Thomas Friedman Resigns!

Thomas Friedman Resigns From the New York Times!

"But to have been so completely and fundamentally wrong about so huge a disaster as what we have done to Iraq — and ourselves — is outrageous enough to prove that people like me have no business posing as wise men, and, more importantly, that The New York Times has no business continuing to provide me with a national platform."

This didn't really happen. The Yes Men, my favorite political practical joke squad, handed out free New York Times parodies in New York City yesterday, and created this faux NY Times website to match. The Friedman article was my favorite. If only it were true.....

Reason 500 to fear and loath Obama's appointment of Rahm Emanuel

Today Democracy Now reported that in an interview with the Israeli daily Ma’ariv, Benjamin Emanuel, father of Rahm, said, "Obviously, he’ll influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why wouldn’t he? What is he, an Arab? He’s not going to be mopping floors at the White House."

He sounds like the anti-Arab version of Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic father. Maybe sometime soon Rahm will get real drunk and go on a belligerent rampage through the Whitehouse maintenance staff quarters, cursing and verbally abusing the staff with accusations of plans to take over the country through a vast conspiracy of a united Arab janitorial staff. That may be the only hope for getting rid of the jerk.

For more info as to why I fear and loath Obama's appointment of Rahm, see the links below:

Is Obama Screwing His Base with Rahm Emanuel Selection?

Emanuel's War Plan for Democrats

The Enforcer: Rep. Rahm Emanuel is leading the Democratic charge to retake the House next year. Will his old-school combativeness rub off on his more timid colleagues?

The Brothers Emanuel

Image above from Wonkette.com

Pentagon Considers Clandestine Blogger War

From today's Democracy Now:

Military Considers Recruiting & Hiring Bloggers

In media news, new questions are being raised over the relationship between the Pentagon and bloggers. Wired.com has uncovered a 2006 study written for the US Special Operations Command that suggests the military should clandestinely recruit or hire prominent bloggers. The report stated, “Hiring a block of bloggers to verbally attack a specific person or promote a specific message may be worth considering.” The report also suggested the Pentagon hack blogs that promote messages that are antithetical to US interests. The report went on to say, “Hacking the site and subtly changing the messages and data—merely a few words or phrases—may be sufficient to begin destroying the blogger’s credibility with the audience.”

Republicans Vote for Hillary in order to Destroy the Democrats

The Boston Globe reported today that an awful lot of Republicans came out to vote for Hillary Clinton in the last few elections: "About 100,000 GOP loyalists voted for her in Ohio, 119,000 in Texas, and about 38,000 in Mississippi, exit polls show."

According to the Globe, most of these Clinton voting Republicans have not found a new love for Hillary in their profit pumping little hearts--they want the democrats to continue tearing each other apart, and they feel that McCain can beat Clinton easier than Obama.

"It's as simple as, I don't think McCain can beat Obama if Obama is the Democratic choice," said Kyle Britt, 49, a Republican-leaning independent from Huntsville, Texas, who voted for Clinton in the March 4 primary. "I do believe Hillary can mobilize enough [anti-Clinton] people to keep her out of office."

Exit polls from Mississippi back these theories up. The Daily Kos posted the exit poll below on their website last week.





As the poll shows, a suspiciously large percentage (15) of Clinton voters would be unsatisfied if she won the nomination. In contrast, 4 percent of Obama supporters said they would be unsatisfied if he were to win the nomination. Obviously, if people are casting votes for Clinton, but don't want her to win, they hope to further the damage already inflicted on the democratic candidates by artificially extending the life of the democratic primaries.

Republicans are now the life support for Clinton's carcass of a campaign. She goes on, zombie like, sucking and leaching the unity, excitement and good will that existed in the democratic campaign just a few short months ago. Will those of you in Pennsylvania and in the remaining primary states, please look at the race objectively? Don't let the blood sucking Zombie put another Republican in the white house: unify behind Obama in order to end the general election bleeding. And if Hillary Clinton really cares about the Dems' chances this November, she will take the gracious step of exiting the race as soon as possible. Please Hillary, step down.

Women for Spitzer!

This campaign memento's comedic value just increased exponentially.

ABC uncovers Clinton's Walmart past

Hillary Clinton: 35 years of fighting for what?



There is something fundamentally wrong with the unions that have endorsed Clinton.

Spitzer Keeps Falling.

Ummm.... I don't know if Eliot's going to dig his way out of this one....

NY governor linked to prostitution ring

Big Pharma Spiked the Drinking Water

There's free Prozac in our drinking water and we didn't even know it!

