I see her as a terrible commentary on our country. The woman is no more a capable leader than Winky Dink. Her life is an embarrassment only in that she continues to be of interest to the citizenry. She is also dangerous in that she numbs us to political extremes. By comparison, she makes Newt Gingrich seem reasonable. And Newt Gingrich is not reasonable in any way, shape, or form. And that really is dangerous. She makes the *serious and capable* extremists palatable. I say that with no attempt ...

I have seen many coldly tell us that the recession was just that - a recession - and then go on to recite coldly all the definitional details that prove their case. While there's no arguing with that, the fact is, real people in real places - like Detroit, for one - who are suffering as a result of the economic downturn are in Great Depression II. One of those views is definitionally correct. One of those views is emotionally correct. People are, first, emotional. If they feel it, that is their...

(This is intended as a positive story. No doubt there are ways to parse it otherwise and if you wish to do that, knock yourself out. The story is true and it happened just yesterday.) I was out of town yesterday. It was late in the afternoon and I was making my way back to the airport. My client had called a cab for me. I went outside to wait and cab approached. I flagged him. He stopped. I got in - just in time to hear, on the cab's radio, the call go out to another cab to pick me up! Oh well....

I lived through the Johnson years. I have flashes of deja vu. He inherited a war, too. Yes, there's sand and desolation and frigid mountains instead of steaming jungles. But the choppers are similar. The armor our guys wear is better and thus, the mortal wounds fewer. And no longer do we blame the war on the warriors. For that I am most grateful. But the operative word now, as it was then, is the same. Why? I can come up with no rational answer. Maybe I could have in 2001 and 2002 and ma...

I'm guessing it will be the House that has no bill reach the floor. The Senate will vote on something that looks a lot like the Bipartisan Bullshit Baucus Bill. The House will have no part of it. The Senate will get intractable and that will be that. If you're chronically ill, you're better off dead. So go die, cuz not many elected officials much gives a shit about you.

Threads espousing getting out get unreced as soon as they're posted. So what's the deal? Are we now War Manger Underground? Or maybe a softer term ..... Its a nicer war cuz the 'good guys' are running it? No one opposes war anymore?

Now it seems we will be getting stuck with some bullshit that goes nowhere .... except to increase the wealth disparity and provide an illusion of universal coverage. And we're all supposed to be grateful for this. Yeah .........

The ones who actually make law and/or get enriched by passing laws one way over another don't want reform. They want legalized cash spigots installed on their wallets. And until someone in that circle decides to side with us ........ we're gettin' another shit sandwich. Mark My Words Go ahead, squabble about it. Let the cheerleaders cheer and the detractors detract. IT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER what YOU want. You'll get what you get and you'll like it or you won't (I'm betting most won't). It...

What a scene you painted today. On the one hand was the first duly elected president in eight years, giving a speech in front of the actual Constitution of the United States. On the other hand is a former high level government official, now a *private citizen*, making some disgruntled remarks at the privately owned, right wing, borderline terrorist, offices of a right wing funded group. Why did you choose to not only cover the later with the same fake gravitas as the former, but to equate them ...

"..... he's gotten in Insurance Company donations." The evidence is EVERYWHERE. They are all beholden. Every Damned One Of Them. Beholden to someone, but that someone us NEVER We The People. Tell me again why term limits are bad. Tell me again why publically financed campaigns are not the law. So long as they need cash and corporate cash is the grease that keeps the cogs turning, you and I - the little people - will continue to GET FUCKED.

Let's float above the politics and our own internal divisions for a moment. We knew all this shit that is being projectile vomited from the darker vestibules guarding the darkest corners of the darkest rooms of our government. We KNEW they were trying to gin up a connection between Saddam and bin Ladin. We KNEW they were torturing. We KNEW that the ignoramii found guilty of crimes at Abu Ghraib were scapegoats. We KNEW this shit went straight up the line to the inner circle of the White House....

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(Image) And it is just getting worse. (Link)/ And you thought there might be some experts on the air? (Image) Think again. (Link) The media is arguably worse - arguably **much** worse - now than in the run up to the election. We need to work eight times as hard for one fourth the impact on the airwaves and over the cable wires.

It is the money (income, net worth, whatever) above which some try to define "wealthy". A person who has a net worth of over a million dollars simply because they bought a ticky tacky little house 45 years ago and have lived in it - frugally - ever since, is not "the wealthy". An ordinary doctor working for a group practice and paying out the ass for insurance and netting a couple hundred thousand dollars a year in income is not "the wealthy". Jack Welch, retired GE CEO is "The Wealthy". Joh...

Especially here and now. We just won a nice election. Wall to wall Our Side. Now we have EVERY FUCKING RIGHT to say what's on our minds. If you don't like the Inagural Invocator, it is OKAY to say so. Not liking that is not equal to calling for Obama to be unelected. If you do't like a cabinet choice, why not say what you think? Is there some reason to think that doing so will cause Obama to stay in Chicago? Get a grip, people. He's a human. He'll do good shit and he'll do bad shit. The bot...

..... stone with a lead anchor attached to it, AIG is going to be paying massive 'retention bonuses" to keep their "talent" from leaving?????? The Republicans gave these motherfuckers a blank check that they have used for seemingly NOTHING but the financial betterment of a very few employees. Meanwhile, the unions are being asked to give give give, retirees are facing a cut off of the safety net they endured, 30, 40, more years of grief and agony for, and even their 90 year old widows are about...

