Misogyny

Much has been written by many bloggers as to why millions of women will not support Obama in the GE. Lots and lots of so-called progressive democrats don't seem to "get it". Well, I could direct you to any number of wonderful blogs that go to great lengths to explain why. However, if you read the list from Violet, via ericanbarnett below, maybe you will start to understand.

Hillary Clinton is a bitch. A big ol' bitchy bitch. And a cunt. A "big fucking whore." Fortunately, you can "call a woman anything." She's "Nurse Ratched." She'll castrate you if she gets a chance. She would like that. She's a "She-Devil." She's a madam, and her daughter's a whore. She's frigid, and she can't give head. She's a "She-Devil." A lesbian. A nag. When things get tough, she cries like a big dumb GIRL. In fact, she's just that -- a "little girl." In FACT, she wants to "cry her way to the White House." To be, ahem, "Crybaby-in-Chief." That proves that she's not tough enough. But she's also not feminine enough. She's "screechy." She's an "aging, resentful female." She's "Sister Frigidaire." She really ought to quit running for President and stick to housework. She basically spent her entire times as First Lady going to tea parties. She's a monster whojust won't die. In fact, she really should just die. You can buy a urinal target with her face on it to express what you really think of her. OMG she's got claws! She's crazy. In fact, she's a lunatic. She's petty and vindictive and entitled. She's a washed-up old hag. She's "everybody's first wifestanding outside probate court." She's a "scolding mother." She's shrill... shrill... shrill. She can't take it when people are mean to her. She's a "hellish housewife." She's Tanya Harding. She CAN'T be President, what with the mood swings and the menses.Any woman who votes for her is voting with her vagina, not her brain. Women only like Hillary because she's a fellow Vagina-American. And because they vote with their feelings. Frankly, anyone who still thinks we need "feminine role models" should get over it and move on, already. Oh, and men who supporters are castratos in the eunuch chorus. You shouldn't make her President because she wants it too much. She's totally just banking on support from ugly old feminists. And she looooves to "play the victim." She cackles! And cackles. And cackles. It's like she's a witch or something! She's definitely"witchy." And now you can buy her cackle as your ring tone. Her voice, too, is "grating"--like "fingernails on a blackboard" to "some men." She's hiding behind her gender. She isn't a "convincing mom" because she's too strident. She never did anything on her own. Her husband keeps her on a leash. She hates men. Her campaign is a "catfight." She makes people want to kill themselves, is like a "domineering mother," and is cold. And OMG she has boobies! All of which are reasons to hate her.

Oh, and if you even mention any of this, you're either silly or a bad person.

And this, my dear reader, is just the tip of the iceberg. Taylor is right. Hell hath no fury. I'll leave you with the Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership.

Oregon Update from Pacific John

May 15th

We don't have the insanity of the Texas Two Step here, so my OR reports are a lot less colorful. Mail-in, like here and CA, is all about phoning voters, and getting them to turn ballots in for Hillary. There are no polling places, per se. Like in CA, we don't have much visibility or canvassing.

That said, we are still kicking ass on the phones. The disparity between what I see and what is in the polls is too great to make any sense. Mark my words, the polls will magically close by Monday morning, reflecting the fact that people have already mailed in a lot of ballots for Hillary.

Here's a popular piece of information: today was the last day to safely mail-in ballots to get to elections offices on time. How do the rest get turned in, including the large, late rush? We have secure drop boxes all over Oregon, and voters are trained to use them. They are old fashioned steel post office mail boxes, painted white. You can locate them here.

Another oddity of this election is that it is all front-loaded. It is all about recruiting phone bankers days or weeks ahead of the election, and watching the early momentum build and carry itself. Today was very hands-off for me, primarily taking care of vols I recruited a week ago. My major contribution to the office now is recruiting walk-in to work shifts. I have polished my "ask," and snag quite a few new vols. It's not that hard, though: we have a great atmosphere in the phone bank, and the work is satisfying. If I have a terrified introvert, I use the psychological ploy of walking him/her to watch our champion phone banker, Jennifer (who earned a meet and greet with Hillary), work her magic. We are kicking ass.

Heidi Li's Potpourri: Maintain concentration; remain calm

Heidi Li's Potpourri: Maintain concentration; remain calm

Astrology 101 - 2008 Presidential Race

From the website of Christopher Kevill, a neo-Vedic astrologer specializing in predictive astrology. Chris earned his M.A in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is currently completing his Ph.D in Sociology at the University of Toronto.

And, yes, I am a believer.

Despite this apparent resolution in this fractious and hard-fought race, I believe that this situation will be thrown into chaos in the weeks ahead as some very malefic alignments form in the Obama campaign chart. (Feb 10 2007 10.13 a.m. Springfield, IL). Given the uncertainty that surrounds Obama's actual birth time (and Hillary's, too, for that matter), the campaign launch charts have been fairly reliable indicators of the ebb and flow of the race. Although I've made some interpretive mistakes here and there, I can think of no better confirmation of the usefulness of this chart than the Jupiter station that occurred exactly on the Midheaven (unequal 10th house cusp) during last week, when Obama was flying high coming off the convincing win in NC. While I saw him doing well on May 6th, I underestimated the power of this configuration. The Jupiter station has raised him from frontrunner to de facto nominee as most observers agree that his lead cannot be surmounted by Hillary and the race is essentially over.

While I am reluctant to argue against something as powerful as a Jupiter station on the 10th house cusp, I can't help but see that Obama is going to be sideswiped very soon. One of the distinguishing features of the his campaign chart is a t-square involving Saturn (27 Cancer) , Moon (0 Scorpio), and a conjunction of Neptune (25 Capricorn) and the Sun (27 Capricorn). This is a negative influence as I see it, and suggests the failure or loss (Saturn) of a popular (Moon) dream (Neptune) of a leader (Sun). This potential will be realized through the movements of two key planets -- Rahu/Ketu and Mars. The Lunar Nodes, Rahu and Ketu, are fast approaching this Sun-Neptune-Saturn configuration. While the nodes have a changeable influence, they are more neutrally associated with breaking down structures and normal patterns. Rahu will soon conjoin the natal Sun-Neptune and produce exaggerated and distorted sense of idealism, overconfidence and entitlement, while Ketu comes to the Saturn and will tend to erase boundaries and structures of power. It's important to note that Hillary Clinton has a similar architecture of planets that will be subjected to this nodal influence in June and July. In her case, however, the Moon and Venus take the place of Obama's Sun. So it's clear that the nodal transit to this point (25-27 Capricorn) will cause great changes to the dynamic of the race. I think the effect of this transiting Rahu will be more damaging to Obama because his natal planets are aligned with that Moon in the first degree of Scorpio.

This is a potentially difficult placement since the Moon is debilitated in Scorpio and is associated with excessive and unpredictable emotions, weakness and sickness (especially with the Neptune influence) and difficulties involving women and sexuality. While this may simply refer to the fact that his main opponent in this race is a woman, I think there is also the possibility that he may be embarrassed by some kind scandal, perhaps one that involves sex. Another possible explanation might be some kind of unethical real estate dealings that come to light, because the debilitated Moon, as 4th lord of home and land is placed in the malefic 8th house. I know there has already been some talk of real estate transactions involving the shady Chicago political mogul Tony Rezko, so it's possible that something like that might come back into the picture. Still another possible scenario involves an exogenous event such as a sudden geopolitical or military development that compels people to rethink their confidence in Obama. In such a event, his perceived softness in foreign policy might be compounded by ill-considered comments. The most obvious time window to watch for these events to unfold is when transiting Mars moves into the first degree of Leo around June 21. This difficult and disturbing situation may in fact manifest earlier, say starting around June 14 when transiting Mars conjoins the transiting Ketu to conjoin the natal Saturn.

