Please send this video to your friends, or just direct them here to see this.
Gotcha? Not in the way McCain/Palin think
September 30, 2008 — RickSo, let’s see… Sarah Palin offered the same thought that Barack Obama did… send military forces into Pakistan if we have actionable intelligence that Pakistan refuses to act upon.
The McCain response? Palin’s comments are OK, because she was only speaking to a citizen. It was “gotcha journalism.” Really? because I thought Palin was well aware that the media was standing next to her, given that she had invited them along on her cheese steak run.
What?
Politicians are less accountable for remarks they make to voters than they are for comments they make to the media or at debates? Did I miss something here? If not, it’s becoming increasingly clear that John McCain is just a cynical asshole, or that his elevator is no longer going all the way up to the top floor… take your pick.
Hey John, how about admitting the obvious… you made an awful choice in your selection for a running mate. She is a farce, much like the rest of your campaign. At this point, only your most ardent of kool-aid drinkers think that this was a good choice, and half of them are saying so while holding their noses.
Then, to add insult to injury he compared Palin to both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Well Senator, I know this Bill Clinton you speak of… Bill Clinton was a president of mine, and I assure you that Sarah Palin is no Bill Clinton. Nor are you Ronald Reagan. “Whoops,” indeed. This, John, nets you another Golden Momo… you are on quite a tear.
Olmert redeems himself, talks common sense
September 30, 2008 — RickI woke up this morning and went through the news. As expected, I found what I expected in terms of McCain running around like an idiot accusing Obama for every evil in the world, Obama sticking to the point, Wall Street still in flux due to the bailout breakdown, and several articles about Sarah Palin, both from those still pointing out that she has the intellectual capability of former Miss South Carolina all the way to conservatives who think that McCain is trying to squeeze too much into her pretty little brain.
Yep, it’s pretty much what I expected this morning.
And then, it happened. My eyes looked over the subject line of another news item and, when I opened it, I found a little gem of a birthday present all wrapped up in a bow.
Ehud Olmert has finally come around to common sense.
Yes, the same Olmert that I have despised as a right-wing nut job. Yes, the same Olmert who fanned flames of war with an irresponsible invasion of Lebanon. Yes, the same Olmert who has had to resign because of a corruption investigation.
So what did he say? He said what Israeli politicians - and American politicians - should have been saying for the past twenty years. He finally spoke the truth.
He said it is time for Israel to leave the occupied lands, and to begin seeking peace as a responsible neighbor. Perhaps knowing that he would be dismissed as a disgraced leader for saying such a thing, Olmert added, “What I am saying to you now has not been said by any Israeli leader before me… The time has come to say these things.”
Indeed it has, Mr. Olmert.
Olmert went on to add, “A decision has to be made,” he said. “This decision is difficult, terrible, a decision that contradicts our natural instincts, our innermost desires, our collective memories, the prayers of the Jewish people for 2,000 years.”
In other words, it is time for Israel to stop hating the player, and start hating the game.
Those are refreshing words. Perhaps if Olmert’s successors pick up on such sentiments, this will be a better world in the future. Imagine Israel sitting down to make a true and lasting peace with its adversaries. It would undermine the very existence of Hamas and Hezbollah, and certainly make Middle Eastern residents much less sympathetic to the cause of terrorists.
Olmert was, predictably, immediately attacked by the right-wing of Israeli politics. He will likely be attacked in the United States as well. But he has dared to speak the hard truth to two nations not used to hearing such things. He has, I hope, knocked down the first domino of the many that must fall in order for lasting peace to be realized.
Ehud Olmert… I never thought I would say this, but you are today’s Citizen of the Day, and I thank you.
Olmert Says Israel Should Pull Out of West Bank
By ETHAN BRONNER
Published: September 29, 2008JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in an interview published on Monday that Israel must withdraw from nearly all of the West Bank as well as East Jerusalem to attain peace with the Palestinians and that any occupied land it held onto would have to be exchanged for the same quantity of Israeli territory.
