On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a compromise version of H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The final vote was 246-183, with one answering 'present.' All House Republicans voted against the bill, and all but seven Democrats voted for the bill. All of AZ's Democratic representatives voted for it.
Later on Friday over in the Senate, the same compromise version was passed by a 60 - 38 vote. All Democrats present voted for the bill (Ted Kennedy was out, and Al Franken hasn't been seated yet), as well as Republicans Olympia Snow, Susan Collins (both from Maine) and Arlen Specter (PA). Both of AZ's Republican senators, Jon Kyl and John McCain, voted against the economic stimulus package.
AZ's delegation on the stimulus bill, in their own words (from news coverage, press releases, and the Congressional Record) -
Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-CD5), from a press release, courtesy Arizona Congress Watch - “Arizona’s job losses last year were worse than every other state but one. People are facing foreclosure and struggling to make ends meet,” said Mitchell. “The risk of inaction is too great. This bill will create and maintain jobs and we must take this step to get people back to work and get the economy back on track.”
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-CD7), from a press release - “I voted to support today’s Recovery Act, a bill that is far from perfect, but opens up possibilities for many...The State of Arizona is in a budget crisis that it is translating to cuts in the Department of Economic Security, slashed departments at our public universities and colleges, money taken from our children in elementary, junior high, and high schools, and increases in hunger, poverty, and the ranks of the uninsured. The Recovery Act will help stop this kind of hemorrhaging, which is why I support it."
Rep. John Shadegg (R-CD3), from a press release -
"But one of the bill’s worst provisions has gone almost unnoticed, dangerously lurking below the radar of those exposing the bill’s flaws.
“Comparative Effectiveness Research,” sounds innocuous, but big-government programs always do. The $1.1 billion of the stimulus package earmarked for this project is a significant step toward government-run healthcare
Shadegg from a post in The Hill's CongressBlog, titled "Friday The 13th Horror" - "But of course the greatest horror is not the process – it is the product. At the end of the day we have an economic stimulus without economic stimulus."
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-CD8), as quoted in the Arizona Daily Star - 'The legislation will create or save 3.5 million jobs nationally over the next two years. Approximately 70,000 of those jobs will be in Arizona," she said in a press statement.'
The same article goes on to list a series of informational forums that Giffords will be part of, including one on Tuesday at ASU from noon - 1:30 p.m with CD5's Representative Harry Mitchell. (Pima Room in the Memorial Union)
More info on the forums, courtesy Congresswoman Giffords' website here.
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-CD6), from the Congressional Record - "We know enough about this legislation to know that it is bad legislation. First and foremost, the process is bad, but it’s bad legislation...I doubt that John Maynard Keynes would believe that $50 million for the
National Endowment for the Arts would be stimulative. All that it stimulates is more spending later."
Sen. Jon Kyl (R), from the Congressional Record - ...His speech is too long to find one good quote, so I recommend reading it in its entirety at the link. He opposed the bill for a litany of reasons, including ACORN, Filipino veterans, a maglev rail line from L.A. to Las Vegas, money for small shipyards (and not enough $ for big shipyards), and the Davis-Bacon Act (prevailing wage).
Sen. John McCain (R), was quoted as calling the bill "generational theft" on CNN and elsewhere. (NY Times)
President Obama is expected to sign the bill on Tuesday in Denver, and will be in Phoenix on Wednesday to announce a plan to fight home foreclosures. Details as they become available.
Note: In the future, I expect to leave this sort of post to Stacy at AZ Congress Watch - it took longer just to set up the links than to write the rest of the post.
Showing posts with label McCain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label McCain. Show all posts
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Short Attention Span Musing
From the "who says I don't pick on Democrats when they deserve it" file...
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) ignored his staff and spouted off about the fragrance of tourists visiting the Capitol.
From The Hill -
Like other high-profile Democratic senators before him (John Kerry, anyone?), Reid simply cannot tell a joke.
He *really* should have listened to his staff.
Of course, compared to Governor Ed Rendell's (D-Foot in Mouth Disease) gaffe, Reid was positively eloquent.
From AZCentral.com -
He has since apologized (sort of) for his comment that disparaged Napolitano's single status, but the damage has been done. He has ticked off single people (and many married ones) all across the country.
...From the "PleasepleasepleasepleasePUHLEEZE" department...
There are some rumors going around that John McCain will face a primary challenge in 2010 from none other than everybody's favorite loudmouthed nativist, JD Hayworth (Paul Giblin at the EV Tribune).
The idea has AZ's rightwing blogosphere all breathlessly aflutter at the thought of their darling Hayworth taking on McCain, but like Tedski at R-Cubed, I don't think it will happen. McCain has earned respect from all over AZ (misplaced though I may think that respect may be, it does exist) while Hayworth doesn't have any respect from anybody outside of his own nativist wing of the Republican Party.
That demographic fits a slot on radio, not in the senior chamber of Congress.
On the other hand, if Hayworth does go for it, maybe we can talk Harry Mitchell into running for the Senate seat.
Just for the sheer joy of watching JD's head explode at the mere possiblity of losing to Mitchell yet again. :)
For the record, I don't think Mitchell would be even remotely interested in a Senate run, even if Hayworth does run. For that matter, if it looks like a pure ideologue such as Hayworth will end up as the Rep nominee, Democrats from all over AZ will be elbowing each other hard for a shot at the seat.
...And from the "can we root for both of them to lose" department...
From AP -
Let's see...Rick Perry is best known for his perfectly-coiffed hair (Molly Ivins nicknamed him "Governor Goodhair") and Hutchinson is best known as a Bush cheerleader of Kyl-esque proportions.
Maybe Kinky Friedman can run again. He's not perfect, but he's more interesting than either of those two.
Later!
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) ignored his staff and spouted off about the fragrance of tourists visiting the Capitol.
From The Hill -
Reid’s comment came as he noted the long lines of tourists who come to visit the Capitol during the bitter cold of winter and sweltering heat of a Washington summer. By constructing the CVC, lawmakers hoped to provide a more comfortable and educational introduction to the Capitol with tighter security measures.
"Tourists line up in summer and winter," said Reid. "In the summertime, because of the high humidity and how hot it gets here, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol."
Like other high-profile Democratic senators before him (John Kerry, anyone?), Reid simply cannot tell a joke.
He *really* should have listened to his staff.
Of course, compared to Governor Ed Rendell's (D-Foot in Mouth Disease) gaffe, Reid was positively eloquent.
From AZCentral.com -
Rendell made the comment Tuesday at a meeting of the National Governors Association in Philadelphia that featured President-elect Barack Obama.
Rendell said Napolitano is "perfect for that job. Because for that job, you have to have no life. Janet has no family. Perfect. She can devote, literally, 19-20 hours a day to it."
He has since apologized (sort of) for his comment that disparaged Napolitano's single status, but the damage has been done. He has ticked off single people (and many married ones) all across the country.
...From the "PleasepleasepleasepleasePUHLEEZE" department...
There are some rumors going around that John McCain will face a primary challenge in 2010 from none other than everybody's favorite loudmouthed nativist, JD Hayworth (Paul Giblin at the EV Tribune).
The idea has AZ's rightwing blogosphere all breathlessly aflutter at the thought of their darling Hayworth taking on McCain, but like Tedski at R-Cubed, I don't think it will happen. McCain has earned respect from all over AZ (misplaced though I may think that respect may be, it does exist) while Hayworth doesn't have any respect from anybody outside of his own nativist wing of the Republican Party.
That demographic fits a slot on radio, not in the senior chamber of Congress.
On the other hand, if Hayworth does go for it, maybe we can talk Harry Mitchell into running for the Senate seat.
Just for the sheer joy of watching JD's head explode at the mere possiblity of losing to Mitchell yet again. :)
For the record, I don't think Mitchell would be even remotely interested in a Senate run, even if Hayworth does run. For that matter, if it looks like a pure ideologue such as Hayworth will end up as the Rep nominee, Democrats from all over AZ will be elbowing each other hard for a shot at the seat.
...And from the "can we root for both of them to lose" department...
From AP -
WASHINGTON (AP) — Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison on Thursday took the first step toward a run for governor, setting the stage for a contentious challenge in 2010 against fellow Republican Rick Perry, the longest-serving leader in state history.
Let's see...Rick Perry is best known for his perfectly-coiffed hair (Molly Ivins nicknamed him "Governor Goodhair") and Hutchinson is best known as a Bush cheerleader of Kyl-esque proportions.
Maybe Kinky Friedman can run again. He's not perfect, but he's more interesting than either of those two.
Later!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Time for some 2010 speculations...
...especially since "Candie Dates" at Sonoran Alliance got the ball rolling with a post concerning possible candidates to replace Jan Brewer at the Secretary of State's office if she ascends to the governor's office (OK, OK - "when" :( ) and the AZ Rep has an article about how Janet Napolitano's expected move to D.C. would "shake up" the 2010 race for governor.
A couple of caveats -
1. Most of my focus will be on Democrats from Maricopa County because they're who I have the most familiarity with. There are certain to be candidates from Pima, Pinal, Coconino and other counties whose names I haven't heard.
2. This is all pure speculation on my part. None of the potential candidates mentioned has ever spoken to me about their future plans.
3. The underlying assumptions are that Janet Napolitano leaves and does not return to run against John McCain in two years (though a run against Jon Kyl in four years remains a possibility) and that, despite laying the groundwork for a reelection run, McCain chooses not to run again at age 74.
4. The goal of this post is to start a discussion, so if you have some legitimate speculations of your own, feel free to leave a comment (just keep it civil :) ).
On to theidle thoughts random musings... :))
State Mine Inspector - why on God's green earth is this still an elected office? Could someone explain this to me, please?
State Superintendent of Public Instruction -
Speculation elsewhere on possible Republican candidates has focused on State Sen. John Huppenthal and State Rep. Rich Crandall. Both are very conservative; Huppenthal despises public education with a burning passion and Crandall does not.
As for possible Democratic candidates, Slade Mead and Jason Williams, who both ran in 2006 may try again. However, Williams has remained more active in the education field and has a higher profile in that area. Other to consider include Jackie and John Thrasher. Both are career teachers, both lost elections this year and may want to try for different offices in 2010 - it's looking more and more like John is not destined to be the one who unseats Congressman Trent Franks in CD3 and Jackie could make Republicans Jim Weiers and Doug Quelland eat green crow by winning a statewide office after weaselling their way back into office in LD10.
