It's official: Cindy Sheehan has the forms to run as an independent candidate against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. If Sheehan can get the signatures of enough voters, she'll be an official candidate. But that's not the real story. The real story is how the possibility of a Pelosi/Sheehan race is an indication of how badly Democrats have mismanaged their party for the past few years.
And, surprise surprise, it all starts with Bill and Hillary Clinton.
When Bill and Hillary hit the Democratic Party scene in ernest in 1992, they were transformative figures. Within a short time, they went from a former Governor of Arkansas and his Yuppie wife to the central figures of one of the two major political parties. If Bill and Hillary would have had the party's best interests in mind, it wouldn't be so bad, but they didn't. It's always been about them and what the party could do for them. Quite a difference from John F. Kennedy's famous speech.
Once the Clintons were in place, the Democratic Party seemed to slavishly follow whatever they wanted. They had the political capital in 1993 and 1994 to set the stage for a new Democratic agenda, and the Clintons were still fairly popular. However, they didn't capitalize on the situation, which lead to the Republican Revolution in 1994. Bill Clinton was blamed in large part for Democrats losing control of Congress in full, but they stuck by him.
The Democrats reached the point of no return with the Clintons in 1998 and 1999 with the Clinton impeachment. The Democratic Party were seriously hurt by their loyalty to the Clintons during this time by not having the serious discussion Clinton's actions required. We had a sitting President lying under oath about something that may not have mattered in the grand scheme of things. This was a situation that, contrary to popular belief, was not a "vast right wing conspiracy," but was a monster of the Clintons' own making. When the Democrats made the decision to admit Clinton did wrong, but it didn't rise to the level of an impeachable offense, they became the Clintonic Party.
But there was another effect that didn't get noticed right away and still isn't being recognized. All of the political capital the Democrats spent to keep Clinton in office took away from building up the future leaders of the party, Al Gore included, and it has hurt them in election after election. Even in Election 2006, when Democrats took back the House and took back the Senate in name only, the leadership deficiency was apparent. Seriously, did Democrats really believe Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi would be great Congressional leaders? In the latter case, it's clear they didn't think beyond their desire to "make history" when choosing Pelosi for Speaker. To put it bluntly, the Pelosi House and the Reid Senate have been laughingstocks of political ineptitude.
This opens the door for people like Sheehan because it gives them a reason to run against the Democratic "leadership." And thanks to the political empowerment they've felt because of Sheehan, they will jump at the chance to take down politicians they think are shielding Bush from impeachment. What this does in the political sense is put pressure on the Democrats to appease the left wing of their party, which they really can't do without losing the more conservative elements of their party. This creates the political equivalent of a Faustian deal, and it could create situations where a Democrat who could have won easily will either be weakened or lose outright because of a split vote.
It also further splits the Democratic Party, which has been a loose coalition of special interest groups since you-know-who was President. There is enough anamosity within Democratic ranks right now that we could see a major rift appear even if Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama win the Presidential election. Those special interest groups that Bill Clinton was able to hold together are now looking to advance their agendas, even at the expense of the party that gave them an audience in the first place.
In short, the Democrats created the mess they're in, and with people like Cindy Sheehan taking aim at Nancy Pelosi, it doesn't look like they're calling in the cleaning crew just yet.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
A Response to Rev. Wright
I just watched the Bill Moyers "interview" with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. I put "interview" in quotation marks because it wasn't so much an interview as it was like those infomercials that look and sound like talk shows, but are actually hawking some product. It wasn't surprising by any stretch of the imagination. If Moyers was any more liberal, he'd make Cindy Sheehan look like Ann Coulter.
To be fair to Rev. Wright, I listened to his statements in context and in full as shown on Moyers's PBS program. After all, it's entirely possible that he was taken out of context by the politically motivated. Well, I listened, Rev. Wright and I gave you the benefit of the doubt and I came to one conclusion.
Rev. Wright, you are everything the right says you are and more.
I listened to you lament America's role in apartheid in South Africa as "terrorism."
Bull.
I listened to you lament America's "terrorist" acts against the Palestinian State.
