Why don’t the Networks show the Debates?

Not the presidential debates between McCain and Obama but the primary presidential debates.  They should replay those debates and if they wanted to save time they could just replay the McCain and Obama soundbites. 

Wouldn’t that make sense?  That would make some great TV.  Let’s hear what these guys were saying during the primaries.  Isn’t that a good indicator of how well they make decisions and how well they understand what’s going on in our country? 

I haven’t seen any clips from the primary season and I haven’t seen anyone put up clips of what these guys were saying then compared to what they are saying now.  It’s as if everyone just accepts the fact that they change their stories and message after just a few months. 

Also, after every debate I see these stories from the “fact checkers” that basically tell you how much of what is said in the debates by the candidates is true and which are not. Why does this have to come the day after?  Why can’t we call them on their BS during the debate?  It’s not hard to check those numbers and facts in a few minutes.  I think we have put up with enough BS over the past 8 years and I’d like to see us demand more from an election.

Russian Propaganda

At least the BBC understands that everything the Bush Administration and Saakashvili spit out is far from the truth. 

The Bush administration appears to be trying to turn a failed military operation by Georgia into a successful diplomatic operation against Russia.

It is doing so by presenting the Russian actions as aggression and playing down the Georgian attack into South Ossetia on 7 August, which triggered the Russian operation.

I would guess that at least 90% of Americans think that Russia started this whole thing.  And John McCain is a moron if he truly believes the crap he says.

The Republican presidential hopeful Senator John McCain also sees in this conflict an opportunity to put Russia in the dock, declaring: “We are all Georgians now.”

We are not Georgians you fool.  We are Americans.  Most of our population has no idea where Georgia is and have no idea about the history of this conflict.  And isn’t it interesting that one country who has a long painful history with Russia finds very little fault in the Russians. 

Germany, at least, has been notably reluctant to find fault with Russia

Obama if you truly want to bring about change in this country, this would be a good opportunity.  Help wake people up in this country. 

Obama is lost

I had hopes for him but he continues to disappoint me with his short-sightedness.  He appears to be caving on offshore drilling and now he wants to tap into the strategic oil reserves.  

Obama, who as recently as last month argued against tapping into the petroleum reserve located in caverns in Texas and Louisiana, proposed that the government sell 70 million barrels of oil from its stockpiles and said that releases from the reserve in the past have lowered gas prices within two weeks.

Someone please explain to these idiots that this is a terrible way to deal with high oil prices.  This will only offer short term relief and will only leave the country in worse shape when those 70 million barrels are exhausted.  The strategic reserves are there for a reason.  How do you think the military functions without gas?  You think those tanks and planes work well without fuel?  What happens if we attack Iran and then they respond by blocking the sea lanes of the gulf?  Or maybe there’s unrest in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan?  Or Venezuela sells all their oil to China?   Let’s just say oil will be hard to come by. 

I love how the AP hides this in the article….The last sentence of that story is the following:

Elgie Holstein, an Obama energy adviser, said that, while fewer refineries now are capable of refining the heavier stuff into gasoline, in the future that won’t be the case.

So the oil that will be replaced will be even tougher to turn into gasoline.  Great!  That’s just makes the idea even worse.  You know, because if you really are in need of tapping the strategic oil reservers you probably don’t need the stuff quickly or anything.  And “in the future”? What kind of timeframe are you talking about?  When are these new refineries going up?

I suggest whenever you read an AP story that you make sure you read the last paragraph as that’s where they hide the good stuff.  Don’t overlook it.  And my message to Obama:

 If you want to be so much like McCain then just quit the race and vote for him.

Democrats are Embarrassing

I’m watching Meet the Press and the whole discussion about Florida and Michigan is really embarrassing.  I never could figure out why the democratic party decided to make those two primaries irrelevant in the first place.  Let’s throw out what’s happening now and voters should ask how it got to this point?  What kind of idiotic party leadership makes two of the most important states in a general election irrelevant?   I have to think that when the Dems made this decision…the Republicans were laughing in their war room, knowing that this would come back to hurt them.

If the primaries hadn’t been this close then this issue would have never come up now…and it should have been a huge issue in the first place.  It’s scary to think that the Democrats let it come to this.  Their leadership should have never allowed those two states to become irrelevant during the primary season.  You really have to ask yourself if this kind of thinking is an indication of decisions they will make in the future.  I would think the Republicans will seize on this decision and make a case for votes in the fall.   You combine that decision and the failures of the Dems in Congress and this election may be a lot tougher than the Democrats expect.

They can bash Bush over everything imaginable and they will be right but at some point they have to begin to sell their abilities and not just the failures of the Bush Administration.  The more I think about the failures of the Democratic Congress to stand up to Bush over every issue from domestic spying to Iraq to the Economy then you take this stupid primary strategy and it’s just flat out embarrassing.  I can’t see it any other way. 

And then if you get into the entire Super Delegate issue….I think it leaves many people wanting an alternative to the 2 parties. 

