Give some hits to a lonely sane voice in the reddest of red states.
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Finally
I haven't written because I couldn't think of anything to say that hasn't already been said by someone else better (and sooner!) about Obama's victory. I smile every time I here someone say "President-Elect Obama"; MY faith in the American people (which was virtually non-existent) has been restored (mostly), and I don't have to pick out somewhere in Europe or Canada to live.
This, finally, was something I hadn't seen before, something worth passing along that says it all. Once again, my friend Mary gets the best stuff from her circle!
It's Enough
My oldest daughter challenged me the last time we discussed her reactions to this blog: "You spend a lot of time shooting down the McCain campaign, Mom," she said, "But I almost never see you write positive things about Obama."
She is right, of course. Truth told those who have read this blog from the beginning know that I have deeply ambivalent feelings about Obama. And not for any of the reasons given my McSamiacs or false independents, but because of my deeply leftist mistrust of anyone who claims to be avowedly anti-partisan in his approach. I fell out with Bill Clinton when he played conservative animosity toward the poor to his advantage (read: welfare reform), and when he reversed himself to pander to conservative hatred of gays and lesbians through DOMA.
Obama lost me early in the primary season when he hosted the cancerous Donnie McClurkin as his front early in N.C., and it is not lost on me and other gay and lesbian commentors that he has studiously avoided weighing in on Proposition 8 right now in California.
Make no mistake, people: Obama is in it to win it and if you happen to be one of the people thrown under the bus in the process you are supposed to understand and forgive.
Civil rights? FISA? Not so important until maybe after the election, when we may or may not have energy for a defense of the constitution. There will no no one held to account for the complete lawlessness of the Bush Administration. That cancer will lie dormant until some future President or Supreme Court is forced to confront it.
And still, Esquire makes its first endorsement in 75 years, and speaks in the voice of many of us as it does so:
In truth, though, Senator Obama is the only one of the two candidates who seems to believe in the idea of a political commonwealth, that there are those things -- be they the guarantees in the Bill of Rights or mountains in Alaska -- that we own together. Barack Obama stands, however inchoately and however diffidently, for the notion that a common purpose is necessary for common problems, that "government," as it is designed in our founding documents, is our collective responsibility. It is this collective responsibility that built America into a great power without peer in the history of the world. And it is this collective responsibility that has succumbed to nearly thirty years of phony rightist populism, corporate brigandage, and the wildly cheered abandonment of a common American civic purpose.
It is shocking that in America an argument for salvaging the common good is regarded as a radical notion by anyone, but that is where we are. And that is what Barack Obama seems to stand for.
After all, as a young man with his potential, he could have headed straight to midtown Manhattan and made a fortune. Instead, he took a church job working for poor people in Chicago, and for his troubles, he and those poor people have been viciously jeered by the likes of Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin.
Such is their regard for the common good. And such is Obama's promise. And in that, however inchoately and however diffidently, Obama stands not only against Bushism, but against Reaganism, which gave it birth. And that is more than enough.
Barack will not spend a penny of political capital indicting the war criminals, nor may he succeed in effecting meaningful healthcare reform, but he will return dignity and grace to the Oval Office, and to America's standing in the world and, today, that is enough.
Character
A beautiful piece in the NYT about Obama's trip to see his grandmother:
She underwent a corneal transplant to see him on television. She reluctantly agreed to film a political ad when he needed to urgently reassure the voters about his distinctive American roots. She told him during one of their frequent telephone conversations that it might not hurt if he smiled a bit more.
And on Friday, Senator Barack Obama spent the day saying goodbye.
Mr. Obama came to the Punahou Circle Apartments here, a place of his own childhood, where his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, lay gravely ill. For weeks, he has talked to doctors and tracked her condition. After she was released from the hospital last week, he received word that he should not wait until after the election to make what he believes could be his last visit.
Having said too many goodbyes myself recently, I want to comment here on what extraordinary emotional grit and courage this man is showing with his return to the campaign trail so quickly after this one. Of course he doesn't have a choice, but this display of character -- both in the leaving and in the return -- is something that should be noted more and isn't.
Fun Bits and Pieces
Great article from Dana Milbank at WaPo. Glad to see everyone is keeping a sense of humor about this.
Apparently, Obama is a Fantasy Football fan!
And even the Russians are having a little fun with Sarah. (h/t Aravosis)
Why Bother?
Sarah Palin certainly accomplished one thing in her debate with Biden: she established a new norm in which it is perfectly acceptable for those purporting to engage in debate NOT to answer the questions posed. Yes, I know that this has been an emerging phenomenon, but this cycle has taken it to a new place altogether.
