Apropos of nothing, what's going on with Kerry's face anyway? Image from source, Huffington Post
Heh, sorry about the pun in the headline, but have you notice how many hackneyed gun metaphors we have? On target, locked and loaded, half-cocked, they're just everywhere. It's like an atheist (like me) trying to avoid saying "oh, god" or "Jesus Christ!" Oddly enough, religion seems tangled up in the gun rights battle. In fact, their love for guns seems to be equal parts politics, religion and sexual fetish. There is no faster way to get a rise out of anybody than to raise the specter of gun control.
So, is it any wonder that an treaty having to do with guns, signed by Secretary of State John Kerry (a DemonRat!) might get a rise out of them?
[Excerpt]
Arms Trade Treaty, Signed By John Kerry, Opens New Front In Senate Battle Over Gun Control
The latest front in the Senate battle over gun control opened Wednesday, as Secretary of State John Kerry signed the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty in New York. . .
It would seem war has been averted. While things in the region could always relapse (it's a pattern), for now, we're not going into yet another battle. FOX "News" and the rest of Right Wing World will of course somehow make this a bad thing, since President Barack Obama is the guy occupying the Oval Office. But you know what, 'baggers? If you're going to give St. Ronnie Reagan the credit for single-handedly ending the Cold War, and bringing down the Berlin Wall (even though it happened under Poppy Bush, and even he didn't know it was going to happen), you're going to have to get comfortable with Obama getting credit for this one. Again, barring some other typical Middle-east dustup that throws things cattywompus. History won't care that you have an irrational hatred for the man.
[Excerpt]
U.S., Russia agree to framework on Syria chemical weapons
Russia and the United States announced Saturday that they have reached a groundbreaking deal on a framework to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons, after talks in Switzerland. . .
Who cares if this was an accidental solution, whether it was planned or somewhere in between? If it works, it won't matter.
[Excerpt] Did John Kerry Just Accidentally Find a Workable Solution for Syria? Speaking in London earlier today, John Kerry appeared to issue a long-shot ultimatum to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, suggesting that if he turned over his complete stockpile of chemical weapons within the next week he could avoid an attack from the United States. The State Department, however, would later walk back those comments, saying they were a "rhetorical argument" and not an actual proposal, adding that Assad "cannot be trusted" to take such action. . .
On a side note, John Kerry looks. . .different somehow. Image from source, LA Times
So, the Senate is responding to the President's challenge on Syria. So far, it's not freaking me out. You?
[Excerpt]
Draft Senate Syria resolution would limit use of force and time frame
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday will consider a newly drafted resolution to authorize military force against the Syrian government that specifically rules out any commitment of ground forces and would narrow the time frame for action to no more than 90 days. . .
Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will be succeeded by former presidential candidate John Kerry! How 'bout that, the Senate can get something done. Then again, Kerry is one of their own, and he's replacing Clinton--who many of them battled just last week. Still, it says something about the quality of recent Democratic presidential candidates, doesn't it? Oh, and John Edwards doesn't count, he didn't get very far (whew!). . .
[Excerpt] Senate Confirms John Kerry As U.S. Secretary Of State
The Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) as the nation's next secretary of state on Tuesday. . .
Now that we're on day 6 (or 10, counting the days between) of the conventions, I'm glad to say this stage is over. I anticipated President Obama's speech, but my brain is full, I want a couple of "no politics" days somewhere in here before the election! And, truth be told, days 1 and 2 of the DNC were hard acts to follow. Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton raised the bar so high, day 3 was bound to feel a little slow.
Of course, nobody better say one negative word about former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords saying the Pledge of Allegiance. If you do--and I say this as an atheist--you're going to hell. [Story continues below]
I missed a rather large chunk of the convention due to work and exercise on Thursday. So, I missed speeches by Caroline Kennedy, Scarlett Johanssen and Eva Longoria, though I plan to catch them in the next day or so (so much for politics-free days, I guess). I came in on Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, who was very feisty, and on message. Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist--now apparently a converted Democrat, or close--gave a nice speech that endorsed Obama while jabbing a finger in the eye of the party that he says left him.
John Kerry's speech was great, showing much more fire and spirit than I remember from his run in 2004. It was like he was getting his revenge or something, really zinging Romney, Ryan and the Republicans. . .oooh, RRR? Does that work out to 666 in some numerology thing? Never mind, moving on. . . Dr. Jill Biden was lovely and eloquent, which is great because she opened for her husband.
