Not This Time
By Jeff Fecke | May 17, 2008
Those of you who have been reading my blog since 2002 (a group that includes…well, me, I think) may remember that I have a soft spot in my heart for former Gov. Jesse Ventura, IP-Minn. Oh, Ventura turned out to be a mediocre governor at best, and certainly too thin-skinned for the rough-and-tumble world of politics. But for a brief shining moment in 1998, he managed to serve as a living rebuke of both major parties in this state, a rebuke the DFL responded to by not changing a damn thing about how they operate, while the GOP at least sorta pretended to care.
While Ventura was a mediocre governor, he was light years better than Gov. Timmy, and I still believe he was better than either former Attorney General Hubert H. “Skip” Humphrey or now-Sen. Norm Coleman would have been. Skip ran a half-hearted campaign that suggested he was owed the Governor’s Mansion by dint of his family name, while Norm campaigned on hockey and carpetbagging. Ventura was an imperfect vessel, but he was right when he told Minnesotans that the two major candidates were out of touch and full of crap.
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Topics: Al Franken, Jesse Ventura, Norm Coleman | No Comments »
So Funny I Forgot to Laugh
By Jeff Fecke | May 16, 2008
Hardy tee hee hee:
During a speech before the National Rifle Association convention Friday afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee — who has endorsed presumptive GOP nominee John McCain — joked that an unexpected offstage noise was Democrat Barack Obama looking to avoid a gunman.
“That was Barack Obama, he just tripped off a chair, he’s getting ready to speak,” said the former Arkansas governor, to audience laughter. “Somebody aimed a gun at him and he dove for the floor.”
Honestly, I don’t know why you humorless liberals can’t take a joke.
Topics: Barack Obama, Gun Control, Mike Huckabee | No Comments »
Camille Does Vince
By Jeff Fecke | May 16, 2008
Camille Paglia exhumes the body of Vince Foster to once more use it for its intended purpose: to attack Hillary Clinton:
I for one have renewed questions about the 1993 suicide of Deputy White House Counsel Vince Foster, Hillary’s former law partner and longtime friend, whose files were purged by Hillary’s staff before they could be examined for evidence.
1. Who doesn’t?
2. “Longtime Friend,” she said, knowingly.
3. Wait — we’re still talking about Vince Foster fifteen fucking years later? Christ, I need some Excedrin.
One must always be skeptical about Web rumors, but my interest was piqued last year by claims that Foster was shattered by the role he had played three months earlier in the outrageous order for federal agents to attack David Koresh’s ranch at Waco, Texas, producing a conflagration that led to 76 deaths, including 21 children. Why has the Waco fiasco been forgotten? It triggered the worst case of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, the 1995 revenge bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
Okay, that’s about enough. I’m just going to back slowly away from the computer now, because Camille Paglia has now managed to blame the Oklahoma City bombing on Vince Foster, and by extension, Hillary Clinton. I think I’ll just agree with Kathy G.:
My favorite part is that “one must always be skeptical about Web rumors” bit. Because, as you know, sunlit rationality has always been the primary characteristic of the pensees which Ms. Paglia has so generously shared with a grateful world.
Heh-deed.
Topics: Hillary Rodham Clinton | No Comments »
Appeasement!
By Jeff Fecke | May 16, 2008
I haven’t written much on George Bush’s decision to go to Israel and declare that “some people” (*cough* Obama *cough*) would like to give the Sudentenland to the Iranians, or something like that. It was disgusting and despicable, and the President should be ashamed of himself, but he should already be ashamed of himself and he isn’t, so I don’t know why this would change anything. And needless to say, the Republicans who were shocked — shocked! — that Bill Clinton could engage in anti-war protests while a student at Oxford are now 100% in favor of going overseas and lighting up a fellow American politician, because IOKIYAR.
Don’t get me wrong — it’s good this happened. Dubya at this point has an approval rating slightly below the ebola virus, so if he says that Obama is a traitor, most Americans will respond by liking the guy more.
And better yet, when Old Man Surge was given the opportunity to denounce and reject Bush’s asinine statement, he instead amplified and embraced it:
“Yes, there have been appeasers in the past, and the president is exactly right, and one of them is Neville Chamberlain,’’ Mr. McCain told reporters on his campaign bus after a speech in Columbus, Ohio. “I believe that it’s not an accident that our hostages came home from Iran when President Reagan was president of the United States. He didn’t sit down in a negotiation with the religious extremists in Iran, he made it very clear that those hostages were coming home.’’
