Random Thoughts

[John Coffey]

Whoa! Stop the presses! I'm changing my vote to McCain:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/e60/news ... id=3571491" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kurt Rahn]

Ok, I knew there were loaner helmets but I just didn't like the idea of my head being in a helmet someone else has.

I've come to terms, but it still pisses me off every time I hear about it. W's legacy. Wouldn't want that on my obit.

[Mako Koiwai]

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....(hope I'm not offending anyone)


* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're 'exotic, different.'

* If you grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, you're a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack, you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* If you name your kids Bristol, Willow, Piper, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* If you graduate from Harvard law School, you are unstable.

* If you attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United State
s Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.


* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system, while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.

* If you're husband is nicknamed 'First Dude', with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, *much* clearer now.

[Jeff Shyu]

obvious slant, but regardless: it's still comparing the VP Candidate to a Presidential Candidate.

i don't think the people who come up with these list realize how damaging it is to the Obama campaign to actually address the experience issue by comparing the 1st string to the 2nd string lineup.

[Mako Koiwai]

With Palin in the wings, I'm not willing to take a chance with McCain ... that's how important the VP is. To think otherwise is short sighted imo.

[Jeff Shyu]

it's true, but when the election is still up in the air, to compare your presidential candidate to the opposition's VP candidate, would be MACRO SIGHTED in comparison.

if Obama can say "I've got more experience than McCain, and WAY more experience than Palin", that would be one thing. but if all he can muster up in terms of experience is "I've got more experience than your backup", i don't think that's really the message he wants to be sending out.

he's better off sticking to the hope and dreams rhetoric, it was a winning formula in the primary, mostly because you can't be ANTI-HOPE.

[Jeff Shyu]

that's how important the VP is. To think otherwise is short sighted imo.

i wonder if history will look back at this election, and say "this is where the VP started being important.

or maybe they'll point to Chaney.

my opinion is that the VP is a figurehead. Even if the president dies, the VP would just be a political windsock, going whichever way the public opinion goes.

i guess in that sense, my view of Obama is pretty perfect for a VP spot.

[Bob Beamesderfer]

that's how important the VP is. To think otherwise is short sighted imo.

i wonder if history will look back at this election, and say "this is where the VP started being important.

or maybe they'll point to Chaney.

my opinion is that the VP is a figurehead. Even if the president dies, the VP would just be a political windsock, going whichever way the public opinion goes.

i guess in that sense, my view of Obama is pretty perfect for a VP spot.

Andrew Johnson, Lyndon Johnson and Gerald Ford were hardly political windsocks.

I don't really want to find out what kind of president Caribou Barbie would make.

[Larry Andrews]

if Obama can say "I've got more experience than McCain, and WAY more experience than Palin", that would be one thing. but if all he can muster up in terms of experience is "I've got more experience than your backup", i don't think that's really the message he wants to be sending out.
.

Does Obama really need to concern himself with experience when it's obvious that McCain doesn't even know that Spain isn't part of Central America? I think that a basic understanding of who our friends are and who our enemies are is a pretty basic hurdle, and McCain clearly hasn't been able to demonstrate *that* level of competence. I'll go with a younger guy who has demonstrated undeniable competence over a senile spaz anyday.

'GET OFF MY LAWN!!!' - I'm John McCain and I approve this message...

[John Coffey]

it's obvious that McCain doesn't even know that Spain isn't part of Central America

And that's a lie and the original liars who started the McCain/Spain thing are backpedaling.

The original liar's story:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/217802.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The interviewing report's point of view:

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpoints ... viewer.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

WaPo's pint of view:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-tr ... ime_m.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Its a complete BS story spun to make McCain look bad. He obviously does know where Spain is and avoiding answering the question for foreign policy reasons. But, the truth isn't a concern to the folks in the media.

[Bob Beamesderfer]

But, the truth isn't a concern to the folks in the media.

John, that's lame.

[John Coffey]

John, that's lame.

You're right, sorry. I am surprised that LAT and others picked up this story in its original form and ran with it as originally sourced from TPM. WaPo spent a few minutes doing some research before posting their version.

[Bob Beamesderfer]

John, that's lame.

You're right, sorry. I am surprised that LAT and others picked up this story in its original form and ran with it as originally sourced from TPM. WaPo spent a few minutes doing some research before posting their version.

Well, I'd like to say that I've never been disappointed in my former employer's coverage but that's not the case. I did notice that TPM started off with one quickie interpretation and then ran an updated piece that offered a different POV. I have to say that online-only news sites need to follow that example to gain credibility. We don't even see it that often with local broadcast news programs and that is a serious failing.

I'll give the "slipped through the cracks" benefit of the doubt to the LAT because I respect the DC bureau chief, Doyle McManus. Mr. Zell doesn't seem to think much of his own assets and if the civil suit is granted class status I will join the class in hopes of protecting the pension I will most likely need to take sooner, rather than later.