He also dismissed as “megalomania” any thought that Israel would or should attack Iran on its own to stop it from developing nuclear weapons, saying the international community and not Israel alone was charged with handling the issue.
In an unusually frank and soul-searching interview granted after he resigned to fight corruption charges — he remains interim prime minister until a new government is sworn in — Mr. Olmert discarded longstanding Israeli defense doctrine and called for radical new thinking, in words that are sure to stir controversy as his expected successor, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, tries to build a coalition.
“What I am saying to you now has not been said by any Israeli leader before me,” Mr. Olmert told the newspaper Yediot Aharonot in the interview on the occasion of the Jewish new year, observed from Monday evening till Wednesday evening. “The time has come to say these things.”
Palin’s stumbles continue
September 29, 2008 — RickCalling Sarah Palin’s recent interview with CBS anchor Katie Couric “the last straw,” Newsweek editor and columnist Fareed Zakaria tells Wolf Blitzer on Monday’s episode of “The Situation Room” that it’s not a matter of Palin not giving the right answer when faced with a complex question about the economy or foreign policy, “it’s that she clearly does not understand the question.”
Just for giggles, here is the best “national defense” credentials for Palin that McInsane can come up with. Frightening.
Really, John? Do you really want to mince words about what you said?
From a March 28 speech posted on McCain’s website: “It will strengthen us to confront the transcendent challenge of our time: the threat of radical Islamic terrorism. This challenge is transcendent not because it is the only one we face. There are many dangers in today’s world, and our foreign policy must be agile and effective at dealing with all of them. But the threat posed by the terrorists is unique.”
And in June: “Well, I would think that the absolute gravest threat is the struggle that we’re in against Islamic extremism, which can affect, if they prevail, our very existence.”
Quick Slants for September 29, 2008
September 29, 2008 — RickWell, it has been quite a news day today. Among the highlights:
- Bailout fails
The bailout bill fell 13 votes short in the House of Representatives today. Both liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans are not supportive of a measure that requires taxpayers to foot the bill for bad decisions by Wall Street. What’s lost in this, from my view, is that Congress’ de-regulation of financial services early in the presidency has led to this disaster and, as a result, Congress does bear responsibility for fixing it. And of course that will come at the expense of the taxpayer. This is getting uglier by the minute, and the Dow has tanked by more than 500 points today. UPDATE: Make that 778 points… biggest single day loss ever. So much for the retirement account.
- Injustice at Justice
More good news for the Bush administration. Finally, even the Department of Justice realizes there were serious problems with the attorney firings scandal, and a report concluded that Alberto Gonzales abdicated his responsibilities in the department to people pursuing a political agenda. A special investigator has been appointed to now look at prosecutions. I know I am getting my hopes up, but is it finally possible that there will be accountability for the politicization of the Justice department?
Investigator appointed in U.S. attorney firings
Report blasts Justice Department, says Gonzales ‘abdicated’ responsibilityMSNBC staff and news service reports
updated 55 minutes agoWASHINGTON - Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed a prosecutor Monday to pursue possible criminal charges against Republicans who were involved in the controversial firings of U.S. attorneys.
His move follows the leading recommendation of a Justice Department investigation that harshly criticized Bush administration officials, members of Congress and their aides for the ousters, which were seen by many as politically motivated.
Results of the investigation were made public Monday. The 300-page report singled out the removal of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias of New Mexico — among nine prosecutors who were fired — as the most troubling.
Republican political figures in New Mexico, including Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson, had complained about Iglesias’ handling of voter fraud and public corruption cases, and that led to his firing, the report said.
