Two Wars? Recession? Health Care Crisis? Who Cares! Let's Talk About Reverend Wright!

The mainstream American media is broken. Severely. What has been the biggest political news over the past week or so? Hmmm. Let's think: A rising probability of war with Iran? Nope. The two savage foreign wars we are currently fighting and arguably losing? You kidding--No Way! How about plummeting housing values, spiraling food costs, the pathetic state of the US Dollar, or global warming? Nada. For some reason a gadfly, up until now anonymous, Chicago pastor has been literally dominating the headlines as of late. Way to go media! Nice prioritization!! How does Reverend Wright affect my life? Who cares!!

A View from Conservative America

I received the following e-mail from a Republican friend of mine, the picture to the right is not of him but apparently of the author of the below text, which seems to be circulating via the Web among the American right wing:

A Public Service Announcement....

YES, I'M A BAD AMERICAN

I Am the Liberal-Progressives Worst Nightmare. I am an American.

I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some Liberal governmental functionary be it Democratic or Republican!

I'm in touch with my feelings and I like it that way!

I think owning a gun doesn't make you a killer, it makes you a smart American.

I think being a minority does not make you noble or victimized, and does not entitle you to anything.

I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac, do it in English.

I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God when and where they want to.

My heroes are John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Roy Rogers, and whoever canceled Jerry Springer.

I don't hate the rich. I don't pity the poor.

I know wrestling is fake and I don't waste my time watching or arguing about it.

I've never owned a slave, or was a slave, I haven't burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks and neither have you! So, shut up already.

I believe if you don't like the way things are here, go back to where you came from and change your own country! This is AMERICA.

If you were born here and don't like it you are free to move to any Socialist country that will have you.

I want to know which church is it exactly where the Reverend Jesse Jackson preaches, where he gets his money, and why he is always part of the problem and not the solution. Can I get an AMEN on that one?

I think the cops have every right to shoot your sorry rear if you're running from them..

I also think they have the right to pull you over if you're breaking the law, regardless of what color you are.

And, no, I don't mind having my face shown on my drivers license. I think it's good..... And I'm proud that 'God' is written on my money.

I think if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works, I don't want you deciding who should be running the most powerful nation in the world for the next four years.

I dislike those people standing in the intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making 'donations' to their cause.

I believe that it doesn't take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents.

I believe 'illegal' is illegal no matter what the lawyers think.

I believe the American flag should be the only one allowed in AMERICA!

If this makes me a BAD American, then yes, I'm a BAD American.

If you are a BAD American too, please forward this to everyone you know.

We want our country back!

New York City, Marijuana Gulag

Among the pretty large population of white people who have used pot and not been arrested for it is Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Asked during the 2001 campaign by New York magazine if he had ever smoked it, Mr. Bloomberg replied: “You bet I did. And I enjoyed it.”

It would probably come as quite a surprise to many to learn that New York City is the marijuana arrest capital of the entire world. Most see the Big Apple as a model of a progressive, forward looking ideas--the quintessential melting pot of the world. However as this article reports, the city is a 18th century backwater with regards to marijuana.

John Daly: White Trash Golfer

Something tells me that John Daly has a slightly different exercise routine than fellow professional golfer Tiger Woods. It's hard to believe this guy is for real and his entire existance isn't some clever joke. You're talking about a real, live, alcoholic, compulsive gambler trailer-trash hillbilly who also happens to be a professional golfer. You really need to watch the video in this story....

Dirty: Was Reverend Wright's National Press Club Speech Organized by Hillary Supporters?

If so, it would be a vintage dirty trick by Clinton, Inc. This blowhard Reverend Wright clearly is a horse's ass, but don't for a second let his nonsensical rants lead you to think that it raises the probability of Hillary winning the nomination: as I've said repeatedly in this space, there is literally nearly a 0% mathematical probability of that happening.

Howard Dean and the Democratic National Committee Play Hardball

The first to ads released by the DNC against McCain highlight what will be their two-pronged assault on him as the Republican candidate: the economy, which is in recession, and his support of Bush on the war in Iraq.

Jon Stewart: Hillary's Fuzzy Math

NBA Star Josh Howard Admits to Offseason Marijuana Use

This is a pretty interesting story. Howard no doubt should not have revealed this information at this particular moment in time--his team the Dallas Mavericks are locked in a playoff battle with the New Orleans Hornets and a distraction like this is the last thing he or his team needs. But the fact that Marijuana use qualifies as a 'drug infraction' is ludicrous. Would the league or society be safer or better if Howard chooses to guzzle vodka, scotch, or other hard liquor instead of indulging in occasional recreational marijuana use during the offseason?

First Shot of War: Democratic Party Puts Up First TV Ad Against McCain

If You Read Only One Article on John McCain Before The Election....

I recommend you make it this one, which contains a litany of extremely disturbing evidence of why he's mentally unfit to be president.

