The election was successful, but the patient died… 31 May 2008
Posted by marisacat in Inconvenient Voice of the Voter.trackback
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
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.”
^^^^
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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Ironic that the Dems wanted to avoid the appearance of “backroom dealing” while the public now has to wait for the rules committee to come out of a real backroom (where they’re reportedly dealing) to get on with it in front of everybody again.
CNN brrrreaking news: via Roland Martin – Obama resigns from church membership.
I didn’t you could “resign” from a church where you’re just a congregant.
*I didn’t know…
LOL he’s got ministers and preachers all over the body politic.
Good luck.
See update to post.. I got a good look at Kirbyjon, the minister that smashed together Jenna and the Hager kid. Sorry, most of them look like degenerates. As did he. The so very few that look like decent people.. are too rare.
Black bloggers fight to make voices heard
So much for the dkos black blogger outreach program. Mission failed.
Not breaking news… a friend just drove up from Los Angeles.. it was 4.50 a gallon all the way.
Of course I just also heard the liberal push back, but it is average 8.30 USD per in Europe.
Yes and how many ways are there to get to SF from LA? It may be 480 miles between us, but we are conjoined cities…. thow in SJ in the middle… a threesome.
car, plane and the very pleasant but very slow overnight train from LA to Emeryville — with a bus to SF.
And the joys of Trailways or Greyhound or whatever it is now.
that’s why that high speed rail thing is so critical. not just for a way to get between CA’s urban centers (and i count sac, stockton, fresno, bakersfield in there too, only one of which even has an airport) that’s insulated from gas price hikes, but as importantly because that measure has a bunch of money set aside for improving and expanding feeder networks to the HSR stops, which everywhere but SF is in dire need of.
in the long ru, we need those high gas prices to get society moving on alternatives, but we need to be sinking serious funds into those alternatives at the same time, they won’t build themselves on their own.
and for all the talk of how china’s putting zillions of cars on the road (and therefore why even bother, say those who didn’t want to bother in the first place), it should also be noted that every major city in china (by major, i mean “bigger than every city in the US but NYC”] is throwing massive funds towards building and/or expanding their mass transit systems.
the real concern, both with solar/wind/tidal as well as rail, is actually the fact that we currently lack the industrial capacity to build the stuff in the volumes we’ll need. if ever there was a time for a war effort-esque gummint-led push, this would be it.
not holding my breath, but i’d rather give the dems their 2/3 supermajority, on this as well as healthcare, just to rid us all of the illusion that all roadblocks are currently external. either we get lucky and dems do what is needed, or we get another shot at dropping scales from enough of the party faithful’s eyes to carve out a decent party that gives a shit.
the bigger the win, the less excuses will stick.
hmm, didn’t intend the winking smiley.
people really don’t believe me when I say that I am very intent on big majorities with a Dem in the WH.
I really am. Even if it does not mean I will engage and HELP them. If you liked the 110th you should love the future.
I was sick of their excuses 25 years ago.
I intend to vote for the high speed rail between here and SF… but you know we have waited 10 fucking years for the movable divide on the GG Bridge. They now have two sets of disastrous head on accidents in under, I think, 3 months.
So all promises hve been renewed.
oh but does Sulphurous Sully hear himself? What is there to destroy that will function, govern and help people?
Breaking:
Florida halved (this is news?), about to vote on MI
Ickes announces HC is reserving the right to take the battle to the Rules Committee…
da dum.
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I dumped teh smiley… they occur when a quotation marks is next to a close prens.
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ah, thanks.
Minor correction:
Ickes announces HC is reserving the right to take the battle to the *Credentials* Committee…
So I guess the headline is “split the baby, save the world”?
Sully seems to be twisting himself in knots there. Oh, the agony.
NYT Caucus Blog.
:::
Dappled results of a stray cat beacon in India (BBC video).
The swamp confirms Obamalama leaving his parish.
I don’t recall Oprah running for president at the time. Different kettle of fish (and loaves) this time around.
sorry yeah I meant the Credentials Committee at Denver.
Not really with it today… Rules and Bylaws and Credentials kinda morphed or
CONGEALED!
LOL anyone who listens to the Clintons knows, they telegraph what they intend to do.. all manner of punditry and whoever spent the last days saying, it will be over by Wednesday. Next Wdnesday
Everytime they shook a finger at her, they ensured this outcome.
HA! Some Wednesday, someday.