AP probe finds drugs in drinking water



I think mine's been spiked with a little Viagra, too...

Hey, ladies.

Why did Power Call Clinton a Monster?

Since most of the media has failed to explain the most important question in the Power "Monster" controversy: Why did she call Clinton a monster? I will post a link to a great story that does:

http://www.alternet.org/story/79019/

Power wrote extensively about the Clinton administration's neglect of the Rwandan genocide. 800,000 people died and the Clinton administration let it happen. They knew it was going on and chose to do nothing. The subject is an emotional one, and in this context it is easy to understand why Power would use the term "monster."

Canadian Karl Rove/Clinton NAFTA Bomb

Remember last week when Hillary Clinton and the press jumped on a story about Obama staffers promising the Canadian government that Obama wasn't going to touch NAFTA despite his campaign promises to reform the trade deal? Remember how it hurt him during Tuesday's election? It looks like it was all fabricated by either the conservitive Canadian administration or Clinton's campaign or both (but no fear, the Mounties are investigating!). In fact, it seems that Clinton's campaign was the one telling the Canadians to take her NAFTA criticism with a "grain of salt." Now I really hope Obama beats Clinton.

Check out the stories below:

Did Clinton Win Ohio on a Lie?
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/06/7528/

Story in the Globe and Mail
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/06/7526/

Hillary "Karl Rove" Clinton

Despite Clinton's labor friendly base, she works her damnedest to disenfranchise members of unions who support other candidates. For instance, the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, Nevada's largest union, last week chose to support Obama. So how did Clinton's campaign react? According to Katrina Vanden Heuvel of the Nation:

“Two days later, the Nevada State Education Association – with ties to the Clinton campaign in its leadership – filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to shutdown nine casino caucus at-large sites created to allow both union and non-union shift workers to vote during the workday. (On any given day, it would be difficult for these workers to participate without these caucus sites. It will be even more difficult during the busy Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend.)”

This tactic smells of Karl Rove, or some other scoundrel. It's the kind of dirty trick only some bored, coked-up rich fucker would pull on his emotionally retarded children.

But these are the same swine who brought us the “Obama may not be pro-choice” e-mails in New Hampshire—which may have been the true secret to Clinton's win (despite blatantly concocted not-quite teary “Moment”). RJ Escow reported on Alternet:

“Her campaign spread flyers around the state containing a lie about Obama's record -- one they already knew was a lie. Their claim that Obama had abandoned the pro-choice cause by voting "present" had already been disproved. NOW's Chicago director, a Clinton supporter, described the flyers as "offensive" and added: 'I'm very disgusted at this tactic being used by the Clinton campaign.'”

Hillary's actions are divisive and deceptive. Clinton, who finds herself in a tighter than expected race, is clawing and biting her way through this election. The problem is, she's clawing and biting her fellow democrats. If she wins the primary, how many of these democrats, maimed and disfigured from her crooked teeth, are going to come to the polls to support her on election day?

Things Edwards needs to do to Improve his Campaign

1.Stop joining forces with Obama to Attack Hillary during the debates: The image of the two leading men beating up on the one woman in the race is disconcerting to all viewers. You win support for Hillary by doing this. Besides, Obama with his large amount of corporate contributors is just as deserving of your criticism. You need to remain consistent in your criticism, and right now you are not. Even I sometimes rethink my support for you when I see what appears to be your hypocrisy—they are both entrenched in the same old Washington corporate game (aka propped up and financed by corporate supporters and lobbyists who they will need to repay when in office).


2.Be more inclusive in you speech: please read Steven Rosenfeld’s article on Alternet “’Yes We Can’—the Secret Behind Obama’s Message” (http://www.alternet.org/story/73014/). He writes: “Basically, the other candidates are all saying, ‘I will do this,’ ‘I will do that,’ ‘I will be there in this way for you,’ as they recite the fine print of issues to show what they would do as president.” Meanwhile Obama “is not emphasizing the ‘I’ pronoun. He is all about we and you. ‘We can do this.’ ‘We can do that.’ ‘If we come together, we can achieve ...’ The former grass-roots organizer is making his candidacy inclusive.” The media is having a field day calling you the “angry” candidate (although, like the saying goes, If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention.... or you’re the corporate media lulling us to sleep). If you use the language above, I believe it may transform your speeches enough to reduce this perception.

