Home » The Watercooler for 09/04/08 5:00 PM
The Watercooler for 09/04/08 5:00 PM
DFA's home for a free form, open-ended discussion of what matters most to committed progressive activists.
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Palin helped to close the gap. However, more than 55% of Obama supporters are enthusiastic - just 35% of McCain's (which includes a 10% bump due to Palin).
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/04/opinion/polls/main4416798.shtml
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/04/gop-congressman-calls-oba_n_123993.html
Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland used the racially-tinged term "uppity" to describe Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Thursday.
Westmoreland was discussing vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech with reporters outside the House chamber and was asked to compare her with Michelle Obama.
"Just from what little I've seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen. Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they're uppity," Westmoreland said.Asked to clarify that he used the word "uppity," Westmoreland said, "Uppity, yeah."
Howard Dean has brilliantly described the Republican "Southern Strategy" in terms of racial code words--no code word in this case.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174972
At the height of the Roman Empire, the Romans had an estimated 37 major military bases scattered around their dominions. At the height of the British Empire, the British had 36 of them planetwide. Depending on just who you listen to and how you count, we have hundreds of bases. According to Pentagon records, in fact, there are 761 active military "sites" abroad.
The fact is: We garrison the planet north to south, east to west, and even on the seven seas, thanks to our various fleets and our massive aircraft carriers which, with 5,000-6,000 personnel aboard -- that is, the population of an American town -- are functionally floating bases.
You making haste
haste on decay: not blameworthy;
life is good be it stubbornly long or
suddenly A mortal splendor: meteors
are not needed less than mountains:
shine, perishing republic.
Robinson Jeffers
"Shine Perishing Republic"
1924
Arms purchased on the Chinese / Saudi credit card accounts
Yes, I'm asking for money! But I'm not asking for alot of money :)
Two of dfaROCHESTER's endorsed candidates spoke at our Link Up meeting last evening and I have to say Howard would be so proud of their extreme grassroots efforts.
dfaROCHESTER has an ActBlue page set up to raise money for all of our endorsed candidates, but at this time, I'm just begging for a little spare change for Paloma Capanna and Dave Garretson--they are listed first and last among out candidates @ https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/dfarochester?refcode=thermometer
Paloma is running for NY State Senate and is challenging an incumbent who has not had a challenger since 1992!!!! Dave Garretson is running for NY State Assembly.
A $5 contribution to each of them would go a long way in making their grassroots grow!
Video of Howard Dean's great interview with Brokaw today. Powerful.
Parts of the transcript listed as well.
Also I posted yesterday that there is a book out now about Charlie Dean and his friends and their travels in the 1970s.
The lady who wrote it sounds nice. You need to read the description of her efforts to get a picture of her and Howard for the press. It is so sweet and funny.
Here is the picture.
Be sure to read about the shoelaces.
I wonder how Colin Powell, Chuck Hagel and Dick Lugar are feeling about their beloved Republican party right now. It's time for them to do the honorable thing and endorse Barack Obama.
I feel absolutely sick about the media adoration for the low-life governor from Alaska. It's just awful how the Republicans play their game. Not this time.
The media isn't doing their job. *A star is born?* You must be kidding me. This woman has zero depth and is vicious. She went to five different colleges before graduation for gawd sakes. Oh, I'm just so ticked. I signed up three people to work the Obama campaign though so the anger is good on a certain level.
Many thanks to floridagal.
If this was played live on MSNBC, we at my home sure missed it.
Video of Howard Dean's great interview with Brokaw today. Powerful.
No interviews for the Klondike governor. Seriously, she won't do any before the election.
http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/09/no_questions_please_were.html
Will the American people fall for this????
shallow, dishonest. I think the description of it as the speech to nowhere is apt. It also says something about how desperate all those white, middle aged, sedentary Republicans are for something to cheer about.
The speech was adolescent, demeaning, and not worthy of anyone running for office anywhere. But, the audience did go nuts. It didn't take much.
When are we going to have politics that has some honesty, some dignity, some recognition of the reponsibility to represent WE THE PEOPLE? If Obama's campaign lets McCain's people set the terms of the debate, then truly, he will be part of the smearing, the meanness, the venality and lies that McCain and the right wing have engaged in now since Nixon's ridiculing and lies about Helen Gahagan Douglas.
The small town community Palin extolled last night is mostly a nostalgia for what is no more, and with good reason. Those small towns were oppressive, mean minded, stifling, and insular. That doesn't mean that we don't want and need community, but communities that we choose, that offer a variety of perspectives and are inclusive, diverse, and allow us to choose how much we want to participate.
But, we still have our work cut out for us. And yes, Obama's people need to go on the offensive though not with lies, meanness, demeaning and denigrating statements. Those old adages that the means don't justify the ends, and if we indulge in nefarious means, we do become the thing that we despise are true. If Obama were to out McCain McCain, he would be swimming in the same slime. Our actions define us.
just figured realized that Sarah Palin is a lot like Tanya Harding. LOL
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Pat - I've been waiting for your eloquent recap. As usual - you are spot on.
she opened herself up in so many ways... and this
... Turns out Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s speech did not just electrify the Republican faithful inside the Xcel Energy Center Wednesday night.
Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is reporting that it has taken in $8 million over the Internet since Mrs. Palin’s speech, in which she tore into Mr. Obama.
