The Denver Group

Courtesy of NoQuarter, a Bud White exclusive interview with Denver Group founders Heidi Li Feldman and Marc Rubin.

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Obama in FISA Land and other short stories

Glen Greenwald
The choices Obama makes about how he campaigns and the positions he takes are extremely consequential in how political issues in this country are perceived. In the last two weeks alone, Obama has done the following:

*intervened in a Democratic Congressional primary to support one of the worst Bush-enabling Blue Dogs over a credible, progressive challenger;

* announced his support for Bush's FISA bill, reversing himself completely on this issue;

* sided with the Scalia/Thomas faction in two highly charged Supreme Court decisions;

* repudiated Wesley Clark and embraced the patently false media narrative that Clark had "dishonored McCain's service" (and for the best commentary I've seen, by far, on the Clark matter, see this appropriately indignant piece by Iraq veteran Brandon Friedman);

* condemned MoveOn.org for its newspaper advertisement criticizing Gen. Petraeus;

* defended his own patriotism by impugning the patriotism of others, specifically those in what he described as the "the so-called counter-culture of the Sixties" for "attacking the symbols, and in extreme cases, the very idea, of America itself" and -- echoing Jeanne Kirkpatrick's 1984 RNC speech -- "blaming America for all that was wrong with the world";

* unveiled plans "to expand President Bush's program steering federal social service dollars to religious groups and -- in a move sure to cause controversy . . . letting religious charities that receive federal funding consider religion in employment decisions," a move that could "invite a storm of protest from those who view such faith requirements as discrimination" -- something not even the Bush faith programs allowed.

Tom In Paine: HOW OBAMA LOSES THE ELECTION IN 30 SECONDS.

Tom In Paine: HOW OBAMA LOSES THE ELECTION IN 30 SECONDS.

Let the Banks Go Under, Sell 10 Million Houses for $1 Each

From Charles Hugh Smith:

Today's target: the notion that the collapse of the insolvent U.S. banking system would be so terrible. Really? Terrible for who? Certainly not the nation at large.

In fact the dissolution of the insolvent parts of the U.S. banking sector--yes, the investment banks, the money-center banks, the regional banks, and the savings and loans--would actually be an enormously positive development for the nation and indeed the world.

Let's start with the fact that a huge number of these lenders are insolvent. If all their bad loans, bad derivative bets and off-balance sheet losses were forced to be marked to market/liquidated to raise capital, then major bank after major bank would fold/enter bankruptcy.

And what exactly would be so bad about that? Businesses go under all the time. The truth is these banks will never ever recover the loans they wrote, so why try to prop them up with taxpayer funds? To bail out the ultra-wealthy owners of those banks, of course.

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John McCain

In my new role as a former Democrat and present PUMA (and my vow never to vote for Opossum), I am taking a look at my alternatives. In my research, I've come across some articles about John McCain and I was quite surprised by the character and internal strength of this man, especially as they are qualities sorely missing in the present Democratic presumptive nominee. Here is one article I found of particular interest.

The Audacity to Hold Them Accountable

During this primary, Hillary supporters have been disrespected, made fun of, shamed, labeled as divisive, racist, called names that range from typical white people to a part of the electorate that the new Democratic coalition no longer needs.

Now we are being made to feel that if we don't fall in line and vote for the DNC insiders choice for President, we may lose the election for them. We'll lose the opportunity to appoint Democratic judges to the Supreme Court, lose our homes, our uteruses, schools will close, the Iran War will last for 100 years and we will be taken over by aliens. The sky will fall.

Who says so? The Main Stream Media, Donna Brazile, Howard Dean, the DNC, Kerry, Kennedy, Richardson Donald Duck, The Three Stooges, Betty Boop, Felix the Cat, John Wayne, Henny Penny and any other man, woman or child that doesn't fall in line with the Party.

It's time for us to hold these people accountable for their choices. The people who changed the rules for this primary. The people who decided to come out early for Obama and get a choice cabinet position. The people who decided to treat one of the Democratic primary contenders as if she were a Republican, with disrespect, misogyny, ridicule and an underlying hatred.

It's time to sit back and make these people accountable. It's easy to do with the MSM. Turn it off. There is a plethora of news available on the Internet and you don't have to listen to these so-called anchors posture and preen with innuendos and outright lies. As John points out, you can also boycott the advertisers of the most egregious news channels.

But, how do we hold the Democratic Party accountable? By doing what we are doing. Refusing to fall for the hype if we don't vote for The Chosen One. Refusing to believe that we'll be forever gnashing our teeth and clawing our eyes out if the Dems don't win this election. It will be our fault. Not their fault for screwing up by hand picking what they thought was the most electable candidate for the GE and trying to shove him down our throats. For picking an inexperienced, unvetted, arrogant candidate and telling us to get over it and vote for him or else.

