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04 October, 2008
03 October, 2008
Unqualified? REALLY?
So over the last week or so we've seen the ring-wingers (like George Will, Kathleen Parker, etc.) starting to come out against Palin, wringing their hands and worrying that she's not qualified for the job of VP. My first reaction, of course, was "no shit, sherlock!"
But after last night's 'debate', I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot less of that. Conventional wisdom has it that if she didn't throw up or run away from the podium crying, she did just fine. Nevermind the fact that the chose not to participate in an actual debate, preferring instead to read her prepared talking points to us. Nevermind the bizarre winking and down home folksiness that you'd normally associate with your server at Bennigan's. As long as she didn't completely screw the pooch, she did just fine. A for effort! Gold medals for everybody!
But here's the thing that I'm wondering now: when the fuck did right-wingers EVER worry about whether their candidate was qualified or not? How would it be a big problem to have a merely stupid Vice President after we've had a retarded President for 8 years? They never worried about 'qualifications' either time Bush was running! I'm assuming that's because a) he was never trailing so badly, and b) his name is George Bush. Or is it 8 years of Bush that has led them to believe that maybe we should expect political leadership to possess some minimal level of competence? I doubt it. That would mean they'd have to admit (at least internally) that Bush is unqualified. And I'M not even willing to go that far. I think the Bush/Cheney Administration has achieved more than they'd have ever dreamed to hope for.
Motherfuckers.
But after last night's 'debate', I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot less of that. Conventional wisdom has it that if she didn't throw up or run away from the podium crying, she did just fine. Nevermind the fact that the chose not to participate in an actual debate, preferring instead to read her prepared talking points to us. Nevermind the bizarre winking and down home folksiness that you'd normally associate with your server at Bennigan's. As long as she didn't completely screw the pooch, she did just fine. A for effort! Gold medals for everybody!
But here's the thing that I'm wondering now: when the fuck did right-wingers EVER worry about whether their candidate was qualified or not? How would it be a big problem to have a merely stupid Vice President after we've had a retarded President for 8 years? They never worried about 'qualifications' either time Bush was running! I'm assuming that's because a) he was never trailing so badly, and b) his name is George Bush. Or is it 8 years of Bush that has led them to believe that maybe we should expect political leadership to possess some minimal level of competence? I doubt it. That would mean they'd have to admit (at least internally) that Bush is unqualified. And I'M not even willing to go that far. I think the Bush/Cheney Administration has achieved more than they'd have ever dreamed to hope for.
Motherfuckers.
01 October, 2008
The Bush Crime Family Crimes On
This story about the Bush Crime Family is all over the front page of your newspaper, right? Is it above or below the fold? I'm curious to know how your local paper rates a story about the continuation of the White House's assault on the Constitution.
Here's just one of the punchlines for you:
Here's just one of the punchlines for you:
Robert D. Luskin, an attorney for Rove, said: "We'll look forward to the opportunity if the circumstances are appropriate of Rove being able to cooperate voluntarily. Rove has nothing to fear from truthful testimony."Got that? Rove was subpoenaed by Congress, and refused to testify. But according to his lawyer, he might be able to cooperate "if the circumstances are appropriate." I'm pretty sure Congress already decided it WAS appropriate for him to testify, didn't they? Why is Rove not under arrest?
30 September, 2008
29 September, 2008
"We just wanted to choose a really large number."
In case you thought you knew why you should or shouldn't support the 'bailout' bill that the House rejected, consider this: John Kline and Keith Ellison voted for it. Dennis Kucinich and Michele Bachmann voted against it. How's that for some seriously whacked bedfellows? John Kline, in case you aren't from MN (or are just uninformed), is sort of Minnesota's very own MN-Nice version of Dick Cheney. Keith Ellison is MY Representative, the first Muslim in Congress, a real progressive who cosponsored HR333 (the failed impeachment of Darth Cheney).
Seems to me that when the President says you need to do X or something calamatous will happen, and a plan magically appears that must be supported and that gives all kinds of unchecked authority to one person, and that will cost taxpayers staggering amounts of money with no accountability, then clearly, in those circumstances, we must believe what the President says, jump on board, and save America by supporting whatever he says. Wait! WHAT?! What year is this -- 2001?! Fuck that shit!
Now granted, the plan the House voted down was not the same 3 1/2 page carte blanche that Paulson wanted passed. It did have some accountability and some strings attached and so forth -- but it was BASED on Paulson's piece of shit plan. And at this point, I can't imagine what excuse any Democrat (or rational Republican) in Congress could have for supporting ANYthing Bush wants. PARTICULARLY when it has to do with his idea about how to 'save' the economy that he so capably fubared.