- Details emerge on ‘Radical Islam’ DVD
Here’s a perfect example of all the neo-cons have left to try to dupe the American people into voting for McCain:
Clarion Responds, As New Details Emerge About “Radical Islam” DVDWe had a story on the air this morning about the mass distribution of an inflamatory DVD on radical Islam, which critics say is intended to help John McCain’s presidential bid. The video documentary was blasted out by the Clarion Fund, an obscure New York-based charity.
Clarion wouldn’t return our phone calls before the story aired. But today it hired a PR firm, which quickly issued this statement in response to our story:
The Clarion Fund has one goal: educate the public about the threat of Islamic terrorism. Obsession is the film opponents of free speech don’t want you to see. Terrorist attacks don’t distinguish between political parties- they kill everyone. America needs to know the truth about the threat without censorship.
Clarion’s new voice is Hank Sheinkopf, a long-time Democratic consultant in New York, who worked on President Clinton’s re-election campaign. The choice of a Democratic flak is a smart move, since critics have said Clarion is covertly trying to help elect Republican McCain. That kind of active political work would violate its 501(c)(3) charity exemption.
As we reported, one of the promoters of the DVD is Joe Wierzbicki, who is active in two anti-Obama political action committees.
I guess if that doesn’t work, they’ll have to go back to the old tried, but true tactics of voter suppression and falsifying ballots. But frankly, I don’t think any of their tactics are going to save them this November from the wrath of an angry electorate.
- More humiliating Palin footage on the way
CBS isn’t done yet, and may have saved the best for last. According to Howie Kurtz, CBS has more Couric interview footage, and they apparently are going to be pretty embarrassing for Palin. They will air this Wednesday and Thursday, just in time for Palin’s Thursday night debate with Joe Biden. Apparently Palin is determined to keep Tina Fey inundated with good material, not that this has been a problem so far.
- Here’s more evidence that the “surge” isn’t quite what it is cracked up to be.
- It turns out that Barack Obama was the only one to accurately quote Henry Kissinger last Friday night… what a surprise.
That’s all for now!
Bloomington, Illinois may be disproportionately affected by financial crisis
September 28, 2008 — RickAccording to Business Week, Bloomington, IL could be the second most impacted city affected by the financial crisis, behind only Darien, Connecticut.
OK, so why does this matter to most readers? Well, it probably doesn’t, but it is where I live and work. Although they list Bloomington, IL as a city of 70,395 (it is actually 75,000), it is a part of the twin cities of Bloomington-Normal, total population just in excess of 125,000. And since we are home to State Farm Insurance, we do have a large amount of our population involved in finance, insurance, and real estate.
It remains to be seen as to whether this will be a real affect, noticeable to the residents of the city. Our area also includes Country Companies, Mitsubishi, four colleges/universities and many smaller businesses. I like to believe that the portfolio of our city is pretty diverse and can sustain us through any economic downturns, but I have a feeling that this is about to be put to the test.
Bailout compromise reached
September 28, 2008 — RickLate last night Congressional leaders reached an apparent deal on the bailout package. Nancy, Pelosi, Harry Reid, Hank Paulson and others appeared on camera to announce the breakthrough, the details of which are being negotiated on Sunday. They are hoping for votes on Monday. The deal was reached apparently because Speaker Pelosi came up with a breakthough idea on how to insure some protection for taxpayers.
Of course, it will be interesting to see the details of the plan as it emerges over the next few days. And it will be equally interesting to see which presidential candidate tries to step forward and take credit for the package.
Tina Fey does Sarah Palin, Part Two
September 28, 2008 — RickTina Fey is just incredible in nailing the mannerisms of Sarah Palin. Better (or worse), she provides about the same amount of political depth as a Sarah Palin interview. Enjoy!
PLEASE NOTE that from 2:55 to 2:15 in the video, none of that material was written by Saturday Night Live, but was taken directly from Sarah Palin’s comments to Couric. If anyone can listen to that and still think Palin is qualified, then they are dimmer than she is.
more about “Tina Fey does Sarah Palin, Part Two“, posted with vodpod
