have been more sober than me at the time but I doubt it.
Since I was drunk during most of the Clinton Presidency alot of this was new to me. You guys may have been more sober than me at the time but I doubt it.
The Tonya Harding Option
Here is the best article yet on how low Clinton will go to get power. Too long to summarize - Clinton and the Right Wing Conspiracy
And some other choice articles:
The Tonya Harding Option - A real uniter
Hillary has started to throw the 'Tonya Harding' option at Obama.
Niall O'Dowd Compares Rev. Wright to David Duke on Irish radio - Clinton Finance Committee Member Enters the Fray
The Clinton campaign is peddling an smear article that states one of Obama's advisors is an anti-semite - American prospect article
Clinton plans to go after the pledged delegates now - I will win damn it!
Clinton - This race will last 3 more months - WooHoo!
And some other choice articles:
The Tonya Harding Option - A real uniter
Hillary has started to throw the 'Tonya Harding' option at Obama.
Niall O'Dowd Compares Rev. Wright to David Duke on Irish radio - Clinton Finance Committee Member Enters the Fray
The Clinton campaign is peddling an smear article that states one of Obama's advisors is an anti-semite - American prospect article
Clinton plans to go after the pledged delegates now - I will win damn it!
Clinton - This race will last 3 more months - WooHoo!
My sentiments exactly
I lifted this take on the Tuzla issue from a very conservative blog. It sums up my feeling on the situation better than I could so I thought I'd re post it.
The whole Article can be found HERE.
The meltdown over her credibility has fogged the actual argument in which Hillary used Tuzla, which was that she was so good at foreign policy that her husband’s administration would send her instead of the diplomats, especially if it was too dangerous for the President to visit personally.
Unfortnately for Hillary, she still hasn’t come up with an actual example. She told the Inquirer editors that she visited 80 countries, but that doesn’t mean she conducted any heavy foreign-policy duties on those trips. First Ladies travel abroad frequently, with and without their presidential husbands, but that doesn’t constitute the kind of experience that Hillary demands we infer from her journeys. In all of the cases we have seen, she conducted the kind of ceremonial duties that First Ladies always do, not hard-charging diplomatic initiatives that would demonstrate better experience than Barack Obama or John McCain, especially the latter.
And now the admission that she misrepresented the Tuzla trip in both danger and importance undermines what little credibility she had left after insisting that she should receive credit for all of the foreign-policy initiatives during her husband’s administration. Without experience or credibility, just what can she offer?
The whole Article can be found HERE.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Short and Sweet
Clinton bring up the Pastor Wright story against Obama (cheap) - Desperate Times call for desperate measures
Huge ice shelf on verge of collapse - Global Warming's Impact
Violence is on the rise in Iraq - al Sadr ends peace
Food Prices are rising all over the world - First gas, now food
A-Rod pursued Canseco's wife?? - The Canseco story
Huge ice shelf on verge of collapse - Global Warming's Impact
Violence is on the rise in Iraq - al Sadr ends peace
Food Prices are rising all over the world - First gas, now food
A-Rod pursued Canseco's wife?? - The Canseco story
Carville missed on this one
I read Carville's remarks comparing Bill Richardson to Judas and have to wonder if he is the one who is secretly working for Obama. Richardson's endorsement was interesting but I think the majority didn't see it as that big of deal. It would have run the news cycle and been forgotten unless you were in New Mexico. Carville's decision to compare him to one of the worst people in the world's history now gives the story legs and it stays in the headlines for a few more days.
Without Carville's remarks Richardson doesn't garner the amount of face time with the national media that he is getting. It will also be interesting to see long term if this is a case of typical politics by Obama. If he chooses Richardson as a running mate, it will be pretty transparent what type of backroom deal was struck. You have to wonder if Richardson invited Bill Clinton to his Super Bowl party in order to give the Clinton's the same opportunity to buy his endorsement with some type of deal.
Here is Richardson getting some face time on MSNBC to explain his position and answer the Judas comparison. It is a long clip but I think the best line comes from Chris Mathews at the end when he says, we need to stop looking at this through the eyes of the Clintons, like we have done for the past 20 years and look at it in terms of what it means to us.
