Marisacat

The election was successful, but the patient died… 31 May 2008

Earlier, I linked to and snipped from The Hill article referenced in this CJR post…

A story in The Hill a few weeks ago, which we reported on, offered some grim comments from members of the Senate about prospects for health reform that have reverberated.

Yes indeedy… they were grim…. the gist, health care, universal, comprehensive, whatever the slapped on adjective, was great to RUN ON, but listen up honey chile! Congress has better things to do than that, we are the big boys and girls, and anyway, war carousing will be very time consuming.

DId I say carousing? I am sure (aren’t you?) they meant “ending the war”, or whatever is the term of art…

hmm it seems, I learn from CJR, little Ezra Klein of that radical hang out, The American Prospect, commented on the senators’ comments and later that day ran two follow-up clarifications, I did not have the pleasure then… sounds to me like he diapered the Really Big Boyz…

Rockefeller had originally said: “We all know there is not enough money to do all this stuff. What they are doing is…laying out their ambitions.” Baucus had told The Hill that the groundwork for reform was being laid through hearings, but he projected an uphill battle ahead. “If they try to solve all the problems, it’s going to be difficult.”

Given space and time for “clarification” – and a reminder no doubt from aides of what is needed to rise to the occasion, why, those Really Big Boyz rose to the occasion and slathered Ezra and his readers.. they’d do their very, very bluest, bestest best and hearings would b held.

Baucus’s aide, meanwhile, told Klein that the senator was going to lay the groundwork to start a major discussion on reform in 2009, holding hearings and hosting a great deal of discussion so members of the finance committee and congress “more generally can dig into both the problems and the possible solutions.” We still think reporters should be wary, and what Baucus’s aide said still sounds like a lot of high-sounding words.

Klein’s interpretation of Baucus’s statement was more generous. He told his readers that the senator, who happens to chair the key Senate Finance Committee, is going to spend a lot of time on hearings, coalition building, and public events that signal his committee’s readiness to take up health care reform. “It’s not the sort of thing you do if you don’t believe it will happen,” Klein said.

Baby boy… find a mothering breast (or a sugar tit, he won’t notice the difference) and hang on for dear life. Avoid looking all things squarely in the face and nestle deep in the smothering fold.

Do I sound cynical and dismissive? You bet.

And, they’re handing their [so hated] she-devil nemesis the biggest “I told you so” I have seen in decades.

BTW, none of the above required the Japanese binoculars sharp enough to see fleas on dogs at a mile remove…

This is not an endorsement of Hillary, she would do no differently.

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UPDATE, 2:42 pm

This was at the end of the last thread, it seems Barbara Boxer (tickle those libs!) gave the Democratic Response to Bush

liberalcatnip

link to Boxer’s address.

“Right now, many of our states, including my home state, are leading. They have the will. Our mayors are leading. They have the will. Religious leaders have urged us to act now as well. They reminded me of a wonderful quote that motivates me to work as hard as I can for as long as it takes to responsibly address global warming. These words stay with me: ‘When God created the first man, he took him around to all the trees in the Garden of Eden and said to him “see my handiwork, how beautiful and choice they are. Be careful not to ruin and destroy my world, for if you do ruin it, there is no one to repair it after you.”‘

“I truly hope that you will support our efforts on the Senate floor. Please join our fight, and thanks for listening.”

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I was not going to add this to my post, but as they seem to be lathering their spit balls with Holy Water.. why should I restrain and refrain?

from the Mike Allen Politico email

SCOOP, from the Newsweek closing tonight – ‘His Mobile Ministry: Politicians have long sought the counsel of faith leaders. Obama’s got 100 dialing in to pray for him,’ By Lisa Miller: ‘The Houston mega-pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell — who presided over Jenna Bush’s wedding last month and has offered spiritual counsel to her father-is a Christian VIP, so busy that his cell phone voicemail says, ‘Do not leave messages here.’ But on Friday mornings, whether he’s at church, in the car or on the golf course, Caldwell tries to dial into a certain high-level conference call. At 9:30 EST, a group of religious leaders gathers ‘telephonically,’ as Caldwell puts it; for 15 minutes, they pray for Sen. Barack Obama.’

We are so blessed.

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Just a thread………… 29 May 2008

New Orleans……………

I am laughing that the threme of this election, at least the last several months, most assuredly is: denounce, deny, reject, repudiate, renounce… and what else? Oh yes: EJECT.

I have no idea what is coming but no doubt we follow the bouncing ball down the street … If I thought any of the drool and spit from the religious pulpits, right – left – center – as well as off the page!, would be avoided/not embraced/not used next go round, I’d be thankful.

That won’t be happening.

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it’s a pathetic house here… 28 May 2008

Photo source

I am reduced to pawing the TV screen when there is an ad for cat food. There was one this morning with 3 pretty standard issue American short hairs…

Anyway… back to the moment at hand… Boston.com takes a look at the promise, offer, whatever it is, election slobber, from Camp Obama to ‘redraw the map’. Some changes can be made – no doubt. And I have long argued that if the Democrats gave two hoots about people they’d go more places, talk to more people. If you cannot look people in the eye and shake their hand (what too many of the Democrats cannot do), ask to hear what they’d like to tell you – well then, you cannot build the popular vote.

Howard has long promised his “50 State Strategy”… I hear burbles, but have no idea if truly implemented…

Usual caveat, FWIW, NTIM… 😉

Why observe memorial day now… 25 May 2008

Jordanian demonstration against the Lebanon war, casualty at Cana 2006

I never have in the past.

But, there’s a thread.

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Gas 23 May 2008

Indonesian taxi drivers face higher fuel costs after the government announced that heavily subsidised prices would have to rise in response to soaring oil prices. [AP via BBC]

I was wandering thru the BBC pics… and this taxi had some moxie. Attitude… animation. And, you know, gas… gas … gas.

San Francisco officially over $4

Enjoy…

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Silly season……….. 21 May 2008

it’s oozing out all over the place… 😉

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