Joe Biden. . .sigh. . .oh, Joe. So earnest, so eager, so long. Joe said "literally" too much when he meant "figuratively" Joe wandered off script a few times. The material of his speech was fine, there was nothing wrong with his message. But I've really never been a fan of his style, and I think it slowed down the whole proceedings. Or, maybe that was the idea? [Story continues below]
The showcase for the night was of course President Barack Obama, his acceptance of the nomination, and his pitch to the country for reelection. By anybody else, this speech cooked. But from Obama, it was just very good. It wasn't lofty like Michelle's speech, and it wasn't a barn burner like Bill Clinton's. I think by design it was necessary to scale it back from the soaring rhetoric from 2008.
As Obama said--and I know it's going to infuriate conservatives--he's not a candidate anymore, he is the President of the United States. He's not a blank slate as he was (and as Romney is), and can't base the entire speech on hope and change. He had to ground this speech, and build it upon the notion of continuing hope and change begun, but not yet finished. So, necessarily, this couldn't be the spiritual high we all got from Invesco Field in Denver the last time. And though his speech didn't top his wife's, and didn't top President Clinton's. . .he still blew Mitt Romney's speech out of the water. No contest.
A while back there was a picture circulating of Mitt Romney riding on the back (*cough* bitch seat *cough*) of his wife's wave-runner, and I wondered. . .how is that different from John Kerry's windsurfing shot? To be honest, I never understood why Kerry windsurfing was bad or negative in any way. But Right-wing World took that photo and ran with it right into the history books. So maybe I just don't get it. Maybe there wasn't a comparison to be made between jet skiing and wind surfing.
But what about dressage? Now, that sounds hoity toity. Lawrence O'Donnell thinks so too, and this very educational and entertaining clip is worth your time.
Nice bod, Mitt! But where are the magic underwear? Image from Boston Globe.
In much the same way that "gay" is not an insult, but that many homophobes would think it so, I don't think comparing somebody to John Kerry is a bad thing. But Republicans do. They may sort have forgotten about him, but when he was running for president in 2004, they hated the man (and oddly, his wife). When they weren't insulting his service to the country, they were (oddly, again) picking on him for being elite and (oddly, still) too French.
Willard Mitt Romney got out of Viet Nam (though he demonstrated in support of the draft, and the war) by being a Mormon missionary in Bordeaux. You know where that is, kids? Yep, France. Trying to convince wine drinkers to become Mormons. . .which is kind of hilarious (thanks to John Fugelsang for the observation). So, though Kerry and Romney's Viet Nam-era records are polar opposites, they're both elitist rich guys, or perceived to be. And they both like rich guy things.
Kerry. Image from Live Shot.
Back in 2004, one of the most memorable images was that of Kerry windsurfing. I don't know why, exactly. It showed him to be fit and active, and I really, really didn't understand why that was so negative. Then again, I didn't understand the big deal of Michael Dukakis in a tank either, so what do I know? But somebody on the right please tell me, how is this picture of Mitt on a Jet Ski any different (and on the bitch seat, no less!)? And while you're at it, tell me what was so funny about John Edwards' hair and physical appearance, when you have your own Capt. Hairdo/department store mannequin?
And of course, we can't forget that the windsurfing picture was used in an anti-Kerry ad, accusing him of "flip-flopping." Nobody--not John Kerry, not anybody--has proven to be a bigger flip-flopper than Mitt Romney.
[Excerpt]
Mitt Romney on a jet ski — the GOP candidate’s Kerry moment?
The last thing Mitt Romney needs is a John Kerry moment that conjures up F. Scott Fitzgerald’s description of the very rich: “They are different from you and me. . .”
Well, this is interesting. Not only is John Kerry a great choice as a Mitt Romney stand-in in debate practice, he's a great analogue to the candidate himself.
Do you remember the criticism of Kerry? I'm referring to when they weren't criticizing his looks or his wife. Yes, it was his elitism. This wealthy, out-of-touch, upper-crust, elitist. Forget that he was a war hero, he was not a guy you could sit down and have a beer with. Forget that George W. Bush was an alcoholic. Curious how that stuff isn't coming up this time, isn't it?
