Ok, boys and girls, here’s you big chance to just have at it…lefties, you want to endlessly rehash the reasons we went to war? Here’s you thread. RIghties, been burning for the 1,000th opportunity to make lefties look like fools over their views on the war? Here’s the place.
Alternately, you can discuss the continuing Obama saga; why Hillary is suddenly so quiet. Why recent polling shows McCain doing better and better against either part of HillBama. Why President Bush seems in such a fine mood these days. Why commodity prices took a dump the other day and why some have opined that oil prices will start to slide later this year.
Have at it.
Blogs For Victory 
46. Rich | March 20th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
You just don’t get it do you… Maybe if the US falls into a complete depression you will start to realize that concentrating so much on Obama’s pastor was probably not the smartest thing to do. But hey, everything in hindsight right…
Mike Huckabee defends Obama:
After joking that he’s leasing a hot dog stand in Manhattan, Mike Huckabee on MSNBC’s Morning Joe yesterday defended Barack Obama on the Rev. Wright issue.
In fact he defended Rev. Wright, too…
see http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/03/huckabee-defend.html
Huckabee: “And one other thing I think we’ve got to remember: As easy as it is for those of us who are white to look back and say, ‘That’s a terrible statement,’ I grew up in a very segregated South, and I think that you have to cut some slack. And I’m going to be probably the only conservative in America who’s going to say something like this, but I’m just telling you: We’ve got to cut some slack to people who grew up being called names, being told, ‘You have to sit in the balcony when you go to the movie. You have to go to the back door to go into the restaurant. And you can’t sit out there with everyone else. There’s a separate waiting room in the doctor’s office. Here’s where you sit on the bus.’
“And you know what? Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and resentment. And you have to just say, I probably would too. I probably would too. In fact, I may have had a more, more of a chip on my shoulder had it been me.”
I wouldn’t want him for president, but kudos to Mike Huckabee for showing his genuine Christian creds.
Fair enough Rico- here it is.
“Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes.”
“concentrating so much on Obama’s pastor was probably not the smartest thing to do”
I don’t think I’m the only person concentrating on this at the moment, as recent polls indicate. I would love to focus on the real issues. your guy is gonna have to clear this up before anyone is going to listen to his policies. He can start by answering why he lied about knowing his pastor of twenty years was racist.
Rich,
Of course you aren’t the only one who is talking about this. But does that mean you have to be another voice in the mob of character assassins?
If you would love to focus on the real issues then why are you so focused on trying to achieve a “gotcha” moment with this non-issue of a story? I think you really want to “get” Senator Barack Obama regardless of his being a genuinely amazing candidate for President.
Rich,
As a liberal I can tell you that Obama was lying. Of course he heard his pastor’s message. Obama heard his pastor’s remarks, but chose to do nothing. When the Reverend Wright said God damn America those words didn’t even register with Obama.
The man that would be President of the United States shrugged off the words: God damn America. The man that says words are important and can bring hope to the people said his pastor was just using words when he said God damn America.
Obama tried to play off the Reverend Wright fiasco off as racism in America. And most Obama supporters bought it. But what it really comes down to is just another example of Obama’s bad judgment.
If the pastor of my church said God damn America, I would get up, and walk out, and I think most people would too.
When Obama’s Grandmother told him she feared for her safety when she passed a black man on the street do you think she wanted the world to hear about it? Does Obama think his Grandmother is the only elderly person in the world to utter a racially insensitive remark? My God, is Obama’s Grandmother still alive? The poor woman raised Obama. And for Obama to take private conversations and use them to gain political points, is the lowest thing I have seen anyone do in years.
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/hillary-endorser-blasts-obamas-white-moma
So you guys filed an FEC complaint against Hillary Clinton for President Committee back in October. This is where you used stories published in the MSM as your evidence. Whatever happened regarding this complaint?
What kind of strings do you have to pull to get the Seal of the President of the United States as an endorsement of your blog?
Happy Easter everybody.
