Mixed Bag

This past week we were treated to the previously unthinkable. Hillary Clinton gave a gracious and powerful concession speech and the NBA referees ref'ed a competent game 1 of the NBA finals. Nothing in the previous several weeks led us to think either were possible.

I must admit I am a little concerned about Paul Pierce's injury. It seems as if both the team and the player are ignoring any long term ramifications for the short term gain. I hope I am wrong.

Big Papi's wrist injury makes one wonder. This type of injury was previously unheard of pre steroid era.

At game 1 they announced best wishes to Senator Kennedy. It received one of the longest applause of the night (outside of Pierce's return from the locker room). I was somewhat surprised that in this era off political cynacism that there was not a single boo. Be well Senator.

While Hillary has made her supportive comments of Obama, the next watch begins on how long it will take Bill. My guess is that Bill is the less enthusiastic of the two and above anything else, that he hurts Hillary's chance at being VP.

While I would love to do a full post on the mistakes of the Clinton campaign, there are already more post mortems than John Edwards votes. So instead i will point out two way under reported angles. First, In 2006 when Clinton ran for reelection, she raised 70 mil but spent 60. It was not only a sign of the mismanaging of money that would foreshadow her Presidential campaign but she also missed the opportunity to transfer any unused funds into her General Election fund. How much could she have used the extra money? The other thing that was underreported was that Hillary basically got a pass on all of her past scandals because Barack didn't want to run that type of campaign. For all the complaints about the media coverage, they did really take it east on her. If she got the nomination she would have seen how good they treated her in the primary.

McCain's speech Tuesday was poor on many fronts but two things that will ultimately doom him are his complete lack of a grasp on anything other than Iran and Iraq and his dangerous views on Iran and Iraq. The fact that he is running a campaign based on scaring the American public als George Bush will get exploited down the road. I don't believe for a second that the American public will fall for it again (gulp).

Speaking of McCain, his stance that Obama is ill informed since he hasn't been to Iraq is laughable. McCain and others have gone to Iraq and been isolated from reality and only get to speak with those that have positions that mesh with the administration's line of bull. A trip may make for a nice photo op but has little practical purpose.

At game one of the NBA finals the Boston fans were creative (and may be a tad bit inappropiate) in chanting No means No when Kobe shot free throws. I think tonight I'll start a Shaq was better chant.

This past week Tom Delay said that Obama was a Marxist until someone proved otherwise. Folks, I believe Tom Delay killed Chandra Levy unless he proves otherwise.

So?

RADDATZ: Let me go back to the Americans. Two-thirds of Americans say it's not worth fighting, and they're looking at the value gain versus the cost in American lives, certainly, and Iraqi lives.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So?

RADDATZ: How do you feel about the lack of WMD found?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So?

RADDATZ: Could the 500 billion $'s be better spent at home.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So?

RADDATZ: 4000 American soldiers have now lost their lives in this War.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So?

RADDATZ: American credibility has taken a hit all over the world over the lies that were told leading us into war.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So?

RADDATZ: The instability caused by the actions taken leading us into this war will threaten the United States for years to come.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So?

RADDATZ: By shifting military to Iraq, the chief architect of the greatest attack on the United States of America has gotten a pass for the last 7 years.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So?

George and Dick laugh at us every day for being dumb enough to give them a second term. Just look at the contempt that Dick Cheney has for the American public and then tell me how this is less insulting and hateful than Jeremiah Wright.

As despicable as Dick Cheney is, can't you see John McCain making the same comments?

No more Republicans, we've had enough!

The Legacy of King George

A great former football coach once said, you are what your record says you are. With that in mind lets give George Bush his Performance Appraisal:

click on the image for a better view:


After this review, the President is going to need to go on a performance improvement plan. Seriously, who are the 35% that give him high approvals. They must include the 19% of Americans that think the country is on the right track.

One Year and Counting

Lost amid the coverage of the Presidential election is that we hit a milestone this weekend. We now only have one year left of the worst President in history. When I look at the list of potential Presidents, I can't think of any (ok, maybe Huckabee) that would be worse than the current occupant.

This Presidency has been so incredibly bad, that Republicans no longer defend him.

I could list out the constant incompetence that they have displayed over 7 years but most of that is old news. Upon reelection in 2004, Bush stated that he won political capital and he intended to use it. During the last three years since he made those remarks, I can not think of one accomplishment that he can point to.

The next President is going to be faced with some extremely serious issues that will need to be addressed quickly. The new President will face a recession that could be the worst of my lifetime, an accelerated trend on global warming, a national debt that is spiraling out of control, a health care crisis of 50 million uninsured that is bound to grow during the recession, a looming Social Security/Medicare shortfall, a war that shows no signs of ending, and a continuing threat from extremists.

With all of the problems that face us we need a President that is sprinting to the finish line not one that is running out the clock. One year from now I hope we get someone that is going to work hard and address all the things that have been largely ignored for 8 years.

I Told You So

Back in 2000, I was very pro Gore. Nothing will ever convince me otherwise that nothing short of deceptive illegal voter intimidation and fraud cost him the election. To date President Bush has turned out to be the worst President of my lifetime (including Nixon). This morning Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize.

While it would be tempting for the 50,996,116 of us that voted for Al Gore to say "I told you so" to the 50,456,169 people who voted for Bush. However, that just isn't true. I would much rather have seen GWB succeed. I would rather have a President who I could have respected.

On the day Al Gore took the spotlight again I feel compelled to ask:
Where would we be on Stem Cell research with President Gore?
Would we have gone into Iraq?
If we go into Iraq, would it have been managed so incompetently?
Would we have finished to job in Afghanistan, including making it more stable and less prone to terror?
Would he have kept the budget deficit from rising to near crisis levels?
Would he have made us less dependent on foreign oil?
Would he have dropped the ball on all the signs leading up to 9/11?

I can't help but think that on every one of these issues, President Gore would have succeeded where President Bush failed miserably. When I do think of how much better things could have been I can only say "I told you so".

Bush Bashing

I have refrained a bit from totally bashing the Administration. There are a million blogs that specialize in that and do a much better job at it than I do. Tonight two stories really annoyed me. One article in which the admistration manual on quieting dissenters is revealed and another article blaming George Tenet for 9/11 really iritated me. I go into both in more detail in the next two posts.

I know Bush's approval rating reflects numbers that contain positives from barely more than his immediate friends and family (and Barney), but why is it that nothing sticks to these guys.

Not accountability for errors leading up to 9/11 or failing to hold those responsible accountable or breaking laws on wire tapping or silencing critics or a failed Social Security plan or (how could I forget) misleading us to war or (almost as bad) having a bad war plan or leaving Afganistan a mess or failing to staff FEMA with experienced professionals able to help in emergency situations or failure to show leadership in fighting climate change.

I'm not one that thinks that the Administration should be impeached even though it deserves it, but what are the other options? Ultimately we get the government we deserve (although Gore won in 2000). We collectively knew they were incompetant when we (not me) voted for them again in 2004. Why do we do this to ourselves?

AAGGGGGHHHH!!!!!


I feel better. 517 days and counting (I feel worse again).