Palin Still Represents Many Republicans and Their Ideology

Sarah Palin would be old news, not worth commenting on, if it weren't for the fact that she is, by some accounts, the de facto leader of the Republican party. Here's an article from an Alaska newspaper that speaks volumes about her character, ideology as well as the party she represents. When Republicans put so much stock in service to country, sends their own sons and daughters to war, then turn around and reject a man like Max Cleland and support a man like Saxby Chambliss, it makes you wonder about where their head is. Never mind. I know where there head is. I'm happy to say that many Republicans find Saxby Chambliss a despicable person. That's encouraging.

by Matt Zencey

Gov. Sarah Palin is putting her conservative Republican fame to work in Georgia, stumping for Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who is in a tough runoff for re-election.

I wonder if she knows the true measure of the man she is eagerly helping.

Chambliss was elected to the Senate in 2002 by running one of the most reprehensible campaigns of modern times. He was up against incumbent Democrat Sen. Max Cleland, a Vietnam War veteran who lost both legs and his right arm to a grenade during that conflict.

Chambliss avoided serving in Vietnam. He got four student draft deferments, and when his number finally came up, he was medically disqualified with knee troubles.

In the best Karl Rove fashion, Chambliss the draft-evader attacked Cleland the war hero for being soft on terrorism. Distorting Cleland’s votes about workplace rules for the new Homeland Security Department employees, Chambliss portrayed him as a tool of terrorists like Osama bin Laden.

Here’s how the Almanac of American Politics (2006) described it:
“Chambliss ran an ad, much attacked in the press, showing pictures of Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Max Cleland, and saying that Cleland 'voted against the President’s vital homeland security efforts 11 times.’” (Those “vital homeland security efforts” Cleland opposed were intended to strip homeland security employees of union rights and other workplace protections.)

The man who couldn’t bring himself to serve in the military said a man who left three limbs behind in war was a weakling who would turn the country over to terrorists.

Chambliss was a congressman during the 9-11 attacks. Congressional Quarterly’s “Politics in America 2006” noted that Congressman Chambliss “quipped that one route to security would be for local sheriffs to 'arrest every Muslim that comes across the state line.’”

So there you have the fine American that Palin is trying to re-elect to the U.S. Senate.

Gov. Palin’s eldest joined the Army and has been deployed to Iraq. As a justifiably proud military mom, she might ask herself why she is using her conservative star power to support such a reprehensible Republican chicken hawk.

Why Do We Give These People Tax Exemptions?

Parishioners of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Modesto have been told they should consider going to confession if they voted for Barack Obama, because of the president-elect's position condoning abortion.

"If you are one of the 54 percent of Catholics who voted for a pro-abortion candidate, you were clear on his position and you knew the gravity of the question, I urge you to go to confession before receiving communion. Don't risk losing your state of grace by receiving sacrilegiously," the Rev. Joseph Illo, pastor of St. Joseph's, wrote in a letter dated Nov. 21.

The letter was sent to more than 15,000 members of the St. Joseph's parish. It is one of 34 parishes in the Stockton Diocese, which has more than 200,000 members in Stanislaus, San Joaquin and four other counties.

Illo also delivered this message in a homily.

The rest of the story.

Sorry Excuse for a President

It's a good thing Bush isn't any smarter than he is. A person with any degree of intelligence would have a hard time living with the fact that their bad judgment, ignorance and arrogance have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Now he'll continue to add to that legacy after he leaves office. From the New York Times today:

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department is racing to complete a new rule, strenuously opposed by President-elect Barack Obama, that would make it much harder for the government to regulate toxic substances and hazardous chemicals to which workers are exposed on the job.

The rule, which has strong support from business groups, says that in assessing the risk from a particular substance, federal agencies should gather and analyze “industry-by-industry evidence” of employees’ exposure to it during their working lives. The proposal would, in many cases, add a step to the lengthy process of developing standards to protect workers’ health.

The rest of the story.

Top Ten George Bush Moments

Bush Brings a New Meaning to Shallow

WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush is relishing the chance to see "the klieg lights shift somewhere else," although he admits he'll miss perks like White House cooking and flying on Air Force One.

"Frankly, I'm not going to miss the limelight all that much," Bush said in an intimate family conversation with his sister, Doro Bush Koch, about how he'll feel when he leaves the White House to make way for Barack Obama on Jan. 20.

"Been a fabulous experience to be president," Bush told Doro in the conversation recorded for the oral-history organization StoryCorps. But he said he'll be ready to go when the time comes.

Bush did acknowledge in the Nov. 12 conversation _ aired Thursday on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" _ that he would miss the trips on the presidential jet and not having to worry about traffic. He and first lady Laura Bush both agreed in the talk that they would miss the chefs at the Executive Mansion, but disagreed about who would be in charge of meals when they move back to Texas in January.

"I'm sure I'm going to lose a lot of weight, because Laura's going to be the cook," Bush deadpanned. The first lady responded, "You're going to be the person grilling, though, I think."

The president also said he would miss spending time with his sister, who lives in the District of Columbia area.

"This is a job which, you know, obviously had a lot of stress to it; it has a lot of pressure," Bush said. "But when you're around your family at all, all that pales."

Since 2003, the nonprofit StoryCorps has helped people record nearly 25,000 interviews at stationary booths in New York and with mobile operations traveling around the country. Participants receive a CD of their 40-minute interview, and all recordings are archived at the Library of Congress.

Symbolism is Important

On Wednesday,

George Bush pardoned a turkey.