State Treasurer - No clue here. At all.
Attorney General -
On the Republican side, I have no idea, though I expect their nominee to be some party apparatchik.
As for the Democratic possibilities, I don't have much more of a clue here, though Tim Nelson (former candidate for Maricopa County Attorney) is a possibility if he doesn't accompany Napolitano to D.C. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is a possibility here too, if he chooses to give Terry Goddard an unobstructed run at the Democratic gubernortorial nomination. Long shots to even consider a run, much less win one, are Don Bivens, chair of the AZ Democratic Party, and Mark Manoil, chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party. Both are practicing lawyers.
Secretary of State -
The Sonoran Alliance post linked above has a pretty good run down of possible Rep candidates for 2010 even though the focus was on possibilities for appointment to replace Brewer in the immediate future. One name that was mentioned over there was former Tempe state Rep. Laura Knaperek. They raved over her because she is so conservative, but I don't see it - she lost her last general election in 2006 against a couple of relatively new Democratic candidates for state lege, and she lost her last primary this year in CD5. Even good candidates can lose *one* election but she has lost three this decade. She may want to consider *not* running for office for a while.
Current Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes may consider a run here, too. While her non-political experience is in journalism, she has degrees in law and public administration. Since she is rumored to be interested in moving to the ninth floor (aka - the Governor's office), this office would be a logical steppingstone.
As for Democrats, Sandra Kennedy has been rumored to have interest in the job, though her recent victory in the AZ Corporation Commission race probably means she won't go for this in two years. There are a couple of termed out state legislators who may be interested, and perhaps some not-so-termed-out ones, if it doesn't look like the Dems will improve their representation in the lege in two years.
Governor -
The list is long and varied here. The Republican possibilities are discussed in the AZ Rep article, though Jan Brewer has to be considered the early favorite whether or not she ascends into the governorship within a few weeks. A dark horse here could be Congressman Jeff Flake, whose interest in the job has been the subject of rumors in the past. While the governor's job pays less than U.S. Rep, he wouldn't have to fly back and forth to D.C. every weekend and wouldn't have to sleep in his office to save money for his kids' college education.
On the Democratic side, current Attorney General Terry Goddard is considered the presumptive front-runner for the Democratic nomination with Phil Gordon the primary threat to that. Former AZ Dem chair and former candidate for U.S. Senate Jim Pederson is also mentioned frequently. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has been the subject of rumors here, but she seems more likely to take a run at John McCain's Senate seat at this point.
Arizona Corporation Commission (2 seats) -
No clue as for the Republican possiblilities, and the only Democratic names that I can think of right off the top of my head are Sam George and Kara Kelty, both of whom were candidates this year.
U.S. Senate -
If McCain doesn't run again, the field is wide open on both sides of the aisle.
Republican possibilities include current Congressmen John Shadegg (CD3) and Jeff Flake (CD6), though there are sure to be other names floated (Mayes' name might fit here, too, but she passed on a run in CD1 this year. She may not be interested in federal office.)
Democratic possibilities include whichever of the Goddard/Gordon duo doesn't run for governor, Jim Pederson (again) and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (CD8). Giffords may be a possible candidate even if McCain runs again - many people in AZ believe that a strong female candidate would have the best chance of unseating the popular McCain.
U.S. Congress -
There is a frequent rumor that Congressman Ed Pastor (CD4) could face a primary challenge in two years from Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox. If that actually happens, it would be an interesting, and probably heated, contest between two entrenched west Phoenix political machines.
As for the other CDs, I've got no idea, though any special-election winning replacement for rumored-to-becoming-U.S. Secretary of the Interior Raul Grijalva (CD7) is certain to face some strong challengers.
Other names that could fit into one of these potential races include Dennis Burke (former Napolitano chief of staff and rumored U.S. Attorney-to-be), state legislators David Lujan (D), Kyrsten Sinema (D), Chad Campbell (D) and Michelle Reagan (R) and outgoing Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross.
Later!
A couple of caveats -
1. Most of my focus will be on Democrats from Maricopa County because they're who I have the most familiarity with. There are certain to be candidates from Pima, Pinal, Coconino and other counties whose names I haven't heard.
2. This is all pure speculation on my part. None of the potential candidates mentioned has ever spoken to me about their future plans.
3. The underlying assumptions are that Janet Napolitano leaves and does not return to run against John McCain in two years (though a run against Jon Kyl in four years remains a possibility) and that, despite laying the groundwork for a reelection run, McCain chooses not to run again at age 74.
4. The goal of this post is to start a discussion, so if you have some legitimate speculations of your own, feel free to leave a comment (just keep it civil :) ).
On to the
State Mine Inspector - why on God's green earth is this still an elected office? Could someone explain this to me, please?
State Superintendent of Public Instruction -
Speculation elsewhere on possible Republican candidates has focused on State Sen. John Huppenthal and State Rep. Rich Crandall. Both are very conservative; Huppenthal despises public education with a burning passion and Crandall does not.
As for possible Democratic candidates, Slade Mead and Jason Williams, who both ran in 2006 may try again. However, Williams has remained more active in the education field and has a higher profile in that area. Other to consider include Jackie and John Thrasher. Both are career teachers, both lost elections this year and may want to try for different offices in 2010 - it's looking more and more like John is not destined to be the one who unseats Congressman Trent Franks in CD3 and Jackie could make Republicans Jim Weiers and Doug Quelland eat green crow by winning a statewide office after weaselling their way back into office in LD10.
State Treasurer - No clue here. At all.
Attorney General -
On the Republican side, I have no idea, though I expect their nominee to be some party apparatchik.
As for the Democratic possibilities, I don't have much more of a clue here, though Tim Nelson (former candidate for Maricopa County Attorney) is a possibility if he doesn't accompany Napolitano to D.C. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is a possibility here too, if he chooses to give Terry Goddard an unobstructed run at the Democratic gubernortorial nomination. Long shots to even consider a run, much less win one, are Don Bivens, chair of the AZ Democratic Party, and Mark Manoil, chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party. Both are practicing lawyers.
Secretary of State -
The Sonoran Alliance post linked above has a pretty good run down of possible Rep candidates for 2010 even though the focus was on possibilities for appointment to replace Brewer in the immediate future. One name that was mentioned over there was former Tempe state Rep. Laura Knaperek. They raved over her because she is so conservative, but I don't see it - she lost her last general election in 2006 against a couple of relatively new Democratic candidates for state lege, and she lost her last primary this year in CD5. Even good candidates can lose *one* election but she has lost three this decade. She may want to consider *not* running for office for a while.
Current Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes may consider a run here, too. While her non-political experience is in journalism, she has degrees in law and public administration. Since she is rumored to be interested in moving to the ninth floor (aka - the Governor's office), this office would be a logical steppingstone.
As for Democrats, Sandra Kennedy has been rumored to have interest in the job, though her recent victory in the AZ Corporation Commission race probably means she won't go for this in two years. There are a couple of termed out state legislators who may be interested, and perhaps some not-so-termed-out ones, if it doesn't look like the Dems will improve their representation in the lege in two years.
Governor -
The list is long and varied here. The Republican possibilities are discussed in the AZ Rep article, though Jan Brewer has to be considered the early favorite whether or not she ascends into the governorship within a few weeks. A dark horse here could be Congressman Jeff Flake, whose interest in the job has been the subject of rumors in the past. While the governor's job pays less than U.S. Rep, he wouldn't have to fly back and forth to D.C. every weekend and wouldn't have to sleep in his office to save money for his kids' college education.
On the Democratic side, current Attorney General Terry Goddard is considered the presumptive front-runner for the Democratic nomination with Phil Gordon the primary threat to that. Former AZ Dem chair and former candidate for U.S. Senate Jim Pederson is also mentioned frequently. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has been the subject of rumors here, but she seems more likely to take a run at John McCain's Senate seat at this point.
Arizona Corporation Commission (2 seats) -
No clue as for the Republican possiblilities, and the only Democratic names that I can think of right off the top of my head are Sam George and Kara Kelty, both of whom were candidates this year.
U.S. Senate -
If McCain doesn't run again, the field is wide open on both sides of the aisle.
Republican possibilities include current Congressmen John Shadegg (CD3) and Jeff Flake (CD6), though there are sure to be other names floated (Mayes' name might fit here, too, but she passed on a run in CD1 this year. She may not be interested in federal office.)
Democratic possibilities include whichever of the Goddard/Gordon duo doesn't run for governor, Jim Pederson (again) and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (CD8). Giffords may be a possible candidate even if McCain runs again - many people in AZ believe that a strong female candidate would have the best chance of unseating the popular McCain.
U.S. Congress -
There is a frequent rumor that Congressman Ed Pastor (CD4) could face a primary challenge in two years from Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox. If that actually happens, it would be an interesting, and probably heated, contest between two entrenched west Phoenix political machines.
As for the other CDs, I've got no idea, though any special-election winning replacement for rumored-to-becoming-U.S. Secretary of the Interior Raul Grijalva (CD7) is certain to face some strong challengers.
Other names that could fit into one of these potential races include Dennis Burke (former Napolitano chief of staff and rumored U.S. Attorney-to-be), state legislators David Lujan (D), Kyrsten Sinema (D), Chad Campbell (D) and Michelle Reagan (R) and outgoing Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross.
Later!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The 2010 campaigns are already starting
From CNN's Political Ticker -
Of course, it doesn't bode well for couch-sleepers (and McCain allies) John Shadegg and Jeff Flake, who are both rumored to be interested in running for the seat.
Later!
From CNN's Dana BashThis is no guarantee that McCain is going to actually run for reelection, but it does increase the likelihood that he will do so. Now if we can just convince Janet Napolitano to hang out in AZ for two more years - the political geek in me wants to see two of AZ's electoral phenoms face off in two years. :)
(CNN) — CNN has learned that John McCain met Tuesday night with top advisers to start the process of setting up a political action committee.
A senior McCain aide says that was done to send the signal he intends to run for another term as senator from Arizona.