While there is likely going to be a single event that changes the race, I am also expecting Hillary's fortunes to improve perhaps as soon as the last week of May. This may not correspond to much improvement in her chances of winning right away, but look for hints of better coverage and small successes. This will be partially due to the retrograding of Mercury then, which occurs on May 26th, which his is often associated with reversals of established trends. The first significant indicator that Hillary's fortunes are looking up should come around June 3rd when transiting Mars conjoins its natal position in Hillary's chart. With Mars in her 10th house of status and leadership, this looks like a bold, assertive, in-your-face sort of move. This corresponds with the date of the last primary, so it likely has something to do with delegate counts and possibly the ongoing dispute over the Michigan and Florida delegates. It seems unlikely that Hillary can reverse this Obama coronation at the convention through purely tactical and legal means, since her aides admitted said that she still trails Obama even when potential delegates from MI and FL are included in the count. I think for the race to be recast, I think the scandal/big event scenario seems more likely. And yet, there is also a sense of a gradual shift in momentum that happens here over the course of June and beyond. I'll see if I can post something else if details become clearer to me.

Two other dates to watch out for are July 28th and August 5th. On July 28th, transiting Mars conjoins the natal Ketu of the Obama campaign chart. Since Hillary's chart has more or less the same placement of the nodes, this looks to be a sudden situation that catches people off guard, perhaps in both camps. What's worse for Obama is that this Mars will oppose his Venus which is often a sign of conflict, anger and loss of happiness. As I've mentioned before, the first week of August, These looks extremely volatile as tr Mars opposes tr Uranus. This will negatively activate the Mars in the Democratic Party chart as well as the Mars in Obama's birth chart. This appears to be the time of the most intense conflict and state of upset and division between the two rival campaigns. This fight may threaten the very existence of the Democratic Party.

In a nutshell, this race is far from over. And I still think Hillary Clinton will somehow emerge as the Democratic nominee.

More here

The Republicans Are Coming, The Republicans Are Coming

And, they are coming for Obama!

Milli Vanilli Endorses Obama

Priceless! Via uncorrelated

Well, OK, not Milli Vanilli, but the political equivalent--hair with no actual political talent.

Its pathetic but it works. Obama was desperate to change the media narrative, which is that core Democrat voters are racist. Its not brilliant apologetic; that's certain, but as bad as it is, its better than telling the truth--the Emperor has no clothes.

Getting John Edwards to endorse him accomplishes that, if little else.

Kathleen Parker observes that its pretty much a consensus.
Here's what John Davis, president of the e North Carolina Forum for Research and Economic Education and editor of The Almanac of North Carolina Politics, recently told Politico about the value of an Edwards endorsement: "It would carry no weight. He didn't help carry any state in the Southeast, his own home county or even his home precinct in 2004."

Jonah Goldberg points out exactly how much Edwards underwhelmed in 2004.
...in 2004 Democrats insisted that John Edwards would make the Kerry-Edwards ticket competitive throughout the South. Not only was that not true, not only did Edwards not deliver North Carolina, but he didn't even improve Kerry's share by a single percentage point over Gore-Lieberman in 2000.

I'd have to call this a hail Mary. If Obama had better options, he would have exercised them--apparently all he had was John Edwards.

He's in worse trouble that I thought...

Dear Mr. Obama

I don't care if Mother Earth endorses you. You won't ever get my vote.

Dear Senator Edwards

Dear Senator Edwards:

As a former supporter of your 2008 Presidential bid, I can't believe you sold us out. I was one of your staunchest supporters, worked hard for your campaign and donated money I really couldn't afford because I believed in you and your campaign. I was sorry when you dropped out because I believed in your voice for the less fortunate among us and I know that health insurance for all Americans is an important issue. After you left, I picked myself up and began studying the remaining candidates. That's where I found that the campaign issues that were most important to me were issues also held by the Hillary Clinton camp.

Since you've dropped out of the race, I have emailed you several times outlining my support for Senator Clinton. I understood when you replied that you wanted to stay out of the campaigns and let the process work without giving either candidate any advantage that your endorsement may hold. I respected your decision to let the voters decide and the process continue.

That's why the recent news story that you have decided, after a landslide win for Hillary in West Virginia, to endorse Senator Obama hit me like a ton of bricks. You see, Senator Edwards, I respected you and took you at your word. I was wrong. It turns out you are nothing more than another member of the John Kerry, Ted Kennedy faction of the Democratic party. The faction that makes deals in back rooms and is swayed by the same old rotten political machine. You've just joined the ranks of Former Male Presidential Candidates that couldn't stand to be beaten by a female.

You caved, Senator. And that makes me sick.

PS, I rec'd your letter today about making a donation to your new cause. I won't be donating and I think you know why.

A WTF Post and A Call to Action

In one of the most unbelievable press releases I have ever had the misfortune to read Naral Pro-Choice has endorsed Obama for President (see below). This is a call to action. The person I spoke to at the NY Naral told me that their chapter was not involved in the decision, NY was not endorsing either democratic candidate and directed me to the second article below. She also gave me the telephone number of the National Naral - 1-202-973-3000 where I was transferred to the "Political Department". Naturally, no one was available to take my call, but there is voice mail. Call them. This isn't ONLY about Hillary being the far better choice, it's the fact that an organization involved with woman's reproductive rights is endorsing a man who voted "present" on several critical abortion issues.

"As a State Senator, Barack Obama voted `present' on seven abortion bills, including a ban on 'partial birth abortion,' two parental notification laws and three 'born alive' bills. In each case, the right vote was clear, but Senator Obama chose political cover over standing and fighting for his convictions.

" -- IllinoisNOW.org

"To be clear, voting "present" on those bills was a strategy that IL NOW did not support. At that time, we made it clear to the legislators that we disagreed with the strategy. We wanted legislators to take a stand against the harmful anti-choice bills being brought to the floor of the Illinois State Senate.

Voting "present" does not demonstrate leadership and does not send the clarion signal that one is unwavering in their support of a woman's right to choose. IL NOW knew that those bills were unacceptable to women. Except for these present votes, Senator Obama's record on choice has been excellent, but he has not taken leadership on the issue at the same level that Hillary has.

Ms. Brett asserts that the strategy to vote "present" was devised to give political cover to legislators in conservative districts. State Senator Barack Obama did not represent a conservative district and he could have voted "no" with little negative consequence in his district."
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Dear Cyn

I'm excited to announce that today, NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president!

We have been so fortunate to have two fully pro-choice candidates running for the Democratic nomination, and we praised both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama for their leadership in standing up for women's reproductive rights. But only one candidate can advance to the general election.

NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC is making our endorsement now because every day that passes, Sen. McCain gets a free ride on the issue of choice. That free ride ends today.

Too many voters think that McCain is a moderate. Can someone who's voted anti-choice 125 times out of 130 opportunities on abortion and other reproductive-rights issues be a moderate?

It's time to put that myth to rest. To win in November, NARAL Pro-Choice America will educate swing voters who can tip this election: Republican and Indepdendent women. And we cannot let one more day go by without comparing Sen. Obama's fully pro-choice record to Sen. McCain's anti-choice record.

On one hand, we have Sen. Obama—who has been a fully pro-choice ally from day one and whom women can trust.

And on the other hand, we have Sen. John McCain—who has gone even further than George W. Bush in his anti-choice rhetoric by directly calling for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

I believe that Sen. Obama is the leader who can unify our country behind commonsense ways to prevent unintended pregnancy.