Barack Obama held a news conference on the economy and visited a food bank in Chicago.

Let's Hear it For Old People

This one makes me want to keep taking my vitamins and exercising. Obama has named Paul Volker, 81, as the head of his Economic Recovery Advisory Board. It's about time we stopped throwing away wisdom and experience.

An Easy Thanksgiving List This Year

We have a lot to be thankful for today.

We have a president who can speak in complete, coherent sentences.

We have a first lady who isn't forced to keep her mouth shut and hide her intelligence.

We have a first family that can serve as a wonderful role model for others.

We have a president who can inspire us to find the better part of our nature.

We have real people running our country.

That's something to be thankful for!

Watch Michelle and Barack talk about Thanksgiving and their children..

I Don't Like Joe Lieberman

The more you know about Joe Lieberman, the more undesirable he becomes. When Al Gore selected him for his VP, I thought he made a good choice. Now, I question Gore's judgement.

Shortly after Bush was appointed to the presidency in 2000, Lieberman was sucking up to him. Now, he's sucking up to Obama after trashing him throughout the campaign. This article from the Washington Post reveals that he was providing financial support to other Republican candidates in addition to McCain.

Obama's desire for reconciliation is admirable, but I wonder when it's time to tell someone they just don't belong. If the Democrats do end up with a 60 vote majority, he's going to be the sixtieth vote. Some of the most important cliff-hangers will depend on him. Maybe Obama is giving us all an important lesson in forgiveness and pragmatism, but this one is hard to swallow.

He sounds like a cartoon character. Is it Deputy Dawg with that whiney, nasal voice?

Real Men Don't Have Girly Dogs

Maybe Obama isn't a true liberal in touch with his feminine side. He sounds more like a Bush Republican here. Maybe it's a strategic move to win over some of the Bush/McCain supporters. As they say, the Republicans are the Daddy party, and the Democrats are the Mommy party.

Remember when Daddy Bush said he didn't like broccoli? Big uproar from the Broccoli Council and broccoli lovers everywhere. They considered themselves dissed. I'll bet Obama will get lots of flack from the owners of little yappy, girly dogs!

From The Politico - November 26, 2008

Barbara Walters interviewed the Obamas, due to air tonight, and of course the topics of doggies came up. She, along with millions of Americans, actually sent Michelle Obama a picture of her beloved Havanese dog, Cha Cha Cha. (We're not kidding.)

Here's the back and forth between Obama and Bawbwa:

Obama: "Cha Cha?"

Bawbwa: "It's short for Cha Cha Cha."

O: "What is a Havanese?"

B: "It's like a little terrier and they're non-allergenic and they're the sweetest dogs.."

O: [Face suddenly changes.] "It's like a little yappy dog?"

Michelle: "Don't criticize."

O: "It, like, sits in your lap and things?"

M: "It's a cute dog."

O: "It sounds kinda like a girly dog."

M: "We're girls. We have a houseful of girls."

O [with hand gestures]: "We're going to have a big rambunctious dog, of some sort."

Obama and the Kids

Just watched an excerpt of Barbara Walters' interview with President Obama and Michelle. We might as well call him President Obama because he's acting as president, and the country is responding to him as president. Bush is more than a Lame Duck - he's just lame. Always has been.

Michelle said that she has instructed the White House staff to let the kids make up their own beds and clean up their own rooms. When Walters looked surprised, she said, "Why not? That's what they do now at home." It's going to be a wonderful four years, isn't it!

Yes! There is a God

I don't like to celebrate anyone's misfortune, but this item in today's news caused my heart to leap with joy. It seems that Ann Coulter broke her jaw and will have her mouth wired shut. It didn't say how she broke it, but I wouldn't be surprised if somebody punched her out!

Of course she can still write. Too bad she didn't break her fingers.

Bush is Giving Us The Finger on the Way Out

It's not time to start singing "Happy Days are Here Again." Watch this seven-minute segment to find out some of the sneaky things Bush is doing that will make him hard to forget after January 20.

It's Nice to Have a President Again

Bush is basically MIA during the most difficult time our country has faced in my lifetime. Obama is filling that leadership gap. The markets are watching his every move. Yesterday, it went up almost 500 points after he picked Tim Geithner for Treasury Secretary. January 20, can't get here soon enough.

It's Not Alright

My good friend, Alexandra, who is an accomplished wordsmith and editor has adopted the word, "alright" which is not really a word. It's not alright to use this form.

Usage Note: Despite the appearance of the form alright in works of such well-known writers as Langston Hughes and James Joyce, the single word spelling has never been accepted as standard. This is peculiar, since similar fusions such as already and altogether have never raised any objections. The difference may lie in the fact that already and altogether became single words back in the Middle Ages, whereas alright has only been around for a little more than a century and was called out by language critics as a misspelling. Consequently, one who uses alright, especially in formal writing, runs the risk that readers may view it as an error or as the willful breaking of convention.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

SPCEL

I want to start The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to the English Language. Let's start with "lay" and "lie."

You don't lay down to take a nap. You lie down to take a nap.

"Lay your head on my shoulder. Lay your warm and tender body next to mine." This Country-Western song got it right.

I think this battle has been lost, but somebody has to stand up for the elites. Anybody out there want to adopt a word and be its guardian?

Want to know more about this word - click here.

It's time to Come Out of the Closet

There's no better time than now to take back the word, "Liberal," and wear it proudly. Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and all the other right-wing talk-radio wackos have stolen the word and demonized it over the years. But, they just got slapped in the face with it . . . hard.