Both candidates were guilty, and I was frustrated to see Obama pass up stellar opportunities to make very good points and instead revert back to stump speech rhetoric that most of us have heard many times before.
If the candidates have no intention whatsoever to answer the questions asked, and the moderator, as restricted by current "rules" can't take them to task, haven't the "debates" been reduced to seeing two candidates giving their stump speeches from the same stage?
Pause for a Chuckle
My laptop is headed to the doctor for what I hope will turn out NOT to be major surgery. Send good thoughts.
In the meantime, help push this around, from Sarah Silverman. Very funny.
Spread it Around
I am finally comforted to see that the Obama campaign has both the skill and will to fight back. The only question I have is: Why only run this in Atlanta?
Fight Back
First the disclaimer: I only agree with about 90% of this post, and I think the language is way over the top in describing Obama. Having said that, this blog assumes a certain Democratic orientation that permits -- nay requires -- this type of inside-the-family critique when it's called for.
If Obama doesn't begin to fight back a little harder against the slime being lobbied his way, we could actually wind up losing this thing.
I promise to organize some really interesting dirt on McCain to post very soon.
Just Shoot Me
I have to admit, this ad is effective in its own way, but PLEASE STOP! Nothing is more galling to progressives that lived through the Reagan era than the deifying of the man that has occurred since he left office.
Reagan was not responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union; the Soviets were -- by stupidly spending their nation into near bankruptcy by overspending on military expenditures they couldn't afford (among other things). Sound familiar?
Reagan carved the words "tax and spend liberal" into the media granite while racking up the highest deficits of any President in history. Sound familiar?
And Reagan was a public embarrassment for much of his time in office. Remember the great line about trees emitting most of the carbon dioxide in the air? Remember catsup as a vegetable in school lunches? Sound familiar?
And Reagan was another Republican who couldn't let little things like the law stand in the way of what he wanted to do oversees, like sell weapons to Nicaraguan terrorists, oops, I mean, Freedom Fighters. Sound familiar?
And the Reagan administration was also full of people who were never held accountable because....... they couldn't remember! Sound familiar?
And only Reagan had Alzheimer's disease; the rest were just liars.
So now Obama is going to sell himself to the American people by comparing himself to Reagan?!
Just shoot me, please?
Obama in Germany
Let's see.......... Shall we elect another Republican whose gaffes embarass us all around the world? Or might it be nice for a change to have a President who makes us proud?
If you haven't seen more than the clips the networks chose to air, set aside the next 25 minutes to listen to Obama in Germany.
Pathetic WATB
For your weekend amusement, here is a Greatest Hits list of all the crap the McCain campaign and the Repukes have leveled against Barack in the last week:
First of all, look for the themes in all the attacks against Obama. As usual, the Republicans bank on the stupidity of the American people (always a safe bet, I’m afraid) to let them have it both ways. It’s the old game of “heads I win; tails you lose”.
On Friday’s News Hour, for example, David Brooks, whose job of carrying water for the Republicans while continuing to masquerade as someone who is intellectually honest gets harder every day, criticized Obama for the lofty themes of his speech. Yet imagine if Barack had made a substantive policy speech…… while still a candidate……… on foreign shores. The Repukes would have had a field day.
And “Presumptuous” is the new politically-correct term for “uppity”.
McCain, who once called the media “his base” tantrums like a petulant first child about the new baby getting too much attention.
But this is closer to the truth. Not to mention this summary.
Playing “gotcha” when Obama actually pays attention to the rules, and to the suggestion from the Defense Department that his visit to the troops was an inappropriate campaign appearance.
And even Barack’s basketball game comes in for a hit.
These people are pathetic. Only in a nation full of the stupidest people in the world could this be effective. Are we really that?
God forbid we might elect a President that the rest of the world actually had some respect for.
Obama and FISA
After more than 17,000 people signed up in a just a few days, Senator Obama issued a response to the social network group against FISA today. (I’m a member, are you?) I don’t like the outcome, but the tone is perfect and – like his already-famous speech on race – an intelligent conversation between adults, not the parent to child hectoring most politicians adopt with their critics. On FISA, there are still approaches that can work, but more pressure on this candidate after this statement is almost wasted energy (although it will be interesting to see how much it moves on its own, virally.) Ironically, it is precisely because of the damage already done to his brand through this kind of reversal that he can’t afford to be seen as having given it to us! That is the kabuki of the screwed up politics of our time, but it is also the reality. Although I completely disagree with Obama on many substantive elements of his argument here, it is clearly a thoughtful statement from a man that has made up his mind.
