Virginia and Tom Davis’ Plan to Save the GOP Brand
DHinMI is right. Tom Davis’ memo about how to save the Republican brand is worthy reading–if only because one of the few Republicans who believes in gravity penned it.
To me, the most interesting passage is where Davis reviews the reasons why Republican fundraising sucks.
(1) Abandonment of many traditional GOP interest groups or a hedge strategy to “buy in” on a perceived longer term Democratic majority. For example, Pharma, UPS, government contractors and FED Ex are now giving strategically to Democrats for “protection money”.
(2) GOP leaders turned lobbyists, from Bob Livingston to JC Watts, are giving Blue. Are there any Democratic lobbyists returning the favor?
(Is anyone weeping "K Street Project" tears right now? I guess it’s not enough to ensure all the lobbyists are Republicans, now, is it?)
(3) Net roots and money from the internet have swelled Democratic coffers, from the Obama campaign, to their Red to Blue programs, giving Democrats huge
fundraising advantages across the board. Much of this is fueled by a strong Democratic desire to seize power after eight years of Bush and Cheney, coupled with a strong disappointment among grass roots Republicans at the party’s performance in office. Governance is a tough business requiring tough choices and holding together coalitions of economic and social conservatives is difficult to sustain.
Thank you Tom. Though there are bigger reasons why you Republicans suck at the netroots. First, transparency kills Republicans in the same way sunlight kills vampires. That, and dirty fucking hippies scare you Republicans–in fact, anything that operates on any but a top-down hierarchy. So the Republican Party is just constitutionally inappropriate for the netroots. But thanks for the nod of recognition.
Immigration pits our business wing against our grass roots wing. The War has turned many educated, affluent Republicans away. Spending priorities, scandals, gas prices and home value declines leave little for Republicans to be enthused over, particularly when our ability to draw issue lines and force choices by Democrats is frustrated by House Rules, inarticulate and unfocused national leadership and finger pointing.
Davis could have written a whole memo about these few subjects, starting with the recognition that you can oppose undocumented workers being hired to bring down wages, but focus on prosecuting employers, not brown people. Given that it’s not even in the realm of imagination for Davis, I guess he’s just got a paradigmatic inability to understand the issues that–even he says–could flip this election. And that’s way before we get to the war, which he considers a "cultural" issue and only a cultural issue.
4) Incumbent giving was a Republican invention from 1994 to 2004. We outraised Democrats because we were more committed to keeping our majority and the attendant perks of leadership. But guess what? We are being badly outraised by Democratic members’ contributions.
Democrats are giving more because they like their majority status; they want to keep it. Republicans don’t think they can win this time. Moreover, most Democratic members do not have re-elects that require they spend their money on themselves – particularly senior members on A committees. Republican incumbents are nervous and don’t want to give away their money if they may need it, in October.
Democrats are finding it easier to raise money. Republicans are finding it tougher to raise money in the minority. And, Democrats punish and reward party contributors. Republicans haven’t done so in the past and do not have the perks and appointments they could disburse that they had when they were in the majority.
The GOP ranks have started to splinter into an “everyman for himself” psychology. This is not conducive to the teamwork necessary to close the financial gap.
(5) Labor unions, long the mainstay of the Democratic Party have gone even deeper into their members’ pockets to ensure Democratic majorities. Not resting on their laurels, labor has upped the ante to Democrats and the leadership has delivered. From CardCheck, to Columbia Trade, Democrats have delivered and labor has responded, with cash, enhanced 527s and ground troops. The Democratic financial advantage has been amplified with increased money from Labor. Ironically, the Democrats are not paying any price with Business, as Business PACs have given more to Democrats, not less.
There’s an implicit recognition that Democrats have delivered on issues important to labor–and that ties directly to union enthusiasm for elections. But again, since Davis doesn’t believe that union members might actually support things like forming unions, he doesn’t get the connection.
Liberal and Democratic use of the internet has far outperformed conservative and Republican deployment of the same. Failure to invest in on-line funding over the last two cycles has put the GOP behind the technology eight ball. This doesn’t even address the numerous 527s dominated by the left.
The whole netroots phenom seems to bug Davis. Good.
Now, Davis does say a few things that are important for Congressional Democrats to hear. We haven’t accomplished any grandiose agenda. On a number of key issues–like healthcare–we haven’t really started advocating for real promises rather than opposing Bush’s Medicare giveaway to Pharma or trying to ensure children get healthcare. Even if it’s only rhetorical, we need to be better about advocating our own agenda.
One area where I believe this is particularly important is on terrorism. Tom Davis thinks–even now–that FISA is a winning issue–largely because Democrats haven’t noted that Bush and the Republicans are still falling woefully short on a number of no nonsense things to keep the US safe. We need to keep pushing for the things that will keep us safe, beyond the 9/11 Commission recommendations we championed. For example, we ought to talk about inspecting more cargo containers. The reasons we’re not, after all, is because it’d hurt WalMart, though it actually might create some American jobs. So we need to be sure to be advocating for our policies, even if they won’t get passed so long as Joe Lieberman can flip a vote.
Finally, though, consider the source. Yes, Tom Davis is intelligent. Yes, unlike many Republicans, he does believe in gravity and other reality-based concepts.
But Tom Davis is retiring this year because he’s not sure he can win his increasingly Democratic district comprising a bunch of affluent VA suburbs of DC, along with some rural horse country. Mind you, his is not one of the areas he lists as urban or "granola belt," though big parts are the inner circles of suburbs he admits Democrats are solidly winning. But his district also encompasses a whole lot of Pentagon employees, CIA employees, defense contractors. And in spite of the fact that he includes military veterans in his description of the GOP base,
So let’s focus on shoring up our base: social conservatives, lunch bucket blue collar whites, Hispanics (they are in play for McCain), and military veterans.
…with his very retirement, he’s admitting that veterans–at least those still tied into government–aren’t necessarily the GOP base anymore (and particularly not after it takes Obama to make sure veterans with PTSD get diagnosed properly–isn’t Davis on an Oversight Committee of some sort?).
And that’s just Davis, who is, admittedly, in an increasingly tough VA district. But the whole state of VA (well, except for the Appalachian counties) went in big numbers for Obama this year, even while McCain was worried about depriving Huckabee of a moral victory. Worse for Davis, no one in their right mind thinks the GOP will retain Senator John Warner’s seat this year, not with Mark Warner in the race.
Tom Davis has a bunch of ideas. But his retirement, by itself, suggests they won’t even work for a reddish-purple state like VA.
Three things:
1. Good inventory of the week’s many significant R defeats over at DKos.
2. I was mulling this very phenomenon last night, and came to this: In their time on top, the R’s got almost everything they set out to get, and they set out to get a fuck of a lot. Their policies, their rules, their folks making all the decisions. All. Just an unprecedentedly complete transformation of the USG and US economy. Nonetheless, they failed. Hung by all that rope they took. All their self-dealing, antisocial shit — it’s just not sticking any more, in fact it’s now being repelled like a body expels an infection. Alert the Department of Unintended Consequences: Have the R’s now proven beyond all reasonable doubt that even under the most favorable possible conditions, their way simply doesn’t work? That it therefore can’t ever work, and so is invalid and now must be abandoned? Did the vampires, in short, drive the stakes into their own hearts? It’s too much to hope that they won’t be coming back from the dead any more… but a fella can hope in that general direction, can’t he?
3. Off to read the memo!
(H/t Joe W. for the stake imagery.) (Not to mention everything else.)
LOL:
Speaking from the ‘Burger, Granola, Lutefiske, Dal, Taco, and Sushi Belt’, it sure does seem that people of all colors and backgrounds prefer fairness, civility, and justice to bullshit like Scooter Libby going free, Bear Stearns bailouts, et cetera…
The core GOP problems are not demographic, and they’re not economic, and they’re not strategic. These are complicated, but manageable given public trust and goodwill.
The GOPs fundamental problems are ethical.
Not fixable for the foreseeable future.
No ethics involved.
LOL… but also…
The GOP fundraising problems signal how critical Abramoff and KStreet money were for the GOP. The Storm Troopers lost their cash cow; they’d be smarter to openly admit the fact.
I read this post while listening to an interview with Hillary Clinton in another browser window: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/vid…..rview.cnn, There are quite a few ‘gotcha’ questions, but the conversational tone is refreshing, and I doubt that Tom Davis or other GOPers are thinking carefully about the multitude of factors this interview represents: economic, socially, organizational, political, cultural, and technical.
