The likeliest reason why so many of us care so little about politics is that modern politicians make us sad, hurt us deep down in ways that are hard even to name, much less talk about. It’s way easier to roll your eyes and not give a s**t.
-David Foster Wallace
Finally, a funny Obama joke. This one's from HBO's Bill Maher:
“There’s been this question about whether [Barack Obama is] black enough...What does he have to do? Dunk? He bowled a 37 — to me, that’s black enough.”
I'd like to defend a literary device called hyberbole.When Michelle Obama said in a speech that for the first time in her adult life she is really proud of her country, did she mean she had never been proud of her country before? Of course not. Anyone who's ever read a magazine article or American literature or any document the Founding Fathers wrote (like Common Sense) can recognize the use of hyperbole -- which is defined as "obvious and intentional exaggeration, or an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as 'to wait an eternity.'" She meant that she was especially proud of her country on that day, a day that she realized America had matured to the point where people of any color could be nominated by their party for major office -- a point that she may have thought unattainable before.When Cindy McCain said (one day later) that she has been proud of her country every day of her entire life, did she mean it? Does she mean that the day the pictures of Abu Gharib came out, she was proud of Lynndie England and the soldiers who flushed the Koran down the toilet? Of course not.For people who criticize Mrs. Obama because of this statement, they should be reminded that she was using hyperbole, not making a definitive statement. (I could say the same for Mrs. McCain, but she was obviously taking a shot at Mrs. Obama--by using the very same literary device that she was criticizing.)
I am really thankful that Sen. Obama stayed above the fray. Yes, many people believe he "lost" the debate, but Sen. Obama did not stoop to the brand of dirty politics that so many Americans are tired of. He was on the defensive, but did not go after Sen. Clinton -- and even went so far as defending her 1992 comment that was all over the media ("I guess I could have just stayed home and baked cookies...").
Today, I feel more strongly that Sen. Obama should lead this country for the next four years than I did when I first got involved with the campaign. I don't think Sen. Clinton should drop out, but her "kitchen sink" attacks are getting her campaign and the Democratic party nowhere fast.
Robert McElvaine wrote a news article for the History News Network at George Mason University in which 109 historians responded to an unscientific poll. Almost 2/3 of those historians polls said George W. Bush was the Worst President Ever. Several more stated that he was the second-worst ever (after James Buchanan).
Here's what one historian said:
“George Bush has combined mediocrity with malevolent policies and has thus seriously damaged the welfare and standing of the United States,” wrote one of the historians, echoing the assessments of many of his professional colleagues. “Bush does only two things well,” said one of the most distinguished historians. “He knows how to make the very rich very much richer, and he has an amazing talent for f***ing up everything else he even approaches. His administration has been the most reckless, dangerous, irresponsible, mendacious, arrogant, self-righteous, incompetent, and deeply corrupt one in all of American history.”
So let's remember what Sen. Obama says often: the good news is, W won't be the president in 2009.
Full article: http://hnn.us/articles/48916.html
Mississippi finalized its vote count earlier today -- March 31 -- and it looked like Obama would have the final delegate count of 19, Clinton 14, as expected. Although his vote total went up, it didn't look like he would pass the 62.5% threshold needed to make it a 20/13 split.
A Texas blogger was following the MS count closely online, and when the final tallies were done, Obama had 62.493% of the vote -- .007% away from the threshold! But he noticed a discrepency in 3 of the counties' reports, and after pulling out his calculator, he found that Obama's total should have reflected 62.512% instead -- which would give Obama one more delegate (and Clinton one fewer delegate). He called the Mississippi DNC, who immediately corrected their error!
Here's the whole story:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/31/22053/1834/214/487948
Ralph Nader, the third-party/indie presidential candidate who many Democrats believe cost Al Gore the presidency in 2000, released a statement reacting to comments of March 28 by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) suggesting that Hillary Clinton drop out of the race:
"Senator Clinton: "Just read where Senator Patrick Leahy is calling on you to drop out of the Presidential race. Believe me. I know something about this. Here’s my advice: Don’t listen to people when they tell you not to run anymore. That’s just political bigotry. "Listen to your own inner citizen First Amendment voice. This is America. Just like every other citizen, you have a right to run. Whenever you like. For as long as you like. "It’s up to you, Hillary. Just tell them — It’s democracy. Get used to it. "Yours truly, Ralph Nader"
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_obama_doctrine
Anyone who gets questioned on Barack's proposed foreign policy should study this article. An outstanding piece of journalism on an outstanding policy proposal.