Returning briefly to McCain's statements, I would say that he did duck the question in a way that without clarification portrays his view of Spain and its leaders as being on the level of our not-so friendly neighbors in Central and South America. It does seem to contradict his prior statements and even without further explanation continues the strident polices of the current administration. Those policies have not brought bin Laden to justice and have not strengthened the West's solidarity against Islamic extremism.

[John Coffey]

Another example of MSNBC idiocy. When are they going to fire Uberidiotman?

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008 ... 1221792170" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Art Rinner]

Another example of MSNBC idiocy. When are they going to fire Uberidiotman?

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008 ... 1221792170" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They probably will as soon as Fox fires O'Reilly and Hannity.

[John Coffey]

Yeah, I guess if you put Olberman in the same class as Hannity and O'Reily then what he said is par for the course. I think all those bozos should be put on one channel - the BSNews channel.

[Larry Andrews]

Its a complete BS story spun to make McCain look bad. He obviously does know where Spain is and avoiding answering the question for foreign policy reasons. But, the truth isn't a concern to the folks in the media.

Um, John, it seems like your response is nothing more than spin intended to make McCain look like he didn't say what he very clearly did say multiple times. The text of the conversation makes this clear. This is obviously not a case where a few words taken from a sentence are being used grossly out-of-context - like the McCaIn camps 'lipstick on a pig' bit of spin.

The WaPo article points out that McCain's comments 'caused a kerfluflle in Spain' and doesn't begin to suggest that facts reported on TPM were anything but verifiable. Americans don't need a POTUS whose reckless comments damage international relations beyond the pathetic state that Bush is leaving them in.

That's called 'sticking to the issues'.

[Bill Martin]

Okay, going on four years later, time to bump this to see how it worked out. Since this thread, our national debt has increased 50%, our deficit has passed a trillion dollars and is accelerating. The federal gov't is now officially "concerned" with spending cuts, but negotiations have been on the subject of the increase to the increase of the current deficits. And those negotiations were unsuccessful.

But we have lots of options. Take the Buffet Rule. That will add 5 billion dollars to revenue. Oh wait...a trillion dollar deficit is actually 1000 billion dollars, so 5 may not actually be a significant improvement. Oh wait...it failed too.

No worries...we can tax the rich even more. Get rid of that evil Bush tax cut for the wealthy. That will add maybe 25 billion. Hmmm, but we're short 1000 billion +. Gee, that number is starting to sound big.

The French have shown us the way. They went with an official socialist who wants to raise the tax to 75%. That might cover up to 20% of our deficit if people actually pay it. Got to get rid of those evil lawyers who figure out how to avoid the Fair Share thing. Still, that leaves us with 80% of our deficit which is actually scheduled to grow at maybe 10% per year with built-in increases to entitlements.

Okay, I give up. I don't know how we actually get out of this without fiscal end-of-days. Educate me.

(My take...it can't be done. By anybody. Hunker down.)

[Marshall Grice]

Okay, I give up. I don't know how we actually get out of this without fiscal end-of-days. Educate me.

(My take...it can't be done. By anybody. Hunker down.)

I thought the answer was clear. Print more money. The resulting devaluation of the dollar will ensure everyone pays their fair share.

[Bill Martin]

Okay, I give up. I don't know how we actually get out of this without fiscal end-of-days. Educate me.

(My take...it can't be done. By anybody. Hunker down.)

I thought the answer was clear. Print more money. The resulting devaluation of the dollar will ensure everyone pays their fair share.

Clearly, that's what will happen. It's called monitizing the debt. But we're overspending by nearly 40% apparently without the ability to change it...or even keep it that low. I don't see how you can print that much money before you again get to fiscal end-of-days.

Interesting chart:
http://www.cato.org/zimbabwe" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wonder what actual day to day life is like during hyperinflation. Must make for some interesting stories. What would the USA be like?

[Steve Ekstrand]

The president nor the congress can't directly monetize the debt. The Treasury is theoretically independent. But you can force the hand that prints by spending more than can be covered. That is happening now.

If you wanted to crash capitalism and move "forward" to a Socialist/Marxist/Communist utopia, how would you do it? Tanks? Guns?

Easiest way is to zero out the US dollar. Crash the economy. Erase personal wealth. The central government will be there to provide you with your fair share in the end.



Oh and crazy Sarah is still hot.

[Bill Martin]

i don't think it's a big conspiracy. I think it's the simple result of politicians and the masses showing concern only for themselves, short term. Policticians will do what they have to do to get elected. The masses will vote for whoever offers them the most stuff. The country and everyone in it suffer in the long run. But this IS democracy in action and a demonstration that democracy has its (fatal?) flaws. What's better? Dunno. Doesn't matter. This is what we've got and we're in for the ride.

[Mike Simanyi]

This is what we've got and we're in for the ride.

I believe you can buy the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Belgium, or huuuuge tracts of land in Italy right now for a song.

Maybe we can hunker down in a different "vehicle"...

[George Schilling]

Not that I object, but this thread is perilously close to sounding like P/P. Have we evolved ala Obama?

[Steve Ekstrand]

This is supposed to be about blow jobs and GILFs. Back me up on this Luther!