I agree with Hmmmmm:
KStreet funded sound-bite politics assumed that cheating, collusion, and other crimes were acceptable in the real world. They aren’t.
Here’s hoping that new media formats like this CNN interview, and like the things that GRITtv is producing, enable a form of politics — and a political culture — that rejects cheating and collusion. If people talk in human voices, and if there are enough feedback loops to clarify information and improve accountability, it’s possible that miracles could happen.
“The Gop’s fundamental problems are ethical”
Agreeing from the corndog, PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) and granola belt.
I’d like to think that they’ve proven it can’t ever work, but I’m afraid they could have made it work for themselves a lot longer – maybe even taken the nation fascist and made it work for a really long time – but they were sabotaged – partly by their own greed – but mostly by the monumental stupidity of a few people at the top. George W. Bush is sort of like chemotherapy – he’s the cure, but he nearly killed us in the process.
But really – can you imagine how bad it could have gotten with a more skillful president?
1,846 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen obsessed:
“…maybe even taken the nation fascist and made it work for a very long time…”
Ah hello out there, they DID take the country fascist and that kind of corruption and irrationality can’t last for a “very long time” unless you are able ta conquer and kill enough of the rest of the world so as ta have the room and resources ta exploit without havin ta leverage them for survival. The world is runnin’ outta both room and resources so fascism can’t work without perpetual war which, given the realities of social and climate ecology, can only be extended until all people are gone.
That’s what we’re facin’ here Citizen obsessed, the non-fascist institutions of social and political survival have been destroyed and the population triangulated and atomized against itself…we are livin’ the nightmare consequences of corporate capitalism which is fascism and Tom Davis goes right to the edge but doesn’t acknowledge what we all know, fascism can’t survive “for a very long time” but it can kill everythin else on the way out.
KEEP THE FAITH AND WAKE THE FUCK UP, THE DEBATE IS OVER AND THE WAR HAS STARTED!!
This sounds like a memo of frustration with both the change in the electorate but also with dinosaurs in his party. The internet seems to have leveled the playing field for organizinag and fund raising. The Republican buggy whip factory is about to be closed down.
One other cheering thought that hadn’t occurred to me before: With a solid D majority, we won’t have to worry about Lieberman’s vote any more.
EW, I just love the documents you find.
Systemic overestimation of their own practical capabilities, perhaps partly due to their earlier successes at grasping the reins of power. But they achieved that “success” only through cheating and collusion amongst their fellow power-seekers, not through any more generalized competence. And now it transpires that cheating and collusion are not skills that transfer well to the real world, or at least not with any tangible effect, or at least not for long.
What we have here is a blind spot.
Talk about Cambells Soup !
“Anything other than a top down hiearchy”,nails it EW.
hey!! Get your fucking dioxin out of my water!!
I want depleted uranium suppositories for these people.
I want to see their children die a slow and horribly painful death because they couldn’t afford the insurance.
I want to rip Cheney,Bush,Wolfie,Addington,Pearle,the whole AEI group,PNAC and on and on,out of their lives and drag them over to the streets of Irac and leave them there alone to deal with the consquences of the shit they’ve done to these people.Remember what Saddam looked like when they drug him out of that hole?They’re all the same,egomaniacal psycopaths.
The enemy I see wears a cloak of decency
The upside of Tom Davis is he retires from the Virginia 11th taking his obstructive, dissembling, conflating methodology with him.
The downside is that he will become part of K-Street of the Lost Arc Vanguard the Sequel and biz will chug on as usual.
Davis’ performance with Doan @ COGR was a dispicable episode of fraudulent revisionism writ uber large.
The Reprehensibles “brand” is increasingly seen as having acted illegally or immorally through policy and practice and, as a group, their self-serving insiders have betrayed the trust of the people.
…from the top down, Republicans have stolen our tax funds for a war run with egregious benefit to crony insiders and profiteers.
As Moyers says, it is outrageous that Democracy is being destroyed by money.
Bullseye, as per usual. Thanks ew.
well guess what ..it will be harder to maintain the brand…for today Frank Rich…in the NYTIMES mentioned NAZI LOVER ..PRESCOTT Boooooooosh
Just 36 hours after the Mississippi debacle, Mr. McCain tried to distance himself from the administration by flip-flopping on his signature issue, Iraq, suddenly endorsing just the kind of timetable for withdrawal he has characterized as “surrender” when proposed by Democrats or Mitt Romney. (When Mr. McCain proposes it, he labels it “victory.”) But hardly had Mr. McCain spoken than his message was upstaged by Mr. Bush’s partisan political speech in Israel. The president implied that Mr. Obama would have enabled the Nazis even more foolishly than his own grandfather, Prescott Bush, did in the 1930s when he maintained “investment relationships with Hitler’s Germany,” as Kevin Phillips delicately describes it in “American Dynasty.”
OMG!!!
Very cool. When I pointed out that connection last week, I was wondering if it would ever break into the tradmed.
you my dear,have steel magnolias (bearings),and have mainstreamed it…bravo
BawHahahahahahahahaha *snort* *giggle*
He may believe in gravity, but his knowledge of recent history is woefully lacking. I need to email him a list of current US ambassador’s.
Both parties do it. The party in the majority does it better.
Boxturtle (I’ll paypal him a penny and help him feel better)
Wow the long knives were out for Tom Davis this morning on the Sunday morning talking heads shows. Bill Kristol, Karl Rove…all they can say is “hug Bush, hug Bush!”
Davis isn’t up for reelection so he has the freedom to tell the truth. Lord-ee is it funny to see the message machine falling apart.
So Tommy got the treatment, did he? Hopefully clips will arise on C&L or elsewhere, so I can catch a glimpse later. No watching the talking heads for me today.
My 1st thought when I read ew’s post- no more Tom Davis (aka Mr. Parboiled), sitting next to my rep. Henry Waxman, oozing his own personal style of faux “comity” in House OGR hearings? God, I’ll miss that, not.
Now if we could just unload the likes of Issa, Cannon, Shays, McHenry, Burton………
Good Morning Emptywheel, Jane and Firedogs,
Marie –
all but Issa are in real trouble, and even his district saw historic levels of dem participation in the primary and if ol Joyride keeps lipping off about first responders and 911 families we could be dancing on his political grave as well –
so funny, 18 mos ago that would have been a pipe dream –
Thanks for that good news, cbl2.
Used to live in Issa’s district; I’d love to see him get the boot. Folks in the district deserve better representation. Maybe this time they’ll vote their own interests en masse.
Issa’s rantings & mouthing off also used to get him in a bit of trouble locally BTW, which caused my then teenage daughter watching Issa spewing on tv to nickname him “Darrell The Furious Hairball.”
Loo Hoo’s on the case!
Great! I thought she might live in that district.
I wonder if LooHoo could get Valerie Plame to appear and make a major point about Issa’s threats to send her to jail for lying about her covert status…of course, that never happened. And it would show just how deranged and incompetent…if not actually malevolent Issa was to those who serve our country. Get the local media to the event and wallop Issa as being unpatriotic and subversive.
Great idea. Let me check with Bob and Francine Busby to see if they know someone who could reach her. Wouldn’t that be wonderful!
you guys rock ya know
Hi (((Jane))). I hope you’re having a great day.
It is a glorious sight indeed, eh? Couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch.
And the thing is, Davis isn’t that far off the Rove position. Both, for example, are fighting a losing battle to get the Nativists to embrace Latinos.
It’s just that Rove, for some reason, will never admit the war was the worst mistake of the last century of US history. Dismissing it as a cultural issue is naive, too, but at least Davis isn’t staking the losing brand on it.
Marcy’s “Vampire Spotlight” what an enlightening devise. Can I get one at my local hardware store. Yes we all need more powerful light as we dive down into the dark mines and secret places where Republicans Neocons manufacture their diabolical schemes. Imagine J.R.R. Tolkien and Marcy as the “Mordor Team”… “Vampire Spotlight” exposing the Gollum-like Rethug crews enlisted by the Corporate Oligarchy. That team approach to criminal behavior needs a ‘Rico Label’ Oligarchy to take the ‘power from ‘We the people’.
Your research is really data mining the Rethug Operations…you truly are a Champion of Democracy. A truth mill of information.