Evidence of a Brain? Jenna Bush Says She Might Not Vote For McCain

Let's just say that Jenna Bush didn't study rocket science at the University of Texas, and doesn't have exactly have a scholarly reputation. Nietzsche probably has nothing to worry about with regards to the new book that Jenna has come out with and is now busy promoting. That's what makes it all the more striking that she said on Larry King Live last night that she actually might not vote for John McCain in November--a true 'non-blonde' moment for Jenna. One would suspect if she voted at all it would have been an automaton type vote for her parents' choice and the Republican nominee.

"I'll Take An Ounce of Chronic to Go": Arkansas Pizza-Hut Busted Selling Weed Via Drive-Through

Not exactly discreet but a commendable, entrepreneurial idea by this Arkansan nonetheless...

Jimmy Carter Calls Condi Rice a Liar

Gee, who are you going to believe in this dust up? A paper pushing hack of a Secretary of State who has carried the president's water every step of the away with regards to his disastrous foreign policy, or former President Carter? It's not even close.

Bear From Will Ferrell's "Semi-Pro" Kills Trainer

FROM HUFFINGTONPOST
Three experienced handlers were working with the grizzly Tuesday at the Predators in Action wild animal training center when the bear attacked Stephan Miller, 39, said San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Beavers.

Stephan Miller is the cousin of training center owner Randy Miller, she said.

Pepper spray was used to subdue and contain the bear, and there were no other injuries, Beavers said. Paramedics arriving shortly after the initial emergency call around 3 p.m. were unable to revive Stephan Miller.

The Department of Fish and Game investigated the incident, but will not decide whether the bear will be euthanized because the attack occurred outside its jurisdiction during a training session on facility grounds, department spokesman Harry Morse told the San Bernardino Sun Tuesday.

Morse speculated that the county animal care officials may decide the bear's fate. A call placed early Wednesday to the county's Animal Care and Control Program was not answered.

Sheriff's Sgt. Dave Phelps said the bear was a 5-year-old male named Rocky. The Predators in Action Web site said Rocky is 7 1/2 feet tall and weighs 700 pounds.

The site, which was off-line early Wednesday due to overtaxed bandwidth, identified Rocky as the animal that appeared with Ferrell's character in the scene from "Semi-Pro." Randy Miller doubled for Ferrell in the bear wrestling match, according to the site.

Calls seeking comment from Randy Miller were not immediately returned Tuesday evening.

The center, located in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles, has two grizzlies, and also trains lions, tigers, leopards, cougars and wolves for uses ranging from film and TV to advertising and education.

In a February interview, Randy Miller called Rocky "the best working bear in the business," the San Bernardino Sun reported on its Web site Wednesday. But, the paper quoted him as saying, "If one of these animals gets a hold of your throat, you're finished."

Randy Miller has 25 years of experience training animals and his facility has had a perfect safety record, according to the site.

Randy Miller won a World Stunt Academy Award for his work wrestling tigers in the 2000 blockbuster "Gladiator" and performed stunts with his animals in films like "The Postman," "The Island of Dr. Moreau," and "The Last Samurai." He also helped recreate animal attacks for National Geographic documentaries and the Discovery Channel.

It was not immediately known how long Rocky has been at the facility.

Denise Richards, who works with wild animals at Moonridge Zoo, a sanctuary for injured and homeless wildlife in nearby Big Bear Lake, said trained animals that turn on their handlers are often destroyed.

"You can train them and use as many safety precautions as you can, but you're still taking a chance if you're putting yourself in contact with them," Richards said. "It's still a wild animal. Even though it may appear that the bear attacked for no reason, there was a reason. I'm sure Randy understands why it happened. They're not cold-blooded killers."

Native grizzly bears are extinct in California.

Dick Morris: Too Little, Too Late

With all the stuff going on in the world, its amazing that people are still gripped by the faux Obama/Hillary race for the Democratic nomination. THE RACE IS OVER. THERE IS A 99% CHANCE THAT OBAMA IS THE NOMINEE. America is fighting and arguably losing two wars simultaneously! Over 4,000 US soldiers have died in Iraq!! Health care costs in this country continue to rise by double digits annually--that is patently unsustainable!!! The world is warming! The glaciers are melting! New animal species are going extinct daily!!! The world is over populated! MEDIA QUIT WRITING ABOUT THE FUCKING OBAMA/HILLARY RACE, PEOPLE STOP PAYING ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girl to have Surgery to Remove 16-Pound Tumor from her Face

Needless to say this goes slightly beyond normal childhood acne....

This Race is Over.

Bush Disapproval Rating Shatters Record

This is a pretty damning statistic for the Bush administration, as it thankfully heads into the twilight of its existence. It's particularly bad for Jeb Bush who will no doubt one day run for president, be it in 2012 or 2016, as his elder brother could be doing lasting damage to the Bush brand name. To say that America has developed a strong case of "Bush Fatigue" is the understatement of the century.