3.Learn form Kucinich: This may be counterintuitive, but recently Bill Moyer mentioned on his show that post-debate polls often favor Kucinich as being strongest in the debates. You’ve said you’re against corporate greed, but your arguments lack substance. Kucinich does represent the ideas of a good portion of America—he’s just a bit too wacky (seeing flying saucers and all) to have a chance. You have the poise and ability to take his message and give it more credibility. I predict it will help your standing in the polls as well.

4.Attack Obama’s claim for “Change”: Obama has aligned himself largely with the corporate friendly Democratic Leadership Council wing of the party. Despite his claims of being anti-war, he supported the candidacy of pro-war Joseph Lieberman over the anti-war democratic candidate, Ned Lamont in the 2006 Connecticut Senate race. He voted for the Peru Free Trade Agreement. He supports Nuclear Power (largely due to one of his largest contributors and supporters, Exelon—jump on that). He avoided voting against the resolution that declared Iran’s revolutionary guard a terrorist organization. He’s received the second most money form the health care industry of any presidential candidate. He has corporate lobbyists on his campaign staff. He does not represent any real change to the presidency other than race. (for more fodder see Paul Street’s article, http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=14612).

Obama is not 'the Change"

Obama is not "the change". Obama has received more corporate money than any other candidate except Hillary Clinton. He is also second to Clinton in money received from the health industry. As Michael Moore wrote this morning: "...[Obama] tell me why you are now the second largest recipient of health industry payola after Hillary. You now take more money from the people committed to stopping universal health care than any of the Republican candidates." It is no wonder he refuses to call for mandatory universal health care (which I can't really be universal if its not mandatory--I still don't understand why pundits keep calling it universal). If the wealthy don't have to buy into it, they won't and without their money it won't work. It is wonderful that a black man has won in an all white state. It is monumental for our country, but Obama, unfortunately, has yet to speak strongly against racism. He has not taken a strong stand on the Jena Six case (see : http://www.alternet.org/democracy/72713/ for more on Obama and race). Also, when most progressives were backing the anti-war candicacy of Ned Lamont against the hawk Lieberman, Obama was giving money to Lieberman. He said publicly that he did not know if he would have voted against the war if he was in the Senate at the time of the vote. He continues to vote to fund the war. How's that for your anti-war candiate. For more reasons why Obama does not represent real change in Washington please see:

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=90&ItemID=14612

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/3/91942/42408/515/429670

For those who want real change, please vote Edwards. Kucinich fans--I used to be one of you--Kucinch lost my support when he asked his supporters to chose Obama as second choice in Iowa. For a more complete and eloquent argument to abandon Kucinich (and Obama) see Normon Solomon's article: http://www.alternet.org/election08/72560/

MoveOn: please stop advocating for Hillary Clinton!

So, I'm not going to vote for Hillary Clinton, and I believe she is as far from progressive as the democratic candidates for president get. MoveOn just e-mailed me and angered me by advertising Clinton's new environmental policy. So I wrote them the letter below in response. I post it here in order to share my reasons why progressives should not vote for Hillary Clinton (keep in mind, before the 2006 election, her voting record was very close to Lieberman's, a man most progressives agree was as hawkish as democrats get). I would like a woman president someday, but I wouldn't vote for Lieberman just because he is Jewish, and I won't vote for Hillary just because she's a woman. The letter is below:

Dear MoveOn:

This is in response to your recent e-mail touting Hillary Clinton's environmental policy.

As a progressive democrat, who worked for you during the Kerry campaign, I beg you to stop advocating for Hillary Clinton. It's frustrating enough that the main stream press is giving little coverage to any other candidate. Hillary is not a good MoveOn candidate. Her environmental plan may be "pretty good", but Many of the other candidates (Edwards, Kucinich) have better plans.

Most importantly, as a candidate she offers no alternative direction for American foreign policy to the one we are stuck in now. When Israel invaded Lebanon, she went to a pep-rally in New York City to cheer on this illegal act--an act that even most Israelis recognized as being a mistake afterwards--an act that left many innocent people displaced or dead. She has backed the building of the wall between Palestine and Israel, despite international courts ruling that it is illegal. She also voted to declare Iran's army a terrorist organization, perpetuating the drum beat to war started by our president. I noticed that the headline on your website is "Help launch MoveOn.org's Campaign to Prevent War with Iran." You are not helping anything by advertising for Clinton. Her foreign policy perpetuates the already worsening relations we have with the rest of the world (especially the Arab world).