The Neocan strategy of transfer of tax payments from the people to corporate interests needs more light. They have stolen our collective National Treasury while impoverishing more people…more light on that like the Anatomy of Deceit
The next book could be titled “The Vampires Strike Back Not”. It is time for Schock Doctrine on the perpsI just see the addicted to power Gollum shrinking, fawning on the Ring of Power…me precious me precious. Go get the perps Marcy you are the night in ‘Shining Armour’ lay on McDuff!!! Yoow
But but but…….
That was EXCELLENT ew, but where was the part where he said “If the Republican brand were dog food, it would get pulled off the shelf!”
He said that. I was downstairs somewhere and he said that in a press conference and I typed it for all to behold. And I haven’t heard it since or seen it in print. I just *wistfully* LOVED that part!!!!
lol
I saw an item the other day at TPM, where Rahm had paid a visit to the House GOP caucus, apparently discussing their difficulties with brand loyalty or something similar.
If they take his advice, we may be able to write off the GOP for at least a generation. Rahm’s ideas worked so well for the Dems, after all …. [/s]
Does Rahm have a progressive, or any flavour Dem for that matter, opponent in a primary this year? This DLC shill needs to be gone.
Second! I keep wondering why he’s tolerated in the back rooms. He’s caused so much grief. Shine a little sunlight on him too, the blinding kind. What team is he on, anyway?! His own private team alldedamtime?
Rahm signed on to NAFTA and the other “free trade” agreements early on. The DLC thought, rightfully at the time, that these agreements would bring business leaders to the Dem table. That “centrist” position played into whatever the Rethugs wanted to do, however. By enacting legislation that expanded the exploitation opportunities of big pharma, big ag, etc, the Rethugs siphoned off corporation support for the Dem Party. Even though the failings of these “free trade” agreements, and other exploitive policies, have become glaringly apparent, Rahm and the other DLCers continue beating that drum. The DLC crowd has championed the “centrist” position for so long that they now find themselves unable, or unwilling, to re-evaluate their position. They have staked their careers on it and find they’ve painted themselves into a corner. I’m hoping that by 2012 the DLC will be just a bad memory.
Just now noticed your answer. Thank you much. I’ve really been confused as to why the party was marching lock-step behind some of these guys. Still haven’t gotten over the Ned Lamont debacle, altho I’m not CT.
Still furious over how their ham-handed efforts to help Sherrod Brown tarred him with many who otherwise would have been as thrilled with his Senate win as I have been. Hopefully Sherrod’s own actions will redeem him with progressives. He’s always been a terrific guy in my book.
Maybe, now that the D. party seems to be gaining power, they can straighten some things out proactively, instead of always having to react to stonewalling repugs.
Oh good, now Boehner is on This Week talking about how Republicans are the “agents of change.”
Marching orders seem to be “blame the Democratic congress, everyone hates them.”
Boehner is no fool and he’s plugged directly into GOP strategy. I bet he’s having real trouble swallowing what he’s spouting. But I bet he keeps a straight face.
So their plan is to make people think the Dems are really Republicans and the Republicans are really democrats. That should work really well.
The GOP is drowning and they know it. How long until they all turn on BushCo?
Boxturtle (And they haven’t even really worked up a full panic yet)
The blame game of the Republicans just keeps them weak.
I think the Republican’s way of governance only works if the is no oversight. I think there needs to be more kudos to Waxman and Conyers for even the limited amout of overisght they tried to do when in the miority. And the fact that Jack Ambraoff was so super extra greedy.
Re: Davis’ remarks. As a liberal more wedded to my ideology than the democratic party the groups like Act Blue, MoveOn, etc are a significant change. I like targeting my dollars to candidates, versus my distrust of party central. I dont think the message of how well funded challengers like Burner and Tom Allen are is lost on goopers. And by extension, blue dogs may get the message as well.
Tom Davis:
Right.
And Tom Delay was called “The Hammer” because he was just a gentle, ‘go along, get along’, butterfly collecting kind of guy.
.
*gigggggggle*
Thanks cbl2.
All that effort Tom Delay and others put into gerrymandering, doesn’t appear to be working.
We could very well have a fillibuster proof majority in the senate. Last year, that didn’t seem possible but GOPer fortunes seem to keep going down.
Boxturtle (Popcorn, anyone?)
While it’s trite, your dream can come true if we go all out to get out the vote in ways never dreamed of before to support an increasing number of downticket people that would be paradamatically better than the Republican rubber stamps who aren’t capable of analyzing foreign policy or domestic issues.
the real reason the republican brand is in spoils is simpy the fact that they are exposed (thanx to george we might add)
their only purpose is to redistribute wealth from the infrastructure and the middle class to the wealthy
this has gone exactly as predicted and even though corporate media hasn’t made that point, we see it every day
their brand is in ruins for one reason;
they are exposed
England bloomed after Henry VIII redistributed the wealth that the Catholic Church had accumulated over the centuries.
hmmm…
consider the possibilities.
I’m sure the reason why the GOP netroots base has a hard time coordinating is too many members have a brief moment of, “Hey! Why does it feel like I’m aiding and abetting Hitler?!!!”. See?
Empty, Jane and anyone else wishing to disabuse me –
can’t help but wonder if it has something to do with all their bagmen either in jail, indicted or in receipt of target letters. it was like a no limit atm machine they completely relied on and now there’s no one left who knows how to reboot the machine let alone prospect for an expanded donor base
and btw – what in bloody hell did they do with all that money ?!?!? thought these were the fiscally conservative, save it for a rainy day crowd
That was the old Republican Party, the party of Dwignt Eisenhower, Nelson Rockefeller, Jerry Ford, even Barry Goldwater to some extent, et al, the party that deserved at least some minimal level of respect. That party is dead.
1,845 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ONA DN ON AND…
“That was the old Republican Party…the party that deserved at least some minimal leveal of respect.”
Citizen Minnesotachuck:
As a Citizen of Minnesota if ya know yer state’s history, you should know as well as anyone that since 1877 that political party has not deserved ANY level of respect…it’s been the institutional vehicle for corporate fascism and it’s a home grown variety which grew outta the reality of capitalism and slavery.
We are experiencing the end of capitalism here , Brother Chuck, and there is no amount of nostalgia for a mythical past that can bring the beast back…thank God!!
KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, WE’RE GUNNA HAFTA FIGHT FOR WHAT THEY’VE TAKEN AWAY!!
Oops. Had the wrong quote hanging on to my clipboard and didn’t notice after an interruption. The intended quote was from cbl’s post at #32, and was:
they lied.
but we wouldn’t be “redistributing”, we would be “reclaiming”
and we wouldn’t call it “taxing the wealthy”
we will call it “reclaiming our assets which have been pillaged”
me likey
we will call these “reclaiming programs”;
“re aquiisition of wealth inappropriately aportioned to people who they do not belong”
hehe
anyone that fights the program we will call “theives and criminals trying to keep the booty they’ve taken from our kids”
I am telling you, I am auditioning for a spot in obama’s policy making devision
I remain very cautiously optimistic. I think we’ve marginally slowed the rate of our moral descent as a nation. As Tom Davis confirmed, all that corporate money is now flowing to Vichy Dems.
I also, however, think that milestones are important. In a journey such as the FDL community has made, it’s important to take time to smell the roses. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying this. Please pass the popcorn.
amen Boo. after months of restraint, finally had enough of a winger co-worker’s spewing opinion as fact
cbl: “got two words for ya, President… Obama”
well worth the wait *g*
Good Morning Marcy.
Gee hon. Why hold back for fear of hurting their feelings.
Just say what you really think. Mwahahahahah.
I luv your “take” on things.
I also keep fretting about the mental state of one of our township powerhouses, who thought it ever-so-sneaky-smart to switch to the pug party long about ‘02. Wonder how that’s workin’ out for ‘im. Trust he’s not givin’ up the day job, heh.
BTW: I’d like to place an order for a Democratic Pres. and Congressional super-majority on whole-grain, please. Hold the mayo but pile on the greens. ;->
Mary Tillman – Pat Tillman’s mother has been in AZ for a week for her book tour…… That is another brand the R’s have broken…… that they are the party for the military……. the military has finally gotten it that R’s use them but do not do anything else…….