We need you to be a part of our work to defeat Sen. McCain and elect Sen. Obama.

Send an ecard to your friends to educate them about Sen. Obama's record on choice.
Make a donation to our work to elect Sen. Obama, other pro-choice candidates, and protect choice at all levels.

Thank you for your support and I look forward to working with you for a pro-choice White House in 2008!
Nancy Keenan
President, NARAL Pro-Choice America
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NARAL Pro-Choice NY Doesn't Follow National's Lead
In a show of loyalty to its home state senator, Hillary Clinton, NARAL Pro-Choice NY declined to follow the lead of its national organization in endorsing Barack Obama, proclaiming it "premature" to pick a favorite in the Democratic primary contest.

In a terse statement, the NY-based abortion rights group said the decision by NARAL Pro-Choice America to back Obama was made in Washington, D.C. and "without the consultation" of state affiliates.

"NARAL Pro-Choice New York will not be issuing an endorsement at this time," continued the statement, which isn't attributed to anyone in particular.

"NARAL Pro-Choice New York believes that this endorsement in the Democratic primary is premature. We are fortunate to have two pro-choice candidates in Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Barack Obama."

"When a nominee is named, NARAL Pro-Choice New York will stand proudly with the pro-choice Democratic candidate in order to defeat anti-choice Republican candidate John McCain in November."
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CALL THEM NOW!! 1-202-973-3000

Hillary!

Thank you West Virginia! And, a special thank you to Heidi Li for all of her hard work on the ground in WV and her amazing fundraising ability.

Onward and upward, Hillary soldiers. We've got lots more to do. Oregon is going to be very important.

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

Pacific John - Update from Oregon!!

John says:
Our field operation - and all of you who are making calls - is continuing to kick ass in Oregon. As you may have seen, of all ballots cast, with about half received so far, SUSA has us tied. If we continue to over perform at this rate, we will win Oregon, in the biggest upset of the campaign.

As most of you who have been making calls know, we are continuing have a strong response and are raking in Hillary votes.

All we have to do is mimic our usual pattern with late deciders, and we will blow through Obama's firewall.

What I'd take from those pictures is that the media is bending over backwards to hide the fact that Obama could lose every major remaining contest and the nomination.

"Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might..." ~ Winston Churchill, 29 October 1941

If I don't win, I'm taking my toys and going home

via Liberal Rapture the story of the spoiled little boy who plays by the rules that favor him only:

Though he's actually trying his level best to stay in step with the media herd riding Hillary Clinton into the ground, Jonathan Alter unwittingly dropped this interesting tidbit in the May 19 issue of Newsweek.

"For all the talk of numbers, there's one that will be most important for superdelegates: 1.5 million. That reflects the 1.5 million names of donors that the Obama campaign has on file. Because no contribution below $200 is publicly reported, the vast majority of those names are in Obama's exclusive possession, to be shared as he wishes. As Graham Richard, the longtime mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind., explained it to me last week, it's all about the Benjamins. Local officials (that's who most superdelegates are) need the tens of thousands of Democratic donors on that list who come from their states. Their re-election depends on successful fund-raising. No Obama at the top of the ticket, no list. No list, and you may be back selling insurance after November."

You read it right. This, in effect, is threatening to cripple the fundraising ability of the Democratic party if Obama is not given the nomination. He is telling superdelegates, "give me the nomination or risk losing your office for lack of campaign funds."

The unmitigated gall of this man. Threatening to weaken the party and cost the Democrats offices, all if he doesn't get the nomination he feels so entitled to. Clinton supporters are lectured about unquestioning support of the party, yet Obama threatens to cripple Democratic fundraising efforts if he doesn't get his way. It's this type of arrogance, greed, and entitlement that are turning so many people off. Some party man.

CLINTON VS. OBAMA: Mediating a Solution to the Democratic Nomination Battle

ABSTRACT: Momentum seems to be an unlikely solution to the Democratic nomination because the candidates are almost tied in total delegates. They are also running neck and neck in the public opinion polls for the few remaining state primary contests as well as the national polling. Party leader Howard Dean plans to let the situation resolve itself according to established party rules. Other senior Democrats have floated possible endgame scenarios, but all have stopped short of endorsing an actual solution. Thus, another process is needed to negotiate an end to the nomination, one through which the candidates’ interests will be explored and fairly addressed. Using traditional mediation principles, this article explores how mediation might be successfully used to settle the dispute between Senators Clinton and Obama of who will be the Democratic nominee for President this year.

Matt Bailey is a third-year law student at The George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC and will graduate this May. An aspiring mediator, he recently completed a course in Mediation taught by professors and local practitioners Carolyn Lerner and Amy Wind. Matt will start his career working as a Legislative Assistant for a United States Senator after graduation. A native of Jena, Louisiana, Matt graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Political Science from Northwestern State University of Louisiana.

Now, just suppose...
Mock Mediation

Curtain Time For Barack Obama - Part I

Republicans have enough damaging information against Barack Obama to knock him off the ballot before the November election. Those at the top of the Democratic Party know this by now and voters need to recognize that if they nominate him they are throwing the election. Nothing else can explain why they would allow this disaster to happen.

read more | digg story

Stop Believing Obama

THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN, Obama and his staffers have dismissed any scrutiny of his views on Israel with a blend of outrage and sarcasm, as if his record of support for Israel is so extensive, so undeniable, that anybody who raises doubts about his actual views is launching an inquisition.

But as is the case with most issues, Obama is such a blank slate, and has such a thin public record, that voters are forced to parse his statements, sift through his past, and examine those he chooses to associate with to get a better sense of his underlying philosophy.

Read the rest

From Pacific John in Oregon! Go Hillary!

This evening, I had the best recruiting nights I have ever had on any campaign ever. Those of you who know me in real life know what this means. Holy cow.

We had a great day. HV'er Alison was here through the weekend. She did great last evening with our team recruiting at the Darth event. I think our campaign blew her away. We are a bit of a stationary tornado.

I may not post tomorrow evening since Bill will be here. It's his last event of the day, so we'll run late and run long. We'll recruit a small army of people for the phone bank.

Man, I love this campaign.

We had NOW Pres Kim Gandy, Ann Lewis and Erika (?), a wonderful actress from the Cosby Show at the HQ this evening. It was all any of us could do to hold back the tears as they all talked about the unsung values that Hillary, and women generally, stand for.

We're in this to win, kids, and I think we will.

J

Clinton gaining momentum: Huge leads in upcoming primaries.

Not only is Clinton leading Obama 59.5% to 40.5% in upcoming primaries, she leads Obama in every matchup in key battleground states Ohio, Florida, & Pennsylvania against McCain. Clinton wins all 3 states against McCain, while Obama LOSES both Ohio & Florida. Clinton also leads Obama in margin of victory against McCain in the general election.

read more | digg story
Click the photo to enlarge

Happy Mother's Day

Anti-Feminist Backlash Out in Full Force
By Katha Pollitt, The Nation

Washington University is giving Phyllis Schlafly an honorary doctorate. Let me run that by you again. Washington University, the distinguished 155-year-old seat of higher learning in St. Louis, is giving an honorary degree to Phyllis Schlafly -- archfoe of the Equal Rights Amendment, the United Nations, Darwinism and other newfangled notions, and the promoter of innumerable crackpot far-right conspiracy theories who called the Bomb "a marvelous gift that was given to our country by a wise God." Her eighty-two years haven't mellowed her one bit: last year she blamed the Virginia Tech massacre on the English department; called intellectual men "liberal slobs;" advocated banning women from traditionally male occupations like construction, firefighting and the military; and defended men's property rights over their wives' vaginas ("by getting married, the woman has consented to sex, and I don't think you can call it rape"). The campus is in an uproar, and no wonder. After four years of hard work, female seniors get to watch their school honor someone who thinks they should park their diplomas in the kitchen sink. Washington U might as well bring in mad misogynist Chris Matthews as commencement speaker. Oh. You mean...? No! Yes.