It amazes me that there are still members of Congress who will respond to Bush's encouragements to panic by panicking. And the quote in the title of this post? That's a direct quote from a Treasury spokesperson in explaining why they need $700 Billion to 'fix' everything. What kind of confidence does that inspire? Not only does Treasury not know what to do, or how to do it, or how much money might be required to implement a totally uncertain, secret plan, but Congress doesn't have a clue about how to react to it all, either!
The real tragedy in all of this is the lost opportunity for Senator Obama to LEAD. He is going to be the next President; he might as well start acting like it now, because there is a clear void in responsible grown-up behavior in Washington DC at the moment. Step up, Obama, and tell the American people that Republicans (along with the help of a lot of free-market Democrats) ruined the economy. Explain how. It's not all that complicated. Anybody who can balance a checkbook can understand the concept that you can't borrow hundreds of billions of dollars, throw it all down a hole, and then borrow more in an endless loop without royally fucking shit up.
Obama ought to be in there, pushing a comprehensive, progressive plan that everybody but a billionaire would support, and inextricably linking the Republican brand to this financial crisis in the minds of all voters.
I don't know why I keep thinking the Democrats will grow a pair just because the time is right to do so.
If there is a reason to panic, it's not the financial crisis itself, but the incapacity of Congressional Democrats to formulate and execute a plan that promotes economic justice. I can't blame Republicans for this, because I have no expectation that they would even try, or possess the capacity to formulate anything that approximates a workable plan. They did, after all, just suggest that more capital gains tax cuts be included in the bill. How could I make that up? That's how fucking stupid they are: capital gains tax cuts for bankrupt institutions. Do they even fucking know what a "capital gain" IS, or are they just idiot fucking parrots who are so used to asking for the same shit over and over that it becomes a reflex?
Seems to me that when the President says you need to do X or something calamatous will happen, and a plan magically appears that must be supported and that gives all kinds of unchecked authority to one person, and that will cost taxpayers staggering amounts of money with no accountability, then clearly, in those circumstances, we must believe what the President says, jump on board, and save America by supporting whatever he says. Wait! WHAT?! What year is this -- 2001?! Fuck that shit!
Now granted, the plan the House voted down was not the same 3 1/2 page carte blanche that Paulson wanted passed. It did have some accountability and some strings attached and so forth -- but it was BASED on Paulson's piece of shit plan. And at this point, I can't imagine what excuse any Democrat (or rational Republican) in Congress could have for supporting ANYthing Bush wants. PARTICULARLY when it has to do with his idea about how to 'save' the economy that he so capably fubared.
It amazes me that there are still members of Congress who will respond to Bush's encouragements to panic by panicking. And the quote in the title of this post? That's a direct quote from a Treasury spokesperson in explaining why they need $700 Billion to 'fix' everything. What kind of confidence does that inspire? Not only does Treasury not know what to do, or how to do it, or how much money might be required to implement a totally uncertain, secret plan, but Congress doesn't have a clue about how to react to it all, either!
The real tragedy in all of this is the lost opportunity for Senator Obama to LEAD. He is going to be the next President; he might as well start acting like it now, because there is a clear void in responsible grown-up behavior in Washington DC at the moment. Step up, Obama, and tell the American people that Republicans (along with the help of a lot of free-market Democrats) ruined the economy. Explain how. It's not all that complicated. Anybody who can balance a checkbook can understand the concept that you can't borrow hundreds of billions of dollars, throw it all down a hole, and then borrow more in an endless loop without royally fucking shit up.
Obama ought to be in there, pushing a comprehensive, progressive plan that everybody but a billionaire would support, and inextricably linking the Republican brand to this financial crisis in the minds of all voters.
I don't know why I keep thinking the Democrats will grow a pair just because the time is right to do so.
If there is a reason to panic, it's not the financial crisis itself, but the incapacity of Congressional Democrats to formulate and execute a plan that promotes economic justice. I can't blame Republicans for this, because I have no expectation that they would even try, or possess the capacity to formulate anything that approximates a workable plan. They did, after all, just suggest that more capital gains tax cuts be included in the bill. How could I make that up? That's how fucking stupid they are: capital gains tax cuts for bankrupt institutions. Do they even fucking know what a "capital gain" IS, or are they just idiot fucking parrots who are so used to asking for the same shit over and over that it becomes a reflex?
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