Neoclown,
If your pastor told you that gay people were “wrong”, “sinners”, “going to hell”… would you get up and walk out?
Rich,
This is the last time I will comment about Obama’s Pastor. The majority of Republican Policital analyst are saying his speech was superb and that this should be a non-issue. As are all presidential Candidates. To address your question of him lying;
When questioned about the Sermon thats floating around youtube Obama said he did not attend that sermon so he did not hear the racist remarks. Then when asked if he had ever heard Wright say anything controversial Obama says Yes. When Asked again what kind of controversial things he explained how the Wright was often a blunt man and used the example of how when talking about infedality he would often make some people in the congregation blush.
Now, the bush adm. cut interest rates by 0.75% two days ago, their was a momentary spike but now the markets are worse than the were. Continuing the tax cut does not seem like a viable option..
A presidential candidate with close ties to a racist organization is hardly a non issue. Can you honestly say that if McCain went to a church that promoted white values there would not be a total shitstorm brewing? What did Obama have to say before this hit the fan-
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=4443788
In a campaign appearance earlier this month, Sen. Obama said, “I don’t think my church is actually particularly controversial.”
Wow what awesome judgement your “amazing” candidate has. Guess he didn’t think there was anything controversial about the U.S. creating HIV to kill black people, or the U.S. deserving 9-11.
Once again, this Wright’s comments are common fare in the black community, along with all the crackpot conspiracy theories. I wasn’t surpised at all. I got a chuckle a couple months ago when I read on his church’s website that they considered black “middleclassness” a sin of sorts. Not black ciminality, or creation of fatherless homes, or welfare parasitism, just middle-classness. That should have been a warning alarm
Can you honestly say that if McCain went to a church that promoted white values there would not be a total shitstorm brewing?
What would these “white values” be that you speak of and how do they differ from “black values”?
Enlighten me.
Some Assembly Required- I’m not sure which Republican pundits youre talking about, can you please name a bunch. This should be asy if its a majority of them. As far as the candidates piling on this, that would be idiotic. Why get your hands dirty on this when Obama’s ship is sinking by itself? How did his magnificent speech do with the people that matters, lets read an article about Pannsylvania voters shall we?
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9132.html
“And his speech Tuesday, although widely praised by the pundit caste and Obama supporters, has only seemed to widen the gulf with the Budweiser class here.”
“More than a dozen interviews Wednesday found voters unmoved by Obama’s plea to move beyond racial divisions of the past. Despite baring himself with extraordinarily personal reflections on one of the most toxic issues of the day, a highly unusual move for a politician running for national office, the debate inside taverns and beauty shops here had barely moved beyond outrage aimed at the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Obama’s refusal to “disown” his longtime pastor.”
And my favorite part-
“A day after the speech, local residents were left wondering whether Obama was candid in the last week when he said he hadn’t heard any of Wright’s most objectionable remarks, but then said Tuesday that he had heard “controversial” remarks while sitting in the pews.
“He lied to Anderson Cooper,” said Rodica Mitrea, an aesthetician and immigrant from Romania, referring to an Obama interview Friday with the CNN anchor.
Steam I know you are not that dense. Obama’s church is “unabashedly afro-centric”. Spin it as you will, but if McCain went to a church for twenty years that was “unabashedly caucasion-centric” I think you might be crying foul.
Steam,
First and foremost, to be President of the United States one must love the United States.
To be President of the United States one must place their hand on a bible and swear that they will protect the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.
A church that preaches the damnation of the United States is to be considered a domestic enemy of the United States. To socialize with domestic enemies of the United States is to display unfitness for the office of President of the United States.
Yes I would get up and walk out if the pastor condemned gays. I would not attend a church if the pastor were homophobic.
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/hillary-endorser-blasts-obamas-white-moma
At least this is one penalty that can’t be interfered with by the President:
Let’s just say I am totally “that dense” and humor me here. What does “unabashedly caucasion-centric” mean? I cannot answer your question because I don’t know what the definition of that phrase is.