Tell me the backlash against feminism isn't crackling up a storm. I try to keep my eye on the big picture and the bottom line: education, employment, autonomy, power. Surely, I tell myself, the fact that half of all new med students are female is more important than Paris Hilton's omnipresent visage; that a woman has made the first viable run for the presidency says more about the United States than that media clowns like Matthews basically call her a crazy castrating bitch on a daily basis; or that Caitlin Flanagan, smarmy enemy of working mothers (and another big believer in compulsory sex for wives), won a National Magazine Award for reviews and criticism.

But sometimes I think we're truly going backward, as Republican hegemony, conservative Christianity and anti-feminist media propaganda take their cumulative toll. All those judges, all that money, all that shock jockery, all those magazines obsessively following stars' weight and baby bumps: it would be strange if they had no effect. As far as concrete setbacks go, look no further than the case of Lilly Ledbetter, whose right to sue for pay discrimination was denied by the Supreme Court last May. In a 5-to-4 decision, the Justices overturned the standard interpretation of existing law to declare that Ledbetter was twenty years too late: the victim of pay discrimination must sue within six months of the initial discriminatory act -- never mind whether she knew about it (many employers, including Ledbetter's, forbid workers from discussing their salaries; she found out she was paid less than any man at her level from an anonymous tip). Given the realities of life, the Court has given employers the nod to pay women less, as long as they can keep the women in the dark for 180 days. In April a bill to restore women's right to sue failed in the Senate, 56-to-42, because for some reason everything now needs sixty votes to become law. John McCain said the bill would lead to too many lawsuits (hello? all it would have done was restore the law we'd lived with for forty-four years); what women needed was more "education and training." Because right now, women are just too dumb to merit equal pay. As Dahlia Lithwick wrote in a coruscating piece in Slate, if women take this sitting down, maybe they really are dumb.

The suspicion that women are dim would explain why Oklahoma has just passed a law requiring not only that women seeking abortions be forced to view sonograms of their fetuses but that the picture be taken in the way most likely to reveal the clearest picture--often up their vaginas. In other antichoice news, an abortion ban will be on the ballot again in South Dakota, this time with narrow exceptions for rape and incest. And mark June 7 on your calendar -- it's Protest the Pill day, brought to you by the American Life League and other antichoice groups, which claim, despite the evidence, that "the Pill kills babies" by preventing implantation of fertilized eggs. Maybe it's good that the antichoice movement is outing itself as opposed to contraception, as prochoicers have long maintained and not many pundits have noted -- but it also shows that they believe they can come out of the closet and not be dismissed as lunatics. Look for more struggles over government birth-control funding -- already way down, thanks to budget cuts and inflation--as the antichoicers move the goal posts of how "life" is defined.

Yes, women are still making gains in education and -- slowly -- in politics and other areas. But longstanding feminist gains are eroding: battered women's shelters, for example, are closing for lack of funds. And the advances haven't made the difference once hoped for. There are more powerful female Hollywood executives than ever, but as Manohla Dargis pointed out in a splendid rant (her word) in York Times, the movies are relentlessly male-focused: the conventional Hollywood wisdom is "Women can't direct. Women can't open movies. Women are a niche." Culturally, there's misogyny wherever you look: Grand Theft Auto IV, which offers players the opportunity to have sex with prostitutes and kill them, got rave reviews and is expected to have $500 million in sales its first week out. If there's a pro-woman cultural event with that kind of reach and impact, I'd like to hear about it. It certainly wouldn't be Vanity Fair's photo of tween icon Miley Cyrus, clad in nothing but a bedsheet at all of 15 years old -- or the daily media onslaught urging women to focus on their babies like a Zen master contemplating a rock -- when not taking pole-dancing lessons, getting Botoxed or catching up on the latest "studies" purporting to prove that they lack the drive and brains to do anything better with their brief time on earth. Feminism, please call home!

Katha Pollitt is a columnist for The Nation.
© 2008 The Nation All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/84984/

The Feminist Reawakening

"Not so long ago, it was possıble for women, particularly young women, to share in the popular illusion that we were living in a postfeminist moment. There were encouraging statistics to point to: More women than men are enrolled at universities, where they typically earn higher grades; once they graduate, those who live in big cities might even receive higher salaries—at least in the early years of employment. The Speaker of the House is female, as are eight governors and 16 percent of Congress (never mind that this is 11 percent fewer than Afghanistan’s parliament). Many women believed we had access to the same opportunities and experiences as men—that was the goal of the feminist movement, wasn’t it?—should we choose to take advantage of them (and, increasingly, we just might not). There was, of course, the occasional gender-based slight to contend with, a comment on physical appearance, the casual office badminton played with words like bitch and whore and slut, but to get worked up over these things seemed pointlessly symbolic, humorless, the purview of women’s-studies types. Then Hillary Clinton declared her candidacy, and the sexism in America, long lying dormant, like some feral, tranquilized animal, yawned and revealed itself. Even those of us who didn’t usually concern ourselves with gender-centric matters began to realize that when it comes to women, we are not post-anything."

Read it here

Uppity Woman

I would vote for a cockroach before I'd vote for Obama

Comment by foreignwoman | 2008-05-11 04:42:27

Watching from Europe what goes on in your country at the moment is really scary, and you’re spot on about the totalitatarian regimes that used the same kind of bullying to get their charismatic leaders into power. Remember Mussolini and Hitler and their thugs, exactly the same kind of process going on in your country right now. The main difference is that there seems to be such a lack of historical awareness in the most powerful nation on the planet that you could actually end up with a president who can indeed move the masses. The testimonies from the caucuses are scary, as are a number of other incidents such as the delaying of votes that kept Clinton’s victory in Indiana on hold. They are really sure of themselves when they can do such an utterly undemocratic thing on national TV and none in the media follows it up! You have my fullest sympathy and I dearly hope something comes up that make the American people wake up to what is about to happen before it is too late for you, and for the rest of us!

Obama thinks there are 59 States in the USA

UPDATE: Because Obama cannot be wrong Texas Fred has updated the flag pin above

This morning I listened to CSpan's Washington Journal. A guest by the name of Henrietta Fore, the U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator, was on regarding the Myanmar (Burma) relief efforts. She was on to discuss the efforts in Myanmar (also known as Burma) after a cyclone hit the region more than a week ago. She is also Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance. Here is the website

In case you live under a rock, cyclone Nargis tore through Burma leaving estimates of between 60,000 to 100,000 dead and possibly one million homeless. I was shocked at the number of callers that compared this disaster to Katrina and were against sending any aid to Burma. It was staggering. Some callers said that America's money should stay at home and help Americans. Some of them wanted to know what this agency did for Katrina victims.

I'm not advocating the agency, as I'm no expert on US relief efforts for third world countries, but I am saying that the tenor of these calls was selfish and sickening. Katrina was a horrible example of how America responds to tragedy, but to deny starving people a meal because one believes he or she got a bad deal is abominable. It's the "you didn't do anything for us, so we don't want to do anything for you" syndrome and it is frightening to know that there are people in America that feel this way.