That the R’s do not give a flying F*ck about anything else….. not if they have the right troop levels, equipment, support, reasonable standards in housing, not to qualify for food stamps when enlisted…. follow up care, education, actually PAY for their reenlistment bonuses and not try to weasel out of any promises
Mary is being interviewed on our local Faux channel and TELLING the truth….. AZ’s split with the war has been the truth of the death of Tillman…. the hard righties even pealed off in their support…
Mary Tillman Mother of Pat Tillman, author “Boots on the Ground by Dusk” Monday, May 12, 2008; 12:00 PM. According to his Mom, Pat was against the invasion of Iraq. I hadn’t followed this too closely and didn’t know that. I thought Mary came across very very well in this chat.
check this out, check this out, check this out:
“thanx to george bush the republican party has been exposed, their purpose is to
1)residistribute the assets middle class has been investing for generations to the wealthy
2) give as gifts the american infrastructure to the corporations that contribute to their campaign
3) allow corporations to buy law
4) immunise their own from any law, even forgive and commute the sentences of people who have exposed our security assets simply because they are a friend of a friend
5) manufacture data for the purpose of gaining political propaganda to use agains Americans
the list needs to be refined but man, I like that strategy
off to work
Let’s not forget that the Repub-Fascists still have a big ace up their sleeve.. the country’s so fucked up that the incoming Dems will have their hands full just to keep it together. This will allow the Limbaugh-Rove Noise Machine to do what it does best, complain, blame and throw rocks at any sort of effort to correct the mess Cheney has created.
Agree.
Ain’t that a truth! After so much hope (dashed) in ‘06, it’s really hard to work up excitement knowing what you describe is a surety. “Some people” will call me a pessimist and others may view that as realism….spent eight years watching the thugs and msm play the game and the refs
suckstink.Only solution is more and better progressives, both in government and media.
Hi Norske.
All this talk of a repug. “brand” makes them sound so.. so shallow and uncaring, as if their own personal pile of loot is the ONLY thing they think about. To them real people and all their annoying little problems are simply a nuisance and a bother, and religion-speak is a tool.
Surely this cannot be! Really?! Boy-oh-boy, if the general public found out, the pugs’d be in real trubble, eh? Far be it from me to sit quietly. Spread the word. Democratic sweep.
Interesting that Davis screams about OSC and Bloch (May 6) and the a few days after the raid, starts screaming about the “Rep Brand” (May 9)then calls Bush “Radioactive” (May 16)…
Hmmm…
Then McCain changes his position on Iraq? Hmmm…
How does a party
revirginizere-energize itself?Using an outgoing congressman who submits a 20 page report on the Repug electoral woes and who cannot spell Obama’s name AND manages to work in a racial slur about him in the same sentence of a report?
-from Politico
If this is the voice of re-branding…get me some popcorn….
This article is a bit of a surprise too:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/…..unt18.html
Hmmm…
Makes ya wanna yell, “Duck!” I’m no munitions expert, barely know one end of a weapon from the other, but even I can tell they’ve forgotten how dangerous ricochets can be, even if they’re just hurling words. Ah well. Not my job.
EW, these may be the finest two sentences you have ever written. The fundamental problem for the current Republican Party leadership is their own aversion to democracy. It’s not just the DFHs they can’t stand, it is the majority of Americans who they don’t trust to make intelligent decisions. Hence, they wrest control of government out of the hands of the citizens, and then are befuddled when the citizens punish them for their condescending elitist behavior.
The Republican Party is doomed until and unless the libertarian/fiscal-conservative/small-government folks can regain control of the party from the elite corporatists whose every act runs counter to the public good of the citizenry. The real trick I think will be to prevent the corporatist take-over of the Democratic Party (which Davis alludes to in terms of donations, and which we see already in the fight between the Dean and DLC factions). It remains to be seen whether in fact the public will regain/retain control of either party in this land of moneyed interests.
Hm, is this Tom “oversight” Davis? Who let his chairmanship of the oversight committee expire without doing a damned thing while the country fell into ruin?
We’re still happy that we kept his wife from being re-elected in her nice safe Republican district. Bye bye, Davis family!
Hey (((Egregious))).
Indeedy. Congrats and thanks for the nice work.
p.s., I’m really enjoying your posts these days. Glad you’re on the A Team! ;->
your boy Webb is sounding very vice presidential . . .I may be convinced yet.
hello I must be going . . .
crikey! gotta go to work – am tivo’ing Press The Meat – just to watch Timmeh defend the Maverick on his GI Bill intransigence – go get ‘im Senator Webb!
Have a FDL day pups !
I’ve finally figured out how we get universal, single-payer healthcare enacted in this country — with the overwhelming support of conservatard voters.
We start with the premise that the easiest way to achieve this is to simply expand the Medicare program to everyone.
The first thing we do — we convince those Low Information Voters that they’re the victims, and are being screwed out of something they’re entitled to:
We start blanketing every congressional district with TV ads showing sick people in hospital beds, and kindly doctors. An ominous voiceover intones: “For the past 43 years, you as an American have been guaranteed proper and necessary medical care — but not if you’re not the right age! Call your congressman today, and tell him to end the age discrimination in the Medicare program!“
Liberals get universal, single-payer healthcare. Conservatives get a big government program to bloviate and shake their finger at about “unfair discrimination.” Everybody wins!
Wish it would be that easy. That’s not a new idea, btw. But, Medicare is also a fairly easy target by the “con”servatives as a lumbering and mindless bureaucracy egregiously wasteful of taxpayers’ money.
Everyone but the US Treasury. The price for Universal Health Care? The total privatization of Medicare. And you thought defense contractors could overbill…
This is the time for loyal Americans to expose the Republican party for what it is a faithless lying wasteful incompetent hypocritical disloyal thieving bunch of worthless bastards and certified a$$-holes..
There is an opportunity to split the Republicans and and expose them I could go on for hours with the litany of their lies hypocrisy and out right thievery..
The Democrats do not go on and over and over let the America people hear what wasteful bunch of liars these scum swine bastards are..in less than 7 years they double the entire national Debt..yet they still make these outrageous lies up and these bald faced ludicrous lies..
This is the time to crush the Republicans drive them back down into the abyss..the pits of perdition from whence their kind come…
All this reach across the aisle crap…
I’d like to reach across the aisle alright and grab them by the neck for what they’ve done to my country and it’s people…
If Tom Davis is any kind of a man he should get on his knees on the Capital steps before all of America and beg it’s forgiveness and renounce the Republican party forever for what it’s done these last 40 years to America..as I have witnessed over and over..
The hell with these Republicans, they must be exposed look at what they’ve done to our country, it’s economy, it’s place among the nations of the world, to our army, to it’s troops, to every agency meant to protect and serve the American People, to our pride in our nation, and even all of our own self respect as Americans, why does Obama want to align himself or work with these swine or any other Democrat for that matter…any real Democrat or any other humanitarian, or any one with an ounce of decency..why would they be willing to soil themselves with these ruinous lying Republican swine..?
The hell with them, I have had enough of them since 1968, when I was 16 for 40 years I’ve watched as they have weakened and destroyed our nation, the hell with Tom Davis too..screw him screw all of them….from Nixon to Bush to Reagan to McCain all liars all hypocrites all of them, get them out of our government forever for good or we will face complete ruin we’re not far from it already..!
How about a commercial showing what the GOP is doing at 3am? Yeah, yeah, we could show them…
Covering up crimes
Lying to the American people
Ignoring the American people
Etc.
Don’t forget a little illicit sex..
LOL That should be the opening shot….the GOP in bed together!
Of all kinds…paid for by lobbists…
And more…
Oh the list could go on and on! Someone needs to make this commercial about the GOP and what they’re doing at 3am.
I don’t like the smarmy Dick Morris, but, y’all oughta read his WaPo OdEd today:
Basically, “Move To The Center, and Drag Your Wingnuts Along, Kicking And Screaming.” Read the whole thing, it’s fairly detailed w/respect to his recommended McBu’ush tactical campaign topic positions.
I don’t trust him. He’s got a long long history of saying what he thinks people want to hear, not because be believes it himself, or even plans to act accordingly.
I’d regard his statements kind of like having junior stand next to you and promise what he’s gonna do for your favorite program. Most of the time, it disappears as fast as it came.
Oh, I agree. Just pointing out what we will likely be looking at tactically, as proffered by Morris. Will sufficient numbers fall for the BS? We will see, ‘eh?
Dick Morris appears to have forgotten that Bob Barr is in the race. In at least a few states–starting with GA–he’s going to prevent a lot of that from happening.
bom dia pups
my feminist tendencies are not condusive to reading anything that ass wipe writes but I thank you for giving a summation from said ass wipe’s Op/Ed piece.
It’s painful flushing the eyes with bleach after reading right wing fungus.