You are confused. His church is not the enemy of the United States. That’s is taking this way too far and is not even logical. At best it is called “dissent” and Thomas jefferson said dissent is patriotic. Therefore these people are patriots… far from the enemy.
They might hold a bit of a different view of this country but I garauntee you that they do not “hate” it. They love it as much as you and I do.
Just admit that you hate the Democratic party. You hate any candidate they will have. You will do whatever it takes to bring them down.
Damn… I step away for a couple of hours and all this about shitstorms and Obama’s preacher.
One of Obama’s comments on Wright…
Until anyone on this blog has lived thru years like that, you really have no basis to say something that preacher said was right or wrong. Until you have sat thru several sermons at an all Black church, I would say you have nothing to base your accusations on.
Get over it. Prove to me anything that Obama has said that proves he is a freaking racist. Don’t log the crap out there that he was there and didn’t complain so that proves it. That is nothing but horseshit.
Why is what his preacher said so much more important to you than McCain “confusing” Shia and Sunni FOUR TIMES while we are in a “war” in the Middle East?
A slight difference here… Obama didn’t say anything racist, his preacher did. McCain’s preacher didn’t screw up, McCAIN did.
Oh and if a Republican Presidential candidate is a member of a Southern Baptist Church (an organization who preaches homophobia) and you found out they continued to attend even though they preached homophobia… would you actually attack the the same as you have Obama?
Of course you wouldn’t because to you it would be a non-issue. It’s their opinion and in this country people have a right to have opinions. Sheesh. Are YOU that dense?
Just as all Republicans will gather behind McCain when it comes to the general election, so all Democrats will gather behind whoever wins out of Obama and Clinton; whether you like your candidate or not isn’t the issue. People will vote on partisan lines. They won’t vote for the other party just because they don’t agree with the choice of their own candidate. The most you could expect there is that they don’t vote at all.
Since America has become Left vs Right in the past few years, even Democrats who dislike Clinton immensely will vote for her over McCain if she’s the candidate. So this entire argument is pointless.
I’ve no doubt the media will continue to stretch the Obama race issue out as long as possible. It gets viewing figures, and it sells newspapers. But if something more “juicy” comes along, they’ll drop it like a hot potato and it will vanish from peoples talking points within days.
Domestic Economy issues have overtaken Iraq as the number one worry in American minds. There’s to some extent an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ aspect to Iraq to those who don’t actually have relatives or friends serving over there. They can – and do – ignore it in the main, except to tut over the odd media item they disagree with. But the economy, now that affects EVERYONE. And it’s in recession, no matter how many times senior members of the administration avoid using the “R” word.
Worse than that, the only plan I’ve seen President Bush come up with is the rebates, and he’s hoping people will be rushing to the mall treating these rebates as disposable income.
They won’t.
Gas is at an all time high; credit cards are about to be crunched (as lenders jittery over the lending market re-assess credit card lending) and job security, or the lack of it, is a real issue. Health insurance is a rip off, and it’s expensive to get sick without it. Given all these instabilities, who in their right mind isn’t going to want to use their rebate to cover at least one, and probably more than one of these areas?
And when very little of this money comes back into the economy, what will President Bush do then?
Iraq is not in a hurry to do anything, from political reconciliation to militarily taking back their country. Why? Because neo-cons will “stay as long as it takes”. Why do they need to lift a finger whilever a President over here is willing to keep spending US Taxpayers money on Iraq? What possible encouragement do they have? Yes, they want their own country back, but they aren’t going to get it back until they sign their oil over. Cheney made that quite clear in his recent visit, even though you had to look very closely at the way it was reported:
(emphasis mine)
Source: BBC News.
So given that they aren’t going to get their country back unless they do as their told, they have no incentive to change anything while ever a US president is prepared to stay in Iraq “for the next hundred years”
Obama is making some interesting speeches about how the daily money that floods to support the Iraq effort could be used for domestic spending, and that appeals to people who see spiraling gas costs, spiraling healthcare costs, mortgage repossessions and credit card call-ins.