The Hedge Fund Masters of The Universe

The top paid hedge fund manager last year made 3.7 billion dollars. To have made the top 40 list of highest paid, one would have had to have earned $210 million last year. Tiger Woods' earnings last year would have qualified him to be the shoe shine boy or personal gopher of the top paid hedge fund manager. These numbers are both staggering and a symptom of quasi-capitalistic system gone haywire: as the middle class continues to suffer and drown in $5 gas prices and plummeting home values, the top 1% of earners get wealthier and wealthier, increasing the yawning and ever widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. Not to mention the fact that these hedge fund guys didn't actually create anything, meaning unlike tycoons of previous eras like Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Henry Flagler, the hedge fund gazillionaires made their titanic fortunes by merely shifting money around the card table so to speak. Anyway, as they say, easy come, easy go....

Gitmo Detainees Describe Being Drugged

Of all the disgusting, abhorrent, despicable, and outrageous splotches on the George W. Bush presidency, Guantanamo Bay takes the cake. Now we're hearing from many prisoners that a shiny needle was one of the first things that greeted them when they arrived at Gitmo. Yes that's right, there's no need to scratch your eyes to see if this is real or that you have entered the Twilight Zone. The American government apparently sponsored a program whereby accused terrorists--who never saw a lawyer or had their charges heard in a court of law--were injected with drugs in order to encourage them to speak freely and admit their crimes. The untold, lasting damage done to America's standing and reputation in the world by these repugnant acts is incalculable. 196 days until the election. Good riddance Dick and George.

Hillary and Obama Throw Down on WWE's "Raw"

Hick South Carolina Church Suggests Obama is Related to Osama

This is the demographic of voter that carried George W. Bush to re-election in 2004...

10,000 Strong Show Up for Colorado University's 4/20 Weed Celebration

Desperate Hillary Invokes Osama In Latest Ad

Fight in Stands Between Fat Fans Livens Up Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry

I hate to say this, but if one of these dudes had unfortunately fallen to their deaths or something, mankind's gene pool would have improved.

Coming: Super High Me, The Movie

10,000 Weed Smokers Celebrate 4/20 Day at Colorado University

And police didn't write a single ticket or make a single arrest--way to go all the way around! I can guarantee you what wasn't happening at this great event: people weren't getting sloppy drunk and violent, then hopping into their cars and trucks and mowing down civilians or getting into bloody wrecks. It is patently absurd that hard liquor is legal in this country and weed isn't....

As Iraq Implodes, Chances of an Obama Landslide Over McCain Increase

Make no mistake about it, Barack Obama will enter the general election campaign against John McCain as the decided favorite to win the election in November and be sworn in as our country's 44th president. John McCain, for all of his war-heroness and years of legislative experience, is still a relatively weak candidate. From a physical standpoint he's aged to the point of being borderline decrepit--the man looks awful and that's important in America these days.

On the policy front, McCain has been one of George W. Bush's most steadfast supporters of the disastrous war in Iraq. As Iraq once again begins to unravel before our very eyes, now with Shite on Shite violence skyrocketing to go along with the core Sunni insurgency and Al-Qaeda in Iraq, voters will choose yet again--even more convincingly than they did in 2006, to reject the Bush/McCain plan there. America wants Iraq cleaned up--meaning US soldiers out of there reasonably quickly--now.

So the combination of a weak candidate supporting a deeply unpopular war and taking over for an equally deeply unpopular incumbent president of his party all point to Obama handily defeating McCain in November. Toss in the fact that Obama will have tens of millions more money to spend than McCain and you have all the makings of a landslide. A final issue is McCain's notoriously volcanic temper: as reporters and the Obama campaign hit at his soft spots with increasing frequency, will he be able to contain it, or will he erupt with F-bombs all over to someone at some point? My money's on the ladder scenario....

More Evidence of McCain's Fury

This is an issue that's becoming more and more problematic for McCain. The examples given seem particularly weird and violent--from physically brawling with fellow Congressmen to calling his wife a cunt in public.

In Pennsylvania, Avoid The Noise

The amount of energy, carbon dioxide, oxygen, electricity, etc. being wasted by the media as they breathlessly cover the Pennsylvania primary non-story is shocking and an utter waste of time. The race is over, and has been over for about two months now. Ignore every bit of media garbage being thrown at you and focus on this and this alone. Why no one is discussing the real differences between Obama and McCain on Iraq, health care, taxes, the environment, Iran is shameful. The media instead insists of focusing on this inane, false 'horse race' between Obama and Hillary to the people, and the country's clear detriment.

Sex and The City Star Right At Home in Lesbian Relationship

Well I wouldn't call her girlfriend exactly a looker....

Coming: Slamball?