Konichiwah, mommy Wobbs
(((QuakerGirl)))
bom dia SD (weebits is still asleep but I can’t wait to see those eyes again)
((((Quakergirl))))
I think I know somebody who’s hooked.
more a it anxious just to know she is doing well (thriving, developing the way she should, etc.) of course i’m in love with that lil one but she has a home with my aunt when she gets a bit older
Dick Morris? “Look at me, Look at me, I’m still a player!” Sorry, “Dick” (with all that implies), you are yesterdays news..
Yeah, of course, I agree. Jus’ sayin’.
No animosity to Messengers, I’ve just had it with all these experts from both sides who are consistently wrong yet still manage to hang around
LOL!
Paraphrasing Taleb, throw 100,000 pundits into the fray who then prognosticate by flipping a coin every year. Ten years later, ~90 will still be around, having been “right” all along.
Lots of talk about how unethical the repugs are.
It’s easy to associate unethical, self-serving behavior with them, because they have been at it for so long.
It’s also fun to watch these arrogant pigs discover that they are now standing in the daylight and the rest of us can see the pig-shit they are wallowing in.
But lets not take our eyes off the ball. The problem is not the repugs but unethical, self serving behavior, whichever party.
We need to be going after the crooks, liars, pedophiles, and gangsters of all ilks.
gee, dick morris is brilliant
too bad the repuglitards haven’t been listening to HIM for the past six years …
oh, wait, the repuglitards HAVE been listening to dick morris ???
never mind …
john mccain appeals to everybody. If you don’t like what he stands for, wait 5 minutes, and john mccain will stand for something else
sounds like a winner to me …
Bullseye.
Thanks.
Gotta love this MSM juxtaposition today.
First:
then:
Pissy Boy Bu’ush, Petulant Pile of Putrid Contradictions.
Now:
Then:
Delusional Boy “bringing democracy to the Middle East.” What a hoot.
The military has subjected so many Irakis to the horrors of military detention that they find themselves reluctant to release innocent Irakis for fear they’ll join the resistance. I wonder whatever gave them that idea. Not that any self-respecting Iraki would take up arms against the great liberators. The military’s fears that the Iranians are helping to train the Mahdi Army is most definitely fueled by the fact that Iran makes no bones about its support of Hizbollah, who just happened to give the IDF a lesson last summer. Well trained, very pissed off, heavily armed individuals pose a threat the US military never imagined.
I’m gonna have to spend 45 minutes re-watching Robert Newman’s “History of Oil.” Too good to pass up.
“I call on all nations in this region to release their prisoners of conscience, open up their political debate and trust their people to chart their future,” Bush said…
The loud noise you hear is the rest of the world laughing, crying, and swearing upon hearing that drivel.
The dude is truly clueless.
But, as Lewis Lapham once observed, “The world is a place of but two inhabitants. It is a place wherein Bush the Actor need only please Bush the Audience.”
His speech writers still do not understand that we have no cred left. And, of course, he doesn’t understand anything at all.
“His speechwriters”? You make it sound like the writers work for him, Twain, when in reality he works for them..
It’s as if reality does not exist for these people. They must sit in the Executive Office building reading and seeing nothing but the Rethug Party daily talking point emails and memos.
Karl Rove was at one time considered a very savvy political strategist. Now he reads and sounds like a buffoon. He and Bill “The Grin” Kristol make excellent poster boys for Fenderheads, Inc.
ugh id rather be blind and have no taste buds
don’t forget David [the Shy Stutterer] Brooks. /s
(((Quaker Girl)))
And the rest of the world shouted “YOU FIRST!”
Boxturtle (And there was silence)
What’s worrying to me is that now, in Ohio, I’m seeing lots of McCain ads. “CEOs, accountability. Health care, portability.” etc.
Most excellent, dood.
Interesting O/T –
LA Times poll on gay marriage ruling:
33,139 total responses as of 9 a.m. Sunday.
Methinks the bigots are in for a nasty wakeup call on this one. I’ve read the CA SC may find the ballot initiative unconstitutional on its face. And that’s where the bigots will find themselves. Hopefully in a particularly nasty gutter somewhere.
phred said “It’s not just the DFHs they can’t stand, it is the majority of Americans who they don’t trust to make intelligent decisions. ”
Actually, I think they are afraid that most Americans _can- make intelligent decisions, they need them to make stupid decisions, to convince people to vote against their objective best interest in favor of some straw man. That’s why Marcy’s sunlight comment is so on them money. Republicans have been succeeding only through deception. Take that away, and they are toast.
The main way to slap Issa is for his opponent to constantly refer to him as the exactly what he is–”the car thief.” As in, “I wish to respond to the claims of the two-time car thief…”
hows everybody on this rainy Sunday,i hope a lit peachy at least…
{{{{{{{{Quaker Girl}}}}}} {{{{{{SD}}}}}} {{{{{mommy Wobbs}}}}}}}…and all
I’m in an Impeachy mood how about you.
(To… I like a gershwin tune how about you)
have been since 2006…ONLY WAY TO STOP …the pardons
Nowhere near the time needed for that exercise now. Pardons from the US prez hold no water at the Hague. And the pardons would have to read “any and all acts…” to avoid copping to specific acts they don’t want to see the light of day. A new government struggling to regain credibility in the world just might offer up some of the lower level bozos as a sacrifice. Yeah, I know, dream on, dream on, teenage queen.
if they STARTED proceedings ,would chimp and co….still have pardon power?
Yep. Just like Ford pardoned Nixon to preclude any criminal prosecution connected with Watergate. As long as he’s prez he can pardon anyone at any time. Impeachment by the House in itself is meaningless, as the Rethugs found out with Clinton. It’s conviction by the Senate that really counts.
sux
“Impeachment by the House in itself is meaningless, as the Rethugs found out with Clinton. It’s conviction by the Senate that really counts.”
I think you’ve been drinking Nancy Pelosi’s Kool-aide. What impeachment by the House does is to provide virtually unlimited powers to document impeachable offenses. This is especially critical with the DOJ crippled by political corruption of the lowest order. In fact, at this point in the calendar, impeachment is the BEST route forward, even if it ends in the House before a vote on the floor and never gets to the Senate.
Bob in HI
Bob is right
heres an adorable pic for yall
http://www.gonemild.com/upload…..708463.jpg
oooohhhh babies!!!!
when i lived in FL ,i rescued duckies…just love em
Some mallards have made a home by a retention pond by a school across the street from where I work. No idea where they came from but I can’t wait to see some ducklings. Had to stop for them the other day as they were waddling across the street. They’re so much fun to watch.
get some cracked corn or bread,but make sure they DONT cross the street…cellphones/cars/stoooopit peeps
I’m told bread isn’t good for them in addition to providing zero nutrition. Got any ideas on how I can keep them from crossing the street? I’m certainly open to suggestions. I don’t want to scare them by chasing them back. Not a main drag and folks in this little berg stop for critters, even on the main drags.
Can you locate a wildlife rescue person locally? They might be able to net them, box them up with momma, and find a suitable local pond. Once they reach water, they ought to be o.k., I’d think/hope.
We’ve got a number of ponds. They’re all adults and I think they’re looking for a pond to settle in. I haven’t seen them in the last few days.
Sorry. I thot you had a family with little peeps in tow. Hopefully adults would fly outta there. Are they all same sex? or is it a bunch of drakes parading around after some wayward lassie? Se% does crazy things to duck people too… Just how deeply involved in this little soap opera do you wish to dive? ;->
I’ve seen two drakes and one female. They just walk around, chowing on bugs they find in the grass. Haven’t seen any type of courtship behaviour. No chasing of the female or any of that stuff. The wildlife folks have been very aggressive with relocating any Muscovy ducks they find in any area containing mallards, though. The Muscovy’s were taking over everywhere.
those were the ones i rescued,the ones nobody likes”g”
They’re attractive animals but devastate any local duck populations. Plus they’re prolific breeders.
i wuv them,they were brought here by the Spanish 200 years ago….they need to have lots of babies caquse very few survive,they like people,and thats their undoing….how do they devastate Mallard pops?
I’m told they destroy the Mallard nests and eggs and run the Mallards off. Judging from what I’ve seen their survival rate seems to have improved.
they’re pesky critters, but supposed to be tasty.