There are two punchlines here. The first is that, of course, is that the hostages came home from Iran about six minutes after Reagan was inaugurated in 1981. I remember that, and I was six years old at the time; McCain was 44, so he really doesn’t have an excuse for not knowing that. Reagan hadn’t had time to sit down in negotiation as president. He maybe had time to do so as a candidate, and, of course, he certainly had time to do so later in his presidency. But it’s unlikely at best that the Iranians caved because they were so terrified of dealing with Ronnie Ray-Gun.
The best part, though, is that isn’t even the best punchline. The best punchline is that Johnny Mac was for appeasement before he was against it:
RUBIN: “Do you think that American diplomats should be operating the way they have in the past, working with the Palestinian government if Hamas is now in charge?”
McCAIN: “They’re the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so . . . but it’s a new reality in the Middle East. I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, that they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that.”
Now, this is a perfectly sane thing for McCain to have said, which is why he’s abandoned that position and become just another screaming wingnut.
As Chris Matthews of all people noted last night, appeasement is not the same as talking. Reagan talked to Mikhail Gorbachev at a time when both our countries could literally destroy all human life on earth, and the republic endured. Obama could talk to Iran or Hamas just fine, and the republic would endure. It might not make things better, mind you — I’m far from Iran’s biggest fan — but it could hardly make things worse than the last seven years of Bush administration incompetence has.
If talking doesn’t work, fine. I’d be very upset if Obama brokered a deal to give part of the Czech Republic to Hamas. But he isn’t going to. And anyone who thinks he will is either lying or stupid, or both.
Topics: Barack Obama, Foreign Policy, John McCain, The Post-9/11 World | No Comments »
Ellen Degeneres, Portia de Rossi Engaged
By Jeff Fecke | May 16, 2008
Somehow, I had missed that they were dating. Maybe because I don’t know either personally.
Frankly, I’m not sure which one is luckier. But congratulations to both. And, not for nothing, but congratulation to all the other California couples who will now be able to marry. It’s about frakkin’ time.
Topics: LGBT Rights | No Comments »
Friday Random Ten
By Jeff Fecke | May 16, 2008
I’ve seen the future. I can’t afford it.
1. “How to Be a Millionaire,” ABC
2. “Experimental Film,” They Might Be Giants
3. “Radio King,” Golden Smog
4. “Shy,” Ani DiFranco
5. “Train to Chicago,” Mike Doughty
6. “The Lonely Shepherd,” Gheorghe Zamfir
7. “Please Call Me Baby,” Nanci Griffith
8. “Chickamauga,” Uncle Tupelo
9. “Rock the Casbah,” The Clash
10. “Conceived,” Beth Orton
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Topics: Friday Random Tens | No Comments »
Sigh
By Jeff Fecke | May 15, 2008
As good as Nancy Pelosi’s statement was, Barry’s and Hill’s statements weren’t.
I really wish I could say I was surprised.
Topics: Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, LGBT Rights | No Comments »
Stupidest Wingnut Ever
By Jeff Fecke | May 15, 2008
Dumber than Jonah Goldberg times Doug Feith. Kevin James didn’t just get owned, he got owned by Chris Fucking Matthews. I mean, that’s like losing a goodness contest to Dick Cheney, or being proclaimed even less tolerant than Pat Buchanan.
Watch the carnage:
Topics: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Hacktackular!, Terrorism, The Post-9/11 World | No Comments »
More Like This
By Jeff Fecke | May 15, 2008
Nancy Pelosi on the California marriage equality ruling:
I welcome the California Supreme Court’s historic decision. I have long fought against discrimination and believe that the State Constitution provides for equal treatment for all of California’s citizens and families, which today’s decision recognizes.
I commend the plaintiffs from San Francisco for their courage and commitment. I encourage California citizens to respect the Court’s decision, and I continue to strongly oppose any ballot measure that would write discrimination into the State Constitution.
Today is a significant milestone for which all Californians can take pride.
Exactly right, and without a single hedge. Granted, it’s easier for Pelosi to be fully pro-marriage than, say, Heath Schuler. But it’s still nice to have the most powerful Democrat in America speaking out unhesitatingly for equality.