McCain is in trouble

First, he all but admitted that he was basing his campaign on the Iraq War.  Any sane person knows that he’s in the minority there.  And it appears that he had a sane moment when he said it.

It doesn’t matter at this point if it’s really going well over there or not, the soldiers are tired of it and the American people are tired of it.  It’s hard to keep the momentum of a war when you are fighting people that never attacked you.  Good Luck winning with that John Boy.

And from the latest poll numbers….not looking good.  Down by 12% to Obama. 

Interesting comments by Obama though.  He spoke the truth but it’s a road few want to venture down. 

“Frankly some of the commentary that I’ve seen which suggests guilt by association or the notion that unless we are never ever going to ask any difficult questions about how we move peace forward or secure Israel that is non military or non belligerent or doesn’t talk about just crushing the opposition that that somehow is being soft or anti-Israel, I think we’re going to have problems moving forward,” he said.

Obama attacking the right in Israel…they aren’t going to like that one bit.  Anyone who has ever traveled to Israel knows that most of the people that live there (both Israelis and Palestinians) are moderates but rarely does mainstream America hear about this.  The less this position is talked about, the more drawn to extremism both sides are in an effort to be heard. 

And of course you have the Kosovo / Palestinian Argument which the Bush Administration quickly responded to.

The United States on Wednesday rejected comparisons between the Palestinian situation and Kosovo, after a senior Palestinian official called for a Kosovo-like declaration of independence.

Kosovo is a “unique” situation, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. “It is not a precedent for any other situation around the world.”

Uh, you think it’s because Kosovo benefits the US and the other doesn’t?  Yeah, screw precedents!  We like to just make things up as we go along.

What if McCain Doesn’t hold up

I mean his health.  What if he had health problems before the election or even in the next month or two?  He is old.  His body has been through a lot and I’m sure the campaign was tough on him. 

I don’t know if this has ever happened and I wonder what the steps would be for the Republican Party.  Would the nomination go to the next candidate with the most delegates?  Or?

Another Piss Poor Debate

Message to CNN:

 There are actually 4 Republicans still in the campaign.  Apparently, you guys didn’t get the message.  But thanks for giving us the McCain/Romney show…I would hope everyone who watched those two idiots talk would immediately cross their names off the list.  It was embarrassing to watch.  I’m glad Huckabee and Paul pointed this out as best they could.

When Huckabee was asked a different question, he tried to steer the conversation back to highlight his conservative credentials.

“You want to talk conservative credentials?  Let me get in on that,” Huckabee said, and then described his opposition to abortion and gay rights. After McCain and Romney clashed bitterly over the Iraq war, Huckabee said: “I didn’t come here to umpire a ballgame between these two.”

“Governor Huckabee, we’re going to shower you with questions now,” moderator Janet Hook of the Los Angeles Times said.

It didn’t make much difference, and he was soon complaining he had not been showered with questions. “I’m going to make sure I get a little time here.”

Paul, who has not won any of the early primary contests but still has raised millions of dollars from supporters, was not able to detail his credentials. “I would like to take one minute, since I didn’t get a chance to answer this discussion on conservative versus liberal,” he said.

Moderator Anderson Cooper promised him he would have an opportunity later. But it never came. 

I know this is “old news” but I hadn’t seen it before…apparently McCain refers to the guys who tortured him and his friends as “gooks”…and continues to do so to this day.  This is the best way to describe his choice.

“If Sen. McCain had been captured by Nigerians, could he call those people `niggers’ and think he wasn’t going to offend everyone who is black?” Akoi asked. “We can all feel for what he went through, but if that’s his level of sensitivity, I’m very disappointed.”

And here are some of McCain’s thoughts:

“I will call right now, my interrogator that tortured me, a gook,” McCain said. “(I can’t believe that) anybody doesn’t believe these interrogators and prison guards were cruel and sadistic people who deserve the worst appellations possible.”

McCain said he does not consider the comment an epithet.

“Gook,” he said, “is the kindest appellation I can give.”

This man is carrying around a lot of anger even to this day.  I’m pretty sure he needs a lot of therapy and I don’t want someone like that in charge of the red button…he’s insane.  I wonder if the Republican establishment is actually setting him up.  The Republicans should lose the election by 8-10%(i stress should) and if McCain gets the nomination I can see him making several mistakes to increase that margin even more…thus embarrassing him and making him possibly the “worst” presidential candidate in modern times. 

If the Republican establishment thinks they have no shot why not take down someone who has been a thorn in their side since 2000?

Randomness

I don’t know how else to put it.  Some interesting things today.