This new 'sport' was the subject of a very interesting Wall Street Journal article this morning. The main guy behind it helped create "Sex and the City" and "The Sopranos"....

Did Obama Give Hillary The One-Fingered Salute?

Hmmm....I really don't think so, although it has caused a bit of a stir in the blogoshphere.

Braniac Weed and Shrooms Dealer Busts Himself

Given that he's only 18 years old we'll give this guy somewhat of a break--but it's clear him and his gang are quite a ways away from making it to the upper echelons of the Medellin Columbian drug cartel...

Bloomberg Looking Forward to an 'Adult' Occupying the White House

Michael Bloomberg, a self made billionaire who actually thinks about big issues, can hardly hide his disdain for George W. Bush, a lazy, daddy's boy loser and a failure at both business and as president. It's no doubt part of the reason why Bloomberg changed his party affiliation from Republican to Independent several months ago.

Is Putin Looking to Trade In for a Newer Model?

Who knows what's really going on with this guy, but the scenario seems at face to be entirely plausible.

No Shame in The Hoff's Game

Hey man, don't hassle the Hoff. This trick no doubt works wonders for him in Germany, where's he's literally the most famous celebrity in the country. Something tells me this video of him, taken by his daughter who then put it on Youtube (oh, how sweet...) doesn't help him with the ladies too much...

Goateed Hack in Hillary's "Pennsylvania" Ad Attacking Obama Not Even Registered to Vote in PA!

What a poetic, fitting way for the Clinton campaign to go out with. Pretty much sums thing up for a campaign that couldn't manage to walk and chew gum at the same time..Story here.

Top Hedge Fund Manager Earned $3.7 Billion Last Year

These numbers are simply staggering. The number 10 guy on the top ten list of highest paid hedge fund managers made three times more than Goldman Sachs' CEO Lloyd Blankfein. These top hedge fund guys are shattering modern finance records for compensation now on an annual basis....

Paris Hilton Shows England Her Nipples

Story and more nip shots here

'Tree Man' Has Surgery, Now Looking for Love

They say beauty is only skin deep....STORY AND AMAZING VIDEO HERE

D'Oh!!! Cindy McCain's "Family Recipes" Stolen from The Food Network

Man, this is sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. The headlines we know on Cindy McCain at the moment, in addition to this latest news, are as follows:

1. She served blatantly as John McCain's 'other woman' while he was still married to his first wife Carol McCain before he coldly dumped her for Cindy.
2. She was busted stealing from a charity she formed to fund her three year addiction to prescription drugs.
3. Her husband apparently called her a 'cunt' in public.

As the campaign season progresses, more revelations about this potential first lady are sure to follow....Should be interesting!

Lieberman: It’s ‘a good question’ to ask if Obama is ‘a Marxist.’

It seems like Joe Lieberman is doing his best to alienate every single Democrat who ever supported him. Talk about bitter people! The guy just can't get over losing the Democratic primary back in 2006....

Will Ferrell Brings Back Bush Impersonation

Hick Kentucky Congressman Calls Obama "Boy"

STORY HERE

Russert Nails Hillary on Bosnia Trip

Hillary: Gore and Kerry Lost Because They Were Elitist

She's overplayed her hand on this, which was predictable.

Hillary Does a Shot of Whiskey

The whiskey was Canadian, mind you--it would have been better to do a shot of Jack Daniels. It's still a nice touch as both candidates do everything they can to look like 'normal, everyday' people in an all out effort to court Pennsylvania's blue collar voters.

Jimmy Carter Decides to Conduct his Own Middle East Diplomacy

Like it or not, Hamas is a democratically elected government, elected by the Palestinians in free and fair elections that were monitored and deemed legitimate by international observers. That's why it's nothing short of mind boggling that the Bush administration refuses to acknowledge Hamas let alone negotiate with them regarding the overall Middle East peace plan. This coming from a president and administration who claim that Democracy and 'freedom' are inalienable rights to every person on the planet. We invaded Iraq, after all, to bring freedom and Democracy to the people there--after WMD's weren't found. I think Jimmy Carter is absolutely correct and justified to meet with Hamas: the Bush administration's entire foreign policy has been one unmitigated cluster fuck, filled with hypocrisy and contradiction.

Obama Trying to Turn a Negative Into a Positive

Although these remarks were flat out stupid for Obama to have said, I admire his strategy for dealing with them. It's the same strategy he incorporated with the Reverand Wright controversy: don't back down from it, take responsibility, and try to explain to the people the context of the comments. I think he got caught up in an elitist moment out in San Francisco--surrounded no doubt by limousine liberal, chardonnay sipping, billionaire tech geeks discussing how they can save the world. The comments will hurt him now, but will ultimately make him a stronger candidate in the general election.