By Thursday afternoon, more than 130,000 donors had kicked in, and the Obama campaign is on pace to collect $10 million by the time Senator John McCain takes the stage tonight
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/palin-good-for-the-democrats-too/
DID I HEAR OBAMA IS ON O'REILLY TONIGHT? will have to ge a recap - I might throw something at the tv if I watch billyo
>>> yes, Pat - well said.
Since the GOP is now primarily a religious organization, it's interesting to look at the theology of the brand of Republicanism that Palin comes from. Assemblies of God Republicans believe in sixteen fundamental truths, outlined here, including the Rapture. Since the GOP now holds that there can be no distinction between politics and religion, and that presidential debates need to be held in churches and moderated by pastors, it would be helpful to ask if she shares the views of the pastor of the church she grew up. To be specific: does she believe that Alaska will be a refuge in the "end-times" for the saved of the lower 48 states? He said that right in front of her. She didn't seem in any way fazed.
from Andrew Sullivan
One thing I didn't know is that the Assemblies have historically been a pacifist denomination, although they allow individual churches to take different positions on war and peace. When Palin said that she wanted an "exit plan" from Iraq in December 2006, was that view affected by her theology?
The character limitation is beyond irritating. I'd like to know Susan Rowe's secret.
that's in a seperate text box of it's own, rather than just text that flows thru the entire article, it counts that block as a few characters. so if you see select pieces formatted like that in an article, you can paste thousands of characters here - don't select just the text inside the box - select the entire box it's in. not all news sites have parts of the text formatted that way, however.
She said she just switches to plain text.
me that the Oklahoma governor has just said that your whole family will be killed by terrorists if you vote for Obama. (He's probably exaggerating--his sense of humor).
So, off to watch as much as I can stand.
Mary vb and Jo, I always appreciate your posts. You add so much to the blog.
they started their salute to the victims of 9/11 and it sounded like a fear-monger fest so I switched to fox (couldn't resist) and Obama was on O'Liely. he did well. it was a portion of the interview and the rest will be aired on consecutive nights - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I believe he said. yes, Barack did well.
I went on a walk and just stopped by Daily Kos and apparently the wingers showed footage of 9/11 with people jumping out the windows? What the hell is wrong with these people? Again, I'm speechless.
and therefore need *us* to be terribly afraid of dying.
and therefore need *us* to be terribly afraid of dying.
I do' know...
The Thugricians portray the Democrats as elitist, but I see more white lace children of wealth at the RNC.
when McCain speaks. How transparent.
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I do hope in one of the debates when McCain or Palin bring up 9/11 that Obama or Biden gently remind these twits just whose watch we were under when the most horrific act of terrorism on our soil occurred.
YOU CAN'T WIN AN OCCUPATION - lol who let them in? he he
"We'll go at it over the next two months...and there are big differences between us, you have my respect....we are fellow Americans. And that's an association that means more to me than any other."
McCain to the Dems and Obama supporters.
Like wow.
Ah the kicker.....
"But let their be no doubt my friends, we are going to win the election!"
Well, what was he supposed to say? blech
And I'm going to quit watching and read a book.
Goodnight my friends!
-- volney
PS And as for "country first", I really think they should search their souls b/c God should be first for them, and then family, and then the poor and downtrodden, and finally after all that, whatever the abstraction is we call "country".
War is to civilized society what beating children is to good parenting. Unnecessary, ignorant, counterproductive, and wrong.
And there's Johnny McCain, fighting for people who lost their real estate investments, Bleah.
And now good night for real.
-- volney
Last night I watched the Palin speech. I thought about switching off my dvd of HOUSE, MD andviewing tonights's speech, but I just couldn't. Fortunately my son called from California and that saved me.
Now we have to save the country. I am swamped with medical bills and other stuff, but I am about to throw some more money to Obama-Biden.
cain't seem to actually say something. he has to use code words for everything. what a liar. what a putz...
My son is watching That 70's Show (re-run) and I just heard the mother, Kitty, laughing. That is the voice of Sarah Palin. OMG.
Nite folks. Donations going out to Howard and Barack. None to DFA until we're out of the water cooler.
fight fight stand up stand up and fight we never hide from history we make history thank you and god something...
...can you say chuck e cheese...the whole thing's been a facade...small crowd, small venue, small minds, small everything shot up close to LOOK BIG...
when you went out to bounce the basket ball and it hit the ground and stayed there: well. this one's also flat and i'll bet mc cain's "bounce" is 2 points tops. taking money, anyone...
is scary and reinforces the stereotype that white people can't dance...
lacking in the rank superficiality of most of the Republican speakers and substituting a credible theme about service to others .
Choice in K-12 education is just a sop to GOP families hankering to get a government check for their kids private/church/school tuition.
It is also a cost control measure. Have the parent sign away the child's rights to a free and appropriate public ed and waive the state responsibility to provide it, then hand them a capped/flat fee voucher.
Low SAT scores in Georgia include private school students. Don't send those failing schools public school funds.
Emphasis on keeping the $ 700 billion oil payments at home was good but pretending it can be done without a "maverick" overhaul of tax and trade po
- Howard Dean Is First!
By Subway Serenade on Sep 4, 2008 5:13 PM EDTNuff Said!