So it’s time to turn to Reid – who can get this thing killed and out of the way for his candidate if he chooses to do so. We have to make him want to do so.
But I digress…
Giving our candidate his due, here is Obama on FISA. His complete statement.
I want to take this opportunity to speak directly to those of you who oppose my decision to support the FISA compromise.
This was not an easy call for me. I know that the FISA bill that passed the House is far from perfect. I wouldn't have drafted the legislation like this, and it does not resolve all of the concerns that we have about President Bush's abuse of executive power. It grants retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that may have violated the law by cooperating with the Bush Administration's program of warrantless wiretapping. This potentially weakens the deterrent effect of the law and removes an important tool for the American people to demand accountability for past abuses. That's why I support striking Title II from the bill, and will work with Chris Dodd, Jeff Bingaman and others in an effort to remove this provision in the Senate.
But I also believe that the compromise bill is far better than the Protect America Act that I voted against last year. The exclusivity provision makes it clear to any President or telecommunications company that no law supersedes the authority of the FISA court. In a dangerous world, government must have the authority to collect the intelligence we need to protect the American people. But in a free society, that authority cannot be unlimited. As I've said many times, an independent monitor must watch the watchers to prevent abuses and to protect the civil liberties of the American people. This compromise law assures that the FISA court has that responsibility
The Inspectors General report also provides a real mechanism for accountability and should not be discounted. It will allow a close look at past misconduct without hurdles that would exist in federal court because of classification issues. The recent investigation uncovering the illegal politicization of Justice Department hiring sets a strong example of the accountability that can come from a tough and thorough IG report.
The ability to monitor and track individuals who want to attack the United States is a vital counter-terrorism tool, and I'm persuaded that it is necessary to keep the American people safe -- particularly since certain electronic surveillance orders will begin to expire later this summer. Given the choice between voting for an improved yet imperfect bill, and losing important surveillance tools, I've chosen to support the current compromise. I do so with the firm intention -- once I’m sworn in as President -- to have my Attorney General conduct a comprehensive review of all our surveillance programs, and to make further recommendations on any steps needed to preserve civil liberties and to prevent executive branch abuse in the future.
Now, I understand why some of you feel differently about the current bill, and I'm happy to take my lumps on this side and elsewhere. For the truth is that your organizing, your activism and your passion is an important reason why this bill is better than previous versions. No tool has been more important in focusing peoples' attention on the abuses of executive power in this Administration than the active and sustained engagement of American citizens. That holds true -- not just on wiretapping, but on a range of issues where Washington has let the American people down.
I learned long ago, when working as an organizer on the South Side of Chicago, that when citizens join their voices together, they can hold their leaders accountable. I'm not exempt from that. I'm certainly not perfect, and expect to be held accountable
too. I cannot promise to agree with you on every issue. But I do promise to listen to your concerns, take them seriously, and seek to earn your ongoing support to change the country. That is why we have built the largest grassroots campaign in the history of presidential politics, and that is the kind of White House that I intend to run as President of the United States -- a White House that takes the Constitution seriously, conducts the peoples' business out in the open, welcomes and listens to dissenting views, and asks you to play your part in shaping our country’s destiny.
Democracy cannot exist without strong differences. And going forward, some of you may decide that my FISA position is a deal breaker. That's ok. But I think it is worth pointing out that our agreement on the vast majority of issues that matter outweighs the differences we may have. After all, the choice in this election could not be clearer. Whether it is the economy, foreign policy, or the Supreme Court, my opponent has embraced the failed course of the last eight years, while I want to take this country in a new direction. Make no mistake: if John McCain is elected, the fundamental direction of this country that we love will not change. But if we come together, we have an historic opportunity to chart a new course, a better course.
So I appreciate the feedback through my.barackobama.com, and I look forward to continuing the conversation in the months and years to come. Together, we have a lot of work to do.
The Dark Night Ahead
I feel compelled from time to time to reassure the many Obama enthusiasts among my small audience that I, too, am moved by the promise. One would have to be both dead and embalmed not to be affected by the promise this man holds out... for a return to grace on the international stage, to the dominance of reason and intellect over bullying in foreign policy. I remember when he said that he rose out of Chicago politics and could handle the fight. I remember when he used to challenge the Republican framing of security-vs-civil rights.
I remember just six months ago when he said this (via FDL):
Ever since 9/11, this Administration has put forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand.
The FISA court works. The separation of power works. We can trace, track down and take out terrorists while ensuring that our actions are subject to vigorous oversight, and do not undermine the very laws and freedom that we are fighting to defend.