Dean Brings Out The Elephant in The Room: McCain's Age

Dean's right in that the Democrats won't raise McCain's age as an issue in the campaign. That's because they won't need to. Most Americans have a functioning set of eyes, and can see for themselves in plain day how sickly, pasty white, wrinkled, scarred, and fleshy John McCain looks. He's 71 going on 114.

Reports: Cheney, Others Approved Torture

In one hundred years, long after this current administration has been tossed into the dustbin of history, when school kids open up their history books, the eight long years of the Bush administration will be remembered for one thing: Torture. The Bush years will be remembered as the time when America lost its moral compass.

Bubba Lives The Good Life Post-Presidency, Courtesy of the US Taxpayer

This is just so quintessential Bill Clinton. Of all our ex-presidents only he would be grotesquely mannered (code for white trash) enough to earn over $100 million, yet still bill the US taxpayer more than all the other living presidents combined for his living expenses. Clinton fatigue? Yeah, I'd say so....

Hillary Claims Fact That Bill Made $800k Lobbying for Columbia Free Trade Agreement Doesn't Matter

This issue has become a real nightmare for Hillary and points out in stark relief why Americans should not elect her president. You see, she can't have it both ways, taking credit for being 'ready to serve on day one' because of her years as first lady, then claiming ignorance or being out of the loop on these critical trade deals signed under her hubby's administration like NAFTA. It all points to the larger issue of America not being a monarchy, but ostensibly being a meritocracy: George W. Bush only became president because his dad was president. His brother Jeb will probably (unfortunately) become president one day for the same reason. The only reason why Hillary is a Senator and a major candidate for president is because of her marriage to Bill. Some say her daughter Chelsea harbors political ambitions. THIS IS UN-AMERICAN. THIS IS A VESTIGE OF ARISTOCRACY. OUR FOREFATHERS REJECTED THIS SYSTEM. America has had its' Bushes, it had a Clinton. It's time we elect a Smith or a Jones...or an Obama.

Rosie O'Donnell Denies Child Abuse Charge

You know this kid's friends probably make fun of him--Rosie O'Donnell is probably the quintessential anti-MILF. You know she could probably kick a lot of grown men's asses, though....

Report: Silda Spitzer Knew Elliot Banged Whores

This is kind of interesting. My whole take on this has been that people really shouldn't have been so quick to rush to judgement. I mean, for all we know, she was banging the pool boy for years. Christ, maybe Elliot was into watching her bang the pool boy! Maybe Elliot and Silda were into swinging with other couples? Who knows what goes on behind closed doors in any marriage?

Number of Convicts Allowed in American Military Skyrocketing

I don't think any American citizen could possibly spin this statistic in a positive light: the number of convicted felons allowed to serve the US military has more than doubled in four years. An underreported story is how difficult it has become for our military to recruit servicemen to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, and allowing more criminals to serve has apparently become a solution.

Hypocrite Hillary? Embarrassing Wal-Mart Video Emerges Showing Board Member Clinton

Bob Dole on John McCain's Temper

I've said all along that John McCain is an awfully similar candidate to Bob Dole, a fellow cripple, geriatric, military hero clearly past their prime and also quite dull and uninspiring. Dole also didn't have this ridiculous, violent temper that McCain appears to possess....

Bush Starts Balling at Medal of Honor Ceremony

Faith: The Inspirational Two-Legged Dog

Story here

Republican Ignoramus Calls Obama Tiger Woods at McCain Rally

Shot To The Knees: Obama Ally Rockefeller Hits McCain Low. Very low.

Very very interesting....Stories like this make it seem like Senator Obama fully intends to win this election. Bombshell, nasty, distorting comments strategically dropped by advocates--who then invariably apologize immediately--can be extremely effective. Remember, Karl Rove and his genius propaganda cohorts succeeded in making John Kerry, a man who won multiple purple hearts in Vietnam, seem like a craven, unpatriotic coward. I didn't know McCain dropped bombs on citizens from 35,000 feet in Vietnam before this, did you?

Getting Weirder: Book Claims McCain Threw Punches at Congressman

This latest revelation comes after we learned that McCain allegedly called his wife Cindy a "cunt" in public back in 1992. Is it perhaps becoming increasingly clear that John McCain doesn't have the temperament necessary to succeed in the most stressful and powerful job in the world, that of President of the United States of America?

Gen. Petraeus Rocks The Wii Golf

The first comment in this blog post says it all:

His character is a righty golfer and he's swinging lefty... yep, that about sums up our Iraq strategy in one picture.

Oliver Stone Busy Making 'W'

President George W. Bush is a foul-mouthed, reformed drunk obsessed with baseball, Saddam Hussein and a conflicted relationship with his dad.

That description sounds pretty much spot on as far as I'm concerned, and the movie 'W' by Oliver Stone promises to be nothing if not very interesting....