And as for the environment: after advocating that the nuclear power plants in the Hudson Valley near New York City be shut down a few years ago, Hillary came up to visit the nuclear power plants in Oswego, NY. Despite posing just as serious a risk to the people of central New York, Hillary completely reversed her position when it came to the Oswego power plants. Her logic went something like this: because there are less people in central New York, the dangers posed by the plants are acceptable. In other words, the people of Central New York are more expendable for the sake of energy. In fact, despite the serious dangers power plants pose, and the nuclear waste they create (much of which will be around for thousands of years--what do you do with that?), Hillary still advocates for Nuclear Power as a clean energy.

Hillary Clinton is the least progressive candidate in the democratic field. Please stick to your progressive roots and discontinue advocating for Hillary Clinton.

BEST TO DA POPE

The Pope is Dead. Yeah, well he was old. It happens. Nice guy that Pope. I keep hearing that he helped defeat communism, danced, and according to Bono, was "the first funky pope." That sure makes up for his refusal to ordain female priests and recognize gay rights.

He did stand up to George, though. He was crumbling over in pain, barely able to move, but he stood up to George and his march to war. Got to admire that. That must have made George feel like shit. The Holiest man in the universe (by some standards) criticizing your actions as immoral and against humanity. George's self righteousness probably took the A-train out his nutsack that day.

That's it. That's my ultimate moment in Pope history. Thank you Pope. Thank you for bitch slapping George with God and morality.

ENCRUSTED POLITICIAN?

I'm back in politics again. But this time, instead of gnawing on the carcass of American democracy, I'll be a new plastic joint--one that will hopefully last awhile before caving in on the decrepit skeleton of our democratic system.

Where will this ride take me? Who knows? At least I get to live in my own head for awhile. I'll be writing for a living-writing memos, legislative briefs, etc.. Not exactly how I'd like to write, but its something new. I don't have to force myself into being outgoing anymore.

State politics are ugly. Especially in New York. We've got corruption and political machinery down. We've been doing it about as long as and better than anyone else in the United States. What other legislature can fail to pass a budget on times for 20 years in a row and be hailed as a success because it finally didn't fuck up? The lesson here is to keep the standards as low as possible so that any accomplishment feels like we climbed to the moon.

"As leader of the New York State Assembly, I'd like to congratulate everyone in the legislature. We really pulled together in a bi-partisan effort to get through another of Pataki's excruciatingly dull State of the State addresses. I'd also like to congratulate my fellow distinguished members of the Assembly for pulling up their britches and toughing it out--our members attended, on average, 32.5% of this years total session. That's a new record."

I'm literally about to enter the heart of politics. I hope it doesn't poison and strangle me. I've been burnt by playing on the outside. Hopefully I'll still be intact after this little excursion. My worst fear is to end up one of those little poli-puppets like Hillary Clinton; so coached as to what is the appropriate way to act, I will be unable to recognize my true feelings or develop original thought.

HUNTER DEAD: GARDEN STATE GOOD

I'm on the verge of thirty. I'm the snail sliding across the razor. I'm falling apart slowly from here on in.

No upgrades.

No new parts.

I watched Garden State tonight for the second time. What is Zach Braff--12? Fuck. Talented cock. What a beautiful piece of shit he made. Damn it. I love him. He made The Graduate of my generation. Nasty piece of shit!

You can never go home again...He took an emotion...an experience most of us go through 5-10 years after moving out of our parents' nest and created a peace of art that envelopes the observer in that moment. The music...the acting...everything feels right and together creates this symphony of bitter-sweet existential "Who-the-fuck-am-I?" angst/exitement.

It's inspiring and makes me wonder why I can't just look at my life and write it down. I need more motivation and self control. I have to stop letting the internet trash and media waste my time.

Even the great late Doctor had self discipline when it came to writing. The Gonzo of Journalism did enough acid to warp the nervous system of a rhino, but he kept his fingers glued to the typewriter every night. God Bless him.

I'm going to miss him. I've never met him--I'm just a fan boy who dressed up as the Duke three Halloweens in a row, but fuck...there's nobody better to be for a day then Hunter S. Thompson. Call whoever you feel deserves it a "Pig Fucker." Start screaming and shouting in a crowded elevator that tiny Tricky Dicks are gnawing your nut sacks off. It's fun. It's free. It's what everyone wants to do but doesn't dare. That's the key to our love of Hunter. He had the balls to do what ever the fuck he wanted. He was us unbound by societal constraints and he projected these actions through the amplification of his eloquent prose. He felt like a father to many of us...or at least me...because he pushed his readers to live. Hunter, where ever you are, thank you. Thank you, you Pig Fucker.