Spectacular headline writing:
Lynne Sweet had some on target observations… That Pfleger et alia have wallowed (she used other words) with an enabling press writing about a small pond. Then, oops, the upper Midwest provincials were in the public view.
Calmez. I call SF the provinces as well.
haha…DD lectures Clinton supporters for acting “so rudely and immorally today”. Got a mirror there, Mr Vagina?
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Dwight Hopkins is called upon to offer up the shaping comments.
Like Ganswein explaining Ratz. As he ties his bows and laces.
Give it a break.
Pass the tissues:
Isn’t booing unity against the ten commandments?
I think it was Ickes who misspoke. He probably meant the Tough Shit Sherlocks Committee. I bet they meet on Wednesdays.
Michigan Delegation to Be Sat at Half Strength
Ha ha ha!
Quick, call set design! We’ll need equipment for the pre-convention rigors, then banks of fainting couches . . . underinflated whoopie cushions. . . low-speed fans. . . .
i have to say, i enjoy “gaffes.” heaven forfend the messiness of the peons spoil the platonic forms and images of the campaign spin doctors.
one of the best thing about dean was his gaffes. i dunno, i really wish we were able as a country to just accept the madness, roughness, hysterical rantings of regular people more often without going into a tizzy.
then again, i guess it isn’t really about us, it’s about the media commentariat and their political consultant buddies getting all oogy when the provincials come to the fore.
if i had my way, i’d bring all the extremists, all the crazies, all the ranters into the spotlight, just to cleanse us of this idea that any democracy worthy of the name can be sterile and orderly. people are by nature messy, unruly, irrational and conflicted, and their government and process of selecting same should reflect that.
the whole system is horrified by any contact with the unwashed masses. that’s what’s so great about the permanent primary race, the forcing of the media through the provinces, forcing them to pretend that they care what the goddamn rubes in kentucky or montana think.
do you know the 9 AIDS/LifeCycle )way to LA?
oh that was funny… The Tough Shit Sherlocks Committe..
24. 🙂
25. just to cleanse us of this idea that any democracy worthy of the name can be sterile and orderly. people are by nature messy, unruly, irrational and conflicted, and their government and process of selecting same should reflect that.
But there are rules dammit! RULES and more rules and RULES committees and Donna Brazile’s mama says you have to play by the rules!
25
honest to god wu ming
selling yourself as someone whose DNA can heal the nation (yes he did) when your birthing bed, as an adult, is TUCC, aplce where he spent 20 _ years figuring out how to naviogate the politics of his district on the SS Chicago… but no one thought how this translates to the larger world.
End of the day, blacks are 12 %. It has to be less hard to explain to the rest… that is if one wants to win. the Dems say they do but then they drag Hillary and Bill and Barack and Michelle out to the curb. And say run for it..
is not going to work.
The party always says, look at us (or our candidate) how learned, smart, well spoken, how BETTER we are… they push internationlaism.. over and over and over.
But in truth, they have no bench. Not really.
I really am odd person out… I find a lot of KY and MT in San Francisco..
The Democrats run roiling egos that have to be explained, over and over.
Why I am stuck reading Sirota telling me that the great and valuable Lamont run is a cornerstone of where the party needs to go and was a monumental anti war message.??? (two days ago) What in gods name was REAL about that run?
Why am I left with that?
I am for the biggest tent, I always was, when I got it clear they did not want ME, I left… the mediocre leaders of the party and their girdled offerings ARE NOT for a BIG TENT..
I found a reference to The Interfaith Alliance in a Christian Science Monitor article titled ’08 race has got religion. Is that good?
I guess the group is trying to spread the gospel of the Constitution from within the various faith communities. Here’s a clip from their page on No Religious Test:
If the party had half a brain it would learn from ‘the fucked manger run’ and return to a largely secular party.
It won’t.
the political money going straight to churches has negated anything even approaching the faith based but also broad based movement that MLK was abot ot have.
Despoiled offerings, from inside the churches. Much worse than in the post war, 50s and 60s. Bad as it ws then.
LOL
the “story” via little Stephanopoulos, is that Obama has been in discussion “for weeks” about leaving the church.
Sell me a bridge.
From the CSM article linked above:
BTW – Has Obama picked out his next house of worship? Probably best not to delay, right?
He/They will probably go mainline in DC with some shared felloship church in Chicago…… Michelle will go in the back door at TUCC and watch from a private room.
That would be my guess.