Action Alert - Pass Around

From Reclusive Leftist

Voter Suppression in West Virginia happening NOW

I just got this on an email list:

Could you pass some info on to the rest of the callers that are calling into WV?

I’ve been talking with some people already on the ground in WV and the Obama camp is calling voters, NOT to get out the vote, but to ask for money - campaign donations. The gist of the call is that its not important that they vote, because the election is over, and then they ask for money to help put this primary campaign to an end and move on to the general election. Basically, they are telling voters its over. Then they ask for $400 donations. What the dollar amount is about, I don’t know. Perhaps they are just getting greedy.

Posted by Violet under Politics, Hillary on May 9, 2008, 7:13 pm EST

Shout it far and wide. This is war.

Election Coverage: Demand Substance NOT Sexism

Sign the NOW petition here

Obama Money Laundering

"Since the law firm had no relationship with Blackwell, running Obama's fees through the firm was false and fraudulent. Since Obama had nothing to do with the law firm's other clients, using a list of hundreds of unrelated clients to obscure that only one of those "clients" was paying him money was federal criminal mail fraud as well as a corruption of the ethics rules in Illinois. That Cynthia Canary tries to whitewash such blatant corruption shows that she has lost all sense of ethics".

Read it Here

One of my earlier posts will give you some background on this whole sordid affair. Obama for Sale

Dear Mr. Obama

May 8, 2008

Senator Barack Obama
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680

Dear Senator Obama,

This has been an historic and exciting campaign. Millions of new voters have been brought into the process and their enthusiasm for the Democratic Party and the principles for which you and I have fought and continue to fight is unprecedented.

One of the foremost principles of our party is that citizens be allowed to vote and that those votes be counted. That principle is not currently being applied to the nearly 2.5 million people who voted in primaries in Florida and Michigan. Whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee will be hamstrung in the general election if a fair and quick resolution is not reached that ensures that the voices of these voters are heard. Our commitment now to this goal could be the difference between winning and losing in November.

I have consistently said that the votes cast in Florida and Michigan in January should be counted. We cannot ignore the fact that the people in those states took the time to be a part of this process and to make their preferences known. When efforts were untaken by leaders in those states to hold revotes to ensure that they had a voice in selecting our nominee, I supported those efforts. In Michigan, I supported a legislative effort to hold a revote that the Democratic National Committee said was in complete compliance with the party’s rules. You did not support those efforts and your supporters in Michigan publically opposed them. In Florida a number of revote options were proposed. I am not aware of any that you supported. In 2000, the Republicans won an election by successfully opposing a fair counting of votes in Florida. As Democrats, we must reject any proposals that would do the same.

Your commitment to the voters of these states must be clearly stated and your support for a fair and quick resolution must be clearly demonstrated.

I am asking you to join me in working with representatives from Florida and Michigan and the Democratic National Committee to arrive at a solution that honors the votes of the millions of people who went to the polls in Florida and Michigan. It is not enough to simply seat their representatives at the convention in Denver. The people of these great states, like the people who have voted and are to vote in other states, must have a voice in selecting our party’s nominee.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Let's get going

Thursday: Make them earn it
Posted on May 8, 2008 by riverdaughter

Many of you Conflucians are starting to realize that the time to act is now, not after the primaries are over or when the nomination is set in stone. You have the power, right now, to turn this train wreck around. Here is the opportunity for Barack Obama to show his quality. If he really wants the nomination, he has to come to YOU and address YOUR needs. If isn’t your responsibility to give up YOUR hopes and dreams to quell the panic of a bunch of Obama supporters who are trying to shove Obama down our throats whether he’s good for the country or not. Are the Obama supporters more afraid of McCain or Hillary? Time to make a choice.

On Tuesday night, the DNC mouthpiece essentially disowned us, the “Old Coalition” for the newer, fresher, young, affluent and post partisan. But we’ve been told that we have to put aside our concerns about Obama’s electability and qualifications and vote for him anyway. We’re on a path to disaster in the fall when the media gloves come off and Obama’s lack of qualifications are exposed for all the world to see. And the American people will never trust the Democrats again for giving the country yet another weak candidate who is going to get crushed by the GOP machine.

Well, “now is the time for all good Conflucians to come to the aid of their party’ and help it avert this speeding train. We have to unite ourselves and tell the DNC that we are leaving if they don’t come to reason. Here’s what you can do:

1. If you live in a state that has already voted, re-register as an “unaffiliated” voter. Tear up your current voter’s registration card and mail it to the DNC with a little note to tell them that if they don’t resolve the FL and MI delegation issue immediately, they can not count on your vote now or in the future. Also, encourage them to push Hillary and Obama to form a joint ticket with Hillary on top as this is the only viable option for averting an electoral disaster in November. They created this rift in the party. It’s their responsibility to unify it. Not ours.
2. Have a news moratorium for the next two weeks. For the next week, turn off every network and cable news program and catch up on your gardening. Watch only C-Span. If you have TiVo or a DVR, the cable and satellite companies do disk diagnostics every night to determine what you’ve watched and they pass this info onto the networks for ad sales purposes. You will make an impact if you abstain for the next week.
3. Friday Fast: Save your breakfast, lunch and dinner money tomorrow and send it to Hillary. The Big Boyz have been very effective in discouraging people from donating and volunteering for her. If you send in $10 on Friday and everyone reading this does the same, we can help refill her coffers. Also, one day of fasting will give you presence of mind and remind you of what is so important here. There are millions of Americans who are one paycheck away from insolvency, who have to use a food pantry every month to feed their families and these people are going to get written off by the “new coalition”.
4. Volunteer for Hillary in West Virginia and Kentucky if you live in one of those states or one of the surrounding states. Hell, you don’t even need to do much. Just go there and stand at the side of the road with a sign. Let the country know that you aren’t going down without a fight.

Stop the speeding train.

Pass it around.

Note to Obama Supporters: You have a choice. If roe v wade is so important to you, if you dread 4 more years of Republican rule, you have an obligation to put you words into action and put the candidate most likely to beat McCain st the top of your ticket. It is not our obligation to continue to indulge you in your fantasy. We are backing the strongest candidate and if you continue to try to drag us down the road to destruction of our chances in November and our party, we are standing firm and will not join you. Savvy?
There are still three choices in this race. Choose wisely. It is not too late to seat MI and FL and save face.

Politically Drunk On Power!: THE NEW AMERICAN DISENFRANCHISEMENT.

Politically Drunk On Power!: THE NEW AMERICAN DISENFRANCHISEMENT.

How Hillary Can Win

Racism, Smoke and Mirrors

by Pagan Power. Go ahead. Read it.

And, while you are here, check this out, too

Stay tuned and get back to work for Hillary!

From the Clinton Conference Call Today:
Geoff Garin: Indiana was a close outcome, but they feel very, very good. First time Clinton has come from behind to achieve a primary victory. Amidst a huge amount of spending from Obama, Clinton won. The Chicago media market was over 20% of the state and gave Obama a substantial head start. Eight points down with 10 days to go, then winning by 2 points, represents "significant progress" and is a "good victory under challenging circumstances." Obama called it a "tie breaker state," so we feel good about the victory.

We congratulate Obama on his North Carolina. But that state also represents progress for us. We were running even with white voters two weeks ago, but earned a significant win, 24 points. We didn't do well enough with AA voters. Clinton continues to run very strongly among likely swing voters in the Nov. election, blue collar voters, seniors and Catholics. Last night makes the strong case that she's the better candidate in November.

The win in Indiana allows us to go on and make the case in West Virginia.

Howard Wolfson: We need to do well in upcoming contests. W.V. is a "critically important key swing state in November." We are going to set out in the next days to show real strength in W.V.