A lot of readers have wondered why the Texas caucuses have been so slow to report to the media. The answer: They're not reporting in great numbers anymore, and they don't actually have to.
Nonetheless, we might still have a decent estimate of the final result for you to consider.
Hector Nieto, spokesperson for the Texas Democratic Party, explained to Election Central that the caucuses elected delegates to the state Senatorial district conventions that will then elect delegates to the state convention, and weren't required to report to the state party headquarters. The results that have come in came from a voluntary system set up in order to help the media get an idea of what to expect the final delegate result to be.
On the assumption that the current results coming from all around the state represent a decent cross-section of the state as a whole, and that all the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama district delegates show up to their conventions in their proper proportions, we can make an educated guess.
Give or take, Obama would get 37 delegates to Hillary's 30 delegates, netting Obama a +3 delegate advantage for the combined Texas prima-caucus. "This is believed to be a good sample of what's available throughout the state," Nieto said. "And if this trend continues, one could estimate that."
From the heart of Clinton country, where Hillary first started her political career registering voters. Clinton support there was "an inch deep but a mile wide," and most estimates have those counties going strongly for Clinton.
The caucuses, however, were another matter. Turnout was extremely high--in one El Paso-area caucus, 160 people showed up when they were expecting 20. Unfortunately, the caucus host (a Clinton supporter) did not check ID's nor check voter eligibility (caucusers had to have voted in the primary). My wife, there representing the Obama campaign (and a CA resident) was actually handed the caucus sheet to sign and was asked to cast her vote. And she was roundly booed by Clinton supported when she pointed out that the caucus captain (who was a sitting judge) was in error. (And, you know, suborning voter fraud, which I believe
The Dallas News reports on the caucus problems:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/local/stories/030608dnpolconventions.3af2a89.html
I hope that each of the El Paso Six will post a summary of their experiences!
Jim Wallis is an evangelical Christian, the founder of Sojourners, a former professor at the Harvard Divinity School, and the author of seven books, including "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It." This message was sent to Sojourner members on Thursday, Feb. 28.
Defending the Facts on Obama's Faith
I don't endorse political candidates, but I will defend them when it becomes necessary. On this, I agree with my friend Richard Land, the conservative Southern Baptist leader who is often identified with the Religious Right. Richard and I agree that faith has a place in politics and, when we agree on fundamental moral questions, have worked together. Richard says, "I have defended various candidates from time to time when I've felt that they have been unfairly or inaccurately criticized. At other times, I have been asked by the media for my assessment of a particular candidate's chances or weaknesses and strengths. Neither defense nor assessment should be confused with endorsement. As a matter of policy, I have not endorsed, do not endorse and will not endorse candidates."
So I am going to defend my friend, Barack Obama, from an increasing number of ridiculous and scurrilous attacks on the Internet and in the media. The latest incident occurred when a loud-mouth radio talk show host in Cincinnati let loose with a barrage of disparaging remarks against Senator Obama and kept using his middle name—Barack HUSSEIN Obama—over and over, seemingly to tie into the Internet accusations that Obama is really a Muslim who, as a child, attended a Muslim "madrassa" school in Indonesia that taught Islamic fundamentalism, etc. As a Chicago Tribune blog piece commented, "Anyone who uses Obama's middle name repeatedly, like Cincinnati radio host Bill Cunningham the other day, knows what he or she is doing and what feelings they are trying to evoke. There's simply nothing innocent about it."