He is up for re-election in 2010.
Of course, it doesn't bode well for couch-sleepers (and McCain allies) John Shadegg and Jeff Flake, who are both rumored to be interested in running for the seat.
Later!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Republicans detouring through Bizarro World as the election draws near...
Edit on 11/2 to correct an error pointed out in a comment...
It all started on my way home from work tonight.
- First up was the radio spot for the Republican slate of candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission. The run of the mill Republicans in AZ don't think that they can kiss big business' butt fast enough or sloppily enough, yet Marian McClure, Barry Wong, and Bob Stump are running a radio ad touting themselves as "consumer-friendly."
At least they stuck to tried-and-true Republican form by calling the Democratic candidates (Sandra Kennedy, Paul Newman, and Sam George) "divisive." They squeezed in the term by prominently quoting the AZ Republic editorial that endorsed the Republican ACC ticket.
Umm...I've met and spoken at length to all three. The only folks who could consider them to be "divisive" are Republicans and editors who object to the idea of Democrats joining the historically Republican-dominated ACC.
- Second up was a news article in today's East Valley Tribune. Normally, Republicans try to portray themselves as the "God-friendly" candidates, but not today.
Carol Thompson, the wife of Republican LD17 candidate Mark Thompson, criticized Democratic incumbent state representative Ed Ableser for being too involved with religion. She objected to Ableser joining the the LDS faith of his fiancee, Hilary.
From the article, quoting an email from Mrs. Thompson -
She seemed to be objecting to the idea of the change, not to Mormonism itself. Still, Mr. Thompson is probably glad that he's not running to represent Mesa. :)
- And then came the coup de grace.
The McCain campaign is running a spot touting lavish, nearly endorsement-level, praise from a prominent Democrat.
That Democrat?
Senator Barack Obama.
Yes, the same Barack Obama who has been called "that one", "socialist," "communist," "Muslim," "pro-terrorist", and worse by John McCain and his surrogates.
From the examples of McClure/Wong/Stump, Thompson, and McCain, it seems that even Republicans are admitting that the Republican brand has lost its luster.
BTW - Congratulations to Ed and his fiancee Hilary. May they have a long and joyous life together.
Later!
It all started on my way home from work tonight.
- First up was the radio spot for the Republican slate of candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission. The run of the mill Republicans in AZ don't think that they can kiss big business' butt fast enough or sloppily enough, yet Marian McClure, Barry Wong, and Bob Stump are running a radio ad touting themselves as "consumer-friendly."
At least they stuck to tried-and-true Republican form by calling the Democratic candidates (Sandra Kennedy, Paul Newman, and Sam George) "divisive." They squeezed in the term by prominently quoting the AZ Republic editorial that endorsed the Republican ACC ticket.
Umm...I've met and spoken at length to all three. The only folks who could consider them to be "divisive" are Republicans and editors who object to the idea of Democrats joining the historically Republican-dominated ACC.
- Second up was a news article in today's East Valley Tribune. Normally, Republicans try to portray themselves as the "God-friendly" candidates, but not today.
Carol Thompson, the wife of Republican LD17 candidate Mark Thompson, criticized Democratic incumbent state representative Ed Ableser for being too involved with religion. She objected to Ableser joining the the LDS faith of his fiancee, Hilary.
From the article, quoting an email from Mrs. Thompson -
"This guy has no idea what he is and shouldn’t be counseling kids.”
She seemed to be objecting to the idea of the change, not to Mormonism itself. Still, Mr. Thompson is probably glad that he's not running to represent Mesa. :)
- And then came the coup de grace.
The McCain campaign is running a spot touting lavish, nearly endorsement-level, praise from a prominent Democrat.
That Democrat?
Senator Barack Obama.
Yes, the same Barack Obama who has been called "that one", "socialist," "communist," "Muslim," "pro-terrorist", and worse by John McCain and his surrogates.
From the examples of McClure/Wong/Stump, Thompson, and McCain, it seems that even Republicans are admitting that the Republican brand has lost its luster.
BTW - Congratulations to Ed and his fiancee Hilary. May they have a long and joyous life together.
Later!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Polished bigotry is still bigotry
There is so much to write about - a McCain campaign aide's race-baiting, the irony of both Barack Obama and Sarah Palin pulling off of the campaign trail at the same time - the irony being that Obama went to be with his ailing grandmother while Palin went to be deposed in the investigation of her abuse of office in Alaska - but I don't have enough time for that.
Instead, the focus will be much closer to home.
Specifically, the AZ Republic's endorsement of nativist John Kavanagh over Democrat Stephanie Rimmer in the race for LD8 House.
Of course, they have the right to endorse any candidate they choose, and for any reason that they choose. However, their rationalization for selecting Kavanagh for the endorsement was breathtaking.
From the editorial (emphasis mine) -
Hey, I've no disagreement with the Rep on the main point - Kavanagh *is* more intelligent, educated, tactful, and just generally more polished than Pearce.
Even combined, however, intelligence, education, tact, and polish do not make nativists any less bigoted.
And have no doubt - Kavanagh *is* an unabashed nativist. He may have been on his best behavior for the Rep's editors, but when he feels like he is comfortably ensconced among fellow travelers on the anti-immigrant trail, he lets his hair down a bit, as documented in this post from June of 2007.
Simply put, Stephanie Rimmer is a much better choice to represent LD8's residents. She's an intelligent and hard-working businesswoman and community activist whose pro-education, pro-conservation, and pro-business views are a far tighter fit with those of the voters of north Scottsdale and Fountain Hills than Kavanagh's anti-public education, anti-brown people, and anti-government views.
Note: it is sort of hypocritical of Kavanagh to constantly rail against government spending when his entire career has been one of taxpayer-funded positions in the military, as a police officer in New York, as an instructor at Scottsdale Community College, and as an elected official.
Don't misunderstand me - based on what I know, he's had a laudable career of public service, but when he attacks the same government spending that has supported he and his family for decades, I have to wonder where his head's at. (Think: "dire need for cranio-rectal dislodgement surgery" :)) )
Anyway, help Stephanie Rimmer and all of LD8 by volunteering with her campaign or at the coordinated campaign office in Scottsdale (480.607.4435) to help put her over the top.
Have a good weekend!
Instead, the focus will be much closer to home.
Specifically, the AZ Republic's endorsement of nativist John Kavanagh over Democrat Stephanie Rimmer in the race for LD8 House.
Of course, they have the right to endorse any candidate they choose, and for any reason that they choose. However, their rationalization for selecting Kavanagh for the endorsement was breathtaking.
From the editorial (emphasis mine) -
Kavanagh's signature issue in his first term has been, as he promised, illegal immigration. He is as zealous on the issue as Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, which makes us uncomfortable. But there is a profound difference between the two men: Kavanagh is more intelligent and more tactful in making his points...
Hey, I've no disagreement with the Rep on the main point - Kavanagh *is* more intelligent, educated, tactful, and just generally more polished than Pearce.
Even combined, however, intelligence, education, tact, and polish do not make nativists any less bigoted.
And have no doubt - Kavanagh *is* an unabashed nativist. He may have been on his best behavior for the Rep's editors, but when he feels like he is comfortably ensconced among fellow travelers on the anti-immigrant trail, he lets his hair down a bit, as documented in this post from June of 2007.
Simply put, Stephanie Rimmer is a much better choice to represent LD8's residents. She's an intelligent and hard-working businesswoman and community activist whose pro-education, pro-conservation, and pro-business views are a far tighter fit with those of the voters of north Scottsdale and Fountain Hills than Kavanagh's anti-public education, anti-brown people, and anti-government views.
Note: it is sort of hypocritical of Kavanagh to constantly rail against government spending when his entire career has been one of taxpayer-funded positions in the military, as a police officer in New York, as an instructor at Scottsdale Community College, and as an elected official.
Don't misunderstand me - based on what I know, he's had a laudable career of public service, but when he attacks the same government spending that has supported he and his family for decades, I have to wonder where his head's at. (Think: "dire need for cranio-rectal dislodgement surgery" :)) )
Anyway, help Stephanie Rimmer and all of LD8 by volunteering with her campaign or at the coordinated campaign office in Scottsdale (480.607.4435) to help put her over the top.
Have a good weekend!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Truth About Barack Obama (repost)
There are still a large number of smear/hate emails circulating about Barack Obama, and with the rising anti-Obama fervor stoked by the McCain/Palin campaign at their rallies, it means that it's time to repost some links to information that debunk many of the common smears about Senator Obama.
This was originally posted on March 14, 2008 -
Subject: The Real Truth About Barack Obama!
As enthusiastic volunteers in the Barack Obama campaign for the Presidency, we have put together a list of facts about Barack so that you will know the truth about him. Please follow the links we have included for documentation of these facts. If you value the truth as we do, please spread this information via email, blog, or any other means, to everyone you know.
Did you know that Barack Obama is a devout Christian? He has been a member of the same United Church of Christ congregation for 20 years, and was married there to his wife Michelle in 1992.
Did you know that Barack Obama often leads the US Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance?
Did you know that Barack Obama is a strong friend of Israel and has spoken out strongly against anti-Semitism?
Did you know his grandparents from Kansas were part of the "Greatest Generation?. His grandfather served with Patton's Army during World War II, and his grandmother, a real "Rosie the Riveter", worked in a bomber assembly plant back home.
Did you know that Barack Obama was opposed to the war in Iraq from day one, before we invaded, even while he was running for the Senate, and knowing his opposition might be politically unpopular?
"I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars." --Barack Obama, 2002
Did you know Obama favors transparency over secrecy in our government? Did you know that Obama worked with Republican Senator Tom Coburn to pass one of the strongest government transparency bills since the freedom of information act? He's calling it Google for Government and you can see the results at www.usaspending.gov. Sen. Obama has also released his own tax returns for public review.
Did you know that after graduating with honors from Harvard Law School, Barack practiced civil rights law and also taught Constitutional Law for 10 years at the University of Chicago, one of the nation's best law schools, where he was consistentl y rated by his students as one of their best instructors? Did you also know that he was the first African-American elected pres ident of the prestigious Harvard Law Review?
Did you know that Barack Obama is an outspoken advocate for women's rights and has been a principled defender of the civil rights of women?
