That Got Me

I'm watching the inauguration coverage. Just a few moments ago the PEOTUS and his wife just arrived at the White House. The picture on the steps are the Bush's welcomed them kind of got to me. What a picture.

Obama's Heimlich Maneuver

The Bangkok Post's reaction to the impending Obama inauguration.

(h/t Alf)

Closing Gitmo

This is good news:

President-elect Obama's advisers are quietly crafting a proposal to ship dozens, if not hundreds, of imprisoned terrorism suspects to the United States to face criminal trials, a plan that would make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison but could require creation of a controversial new system of justice.

Read the entire piece. The pitfalls are many but it certainly bodes that the Obama team is quickly moving to end this national disgrace.

VP

Joe Biden wins the Obama VP stakes.

That Tingling Thing

Does Marc Ambinder REALLY think Obama might choose Lugar as his VP?

The Disgrace That Is the GOP

Jesus! Are you kiding me? Are you fucking kidding me?



This pathetic piece of trash would be the laughingstock of Youtube. What a disgrace the GOP has become. An utter disgrace.

McCain and His Elitist Supporters Think You are Stupid

The Fiscal Conservative flip-flops:

He went a step farther Sunday with his reponse on a nationally televised talk show to a question about payroll tax increases.

"There is nothing that's off the table. I have my positions, and I'll articulate them. But nothing's off the table," McCain said. "I don't want tax increases. But that doesn't mean that anything is off the table."

That comment drew a strong response Monday from the Club for Growth, a Washington anti-tax group. McCain's comments, the group said in a letter to the Arizona senator, are "shocking because you have been adamant in your opposition to raising taxes under any circumstances."

Indeed, McCain frequently has promised not to raise taxes.

At a July 7 town-hall meeting in Denver, he said voters faced a stark choice between him and Democrat Barack Obama.

"Sen. Obama will raise your taxes," McCain said. "I won't."

In a March 16 interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, McCain said he would cut taxes where possible, and not raise them.

"Do you mean none?" Hannity asked.

"None," McCain replied.

In other words, when its convenient he will tell you he won't raise your taxes. When he's pressed he admits it may be a possibility. Beware the Republican tax raiser. His rich friends and supporters won't feel it the way you feel it. For his elitist wealthy friends its one less new Mercedes. For the rest of us it could make the difference in whether or not you can make that mortgage payment. Better hope the price of dog food doesn't go through the roof.

Obama is honest and forthright. It doesn't bother him in the least to tell McCain's wealthy elitist supporters and friends that they may have to put off buying that new vacation home in Aruba.

Floats Like a Butterfly. (EDITED: For Grammar and Spelling)

Through the primary season I followed Al Giordano's very fine blog The Field. He has proven himself time and time again to be a voice of reason and calm in what has proven to be a somewhat tumultuous campaign season. This bit from Giordano is spot on in its clear eyed calmness.

And that's why so many previous media-generated crises and outrages-of-the-day over the past seven months, especially - two Clintons, two reverends, some gaffes that were gaffes because they were errant, other that were called gaffes because they were not - so many millions of words on blogs and in the media that portrayed every moment as if history would be decided by that one loud distraction - floated back out to sea and aren't even remembered in much detail today.

Obama is who he is and always has been. He is NOT a savior. A very fine politician and running a remarkable campaign on his own terms, Barack Obama and his campaign boss David Axelrod have proven themselves a formidable team. Ask Hillary Clinton. I suspect come the evening of November 4th John McCain will have also understood this lesson as well.

Early on, Obama was chastised by many Democrats (mostly Clinton supporters) for being to soft.
He can't take a punch!

Obambi isn't tough enough to handle the rigors of a Presidential campaign!

Heh. Who's headed to the convention as the presumptive nominee? The skinny Black guy with a funny sounding name. Barack Obama maneuvers politically in very much the same way the The Greatest moved around the boxing ring. It may be a very long time before we see another Democrat with these political skills.

One America (Happy 4th!)

Better Than Bill?

Bob Kerrey:

If Barack Obama had been born 10 years earlier and had been a candidate for the Democratic nomination in 1992, neither I nor Bill Clinton would have defeated him.

John McCain's Bitch Gets Punk'd

Heh. Lieberman gets PWNED by the next President.

How NM Shapes up for the GE

Every NM Congress Critter threw a hat in the ring for Pete Domenici's seat. That's not quite as impressive as it may sound because we only have three of'em.

Here's a snapshot of how things look right now:

CD-01 (Tom Udall's seat will stay Dem)

CD-02 (Steve Pearce's seat is a toss up right now.)