Bull.
I heard your comments in context about "America's chickens are coming home to roost" on the Sunday after 9/11. You say you weren't blaming America.
Bull.
Sir, you are an anti-American, anti-Jewish, anti-white Pharisee, the very type that would use God's word to justify your personal agenda. No matter how many times you cry "my comments were taken out of context" or wrap yourself in holy robes, you cannot hide the man you are.
And, sir, you are no man of God.
During the softball-fest with Moyers, Wright said if you repeat a lie often enough, you start believing it. To quote Jesus, "Physician, heal thyself."
To be fair to Rev. Wright, I listened to his statements in context and in full as shown on Moyers's PBS program. After all, it's entirely possible that he was taken out of context by the politically motivated. Well, I listened, Rev. Wright and I gave you the benefit of the doubt and I came to one conclusion.
Rev. Wright, you are everything the right says you are and more.
I listened to you lament America's role in apartheid in South Africa as "terrorism."
Bull.
I listened to you lament America's "terrorist" acts against the Palestinian State.
Bull.
I heard your comments in context about "America's chickens are coming home to roost" on the Sunday after 9/11. You say you weren't blaming America.
Bull.
Sir, you are an anti-American, anti-Jewish, anti-white Pharisee, the very type that would use God's word to justify your personal agenda. No matter how many times you cry "my comments were taken out of context" or wrap yourself in holy robes, you cannot hide the man you are.
And, sir, you are no man of God.
During the softball-fest with Moyers, Wright said if you repeat a lie often enough, you start believing it. To quote Jesus, "Physician, heal thyself."
Thursday, April 24, 2008
It's Rainin' (Weather)men!
By now, you've heard that Barack Obama has connections to a former member of the Weather Underground, William Ayers. Seems that in order to be considered electable in Leftist circles in Chicago, you had to at least meet with Ayers. And, boy, did Obama ever meet with him! Obama has tried to downplay Ayers's past while at the same time playing up the fact that the two of them are friends.
This would have to be grist for Hillary's campaign, right? Not so much. Seems Hill has her own connections to the Weather Underground in the form of her husband, Bill. Former President Clinton granted clemency to two members of the Weather Underground, Linda Evans (no, not the "Dynasty" Linda Evans) and Susan Rosenberg (no, not the "Dynasty" Susan Rosenberg). After news of the clemency got out, Hillary was in full denial mode, saying she didn't know anything about the situation. Yeah, and she really did take sniper fire in Bosnia.
Enough time has passed that most people have forgotten that the Weather Underground was a radical left-wing domestic terrorist group that took responsibility for bombings, murders, and other crimes. Granted, they were active 30 years ago or so, but the fact that both major Democratic Party candidates have connections to them is troubling, not because they had the connections, but because they saw nothing wrong with the connections before they became public knowledge.
Let that sink in for a moment. Two candidates wanting to be President finding little if anything wrong with domestic terrorists. That alone should disqualify either of them from holding a job at the McDonalds drive through window, let alone the job of being leader of the free world. But they pass it off as though it were nothing of importance.
Doesn't that make you feel so good to know that one of these knuckleheads could be President after Election Day?
This would have to be grist for Hillary's campaign, right? Not so much. Seems Hill has her own connections to the Weather Underground in the form of her husband, Bill. Former President Clinton granted clemency to two members of the Weather Underground, Linda Evans (no, not the "Dynasty" Linda Evans) and Susan Rosenberg (no, not the "Dynasty" Susan Rosenberg). After news of the clemency got out, Hillary was in full denial mode, saying she didn't know anything about the situation. Yeah, and she really did take sniper fire in Bosnia.
Enough time has passed that most people have forgotten that the Weather Underground was a radical left-wing domestic terrorist group that took responsibility for bombings, murders, and other crimes. Granted, they were active 30 years ago or so, but the fact that both major Democratic Party candidates have connections to them is troubling, not because they had the connections, but because they saw nothing wrong with the connections before they became public knowledge.