I just returned from a three-day motorcycle trip to Big Bend with eight of my riding buddies. They're all Republicans. I'm their token Liberal. They tolerate me. I tolerate them. We try not to talk about it much because it creates too much conflict. They're good friends, and I value their friendship. But, this time, they were in a dither, convinced that the world is coming to an end, and we're going to be a third-world country in three years. So, we all got drunk around a great outdoor fireplace in Marathon, Texas and discussed our respective points of view.

Since I'm on the winning side now, I can be magnanimous and listen with the intent to understand rather than to be understood. It's taken me a long time to realize that it's futile to try to be understood when it comes to politics. The best one can hope for is to understand the other's point of view.

It was a good conversation. I learned some things and got a better understanding of them. As I suspected, most of their concern is around money and taxes. They're convinced that Obama is going to take everything away from them. Only one of the group makes more than $250,000 per year, so this is confusing. But, I kept my mouth shut and listened most of the time. They all agreed that we have a moral obligation to help those who have real needs, but there is great resentment and anger toward those who, in their opinion, fit the mold of Reagan's Welfare Cadillac story. Incidentally, Reagan made that up about the woman who drove up to the welfare office in her Cadillac to get her food stamps, but it has become the symbol for those on the right. All of them seemed to have a personal story about someone who worked the system or was too lazy to work that shaped their world view.

They also view government as a separate evil entity that is forcing them to do things against their will. I tried to discuss my view, that government is us, with no success.

It was a successful evening. The conversation ended peacefully, and we were still speaking to each other the next morning. I learned that it is much better to seek to understand than it is to seek to be understood.

It's time to come out of the closet and say, "You're damn right I'm a Liberal and proud of it." Listen to John F. Kennedy, accepting the endorsement of his presidential candidacy by New York's Liberal Party on Sept. 14, 1960:

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

Sarah Counts Her Blessings . . . . . The Turkeys Don't

At first, this looks like a Saturday Night Live skit with Tina Fey, then you realize that, OMG, it's real. Sarah Palin is being interviewed in Alaska while turkeys are being slaughtered in the background. You can't believe this until you see it.

Obama's Odd Speaking Style Concerns Americans

In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

The rest of the story.

Obama's First Weekly Radio/Video Chat

it's interesting that he didn't end this talk with the standard "God Bless America" which is fine with me, but I'll bet the religious right will have something to say about this. I'm closer to Rev. Wright on this. Why should we ask God to bless America when there's so much suffering around the world, much of it caused by us.

It's Tough Out There

THE WHITE HOUSE
OFFICE OF THE FIRST LADY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2008

MENU FOR THE DINNER IN HONOR OF THE SUMMIT ON FINANCIAL MARKETS AND THE WORLD ECONOMY

Fruitwood-smoked Quail with Quince Gastrique
Quinoa Risotto
Landmark Chardonnay “Damaris Reserve” 2006

Thyme-roasted Rack of Lamb
Tomato, Fennel and Eggplant Fondue
Chanterelle Jus
Shafer Cabernet “Hillside Select” 2003

Lolla Rosa, Red Oak and Endive
Cider Vinaigrette
Baked Vermont Brie with Walnut Crostini
Pear Torte
Huckleberry Sauce

Chandon Étoile Rosé

Just When You Thought Sanity Had Returned - Joe the Plumber Gets a Book Deal

I can't wait.

"Everyone came at me to write a book. They had dollar signs in their eyes. '101 Things Joe the Plumber Knows' or some stupid s--- like that. Excuse me, I am sorry," he said. "You know I will get behind something solid, but I won't get behind fluff. I won't cash in, and when people do read the book they will figure out that I didn't cash in. At least I hope they figure that out."

The book, called "Joe the Plumber -- Fighting for the American Dream," is to be released by a group called PearlGate Publishing and other small publishing houses.

"I am not going to a conglomerate that way we actually can get the economy jump started. Like there is five publishing companies in Michigan. There's a couple down in Texas. They are small ones that can handle like 10 or 15,000 copies. I can go to a big one that could handle a million or two. But they don't need the help. They are already rich. So that's spreading the wealth to me," he said.

What's Wrong With These Southern States?

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote.

The rest of the story.

They destroyed Jeremiah Wright for speaking out against asking God to bless all the babies we've killed in Iraq, but this crap goes on forever. I wonder how these folks earn their way back to communion. I guess they have to wait until the next election, then vote for a Republican. I try to be tolerant, but these people are just neanderthals. Oh yeah, don't forget that we're subsidizing these churches with the tax breaks they get.

Governor Goodhair for President

I just caught a quick video of Sarah Palin at the Governor's Conference today. She was doing a news conference with Rick Perry, Governor of Texas. I wonder why Rick Perry isn't in the game for the presidency. It seems that Republicans are all about appearances - at least appearances that match up to the old Ozzie and Harriet archetypes that the older generation has encoded in their brain cells.

Rick Perry has a movie star persona. The late Mollie Ivins used to call him Governor Goodhair. He has that macho demeanor with sort of a James Bond look about him. Since the party is supposed to be drifting without a leader now, other than Palin, I think he would be a great choice. Can you just imagine him with Palin in 2012. It would be like Ken and Barbie. It would be like watching the Academy Awards for a couple of years. Let's start a draft Perry movement. All that beauty would be dazzling!

Will We Make it to January 20?

The incompetence of this administration has no end. After eight years, you would think they could get something right. That's what we get for putting people in charge of government who fundamentally hate government. This item from today's news combined with the seemingly endless decline of the stock market just makes you want to cry.