Did you know that despite the grueling schedule of running for President, Senator Obama remains a devoted family man, making time to do things like pick out a Christmas tree with his wife and two young daughters, or hurrying home to spend Valentine's Day with them? Did you know he hasn't missed a single parent-teacher conference while running for President?
Did you know that Barack Obama has a stellar environmental record, including having the highest rating from the League of Conservation Voters (96%) of any Presidential candidate, Democrat or Republican?
Did you know that Barack Obama has been an elected legislator longer than Senator Clinton?
Did you know that Barack is a member of all of these Senate Committees: Foreign Relations; Veteran's Affairs; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; Homeland Security and Government Affairs?
Did you know that Senator Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored 15 bills that have become law, and has introduced amendments to 50 bills, of which 16 were adopted since he joined the Senate in 2005?
Did you know that Senator Obama sponsored legislation working together with Indiana Republican Senator Richard Lugar, to keep Americans safe by keeping dangerous weapons out of terrorist hands? The two senators also visited the former Soviet Union to inspect the decommissioning of nuclear weapons. Sen. Lugar said of Sen. Obama, "He does have a sense of idealism and principled leadership, a vision of the future."
Did you know that Barack Obama is the only candidate running for president who voted against using cluster bombs in Iraq and the only candidate who supports banning the use of landmines?
Did you know that, as an Illinois state senator, Barack Obama succeeded in passing legislation requiring the videotaping of police interrogations, gaining the respect and support not only of fellow legislators but that of the police, who had initially opposed the legislation?
Did you know that Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland, Ulysses S. Grant, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton were all younger when they took office than Barack Obama will be?
During election season many emails are circulated about the candidates. Some are true, some aren't. It's often difficult to determine the truth. We encourage you to visit the following non-partisan sites that do a good job of fact checking the candidates. http://www.snopes.com/http://www.factcheck.org/
Source: Daily Kos; thanks for the heads-up go out to The Richmond Democrat.
I didn't check all of the links to see if they are still good; if you find one that's broken, let me know in a comment, and I'll try to fix it.
Later!
This was originally posted on March 14, 2008 -
Subject: The Real Truth About Barack Obama!
As enthusiastic volunteers in the Barack Obama campaign for the Presidency, we have put together a list of facts about Barack so that you will know the truth about him. Please follow the links we have included for documentation of these facts. If you value the truth as we do, please spread this information via email, blog, or any other means, to everyone you know.
Did you know that Barack Obama is a devout Christian? He has been a member of the same United Church of Christ congregation for 20 years, and was married there to his wife Michelle in 1992.
Did you know that Barack Obama often leads the US Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance?
Did you know that Barack Obama is a strong friend of Israel and has spoken out strongly against anti-Semitism?
Did you know his grandparents from Kansas were part of the "Greatest Generation?. His grandfather served with Patton's Army during World War II, and his grandmother, a real "Rosie the Riveter", worked in a bomber assembly plant back home.
Did you know that Barack Obama was opposed to the war in Iraq from day one, before we invaded, even while he was running for the Senate, and knowing his opposition might be politically unpopular?
"I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars." --Barack Obama, 2002
Did you know Obama favors transparency over secrecy in our government? Did you know that Obama worked with Republican Senator Tom Coburn to pass one of the strongest government transparency bills since the freedom of information act? He's calling it Google for Government and you can see the results at www.usaspending.gov. Sen. Obama has also released his own tax returns for public review.
Did you know that after graduating with honors from Harvard Law School, Barack practiced civil rights law and also taught Constitutional Law for 10 years at the University of Chicago, one of the nation's best law schools, where he was consistentl y rated by his students as one of their best instructors? Did you also know that he was the first African-American elected pres ident of the prestigious Harvard Law Review?
Did you know that Barack Obama is an outspoken advocate for women's rights and has been a principled defender of the civil rights of women?
Did you know that despite the grueling schedule of running for President, Senator Obama remains a devoted family man, making time to do things like pick out a Christmas tree with his wife and two young daughters, or hurrying home to spend Valentine's Day with them? Did you know he hasn't missed a single parent-teacher conference while running for President?
Did you know that Barack Obama has a stellar environmental record, including having the highest rating from the League of Conservation Voters (96%) of any Presidential candidate, Democrat or Republican?
Did you know that Barack Obama has been an elected legislator longer than Senator Clinton?
Did you know that Barack is a member of all of these Senate Committees: Foreign Relations; Veteran's Affairs; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; Homeland Security and Government Affairs?
Did you know that Senator Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored 15 bills that have become law, and has introduced amendments to 50 bills, of which 16 were adopted since he joined the Senate in 2005?
Did you know that Senator Obama sponsored legislation working together with Indiana Republican Senator Richard Lugar, to keep Americans safe by keeping dangerous weapons out of terrorist hands? The two senators also visited the former Soviet Union to inspect the decommissioning of nuclear weapons. Sen. Lugar said of Sen. Obama, "He does have a sense of idealism and principled leadership, a vision of the future."
Did you know that Barack Obama is the only candidate running for president who voted against using cluster bombs in Iraq and the only candidate who supports banning the use of landmines?
Did you know that, as an Illinois state senator, Barack Obama succeeded in passing legislation requiring the videotaping of police interrogations, gaining the respect and support not only of fellow legislators but that of the police, who had initially opposed the legislation?
Did you know that Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland, Ulysses S. Grant, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton were all younger when they took office than Barack Obama will be?
During election season many emails are circulated about the candidates. Some are true, some aren't. It's often difficult to determine the truth. We encourage you to visit the following non-partisan sites that do a good job of fact checking the candidates. http://www.snopes.com/http://www.factcheck.org/
Source: Daily Kos; thanks for the heads-up go out to The Richmond Democrat.
I didn't check all of the links to see if they are still good; if you find one that's broken, let me know in a comment, and I'll try to fix it.
Later!
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Magazine covers?!? They're complaining about a magazine cover now??
The McCain/Palin campaign is crying "foul!" over the cover of the new issue of Newsweek. The issue features a story about Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin (hence the cover pic of her).
The photo is an unretouched close up of Alaska's governor that shows some of the "flaws" that anyone in their mid-40s has, and the handlers of the Rep candidates find that objectionable.
Apparently, they believe it's part of a scheme by Newsweek to influence the election. (It's all over Fox News, but I refuse to link to them. Use Google if you don't already have FoxNews.com bookmarked.)
Wonder what they'll have to say about Equire Magazine's endorsement of Barack Obama, the first time in its history that the magazine has endorsed a presidential candidate? And how, on the cover of the issue proclaiming this momentous announcement, instead of a pic of Obama, they have a pic of Halle Berry, the subject of the issue's cover story - "The Sexiest Woman Alive"?
Note: The current cover (right) is a tribute to a classic cover with Bill Clinton from December 2000 (left).
Note2: While I always like an opportunity to poke a little fun at the Reps, this post is mostly just an excuse to put up a pic of Halle Berry. :)
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans rate members of Congress...AZ results
Heads up on this courtesy Ron Pies' AZCentral.com blog...
The grades of AZ's Congressional delegation, from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Action Fund -
Harry Mitchell (D-CD5) - A+ - comment: "13 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship"
Note: Mitchell has just been endorsed by the VFW Political Action Committee.
Gabrelle Giffords (D-CD8) - A+ - comment: "13 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship"
Ed Pastor (D-CD4) - A - comment: "11 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship"
Raul Grijalva (D-CD7) - A - comment: "12 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship"
Rick Renzi (R-CD1) - A - comment: "11 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship"
Trent Franks (R-CD2) - C - comment: "8 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor"
John Shadegg (R-CD3) - B - comment: "10 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor"
Jeff Flake (R-CD6) - C - comment: "7 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor"
John McCain, U.S. Senator and Republican presidential nominee - D - comment: "3 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor"
Jon Kyl, U.S. Senator - C - comment: "5 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor"
The average grade for the Democratic members of AZ's delegation? 4.25 (A = 4 points, B = 3, etc., with "+" = an additional .5)
The average grade for the Republican members of AZ's delegation? 2.33; without the soon-to-be gone Renzi inflating their grade? 2, barely a C.
OK, so it's not much of a surprise that AZ's Republicans did so poorly on veterans' issues when compared to AZ's Democrats - it's long been common knowledge that Republican 'support our veterans' rhetoric is just that, *rhetoric.*
Not substance.
However, who would have guessed that the biggest drag on the Reps' grade would be John McCain, the former naval aviator who touts his status as a former POW at every turn?
It seems that Rudy Giuliani's "noun, verb, 9-11" meaningless spiel has been replaced by John McCain's "noun, verb, "POW" standard stump speech as the biggest snow job in American politics.
The only veterans McCain is concerned about are himself and those that support him with money or Swift Boat-style ad appearances; the rest mean nothing to him.
Access the entire report card here.
Later!
The grades of AZ's Congressional delegation, from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Action Fund -
Harry Mitchell (D-CD5) - A+ - comment: "13 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship"
Note: Mitchell has just been endorsed by the VFW Political Action Committee.
Gabrelle Giffords (D-CD8) - A+ - comment: "13 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship"
Ed Pastor (D-CD4) - A - comment: "11 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship"
Raul Grijalva (D-CD7) - A - comment: "12 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship"
Rick Renzi (R-CD1) - A - comment: "11 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship"
Trent Franks (R-CD2) - C - comment: "8 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor"
John Shadegg (R-CD3) - B - comment: "10 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor"
Jeff Flake (R-CD6) - C - comment: "7 out of 13 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor"
John McCain, U.S. Senator and Republican presidential nominee - D - comment: "3 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor"
Jon Kyl, U.S. Senator - C - comment: "5 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor"
The average grade for the Democratic members of AZ's delegation? 4.25 (A = 4 points, B = 3, etc., with "+" = an additional .5)
The average grade for the Republican members of AZ's delegation? 2.33; without the soon-to-be gone Renzi inflating their grade? 2, barely a C.
OK, so it's not much of a surprise that AZ's Republicans did so poorly on veterans' issues when compared to AZ's Democrats - it's long been common knowledge that Republican 'support our veterans' rhetoric is just that, *rhetoric.*
Not substance.