Let that sink in for a moment. Two candidates wanting to be President finding little if anything wrong with domestic terrorists. That alone should disqualify either of them from holding a job at the McDonalds drive through window, let alone the job of being leader of the free world. But they pass it off as though it were nothing of importance.
Doesn't that make you feel so good to know that one of these knuckleheads could be President after Election Day?
The Forgotten Man
The Democratic race for President is down to two candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. As of this writing, neither one has locked up their party's nomination, and neither one appears to be able to do it before their convention this summer. As such, DNC Chair Howard Dean is looking to try to get out of a messy battle for the nomination.
If Dr. Dean really wants a solution, he need only look beyond the current two-person battle to a third party. The name tossed about is former Vice President and current environmental Chicken Little Al Gore. That won't work because Gore has a major stumbling block: he's Al Gore. Instead, I have another person in mind, and for those reading this concerned that I'm helping the Democrats, don't worry. Democrats don't often read this blog anyway. :-)
The person I'm referring to is John Edwards. Right now, he's being seen as a potential king (or queen) maker because he has a handful of delegates that he could give to Clinton or Obama. But he might be the solution to the Clinton/Obama fight because he has more than a few of the positives of both without the negatives. He's a handsome, articulate candidate who can draw from multiple voting blocs. He does well with labor, fairly well with African-Americans, well with social justice Leftists, and appears moderate enough to draw in moderate to conservative Democrats. And because he's been out of the race before it's gotten testy, he's instantly above the fray.
If that doesn't make Edwards the perfect solution to the Democrats' imperfect election nightmare, I don't know what would.
If Dr. Dean really wants a solution, he need only look beyond the current two-person battle to a third party. The name tossed about is former Vice President and current environmental Chicken Little Al Gore. That won't work because Gore has a major stumbling block: he's Al Gore. Instead, I have another person in mind, and for those reading this concerned that I'm helping the Democrats, don't worry. Democrats don't often read this blog anyway. :-)
The person I'm referring to is John Edwards. Right now, he's being seen as a potential king (or queen) maker because he has a handful of delegates that he could give to Clinton or Obama. But he might be the solution to the Clinton/Obama fight because he has more than a few of the positives of both without the negatives. He's a handsome, articulate candidate who can draw from multiple voting blocs. He does well with labor, fairly well with African-Americans, well with social justice Leftists, and appears moderate enough to draw in moderate to conservative Democrats. And because he's been out of the race before it's gotten testy, he's instantly above the fray.
If that doesn't make Edwards the perfect solution to the Democrats' imperfect election nightmare, I don't know what would.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Earth Daze
Today is Earth Day. And I know you're all rushing out to get Earth Day cards and put up your Earth Day tree. And don't forget about the post-Earth Day sales!
I'm kidding, of course. Or am I? When you consider all the commercialism that's now connected to Earth Day and being environmentally conscious, it's clear that there's green to be made by being green. Quite a difference from the first Earth Day, where eco-Lefties got together to proclaim their love of the environment...while leaving their gathering place looking like a trash dump.
For me, Earth Day is an unnecessary "holiday" because we don't need a day to remember to be good to the planet. We get it. Take care of the planet. We try to do the same thing on a smaller scale where we live by keeping our homes and properties kept up.
And that's exactly the way we should approach "saving" the Earth. In the grand scheme of things, humans have very little impact one way or the other on the planet. Does this mean we can start building a chemical waste dump in our backyards? No. First off, the zoning laws are a nightmare, but more importantly, it has a direct impact on you and your neighbors. By the same token, if everyone in America went completely green, nothing would really change, and it would have a direct impact on you and your neighbors in ways that you probably wouldn't like.
Let's say, for example, that we finally cave in to the eco-Left's environmental demand because we're sick of hearing them whine. Because the eco-Left aren't exactly known for their foresight and financial acumen, our economy would tank. Then, after people realized that a) the economy sucks worse after the eco-Left got their wishes and b) the eco-Left knows as much about the environment as they do about the economy, we'd still be screwed. The economy can't be switched on and off like a light. It would take time to come back from the damage the eco-Left caused, and there's no guarantee that we could.