In the six weeks since lawmakers approved the Treasury's massive bailout of financial firms, the government has poured money into the country's largest banks, recruited smaller banks into the program and repeatedly widened its scope to cover yet other types of businesses, from insurers to consumer lenders.

Yet for all this activity, no formal action has been taken to fill the independent oversight posts established by Congress when it approved the bailout to prevent corruption and government waste. Nor has the first monitoring report required by lawmakers been completed, though the initial deadline has passed.

"It's a mess," said Eric M. Thorson, the Treasury Department's inspector general, who has been working to oversee the bailout program until the newly created position of special inspector general is filled. "I don't think anyone understands right now how we're going to do proper oversight of this thing."

The rest of the story.

Keith Olberman on Prop 8

Whether you're for, against, or just don't care about gay marriage, you should listen to Keith Olberman's comments. We took a giant step forward against racial discrimination on November 4, but we have a long way to go with other forms.

Do You Believe Her?

According to Sarah Palin, all of those things that have been said about her are false. Do you believe her?

The First of Many Goodbyes

The American Prospect - November 11, 2008 - Paul Waldman

The opening paragraph:

Just over two years into George W. Bush’s presidency, The American Prospect featured Bush on its cover under the headline, "The Most Dangerous President Ever." At the time, some probably thought it a bit over the top. But nearly six years later, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on the multifaceted burden that will soon be lifted from our collective shoulders.


Read what's in between


The closing paragraph:

This presidency is finally over. We can say goodbye to an administration whose misdeeds have piled so high that the size of the mountain no longer shocks us. In our lifetimes, we will see administrations of varying degrees of competence and integrity, some we'll agree with and some we won't. But we will probably never see another quite like the one now finally reaching its end, so mind-boggling a parade of incompetence and malice, dishonesty, and immorality. So at last -- at long, long last -- we can say goodbye.

And good riddance.

Has the World Gone Mad?

What is Wrong With These People?

WASHINGTON — A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist dictatorship.

The rest of the story . . . . if you can stomach it.

Obama is Following Through on His Promise to Unite

President-elect Barack Obama has informed party officials that he wants Joe Lieberman to continue caucusing with the Democrats in the 111th Congress, Senate aides tell the Huffington Post.

The rest of the story.

A Letter to the Red States

Since the election, I've been trying to find the better part of my nature and see everyone as a big happy family that can sit around the campfire and sing Kumbaya together, but the dark side of my nature takes over every now and then, and I want to gloat and point fingers. My good friend Elizabeth sent me this letter, written before the election, that activated my dark side. I couldn't resist.

Dear Red States:

If you manage to steal this election, too, we've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the
other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood.

We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.

We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss.

We get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama.

We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets
coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80% of the country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines, 90% of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the corn and soybeans (thanks Iowa!), most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech, UCLA, Berkeley and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of them hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.

We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38% of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is sacred unless
we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61% of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.

Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.

Is Sarah Palin the Republican Moses?

Polls show that more than half of the Republican party is looking to Sarah Palin as their leader. That's an indication of how intellectually bankrupt the party has become. True conservatism is a valid and necessary ideology for our society. It has an intellectual foundation created by some of the great thinkers of history. But, it has been corrupted by the neocons and George Bush and turned into a mere elaboration of the 60's bumper sticker that said, "America! Love it or Leave It."

It's a good thing that Rove didn't create his permanent majority, but in some ways, a permanent Democratic majority could be undesirable as well. We need the intelligent checks and balances that were designed into the constitution.

The Democrats shouldn't start dancing on the Republicans grave yet. A creepy hand could come up and grab them.

Young, Handsome, and Suntanned

Every country has their embarrassing leader.

ROME — Italians never quite know whether to laugh or cry at Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. But many reacted with incredulity and outrage after the prime minister, visiting Moscow on Thursday, amiably called the first African-American president-elect in United States history “young, handsome and suntanned.”

Read the rest of the story.

2008 Voting Trends

This post comes from my son Patrick who is a very astute observer of the political scene. I hope his prediction about Texas is right.

This map breaks down the voting trends of counties in the 2008 election. Blue means the county voted more Democrat than in 2004, and red means more Republican than 2004.

There is a lot of blue on this map. The democrats did an amazing job of making inroads into traditional Republican strongholds this year.

If you look at Texas on this map, you'll see the southwest part of the state is a lovely shade of blue. I believe that this represents a real problem for Republicans in future elections. The hispanic population continues to grow, and they continue to break for Democrats (67% to 31%, an increase of 14 points from 2004). I predict that in a few election cycles, Texas will no longer be considered a Republican stronghold, and could very well go blue.

Viagra Substitute

DENVER — Sales of handguns, rifles and ammunition have surged in the last week, according to gun store owners around the nation who describe a wave of buyers concerned that an Obama administration will curtail their right to bear arms.

“He’s a gun-snatcher,” said Jim Pruett, owner of Jim Pruett’s Guns and Ammo in northwest Houston, which was packed with shoppers on Thursday.

“He wants to take our guns from us and create a socialist society policed by his own police force,” added Mr. Pruett, a former radio personality, of President-elect Barack Obama.

Read the rest of the story.

What a Great Role Model!

There's an old adage that says we can always find the time to do what's important to us. Looking at Obama's schedule for today gives us an insight into what's important to him. It's been a long time since I've had a president who inspired me to be a better person. How about you?