That will bail out the Big 3 and the Little 3 and the Inbetween 3. It will make all our businesses more competitive. But it has other benefits, too. Right now the national mood is awful. People are angry. People are mistrustful. People are just plain scared. If we can, as a nation, tell everyone that one huge worry - their bodily well being - has been lifted, they will feel much better about all the other crap they're facing. If Barack Obama wants to make a big splash and lead, this is one for...

Fuck you if you worked for GM for 30 years and did what you said you'd do. Fuck for for being a union member. Fuck you for being greedy. Fuck you for not being able to control the destiny of the company for which you worked. Fuck you for going on strike to better the lives of all workers. Fuck you. Go away someplace and just fucking die. And take your wives and husbands with you. The above was sarcasm in the extreme, but ....... THIS IS THE MESSAGE DU JOUR PUSHED BY REPUBLIFUCKINGCANS ...

..... so this story has everyone talking. On the matter of Hillary Clinton, the fact is, she's qualified and well known around the world. The fact is, Bill Clinton remains very highly respected around the world. A freelancing SecState will last about 14 minutes. There are others who are as qualified and more so. None is so well know. On balance, I can see this as a net plus. I am not excited about it. So, if not her, then who? The other three names are Kerry, Richardson, and Daschle. Okay. A...

Listen up, you shitbirds. This is for ALL of you who perpetuate this BULLSHIT about the Clinton transition. There is no doubt that even morons, thugs, and dirty tricksters, as made up the incoming Bush administration, would have taken pictures of the supposed vandalism left behind in the wake of the departing Clinton administration. Here's news for you motherfuckers. It never happened. Yet all your spokesmodels are out there saying this crap over and over and over. Local news losers are sayi...

FUCK YOU FUCK YOUR GREED FUCK YOUR GOD, REAGAN FUCK BUSH(es) ALL YOU MOTHERFUCKERS WHO VOTED FOR REPUBLICANS - ARE YOU FUCKING HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU GOT?????? YOU YOUNG REPUBLICANS .... ARE YOU HAPPY YOUR MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER WILL BE EATING FUCKING CAT FOOD ALONG WITH ME AND MY FAMILY?? FUCK YOU

You REALLY don't. This is not your father's Democratic Party. This is a Democratic Party - and a Democratic candidate's presidential campaign - that has taken the high road, but taken it armed to the teeth. Every time you guys have tried to stir shit, a can of Whoop Ass got opened. And it wound up all on you. Don't go there. Keating Five will be a household word. That's not innuendo and outright lies as is Rezko. That's fact. Johnny was up to his eyeballs in activity that manipulated the bank...

There has been a steady stream of right wing harpies on teevee all day ........ with the brightest, reddest lipstick I've seen in a while. Why aren't Democrats that smart? Laugh all you want. They have a message and they have discipline. We can laugh and laugh and laugh ..... while they kick our ass.

Wanda From Wasilla is out to **fuck** you up. Big time. She wants the big job and sees herself as preordained for the seat. She sees it as the Will of Her Lord. Religious mission. Religious Certitude. She follows the "Ends Justify The Means" philosophy so many other mind fucked fungelicals follow. "God Spoke To Me." Look at her, Johnny. Check the game films. She doesn't give two shits about you, pallie. Her body language alone is enough to make it as clear as a 1080 HDTV wide screen movie. S...

I have pointedly left the teevee and the radio silent today. I've also pretty much stayed out of DU and off the internets. I have plenty of real work to do, so it is hardly a sacrifice. But it sure as hell is blissful ignorance. I don't know what's going on in Pennsylvania and even better I have no idea what the manufactured outrage du jour is. Ignorance, sometimes, really is bliss. Now to the wishes. I wish Obama would just kick the shit out of Clinton and end this prolonged, angry, ugly pr...

They Will Get Away With Everything. Take that to the bank.

I'm not posting this one to start a debate and won't engage. I **am** here to post my personal opinion. My tendency when I hear about a foreclosure is to sympathize with the people being evicted, not with the ones doing the evicting. There's plenty of blame to go around and lots of room for recriminations. No one is blameless. But it is a matter of degrees. Some say that the home buyers who went for the stated income, high balance, subprime loans were the greedy ones, looking to make a fast ...

THE LAST WORD Anna Quindlen How Old Is Too Old? Race, gender—they're both up for grabs in this presidential election. It's age that has become the new taboo in a vitality culture. Feb 4, 2008 Issue Here's my unscientific theory about the presidency: it ages a person in dog years. Each year in office is roughly equivalent to seven years in the life of an ordinary citizen. I base this on before-and-after photographs of the occupants of the Oval Office, who frequently look as though they've spent...

I know some people are sensitive and feel we should all play nice. McCain says he's going to run a civil campaign. Yet he goes to the Bushies for help. And do you think the 527's won't be backing him? The Club for Growth is VERY active as are the swiftboaters and that Stone guy down in Florida. This campaign will see, depending on our nominee, the most vile racist and misogynistic spew you're probably incapable of imagining. All indicators favor a Democratic win in November. That fact will ener...

And I bet their story is as unremarkable, ordinary, and commonplace as millions of others. They married when my father returned from WWII. I was born right after that, my brother four years later. Mom had a high school education, but only worked a very few years .... and then only part time (more on that later). Dad had only two years of high school before a childhood disease had him infirmed for a year. He recovered fully, but decided to work rather than go back to school. He was drafted sho...