The Democrat (Teague) has a name recognition advantage, but the district is pretty conservative. Even most of the Democrats in that CD would be Republicans in other states.

CD03 (Heather Wilson's seat is a toss up)

Although Martin Heinrich is the darling of the progressives he is an unknown quantity when it comes to his ability to organize and campaign. Darren White (R) is VERY popular with Republicans and is not hated by moderate Independents. White also has substantial name recognition because he is currently Bernalillo County sheriff and has served as the head of the state Department of Safety. If Heinrich can tie White to the Bush Administration (which shouldn't be difficult because he supports the war) then Heinrich will probably win in a close election. If he can't, White wins by 6+ points.

NM-Sen: The biggest gift of last night primary was Steve Pearce knocking off Heather Wilson for the Republican nod to be the sacrificial lamb to the Udall. Heather Wilson is a great GE campaigner. Unfortunately, with a low turnout yesterday, only the most fanatical members of the Republican base voted yesterday. In the southern part of the state she was considered a "librul" and Pearce is one of them. Game over. Udall wins by 10+ even if he doesn't campaign well.

New Mexico will go for Obama and he will have very long coattails. Grassroot organizing has been strong here and several longtime Dem office holders were knocked out for better Democrats. Why you ask? My brother is voting for Barack Obama. That is a sure signal that either the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are about to make an appearance, or a seismic poltical shift has occurred since George H.W.'s son got himself appointed Idiot-in-Chief. I'm an atheist so my money is on the seismic political shift.

Keep your fingers crossed, but it looks pretty good right now. If Obama, and the fired up progressives here in NM keep momentum rolling it could be one hell of a GE for Democrats, and in particular for progressives.

I'll be out doing voter registration drives all this summer and keeping everyone posted about what I hear out in the field.

Have a good'un.

(Cross posted at TPM Cafe)

American Pride

It was a creed ...

One Hour Ago

It's the Country, Stupid

I am quite pleased that we won't have to deal with the Clintons on the national scene much longer. This Vanity Fair piece would an ominous foreshadowing of what the Democrats would be in for if HRC had won the nomination.

To know Clinton is, sooner or later, to be exasperated by his indiscipline and disappointed by his shortcomings. But through it all, it has been easy enough to retain an enduring admiration—even affection—for a president whose sins against decorum and the dignity of his office seemed venial in contrast to the systemic indifference, incompetence, corruption, and constitutional predations of his successor’s administration. That is, easy enough until now.

When it comes to the Clintons I can honestly say "been there, done that." I have little desire to re-fight the 90's. We have a lot of fixin' to do in this country after 8 years of those fucking war criminals in the White House and the last thing we need is worrying about who Bill is banging this week. I don't care if he is or is not a loyal husband. I do not care. Unfortunately, the sexually repressed, Cheeto-breath right and the MSM are obsessed with Bill's pecker.

Lets get on with bringing home our boys and girls from Iraq so we can send them off to college, or get them the care they need. Lets get on with restoring the 4th amendment and telecom immunity. Lets get on restoring the DOJ's reputation and ... on and on. Its about the country, stupid.

I have no doubt the Right will have its issues with a President Obama but he won't be giving them ammunition. He's got a lot of self-discipline and does not appear to have the narcissistic tendencies that doomed Clinton. We actually have a chance to get some important shit done.

The Assassination Game (UPDATED)

Fox New goes there:



UPDATE: Luaren S has more over at the Great Orange Satan.

Special Comment

Clintonistas and the War Criminals

Clintonista Lanny Davis now thinks Fox is fair and balanced. Terry McAuliffe agrees that consigliere to the War Criminal in the White House is right about the electoral math. The Clintonistas have no shame. None.

I look forward to Obama driving a stake into the heart of the Clinton campaign and ridding the Democratic party of these rat-bastard swine.

Over the Top

[EDITED: For clarity and typos.]

Until a decision is made by the RBC, that alters or eliminates the current penalty imposed upon the MI and FL delegations (coming May 31), the majority of pledged delegates to gain the Democratic nomination is 1627. Barack Obama will surpass that milestone today when all the pledged delegates from todays OR and KY primaries are decided by the voters. According to DemConWatch Obama requires an additional 14.5 pledged delegates to attain that number. Poblano projects he will at least that many delegates in OR alone.

Josh: Comedian in Chief

Heh:

We seem to have arrived at an equitable compromise: Sen. Clinton is staying in the nomination race while Sen. Obama drops out to move on to the general.