32. agreed.
and as for 30, i totally see where you’re coming from. my intent wasn’t to apologize for the party, or talk you out of your own experience and convictions, but just to blow off a bit of steam over the inability the whole country has to just accept the messiness of its own people, this bizarre desire to have a president who appears cleaner, fresher, sparklier, better than the people, instead of just a representative of those people. the anxiety that crops up whenever anything off-script pops up just baffles me. i suppose dems act that way because at heart they are disgusted and embarrassed of us peons. republicans are smarter about it politically, but the rich ones can’t stand the rank and file either in private.
i honestly don’t know much about SF, it always being more of an idea growing up, the imagined ideal standard that we all harshly measured ourselves against out here in our bay area frontier post in the valley, but there is definitely plenty of KY and MT out in sacramento and environs, no question about that. even the accent in the san joaquin has vestigal traces of oklahoma.
Supposedly doing a press conference in Iowa now. From a liveblog at DK:
Sorry, South Dakota.
Over and over the Democrats run people who are deeply conflicted and explain themselves badly.
That is barack.
I have no idea what he might have been, allowed to grow. To not have that labeled racist observation..
I watched the hard cash from the books (which he is still using to say, ”if you don’t know me read my books”, well fuck that, for most of America) buy him out. Just like rezko being able to finagle his money into Obamas’ house.
I expect them ALL to arrive dragging shit on their shoes, but to be that easily bought at the place where you live, is worrisome.
Call that racist too.
He found the question cynical and was offended by it.
honest to fucking god. GET OVER IT.
In a multiparty system, I bet an organized Cynical Party would attract quite a few volunteers.
if i had my way, i’d bring all the extremists, all the crazies, all the ranters into the spotlight, just to cleanse us of this idea that any democracy worthy of the name can be sterile and orderly.
Amen.
the ‘not all white working cynics’ slate.
I’d join that one.
Another cute one at the Orange Corral: Where Were You in 2000, White Women?, by drummerman1972.
From AP:
From Fox (which apparently aired the press conference live), before crashing my browser:
Cindy Sheehan for Congress
I was not trying to make political theater out of it,
If that was true, you wouldn’t have made a big announcement of it, asshole.
sdll he interacts little enough with the traveling press that releasing a sheet of paper and not being avaialble for questions would not do it.
its been theatre for months now.
Love how his church needs protection. Baloney, Axelrod associate began offering them crisis management pro bono months ago.
As I see it, they trashed him.
wow
Oh, such fun to watch that worthless party tear itself apart.
oh I am having a great time… Karel, a great gay guy on KGO came on… and he is just screaming at everyone w/r/t the Dems today.
He’s offending EVERYONE… the calls should be a hoot!
Sexism Sells — But We’re Not Buying It
more wow
what a load of horseshit. is that woman flashbacking or will the damned stigmata just not bleach out? i can’t believe anyone could say anything so incredibly stupid with a straight face.
shit, put the steve earle on and order more vodka!
Boxer is pathetic.
Boxer-whistle to the emerging enviro-fundies. Not to mention the Crunchy Cons, et al.
enviro-fundies. yeah it was very transparent. She’s Jewish… and two days after the Big Loss in 04, Nancy Pelosi went on Lou Dobbs and quoted the bible. He – rightfully – laughed in her face. Catholics don’t tote the bible barge around on their backs.
They are pathetic.
From that DK thread (Where were the white women at?) linked above:
(FYI – “Best diary of the year” in commenter’s sig line is a dengre expose on Abramoff, McCain, and Norquist.)
Barack Obama versus Black Self-Determination
Someday I’m finally gonna let go
‘Cause I know there’s a better way
And I wanna know what’s over that rainbow
I’m gonna get out of here someday
I was surprised that he changed his mind. Apparently Tom Daschle convinced him to do what he himself failed to do and grab the moment before it passes by.
I dunno. Some weeks ago, I guess months by now, Ben SMith had information that obama (or those interested in his run) sent operatives into Iowa and WI very soon after he got to the senate. He has barely attended at hearings and meetings on committes he serves on, etc, if one looks back he arrived in order to leave. whatever.
he certainly hired Robert Gibbs (his comm dir and the front for the 527 mounted against Dean, that ran the Osama ad in December 03( hired Samantha Power, soft war woman, asap getting to DC. Think he picked up Dascle’s old CofS right away… etc.
and so on.
I don’t know. Best of luck to them all. Sick of who the Dem party sends up for shoving down throats. And how they all whine.
he strains credulity. Seems to have forgotten he disinvited Wright himself, in a late evening call the night before, to his formal annoucne. They were worried about the article in Rolling Stone (they were not on board yet) and obama ws so very undiplomatic that he called and secured Moss for the invocation BEFORE even speaking to Wright.
