A convincing argument that the new McCain ad continues in the racist tradition of those used against Harold Ford in Tennessee, subliminally linking Obama to a three-way tryst with 2 "sweet young (white) things."
Watch for the follow-up with an Obama sound byte from France, where he said, "I don't know anybody who doesn't want to spend more time in Paris."
(Editor's note-- Upon reflection, we suppose our previous post is guilty of the same... but at least we weren't subtle about it)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Mac Attacks
As the McCain campaign unveils its third straight attack ad, we gotta ask:
Is that the best you can do?
(Editor's note-- we will only give the attacks merit if a sex tape emerges)
(Editor's addendum-- and it includes Lindsey Lohan... and her "gal pal.")
Is that the best you can do?
(Editor's note-- we will only give the attacks merit if a sex tape emerges)
(Editor's addendum-- and it includes Lindsey Lohan... and her "gal pal.")
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Big Daddy Kaine
We were wondering why all the speculation over Va. Gov. Tom Kaine for the VP slot-- he seemed pretty nondescript to us-- and then we heard some español rrrroll off his tongue.
Breaking the Law Breaking the Law
(Editor's note-- We've been looking for a chance to include a Judas Priest quote)
Yep, it seems that the Justice Dep't is guilty, guilty, guilty!
Yep, it seems that the Justice Dep't is guilty, guilty, guilty!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The Stroke
Apologies to Billy Squier for the title of this post.
It's just that we fear the state of John McCain's health-- honestly, we are wondering if references to Iraqi-Pakistani borders (as John Stewart pointed out, that would be, uh, Iran) aren't symptomatic of a dying brain. With all this emphasis on proving his vim and vigor, we are, frankly, worried about him pushing himself off the edge. Coupled with that famous temper of his, we're worried a blood vessel could burst in the wrong place. While we might not agree with much of what the current McCain has to say, we don't want to see him go out like that.
It's just that we fear the state of John McCain's health-- honestly, we are wondering if references to Iraqi-Pakistani borders (as John Stewart pointed out, that would be, uh, Iran) aren't symptomatic of a dying brain. With all this emphasis on proving his vim and vigor, we are, frankly, worried about him pushing himself off the edge. Coupled with that famous temper of his, we're worried a blood vessel could burst in the wrong place. While we might not agree with much of what the current McCain has to say, we don't want to see him go out like that.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Ich Bin Ein... Palestinian
We ask you to listen to the following words not as if Obama was proclaiming himself a jelly donut, but as if he was giving them from his previous stop on his world-wind tour:
"The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down."
"The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down."
Monday, July 21, 2008
You Say Afghanistan, I Say Iraq
John McCain this morning on the situation in Afghanistan:
"We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border."
as seen on-- and quoted by-- ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
This one should stick because it is symptomatic of a larger problem for McCain-- beyond mere ignorance, it exacerbates an oft-demonstrated indifference to important distinctions, be they between Sunni and Shiite, Iraq and Afghanistan, or... OK, we'll give him a break on Czech and Slovakia subtleties! All of which is perfect for a reprise of stay-the-course, with-us-or-against-us diplomacy, but a warning shot across the bow of any hope of a nuanced foreign policy, something that even the Bush administration has come to realize is essential.
"We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border."
as seen on-- and quoted by-- ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
This one should stick because it is symptomatic of a larger problem for McCain-- beyond mere ignorance, it exacerbates an oft-demonstrated indifference to important distinctions, be they between Sunni and Shiite, Iraq and Afghanistan, or... OK, we'll give him a break on Czech and Slovakia subtleties! All of which is perfect for a reprise of stay-the-course, with-us-or-against-us diplomacy, but a warning shot across the bow of any hope of a nuanced foreign policy, something that even the Bush administration has come to realize is essential.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
You Can Call Him al
al-Maliki, that is. It seems the Iraqi P.M. has weighed in on the U.S. election, with the following reflection in Der Spiegel:
"U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."
(Editor's note-- Vee don't read zee Cherman so vell, so had to rely on zee Reuters)
"U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."
(Editor's note-- Vee don't read zee Cherman so vell, so had to rely on zee Reuters)
Friday, July 18, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Caricature This!