However, who would have guessed that the biggest drag on the Reps' grade would be John McCain, the former naval aviator who touts his status as a former POW at every turn?
It seems that Rudy Giuliani's "noun, verb, 9-11" meaningless spiel has been replaced by John McCain's "noun, verb, "POW" standard stump speech as the biggest snow job in American politics.
The only veterans McCain is concerned about are himself and those that support him with money or Swift Boat-style ad appearances; the rest mean nothing to him.
Access the entire report card here.
Later!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
"That one."????
First, the evaluation of Tuesday's debate - Obama won the debate because he didn't lose it. He came across as intelligent and presidential. McCain didn't do badly at all, but as my sister Patti observed, "there was no game changer."
His campaign has been stumbling since the economy imploded and the "Town Hall" format of Tuesday's debate (supposed to be a McCain strength) gave him the best opportunity to turn around or at least slow the decline of his campaign. While he did reasonably well with some of his foreign policy answers, he didn't do well at all with his answers on the economy and other domestic issues.
In short, the end result of the debate looks to be status quo (pending the results of the inevitable polls certain to be all the rage on the cable news channels on Wednesday).
A transcript of the debate from CNN here.
Where McCain bombed completely was his demeanor toward Obama (again!!).
From the transcript (emphasis mine) -
Whether it's his refusal during the first debate to acknowledge or even look at Obama or the using the disdainful "that one" to refer to Senator Obama during the second debate, McCain's open contempt for his opponent is becoming as much of a story as the rest of the debate.
I don't know if the whole "don't acknowledge Obama" schtick is something from McCain directly or he's just following some consultant's advice. Either way, though, he needs to show a little respect for Obama.
Candidates facing off for the same office don't have to like each other (and it's pretty clear that these two don't like each other), but they have to show each other a little courtesy and respect.
Let's be clear - it's ok to criticize your opponent's words, positions, and votes. "This is why my opponent is worse than me" is the flip side of the same campaign coin that "This is why I I'm the best candidate." It's a legitimate part of campaigning.
However, people in this country are sick and tired of the politics of derision, and right now, John McCain is a leading practitioner of it.
BTW - In the quoted section of the debate, John McCain talked about a bill that was supposedly sponsored Bush and Cheney.
Ummm....they may have *pushed* such a bill, but they couldn't have *sponsored* one under Congressional rules. Only a member of the House or Senate can do so. (Yes, I'm a geek. :)) )
Later!
His campaign has been stumbling since the economy imploded and the "Town Hall" format of Tuesday's debate (supposed to be a McCain strength) gave him the best opportunity to turn around or at least slow the decline of his campaign. While he did reasonably well with some of his foreign policy answers, he didn't do well at all with his answers on the economy and other domestic issues.
In short, the end result of the debate looks to be status quo (pending the results of the inevitable polls certain to be all the rage on the cable news channels on Wednesday).
A transcript of the debate from CNN here.
Where McCain bombed completely was his demeanor toward Obama (again!!).
From the transcript (emphasis mine) -
"By the way, my friends, I know you grow a little weary with this back-and-forth. It was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney.
You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one. You know who voted against it? Me. "
Whether it's his refusal during the first debate to acknowledge or even look at Obama or the using the disdainful "that one" to refer to Senator Obama during the second debate, McCain's open contempt for his opponent is becoming as much of a story as the rest of the debate.
I don't know if the whole "don't acknowledge Obama" schtick is something from McCain directly or he's just following some consultant's advice. Either way, though, he needs to show a little respect for Obama.
Candidates facing off for the same office don't have to like each other (and it's pretty clear that these two don't like each other), but they have to show each other a little courtesy and respect.
Let's be clear - it's ok to criticize your opponent's words, positions, and votes. "This is why my opponent is worse than me" is the flip side of the same campaign coin that "This is why I I'm the best candidate." It's a legitimate part of campaigning.
However, people in this country are sick and tired of the politics of derision, and right now, John McCain is a leading practitioner of it.
BTW - In the quoted section of the debate, John McCain talked about a bill that was supposedly sponsored Bush and Cheney.
Ummm....they may have *pushed* such a bill, but they couldn't have *sponsored* one under Congressional rules. Only a member of the House or Senate can do so. (Yes, I'm a geek. :)) )
Later!
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Damn the facts! Full smear ahead!
The last question from Thursday's debate (transcript courtesy CNN) -
Let's see...
...She talks about "working together" but she's never had to "compromise."
...She talks about she's "quasi-caved in" but how it was the legislature's fault, not hers.
...She talks on Thursday about "bringing both sides together" while on Saturday she accuses Barack Obama of "palling around with terrorists." (AP via the AZ Republic)
Can you say "Damn the facts! Full smear ahead!"??
Most of her answers on Thursday were crap (being a Republican will do that :) ), she did OK in "didn't step on her tongue" sort of way.
However, that last answer is reason #1 why Sarah Palin is the scariest major party candidate for a national office...EVER. Like George W. Bush before her, she is pathologically incapable of ever admitting to making a mistake but masks that fact with a sort of smarmy folksiness that even Bush at his worst couldn't achieve.
I know the old truism, that no one votes for the Vice President, but undecided voters need to stop and consider whether Palin is tempermentally and intellectually suited to live life 'one heartbeat away' from the highest office in the land.
IFILL: Final question tonight, before your closing statements, starting with you, Sen. Biden. Can you think of a single issue -- and this is to cast light for people who are just trying to get to know you in your final debate, your only debate of this year -- can you think of a single issue, policy issue, in which you were forced to change a long-held view in order to accommodate changed circumstances?
BIDEN: Yes, I can. When I got to the United States Senate and went on the Judiciary Committee as a young lawyer, I was of the view and had been trained in the view that the only thing that mattered was whether or not a nominee appointed, suggested by the president had a judicial temperament, had not committed a crime of moral turpitude, and was -- had been a good student.
And it didn't take me long -- it was hard to change, but it didn't take me long, but it took about five years for me to realize that the ideology of that judge makes a big difference.
That's why I led the fight against Judge Bork. Had he been on the court, I suspect there would be a lot of changes that I don't like and the American people wouldn't like, including everything from Roe v. Wade to issues relating to civil rights and civil liberties.
And so that -- that -- that was one of the intellectual changes that took place in my career as I got a close look at it. And that's why I was the first chairman of the Judiciary Committee to forthrightly state that it matters what your judicial philosophy is. The American people have a right to understand it and to know it.
But I did change on that, and -- and I'm glad I did.
IFILL: Governor?
PALIN: There have been times where, as mayor and governor, we have passed budgets that I did not veto and that I think could be considered as something that I quasi-caved in, if you will, but knowing that it was the right thing to do in order to progress the agenda for that year and to work with the legislative body, that body that actually holds the purse strings.
So there were times when I wanted to zero-base budget, and to cut taxes even more, and I didn't have enough support in order to accomplish that.
But on the major principle things, no, there hasn't been something that I've had to compromise on, because we've always seemed to find a way to work together. Up there in Alaska, what we have done is, with bipartisan efforts, is work together and, again, not caring who gets the credit for what, as we accomplish things up there.
And that's been just a part of the operation that I wanted to participate in. And that's what we're going to do in Washington, D.C., also, bringing both sides together. John McCain is known for doing that, also, in order to get the work done for the American people.
Let's see...
...She talks about "working together" but she's never had to "compromise."
...She talks about she's "quasi-caved in" but how it was the legislature's fault, not hers.
...She talks on Thursday about "bringing both sides together" while on Saturday she accuses Barack Obama of "palling around with terrorists." (AP via the AZ Republic)
Can you say "Damn the facts! Full smear ahead!"??
Most of her answers on Thursday were crap (being a Republican will do that :) ), she did OK in "didn't step on her tongue" sort of way.
However, that last answer is reason #1 why Sarah Palin is the scariest major party candidate for a national office...EVER. Like George W. Bush before her, she is pathologically incapable of ever admitting to making a mistake but masks that fact with a sort of smarmy folksiness that even Bush at his worst couldn't achieve.
I know the old truism, that no one votes for the Vice President, but undecided voters need to stop and consider whether Palin is tempermentally and intellectually suited to live life 'one heartbeat away' from the highest office in the land.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The John Sydney McCain Memorial Crappie Award - Debate Edition
OK, OK - I admit that I named this award after McCain because he was always a contender for it and his constant presence in the race for the award interfered with the ability of other contenders to earn their moments in spotlight.
Naming the award after him was a way of giving McCain the 'flip-flop' notice the he always seems to merit without ever giving him the award.
However, after his performance at the debate on Friday night, McCain win the latest edition of the Crappie-st award in politics.
First, during the debate question on the Russian invasion of Georgia, he said things like -
Funny, he wasn't so concerned with the behavior of the U.S. when it ignored "international boundaries" and "the norms of international behavior" and agressively invaded Iraq without anything resembling just cause (lies about WMDs don't count as 'just cause'.)
But that was a relatively small flip flop compared to another Iraq War-related flip-flop (OK, it was more an example of shameless hypocrisy, but that works for this series of posts).
"Honor"
Six times during the debate, McCain used the word "honor" (or a variant of it) in relation to the war in Iraq. The first instance was in reference to coming "home with victory and with honor."
Ummm, some may consider this rude and even impertinent, but where was McCain's concern for honor *before* he supported Bush's invasion of a country that hadn't done anything to us, or was even a threat to do so?
The troops involved, other than a few notable exceptions (i.e. - Abu Ghraib), have been honorable in their service. However, the leaders like Bush and McCain who directed them to serve, kill, and die in Iraq should be hanging their heads in shame.
And that hypocritical cloaking of himself in "honor" when he should instead working to cleanse himself of the shame of the worst American political shame in generations (the campaign to exterminate Native Americans was worse), *that* is why John McCain has won the latest edition of his own award, The John Sydney McCain Memorial Crappie Award.
A transcript of the debate, courtesy the L.A. Times, here.
Naming the award after him was a way of giving McCain the 'flip-flop' notice the he always seems to merit without ever giving him the award.
However, after his performance at the debate on Friday night, McCain win the latest edition of the Crappie-st award in politics.