The occasion for the shock jock's diatribe was his introduction of Senator John McCain at a rally. To his great credit, McCain denounced the remarks when he heard about them, disassociated himself from this kind of attack, and reaffirmed that his campaign would be conducted on higher ground. Good for you, John McCain. So of course, the local loud-mouth, Bill Cunningham, quickly withdrew his support from McCain and now is denouncing him too; which, of course, was quickly picked up by his mentor, the national radio loud-mouth Rush Limbaugh (whom the local Cunningham seems to desperately "wannabe"). And, of course, Rush is now denouncing both Obama and McCain.
I watched last night as other cable news shows told this story and subtly tried to add more fuel to the fire. Lou Dobbs downplayed the Cincinnati outburst as unimportant and suggested it was no different that telling the world that John McCain's middle name is "Sydney." Sure Lou; and it was interesting that Dobbs followed with more innuendos and rolled eyes over the moment in the Tuesday Democratic debate when Obama was asked about Louis Farrakhan, about suspicions that Barack's home Trinity Church on the south side of Chicago was "black nationalist," and about why Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright, wouldn't come on Lou's show to discuss his alleged sympathies for Farrakhan, etc. It is certainly no mystery why Pastor Wright didn't cancel his retirement celebrations and drop everything to come on Lou's show. Would anyone?
An Associated Press story entitled, " Obama Fights False Links to Islam," commented on the new flare-up, "For Barack Obama, it is an ember that he has doused time and again, only to see it flicker anew: links to Islam fanned by false rumors, innuendo, and association."
During the Democratic debate, Obama again "denounced and rejected" the ugly anti-Semitic comments that Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has often made, as he had done many times before. Farrakhan hadn't actually endorsed Obama, but recently said, "This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better." Asked on Tuesday night about whether he would accept Farrakhan's support, Obama said: "I live in Chicago. He lives in Chicago. I've been very clear, in terms of me believing that what he has said is reprehensible and inappropriate. And I have consistently distanced myself from him."
So let's set the record straight. I have known Barack Obama for more than 10 years, and we have been talking about his Christian faith for a decade. Like me and many other Christians, he agrees with the need to reach out to Muslims around the world, especially if we are ever to defeat Islamic fundamentalism. But he is not a Muslim, never has been, never attended a Muslim madrassa, and does not attend a black "separatist" church. Rather, he has told me the story of his coming from an agnostic household, becoming a community organizer on Chicago's South Side who worked with the churches, and how he began attending one of them. Trinity Church is one of the most prominent and respected churches in Chicago and the nation, and its pastor, Jeremiah Wright, is one of the leading revival preachers in the black church. Ebony magazine once named him one of the U.S.'s 15 best Black preachers. The church says it is "unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian," like any good black church would, but is decidedly not "separatist," as its white members and friends would attest.
And one Sunday, as Obama has related to me and written in his book, The Audacity of Hope, the young community organizer walked down the aisle and gave his life to Christ in a very personal and very real Christian conversion experience. We have talked about our faith and its relationship to politics many times since. And after he gave his speech at a Sojourners/Call to Renewal conference in June of 2006, E.J. Dionne said that it may have been "the most important pronouncement by a Democrat on faith and politics since John F. Kennedy's Houston speech in 1960 declaring his independence from the Vatican."
Like his politics or not, support his candidacy or not - but don't disparage Barack Obama's faith, his church, his minister, or his credibility as an articulate Christian layman who feels a vocation in politics. Those falsehoods are simply vicious lies and should be denounced by people of faith from across the political spectrum.
There has been a huge amount of press this week about Sen. Obama's middle name. A Time op-ed points out that the Obama campaign's reaction to it -- essentially trying to sweep it under the rug -- could simply feed the fire of racism and back-room fearmongering.
But Barack has nothing to be ashamed of. His name is Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. End of story; he has no ties to Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden, and everyone who has been paying attention knows that. (Although I must say it's fodder for some excellent Jon Stewart one-liners.)
The Osama/Obama rhyme has run itself out in the press; likewise, surely if we all say "Hussein" enough, by November the American electorate (the part that hasn't been paying attention), as Time says, will be able to learn the difference between a Hawaiian-born Christian-American -- as opposed to the Butcher of Baghdad. Then we'll all laugh about how silly it was -- "Remember when the Tennessee Republicans issued that press release? Ha! Ha! How naive we were back in February."