Without Carville's remarks Richardson doesn't garner the amount of face time with the national media that he is getting. It will also be interesting to see long term if this is a case of typical politics by Obama. If he chooses Richardson as a running mate, it will be pretty transparent what type of backroom deal was struck. You have to wonder if Richardson invited Bill Clinton to his Super Bowl party in order to give the Clinton's the same opportunity to buy his endorsement with some type of deal.
Here is Richardson getting some face time on MSNBC to explain his position and answer the Judas comparison. It is a long clip but I think the best line comes from Chris Mathews at the end when he says, we need to stop looking at this through the eyes of the Clintons, like we have done for the past 20 years and look at it in terms of what it means to us.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Obama's Foreign Policy Doctrine
This is a long read, but a great look at Obama's foreign policy doctrine.
The Obama Doctrine
Key Quote:
"The Obama foreign-affairs brain trust balks at the suggestion that what it's proposing is radical. "He said we'd take out al-Qaeda's senior leadership in the Pakistani tribal areas if Pakistan will not. That's not, to me, a revolutionary policy," Rhodes says. "Watching him get attacked on the right is absurd. You've got guys who argued for a massive invasion and occupation of a country that had nothing to do with 9-11 criticizing him for advocating the use of highly targeted force to kill Osama bin Laden!""
The Obama Doctrine
Key Quote:
"The Obama foreign-affairs brain trust balks at the suggestion that what it's proposing is radical. "He said we'd take out al-Qaeda's senior leadership in the Pakistani tribal areas if Pakistan will not. That's not, to me, a revolutionary policy," Rhodes says. "Watching him get attacked on the right is absurd. You've got guys who argued for a massive invasion and occupation of a country that had nothing to do with 9-11 criticizing him for advocating the use of highly targeted force to kill Osama bin Laden!""
Saturday, March 22, 2008
National Review Online OP-Ed
This is one of the most Conservative websites out there. I think this is a nice op-ed about Obama. I realize there are too many differences to allow a lot of Conservatives to vote for him, as you will see at the bottom, but they do respect him which bodes well for reaching across party lines.
NRO Article
Update - One of Romney's legal advisors endorses Obama - Kmiec for Obama
NRO Article
Update - One of Romney's legal advisors endorses Obama - Kmiec for Obama
Friday, March 21, 2008
Cheers to Chris Wallace of FOX News
That is not a misprint. He actually stands up for Obama and the relentless coverage over the most recent Obama statement. Watch this video.
Obama in Portland
I went to the Obama event here in Portland today. It was a great atmosphere as Bill Richardson endorsed Obama at the event. My guess was there were 12-14K people at the Coliseum. Here are some pics.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Erickson - Nice Gesture
Lisa Love bought 200 tix to Tuesday's NIT game and Erickson did it for this game. It is nice to see the entire athletic program coming together and supporting one another.
Football Supports Basketball
Football Supports Basketball
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Vegas Baby
I figured we were getting a little too serious and might actually have an opportunity for some intelligent discussion and I didn't want to let that happen. Why start that now after we've been able to avoid it the past 16 years?
Just got back from Vegas (I left Vegas Sunday, it just hasn't left me yet) and one of my buddies is friends with this bartender from the Carnival Bar. This guy hooked us up like crazy and does some pretty cool stuff as well so I thought I'd put him up here.
Just got back from Vegas (I left Vegas Sunday, it just hasn't left me yet) and one of my buddies is friends with this bartender from the Carnival Bar. This guy hooked us up like crazy and does some pretty cool stuff as well so I thought I'd put him up here.
Obama's Race Speech - Boston Globe
This snippet from the Boston Globe pretty much sums up my thoughts:
" BARACK OBAMA could have made a much shorter speech. He could have protected his campaign yesterday by denouncing and rejecting his former pastor, Rev.Jeremiah Wright, as a crank. Then Obama could have rushed on, hoping that someone else's scandal would push his own out of the headlines.
Instead, Obama took the opportunity to engage the question of race in America, starting a bold, uncomfortably honest conversation. He asked Americans to talk openly about the deep wells of anger and resentment over racism, discrimination, and affirmative action. It's a call to break out of the country's racial stalemate and finally reach a new national understanding. "
" BARACK OBAMA could have made a much shorter speech. He could have protected his campaign yesterday by denouncing and rejecting his former pastor, Rev.Jeremiah Wright, as a crank. Then Obama could have rushed on, hoping that someone else's scandal would push his own out of the headlines.