Book: McCain Called His Wife a 'Cunt' in Public

How's this for some spousal straight talk? We've all heard the various stories about McCain's volcanic temper, but this story takes the cake...Most wives would summarily divorce their husbands if they were called a cunt by them in private, let alone in front of other people. The prospect of McCain having his finger on the red button might start to concern people if stories like this gain traction....

Coming: The Netbook

This product promises to be a hit, as more and more 'computing' gets done via the Internet, or 'cloud' as the geeks call it. Think about it: why spend $2k plus on a top of the line laptop when all everyone is using their computers for these days is for their Internet browser?? Forget all the junk that's loaded on to computers these days--windows, word, outlook, blah blah, blah. All that's necessary is a fast, reliable web conn3ection--the rest is mostly both expensive and extraneous. The 'MID' or mobile Internet device, like the one mentioned in this article, will be a major new product category in the coming years....

Female Cyclist Convicted In BALCO Case For Perjury, Growing Her Own Prostate

Disturbing, amazing, disgusting....repellent, repugnant. These are among the words that immediately came to mind when reading this article and more unfortunately looking at the apparently genuine, not photoshopped picture...

Dowd: The Vodka Chronicles

Maureen Dowd, The New York Times, 4/7/08

John McCain’s saucy mother says her boy was always a scamp and a hell-raiser. And one of the senator’s great charms is that he wore those appellations proudly.
Skip to next paragraph
Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

So it was quite disheartening Thursday to see a McCain spokeswoman telling The Associated Press, in a story about how Cindy McCain helped her husband’s political career bloom with her multimillion-dollar fortune from the family beer business, that the senator is a virtual teetotaler.

“Senator McCain rarely, if ever, drinks alcohol,” Jill Hazelbaker averred.

McCain’s pals know him as a man who enjoys libations of vodka with little green cocktail olives. Over the years, at dinners with reporters, I noted he had the habit of ordering one double vodka and sipping it slowly. And there was that famous Hillary-McCain Estonian drink-off in 2004, when Hillary instigated a vodka shot contest and McCain agreed with alacrity (even though he later offered a sketchy denial).

Maybe now that he’s the presumptive Republican nominee, his campaign wants to put his vices in a vise and sanitize the wild side of the man whose nicknames in high school were “Punk,” “Nasty” and “McNasty.”

Next they’ll deny he likes to gamble in Vegas (“I’ll put $50,000 on Bomb Iran, with 3-to-1 odds”), socialize with liberals and lash out at people who annoy him. (As a toddler, he had “tiny” rages. “I would go off in a mad frenzy and then, suddenly, crash to the floor unconscious,” he wrote. His parents would drop him into a bathtub of icy water.)

If his campaign is bowdlerizing, let’s hope it stops before he’s a bland McNice.

Americans, after all, don’t trust candidates without any vices. They got turned off by the picture-perfect Mitt Romney, whose khakis were never wrinkled and whose hair stayed eerily in place even while he was jogging in a campaign commercial.

Do we really need McCain obfuscating on drinking, and Obama putting up a smoke screen on smoking?

Ever since Chicago reporters followed the up-and-coming Obama and saw him flicking his ashes and butts out the windows of moving vehicles, the senator has had a testy relationship with the press about his addictions to cigarettes and littering. (Obama, wrote one reporter on his blog, was “one of those reprehensible nicotine addicts who seems to believe that the world is his ashtray.”)

When Chris Matthews tried to pin down Obama on when he’d had his last cigarette, he radiated guilt, even though he dryly noted that “having your wife say on ‘60 Minutes’ that if you see Barack with a cigarette, let me know’ was a heck of a deterrent.

“I fell off the wagon a couple times during the course of it and then was able to get back on,” the candidate admitted. “But it is a struggle like everything else.”

In his book and last week’s bio-tour, McCain painted himself as a cool bad boy. He was a girl-loving, authority-defying, plane-crashing Top Gun.

In his memoir, Obama played up his vices to depict himself as a cool bad boy, too, recalling that he had smoked pot and done “a little blow.”

But now the two men are sticking to the straight and narrow. Everyone may imagine that Obama and his press corps spend all their time quaffing Champagne and celebrating the astonishment of his very being. But the candidate is boringly abstemious — and reporters traveling with him find him aloof. On a 2005 trip to Russia, he priggishly requested that his vodka shot glass be filled with water.

Oddly, Hillary, a Tracy Flick Goodie Two Shoes growing up, is the only one who seems to be enjoying her vices — even beyond the delight she takes in the dark and costly Mark Penn, and the gusto with which she bedazzled her résumé and then bedazzled some more when she got caught bedazzling. Her campaign doesn’t deny that she likes to kick back, at the end of a long day, with a vodka on her plane.