Topics: LGBT Rights | No Comments »
The Price
By Jeff Fecke | May 15, 2008
A Lost Tale of History
A steady rain fell on Washington, soaking the Rose Garden. The President looked out on the tableau, and sighed.
“How do I make it good, Karl?”
The portly advisor cleared his throat and straightened his tie. It had been clear the carnage overseas was weighing heavily on the President; the man was a saint, really, and he was truly wounded by the death and destruction that had been visited on America’s troops.
“Mr. President, I don’t understand what you mean.”
“What I mean, Turdblossom, is that my karma is at risk here. I’ve sent those kids off on my errand, and yet here I am in the lap of luxury. What can I give to balance that?”
“Well, Mr. President, you already gave up sweets, except for the times you eat sweets. Surely that has to count for something.”
Topics: Bush Administration, Lost Tales of History | No Comments »
Two Down, 48 to Go
By Jeff Fecke | May 15, 2008
California embraces equality and justice, legalizes gay marriage.
Topics: LGBT Rights | 1 Comment »
Pat Buchanan: Super Racist!
By Jeff Fecke | May 14, 2008
Why this man keeps showing up on my teevee on anything other than public access cable is beyond me.
Topics: Barack Obama, Race | 2 Comments »
The Other Reason Edwards Matters
By Jeff Fecke | May 14, 2008
John Edwards was, let’s face it, a Big Get for the Obama campaign. Aside from Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi, he was the biggest name out there, and because he wasn’t expected to endorse, his support of Obama helps to cement Barack’s inevitable status.
But there’s another factor in the Edwards endorsement, one that hasn’t been remarked upon very much, and it is this: John Edwards controls 19 delegates.
No, those delegates don’t have to back Obama on Edwards’ say-so, but they’re more likely to do so now. Certainly, they’re unlikely to support Clinton. And that means that not only does Edwards bring his own support, but he lowers Obama’s need-to-win number to ~120. After all, a net 19 delegates is a bigger swing than Clinton got in Ohio, or even in West Virginia.
As for why Edwards endorsed now, I think it’s for the same reason NARAL did: because this race is no longer competitive. Obama will win. It is inevitable. Unless he’s caught freebasing cocaine with Jeremiah Wright and Osama bin Laden, he’ll be the nominee. What Edwards and NARAL did was less a true endorsement, and more an acceptance of reality. Whether he’s a great candidate or a lousy one, whether he’s a champion of the left or a machine pol, whether he’s a friend to women or a foe to them, he’s the candidate. And with each passing day, that is codified more and more.
Topics: Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards | 1 Comment »
Edwards Endorses Obama
By Jeff Fecke | May 14, 2008
The quote I want to highlight has nothing to do with Obama.
And what she has shown, what she has shown, is strength and character. And what drives her is something that every single one of us can and should appreciate. She cares deeply about the working people in this country. She cares about the families who are losing everything because somebody got sick. She cares about our men and women who are putting their lives on the line in Iraq and Afghanistan. This tenacity has shown her strength and her determination. She is a woman who, in my judgment, is made of steel. And she’s a leader in this country, not because of her husband, but because of what she has done — because of speaking out, because of standing up.
And we, when this nomination battle is over — and it will be over soon — brothers and sisters, we must come together as Democrats and, in the fall, stand up for what matters for the future of America and make America what it needs to be. And we are a stronger party, because Hillary Clinton is a Democrat. We are a stronger country because of her years of public service. And we’re going to have a stronger presidential nominee in the fall because of her work.
–John Edwards, endorsing Barack Obama
So Say We All.
Topics: Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards | 1 Comment »
Damn it, Barack
By Jeff Fecke | May 14, 2008
Okay, look: you apologized, so that’s something, I guess. But still: “sweetie?” You’re kidding me, right? For the love of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Barack, I know I’m just some guy with a website, but I’m here to tell you that there are a whole lot of women out there who were backing Hillary Clinton who will need a good reason to support you in November, and acting like a sexist jackass is not the way to win them over.
Learn from this, and not just that “sweetie” comes off as condescending — but that condescending comes off as condescending. You couldn’t have been more dismissive if you’d asked the woman to get you coffee while she was up.
Your future political career rests with your ability to mend fences with Clinton supporters, and that rests with your ability to act like you give a good god damn about women. If you don’t get that, I’m not going to feel too bad for you when McCain beats you in November.
Topics: Barack Obama, Feminism, John Edwards | 4 Comments »