As for the naughty mallard threesome, maybe they’re not selling tickets yet, but I’m betting she gets annoyed enuf with the 2 guys shortly that she’ll fly off elsewhere. Being men, they’ll follow. There’s nothing subtle about mallard courtship, other than this marching around nibbling grass schtick. If enough amorous drakes are chasing one female, they’ve been known to drown the occasional unfortunate object of their desires, thus sinking that little dollop of the gene pool…
How deeply do you want to wade into this situation?
Nope. Got enough critter responsibilities and I haven’t seen anything that alarms me. Yet. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen ducks in my little berg so I’m playing the wait and see game for now.
just do the sign, mine read…me and my kids(lie) thank you for slowwing down ,we all play here
hush now,dont be dissing my charges,on our lake there was peaceful do existence ON GOLDEN POND
Not dissing, honest. Just an observation. In another lifetime, I was proper scientific about all this … stuff.
i luvs all things duck, all life forms, although junior does stretch my capabilities in this direction.
they are good little critters,people hate em,..love when they waddle their little butts….so cute
some people hate anything they don’t understand. their loss.
I was with you till you slimed the herons. They have to make a living also.
Huge expansion of building and parking lots destroys unbelievably large amounts of valuable wetlands. I doubt your local herons would cause nearly that much trouble in a less human-trammeled world.
i love the HERONS too…mother nature is hard to watch….W.Allen …ONE BIG RESTRAUNT
You’ve got that right.
As Ms. Redshift says on seeing such events, “the circle of life is disgusting.”
Sorry. This attytood is way too far over the top for me.
Not disgusting to me. Natural is good. I choose to watch and wonder at it all with reference and awe at how it all “works”. It is beautiful.
boosh is disgusting, consciously, knowingly, deliberately vicious. there’s a world of difference.
Should have put a *g* on that; it wasn’t said entirely seriously. The line is meant to convey that despite the Disneyfied perspective of all the happy animals in things like the Lion King, a lot of them do live by eating each other. It’s a recognition that there’s a lot of nature that you wouldn’t necessarily want to watch, not that there’s anything wrong with it.
got it! thanks. too much disney-fying in the world these days imho.
global warming wiping out penguins and polar bears.
what to do?
make fluffy toys of penguins and polar bears.
otherwise???? *crickets*
Now THAT’s disgusting! ymmv
*reaches for pile of tissues*
the HERONS eat whole cluthches of them…!@#$%^@#$%^&argh
do freewayblogger,go to lumber yard…”DUCK CROSSING”… bread is ok ,we always gave them some good bread
I can do that.
your da best,it slows em down for other critters too (tigers)
I took care the the stray tiger problem a while back. They’re at my house.
me too…. i adore you”g”
steal some orange cones from a nearby utility truck* and make a “Duck Crossing”*
*warning, actual advice may not comply with laws in your local area, and may cause you to be fines, cited, arrested, or possibly deported, so keep my name out of it, okay ???
great idea,but some “GUYS” hate animals,and ignore …i put kid crossing
Since my last run in with the local authorities they avoid me like the plague. Gave the Chief of Police an earful one night outside the City Council meeting. And I do mean earful. I was madder than a disturbed hornet’s nest. And made sure everyone heard me. I thought the old man was gonna have a heart attack. Fuck ‘im.
(((poppy wobbs)))
he was feeling left out lol
hahahahahaahahaha
(((poppy wobbs)))
Yep, have to give credit where due.
Speaking of speechwriters… has anyone else noticed now incredibly wooden McSame is at his campaign appearances? He’s obviously using teleprompters everywhere he goes, as far as I can tell (e.g., the fixed stare 1st at one point, then abruptly shifted to another, seemingly never really looking at the people he’s supposedly talking to in his speech.)
Makes his speeches much less effective than they might otherwise be, at least as seen on tv. Looks like a robot. No joke.
Wonder what would happen if a teleprompter had a glitch. Ya think he’d be stuck there repeating, “as, as, as, as, as, as, as, as,…” until one of his aides ran up and unjammed his gears? Mebbe that’s why Cindy’s there.
Come to think of it…. Oh, but of course, she’d have her own techies standing at the ready.
yup he is as wooden as Pinoccio and just as MENDACIOUS
Oh! Say it isn’t so! The horror…. heh.
but Pinnoccio was prolly smarter hahahahahahaha
indubitubly! LOL.
HuffPost has video from his appearance at SNL. Stiff as a board, staring straight at, and reading from, the teleprompter, even when engaged by the Weekend News folks. Pathetic.
I thought it was particularly ungraceful when he got up and left after the Weekend Update bit while the camera was still on him (and when it looked like Seth was just about to acknowledge him.). The whole vibe was definitely more “okay, I’ve done the bit I have to do with the damn kids” rather than his old “I’m the funny and approachable Republican that everyone in the media loves.”
I noticed that too. In addition to his normally stiff self, he looked as though he was extremely uncomfortable in that setting. The bit behind the desk wasn’t as bad but this guy seems like he’s talking to zombies. Kids don’t watch SNL. Demographic is pretty much 30-something’s, what us old DFH’s used to call yuppies. I was taken aback a bit with the applause he received. I thought it would have been a much cooler reception.
Yeah, I meant “kids” from his perspective, not actual kids. And as for the applause, remember that as opposed to a political speech, applause in a studio audience is not entirely a free-will thing. Even on SNL, I’m sure they have a produce whipping applause, because lack of applause is not good for the show (not to mention their ability to get other guests.)
Tourists get tickets months in advance for SNL and some of them are affluent rubber stamp Republicans with no political brain and no regard for the constitution.
A couple (and that’s all I can find reciting the Fox mantra (e.g. Bush’s ‘appeasment’ speech was an excellent way to kick off the battle for the general because “Sakkooretty is da mantra in da general” of the rubber stamp Republicans in my neighborhood aren’t aware of anything on this KOS list The Week That Was In The Collapse Of The Republican Party. H/T to Hmmm.
Usually just tune him out but for some reason watched and listened to a clip of him on one of the gag fests this morning. Sadlyyes describes him as “wooden” and that pretty well hits the nail. He’s running on some mythical story tale of his past b/c he sure ain’t runnin’ on presentation. Wrt the teleprompter, seem to remember reading recently about how he was using some piece of equipment and his minders decided to add something else so he would be able to talk in a half-circle vs. just in a couple of directions. There was some word he stumbled over this morning and I thought, “Heh, heh…..better get your glasses changed before you take on Obama in a debate.”
Can you watch toast burn AND eat popcorn at the same time? *g*
Right. And notice how little applause there is during his speeches? Nobody knows when to applaud! I can hardly wait for the debates;~)
Absolutely. But I’m not sure popcorn is enough. Might need something stronger.
I am not sanguine when I remember that Bush cannot speak English, but was spun into a plain-speaking man of the people. Of course neither Gore nor Kerry were natural public speakers.
did anybody read Glenzilla today…subplot Eugenics
http://www.salon.com/opinion/g…..index.html
Anyone who has a subscription to the Washington Post should cancel it.
Summation: Fags and Mixed-Bloods are precluded from the presidency.
I wonder if old man Broder is throw a hissy fit when the Dems take over DC again. I think his cocktail weenie funfests are gonna come to a screeching halt. So we’ll see his whine in his occasional column as he complains about his social life bein’ in the shitter and how the Dems “aren’t like us.”
Go hook up with Safire, old man. Get a couple more of your old brain dead buddies and y’all can have circle jerks on the weekends.
o thot brooder was retirin’, like soon. no?
He is but is slated to do the occasional column. Spare me, puhleese.
You know some Repub assholes want to change the Constitution to allow Arnold to run.
ain’t gonna happen
yup
OT- Inspiring vid worth watching, via Juan Cole:
In the Kuwaiti election, women candidates are pushing for change (Aljazeera English):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6gMyZvEKN4
This is a great thread to backread over morning coffee…
We’re taking the dogs & driving up to Jalama Beach now for the day. Want to take the pooches for a long hike out of the heat & crowds @ our local beaches.
Read you all later.
Imagine McSame in a debate with… ANYONE! Oh dear…
and surely a year when there’s not a sympathy vote to be had anywhere across this great land.
toasted candydate. stay tuned.
He’ll get creamed.
And immediately thereafter the MSM Court Composers will wax rhapsodic about how he kicked ass.
You just watch.