No one should get a free pass to violate the basic civil liberties of the American people -- not the President of the United States, and not the telecommunications companies that fell in line with his warrantless surveillance program. We have to make clear the lines that cannot be crossed. . . .
But I was just one of those bitter, old Hillary pragmatists who wanted to see some beef before we bought the sandwich.
Yet I digress...
This is a post about why -- even as I encourage you to take action to move him on FISA, I urge everyone to support his candidacy with all your might.
Evil simply cannot triumph in this case:
Because if Obama thought Hillary was rough, he ain’t seen nothin’ yet. This post from Ian Welsh at FDL is a must read.
Rove's students are now in charge of Obama's campaign.
Mr. Schmidt's elevation is the latest sign of increasing influence of veterans of Mr. Rove's campaign efforts in the McCain operation. Nicolle Wallace, who was communications director for Mr. Bush in the 2004 campaign and in his White House, has joined the campaign as a senior adviser, and will travel with Mr. McCain every other week. Greg Jenkins, another veteran of Mr. Rove's operation, has joined the McCain communications operation.
And finally, remembering a recent conversation with one of my best friends, who didn’t believe (at first) the story in which McCain publicly called his own wife a c*&t, I feel compelled to promote the latest-emerging evidence that John McCain is unstable.
While the Press Faints Cheney Keeps Maneuvering on Iran
One simply cannot rely upon the MSM to tell us what is important. Today, they are all aghast and atwitter over Wes Clark’s comment on Face the Nation, and have deliberately clipped, twisted, and mischaracterized his words as an attack on McCain’s war record. The Columbia Journalism Review has the original quote and a good article.
Appearing as a surrogate for Barack Obama on CBS’s “Face the Nation”, Clark, in reference to John McCain, said: I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war…But he hasn’t held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded—that wasn’t a wartime squadron. He hasn’t been there and ordered the bombs to fall.
When moderator Bob Schieffer interjected that “Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences, either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down”,
Clark responded: “Well, I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.”
A perfectly reasonable observation to make, it seems to me, not an assault on either McCain’s war record or his patriotism. Too bad Obama threw him under the bus so quickly. I guess Clark’s audition for VP is over.
And while they clutch their hearts at this unbearable assault on their hero, St. McCain, other things are going on that real reporters used to cover.
Terry Gross had Sy Hersch on her NPR show today to deliver his latest bombshell, it seems that the fourth branch of government, located in Dick Cheney’s office, is not about to let up on it’s pursuit of conflict with Iran. This coincides with stories that have been murmuring elsewhere (h/t TPM) about the Administration’s haste in anticipation of an Obama victory.
Emptywheel has the best systhesis I’ve seen of why Hersch’s reporting is important.
These people are nuts.
FISA Drumbeat
We won a reprieve, but now is not the time to let up on FISA. Now is the time to concentrate our efforts on our presumptive nominee. The MSM is all about how Obama is "tacking to the center" for the general election, but this candidate started out pretty much in the center -- so we can read that as "tacking right".
Don't let him do it. Can't we at least wait until he is in office before we let him break our hearts? Although we are unlikely to win a straightforward victory, Dem leadership can just delay this thing into oblivion to take the heat off their candidate -- but that is only likely if we create enough heat.
Likeminded supporters have set up a group at Obama's campaign site to help him see the light. Join.
One breathtaking comment from a recent comment (emphasis in original):
1. Why do we claim that our "privacy" is being violated when in fact we are communicating with another person? There is no right to privacy that extends to communication between two individuals, unless that communication is protected by law. There is no invasion of privacy if two or more people are communicating. In other words, if you want privacy, then don't use your phone or email!!! DUH!Wow. Who thought it was just that simple?! So the only right to privacy we have is confined to our own homes? This commenter apparently believes that what J. Edgar Hoover did to Bobby Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. -- not to mention thousands of anti-war protesters during the 60s and 70s was perfectly okay -- because the idiots had the temerity to leave their homes!
2. This idea that we should somehow sue cell phone carriers for responding to an executive order is ludicrous, in my opinion. When you signed on as a cell phone user, did you get a written guarantee from the cell phone carrier that your communications would not be monitored by third parties? Probably not. Did you get a written guarantee that your cell phone records would not be shared with the
government? I doubt it. Again, if you want privacy, don't use a phone or email!
This is ridiculous. Just imagine how much fun the government could have with us if this kind of idiotic reasoning is allowed to prevail. Be afraid. Be very afriad.
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