We need to work with others to make sure Florida and Michigan are seated. We believe these delegates should be seated. We need to continue to make the case the Clinton is a better nominee against John McCain. Clinton today runs ahead of Obama in Penn. and Florida. Clinton has proved she can win blue collar voters, and suggests she can absolutely be the strongest nominee against John McCain. Obama has not proven he can win the key swing states, or the votes of blue collar workers. That's the crux of the argument being made to superdelegates and voters going forward. West Virginia is a critical test and we need to do well there and going forward.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Hillary had a huge campaign
With policies clear as prose
And everywhere that Hillary went
Barack was sure to go

He followed her on all debates
And tried to break the rules
It made Typical White Folk very mad
He thought they were all fools

And so the voters thought it through
and watched Obama sneer
And patiently waited to cast a vote
Their choice was crystal clear

"Why does he vilify Hillary so"
Her loyal followers cry
"Why, Barack's afraid of her, you know."
And Indiana did reply!!

THANK YOU INDIANA!

Edwards Won't Endorse

A snippet of the interview:

When asked about he liked about Obama, Edwards said, "One is, I think he really does want to bring about serious change and a different way of doing things. And secondly, I think it's a great symbolic thing to have an African-American who could be president."

At that, Mrs. Edwards rolled her eyes and, gripping the arms of her kitchen chair with some exaggeration, seemed about to lunge from her seat. "What about the great symbolic thing about a woman ..."

"It's important. It's important," her husband said. "I know it."

Thank you, Elizabeth. I'm sure you had to restrain yourself from whacking him on the head.
Read it here

Every Woman Born

Oh lady of the glowing moon
Oh maiden of the light
I know thee by a
thousand names
Oh mistress of the night
And like a songbird in her hand
She has my heart in thrall
Setting me free to fly the sky
The mother of us all

Diana moves with strength and will
To bend the arrow’s bow
Sending it true into the heart
Of all I see and do
For she is every
woman born
The mother of all life
We must remember who we are
We must take back the night
Ruth Barrett

...they'd both have two.

Reminded that Obama continues to narrow the lead that Hillary once enjoyed among superdelegates, Carville quips, “A superdelegate commitment and four bucks will get you a cup of coffee at the Ritz-Carlton.” Perhaps he had in mind Joe Andrew, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, appointed by Bill Clinton, who endorsed Hillary on the day she announced for president, and Thursday switched his endorsement to Obama, saying he thinks it’s time for the party to come together. Carville takes the view that the longer Obama is out there under scrutiny, the more the voters see his vulnerabilities. “Everything that’s happened to him is not because of her. She hasn’t laid much of a glove on him other than just being there,” Carville says.

Obama didn’t have much choice in deciding to take on Wright. It was a fight he did all he could to avoid, acting only when it threatened to destroy his candidacy. “The Republicans will eat him alive” is what the Clinton campaign is telling the superdelegates. Hillary is the tougher of the two, the candidate you want on your side in a knife fight, a gender reversal that prompts Carville to indulge in some ribald humor: “If she gave him one of her cojones, they’d both have two.”

Fraud

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but Pacific John's account of the Texas Caucus fraud is riveting. Shades of 2000 and 2004 general elections. Have we become a third world country when it comes to running a clean election? Are we going to continue to allow voter fraud, intimidation and dirty politics to choose our President?

Although I have only volunteered in one state, virtually every Clinton staffer I have talked to has similar stories from other caucus states. While the Hillary field campaign operates and feels very much like typical Democratic campaigns, the Obama campaign is something new to Democratic politics. From my perspective, it looks like it has copied the worst attributes of Republican campaigns, but with unprecedented zeal.

Read it here

Heidi Li's Potpourri: Very specific action alert! (regarding Howard Dean, Michigan, Florida, and the Rules Committee)

Heidi Li's Potpourri: Very specific action alert! (regarding Howard Dean, Michigan, Florida, and the Rules Committee)

Legitimate questions of judgment, experience

In recent weeks Americans have been subjected to a litany of outrageous statements from Sen. Barack Obama's pastor of 20 years, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. While Obama was finally compelled to distance himself from his radical preacher, the relationship raises legitimate questions about Obama's judgment and naivete.

read more | digg story

Derby Day

It's Derby Day! I can hardly believe Winter is gone. The Kentucky Derby has always been a big deal in our house. When my daughters were small, I'd prepare dinner and we would all gather around the TV, eating and screaming for our horse. Now that they've grown up and left the nest, it's cocktails and OTB.

I'm a sucker for a filly and a gray horse. I've got both today in Eight Belles. And before you call me crazy, I had the winning ticket on Winning Colors and also had her in a Derby pool. So there.

UPDATE: I took this post down after the tragic end of the race yesterday. I wanted time to sort out my feelings. I still haven't sorted them out, but this filly deserves to be remembered for her courage and strength. She ran the race of her life.

UPDATE 2: Food for thought

Hillary in Hendersonville

I rec'd this photo from a friend that lives in Ashville, NC. Henderson is approx. 20 miles southeast of Asheville with an estimated population of a little over 10K. It's mountain country and the crowd that attended Hillary's appearance at Henderson County Courthouse was in excess of 4,000 people!

Asheville is close to my heart. My daughter graduated from UNCA as a music major. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Apparently, with the smartest people on earth, judging from the size of the crowd!

A Call to Action: Inner Gypsy needs YOU!

We want to inspire the world through our music! And we need your help to do it! Clear Channel's chosen us & we must spread the word to increase our chances of being played on air. The more plays, the more visible we are to stations. Visit this link & listen to Gypsychology in its entirety & forward to family and friends. Visit as often as you like

read more | digg story

Anglachel's Journal: New Math

Anglachel's Journal: New Math

Mayday

Maia is the Greek goddess of spring, from whom we derive the name of the month of May. She was the eldest daughter of Atlas, the most beautiful of her seven sisters, all of whom we can see in the night skies in the "Pleiades" constellation.

She bore Zeus a son, Hermes, and raised another one of his children as her own when the ever-jealous Hera killed its mother.

She is sometimes referred to as the grandmother of magic, as Hermes is believed to have been the first to master the art. Incidentally, he is also credited with the invention of medicine, astrology, and letters, and was an escort of souls to the underworld - a similar role to Iris (contrasting his mother's role as bringer of life each spring).

In the deep forests where
faeries fly and pagans dance
around yonder bon fire prance
below the waning moon.

Drums of flame and strings of air
'tis what our blessed fingers play
on into the eternal of an oncoming day
below a hidden sun.

Grand Muse! Weave for us your natural song
the one of your birth and your never ending life!
Our lady who feeds us from thine own hands
who frees us from burden and helps us through strife.
Blessed be O Ceredwen! My Mother Earth and Lady Moon.
Thee whom which I owe my life
and chant forward thy Witches Rune!

Crescent beauty, celestial tempest
Seducing being of milky light

Beltaine dreams fill the minds
The month of May brings lullybies
Savents cure and Alchemists change
while bards narrate the grand and strange

A burst of scorching cinders explode
light filtering through the darkened abode
thumps of impish music plays
to celebrate the end of winter days.

Mission Accomplished For These Sailors Who Are On This Ship On Their Mission

Just when one thinks the lackeys of the Bush Administration cannot be any dumber ...

Today, reporter Helen Thomas asked White House Press Secretary Dana Perino how the president would “commemorate” the date tomorrow. Perino said the White House had “certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner”:

PERINO: President Bush is well aware that the banner should have been much more specific, and said, Mission Accomplished For These Sailors Who Are On This Ship On Their Mission. And we have certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner. And I recognize that the media is going to play this up again tomorrow, as they do every single year.