The Obama Team sent out the President-elect's schedule for today that includes the list of economic advisers he'll be meeting with:

This morning, President-elect Barack Obama will attend parent teacher conferences at his daughters' school with his wife Michelle.

After a meeting with Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and the Transition Economic Advisory Board, President-elect Obama will hold a 1:30 p.m. (central) press conference at the Hilton Chicago. He will also attend additional transition meetings, receive his daily intelligence briefing, record the Democratic Radio Address, and return additional post-election political and protocol calls.

The Transition Economic Advisory Board will help guide the work of the Obama-Biden transition team in developing a strong set of policies to respond to the economic crisis. The Board includes:

· David Bonior (Member House of Representatives 1977-2003)

· Warren Buffett (Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway)-will participate via speakerphone

· Roel Campos (former SEC Commissioner)

· William Daley (Chairman of the Midwest, JP Morgan Chase; Former Secretary, U.S. Dept of Commerce, 1997-2000)

· William Donaldson (Former Chairman of the SEC 2003-2005)

· Roger Ferguson (President and CEO, TIAA-CREF and former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve)

· Jennifer Granholm (Governor, State of Michigan)

· Anne Mulcahy (Chairman and CEO, Xerox)

· Richard Parsons (Chairman of the Board, Time Warner)

· Penny Pritzker (CEO, Classic Residence by Hyatt)

· Robert Reich (University of California, Berkeley; Former Secretary, U.S. Dept of Labor, 1993-1997)

· Robert Rubin (Chairman and Director of the Executive Committee, Citigroup; Former Secretary, U.S. Dept of Treasury, 1995-1999)

· Eric Schmidt (Chairman and CEO, Google)

· Lawrence Summers (Harvard University; Managing Director, D.E. Shaw; Former Secretary, U.S. Dept of Treasury, 1999-2001)

· Laura Tyson (Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley; Former Chairman, National Economic Council, 1995-1996; Former Chairman, President's Council of Economic Advisors, 1993-1995)

· Antonio Villaraigosa (Mayor, City of Los Angeles)

· Paul Volcker (Former Chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve 1979-1987)

Transition Web Site

Official web site for The Office of the President-Elect - www.change.gov

The Final Numbers

If you like to analyze the numbers, this is a pretty good link. Nice big, red and blue map with a columns of numbers showing electoral and popular vote for each state.

The bad news, for me, out of this election is that Texas is still solidly red. McCain took 55% of the popular vote to Obama's 44%. It's not easy being blue in a red state like Texas. But, on the bright side, it's probably better than being in Louisianna or Mississippi. And, if Obama can win the election, Texas can turn blue someday.

Elizabeth Hasselbeck Redeems Herself

An article on Salon.com relates this incident on The View. Quite a change from the normal yelling matches. In so many cases, Obama has tapped into the noble spirit of humanity, causing even his enemies to stand in awe of his accomplishment.

When her daughter asked who lost, Hasselbeck says, she responded steadily: "No one lost today." No kidding, this from the woman who just yesterday defended the McCain-Palin ticket almost to the point of tears. Then she launches into a gracious concession:

Today, seriously, and God knows I fought hard on the other side, but today is a victory for this country to have Barack Obama be our next president, the first black president, the first black first lady and family … I will get in a long line of supporters -- because I wasn't the first -- but I will jump in that line and support our president because that is what, as an American, I believe we should do

I'm Mad as Hell and I'm Not Going to Take it Anymore

Remember the movie, Network? It took eight years of abuse to get most of the country to the point where we decided we weren't going to take it anymore. We need to sharpen up our letter writing skills and keep a positive anger glowing. If and when our elected representatives start to block progress by partisan bickering and ideological BS, we need to stick our head out the window and yell.

Half of us who live in Texas still aren't represented in congress. Don't forget that. We need to participate.

Checks and Balances Still Intact

There is one important thing that Obama can learn from George Bush. He made essentially the same promise that Obama made in his victory speech below, but not nearly as eloquently. He promised to be a uniter, not a divider. As soon as he was elected, he ignored half of the country and became president for the other half. That is what has destroyed the Republican party, and it will take them years to rebuild it. Obama, and the congress, must not mistake this for a mandate to turn hard left like bush turned hard right. It was an electoral landslide but the popular vote is still split. Half the country doesn't want him to be president. Just look at the numbers in the red states. McCain won by double digits in most of them.

I'm glad the Democrats didn't get their fillibuster-proof majority. The Democrats now have control of the executive and legislative branch of the government with the checks and balances left intact. Obama used the word, "immaturity" in his speech. Good choice of words. Let's hope they can all act like grown-ups now and get something done.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

The Moment That Changed The World

Obama's Victory Speech

Obama's victory speech. It's worth watching again.

Goodbye Ralph Nader

He even offended Fox News. I hope we've seen the last of him.

Where Was She During The Campaign?

Sarah Palin is relaxed, coherent and downright charming in this interview. Her accent is toned down. She's not trying to be cute and sexy. What happened to her? How could she have blown those early interviews? Either she was so uptight about being thrust on to the national stage or she was poorly managed. I suspect a little of both.

Red States are Still Red

If you look at the numbers in those red states, they were strong for McCain. Not even close in some cases. Jackie and Dunlap show us what they must be feeling this morning.

Inspirational Overload

As always, Garrison Keillor writes beautifully. I always choke up a bit when I read his articles, but this one did me in along with the glow of what happened last night. One can only take so much inspiration in twenty-four hours.