So, put simply, I think we should focus on those things we can fix, like keeping ourselves and our property in good order. And that's where we should leave it, unless our neighbors are building a chemical waste dump in their backyards. Just because we're green doesn't gives us the authority to force others to be the same way. That's where the eco-Left goes wrong with their environmentalism. They believe their position on this issue gives them ultimate moral authority to dictate to others how they should live. Case in point: Al Gore.
But before you go full bore into green mode because of people like Gore, do me a favor. Check out how they live. If they say they care about the environment but get into an SUV that isn't a hybrid, their green is because of tarnish, not because of intellectual consistency.
I'm kidding, of course. Or am I? When you consider all the commercialism that's now connected to Earth Day and being environmentally conscious, it's clear that there's green to be made by being green. Quite a difference from the first Earth Day, where eco-Lefties got together to proclaim their love of the environment...while leaving their gathering place looking like a trash dump.
For me, Earth Day is an unnecessary "holiday" because we don't need a day to remember to be good to the planet. We get it. Take care of the planet. We try to do the same thing on a smaller scale where we live by keeping our homes and properties kept up.
And that's exactly the way we should approach "saving" the Earth. In the grand scheme of things, humans have very little impact one way or the other on the planet. Does this mean we can start building a chemical waste dump in our backyards? No. First off, the zoning laws are a nightmare, but more importantly, it has a direct impact on you and your neighbors. By the same token, if everyone in America went completely green, nothing would really change, and it would have a direct impact on you and your neighbors in ways that you probably wouldn't like.
Let's say, for example, that we finally cave in to the eco-Left's environmental demand because we're sick of hearing them whine. Because the eco-Left aren't exactly known for their foresight and financial acumen, our economy would tank. Then, after people realized that a) the economy sucks worse after the eco-Left got their wishes and b) the eco-Left knows as much about the environment as they do about the economy, we'd still be screwed. The economy can't be switched on and off like a light. It would take time to come back from the damage the eco-Left caused, and there's no guarantee that we could.
So, put simply, I think we should focus on those things we can fix, like keeping ourselves and our property in good order. And that's where we should leave it, unless our neighbors are building a chemical waste dump in their backyards. Just because we're green doesn't gives us the authority to force others to be the same way. That's where the eco-Left goes wrong with their environmentalism. They believe their position on this issue gives them ultimate moral authority to dictate to others how they should live. Case in point: Al Gore.
But before you go full bore into green mode because of people like Gore, do me a favor. Check out how they live. If they say they care about the environment but get into an SUV that isn't a hybrid, their green is because of tarnish, not because of intellectual consistency.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Keep Chope Alive!
A lot has been made of Barack Obama's frequent use of the words "change" and "hope" during his stump speeches. It's gotten to a point where it's become a running gag with some. Heck, some friends of mine even created a drinking game to play while watching the Democratic debates based around Obama saying those two words. And from what I've heard, they're finally sober enough to go to work again because of all the drinking they did at the last debate.
In the interest of bipartisanship, I've decided to help Senator Obama jazz up his stump speech, appear to be a transformative figure, and cut time off his speech, all at the same time. How? Simple.
Take the word "change", combine it with the word "hope", and you have...chope! One syllable, comes off the tongue easily, and it combines the changiness of "change" with the hopefulness of "hope." That, ladies and gentlemen, is what Barack Obama is all about.
So, ladies and gentlemen, remember Barack Obama is all about chope! Keep Chope Alive!
In the interest of bipartisanship, I've decided to help Senator Obama jazz up his stump speech, appear to be a transformative figure, and cut time off his speech, all at the same time. How? Simple.
Take the word "change", combine it with the word "hope", and you have...chope! One syllable, comes off the tongue easily, and it combines the changiness of "change" with the hopefulness of "hope." That, ladies and gentlemen, is what Barack Obama is all about.
So, ladies and gentlemen, remember Barack Obama is all about chope! Keep Chope Alive!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Random Notes
To make up for my light blogging lately, I'm combining a few topics into one post. Enjoy!