First, during the debate question on the Russian invasion of Georgia, he said things like -
"...Russia committed serious aggression against Georgia..."
{snip}
"...But we also have every right to expect the Russians to behave in a fashion and keeping with a -- with a -- with a country who respects international boundaries and the norms of international behavior."
Funny, he wasn't so concerned with the behavior of the U.S. when it ignored "international boundaries" and "the norms of international behavior" and agressively invaded Iraq without anything resembling just cause (lies about WMDs don't count as 'just cause'.)
But that was a relatively small flip flop compared to another Iraq War-related flip-flop (OK, it was more an example of shameless hypocrisy, but that works for this series of posts).
"Honor"
Six times during the debate, McCain used the word "honor" (or a variant of it) in relation to the war in Iraq. The first instance was in reference to coming "home with victory and with honor."
Ummm, some may consider this rude and even impertinent, but where was McCain's concern for honor *before* he supported Bush's invasion of a country that hadn't done anything to us, or was even a threat to do so?
The troops involved, other than a few notable exceptions (i.e. - Abu Ghraib), have been honorable in their service. However, the leaders like Bush and McCain who directed them to serve, kill, and die in Iraq should be hanging their heads in shame.
And that hypocritical cloaking of himself in "honor" when he should instead working to cleanse himself of the shame of the worst American political shame in generations (the campaign to exterminate Native Americans was worse), *that* is why John McCain has won the latest edition of his own award, The John Sydney McCain Memorial Crappie Award.
A transcript of the debate, courtesy the L.A. Times, here.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
McCain campaign: Plan A isn't working, so it's time for Plan B
Based on today's news, traipsing around the country letting voters get to know him isn't working for McCain, so the Senator with the worst attendance record is heading back to work, hoping that *not* letting voters see him will help his candidacy.
The McCain campaign, which for the last couple of weeks has all but ignored the crisis in the financial services sector (hereafter referred to as "Wall Street"), other than to say that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong."
Today, though, a new Washington Post/ABC News poll of Americans (hereafter referred to as "Main Street") shows Barack Obama is widening his lead over McCain in their quests for the presidency.
The McCain response? To "suspend" his campaign and request (beg!) that the Obama campaign cooperates with his Hail Mary pass attempt and do the same. (BTW - I'm not the first to use the "Hail Mary" allusion - Rep. Barney Frank called McCain's ploy "the longest Hail Mary pass in the history of either footballs or Marys.")
Breaking: Obama has declined to suspend the campaign or to postpone Friday's first presidential debate, scheduled to take place in Oxford, Mississippi.
I do have one question (of the semi-rhetorical variety) - Has anyone with the McCain campaign researched the success rate of Hail Mary passes in the NFL?
I don't know the actual stats on that, but in all the games that I've watched, out of dozens of attempts, I can't recall more than three or four that worked.
Bottom line: while the election is less than a month and a half away, it's still too early to go to "gadget" plays born of desperation (as much as it disappoints me as a Democrat and an Obama supporter, he's just the stronger candidate right now. He's *not* walking away with the election. Yet. :) )
Later!
The McCain campaign, which for the last couple of weeks has all but ignored the crisis in the financial services sector (hereafter referred to as "Wall Street"), other than to say that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong."
Today, though, a new Washington Post/ABC News poll of Americans (hereafter referred to as "Main Street") shows Barack Obama is widening his lead over McCain in their quests for the presidency.
The McCain response? To "suspend" his campaign and request (beg!) that the Obama campaign cooperates with his Hail Mary pass attempt and do the same. (BTW - I'm not the first to use the "Hail Mary" allusion - Rep. Barney Frank called McCain's ploy "the longest Hail Mary pass in the history of either footballs or Marys.")
Breaking: Obama has declined to suspend the campaign or to postpone Friday's first presidential debate, scheduled to take place in Oxford, Mississippi.
I do have one question (of the semi-rhetorical variety) - Has anyone with the McCain campaign researched the success rate of Hail Mary passes in the NFL?
I don't know the actual stats on that, but in all the games that I've watched, out of dozens of attempts, I can't recall more than three or four that worked.
Bottom line: while the election is less than a month and a half away, it's still too early to go to "gadget" plays born of desperation (as much as it disappoints me as a Democrat and an Obama supporter, he's just the stronger candidate right now. He's *not* walking away with the election. Yet. :) )
Later!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The John Sydney McCain Memorial Crappie Award
Time for another edition of the award for political flip-floppery that every politician dreads even being considered for, much less receiving.
Apparently, the plaque that commemorates this award, with its real mounted Crappie, becomes "aromatic" rather quickly, distracting the staffers who work in the offices where the winners so proudly display it. :)
There was a spirited competition for the award this week, with John McCain, the namesake of this thoroughly uncoveted award, making a run for it.
From an article about the candidates' personal cars, in the latest edition of Newsweek magazine -
Then the article goes on to list the McCains' *fleet* of vehicles -
In addition to the imported VW convertible and the Honda sedan listed in the paragraph, the article mentioned another import, a Toyota Prius, that was purchased for the McCains' daughter. There's yet another import, a Lexus, that's used by Cindy McCain, but that one doesn't count because it is registered to her family's beer distributorship.
I would love to go on about how McCain's flip flop on American-made products and jobs for American workers, but in this week's finned follies competition, this is nothing but "normal" campaign hyperbole.
(And for the sake of giving this week's award to the person I wanted to award it to anyway, I'm going to ignore McCain's spinal cord-shearing flip flop on regulation of America's financial markets this week. During the yet-to-be-penned election post-mortems, this past week will go down as the point when the McCain campaign succeeded in locking his "I'm a maverick. Trust me!" wool over America's eyes or as the point where America finally realized how full of Crappie McCain really is. Check back in a month and a half for an update. :) )
The second and more serious contender for the award was President George W. Bush. He and his Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson, are pushing a plan to bail out Wall Street that will cost taxpayers to the tune of $700 billion.
This is after a year during which Bush spent most of his time opposing and threatening to veto any plans to help out Main Street homeowners dealing with the mortgage crisis.
I'd speak (at length! :) ) about how Bush's concern for those facing financial stress seems to be directly proportional to their tax bracket, but since he actually broke down and signed a mortgage relief act, the Wall Street bailout isn't quite a flip flop of "crappie" proportions.
Nope, this week's award goes to another regular contender for the award, Congressman John "Calgon, take me away" Shadegg.
First, he spent most of August bloviating in an empty House chamber, "protesting" the failure of Congressional Democrats to pass a measure authorizing more oil drilling near America's coasts.
So when the House considered a measure to do just that, did Shadegg support it? He decried the bill as a Democratic "hoax" and voted against it.
For that shameless flip flop of the "reverse one-and-a-half somersaults with a twist" variety, Congressman John Shadegg reels in this edition of the John Sydney McCain Memorial Crappie Award.
For more Southwestern finned follies, check out Desert Beacon in Nevada for a possible Sunday Morning Deck Bass sighting.
Later!
Apparently, the plaque that commemorates this award, with its real mounted Crappie, becomes "aromatic" rather quickly, distracting the staffers who work in the offices where the winners so proudly display it. :)
There was a spirited competition for the award this week, with John McCain, the namesake of this thoroughly uncoveted award, making a run for it.
From an article about the candidates' personal cars, in the latest edition of Newsweek magazine -
"I've bought American literally all my life and I'm proud," McCain said in the interview with Detroit's WXYZ-TV.
Then the article goes on to list the McCains' *fleet* of vehicles -
"There's a 2005 Volkswagen convertible in the garage along with a 2001 Honda sedan. Otherwise, there's a 2007 half-ton Ford pickup truck, which might come in handy on the Sedona ranch; a vintage 1960 Willys Jeep; a 2008 Jeep Wrangler; a 2000 Lincoln; and a 2001 GMC SUV. The McCains also own three 2000 NEV Gem electric vehicles, which are bubble-shaped cars popular in retirement communities."
In addition to the imported VW convertible and the Honda sedan listed in the paragraph, the article mentioned another import, a Toyota Prius, that was purchased for the McCains' daughter. There's yet another import, a Lexus, that's used by Cindy McCain, but that one doesn't count because it is registered to her family's beer distributorship.
I would love to go on about how McCain's flip flop on American-made products and jobs for American workers, but in this week's finned follies competition, this is nothing but "normal" campaign hyperbole.
(And for the sake of giving this week's award to the person I wanted to award it to anyway, I'm going to ignore McCain's spinal cord-shearing flip flop on regulation of America's financial markets this week. During the yet-to-be-penned election post-mortems, this past week will go down as the point when the McCain campaign succeeded in locking his "I'm a maverick. Trust me!" wool over America's eyes or as the point where America finally realized how full of Crappie McCain really is. Check back in a month and a half for an update. :) )
The second and more serious contender for the award was President George W. Bush. He and his Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson, are pushing a plan to bail out Wall Street that will cost taxpayers to the tune of $700 billion.
This is after a year during which Bush spent most of his time opposing and threatening to veto any plans to help out Main Street homeowners dealing with the mortgage crisis.
I'd speak (at length! :) ) about how Bush's concern for those facing financial stress seems to be directly proportional to their tax bracket, but since he actually broke down and signed a mortgage relief act, the Wall Street bailout isn't quite a flip flop of "crappie" proportions.
Nope, this week's award goes to another regular contender for the award, Congressman John "Calgon, take me away" Shadegg.
First, he spent most of August bloviating in an empty House chamber, "protesting" the failure of Congressional Democrats to pass a measure authorizing more oil drilling near America's coasts.
So when the House considered a measure to do just that, did Shadegg support it? He decried the bill as a Democratic "hoax" and voted against it.
For that shameless flip flop of the "reverse one-and-a-half somersaults with a twist" variety, Congressman John Shadegg reels in this edition of the John Sydney McCain Memorial Crappie Award.
For more Southwestern finned follies, check out Desert Beacon in Nevada for a possible Sunday Morning Deck Bass sighting.
Later!
Monday, September 15, 2008
"The fundamentals of our economy are strong"
John McCain spent the morning channelling the spirit of Herbert Hoover (circa 1929) and the afternoon trying to spin away from his comment.
I'll leave it to others to discuss the Hoover analogy in depth. Let's just quickly talk about the economy.