People make fun of names all the time, from kids to grownups. ("Billary," anyone?) Just like the Ohio union member quoted in The Nation as saying he won't vote for a black, there will be people who will never be converted -- who apparently want to believe that Obama is the Antichrist or some other nonsense. But I vote for taking the sting -- and the stigma -- out of the Hussein. It's just a middle name.
(And by the way, the title of this blogpost works much better if you sing it to Milli Vanilli's 1987 hit, Blame it on the Rain.)
Although the California primary is over, we're still fighting every step of the way for Barack. Six California CD4 Obamaniacs -- including my wife -- are traveling to West Texas to help out in the heart of Clinton Country. This area is said to be one of the deepest Clinton strongholds in Texas, and everyone is steeling themselves for a tough haul.
We'll also be supplying phone support to the six from back home. If you would like to help us out with phone call support for our Texas ground team, e-mail sierrafoothillsforobama@gmail.com.
Thanks to the El Paso Six, and thanks especially to the spouses of the travelers (hey, that's me!) for being the true “behind the scenes” heroes in this effort!
Texas State Senator Kirk Watson may not be able to talk about any of Obama’s legislative efforts, but you can.
Obama authored, co-authored, or sponsored almost 1,000 bills since his 2004 election. Some became law. These include:
· The Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 (became law)
· The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act
· S.2488 : A bill to promote accessibility, accountability, and openness in Government by strengthening section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act) (the 2007 Government Ethics Bill)
· S.2803 : A bill to amend the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to improve the safety of mines and mining.
In addition, he’s authored and/or sponsored many bills and amendments to other bills. Some of the bills and amendments that have successfully passed the Senate include the following:
· S.1418 : A bill to enhance the adoption of a nationwide inter operable health information technology system and to improve the quality and reduce the costs of health care in the United States.
· S.792 : A bill to establish a National sex offender registration database.
· S.558 : A bill to provide parity between health insurance coverage of mental health benefits and benefits for medical and surgical services.
· S.378 : A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to protect judges, prosecutors, witnesses, victims, and their family members.
· S.5 : A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research.
· S.RES.383 : A resolution calling on the President to take immediate steps to help improve the security situation in Darfur, Sudan, with an emphasis on civilian protection.
· S.1120 : An act to reduce hunger in the United States.
· S.AMDT.2692 to H.R.2764 To require a comprehensive nuclear threat reduction and security plan.
· S.AMDT.2588 to H.R.976 To provide certain employment protections for family members who are caring for members of the Armed Forces recovering from illnesses and injuries incurred on active duty.
· The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act
· S.AMDT.3073 to H.R.1585 To provide for transparency and accountability in military and security contracting.
· S.AMDT.41 to S.1 To require lobbyists to disclose the candidates, leadership PACs, or political parties for whom they collect or arrange contributions, and the aggregate amount of the contributions collected or arranged.
· S.AMDT.55 (and other amendments) to S.1 To require disclosure of lobbyists on “earmarks.”
· S.AMDT.524 to S.CON.RES.21 To provide $100 million for the Summer Term Education Program supporting summer learning opportunities for low-income students in the early grades to lessen summer learning losses that contribute to the achievement gaps separating low-income students from their middle-class peers.
· S.AMDT.1041 to S.1082 To improve the safety and efficacy of genetic tests.
Looking at the Congressional Record, Obama has been one of the more active Senators in introducing and pursuing new legislation. Many Senators sponsor between 40 and 70 pieces of legislation that pass the Senate every two years.
In the 109th Congress, Obama sponsored 84 pieces of legislation that passed the Senate (Scorecard: McCain 94, Clinton 125). In the current 110th Congress, Obama has so far sponsored 70 pieces of legislation that have passed the Senate (McCain 37, Clinton 97). Most Senators have so far sponsored between 30 and 50.
So yes: Clinton does get more legislation sponsored. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. One of the bills she sponsored was condemning Iran for its nuclear program (the one that Bush backpedaled on – that was Senate Resolution 78 from the 109th Congress); also, many bills that all Senators sponsor are not solution-oriented (naming post offices or courthouses after people, recognizing an official week or month for a particular disease or educational program). Many of these sponsored bills also die in committee—Clinton and Obama have each sponsored over 1,000 pieces of legislation during their terms, with only about 150 to 200 passing the Senate.