Instead, Obama took the opportunity to engage the question of race in America, starting a bold, uncomfortably honest conversation. He asked Americans to talk openly about the deep wells of anger and resentment over racism, discrimination, and affirmative action. It's a call to break out of the country's racial stalemate and finally reach a new national understanding. "
Montana Tech Football Coach Bob Green
Montana Tech is this small Frontier Conference mining school in Butte. (by small I mean a lot smaller than our really small colleges of Montana State and University of Montana.) This coach Bob Green is a real piece of work though, he belongs in Mississippi or something. --Enjoy!
Obama's Speech on Racism in America
I have admit I had read the following article from Pete Wehner and was in agreement, there was an unfair double standard, racism should be racism, even if it's black racism. However I listened to the whole 35min speech Mitch sent, and I have to agree with Mitch, that was the best speech on racism I've ever heard. I changed my mind, and for that to happen, it has to be powerful stuff. :)
(I put the link to the speech at the bottom of the blog)
'What has Obama heard from Rev. Wright, and When?'
by Pete Wehner
Senator Obama, whose campaign only last year said that he was “proud of his pastor and his church,” is now saying that he wasn’t aware of the angry, reckless, anti-American, and racially divisive comments by Reverend Wright. But that claim stretches credulity. Reverend Wright, after all, is not a stranger who is offering up a presidential-year endorsement. Wright has instead played a pivotal role in Obama’s life — including marrying Barack and Michelle Obama, baptizing their two children, and inspiring the title of Obama’s second book, The Audacity of Hope.
Senator Obama has been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since the early 1990s. Are we supposed to believe that the kind of venom and vivid hatred that we have all seen on display — that God should damn rather than bless America, that this country created AIDS in an effort to foster genocide, that we had 9/11 coming to us, that America is the “U.S. of K.K.K.A.” and that Israel is a terrorist state — is an anomaly for Wright? That the overwhelming majority of his sermons are expositions on the love of Christ and the need to break down the dividing walls between us? That Obama was utterly shocked to see Wright’s words strung together on cable TV? That he has seen a side of Wright in the last week that he never knew existed?
The odds are a good deal better than even that Wright’s hatred is on regular or semi-regular display at the pulpit of Trinity United. The question now becomes: What did Senator Obama hear, and when did he hear it?
Reverend Wright’s toxic comments may help us better understand the remarks by Michelle Obama that she is proud of America for the first time in her adult life only now that her husband is running for president and that she considers America to be a “outright mean” nation.
If someone admires Reverend Wright as much as Michelle Obama seems to — and she has spoken very well of him in the past — then it’s reasonable to assume that they share some common values. People who attend the same church for a quarter century often share key attitudes and outlooks of their minister. That’s not always the case — but it’s more often the case than not. And it is very rare that people who attend a church for more than 25 years hold views that are fundamentally at odds with their pastor.
Senator Obama and some of his supporters have made the plea that he not be made “guilty by association.” What people are asking for is not guilt but responsibility by association — especially an association this long, this deep, this important.
And on the matter of “guilt by association,” here’s a thought experiment. Assume that the spiritual leader and pastor of the church George W. Bush or John McCain attended was, say, a white supremacist or an anti-gay bigot. Do you think that there would be any hesitancy among the press to push the “guilt by association” storyline? I rather doubt it.
-----------------------------------------
Pete Wehner has the rarest of White House jobs. He is paid to read, to think, to prod, to brainstorm -- all without accountability. He recalls the words of White House senior adviser Karl Rove when he interviewed for the job: "He said my job is to bug him." Wehner runs the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives (or the Office of Strategery, as it is known inside the building after a "Saturday Night Live" skit spoofing the president's mangling of the English language).
(I put the link to the speech at the bottom of the blog)
'What has Obama heard from Rev. Wright, and When?'
by Pete Wehner
Senator Obama, whose campaign only last year said that he was “proud of his pastor and his church,” is now saying that he wasn’t aware of the angry, reckless, anti-American, and racially divisive comments by Reverend Wright. But that claim stretches credulity. Reverend Wright, after all, is not a stranger who is offering up a presidential-year endorsement. Wright has instead played a pivotal role in Obama’s life — including marrying Barack and Michelle Obama, baptizing their two children, and inspiring the title of Obama’s second book, The Audacity of Hope.