1. Inflation – Maybe we should take Ron Paul a little more seriously when he talks about the dollar.   Highest in 26 years and the other Republicans say the economy is “sound”.  Sure guys.
2. Kenneth Davis? – Sloppy reporting from Fox News.  I saw this the other day and thought for sure it would have been fixed by now.  It’s “Keith Davis” morons!
3. Beer to the Rescue – Beer fights cancer!  Please let this be true…please.
4. Cloned Food Safe to Eat – Sure FDA.  Sure.  I mean you guys are never wrong about this stuff.  Vioxx sound good to anyone, right now?  How much money was spent by lobbyist to get this one approved?   
5. Let’s sell them Weapons! – Major Arms deal to Saudi Arabia.  I mean they are our friends…as long as the royal family is in charge and of course the Saudi people just love them.  What happens when the royal family gets kicked out (think the Shah of Iran) and those weapons are still there?  cough.  “blowback”
6. Was it a Prank? – How stupid does Fox News look now?  I mean that was their big question at their debate.  Hey Brit, you think the Navy made the right call now?  Maybe just maybe we should do some investigation before we jump on these things.  Alas, it’s only war…death…lives…money.
7. Goodbye  Dennis – NBC wants Kucinich out of the debate.  If they are running, can we hear them speak?  It’s only January.
8. California is Broke – not good as it’s economy if measured would be like the 7th or 8th largest in the world
9. Greenspan’s New Job – hmm, hired by a Hedge Fund that shorted the subprime Market and made billions.  In my opinion, that’s not glaring information as anyone with half a brain knew that giving loans to people who historically were not good at paying back debt was sure to backfire, eventually.
10. More Troops to Afghanistan – Really?  More?  How long is this going to last?  Any other nations sending troops?  Nope.  Then why are we?  If they aren’t worried about it then should we? 
11. Let’s Be careful out there - And lastly, if you want some laughs or maybe it’s too bad to laugh.  Watch some Youtube clips of “cop rock”.  I can’t fathom how that show got out of the focus groups and onto TV.

Is McCain Crazy?

The United States military could stay in Iraq for “maybe a hundred years” and that “would be fine with me,” John McCain told two hundred or so people at a town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire, on Thursday evening. Toward the end of this session, which was being held shortly before the Iowa caucuses were to start, McCain was confronted by Dave Tiffany, who calls himself a “full-time antiwar activist.” In a heated exchange, Tiffany told McCain that he had looked at McCain’s campaign website and had found no indication of how long McCain was willing to keep U.S. troops in Iraq. Arguing that George W. Bush’s escalation of troops has led to a decline in U.S. casualties, McCain noted that the United States still maintains troops in South Korea and Japan. He said he had no objection to U.S. soldiers staying in Iraq for decades, “as long as Americans are not being injured, harmed or killed.”

What?  How many places do you want to have troops in John?  Afghanistan?  Kuwait?  Pakistan?  I mean where do you draw the line or finally say “we can’t afford to do it financially.”  

I know he tried to compare it to Germany and Korea but those are completely different situations and started in completely different time periods.   They were put there for stability and to basically “block” the Russians from expanding their empire.  And lately, there has been more discussions of scaling down our troop levels in those places as it’s not economical anymore.  Iraq is not comparable to WWII…just a slight difference in scale.  And Korea?  You really think the South is afraid of the North?  You could buy the North’s soldiers with a piece of pizza as soon as they crossed the border.

Anyone ask the Iraqis how they feel abou this 100 year statement?  What if their government says “we would like you to leave”?  Anyone ask the other countries in the Middle East how they would feel about this?  Anyone ask the troops and their families?  They did their job, let them come home already.  Gee, John you think maybe you just gave extremists some new talking point as Ron Paul pointed out. 

And remember, McCain is the one who sang the little tune about bombing Iran to the Beach Boys song.  You have the democrats moving forward with Obama, a new candidate and a new attitude and the republicans are going backwards. 

Ron Paul and Fox – what the other candidates should do.

I think most people can agree that it is unbelievable that Fox is getting away with excluding him from the debate after he pulled 10% in Iowa and is polling over that in New Hampshire.  Obviously, there is a sizable amount of Republicans who like his message of smaller government, getting out of Iraq, and his stance on taxes.  Now, how should the other candidates handle this?

Right now, they are saying very little.  I think I heard McCain mention something like “we’ll miss you tomorrow, Ron”.  Here’s what I would do if I were one of the five invited to Fox. 

• Show Up
• Wait for it to start
• Then say on air:  “Due to the decision to exclude Ron Paul from this forum and the fact that the New Hampshire GOP has backed out, I feel that it best serves democracy and fairness if I choose not to participate”
• Then walk off

What do you think the big story after the debate would be?  Imagine if McCain did this?  Every news story would be about that action and none of it about what was actually said during the forum/debate.  It would get you an enormous amount of press.  Plus, I think it would make you look more appealing to Paul’s supporters if he chooses to drop out at some point.  The Republicans will need all the votes they can get next November as they look very unappealing in a general election. 

I think it would really separate the candidates if this were to happen.  I think people are looking for something “different” and a candidate strong enough to lead the country.  And people love it when someone stands up for fairness.