...Unemployment is up to the highest levels in five years and is up almost 30% in a year (4.7% in August 2007; 6.1% in August 2008.) Historical info here.
...Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index is the 2nd highest it's been in more than a decade.
...Retail gasoline prices are almost 2.5 times what they were when George W. Bush took office in January 2001. (data available here)
...The housing market remains completely in the tank. It is worse in McCain's home state of Arizona than it is in most places, but since McCain has more homes than he can keep count of, he hasn't noticed how badly his constituents are hurting.
...The U.S. dollar has lost much of its buying power internationally. When George W. Bush took office, one dollar would purchase approximately 1.06 Euros; today that same dollar nets less than .71 Euros. That's a 33% drop. (Historical data here)
...The stock market, as measured by the New York Stock Exchange's Dow Jones Industrial Average, fell more than 500 points today (the largest drop since the attacks of 9/11/2001) on news that Lehman Brothers, an investment back that was a fixture on Wall Street for more than a century and a half, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
...Consumer Confidence, as measured by the Conference Board, is hovering just above historical lows...
In light of all this evidence that apparently (apparent to people who live in the real world, anyway) contradicts McCain's pronouncement, what kind of "fundamentals" could McCain be talking about?
Well, corporate CEOs are receiving compensation packages that are ever larger and oil company profits have remained at record levels...
I'll leave it to others to discuss the Hoover analogy in depth. Let's just quickly talk about the economy.
...Unemployment is up to the highest levels in five years and is up almost 30% in a year (4.7% in August 2007; 6.1% in August 2008.) Historical info here.
...Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index is the 2nd highest it's been in more than a decade.
...Retail gasoline prices are almost 2.5 times what they were when George W. Bush took office in January 2001. (data available here)
...The housing market remains completely in the tank. It is worse in McCain's home state of Arizona than it is in most places, but since McCain has more homes than he can keep count of, he hasn't noticed how badly his constituents are hurting.
...The U.S. dollar has lost much of its buying power internationally. When George W. Bush took office, one dollar would purchase approximately 1.06 Euros; today that same dollar nets less than .71 Euros. That's a 33% drop. (Historical data here)
...The stock market, as measured by the New York Stock Exchange's Dow Jones Industrial Average, fell more than 500 points today (the largest drop since the attacks of 9/11/2001) on news that Lehman Brothers, an investment back that was a fixture on Wall Street for more than a century and a half, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
...Consumer Confidence, as measured by the Conference Board, is hovering just above historical lows...
In light of all this evidence that apparently (apparent to people who live in the real world, anyway) contradicts McCain's pronouncement, what kind of "fundamentals" could McCain be talking about?
Well, corporate CEOs are receiving compensation packages that are ever larger and oil company profits have remained at record levels...
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Short Attention Span Musing
Finally back from Denver, and as much as I had a blast, I'm happy to be home. :)
It's hard to be snarky when you're surrounded by so much positive energy, and there is so much to be snarky about. :))
...Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as the Rep VP candidate is a good move because it balances things. I mean, McCain needs the 3 electoral votes from Palin's Alaska to even up things because Joe Biden brings 3 electoral votes from Delaware, right?
...Seriously, it's not a bad move (the Palin selection) because it shores up McCain's support among the hard-line social conservatives - she supports teaching creationism in public schools, ardently opposes a woman's right to control her reproductive decisions, is ethically flexible, and is good-looking to boot.
In short, she's a conservative's wet dream.
...On the other hand, it's not such a great move either, because it only shores up McCain's support among the base, and it's not likely they were going to vote for a black Democrat no matter who McCain selected as a running mate.
In short, with this choice, McCain has written off moderate and independent voters.
...Actually, the biggest beneficiary of Palin's selection as the VP candidate may be Sen. Ted Stevens - he won his primary, but with an indictment and trial looming over him, he's going to need all the help he can get in November's general election, where he faces Democratic nominee Mark Begich. An elevated turnout of low-efficacy Reps (aka - "the ones who don't pay much attention to minor things like corruption on the part of their elected officials") is about the only thing that can help Stevens keep his job.
...In "Republicans behaving badly" news, Stephen Lemons of the Phoenix New Times has the scoop on how LD18 Republican House candidates Cecil Ash and Ron Middlebrook took Clean Elections $5s from Russell Pearce's favorite neo-Nazi, JT Ready.
Given that Middlebrook is just Pearce without a rug, is this any surprise?
Anyway, while there are no guarantees, the Reps' ongoing self-immolation in LD18 can only help Democratic House candidate Tammie Pursley and Senate candidate Judah Nativio.
...The cynic in me wonders if there if there will be some snickering at the Republican convention (starting Monday) over the fact that thousands of workers needed behind the scenes to make it all happen will have to work on Labor Day, the one holiday on the calendar to honor working Americans?
OK, I have no doubt that there will be some snickering over it. Maybe even some outright glee.
Later!
It's hard to be snarky when you're surrounded by so much positive energy, and there is so much to be snarky about. :))
...Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as the Rep VP candidate is a good move because it balances things. I mean, McCain needs the 3 electoral votes from Palin's Alaska to even up things because Joe Biden brings 3 electoral votes from Delaware, right?
...Seriously, it's not a bad move (the Palin selection) because it shores up McCain's support among the hard-line social conservatives - she supports teaching creationism in public schools, ardently opposes a woman's right to control her reproductive decisions, is ethically flexible, and is good-looking to boot.
In short, she's a conservative's wet dream.
...On the other hand, it's not such a great move either, because it only shores up McCain's support among the base, and it's not likely they were going to vote for a black Democrat no matter who McCain selected as a running mate.
In short, with this choice, McCain has written off moderate and independent voters.
...Actually, the biggest beneficiary of Palin's selection as the VP candidate may be Sen. Ted Stevens - he won his primary, but with an indictment and trial looming over him, he's going to need all the help he can get in November's general election, where he faces Democratic nominee Mark Begich. An elevated turnout of low-efficacy Reps (aka - "the ones who don't pay much attention to minor things like corruption on the part of their elected officials") is about the only thing that can help Stevens keep his job.
...In "Republicans behaving badly" news, Stephen Lemons of the Phoenix New Times has the scoop on how LD18 Republican House candidates Cecil Ash and Ron Middlebrook took Clean Elections $5s from Russell Pearce's favorite neo-Nazi, JT Ready.
Given that Middlebrook is just Pearce without a rug, is this any surprise?
Anyway, while there are no guarantees, the Reps' ongoing self-immolation in LD18 can only help Democratic House candidate Tammie Pursley and Senate candidate Judah Nativio.
...The cynic in me wonders if there if there will be some snickering at the Republican convention (starting Monday) over the fact that thousands of workers needed behind the scenes to make it all happen will have to work on Labor Day, the one holiday on the calendar to honor working Americans?
OK, I have no doubt that there will be some snickering over it. Maybe even some outright glee.
Later!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Register For Change Bus Tour Reaches Denver
Over 100 enthusiastic supporters greeted Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean when the Register for Change Bus Tour reached Denver on Friday afternoon.
Introduced to a rousing round of applause by Patricia Waak, chair the Colorado Democratic Party, Dean took the opportunity to give a speech that was at once a campaign speech("Vote for Obama") and a motivational speech ("Work to get other people to vote for Obama, too") -
...He blasted John McCain, George Bush, and the Republicans for the damage that they have done to America, its economy, and its standing in the world.
...He cited a laundry list of the differences between Barack Obama and John McCain, including the fact that Obama, like most American homeowners, owns one home while McCain has so many that he can't keep track of them all.
...He talked about how in Bush's hometown of Crawford, Texas, more than 700 people turned out for the kickoff of the bus tour because they knew that a vote for McCain is a vote for four more years of Bush's failed policies.
...He wryly observed that the McCain of 2000 wouldn't vote for the McCain of 2008.
...He challenged Waak, the Colorado Dems, and the Young Dems on the campus to walk and knock on 40 doors 4 times between now and the election, saying that could be done over four weekends during the next 11, and that it wasn't too big a sacrifice to help put Barack Obama into the White House and the country back on the right track.
...He reminded the audience that people have the power, more power than talking heads like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly.
...And he called on people everywhere to understand that the campaign isn't just about the economy, Iraq, or gas prices; it's about a "new America."
He closed his speech by highlighting the need to restore American moral authority in the world and the fact that Democrats are the ones best suited to do just that, citing the examples of Harry Truman (Marshall Plan), Jimmy Carter (the treaty between Egypt and Israel), and Bill Clinton (his work in the Middle East peace process and also in Northern Ireland.)
He wound up his speech with "You can't preach democracy and human rights unless you practice it at home and abroad."
Other observations from a day spent on Blake Street and the 16th Street Mall (a shopping district built for walking) -
- A number of Convention staffers and volunteers were in the area for lunch. They looked young enough to make the Chinese National Team in gymnastics. :))
- Anyone visiting the convention should be prepared to walk or bike around the convention site and nearby areas. An already congested traffic system will be further tangled with the massive road closings and blockages. A news story on this subject, with links to more info, can be found here.
- Chairman Dean, the spiritual leader of the grassroots elements of the Democratic Party, took a moment to show his appreciation for the grassroots, as can be seen in the pic below.
Ignore the date at the bottom of the pics; we were using my sister's camera. I'll crop later.
Rocky Mountain News coverage from writer Berny Morson can be found here. He's the bearded man in the hat behind Dean. :)
Later!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Short Attention Span Musing
- Challenger Ed Hermes (D-SD1) is doing almost embarrassingly well against long-time (but never-challenged) incumbent Maricopa County Supervisor Fulton Brock (R).
According to their latest campaign finance reports, Hermes raised $27301.65 in the period from July 1 thru August 13.
Brock raised $6910 , or a little more than 1/4 as much.
The situation has gotten so desperate for Brock that some of the Rep bloggers have taken to criticizing Hermes on his age (24) while ignoring Hermes' experience (State Board of Regents, Arizona Department of Agriculture, Governor Napolitano's Smart Growth Cabinet).
The planted stories aren't doing anything to enhance their credibility or their candidate's.
- In a moment that shows just how out of touch he is with the average American, John McCain forgot how many houses he and his wife own (John: Seven.)
