Friday, May 16, 2008
Open Thread
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Thanks, George
John Edwards' enorsement must have been nice, but George W. Bush's broadside from the pulpit of the Knesset truly made Barack Obama's week.
Bush's "appeasement" statement helped add one smore stake in Hillary Clinton's campaign -- by pushing her even further off the front page and preventing much more media scrutiny of her impressive West Virginia. Instead, Bush helped identify Obama as, essentially, the new head of the Democrats. In turn, that gave Obama all the opening he needed to further hang Mr. 27-percent approval around McCain's neck. This is just the sort of fight Obama must have been praying for.
Even more, Bush did something that none of the Democratic primaries and caucuses have managed to to do: Unite them. Even Hillary rushed out to "defend" her rival against the president's words (and make sure she didn't get left out of the news cycle). Considering the communal headache Republicans got this week from losing the Mississippi seat, Bush's decision to jump feet first into the 2008 campaign may not exactly be met with universal acclaim from his party brethren.
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Bush's "appeasement" statement helped add one smore stake in Hillary Clinton's campaign -- by pushing her even further off the front page and preventing much more media scrutiny of her impressive West Virginia. Instead, Bush helped identify Obama as, essentially, the new head of the Democrats. In turn, that gave Obama all the opening he needed to further hang Mr. 27-percent approval around McCain's neck. This is just the sort of fight Obama must have been praying for.
Even more, Bush did something that none of the Democratic primaries and caucuses have managed to to do: Unite them. Even Hillary rushed out to "defend" her rival against the president's words (and make sure she didn't get left out of the news cycle). Considering the communal headache Republicans got this week from losing the Mississippi seat, Bush's decision to jump feet first into the 2008 campaign may not exactly be met with universal acclaim from his party brethren.
Labels: Barack Obama, George W. Bush
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Denver Beckons; GOP Woes
The "race" may be "over", but the nomination fight is just beginning. Hillary Clinton's "thumpin'" of Barack Obama in West Virginia last night means that she won't drop out after next week's Kentucky and Oregon fights (which the two of them will split, but she is likelier to run up a WV-type margin in Kentucky, while Obama may win Oregon "only" by 10 or so points)...or after Puerto Rico on June 3rd. HRC will take the fight all the way to the convention floor in August in Denver, where either she, Obama -- or, yeah, Al Gore could come out as the Democratic nominee.
As disastrous as this scenario undoubtedly could turn out to be for the Democrats, the Mississippi special election has got to give Republicans serious intestinal anxiety (if you get my meaning). That means they are now a lovely 0-3 in special elections this year, losing long-held GOP seats in Illinois, Louisiana and now Mississippi. These results suggest that, despite how unpopular Nancy Pelosi's Democratic House may be, the "R"-brand (still typefied by an historically unpopular current president) is still woefully damaged. John McCain, using his own unique sensibility may ride that out (though the odds are heavily against him. But this gives Democrats amazing momentum in just about all congressional races.
UPDATE: Recriminations aplenty among House Republicans.
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As disastrous as this scenario undoubtedly could turn out to be for the Democrats, the Mississippi special election has got to give Republicans serious intestinal anxiety (if you get my meaning). That means they are now a lovely 0-3 in special elections this year, losing long-held GOP seats in Illinois, Louisiana and now Mississippi. These results suggest that, despite how unpopular Nancy Pelosi's Democratic House may be, the "R"-brand (still typefied by an historically unpopular current president) is still woefully damaged. John McCain, using his own unique sensibility may ride that out (though the odds are heavily against him. But this gives Democrats amazing momentum in just about all congressional races.
UPDATE: Recriminations aplenty among House Republicans.
Labels: Barack Obama, Democratic 2008 Presidential, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, Republicans
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Dept of YCMTSU*
*you can't make this 'stuff' up: What every war zone needs -- a luxury golf course. One great example of the "New Iraq."
And here's another:
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And here's another:
"I don't have a daughter now, and I prefer to say that I never had one. That girl humiliated me in front of my family and friends. Speaking with a foreign solider, she lost what is the most precious thing for any woman. 'People from western countries might be shocked, but our girls are not like their daughters that can sleep with any man they want and sometimes even get pregnantOn the other hand, the Dubai Classic is one of the favorite stops for top golfers, so maybe Bagdad will be some day.
without marrying. Our girls should respect their religion, their family and their bodies.
"I have only two boys from now on. That girl was a mistake in my life. I know God is blessing me for what I did,' he said, his voice swelling with pride. 'My sons are by my side, and they were men enough to help me finish the life of someone who just brought shame to ours."
Abdel-Qader, a Shia, says he was released from the police station "because everyone knows that honour killings sometimes are impossible not to commit". Chillingly, he said: "The officers were by my side during all the time I was there, congratulating me on what I had done." It's a statement that, if true, provides an insight into how vast the gulf remains between cultures in Iraq and between the Basra police the British army that trains them.
Sources have indicated that Abdel-Qader, who works in the health department, has been asked to leave because of the bad publicity, yet he will continue to draw a salary.
Labels: Iraq
Monday, May 12, 2008
"The Next President Of the United States..."
For those folks who thought that Saturday Night Live had completely gone into the tank for Hillary after the media appeared to go completely into the tank for Obama (after being completely in the tank for McCain in 2000)...a slightly differnt approach in this week's episode:
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Labels: Amy Poehler, comedy, Hillary Clinton, Saturday Night Live
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Arab-Americans Blowin' Up!
...in stand-up comedy (of course! What the heck did you think I meant?)!
Good documentary on Arab-American comics finding their voices in a post 9/11 world premieres tonight (Sunday) on PBS as part of the America At The Crossroads series. Check local listings, as the saying goes.
I've been fortunate to share the stage with both Dean Obeidallah and Maysoon Zayid. I may not agree with all their politics, but they are very funny. That's Dean in my "Laughing With The Enemy" You Tube clip.
Check out the documentary if you get the chance.
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Good documentary on Arab-American comics finding their voices in a post 9/11 world premieres tonight (Sunday) on PBS as part of the America At The Crossroads series. Check local listings, as the saying goes.
I've been fortunate to share the stage with both Dean Obeidallah and Maysoon Zayid. I may not agree with all their politics, but they are very funny. That's Dean in my "Laughing With The Enemy" You Tube clip.
Check out the documentary if you get the chance.
Labels: Arab-Americans, Dean Obeidallah, stand-up comedy