Read it here

"Barack is trying to explain why he prayed with a Pastor before he prayed against him"
Matt Frie, BBC

Obama is Bush

Anyone who reads here knows that I am a Hillary supporter. However, today I watched President Bush's press conference on CSpan and something really hit home. I haven't listened to Bush speak in a very, very long time due to a number of reasons, including the fact that I no longer watch much of MSM news and, I am deeply involved in getting my candidate elected. But today, as I listened to Bush, I once again noted how he gets around questions by saying nothing at all. Oh, he speaks, but nothing is said. Almost all of his answers were not substantial answers, but empty rhetoric lacking specifics. And this time I saw some similarity to Obama.

Bush tries very hard to make a personal connection with his questioners by making jokes and turning on his Southern hospitality. Bush never had the ability to try to inspire us, so he used his Good Ole Texas Boy persona. He's a regular Joe, just like you and me and the guy next door. You have to trust him, right? He clears brush on his ranch. He's every American. Although he was born with the proverbial silver spoon, he is portrayed as the common man.

Obama, on the other hand, uses an elitist, almost ethereal persona. We are the ones we've been waiting for. He is the only One that can fix what is wrong with America. He is the Saviour. Although he wasn't born into riches, as a black man in America, he, too, had a much easier life than that of his contemporaries, which he, too, downplays. He is not the common man. He is the answer to America's prayers.

I've concluded that the consultants for both Obama and Bush manipulate the personalities of their candidates to make up for their lack of experience and substance in different ways. Obama with his cult like "movement" and Bush with his down home fake Texas folksiness. However, they both use their fake personalities in an attempt to attain an elected position that they aren't at all qualified for, hoping no one will notice their lack of qualifications. It's the Cult of the Consultant and look where that got us with 8 years of Bush. Let's face it. If they were qualified they wouldn't need to reinvent themselves.

Bush ran for office promising to unite the country, just like Obama is. Bush ran without any real experience, just like Obama is. Bush said he would surround himself with people who were smart and would advise him of what must be done, just like Obama said he would do in one of the early debates.

This is in stark contrast to Hillary's campaign. We know who Hillary is as we've been watching her for the past 20 years. We've seen what she has done and where she has been. We know her and there is nothing fake or phony about her. But most of all, she is qualified. I can't think of a candidate for President who has been more qualified than she is at this moment in time. Or one that we need so desperately to lead us in the right direction.

Where the DNC Rules Really Lead

Trail Mix By Craig Crawford
The mandatory penalties set forth by the Democratic National Committee’s delegate selection rules call for outlaw states like Florida and Michigan to only lose half of their delegates to the national convention. And yet the DNC went beyond its own rules to add further penalties, stripping those states of all delegates.

The DNC rules also prohibited public appearances and electronic advertising before the polls closed by candidates in states that had jumped the approved primary calendar. Barack Obama made a public appearance in Florida in September 2007, talking to reporters after a fundraiser. His campaign also bought television ads on cable news outlets that ran throughout Florida before its renegade primary.

Strictly speaking, if the DNC rules were tightly construed in this case, Hillary Rodham Clinton would receive half of the Florida delegates she won and Obama would receive none -- the penalty for violating the campaign ban.

Crazy Eddie Obama

Step right up, Folks! Yessiree bob, the Medicine Man is comin' to a town near y'all!

Obama has finally divested himself of his last shred of human decency by hawking his We the People DVD speech on race like a snake oil salesman. Shades of Jim and Tammy Faye. Step right up and tithe your way straight into Heaven, ahhh, I mean the White House.

FROM THE OBAMA WEBSITE:
"Many will judge us by the money we raise, but we know our strength comes from a different number." (Your poll numbers??)
"To celebrate the 1,500,000 grassroots donors who are funding this movement (bold mine), we've created a special gift." (Yeah, a Gazillion copies, I bet. And take it from me, you can't fill your gas tank or your stomach with a DVD on race. You need the real deal.)

But wait! You only have until tomorrow to grab yourselves one of them Gen-U-Wine DVDs along with a Limited Edition Print. Why, they are certain to be just as collectible and worthless as those Danbury Mint plates that are gathering dust in the back of our cupboard.

His next scheme, ahhh I mean fundraiser, is for a Pitcher of Kool-aid with the disappearing likeness of The Reverend Wright. Yeah. Etched in 24k gold.

Heidi Li's Potpourri: The actual Lincoln-Douglas debates: Why They Matter Just Now

Heidi Li's Potpourri: The actual Lincoln-Douglas debates: Why They Matter Just Now

Obama for Sale

Hmm, Mr. Transparency himself looks like he may have yet another skeleton in his closet. It must be getting pretty crowded in there.

After an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 2000, Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama faced serious financial pressure: numerous debts, limited cash and a law practice he had neglected for a year. Help arrived in early 2001 from a significant new legal client -- a longtime political supporter.

Chicago entrepreneur Robert Blackwell Jr. paid Obama an $8,000-a-month retainer to give legal advice to his growing technology firm, Electronic Knowledge Interchange. It allowed Obama to supplement his $58,000 part-time state Senate salary for over a year with regular payments from Blackwell's firm that eventually totaled $112,000.

A few months after receiving his final payment from EKI, Obama sent a request on state Senate letterhead urging Illinois officials to provide a $50,000 tourism promotion grant to another Blackwell company, Killerspin.

Read it here

A Robert Blackwell of Blackwell Consulting Services also appears as a bundler for Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign.

Equally interesting is that a Robert Blackwell also appears on a list of fundraisers in an article by Lynn Sweet entitled Obama Secretive About Fundraisers He Will Be Attending dated January 8, 2008

Triumph

Paulson's 'Civic Robbery' to Finance Hyperinflation

On March 31st, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson announced the laying of the government’s foundation for the next big financial bubble, heralding an era of hyperinflation....The proclaimed financial "modernization" plan, increases Fed oversight of the financial industry. But it also makes the Fed — and the taxpayer — the lender of last resort.

read more | digg story

Lying Lies

Obama's
Campaign Memo to Superdelegates

Jerome Armstrong's Response

H/T to Bud White for making sense of it all

And John at Liberal Rapture puts the cherry on the sundae.

CALL TO ACTION! Please pass on

From Heidi Li's Potpourri
For some reason, the Democratic National Committee seems unwilling to act on its own rules.

Yesterday, at a strategy session I attended in Washington, DC, Clinton campaign director Terry McAuliffe alerted those present that two superdelegates from Florida had filed a formal complaint with Party's rules committee board, which is refusing to count them. Regardless of the status of the seating of the Florida delegation, it is a violation of DNC rules to refuse to seat the Florida's superdelegates (superdelegates are not chosen by primary). Guess what Howard Dean is doing? Refusing to refer the complaint to the rules committee. Terry urged everybody in the room and everybody we know to contact the DNC and specifically ask that the RCB address the complaint filed by the two Florida delegates. The telephone number for the D.N.C. is 202-863-8000. Call and simply say that you want to make sure that the Party's rules committee addresses the Florida superdelegates' recently filed complaint immediately.

UPDATE: Obama DNC Fundraising Deal
After a series of discussions, the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee have decided to file papers with the Federal Election Commission establishing a “joint fundraising agreement.” Under the law, such a committee can accept up to $28,500 from individuals, most of which would go to the DNC.

Now I wonder why the DNC is lagging in contributions? Coward Dean and the good old boyz just don't get it. I swear, if this reaches fruition, I am done with the Democratic Party.