The point is, Obama has a significant list of legislative accomplishments. Clinton and McCain have both been implying that Obama has accomplished nothing—when in fact Obama has done a lot more to move the country forward than most members of Congress.
Most importantly, I believe his judgment is superior—whether it’s standing on courthouse steps to take an unpopular stand against a popular war in 2002, or not sponsoring a popular but inaccurate bill about Iran’s nuclear program. Obama’s superior judgment and superior approach to problem-solving will get the USA into a better standing with the world, will better get conflicting sides together to solve problems, and will more effectively move the country forward.
From the New York Times' Frank Rich:
"...Among the white guys flanking Mr. McCain at his victory celebration on Tuesday, revealingly enough, was the once-golden George Allen, the Virginia Republican who lost his Senate seat and presidential hopes in 2006 after being caught on YouTube calling a young Indian-American Democratic campaign worker 'macaca.'
"In that incident, Mr. Allen added insult to injury by also telling the young man, 'Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia.' As election results confirmed both in 2006 and last week, it is Mr. Allen who is the foreigner in 21st century America, Mr. Allen who is in the minority in the real world of Virginia. A national rout in 2008 just may be that Republican Party’s last stand."
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As glad as I am to see that a Republican with a history of reaching across the aisle will probably be nominated, I am horrified that George Allen was onstange with McCain.
"Scott" from Seattle posted this on an MSNBC comment. I thought it was very worthwhile to share with y'all...
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Let's take a closer look at who's really qualified and or who's really working for the good of all of us in the Senate. Obama or Clinton. Senator Clinton...has managed to author and pass into law - 20 - twenty pieces of legislation in her first six years. These bills can be found on the website of the Library of Congress www.thomas.loc.gov, but to save you trouble, I'll post them here for you.
1. Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site.
2. Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month.
3. Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
4. Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall.
5. Name courthouse after James L. Watson.
6. Name post office after Jonn A. O'Shea.
7. Designate Aug. 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day.
8. Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition Day.
9. Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial of his death.
10. Congratulate the Syracuse Univ. Orange Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship.
11. Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship.
12. Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemorative Program.
13. Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda.
14. Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express condolences on her death.
15. Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters who lost their lives on duty.
Only five of Clinton's bills are more substantive:
16. Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11.
17. Pay for city projects in response to 9/11
18. Assist land mine victims in other countries.
19. Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care.
20. Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the wilderness preservation system.
There you have it, the facts straight from the Senate Record. Now, I would post those of Obama's, but the list is too substantive, so I'll mainly categorize...
His first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427. These included:
- The Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 (became law)
- The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act (became law)
- The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (passed the Senate)
- The 2007 Government Ethics Bill (became law)
- The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill (in committee)
- many more
In all, since entering the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored another 1096. An impressive record, for someone who supposedly has no record according to some who would prefer that this comparison not be made public.
He's not just a talker. He's a doer.
From the New York Times online:
"I have spent much of my adult life living in the reddest of red states — Utah, Idaho, and now Oklahoma. And I can tell you that there’s a reason why those of us living here are receptive to Obama — we know that the same old Democratic formulations will not convert the masses of our conservative fellow citizens. The prospect of another Clinton administration just reopens the old divisions. An Obama candidacy, on the other hand, shifts the paradigm. Instead of rancor, he offers the prospect of a new, more vibrant coalition of Democrats, independents, and even moderate Republicans united by a common desire: to make government work again.
"If the Bush Administration has proven anything, it is that movement conservatism cannot effectively govern and that it does not represent the hopes and needs of most Americans. Our Republican neighbors seem finally able to grasp that fact, even if they can’t quite bring themselves to admit it. The time is ripe for someone new to bridge those old divisions. Barack Obama, with his youth, his charisma, his brilliance, and his message of hope, offers that possibility.
"We’ve been waiting for him for a long, long time."
—Warren Metcalf, responding to a New York Times article by Timothy Egan