This is probably a very naive question, but:
With the sheer volume and weight of corruption, deceit, crime, scandal, and failures of governance; the promise of more Bush. how is it possible that national polls can show even the most remote possibility that McBush could win the Presidency? Is this a Media fiction?
sh-h-h-h. they’re reading whatever rover gives them. plant a seed of an idea to that effect, somewhere, anywhere, everywhere. then stand back and watch it grow. ;->
What I find intriguing here is that there’s no real advice on how to fix the problem. The big issue for Republicans right now is that they’re chained to an enormously unpopular President, and HIS big problems are Iraq, gas prices, and the mortgage meltdown. The obvious way to distance yourself from the President would be to pick one of these issues and go against the President on it. Iraq is the easiest–just write up legislation that declares victory (Saddam is dead, there are no WMDs, and Iraq has a democratic government.) and brings the troops home. As for gas prices, it should be fairly easy to distance yourself from a man who is–literally–holding hands with the king Saudi Arabia. The mortgage meltdown isn’t fixable, so my advice to the GOP would be to stick to the first two issues.
Seems like a dream campaign for the popcorn industry.
Anything and everything pug has been totally painted into multiple corners, with no way out. & Junior’s trotting the globe leaving little bits of his legacy all over dedamplace.
Reddenbacher with loads of butter & extra napkins, please.
Repubs are up da Nile big time.
Those are called turds.
“Legacy turds!” You read it here first!
707 …poifect
ayup! ;->
“Legacy turds!” You read it here first!
707. Oh man, you’ve started something now.
Oh Phoo! Whaddaya think I meant by “bits”? Dang. Too suBtle by half. I hereby claim part ownership of said wisdombite.
OT – Should make Bandar Bush nervous From The Guardian
that was CO-existence
Here’s the dog food reference.
I think the other big reason that Davis is trying (with limited success) to be a realist is that he still has his eye on a Webb’s seat, and hopes to turn the party around so he can make that a reality. It’s always about him in some way. However, it’s comforting to see that his blinders are still pretty solid, either preventing him from seeing the real problems, or ignoring them because he knows they’re not going to change.
I was particularly amused by the slavish ideological devotion to the idea that unions are “stealing” their members money, though.
naGONNAhappen
You know that, and I know that, but it’s gonna take a long time before Mr. Colossal Ego knows that. I think it’s a good thing, because maintaining him image to preserve that ambition may cause him to be somewhat less blatant in his lobbying work than he would be if he gave up and was just in it for the money.
tru dat
I’m also kind of wondering whether he’s bidding for RNC chair.
Oh, boy.
Why are you referring to DHinMI by his blog name instead of identifying him as Dana Houle, former chief of staff to Congressman Paul Hodes? Dana Houle is a coward, a racist and a fraud. He fooled a lot of people on Kos and alienated many more. here is an accurate report exposing Dana Houle http://danahouledhinmi.blogspo…..fraud.html
Houle attacked election fraud advocates as DHinMI and as Houle spoke about how election fraud is a conspiracy.
DHinMI is a sockpuppet. A coward.
I am surprised emptywheel you would link to him knowing that all these years he was working for a congressman.
Dana Houle is a phony. If he posted under his own name then he would just be an asshole. But he’s a phoney and an asshole and a coward as well.
Don’t believe anything Dana Houle says. He’s a scizoid.
RESTAURANT
I want junior and shooter sitting side by side in hard, uncomfortable chairs at the Hague, plus whatever that leads to, altho I do have preferences in mind.
How could their conceivably NOT be considered criminal?! no snark.
Gotta go put food on my family guys. Later… ;->
P. E. A. C. E.
Oh my. Somebody’s not happy.
He and Cindi-LOu …look like 2 verrrrrrrrry unhappy peeps
must break away and clean 4 litter boxes …yuk …seeya later
*visions of kitties patiently sitting with legs crossed*
Please hurry mom!
Gotta go do water change in my aquarium at work. Later.
Peace Love Light
you work in an aquarium ???
totally cool
are you the little diver guy, or what ???
(wink)
apologies, Redshift. I can’t even grin in jest over such things any more.
The damage. The wanton greed and destruction. The callous indifference by those in power. We’re losing too much, way too much. Extinction is forever.
damdamdam. i wasn’t going to do this *sniffle* i gotta go for awhile.
thanks for the good company and wisdom.
I am not so sure how joyful we should be at the demise of “the brand”.
They were in place long enough to stack a supreme court, immunize the executive with Pixie Dust, and fortify the executive with secret law(breaking/making) and signing statement precedents, perhaps irreversibly; their entrenchment strategy will clearly be the presidency again.
Davis is whining about losing all his buds, but in the end he and the congressional republicans sank themselves by bending over and letting Bush/Cheney destroy the meaning of congress. This seems the natural extension of unitary executivism.
Ot has anyone seen the documentary “Where in the world is Osama Bin Laden”
Went to see last night. Do yourself a favor and go see it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxCoLpVQacQ
And here is why I will NEVER forgive HRC’s unprincipled quest for/lust for the presidency (from the Davis memo):
Fuck that annoys me. If she costs us the election, it will forever trash the Clinton “brand” for me and millions of other formerly admiring Dems who supported her and Bill in the 90’s.
Here’s one of my favorite parts. After explaining that the healthcare solution proposed by repubs is “tort reform, physician reimbursement, preventative care and Medicare, Part D — but who would know” (count me in that group), Davis says:
He thought Pharma would feel loyal to the repubs and show it by contributing in large sums to repubs? This passes for political analysis on that side of the aisle.
The articles in scores of controlled circulation mags and newspapers mailed to MDs in the past month read “Preparing for a Medicare Fee Cut” because there is a 10.6% cut in fee schedules going into effect July 1 and another one to follow on Jan 1 2009 unless Congress intervenes.
This translates in about a 2.3% income reduction for the average internist or FP who have medicare beneficiaries as 22% of their practice population. Office overhead is going inversely up exponentially.
Davis and his cronies who have hoped to be multimillionaires lobbying for big Pharma including Democrat John Breaux at the front of the line have been no friend to patients or doctors and have helped the cost of your meds to rise with the cost of your gas.
I should have added that there are ominous changes as to prescription drug costs soon to take place in Part D that are quickly being extrapolated by all private insurers–which are increasing co-pays for life saving drugs in a number of illnesses like Elizabeth Edwards’ metastatic breast cancer to 30-40% of the cost/per year of medications which can cost from $50-100,000 per year (and the vast majority of patients are of course unable to fund these critical medications).
Medicare’s Financial Woes
Medicare Co-Pays Questioned by GAO
Medicare Plans Affected by Rising Drug Costs
Co-Paymnents Go Way Up For Drugs with High Prices
Same thing appears to be progressively creeping into private coverage too. One of our policies just implemented higher Rx co-pays (up to $50 on really expensive stuff like Advair) and you now don’t get any Rx coverage until your policy deductible ($2,500) has been met. So, if you don’t have any actual medical problems requiring expenditure of chunks of money to meet the deducible, you basically now have no Rx coverage because, at least for us, $2,500 is a lot of Rx; probably won’t have but $2,499.99 in a year. They also made us each buy policies individually, so that is fucking $2,500 per person, not for the whole family. That is all without going into the $250 monthly policy premium per person. Most carrier packages will not accept us because both I and my daughter have common allergies/asthma. I am certainly not on the poverty line, and I can’t afford this shit. If something bad happens they then try to deny coverage and cancel you; have teams of commissioned predators for this very purpose. I guess I know better, but I really do wonder why bother any more? I am, at least arguably I suppose, above average in being an informed consumer and in ability to take care of myself on this kind of stuff (kind of hard to tell that from these results though); how in the world do regular people do it? My conclusion is that they really aren’t, and are paying small fortunes thinking they are taken care of, and simply do not understand what paper thin reeds of rafts they float on and how useless it will be when the storm comes. It has become absolutely insane and must change.
Very well expressed–this ridiculous situation is all too common place. Absolutely the higher co-pays are being adopted by private insurers.
MDs have been watching and trying to fight every one of these type incremental insurance changes, many of course in concert with the large pharmaceutical forces. It has always been a huge concern as to how inidividuals or families are going to pay for routine Rxs, as well as the increasingly more expensive ones. The R&D cost argument is always showcased by the pharm companies and while it is significant, it’s not near what they project it is.
Many average people are having an incredibly tough time paying for meds, many of which are becoming as expensive a pill or capsule as gas is becoming a gallon.
Pharma R&D costs are dwarfed by what they spend on marketing. Dontcha love those TV ads in which the 30 second sales pitch is followed by a minute and a half of caveats and disclosures?