FUZZY LITTLE NEURONS

I can’t think right now. My mind is in a rut. I’m sure everyone knows how that feels—like some burnt Raggedy Andy shotgunned Nag Champa into my neurons.

I’ve been spending too many hours playing solitaire on the computer. Why do I do that? Why does it seem more meaningful and rewarding to play solitaire on a computer rather than a real deck of cards?

I’m 28 and I feel that my life is almost over. I don’t like my career path options and I feel too old to go back to college. I don’t want more debt. I feel that my mind had potential just out of college. I spoiled that potential with four years of politics and giving it up for the cause. Life needs more balance.

Better than giving it up for the boss, I guess. I talked to my parents last night and they each hate their jobs and are ready to retire. The boss keeps asking them to do more and cutting their help, meanwhile they keep getting older.

It seems the same no matter where I look. A lot of us are out of work, and the few still employed are asked to pick up the work left by the laid off and fired. We are a nation of unemployed and overworked. Unemployed and overworked nation = cripples who are all dependent on drugs. Caffeine, Crack, Cocaine, Cigarettes, Rolaids, DayQuil, Aleve, Prozac…What does normal feel like? I’ve forgotten. Normal has been sold by our government—the intellectual property rights of Paxil.

Dam solitaire. Took me away from my thoughts once again. Where was I? Was I saying anything important?

No. Didn’t think so. Just some more plastic thoughts for a plastic world. On to a new foggy thought…

Substitute teaching is like volunteering to be the punching bag for our nation’s irresponsible, repressive way we raise our children. Let the frustration fly, kids, the cheap suit with no personality can absorb anything! He doesn’t know the PTA, the principal, and likely has no skills. Who the fuck else would take a job like that?

American=Unemployed

I haven't been keeping up with this blog. It's just as well--likely no one reads it.

I started this, excitedly, as do most new bloggers, thinking I could document an interesting account of what it is to be American. I would write everyday and I would be able to etch my immortality into the electronic age.

Unfortunately, I have been uninspired. Unfortunately, lately, American to me means unemployment and cynicism. I have but an hour a day to write. I depend on the public library and can not afford to pay for internet access at home.

I read a New York Times Article yesterday (For Unemployed, Wait for New Work Grows Longer) that did not help matters, but did highlight that I am not alone by any means. According to the article, " As of November, about 1.8 million, or one in five, unemployed workers were jobless for more than six months, compared with 1.1 million when the recession officially ended in November 2001." In a month I will join the 3.6 million workers who ran out of unemployment insurance during the last year. My roommate and girlfriend just began her unemployment insurance last week.

We are college graduates. I have worked in politics for four years and she 1 and 1/2. We continue to look for employment, but every time we are turned down during an interview our hope erodes a bit more. It seems the only hope I have right now is to go back to college, gather more debt, and begin new and poorer than the first time.

Things do not look good in America from my vantage point. My American Dreams are not of Horatio Alger, but of my Grandfather, who as a small farmer raised a family of 9 children. Is this life even possible anymore?

American Darwinism

So who is more American--the war hero who saved his crew member from death or the senator's son who escaped real service because of his name?

Actually I don't find Kerry or Bush very heroic. Kerry would be heroic in my eyes if he'd just defend his stance against the Vietnam war. It was a war of economics, power and greed. This is a war of economics, power and greed. Just say it. Just fucking admit it to yourself and to the American people for goodness' sake. Vietnam... Iraq... both slaughterhouses to protect the capitalist ideals our rich and powerful hold so dear. Neither protected America. Neither made us safer from terrorism. Iraq is making it more dangerous for Americans to travel in the world.

Fuck that. I'm getting a Canadian flag and sewing it to my clothing, my luggage and stamping it on my forehead. Where ever I go, I'll sing the boring, Celine Dionesque Canadian anthem and pretend I don't know that New York City and New York state are two different entities. I'll pretend to think hockey is the greatest thing since the mullet, and I'll drink plenty of Labbatts and Molson (which isn't a problem really; Canadians do make better cheap beer).

I suggest all Americans do it--except those who still plan to vote for Bush. For those of you who believe he really is best for America, please wear the American flag while traveling abroad. When in the middle east, drive an SUV down the dessert roads, blast God Bless America out of your subwoofers, and make sure to plaster that oil sucking, son of a bitch with Ol Glory so that Muslims can experience the beauty that is Republican American pride. While doing it put that chin up in the air and assert that your country has made the world a lot safer. Do that, please. And bring a camera. It will be fun watching Darwin in action.