Senator Obama has been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since the early 1990s. Are we supposed to believe that the kind of venom and vivid hatred that we have all seen on display — that God should damn rather than bless America, that this country created AIDS in an effort to foster genocide, that we had 9/11 coming to us, that America is the “U.S. of K.K.K.A.” and that Israel is a terrorist state — is an anomaly for Wright? That the overwhelming majority of his sermons are expositions on the love of Christ and the need to break down the dividing walls between us? That Obama was utterly shocked to see Wright’s words strung together on cable TV? That he has seen a side of Wright in the last week that he never knew existed?
The odds are a good deal better than even that Wright’s hatred is on regular or semi-regular display at the pulpit of Trinity United. The question now becomes: What did Senator Obama hear, and when did he hear it?
Reverend Wright’s toxic comments may help us better understand the remarks by Michelle Obama that she is proud of America for the first time in her adult life only now that her husband is running for president and that she considers America to be a “outright mean” nation.
If someone admires Reverend Wright as much as Michelle Obama seems to — and she has spoken very well of him in the past — then it’s reasonable to assume that they share some common values. People who attend the same church for a quarter century often share key attitudes and outlooks of their minister. That’s not always the case — but it’s more often the case than not. And it is very rare that people who attend a church for more than 25 years hold views that are fundamentally at odds with their pastor.
Senator Obama and some of his supporters have made the plea that he not be made “guilty by association.” What people are asking for is not guilt but responsibility by association — especially an association this long, this deep, this important.
And on the matter of “guilt by association,” here’s a thought experiment. Assume that the spiritual leader and pastor of the church George W. Bush or John McCain attended was, say, a white supremacist or an anti-gay bigot. Do you think that there would be any hesitancy among the press to push the “guilt by association” storyline? I rather doubt it.
-----------------------------------------
Pete Wehner has the rarest of White House jobs. He is paid to read, to think, to prod, to brainstorm -- all without accountability. He recalls the words of White House senior adviser Karl Rove when he interviewed for the job: "He said my job is to bug him." Wehner runs the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives (or the Office of Strategery, as it is known inside the building after a "Saturday Night Live" skit spoofing the president's mangling of the English language).
Monday, March 17, 2008
Tiny Fey's skit on SNL that Tracy Morgan was responding to...
Here was Tina Fey's comments in support of Hillary a couple of weeks ago on the SNL - Update News. Also very FUNNY but I think Tracy Morgan came out ahead. --"Black is the new president, Bitch."
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Obama and Transparency
He has just released the list of all the earmarks he has requested over the past 2 years. People will scour these and try and find connections to bad donors, etc. I'm sure some (or most) are probably ridiculous sums of money for these projects, but this is what you do for the state you represent. I just like that he has released his tax records and these earmarks. Hillary has yet to do either.
Obama's Earmarks
I also think McCain needs to release all his medical records. I know this is pretty personal, but he is pretty old and has had treatment for cancer. Does anyone else feel this stuff should be released?
Obama's Earmarks
I also think McCain needs to release all his medical records. I know this is pretty personal, but he is pretty old and has had treatment for cancer. Does anyone else feel this stuff should be released?
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Hillary and Sinbad
This is so classic. She is claiming that she has the experience to answer that 3AM call based on trips to places like Bosnia. Sinbad, yes that Sinbad, who accompanied her on that trip unloads on Hillary - Sinbad for President
Money Quote:
In her Iowa stump speech, Clinton also said, "We used to say in the White House that if a place is too dangerous, too small or too poor, send the First Lady."
Say what? As Sinbad put it: "What kind of president would say, 'Hey, man, I can't go 'cause I might get shot so I'm going to send my wife...oh, and take a guitar player and a comedian with you.'"
Money Quote:
In her Iowa stump speech, Clinton also said, "We used to say in the White House that if a place is too dangerous, too small or too poor, send the First Lady."
Say what? As Sinbad put it: "What kind of president would say, 'Hey, man, I can't go 'cause I might get shot so I'm going to send my wife...oh, and take a guitar player and a comedian with you.'"
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Haven't had the chance to read it yet
Murphy vs. Moreno
On the ESPN main page which can't be good for the school. I figured someone else might have time to read it and fill me in. Hamilton I'm waiting for more cliff notes on the book too. Where you at?