Now that the fight is over, I think I will make a greater effort to understand the conservative mind. I find myself being as mean spirited on my side as they are on theirs, and president-elect Obama has inspired me to get beyond that. The other day I was reading a news article about one of Palin's rallies, and they quoted a man who, after being presented with a rational argument about Obama, said, "I don't give a damn. I'll never vote for a black man." I immediately went on an internal rant about the ignorance of this man and everyone around him until I realized that I have said, "I don't give a damn. I'll never vote for a Republican." In some ways, my prejudice was just as bad as his. Listening to our new president last night, I realized that we have to make a greater effort to understand each other and improve the quality of our dialogue.

It's not going away, so I'll have plenty of opportunities to practice. I live in Texas. Read this article by John Derbyshire of the National Review Online and contrast it with Keillor's article. If McCain had won last night, I wonder if I would be writing something similar.

I ride a Harley. Several years ago, I wore a denim vest with a huge American flag on the back like many Harley riders. When George Bush was elected eight years ago, I put it in the closet and I haven't worn it since. I think I'll start wearing it again.

Our Long Nightmare is Over

So Little Time - So Much Damage

While Americans eagerly vote for the next president, here’s a sobering reminder: As of Tuesday, George W. Bush still has 77 days left in the White House — and he’s not wasting a minute.

Read the rest of the New York Times editorial. Unfortunately, it will take some of the glow off what's about to happen tonight. As the NYT puts it, he's "taking a wrecking ball" to the White House. We can't get rid of this ignorant man soon enough.

Gallup Pollster Says McCain Win Exceptionally Improbable

"There is no reason in history to suggest Obama won't win," said Frank Newport of Gallup. "All you can go by is history and compare our last polling that we have done before the election and the actual outcome in the presidential election... We have most polls showing Obama with a statistically significant lead nationally and also in these states. If he were to lose, it will be the first time since World War II something like this has happened. Now, keep in mind. It's a small sample, less than 20 elections, but it would be very unusual, in fact, exceptional... improbable."

Election Results

Karl Rove Predicts Big Obama Win

Winner: Obama
Electoral College: Obama 338 McCain 200

Rove writes on his website:

The final Rove & Co. electoral map of the 2008 election cycle points to a 338-200 Barack Obama electoral vote victory over John McCain tomorrow, the largest electoral margin since 1996. All remaining toss-up states have been allocated to the candidate leading in them, with Florida (27 EV) going to Obama, and Indiana (11 EV), Missouri (11 EV), North Carolina (15 EV), and North Dakota (3 EV) going to McCain. The two candidates are in a dead heat in Missouri and North Carolina, but they go to McCain because the most recent polls conducted over this past weekend show him narrowly ahead. Florida, too, could end up in McCain's column since he's benefited from recent movement in the state.

The Returns Are In . . . . for Dixville Notch, NH

All 21 residents of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire have voted and they went for Obama 15 to 6.

Obama's Grandmother Died Today

Obama's grandmother died today. Here's a collection of photos that illustrates the emotional impact the Obama has on people. Some of these tears are for his loss.

The Final Polls

Click here for a comprehensive analysis of the final polls before the big day tomorrow.

A Little Straight Talk From Obama

Here's an excerpt from an MTV interview with Obama today. The interviewer's name is Sway. They were taking questions online:

Sway: Our next question comes from Eric out of Huntington Beach, California: "There are numerous cultures and subcultures in the United States today. Powers-that-be set statutes with monetary penalty on how people wear their clothes. Do you find it intrusive on civil liberties to create such ordinances?" And you know I got 'locks.

Obama: I wasn't going to pass a law, man. You look tight.

Sway: I know people have piercings, tattoos. Eric, in particular, is talking about a ban on sagging pants. Do feel like people should be penalized?

Obama: Here is my attitude: I think people passing a law against people wearing sagging pants is a waste of time. We should be focused on creating jobs, improving our schools, health care, dealing with the war in Iraq, and anybody, any public official, that is worrying about sagging pants probably needs to spend some time focusing on real problems out there. Having said that, brothers should pull up their pants. You are walking by your mother, your grandmother, your underwear is showing. What's wrong with that? Come on. There are some issues that we face, that you don't have to pass a law, but that doesn't mean folks can't have some sense and some respect for other people and, you know, some people might not want to see your underwear — I'm one of them.

Sway: In regards to piercings, tattoos, I had a friend who worked for UPS and he had 'locks. He almost lost his job, but he fought for it. In regards to those things, how do you feel?

Obama: It's one thing if an employer discriminates on the basis of gender or sexual orientation or, obviously, race or ethnicity. I think employers can set standards. Now you got 'locks, but it looks clean, man, it's tight, and my little girl has twists, Malia, and to me, it looks great. Obviously I would be upset if she were discriminated against on that basis. On the other hand, if you are working at a fancy store and you show up to work in jeans and a shirt and you have a tatoo across your neck like Mike Tyson, for them to say, you know, "That is not the kind of image we are trying to project," obviously, that is in their rights as well. I think any business has the right to say, "This is the kind of tone we want to set," as long as they aren't discriminating on the basis of things people can't control.

Dick Cheney's Hometown Paper Endorses Obama

Dick Cheney's hometown paper in Wyoming, the Casper Star-Tribune, switched to Obama.

It is a foregone conclusion that Wyoming's three electoral votes will go to Sen. John McCain. It would be easy for the Star-Tribune to simply agree with the majority of voters in this red state and endorse the Republican candidate for president.