How? By doing what we are doing. Refusing to vote by any other standard than our own. By reading, watching, talking, coming to our own conclusions and examining our own conscience. The tougher stance. As a life long Democrat, not voting for yet another empty suit is difficult, but if we don't stand our ground, there will be no change in the Democratic Party. By refusing to be told what to do, we are working for a better system. A system without fraudulent caucuses and with a level playing field of equality for all candidates.

Hang tough. Have the audacity to hold them accountable.

It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. Robert F. Kennedy

Cross posted at MyDD

Big Dawg

Rumor has it that Bill Clinton is pissed over this whole primary mess and the machinations of the DNC and prominent Democratic leaders. He, too, is angry over the way his wife was treated and the way his reputation was libeled and slandered over remarks that were twisted, turned and regurgitated as racist by MSM, and Obama&Co.

President Clinton, we feel your pain. We, too, are mad as hell over the coronation of Obama, the failure of the Party to allow this process to play out as the Constitution intended, the DNC's closed door deal awarding delegates to Obama that were either never cast by real voters or were delegates that belonged to your wife.

We know how you feel when you have to read comments like those set forth below.

Joe Klein, the author of Primary Colours, a fictionalized account of Mr Clinton's 1992 election, who has known the former president for 20 years, said he also heard that he was "very, very bitter", from people who have spoken with him.

"It's time for him to get over it or go off and do his charitable work. He knows the rules of the road. What's going on now is kind of strange. I think his behaviour is really, really shocking."

I invite you to take a look at a new Party - The Puma Party. The Just Say No Deal Party. The Party of the People who are not going to stand for the old way of getting things done. Our values are the same, but we are not voting blindly for another empty suit Democratic candidate. We've done that too many times and look where that got us.

So, Mr. President, I completely understand how you feel. However, I don't have to toe the Party line. If you think about, you don't, either.

Obama's Accepts Millions From "Subprime" Tied Contributors

In San Antonia this past February Obama stated in a campaign speech, “To give you a sense of what that kind of lobbying gets you… the CEO of the largest subprime lender was promised a hundred-million-dollar severance package at a time when more than 2 million Americans were facing foreclosure, including nearly 14,000 right here in San Antonio..." Obama was most likely referring to an Angelo R. Mozillo, one of three CEO’s that were scheduled to appear to testify in front of a senate committee concerning their compensation and firms roles in the ongoing mortgage crisis. Stanley O’Neal, who received more than $161 million when he was ousted as the Chairman of Merrill Lynch, was one of the three CEO’s coming under scrutiny. In 2003, O’Neil donated to Senator Obama’s Senatorial campaign, followed up by a maximum $4,600 campaign contribution by he and his wife, Nancy Garvey, to the Obama Campaign. Ironically, the O’Neals tried to originally contribute $6,900 to the campaign only to have $2,300 returned.

Well, well. Talks a good game, doesn't he? But, oh, looky here. Guess who has decided to join the dance? Obama. Liar, liar, liar. This and Rezko straw money will get you a ticket to the new Obamalamadingdong Democratic Unity Party. JUST SAY NO DEAL.

Keith Olbermann - Then and Now

Glenn Greenwald on Obama, Olbermann and FISA Here and the quote of the day:

The real danger is that those who defend Obama the Candidate no matter what he does are likely to defend Obama the President no matter what he does, too. If we learn in 2009 that Obama has invoked his claimed Article II powers to spy on Americans outside of even the new FISA law, are we going to hear from certain factions that he was justified in doing so to protect us; how it's a good, shrewd move to show he's a centrist and keep his approval ratings high so he can do all the Good things he wants to do for us; how it's different when Obama does it because we can trust him? It certainly looks that way. Those who spent the last five years mauling Bush for "shredding the Constitution" and approving of lawbreaking -- only to then praise Obama for supporting a bill that endorses and protects all of that -- are displaying exactly the type of blind reverence that is more dangerous than any one political leader could ever be.

Pelosi Cannot Think of One Obama Accomplishment

You must watch this video and see Pelosi squirm when asked by Greta what Obama has accomplished and then read what Halli Casser-Jayne wrote here

Here is a snipit: Despite her Armani suits and tony San Francisco address, Speaker Pelosi clearly lacks Hillary Clinton’s class. On Senator Clinton’s return to the Senate yesterday, Speaker Pelosi in her best Nurse Ratchet imitation couldn’t resist just one more swipe at Hillary Clinton, and at all women who struggle to break through that glass ceiling.