Bill Clinton is a cautionary tale about what happens if you surrender too many cherished vices. Curtailed from Burkling, international jet-setting, cholesterol-chowing and race-baiting, Bill has gotten raspy and lost his legendary charm. He blew up at a California superdelegate who objected that Bill Richardson, a former Clinton cabinet member, was being painted as Judas because he wasn’t willing to transfer his affections from Bill to Hillary — and no doubt one day to Chelsea. The ex-prez railed against the “political elite” and said it was a “bunch of bull” that there were calls for Hillary to leave the race. In Lawrenceburg, Ind., he dubbed himself a “rural hitman” for his wife.

Churlish Bill doesn’t even follow his own advice. According to the Clinton tax returns, he gave only $1 million to charity out of the $6.3 million he made for his book “Giving” — even though his income has gone up 6,900 percent since his White House years.

Let the Big Dog off his leash. There can be virtue in a little vice.

Chaos: Olympic Torch Snatched During London Protests

Three American Soldiers Killed in Attack on Green Zone in Iraq

Wow, it seems like that surge wasn't exactly the smashing success that John McCain and the Republican party would have us think it was. Keep in mind this attack happened inside the Green Zone, the supposedly impenetrable fortress housing the heart of the American war effort in Iraq. So basically the country is in open warfare, still, after 5 plus years of American occupation. Indeed, if anything, the unmitigated disaster that is and has been Iraq is getting worse, not better.

Another Hillary Tall Tale

First it was the Bosnia sniper fire doozy, now we learn that Hillary's being telling another tall tale on the campaign trail, as this story reports. It has been a rough few weeks for Hillary.

US Economy Sheds 80,000 Jobs in March, Country Almost Certainly in Recession

The country's last recession in 2001-2002 is generally regarded to have been a minor one. With the housing collapse, credit crisis, plus two simultaneous wars, something tells me this one will be much more severe.

Another Poodle? New Aussie Leader's Salute to Bush Causes Stir

CNN Story here

Watch Obama Play High School Hoops

Shows some skills: an ability to finish and some scrappy D....

Is The Democratic Nominating Battle Going on too Long? Depends on Who You Ask.

Obviously Hillary supporters will say no, it isn't, and that all Democratic voters deserve to be heard; and Obama supporters will say yes, it is, and that it's hurting the party's chances against John McCain in November. Where does the truth lie? As with most complicated things, probably somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. Hillary staying in the race, while beating up Obama and driving up his negatives is also having the corollary effect of inspiring voters in the late contests and having greater numbers register Democrat--which will no doubt benefit the nominee come November. If she would accept inevitability now and concede, it would allow Obama to begin to unite the party in a concerted effort to take down McCain now. My personal opinion is that events will end the process on its own shortly after the Pennsylvania primary in three weeks and that Hillary should stay in as long as she wants. She's earned the right to finish this race on her terms.

Russian Tennis Player Mikhail Youzhny Goes Apeshit After Losing Point

Hillary's Tax Returns to Show Big Money Earned from Bill's $peeches

A story that has flown mostly under the radar screen in the high-octane Democratic nominating contest between Hillary and Obama has been Hillary's long delay in releasing her income tax returns, unlike Obama who released his months ago. As this ABC news story is reporting, that might be due to embarrasment over the Clintons having earned a fortune of over $50 million over the past few years mostly due to the mammoth speaking fees Bill collects for giving speeches. That kind of coin tarnishes the 'champion of the working classes' image Hillary has been struggling to project to court traditional blue-collar Democratic voters. What other tidbits lie hidden in her returns? We'll soon find out--she's promised to release them by tax day, which is April 15....

McCain Mocks Clinton in New 3am Ad

Ann Coulter Compares Obama to Hitler

I'm hesitant to even post this because anyone who takes Ann Coulter even remotely seriously is a moron, and I'm pretty convinced she writes this insane stuff just to get attention. I've never read Obama's books, but based on the exerpts she quotes, Coulter's arguement is totally unpersuasive. We're supposed to compare Obama's story of how he took white friends to a black party and how it turned awkward to Hitler's feelings towards Jews? Come on Ann, even you can do better than this....

Joe Lieberman Attacks Obama on Fox News

It's important to remember the Joe Lieberman was the Democrats' candidate for Vice President only 8 short years ago. Now he's to the right of Dick Cheney, going on Fox News and claiming that the presumptive 2008 Democratic nominee 'lacks credibility'. Amazing....Lieberman took his loss in the 2004 Connecticut primary to Ned Lamont so bad that he's going out of his way to be vindictive towards his party. Sweet justice would have Connecticut voters booting him completely out of office in 2012 and thereby punishing him for his cynical, vengeful duplicity.

Bush Makes An Ass of Himself at NATO Dinner

Shocker! Bush chooses to blow off and infuriate our oldest and most reliable allies to press ideological, unrealistic, and radical foreign policy objectives...You're kidding!?! No way! Not George W. Bush! He's sooo smooth on the international stage, so adroit at building consensus and building bridges among allies...Yesterday's events in Bucharest just don't make sense!! George W. Bush: America's esteemed Diplomat In Chief.