But this isn't an ordinary election, and Sen. Barack Obama has the potential to be an extraordinary leader at a time we desperately need one. The next occupant of the White House will inherit a national economy that's collapsing and two wars our nation has been fighting for years, depleting valuable resources we need to fix a multitude of domestic problems. Far too many of our nation's citizens live paycheck to paycheck, worried about whether they'll have a job next week or if a medical crisis will bankrupt them.

What America needs most in these troubled times is a president who will move the country in a positive direction. The candidate who is most likely to chart a new course that will lead us to better days is Obama. Moreover, he is the best candidate for Wyoming ...

Two of the best ways to judge presidential candidates is by looking at how they conduct their campaigns and who they select as vice president. On both fronts, Obama wins impressively.

We may not always agree with Sen. Joe Biden's decisions, but Obama tapped him to bring valuable foreign policy experience to the ticket. There is no question that the longtime senator is capable of serving as president if needed.

McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, however, shows extremely poor judgment. She has shown repeatedly that she is simply not ready to fill McCain's shoes.

Obama's advisers are extremely capable leaders. It's good to know that he turns to the likes of Warren Buffett for financial matters and retired Gen. Colin Powell on military issues. With his emphasis on diplomacy along with a commitment to protecting America, Obama gives us our best hope of regaining the respect of other nations.

If the John McCain of 2000 saw today's counterpart, he wouldn't recognize himself. McCain is no longer a GOP maverick, or the war hero whose principles were unwavering. He has flip-flopped on issues ranging from tax cuts to torture in an effort to win over the conservative base of his party. He has waged a dismal campaign based on fear and divisiveness.

We don't agree with Obama on several issues. There is no evidence that raising taxes on any segment of the population has ever stimulated the economy. He should reject this part of his economic plan.

But his campaign has been an honorable one that has focused on inclusiveness and hope. The three presidential debates showed Obama to be a calm, thoughtful leader with a unique vision of the future. The contrast with his opponent, who seemed angry and erratic, could not have been more stark or more telling.

We endorse Barack Obama for president.

Do You Need Any More Reasons to Vote for Obama?

In his now famous 2002 speech, while he was still a state senator in Illinois, Barack Obama said: “I know that a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, of undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without international support will fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than the best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I'm not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.”

Obama is the Real Conservative

by Jeffrey Hart
October 31, 2008

A speechwriter for Reagan and Nixon—who worked at the National Review for four decades—on why he's voting for Obama.

It may be something of a surprise that, as a long time conservative, I now support Barack Obama. In 1968, I was a speechwriter first for Ronald Reagan, when Governor of California, then, as Richard Nixon became the presidential nominee, a speechwriter for Nixon, working at his home office at 450 Park Avenue. I became a senior editor at National Review in 1969, a position I held until recently.

There are common sense conservatives who are prudential, who try to match means with ends, and who calculate the probabilities of gains and risks. But there are philosophical (analytical) conservatives, the most useful being Edmund Burke, whose "Reflections on the Revolution in France" (1790) understood the great dangers in trying to change society through abstract (republican) theory. My first book that dealt with these matters was "English Political writers: From Locke to Burke" (Knopf, 1963).

One thing I know is that both Nixon and Reagan would have agreed with Obama’s speech against the Iraq War… But all the organs of the conservative movement followed Bush over the cliff—as did John McCain.

Republican President George W. Bush has not been a conservative at all, either in domestic policy or in foreign policy. He invaded Iraq on the basis of abstract theory, the very thing Burke warned against. Bush aimed to turn Iraq into a democracy, "a beacon of liberty in the Middle East," as he explained in a radio address in April 2006.

I do not recall any "conservative" publication mentioning those now memorable words "Sunni," "Shia," or "Kurds." Burke would have been appalled at the blindness to history and to social facts that characterized the writing of those so-called conservatives.

Obama did understand. In his now famous 2002 speech, while he was still a state senator in Illinois, he said: “I know that a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, of undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without international support will fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than the best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda. I'm not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.”

Burke would have agreed entirely, and admired the cogency of so few words. And one thing I know is that both Nixon and Reagan would have agreed. Both were prudential and successful conservatives. But all the organs of the conservative movement followed Bush over the cliff—as did John McCain.


Obama was the true conservative, the Burkean. Like the French radicals of 1790, Bush wanted to democratize Iraq, turn it, as he said in a speech at Whitehall, into a "beacon of liberty in the Middle East." Now, Robespierre and the other radicals were criticized by Burke for wanting to turn France into a republic. Not a bad idea, but they tried to do it all at once, and according to republican theory.

Maxmillien Robespierre himself would have been horrified by the notion of democratizing Mesopotamia. That may—possibly—happen. But it will take a long time, an Enlightenment, and the muting of sectarian hatreds.

Social Security has long been considered one of the most successful New Deal programs, working well now for 70 years. Yet in 2005, the Bush plan to establish private accounts that could be invested in the Stock Market got nowhere. McCain, too, has embraced this idea. In 2008 it looks ridiculous. The Stock Market! Again, this is a radical proposal, not a conservative one.

Ever since Roe vs. Wade, abortion has been a salient controversy in our politics. But the availability of abortion is linked to the long advancement of women's equality. Again, we are dealing with social change, and this requires understanding social change, a Burkean imperative that Obama understands.

On my Dartmouth campus, half the undergraduates are women. They do not want to have their plans derailed by an unwanted pregnancy. In Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, the Court ruled that the availability of abortion "enables women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the country."