[Excerpt]
Obama picks John Kerry to play Romney in mock debate rehearsals
President Obama has tapped Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, to play Republican Mitt Romney in mock debate rehearsals, Obama campaign officials and the senator’s office confirmed Monday. . . Read more at: Washington Post
It's amazing how many things in politics are so obviously true, but continuously denied. Anyone could tell that the "Swift Boat" campaign against John Kerry in 2004 was trumped up. The fact that much of it came from FOX "News" was your first clue. Now, FOX has come clean, in a manner of speaking. Not intentionally, mind you, but there you go.
[Excerpt]
Fox host’s book title implies Swift Boat veterans were liars
Conservatives have long railed against media turning 'swiftboat' into pejorative or 'hate term.'
As former President George W. Bush attempts to salvage his tarnished legacy, Fox News Radio host John Gibson has eagerly joined in the effort to rehabilitate the previous administration's image. . .
This is good news for Barack Obama. One of the not-so-secret weapons of the Republican party is the "72-hour plan," which is a strenuous effort to get out the Republican vote, in the last three days of the campaign. It's probably what shifted the numbers (originally in his favor) against John Kerry in 2004, and also sealed Al Gore's fate in 2000.
But the cash-strapped John McCain campaign apparently thought that an ad buy was more urgent than the 72-hour push. Good.
. . .The vaunted, 72-hour plan that President Bush used to mobilize voters in 2000 and 2004 has been scaled back for McCain. He has spent half as much as Obama on staffing and has opened far fewer field offices. This week, a number of veteran GOP operatives who orchestrate door-to-door efforts to get voters to the polls were told they should not expect to receive plane tickets, rental cars or hotel rooms from the campaign. . .
Brave New Films has another edition of FOX Attacks! up, this one called, Obama Like Kerry. It shows the tactics FOX "News" uses against Democratic candidates. "FOX Fans" like Johnny Dollar will tell you that FOX is really Fair and Balanced. They'll do this with a straight face, and insist that only Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity are biased, and the rest is straight news. This is utter bullshit.
Watch this video, and notice that the attacks come from a wide variety of FOX "News" programs, even from FOX "Business". This is the kind of reporting they do all day long, not just during their commentary shows.
If you watch any amount of cable news (and as always kids, if you haven't tried it, don't start) you've heard of a book called Obama Nation by Jerome Corsi. He's so familiar to FOX "News" viewers by now, they probably think he's a regular correspondent. He was the co-author of Unfit for Command, the book that effectively sunk John Kerry's campaign four years ago.
For as much press as Corsi has gotten, you'd think he was a credible author. But while FOX loves him, his reception by many others has been much more critical. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise given that his co-author on the Kerry book, Paul O'Neill, was forced to distance himself from Corsi during the heyday of that book.
Barack Obama has issued a rebuttal to the book, called Unfit for Publication. And bully for him. Don't you wish Kerry had tried the same tack? Even Kerry is on board this time though, with a website called TruthFightsBack.com.
[Excerpt]
Unfit for Publication
One of the most vile smear peddlers of the 2004 election has found a new target. Jerome Corsi just published a new book full of rehashed distortions and the same old lies about Barack Obama, and the right-wing noise machine is in full gear promoting it.
In 2004, Corsi helped launch the Swift Boat smear campaign with a book of distortions and lies he wrote about John Kerry.
It’s up to you to spread the truth, so here it is. We’ve posted some of the facts about Corsi and his desperate fabrications on this page, but there’s even more in our PDF: Unfit for Publication.
It's funny to hear John McCain criticize Barack Obama's decision not to use public financing. Not only did McCain break his own campaign finance reform rules in the primary, he has been on both sides of almost every issue that's come down the line. "Flip-flop" stuck to John Kerry for far less.
From the JedReport comes the most recent of many examples of John McCain's flip-flops.
This is a frivilous and possibly ill-advised post. But after watching a lot of Sunday morning news programs over the last year, I've noticed something. The world of politics is ugly. I'm not talking metaphor here, I'm talking literally ugly. I've commented before that Meet the Press with Tim Russert's usual round-table discussion group looks something like Jim Henson's Land of Gorch. And the other shows ain't much better: Chris Wallace, William Kristol, Brit Hume? All caricaturists' dream subjects.