Friday, March 7, 2008
The truth hurts
I know I am absolutely biased against the Clintons, but their hypocrisy knows no bounds. The latest incident is a situation where an Obama volunteer-adviser made an off the record comment to a Scottish reporter calling Hillary a monster. Hillary is crying foul and has people accusing Obama of dirty politics.
For the Clinton campaign to compare that to a member of her campaign making derogatory statements during a campaign stop is ridiculous. She convened a conference call to get others to speak out and condemn Obama and try and insulate her from the perception of dirty politics.
Getting others to do your hatchet work is shadier and more deplorable than just coming out and taking a stand. The Clinton ideology of win at all costs and deceive, deny and deflect is what is wrong with our politicians. If she pulls a rabbit out of the hat and wins this primary, I think it will shake a lot of people's faith in our political process.
Here is an article if you are interested.
Obama adviser resigns
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Quote for the Day
From a reader on a blog referring to Hillary's 'foreign relations experience'.
"What exactly has she done to prove she can be commander in chief? I don't want my doctor's wife to be operating on me!"
"What exactly has she done to prove she can be commander in chief? I don't want my doctor's wife to be operating on me!"
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
And the Beat Goes On...
Hillary pulled out wins in TX and OH last night so the Clinton ego machine rolls on. I never thought they would actually pull the party apart to win the nomination, but alas I may be wrong.
----
In a live CNN interview just now, Sen. Clinton repeated, twice, the "Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience, I have a lifetime of experience, Sen. Obama has one speech in 2002" line. By what logic, exactly, does a member of the Democratic party include the "Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience" part of that sentence? And I guess with her nonstop references to 2002 she must be talking about Obama's anti-Iraq war speech, not the 2004 convention speech that actually put him on the map.
----
I honestly can't believe she keeps saying this. Number one, the GOP is going to run this quote over and over again if Obama is the nominee. Number two, what f%$#in lifetime experience does she have? I think Obama realizes that the Clintons will now do anything to win the nomination, so he is going to have to go a little negative.
Side Note - Rush Limbaugh told his listeners to vote for Hillary so this race will keep on going - looks like his listeners might have actually helped Hillary win in TX...nuts - Rush for Hillary
----
In a live CNN interview just now, Sen. Clinton repeated, twice, the "Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience, I have a lifetime of experience, Sen. Obama has one speech in 2002" line. By what logic, exactly, does a member of the Democratic party include the "Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience" part of that sentence? And I guess with her nonstop references to 2002 she must be talking about Obama's anti-Iraq war speech, not the 2004 convention speech that actually put him on the map.
----
I honestly can't believe she keeps saying this. Number one, the GOP is going to run this quote over and over again if Obama is the nominee. Number two, what f%$#in lifetime experience does she have? I think Obama realizes that the Clintons will now do anything to win the nomination, so he is going to have to go a little negative.
Side Note - Rush Limbaugh told his listeners to vote for Hillary so this race will keep on going - looks like his listeners might have actually helped Hillary win in TX...nuts - Rush for Hillary
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Rove on Iraq
Karl Rove points out that even though invading Iraq tripled oil prices, we have to stay there because otherwise oil process will double.
It's the Oil Stupid
It's the Oil Stupid
Monday, March 3, 2008
Obama on Education
Unscripted in Beaumont, TX Obama talks about education. It is nice to hear not only problems with No Child Left Behind, but more importantly (about 3 minutes in) he puts the onus on parents to actually do a their job at home...the next couple minutes of him off script are great.
SNL Skit - Ohio Debate Spoof
Another funny SNL Debate #2 (Ohio) skit from last weekend. Hillary made a live appearance afterward to appear human, actually she was kind of funny, but I still am not very fond of her in a hateful kind of way. :)
And Hillary's Live Appearance
And Hillary's Live Appearance
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Obama - Might Appoint Republicans to His Cabinet
I think this is one of the most appealing aspects of an Obama Presidency. Ask Hillary if she would appoint some Republicans or McCain if he would appoint some Democrats. The country cannot be 'effectively' governed when you have a line drawn between the two sides. Things would still get done, but not easily.
Obama to Consider Republicans for Cabinet
Obama to Consider Republicans for Cabinet
Saturday, March 1, 2008
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