Though there is a tragic aspect to abortion, as Obama recognizes, women's equality means that women have control of their reproductive capability. Men don't worry about that. The fact is that 83 percent of elective abortions occur during the first trimester, and decline rapidly after that.

Both Obama and McCain support federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research, Obama more urgently. The conservative movement publications, following Bush, have been fiercely opposed. Such opposition required a belief that a cluster of cells (the embryo) the size of the period at the end of this sentence is as important (more important?) than a seriously ill human being.

I myself cannot fathom such a mentality.

In fact, embryonic stem cell research is being energetically pursued in the following nations: Israel, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, China cooperating with the EU. Privately funded and state funded laboratories are moving ahead vigorously.

Recently, Harvard announced a program that will be part of a multi-billion dollar science center to be established south of the Charles River, and will be able to supply sem cells to other laboratories. I call that Pro-Life.

This analysis could be extended, but it seems clear to me that Obama is the conservative in the 2008 election.

Pundits Predict Obama Win

Mark Halperin
Winner: Obama
Electoral College: Obama 349 McCain 189
Senate Seats: 58 Democrats 40 Republicans
House Seats: 261 Democrats 174 Republicans

Matthew Dowd
Winner: Obama
Electoral College: Obama 338 McCain 200
Senate Seats: 57 Democrats 41 Republicans
House Seats: 250 Democrats 185 Republicans

George Will
Winner: Obama
Electoral College: Obama 378 McCain 160
Senate Seats: 57 Democrats 41 Republicans
House Seats: 254 Democrats 181 Republicans

Donna Brazile
Winner: Obama
Electoral College: Obama 343
Senate Seats: 59 Democrats 39 Republicans
House Seats: 262 Democrats 173 Republicans

George Stephanopoulos
Winner: Obama
Electoral College: Obama 353 McCain 185
Senate Seats: 58 Democrats (59 if there's a run-off in Georgia) Republicans 40
House Seats: Democrats 264 Republicans 171

Stick to Plumbing

This is unbelievable. This guy was just mowing his yard one day when Obama walked through his neighborhood. Now he's spouting McCain's talking points as a guest on national TV shows. I'll listen to the plumber when my toilet is stopped up, but I don't want, and I don't value, his opinions about Barack Obama.

Pre-requisites for Vice-President

Some of the news items about Sarah Palin are funny and provide great material for jokes, fair or unfair, but this item is serious. It reveals her fundamental lack of understanding about the bedrock issues of our constitution and her willingness to interpret the constitution according to her own self-interest. College classes have pre-requisites because the course material is dependent on knowledge of issues that are foundational to that course. You can't take algebra until you've taken general math. The presidency, or vice-presidency, should have some pre-requisites. One of those should be at least a basic understanding of the constitution.

The Original Mavericks

Fontaine Maverick, great-great-granddaughter of Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803-1870) explains the origin of the expression -- and why it shouldn't apply to the Republican candidate:

Samuel Maverick was a Texas cattleman, land baron and politician, so influential that he was one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Fiercely independent and equally liberal. Sam became well known for what he didn't do, however. It seems, according to Fontaine, that he had taken some cattle in lieu of a debt he was owed. He let them roam on an island off of Texas, and for whatever reason, didn't brand them. So, any unbranded cattle became known as Maverick's. Now, this more than likely wasn't an act of revolt. No one knows for sure, but Maverick really wasn't much of a cattleman. He was also shrewd, later on in life if cattle weren't branded, he would often claim them.

Sam was also very spirited and free minded. It was because of this that in 1867 the term Maverick was first cited as being used to describe someone with an independent streak, someone not branded.

"Mavericks believe everybody has a right to be in America so long as they obey the law," Fontaine told me. "Grandfather Maury was no coward. He chased the Klan right out of San Antonio once, stood up to the mob... Maury was burned in effigy in San Antonio, for his defense of members of the Communist Party's right to assemble, for his defense of the Hispanic community, support for those who didn't have a voice. "

"My brother called me from California last week during the VP debate and told me if they said the world Maverick one more time, he was going to shoot the TV. Of course, he doesn't have a gun, but, you get the point. My mother was just quoted in the New York Times about how we feel McCain is branded, Palin is branded, they are Republicans, and true Mavericks carry no brand. It's driving our family crazy, upsetting us and the legacy of my family, and we really with the campaign would stop misusing the word and the phrase.

"John McCain on a few occasions has shown that he can go against his party, but how hard is that when his party has been wrong on so many things as we now see," she continued. "But he has a brand. And Palin, I'm not sure she even knows the history of the word of or my family, but one thing is clear to all of my family, she truly is not a Maverick."

Palin Gets Pranked by Two Canadian Comedians

We really don't need any more information to bolster the case against Palin, but here's another one. Seems like two comedians from Canada got through on the telephone to Palin and posed as French President Nicolas Sarkozy. They chatted for several minutes and Palin didn't have a clue. She thought she was talking to Sarkozy, and when they admitted the prank at the end of the call, she disconnected. This is very funny, but sad. It's another indication of her naivete and inflated ego that she would believe Sarkozy would call her.

Listen to a recording of the call here.

McCain on Saturday Night Live

It's a shame he's so mean, petty and dishonest on the campaign trail because he's very likeable on SNL. Some great lines in these skits:

Joan Walsh Wrapping up the Campaign

The Endorsement From Hell

Dick Cheney endorses John McCain and praises Sarah Palin for the "executive ability" she brings to the job.

What is a Community Organizer Anyway?

P.T. Barnum Was Right

Isn't it amazing how easy it is to get so many people to believe something that isn't true.