- John Murtha says John McCain is too old to be President, in spite of the fact Murtha is four years older than McCain. Hmmm...McCain's too old to be President at 71, but you're just under the age limit for a House gig at 75?
- ABC's debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama last night was almost universally panned here and abroad. I didn't watch any of it, and thankfully so. But as bad as it was, it pales in comparison to the CNN/YouTube "debates." At least Charlie Gibson didn't feel he needed to dress up like a snowman to ask a question about global warming.
- California Senator Barbara Boxer successfully got a meaningless Senate resolution acknowledging Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to America since becoming Pope changed to remove offensive language. What was the offensive verbiage? That the Pope fostered a deep respect for all life. Seems she thought it was a reference to the Pro Life stance on abortion. Boy, those Leftists are tolerant folks, aren't they?
- Speaking of the Pope, people have been criticizing him for stating that America's permissive culture may have played a role in the pedophile priest scandal. Some commenters went so far as to say that the Pope is a pedophile by proxy and is trying to excuse the Catholic Church's role in the scandal. Of course, they're not thinking about the possibility that he could be...right.
- Hillary Clinton criticized Barack Obama as an elitist following comments the Illinois Senator made about rural America. I only have three words to say to that. Pot. Kettle. Black.
- Chelsea Clinton has been asked repeatedly about the Monica Lewinsky scandal and how her mom reacted to her dad fooling around the with help. Chelsea's stock answer: it's none of our business. Well, gee, maybe I'm off base here, but I would think getting a straight answer about how Hillary reacted to a difficult situation would give us an idea of how she would react to a difficult situation as President. And we shouldn't be waiting until 3 AM to find out, either!
- President Imadinnerjacket of Iran is suggesting 9/11 may not have happened. From the guy who said there are no gays in Iran?
- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he looks forward to having an adult in the White House again. After that comment, Mayor, I'd be more worried about finding an adult at your house.
And finally...
- Texas law enforcement officers are looking for ways to punish the men of a polygamist cult. I have a way: introduce each of the wives to a divorce lawyer.
- John Murtha says John McCain is too old to be President, in spite of the fact Murtha is four years older than McCain. Hmmm...McCain's too old to be President at 71, but you're just under the age limit for a House gig at 75?
- ABC's debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama last night was almost universally panned here and abroad. I didn't watch any of it, and thankfully so. But as bad as it was, it pales in comparison to the CNN/YouTube "debates." At least Charlie Gibson didn't feel he needed to dress up like a snowman to ask a question about global warming.
- California Senator Barbara Boxer successfully got a meaningless Senate resolution acknowledging Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to America since becoming Pope changed to remove offensive language. What was the offensive verbiage? That the Pope fostered a deep respect for all life. Seems she thought it was a reference to the Pro Life stance on abortion. Boy, those Leftists are tolerant folks, aren't they?
- Speaking of the Pope, people have been criticizing him for stating that America's permissive culture may have played a role in the pedophile priest scandal. Some commenters went so far as to say that the Pope is a pedophile by proxy and is trying to excuse the Catholic Church's role in the scandal. Of course, they're not thinking about the possibility that he could be...right.
- Hillary Clinton criticized Barack Obama as an elitist following comments the Illinois Senator made about rural America. I only have three words to say to that. Pot. Kettle. Black.
- Chelsea Clinton has been asked repeatedly about the Monica Lewinsky scandal and how her mom reacted to her dad fooling around the with help. Chelsea's stock answer: it's none of our business. Well, gee, maybe I'm off base here, but I would think getting a straight answer about how Hillary reacted to a difficult situation would give us an idea of how she would react to a difficult situation as President. And we shouldn't be waiting until 3 AM to find out, either!
- President Imadinnerjacket of Iran is suggesting 9/11 may not have happened. From the guy who said there are no gays in Iran?
- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he looks forward to having an adult in the White House again. After that comment, Mayor, I'd be more worried about finding an adult at your house.
And finally...
- Texas law enforcement officers are looking for ways to punish the men of a polygamist cult. I have a way: introduce each of the wives to a divorce lawyer.
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