And then there are the politicians. Now, I'm no raving beauty either, but I don't try to make a living in the public eye. This clip highlights a little of what I'm saying. First, it's John Kerry. I voted for him, mostly because I thought he had a groovy wife, and because he was running against a chimp. And honestly, he does have a hint of handsomeness about him. . .but just a hint. Like Ann Coulter, there's something out of skew about the guy. And then there's Lindsey Graham, who looks like a constipated turtle, and sounds like Leslie Jordan's Brother Boy or Beverly Lesley.
I might need to revise my theory that old, pale, hunched, short John McCain would lose to young, hale, tall Barack Obama just on the visuals alone. We keep electing the ugly ones. . .over and over again!
If you're like me, you've been getting emails from John Kerry since about 2003. Since some time. . .oh, in November of 2004, I've been largely ignoring them. Here's one I shouldn't, and neither should you. Take a look, and sign the petition.
[From John Kerry Email]
Help get an investigation of the Pentagon pundit program
Nearly two weeks ago, the New York Times reported on a covert Pentagon plan in, “an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks." The goal of this program: get coverage favorable to Bush Administration policies.
But since that story, there's been little effort to find out more about this program, and essentially zero coverage of the revelation on television news.
With a near total blackout on the story from the television news networks, we need the American people to demand answers!
Journalist Greg Palast first caught my interest when he was a guest on The Randi Rhodes Show. Impressed by that and other appearances, I read Armed Madhouse, his book dealing with election theft and general government corruption. I was alarmed by what I read, but didn't have a blog at the time to use as a forum.
In the past week, my interest was re-sparked by another appearance on the radio, very shortly followed by the Andrew Meyer tasering the other day (Meyer was quoting Armed Madhouse right before he got into trouble). So, I've been checking out his blog.
I've posted a couple of items on Palast over the last couple of months, in fact two in the last couple of days. But this story is important, so we're triple-dosing.
Palast has recently excerpted a chunk of his book, which really captures the gist of what really happened in 2004. This saves me a lot of time trying to recap it myself! So, please do go check it out. If this interests you, and you want to learn more, check out Armed Madhouse, all righty? OK then.
. . .because they’re putting ‘08 in their pocket. Republicans just seem to have that winning spirit. They also have caging lists, felons of the future, rotting ballots, snuffed canaries, and a lock on the votes of Kissinger-Americans and the undead.
WARNING! There are cranks and kooks and crazies out there on the Internet who say that George Bush lost the 2004 election, like one titled, “Kerry Won” published on the TomPaine.com web site two days after the election. I wrote it.
On November 11, a week after TomPaine.com published it, I received an e-mail from The New York Times Washington Bureau. Hot on the investigation of the veracity of the vote, The Times reporter asked me pointed questions:
Question #1: Are you a “sore loser”? Question #2: Are you a “conspiracy nut”?
Just a quick lunch-time post. I don't have a strong opinion of what happened here other than to ask these questions:
- Why would Kerry still be giving College speeches? Isn't he kinda old news? - The kid may have been a tad obnoxious, but was it necessary to have four cops "take him down?" - When we've gotten to the place in this country where valid questions (even if voiced in an obnoxious way) get you tasered and arrested, we're on a short trip to scary town.
I might not give this story coverage, were it not for the fact that this man was carrying Greg Palast's book, Armed Madhouse. As you can see from the post below, I'm a huge fan.
There are several versions of the video available, if this one doesn't present a full enough story.
Who says John Kerry can't tell a joke? Oh, sure, there was that one time. . . But, he made up for it! Whoever wrote it (maybe Kerry himself), the delivery apparently worked. See what you think:
[Excerpt]
A Democratic aide close to Kerry has confirmed to ABC News that he said, "There once was a man named Vitter / Who vowed that he wasn't a quitter / But with stories of women / And all of his sinnin' / He knows his career's in the -- oh, nevermind."
But then, I guess I'm a sucker for a good limerick.
A DarkRovian Lord uses his Turd Blossom Jedi mind powers to contact Kerry: "John... I am your father. Look deep inside. You know it is true. You are a powerful Jedi... but you underestimate the power of the GOP Dark Side. You must join forces with us..." (add-in mechanical heavy breathing & James Earl Jones voice yourself.) Kerry thinks to himself... The Dark Rovian Lord, my father? How could it be? Yale? Skull & Bones? Emperor Cheney? The rebellion? The Vietnamese base on Endor? What of Yoda? Bill... Bill... why didn't you tell me??? GOP Jedi Mind Trick