Obama Destroys the Democratic Party

I know, I know. According to the pundits and talking heads, Hillary should step down for the good of the Democratic Party. So what if she has the popular vote? Hell, I read an email this morning from a Democratic friend and she said the same thing. She even said we were "eating our own".

Well, this post has a pretty good handle on what really is going on in Democratic politics. And it's not pretty. Read it Here

A further post about Obama's electicability problems from Democratic Wings is Here

Here's another from Violet at Reclusive Leftist with a nice 60's twist for old hippies like me.

From the Most Gentle Woman on Earth

An Open Letter from Dr. Maya Angelou
I am writing to tell you about my friend, Hillary Clinton, and why I am standing with her in her campaign for the presidency. I know the kind of president Hillary Clinton will be because I know the person she is.

I am inspired by her courage and her honesty. She is a reliable and trustworthy person. She is someone I not only admire but one for whom I have profound affection.

Hillary does not waver in standing up for those who need a champion. She has always been a passionate protector of families. As a child, she was taught that all God’s children are equal, and as a mother, she understood that her child wasn’t safe unless all children were safe. As I wrote about Hillary recently in a praise song: “She is the prayer of every woman, and every man who longs for fair play, healthy families, good schools and a balanced economy.”

It may be easy to view Hillary Clinton through the narrow lens of those who would write her off or grind her down. Hillary sees us as we are, black and brown and white and yellow and pink and relishes our differences knowing that fundamentally we are all more alike than we are unalike. She is able to look through complexion and see community.

She has endured great scrutiny, and still she dares greatly. Hillary Clinton will not give up on you, and all she asks is that you do not give up on her. She is a long-distance runner. I am honored to say I am with her for the long run.

I am supporting Hillary Clinton because I know that she will make the most positive difference in people’s lives and she will help our country become what it can be. Whether you are her supporter, leaning towards her, undecided, or supporting someone else, I believe Hillary Clinton will represent you – she will be a president for all Americans. It is no small thing that along the way we will make history together.

Vote for Hillary Clinton and show your support Here. I know she will make us proud.

TOGETHER, WE CAN WIN

Bittergate Dissected

Waffled

H/T to GeekLove

CNN Wants Our Opinion on Rice Hoarding

True. CNN is running a question this morning, asking US what should be done about rice hoarding. I'm kind of at a loss since I haven't had a rice paddy in, oh, forever. I do eat rice, but I don't think that qualifies me as an expert on a rice recession. So for those of you that have the expertise in rice or hoarding or hoarding rice Read the Article.

The Million Dollar Question for you Hoarder Experts:
It's a phrase we haven't heard since World War II - hoarding food - and now... two big warehouse stores are limiting how much we can buy. Sam's Club and Costco have restricted sales of certain types of rice... they say it's to prevent a shortage in a real emergency. The people who are buying it say they're stocking up before food prices climb any higher.

So what do you think - U.S. stores rationing rice:
producing panic?
sensible solution?
Vote Here
Gosh, now I'll be worried about rice hoarding all day.

Confessions of a Rock Picker, a/k/a Butterflies for Hillary

I'm a stone addict. No, not the Rolling Stones, although I do like their music. I'm addicted to rocks and stones. I cannot go for a walk without my head down, eyes darting, looking for that unusual shape or color or fossil. My husband tells me he once had a Black Lab that also hunted stones, but she held them in her mouth while they walked. I will say that I am a little less obtrusive with my stones and either slip them into a pocket or rub them between my thumb and fingers as as I walk. When I return home I wash them up, inspect them, wonder about them and drop them here or there around the house.

I found one today while walking the bike path along the River. It's not a whole stone, but a part of one with tiny little sparkly red dots on the inside. Not a particularly beautiful stone, but it's been days since I've found anything else that held my attention and I've actually passed this particular stone a couple of times with mild interest, so I figured today was the day and I brought her home.

I also saw a tiny baby turtle and two beautiful white dancing butterflies, which I think were celebrating Hillary's Pennsylvania win. New York borders Pennsylvania, so it's the right thing to do.

Humpty Dumpty

BARACK OBAMA SAT ON A WALL
BARACK OBAMA HAD A GREAT FALL
ALL OF THE MONEY
AND ALL OF THE SPIN
COULDN'T PUT BARACK BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

Thank you Pennsylvania!

Happy Earth Day

Light a Candle for Hillary

Light a candle and send Hillary your positive thoughts for her success.
And, a pox on the media.
Light a Candle

Cat Toys

A Man is Judged by the Company He Keeps

A Woman's Questionnaire for Democratic Candidates

Courtesy of
Woman's eNews

Women's individual life journeys refract our view of what constitutes "women's issues." As a voting bloc, women will determine who will be the next president. Women usually vote in higher numbers than their male counterparts--in the 2004 election, women were 60 percent of voter turnout--and to date, record numbers of women of all ages have voted in the primaries.

Breadwinners might dwell on the unmet need for high-quality affordable child care. Caregivers might talk about their social contributions being undervalued and having no safety net. Women in every walk of life who are not safe at home might focus on the failure of the legal system to offer better protection

How will such concerns be met by the next president?

That's the big question behind all the following queries from readers, staffers and advocates gathered by Women's eNews.

This Sunday, April 20, two days before the Pennsylvania primary, Women's eNews will co-sponsor a nonpartisan forum on the power of the women's vote at Bryn Mawr College, just outside Philadelphia. Editor in chief Rita Henley Jensen will moderate the discussion among a family court judge, a law professor, a district attorney, a former member of Congress and the head of a women's legal rights organization. Representatives of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are expected to make appearances as well.

Jensen will offer each a print-out of this posting and ask for an e-mailed response from the campaign, to be posted on the Web site.

This should be very interesting. The questions posted at the site are excellent and indepth. I cannot wait to read the responses.

Daily Kos Off the Cliff

Great Post from Lambert

W-a-a-a-a-a-h!!!!
* Daily Kos

Guess we know which bunch of WATBs thinks their candidate lost.

waaah

Take it like a man, Lord Kos!(Click the list to enlarge for better reading)

NOTE Look, I know the media sucks. They’ve been going after both Clintons, and all Democrats, since the 90s. But you can bet that the OFB aren’t going to be complaining about anything other than that their guy got beat, and that, for once, he didn’t get a free pass. Both Hillary and Obama have to run their horse-race on the same muddy track, and for my money, he’s gotten pretty much of a free ride so far.

But let’s look on the bright side: At least they’re not frothing and stamping about Hillary’s tax returns any more! What a waste of good air that was, to be sure.

I'm Mad as Hell and I'm Not Going to Take This Anymore!

I'm Mad! Crazy Mad! Mad as Hell! I'm turning off the computer, burning the newspapers, donating my TV to Goodwill and signing myself in to a media free zone.

I am sick of lying pundits, brain dead talking heads, hearing the words Ba Rack O Bama (like it's some kind of game show) every 2 minutes on every single television station in the world. I'm sick to death of Wolf running the same old videos, spouting the same old rhetoric and questioning the same old people with the same old questions.

I'm sick of Obama people, Obama speeches, Obama suck ups and Obama himself. I can't stand to look at him or listen to him. I detest the DNC, and Americans that can't see beyond the hype. I'm mad at every single person that has been bamboozled and hoodwinked by thinking they can make the world a better place by doing nothing.

I'm Mad I tell you!

You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My life has VALUE!' So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell,

'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell - 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad!... You've got to say, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it:

"I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

There, I feel much better. Maybe I'll check out a few blogs before I check myself in.