Here’s part of the warning for mirapex:
Jeebus. Just reading that gives me restless leg syndrome. And that is not even close to being among the worst I have seen and heard.
Yes Chuck they are dwarfed by a huge ratio.
Those ads are a characature or a satire and I have thought they were a farce from the first one I ever saw. The reasons for the side effects that are rattled off like an auctioneer on way too much speed are the language in some law Congress passed that I’m too lazy to look up mandating that side effects have to be uttered in all ads to the public on the air or made available in print so you end up with that. *g*
Of course the public should have unlimited access to med information, but it gets absurd when the side effects take up more of the commercial than the information on the drug and the way they are delivered is pretty meaningless for anyone who listens.
One of the benefits of the web which a sizable chunk of the population still can’t access is that there it has a wealth of good quality info on it sometimes camouflaged by bad, but it has been far better overall than I expected at first.
And then there’s that extremely unlikely side effect that you should worry about after 4 hours…
That one NEVER gets left out.
Tom Davis recommends you buy Republican (TM) Brand Drugs, chief among them, soma.
I might actually happily pay for real soma. You almost need something like that to deal with the altered ethos of today’s government and corporate society.
I have finished reading most of the materials from EWs post on the motion of the Guantanamo defendants, and the Scott Horton article, attached as Appendix H to the motion is most enlightening. First, Horton identifies Susan Davis, a civilian and former military appeals judge, as a personal friend of David Addington, and basically says she is a known quantity for the Fourth Branch.
Second, Horton says that the real issue that Colonel Davis had with the system is not, as I suggested on the relevant thread, solely that General Hartmann was in his chain of command. He was primarily concerned that that devil Jim Haynes, a civilian, was in his chain of command. Haynes is one of the proponents of the torture program, and of the use of evidence derived from torture in Military Commission proceedings. Haynes was also in the chain of command of the defense counsel. When Hartmann started his gotta have convictions stuff, Davis saw it as an order rather than a hope, because Haynes is in his chain of command. Davis is viscerally opposed to the use of evidence from torture in any proceedings, specifically including Military Commission proceedings.
I have previously pointed out that the Nazi equivalent of the JAG Corps refused to participate in the Night and Fog program because it violated International Law of War. Colonel Davis says that the JAG knows how to behave, and he is incensed by the willingness of the political people in the DoD to subvert justice.
Many of us are anxiously waiting to read the opinion in Boumediene/Al-Odah v. Bush which should be a week to three weeks away and trying to figure out which Justice’s “law office” and law clerks are circulating memos on the majority opinion.
I meant to note that this accords directly with the concerns raised by earlofhuntington and scribe on the prior thread.
Found it:
Rahm and the house GOP
The McCain speeches come across fairly well in print, although it is easy to show that he has not been consistent on most of what he is talking about.
ot
Wonder which American contractor will be building this new prison in Afghanistan?
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/5/18/132218/928
“except for the Appalachian counties”
I hope Obama spends some time in those “Appalachian counties”. I really think this would help a great deal.
Check out the excellent work by Charles Blow NYT Visual Op Ed Columnist. The talking heads on TV and some in the media have been clucking about Apalacia (while most Americans never think about it and can’t point it out on the map or have never been).
The conventional wisdom on Appalacia has been badly distorted and misrepresented and picked up by people who have their scripts written for them by people who can’t report like Noron O’Donald and Mrs. Greenspan and a lot of the talking heads that are fixtures repeating the same time and don’t have a clue.
Charles Blow ran graphics at NYT which has involved a lot more than being a good artist, and he has evolved to doing not only graphic analysis but political analysis conveyed by graphics.
Here are two of his latest articles including one that is a lot more sophisticated than you’re going to hear replicated ad nauseam on MSNBC or CNN, and particularly on Fox.
It’s information way above Buchanan and Scarborough’s ability to comprehend.
Skirting Apalacia:
A Blacklash?
Mrs. Clinton has campaigned on an amusing and totally false premise which is that since more of Appalacia went for Bill Clinton, that the exact same people would vote for her. To her surprise and chagrin, as Mr. Blow points out, she hasn’t been the Bill Clinton of 2008 and Obama has.
thanks
During the primary in West Virginia the comments that permeated the talking heads in the MSM about this region digusted and fascinated me. Pat Buchanan was the only one to bring up this not so subtle prejudice. Endless comments about the “un, less, under” educated people in these regions. Most of these talking heads fail to recognize the history and complicated psychology of many of the people in this region.
What I know is that if this country ever completely implodes many of these people will survive. They may not be “formerly” educated but “otherly” educated they are. They are the survivors. Many can hunt, fix anything (cars, plumbing, electric etc) farm, garden, can food timber etc.
Many of the doors I have knocked on during elections over the last 25 years have two adult family members working for pitiful wages and often have family members who have put their asses on the line “allegedly” for this country. I have stood on the porch of many of these homes in Glouster, Chauncey, Trimble, Pomeroy Ohio etc talking with mothers and fathers of young soldiers who are serving in Iraq and have had their lives destroyed via depression or injuries because they believed what the Bush administration has been telling (LIES LIES) them. MANY ARE UNBELIEVABLY PISSED OFF. I MEAN REALLY PISSED OFF ( I cannot even repeat what I have heard some of them say on this blog)
Obama should not write them off, he should work these regions hard with General Wesley Clark, Senator Webb and anyone else who has served in the military and is well aware of how these peoples lives and faith have been abused by the Bush administration. Many are salt of the earth, hard working, deeply devoted, common sense, “otherly” educated people.
The black/white division has been cultivated in odd ways, it is complicated. Keep people focused on racism instead of CLASSISM and you keep poorer and underprivilied people divided.
Obviously the MSM does not even realize they have participated in our classist society by making demeaning comments about Appalachia
This is an insightful comment. In my desire to see Obama prevail I have condemned the emphasis on the West Virginia vote and the correlation with education but this points out a texture to those voters–and of course lack of post high school education does not denote or connote lack of resourcefullness and talent.
A lot of the Pat Buchananesque (and Hillary Clinton’s own analysis and this reference is not a knock on her but on her analysis) assumes that there cannot be a paradigm shift in Democratic voter turnout and black voter turnout. Obama may well need it because I believe that 25% of HRC backers will vote for McCain and I believe that is incredibly foolish and I could write books about why (whether people would buy them is a whole other thing.
I realize this about West Virginia because I have been lobbying friends in a place where I grew up and know well–Kentucky–the most urban part of it–Louisville–to vote for Obama. One of my friends from there got elected to the House in 2006–exactly the kind of person I like to see there.
Many of the people in West Virginia are demographic replicates of people in small towns and a large percentage of the population in Louisville, Kentucky (I ventured to make up this word after I saw EW’s imaginative use of paradigm on the fly but realize hers is probably 100% gramatically correct and I have doubts about mine).
Interestingly while I would have thought the vast majority of people who are going to vote in Kentucky and the remaining states’ primaries have their minds made up by now, I found out that’s not entirely the case last night, including my own mom.
I have learned though over the months that many people who are voting for Hillary–and this certainly spans demographic and educational backgrounds are nullifying many of the things that Hillary is saying that the cerebral part of their makeup knows to be patently false and impossible because they are waging a perceived fight against what they feel is gender bias.
I dare say Jeralyn Merritt has a very good grip on how Congress works and knows damn well not only is the gas tax pander a false ploy for a multitude of reasons but simply couldn’t pass with the Blue Dog Dems, most Dems in the House if not all, and all Dems in the Senate if there were no Republicans in Congress or the Senate and Bush had no Veto power.
But to read her blog, Hillary is the only way/does no wrong and Obama is a bumbling fool. My guess is Jeralyn, like a lot of women has seen a lot of gender bias, and she’s making her statement based on this. My impression is also that many women are voting after comparing notes with their friends more than men do, (and I could be all wet on this)whether they are voting for Hillary or Barack.
The dynamics of gender voting are discussed in this article in this morning’s NYT:
Jodi Kantor’s Gender Issue Lives On as Clinton’s Hopes Dim
I just saw McCain doing the Weekend Update at Marc Ambinder’s. I laughed three times. He was no stiffer than Hillary’s appearance on Colbert after the PA debate.
McCain, Part 2: Laughed once at “less than 900 miles of road”. Thought it was endearing that McCain would get up there and make fun of himself in that deadpan a way. These comedy shows are his element. I saw him performing well on Letterman also.