OK, the New Yorker cartoon was a little over the top. They should have kept it inside the magazine, where only their "sophisticated" readership would have seen it. The very least they could have done is put the title on the cover: "The Politics of Fear." But you know what? John Stewart-- and Barack Obama-- are right... in the end, it's only a cartoon. And anybody who thought that Mohammed was fair game in Denmark should definitely shut their proverbial hole. But the oft-overlooked point is that, once again, the real "offendees" are American Muslims-- a point Obama did make in the WSJ's Washington Wire:
You know, this is actually an insult against Muslim-Americans, something that we don’t spend a lot of time talking about. And sometimes I’ve been derelict in pointing that out.
Yes, he has-- but in his defense, others further away from the political cross-hairs should be filling that void as well.
You know, this is actually an insult against Muslim-Americans, something that we don’t spend a lot of time talking about. And sometimes I’ve been derelict in pointing that out.
Yes, he has-- but in his defense, others further away from the political cross-hairs should be filling that void as well.
Who's the Big Winner in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Iran.
And despite being labeled as "schizophrenic," their recent response(s) to Israeli and American aggression make complete sense... unlike all of Achmadinejad's Holocaust blather.
To see what they really want, read FP (although we're not totally sure we agree with their man Karim).
And despite being labeled as "schizophrenic," their recent response(s) to Israeli and American aggression make complete sense... unlike all of Achmadinejad's Holocaust blather.
To see what they really want, read FP (although we're not totally sure we agree with their man Karim).
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Jesse Jackson's Excuses for His Latest Comments
10. Not only does he want Barack to be the first black president, but someone needs to open the door for eunuchs as well.
9. He was on his way to a potluck party and didn't want to show up empty-handed.
8. It was meant to distract Michelle so Barack could get them back out of her purse.
7. He thought it would go over better than calling him a "Hymie."
6. Hey, he was planning to give them back in time for the convention.
5. He saw on Barack's driver's license that he was an organ donor.
4. His own were past warranty.
3. He wanted to make sure Barack was fair and "balanced."
2. Just like with band-aids, he was hoping to get a pair that matched.
1. He knew it would give Obama just the boost he needed (actually, this one is serious-- he was on Fox, after all).
9. He was on his way to a potluck party and didn't want to show up empty-handed.
8. It was meant to distract Michelle so Barack could get them back out of her purse.
7. He thought it would go over better than calling him a "Hymie."
6. Hey, he was planning to give them back in time for the convention.
5. He saw on Barack's driver's license that he was an organ donor.
4. His own were past warranty.
3. He wanted to make sure Barack was fair and "balanced."
2. Just like with band-aids, he was hoping to get a pair that matched.
1. He knew it would give Obama just the boost he needed (actually, this one is serious-- he was on Fox, after all).
Killing Them Softly
McCain on the export of cigarettes to Iran:
"Maybe that's a way of killing them."
As expected, liberal bloggers have taken him to task for this remark, like this one.
Initially, we had two words for such sentiments: lighten (the f***) up. It is funny. albeit inappropriate (don't those two things always go hand in hand?).
The bigger point, though, is that, for better or worse, it is not presidential, and is the best example yet of how this presidential race is suffocating the man they once called a maverick. Even when he did "talk straight," or at least in directions other than exclusively to the right, it was a losing proposition. To watch him wrestle with cue cards these days is a sad, sad, sad, and this was probably just the alien beneath his chest bursting through for a brief appearance.
In the end, we do reach the same conclusion as Cesca: this is just one more reason why McCain should just retreat to his porch with some old-timer's lemonade, where his remarks will be out of earshot and just be those of someone who "ain't going to change his ways" and "doesn't mean no harm."
The suggestion to that Obama would have been pounced upon for saying the same thing, however, completely misses the point. Number one, Obama would never say it. Number two, disparaging remarks about Jews are always going to register more here than similar ones towards Iranians or Arabs in this country.
[It was at this point that we realized by laughing at the "joke," we were doing the same thing]
It's time to move past viewing every development in a purely partisan fashion. To talk straight, as it were. While such an option might be off the table for a presidential candidate, it should not be so for those of us covering it.
"Maybe that's a way of killing them."
As expected, liberal bloggers have taken him to task for this remark, like this one.
Initially, we had two words for such sentiments: lighten (the f***) up. It is funny. albeit inappropriate (don't those two things always go hand in hand?).
The bigger point, though, is that, for better or worse, it is not presidential, and is the best example yet of how this presidential race is suffocating the man they once called a maverick. Even when he did "talk straight," or at least in directions other than exclusively to the right, it was a losing proposition. To watch him wrestle with cue cards these days is a sad, sad, sad, and this was probably just the alien beneath his chest bursting through for a brief appearance.