Study: Theory That Drinking Tons of Water Daily has Health Benefits is Bullshit

So many people have told me over the years that guzzling at least 8 glasses of water a day is healthy that I took it for granted that it must be true. These pessimistic, glass is half full doctors conducted research that contradicts this widely held belief...

Ted Turner on Charlie Rose: "If Global Warming Persists We'll All Become Cannibals"

Dodgers Coach Larry Bowa Melts Down After Getting Tossed

Man those base coaches look goofy with their batting helmets on, don't they??

GQ's Interview with Karl Rove

Love him or hate him, it's undeniable that Karl Rove is perhaps the most influential political advisor in the history of America--the modern day equivalent of Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis IV's coniving, brilliant political tactician. This interview is quite interesting on a number of counts: Rove can't seem to hide his disdain for Obama, who he seems to regard as an arrogant, unqualified neophyte. "Bush's Brain" also is completely unapologetic over his role in selling to the public Bush administration policies that are widely seen now to have been unmitigated, catastrophic disasters, chief among them the invasion of Iraq.

Bubba Goes Nuts in San Francisco

Well one thing we've conclusively learned about the Clintons' from this campaign is that they are very sore losers. We saw the opposite quality from major politicians like Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004 who both bowed out with incredible grace once it became clear their effort was lost. What's interesting about this dustup over the Bill Richardson endorsement of Obama is that Bill Clinton is claiming that Richardson promised him on several occasions that he would eventually endorse Hillary, a claim Richardson flatly denies. Who do we believe here? I think everyone knows the answer to that one....

25 Most Whipped Husbands

What do Guy Ritchie, Larry King, and Seal have in common? They all make GQ's hilarious list of the world's 25 most whipped husbands. It seems like the pressure to hang with his grandaughter aged wife has gotten to Larry somewhat, as this story reports he recently went nuts at his kid's little league game.

Obama Endorsed by Co-Chair of 9/11 Commission

It's no secret that McCain and the Republican party's strategy against Obama in the general election will be to paint him as an inexperienced, naive national security and foreign policy lightweight who might just get you, your family, and your pet dog bombed to death due to his incompetence. Pretty much the same strategy that was successful against the Democrats in the 2002 congressional election and the 2004 presidential election. That's why endorsements like this are key for Obama. Lee Hamilton is a foreign policy titan among Democrats, and he happens to hail from Indiana which holds its primary in a few weeks....

Georgia Lawmakers Vote to Outlaw Weed-Flavored Candy

No joke, this law is being sponsored by a State Senator named Doug Stoner. You can't make something like that up. Honestly though this stuff sounds pretty cool: "Kronic Candy", "Pot Suckers"....One would hope that the Georgia government had more important things on their agenda to take care of.

Letterman's Great Moments in Presidential Speeches

Bumbling McCain Gets Facts Wrong on Iraq Again!

Kevin Phillips: The Destructive Rise of Big Finance

This is an excellent article by Kevin Phillips, author of several great books including the classic "American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush". Does anyone else wonder why today the world's richest people all seem to be either bankers, hedge fund managers, or private equity tycoons?

These guys don't actually create anything, all they do is shift money around the table. As Phillips points out, this stands in stark contrast to the American tycoons of the past. Guys like Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, the steel barons et. all actually created products and wealth for their fortunes, not merely get rich off of making bets on the world's different roulette tables.

As the world's financial markets continue to go through a mass de-leveraging, with gas prices pushing towards $5 and food prices continuing to rise, I think many Americans might decide to put off that purchase of the 72' flat screen that was to replace the 56-incher puchased two Christmases ago...

Chelsea Again Refuses to Answer Lewinsky Questions

Obama and McCain's Chilly Senate Relationship

This is an interesting read from today's Washington Post. With both camps now trying to spin the incident to their side, it's difficult to know what really happened. What's most likely is that two incredibly ambitious Senators with designs on the presidency and with massive egos got into a little tiff about Senate protocol. What I find somewhat surprising is that McCain relied on one of his aides completely to write the letter to Obama--one that happened to question Obama's motives and sincerity, which probably went too far. Disengaged? Lazy? Tired?

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann Responds to Ed Rendell (see below video)

Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Ed Rendell (Hillary Supporter): Fox News is Most Fair and Balanced of Networks

Andy Roddick Announces Engagement to Hot Piece of Ass

You know, we can only say well done to Andy on this one....

Lou Dobbs Nearly Calls Condi Rice a "Cotton Picker"

Lou Dobbs has carved an interesting niche for himself on cable TV as a fire breathing anti-immigration nutball. Never mind the fact that's he's married to a Mexican immigrant, he's become the voice of many right wing white racists. You can almost see his true colors in the above video, rest assured that if he didn't catch himself, he would have been fired from CNN...