So while the pro-war faction continues to promote endless war, there is a steadily drying up pool of taxpayer money that is sucking the domestic spending dry. It’s ultimately unsustainable. When nothing more can be cut back, when there aren’t enough dollars left and their value has deteriorated in world markets (remember, the US economy isn’t number one any more) then there won’t be a choice, there won’t be enough money to fight on, and at THAT time God help our poor troops over there, because suddenly there won’t be any money left to bring them home!
And what then? Blaming “Hillbama” and scoffing about how much worse things would be under a Democratic president is just deluding yourself about how desperate the situation is RIGHT NOW. And President Bush, and Candidate McCain (who follows the same policies) HAS NO PLAN to tackle this. At all.
Any plan is better than no plan.
Hmmm.
Also, let us not forget that Senator Barack Obama’s mother is a white woman.
You people are ridiculous, Obama comes out and confronts a highly sensitive issue that the US has been pretending does not exist anymore. It’s like beating a friend then bringing him to the hospital. Once that friend is better you then go to him and say ‘were cool right?’ and pretend everything is fine because you brought him to the hospital. Obama’s speech addressed this problem and suggested it’s time to move forward. But all you can get from it is that He lied about hearing his Pastors statement or his Christian church is ‘Evil’ and hates America. This blog has truly hit a new low. I truly hope this is localized and the country will see through this and quickly. If not, the America which you are advocating does not exist. It is an illusion.
Senator John McCain’s broad appeal in the very-Republican Congressional district vacated by former-House Speaker Dennis Hastert which has now been claimed by Democrats:
MorrisMajor: Ricorun, I don’t know what your point is exactly, but this is a pilot program so the meters et al are going to be a lot more expensive than full scale production versions. It sounds like a pretty darn good idea.
You’re point about it being a pilot program, and thus more expensive, is a good one. My point is that even considering that (i.e., ignoring economy of scale issues), and even ignoring the likelihood that the cost of legacy fuels will continue to go up, and even ignoring all the other benefits smart grid technology holds for the eventual deployment of renewable energy sources — even if you ignore all that — if all the smart grid does is even out the energy load so as to reduce consumption during traditional peak hours by 10% (when the cost of using energy is the highest), the likelihood is very high that they will pay for themselves. That was my point.
But while Boulder is the first community-wide, commercial scale pilot project, another smaller, though more robust pilot project was performed on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula last year. In that one they outfitted 112 homes with not only smart meters, but smart thermostats, water heaters, and dryers. That shaved an average of 15% off each home’s montly bill — and, more importantly, reduced power consumption by 50% of normal for days during times of heaviest demand.
It’s that load-leveling effect that will make smart grids pay off in the near-term, because it’s very expensive, inefficient, and usually dirty (environmentally speaking) for a utility to accommodate those heavy demand hours. But in the long term they also allow for a two-way distributed grid wherein if individual consumers have solar panels on their roof, a backyard wind turbine, a water turbine in the stream running through their yard, or even a plug-in hybrid, whatever, they can sell the excess generation back to the grid. Smart grids have the potential not only to change the definitions of “peak” and “off-peak” hours in versatile, community-specific ways (depending upon the energy sources in the area), but also to change the relationship individuals have to the grid itself. It’s no longer a one-way street. When that happens (I don’t think it’s a question of “if” anymore) it will be both individually empowering, but it will also help immunize the whole community against supply shocks.
That’s the up side. The down side is… you can’t run your air conditioner right up until a blackout occurs. The meter will turn it off before that happens, and it won’t let you override it. So in that respect you lose a certain amount of personal freedom. Some people consider that a step down a slippery slope. Personally, I don’t see it that way. Whether the meter turns my air conditioner off or I wait for the inevitable blackout, I’ll still sweat just as much. But if my meter turns it off for me, at least I don’t have to cook everything in my freezer before it spoils.