Yes, in an era when too many Americans are wondering how they can keep their one home, McCain has so many that he's forgetting them.
- In all of the hubbub over the soon-to-be-announced nominees for VP, the MSM and both campaigns are ignoring the simple fact that unless the VP ascends to the presidency, no one outside of his/her family members will care who the VP was after the term is over.
Most of the hype is due to the fact that it is political silly season - it's after the primaries and before the conventions. There's note a lot going on other than the occasional press release, so there just isn't much for the MSM to cover. Plus, the VP hype gives the campaigns some free publicity. Always a good thing, even when a campaign is operating on a Presidential campaign budget instead of, say, a school board candidate's budget.
...It really has been a long couple of days, so it is time for sleep.
Later!
According to their latest campaign finance reports, Hermes raised $27301.65 in the period from July 1 thru August 13.
Brock raised $6910 , or a little more than 1/4 as much.
The situation has gotten so desperate for Brock that some of the Rep bloggers have taken to criticizing Hermes on his age (24) while ignoring Hermes' experience (State Board of Regents, Arizona Department of Agriculture, Governor Napolitano's Smart Growth Cabinet).
The planted stories aren't doing anything to enhance their credibility or their candidate's.
- In a moment that shows just how out of touch he is with the average American, John McCain forgot how many houses he and his wife own (John: Seven.)
Yes, in an era when too many Americans are wondering how they can keep their one home, McCain has so many that he's forgetting them.
- In all of the hubbub over the soon-to-be-announced nominees for VP, the MSM and both campaigns are ignoring the simple fact that unless the VP ascends to the presidency, no one outside of his/her family members will care who the VP was after the term is over.
Most of the hype is due to the fact that it is political silly season - it's after the primaries and before the conventions. There's note a lot going on other than the occasional press release, so there just isn't much for the MSM to cover. Plus, the VP hype gives the campaigns some free publicity. Always a good thing, even when a campaign is operating on a Presidential campaign budget instead of, say, a school board candidate's budget.
...It really has been a long couple of days, so it is time for sleep.
Later!
850 Miles...
...It took approximately 16 1/2 driving hours (10 on Wednesday, 6 1/2 on Thursday), but I finally arrived in Denver.
At the height of freakin' rush hour.
Note to self: the next time you have the brilliant idea of driving through lunch to make it to your destination before rush hour hits, make sure you know what time rush hour actually starts in your destination city. Turns out that while Phoenix's PM rush hour starts at (roughly) 4:30, Denver's starts around 3.
I hit downtown Denver at around 4.
Bumper-to-bumper on I-25, speed ranging from 20 mph to a dead stop, for 10 miles or so.
Your normally witty and charming blogger was anything but for a while there...
Note to delegates: When possible, plan on shuttling from your hotels to the convention site. It'll save you a lot of headaches.
Other things that I learned on the drive to Denver -
- The folks that recommended that I not take I-17 to get to I-40, that instead I take Rt. 87 to 260 to 77 north were right about a few things. That route was scenic. There were lots of lush trees and rolling hills and majestic vistas. What they forgot to mention was that the speed limits were much lower than I-17's 75 mph, and there were almost NO FREAKIN' PASSING LANES!
When I reached Holbrook and the junction of I-40, I figured out that I had averaged less than 45 mph for that part of the trip. 25% less than the 60 mph I had figured on when calculating my schedule. Made up some of that shortfall on I-40 to Albuquerque and then I-25 north of Albuquerque to Santa Fe.
- Santa Fe was great, at least for the time I spent there. I ate dinner at a local place called the Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery. The meal was something called New Mexican Shepherd's Pie (From the menu: "Seasoned ground beef and calabacitas topped with mashed potatoes, green chile and cheese then baked in a skillet".)
It was great, with the green chile giving it just the right kick. The service was great, too - once the server found how thirsty I was, she brought me two Sprites, not just the one I had ordered. Which brings me to the next lesson...
- Drives like this can be very dehydrating. Don't just bring water (I had a case of .5 liter bottles in a cooler), *drink* it. That night in the motel, I was dizzy from the drive, and drank 5 bottles of the water, even after the two large Sprites.
- Which brings up another "I should have known this already" point - Bring and use sunblock. My left arm was fried on Wednesday, and I needed to drive with a towel over my arm on Thursday to minimize further damage and pain.
- Based on bumper stickers anyway, Obama has the lead in Colorado and New Mexico. I didn't see even one McCain sticker (or sign for that matter) in either state so far, and could do well in AZ as they were about even there.
...And on an unrelated but truly sad note, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH) passed away after suffering a hemorrhage from a brain aneurysm. She was the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress and she was the first black woman to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee.
Deepest condolences go out to her family, friends, constituents, and colleagues...
At the height of freakin' rush hour.
Note to self: the next time you have the brilliant idea of driving through lunch to make it to your destination before rush hour hits, make sure you know what time rush hour actually starts in your destination city. Turns out that while Phoenix's PM rush hour starts at (roughly) 4:30, Denver's starts around 3.
I hit downtown Denver at around 4.
Bumper-to-bumper on I-25, speed ranging from 20 mph to a dead stop, for 10 miles or so.
Your normally witty and charming blogger was anything but for a while there...
Note to delegates: When possible, plan on shuttling from your hotels to the convention site. It'll save you a lot of headaches.
Other things that I learned on the drive to Denver -
- The folks that recommended that I not take I-17 to get to I-40, that instead I take Rt. 87 to 260 to 77 north were right about a few things. That route was scenic. There were lots of lush trees and rolling hills and majestic vistas. What they forgot to mention was that the speed limits were much lower than I-17's 75 mph, and there were almost NO FREAKIN' PASSING LANES!
When I reached Holbrook and the junction of I-40, I figured out that I had averaged less than 45 mph for that part of the trip. 25% less than the 60 mph I had figured on when calculating my schedule. Made up some of that shortfall on I-40 to Albuquerque and then I-25 north of Albuquerque to Santa Fe.
- Santa Fe was great, at least for the time I spent there. I ate dinner at a local place called the Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery. The meal was something called New Mexican Shepherd's Pie (From the menu: "Seasoned ground beef and calabacitas topped with mashed potatoes, green chile and cheese then baked in a skillet".)
It was great, with the green chile giving it just the right kick. The service was great, too - once the server found how thirsty I was, she brought me two Sprites, not just the one I had ordered. Which brings me to the next lesson...
- Drives like this can be very dehydrating. Don't just bring water (I had a case of .5 liter bottles in a cooler), *drink* it. That night in the motel, I was dizzy from the drive, and drank 5 bottles of the water, even after the two large Sprites.
- Which brings up another "I should have known this already" point - Bring and use sunblock. My left arm was fried on Wednesday, and I needed to drive with a towel over my arm on Thursday to minimize further damage and pain.
- Based on bumper stickers anyway, Obama has the lead in Colorado and New Mexico. I didn't see even one McCain sticker (or sign for that matter) in either state so far, and could do well in AZ as they were about even there.
...And on an unrelated but truly sad note, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH) passed away after suffering a hemorrhage from a brain aneurysm. She was the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress and she was the first black woman to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee.
Deepest condolences go out to her family, friends, constituents, and colleagues...
Thursday, August 14, 2008
In the news...
...Congrats all the way around to LD17's legislative delegation of Senator Meg Burton Cahill, Representative Ed Ableser, and Representative David Schapira (Democrats, one and all). Each earned a grade of 100% from the Arizona League of Conservation Voters in their Legislative Scorecard for the 2008 session. While there were many high-scoring districts, LD17 was the only district where more than one legislator earned a grade of 100%.
On the opposite end of the scale was LD3, with Sen. Ron Gould and Reps. Trish Groe and Nancy McClain (Rs one and all - of course) earning an average score of 27%.
...While it's been a lot of fun to watch the LD18 Republicans tear themselves apart (LOTS of fun :) ), the media coverage of all of the negative campaigning and polls conducted by Republican firms has all but ignored Tammie Pursley and Judah Nativio, the strong Democratic candidates in the west Mesa district (for House and Senate, respectively). However, the EV Tribune ran a full story on Nativio on Thursday. It was a pretty good piece, one that pointed out that the race for the LD18 senate seat won't end on September 2nd when the contest between immigration attorney (and brother-in-law of Congressman Jeff Flake) Kevin Gibbons reaches its conclusion.
The real race will just be beginning.
...Friday morning at 10, the AZ Democrats will be holding a rally to highlight John McCain's close ties to Big Oil. The rally will take place from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the southwest corner of 48th St. and Thomas, across from the Mobil station.
...Apparently nobody told McCain and the Republicans that they've been calling themselves the party of private property rights - they're getting sued for misappropriating and misusing someone's private property.
From AP -
Jackson Browne sues McCain, RNC over song in ad
Jackson Browne doesn't want John McCain running on anything fueled by his lyrics.
The singer-songwriter sued McCain and the Ohio and national Republican committees in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Thursday, accusing them of using his song "Running on Empty" without his permission.
Perhaps their "respect" for private property rights just doesn't apply to the property of famous liberals...
...In an example of willful irony (OK, it was shameless hypocrisy, but I'm trying to be tactful here - this isn't supposed to be an unmitigated McCain-bashing post), McCain has criticized the Russian invasion of Georgia (the country, not the state), saying things like "In the 21st century, nations don’t invade other nations."
Iraq, John. Iraq.
...Darragh Murphy, head of PUMA PAC, an organization that purports to be a group of grassroots Hillary Clinton supporters working to secure her nomination at the Democratic Convention in two weeks, has some credibility problems.
It turns out that in 2000, she supported John McCain in the Republican Presidential primary to the tune of $500.
Can you say "astroturf"?
This stuff and other stuff about PUMA PAC has been going around the internet for a more than a month now, but she was blathering (and getting ripped apart) on Hardball on Thursday. So I figured that it was my turn (I know a couple of Clinton delegates who read this blog).
...And in goofy news of the day, a Chandler resident wants his city to sue the Obama campaign because he feels that the campaign's logo is so similar to the City of Chandler's logo that it constitutes trademark infringement. (AZ Republic)
I think it's BS, but you decide (logos courtesy the AZRep article linked above) -
Later!
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