To me a lot of bad blood goes back to the hamfited fucked up incident.
But really, talk about avoidance:
Time for some happier human comedy: New territory for tartan: skullcaps and turbans.
Have to admit I found this kind of endearing:
Sikh kilts in moderation?
62. “I did not anticipate my fairly conventional Christian faith being subjected to such…scrutiny
No one could have foreseen the breach of the levees.
Heckuva job, Obama.
Ta!
I wanna see some damage control from Obama’s Catholic Committee. There are damned sure enough of them on the list to make an impression.
Can’t resist one more snip:
sorry for the delay on the posts in moderation, IB
LOL Will the Scots accept Japanese plaid, as well?
moiv
LOL my guess, if he made it, was a latina catholic for SC… hit a few stones at once.
But reminded of that long long long list… hmmm
My guess it will be like Henniniger/WSJ noticed on May 1… none of his great new friends were salting the print media with editorials in support. In his great weeks of need. I did catch Kerry (oh so great in a knife fight!) doing the cable rounds. McCaskill… mostly them… Jonathan Alter and EJ Dionne on constant night light duty. Wind up that 15 watt bulb again.
yeah right. what a party.
one dark horse veep so dark that i think i’m the only one who have ever even mentioned it would be loretta sanchez (although i suspect that she has her eyes on the statehouse or perhaps boxer’s senate seat in 2010).
i love the thought of plaid sikh turbans. india’s got phenomenally colorful fabrics, now that i think about it. in fact, i think i have a south indian lungi (sort of similar to a sarong) that’s a blue and black plaid of sorts.
Barack Obama Press Avail about resigning from Trinity.
MitM last thread: Hell, they passed a bigger one to build fucking Miller Stadium.
But Baseball is so much more important than having an effective means for people to get around. Civic pride and all 😉
Thanks everyone for the positive response to the music… still kind of in a cocoon. Just as we’re releasing this, everything is going to shit… go figure.
gnu thred
LINK
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attack the problems that will destroy our great land?
What great land? The one where religious misfits and broke aristocrats came to establish a new home? The one where these morally challenged folks decided to slaughter any who stood in their way on the acquisition of new property? The one where these misfits decided it was better to keep the institution of slavery in order to unite against England with the greatest force possible? The one that then wrote slavery into its constitution?
I mean, hey, I think that group of new-monied aristocratic deists were playing on good ideas. Many among them actually thought about the resurrected notion of equality… some more than others. Unfortunately, those that did, were outnumbered.
And we as Americans somehow pride ourselves on this? I haven’t even brought up the last 225 years of idiocy. Yet the discussion is over because our ‘sage daddy figures’ slaughtered a whole bunch of people in order to be released from the bonds of the old aristocracy… allowing for the creation of a new one, one which they controlled, and no one much cares about that.
It is certainly not unique. People the world ‘round make pathetic excuses to support their ‘nation’ in its just cause. Be it religious, be it political, be it economic, this mortal coil is subject. Not Subject. We are subjected to disinformation from cradle to grave, we are asked to avow our own worth only in service to ends other than our own. We are asked to take our place within an order not wrought by our own will. And we acquiesce, uncritically, to the thoroughbred of our birth.
I have a better idea. There are no families, there are no religions, there are no nations, there are no sacred texts. We argue and toil and live without any bullshit, and shake out the ghosts, dance for the dead, drink for the living and make a better world based on our experience as human beings.
70 – Japanese tartans.
Check out the drop-down menu for “Category” at the Tartan Ferret (search critter at Scottish Tartan Authority) for Antarctic, Brazilian, Italian, Nepalese, Omani, and more!
I think there’s a “Tartan Ferret” hidden in the WordPress pleats.
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they’ve long been fond of that sort of language at Dkos.
I watched all the subservient bullshit deriving from nationalistic propaganda that DhinMI, DemfromCT and the likes of Catholic Queen in the Closet DD have rolled out there for years. Including Kos himself who, at lest publicly, uses a lot of wide eye’d immigrant language. It was old long ago.
Very corrosive.
The only stuff funnier than their scraping and bowing compliments for the business enterprise that is America is the always trotted out as a patch “What does it mean to you to be a Democrat”… lordy what slobber they lather themselves with in those threads.
I am pretty sure mine is the last generation where there was even a passing glance made to teach the perils of being “a good German” during formative years. We are utterly jingoistic.