In the end, we do reach the same conclusion as Cesca: this is just one more reason why McCain should just retreat to his porch with some old-timer's lemonade, where his remarks will be out of earshot and just be those of someone who "ain't going to change his ways" and "doesn't mean no harm."
The suggestion to that Obama would have been pounced upon for saying the same thing, however, completely misses the point. Number one, Obama would never say it. Number two, disparaging remarks about Jews are always going to register more here than similar ones towards Iranians or Arabs in this country.
[It was at this point that we realized by laughing at the "joke," we were doing the same thing]
It's time to move past viewing every development in a purely partisan fashion. To talk straight, as it were. While such an option might be off the table for a presidential candidate, it should not be so for those of us covering it.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Krauthammered
This whole drift-to-the-center thing is a losing proposition... you gotta know something is wrong when we agree with Charles Krauthammer 2 weeks in a row. The fact is, Obama's Iraq policy does need to be "refined"... but could he do it a tad more gracefully? On the heels of his (most recent) positions on the death penalty and gun control, it reeks of opportunism and old-style politics. Our advice? Find a conviction or two-- and stick with it.
What the FARC?
The rescue of 7 hostages in Colombia serves as a reminder that however much we may romanticize the notion of being a left-wing guerrilla hiding out in the jungle, in a civil war, both sides usually soil themselves and in the end the only guarantee is that the farmers and villagers will bear the brunt of it all.
The best account of the rescue is in the NYT
and here's the video, straight from the Colombian government:
Mindefensa presentó el video de la Operación Jaque
The best account of the rescue is in the NYT
and here's the video, straight from the Colombian government:
Mindefensa presentó el video de la Operación Jaque
Genghis Schlock
Alternate title: What Were Those Reviewers Smoking?
This movie was profoundly disappointing. When you feel the urge to look at your watch during the climactic battle scene, that should tell you something. This was a puff propaganda piece that was mind-numbingly boring. The escape sequences were downright embarrassing. As for historical accuracy, it would have been even worse if the bulk of it hadn't been simply left out, like how he went from a family of four to an army of thousands in a frame or two.
And how did someone keep their head clean-shaven in the 1100s?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Terror Begats Terror
A Palestinian construction worker went on a rampage in Jerusalem today, wreaking havoc from behind the wheel of a bulldozer. Three people are reported dead so far, and dozens wounded. Tucked inside the Washington Post article on the incident was this nugget:
The Israeli media reported that [Israeli Prime Minister] Olmert was looking for legal ways to demolish the home of the attacker, a married father of two.
You see, it has long been a policy of the Israeli government to destroy the homes of Palestinians involved in terrorist attacks, despite a government report that echoed common sense in its finding that such actions, rather than serving as a deterrent, merely create more resentment.
And what do they use to perform such demolitions, 18,000 of which have taken place since 1967?
Uh, bulldozers.
The Israeli media reported that [Israeli Prime Minister] Olmert was looking for legal ways to demolish the home of the attacker, a married father of two.
You see, it has long been a policy of the Israeli government to destroy the homes of Palestinians involved in terrorist attacks, despite a government report that echoed common sense in its finding that such actions, rather than serving as a deterrent, merely create more resentment.
And what do they use to perform such demolitions, 18,000 of which have taken place since 1967?
Uh, bulldozers.
Ethnic Shampoo
Perhaps even more disturbing is the comment that closes the piece, by Maj. Gen. Shahar Ayalon, deputy commissioner of the Israeli police:
"The residents of East Jerusalem have to stop this if they want to continue living with us."
What, exactly, is he saying?
"The residents of East Jerusalem have to stop this if they want to continue living with us."
What, exactly, is he saying?
Chinese Water Torture
Nothing should surprise us any more-- but this one did. Apparently, Guantanamo interrogators were modeling their approach on Chinese Communist techniques used during the Korean War. The original goal of the techniques? to get the American soldiers to confess, whether guilty or not.
read on here
read on here
What's on Your Resume?
Wesley Clark was right... getting shot down does not qualify you to be president. We think this might have legs if people take the time to think it through-- at least, if they give Clark the benefit of the doubt and hear what he had to say in context. Oh, wait... we briefly forgot what country we were in. Oh, well. Clark would have made a fine VP.
What is it Good For?
And what does McCain's war experience actually show? That he can and will endure whatever pain and suffering comes his way, with honor and conviction, and ask the same of the American people: stay the course, never surrender, no matter how dumb a policy may be, no matter where it takes place, be it a Hilton in Hanoi or a quagmire in Iraq.
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