John McCain - Hubris & Delusion

McCain sprang into action when he woke up to the Georgia invasion. First sensing a great photo op, he began talking to the press. An article in the Washington Post documents his first bout of hubris.

Standing behind a lectern in Michigan this week, with two trusted senators ready to do his bidding, John McCain seemed to forget for a moment that he was only running for president.

Asked about his tough rhetoric on the ongoing conflict in Georgia, McCain began: "If I may be so bold, there was another president . . ."

He caught himself and started again: "At one time, there was a president named Ronald Reagan who spoke very strongly about America's advocacy for democracy and freedom."

Then he sent his own personal "envoys", Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Joe Lieberman to Georgia to asses the situation. And they call Obama presumptious for visiting Berlin?

The delusional part comes from McCains quote on the Georgia crisis, the first serious international crisis since the end of the Cold War." I guess Senator McCain does not think or invasion of Iraq, or the war in Afghanistan are major enough, or that 9/11 wasn't major enough.

Watch it:

Refuting The Fox Attacks - More Lies About Obama

McCain & Bush - More Of The Same?

Another viral video against McCain.

Chinese "Lip Sync" Girl - Not Last Minute Change

Though Chinese government officials claim the little darling who lip synced the opening song at the Olympics in Beijing was a last minute change, the facts in the Chinese press tell another story.

I stumbled across a Chinese news page today with a pictorial and full back story on Lin Miaoke, the "Olympic Girl". The photo essay shows Lin and her family in numerous "real life" situations. The story was posted on 8/8/08 thde same day as the ceremonies, so I doubt that the choice of her was a last minute decision. Add to this the news that there are documents proving the Chinese gymnasts are underage and you have to wonder what else China is lying about?

My Bad - But, New Obama Book Still Full Of Lies

OK, I screwed up in a moment of confusion I bit on the parody cover of the new swift boat book on Obama. The parody had an image of the devil and a subtitle "Why the Anti-Christ wants to devour your children". With the kind of crap coming from the Family Research folks and the rest of the religious right I guess I just figured this was another example.

The new book Obama Nation, written by the same guy who wrote the hatchet job on John Kerry is at it again. Check out Firedoglake for the real story. Thanks to David Neiwert for calling my attention to my big snafu!

Chinese Gymnasts Underage! Anothe Chinese Fraud

Those impossibly flexible Chinese gymnasts who charmed the world and swept the gold medals always looked so young. Well even though the government produced passports, ournalists digging a little deeper than the International Olympic Committee have found a different story.

According to a piece published today in Huffington Post by David Flemenbaum shows clear evidence that the Chinese government and press doctored news stories and official documents to falsify the girl's ages.

Just last night the major networks were talking to experts who analyzed the girl's photos and showed how their eyes, and chin betray the age claim of them being 16. Now it is up to the IOC to investigate this and get some real answers form the Chinese, that is unless they are intimidated or already paid off.

John McCains Less Than Stellar Military Record On Video!

Bush Administration Trying To Outlaw Birth Control As "Abortion"

Just got this note from MoveOn.org. I could have sworn Griswold vs Connecticut had been decided long ago, but the Bush folks apparently want to quietly change that.

I had to share something with you. Can you imagine living in a place where birth control is considered an "abortion" and health insurers won't cover it? Where even rape victims are denied emergency contraception?

It seems unbelievable, but the Bush Administration is quietly trying to redefine "abortion" to include birth control. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims. And this proposed "rule change" doesn't need congressional approval.

I just signed a message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change, telling him: "Contraception is NOT abortion." Can you add your voice to this cause? Click here to sign the message.

George & Laura Divorce Rumor Again!

Fresh from a trip to China and now off on a vacation to the ranch in Crawford, Texas, President Bush still has not responded to the rumors surrounding his apparently rocky relationship with his wife. The cover of the tabloids once again blared the headline that Laura and George are sleeping in separate bedrooms. I have to wonder how long they will remain together after their time the White House is over?

I first figured out the story was heating up again when the stats on my blog began to skyrocket specifically in searches for "George & Laura Divorce". Ever since the Enquirer broke the John Edwards scandal, I am giving a little more credence to these supermarket rumor rags.

I have heard through friends that Laura has been in contact with a realtor in Highland Park, a Dallas suburb, looking for her own house. Add this to a comment from the First Lady when questioned about whether she was going to live on the ranch in Crawford after the White House, she was reported to say, "George might, but I am living in Dallas".

That little blurb was confirmed by the President himself at a fundraiser when he said, "Laura's over there trying to buy a house … I like Crawford, but apparently after eight years of sacrifice, I am no longer the decision-maker."

Bush Vacations While Georgia Burns

Georgia is turning into a powder keg and where is President Bush? Well, he's off to a two week vacation in Crawford of course!

This after criticizing congress for their vacation! Does anyone even care what our government is doing? Where is the press on this crap? Bush is a hypocrite and a fool and the press continues to give him a free pass over and over.

I suspect we will have to endure the endless footage of Bush clearing brush again. This after watching him act like a buffoon in China. Sheesh!

Democratic Party Chair In Arkansas Murdered

Arkansas Democratic Party Chair Bill Gwatney was shot at State Democratic Party Headquarters in Little Rock. At around 11:50 a.m. today a man walked into Democratic Headquarters and demanded to speak with the Chairman. Staff tried to turn him away but he pushed his way in and shot Gwatney then fled the scene.

A suspect was later shot and detained by Little Rock Police. No motive is given, but I suspect this is similar to the hate crime committed in Nashville last month. My suspicions come from this part of the story in the Arkansas Times,

Police may have picked up the shooter's trail because he threatened someone with a gun nearby. Reports were that a man with a gun confronted a building manager in the Arkansas Baptist State Convention office building a few blocks east of Democratic headquarters and said he'd lost his job. He pointed the gun, but didn't shoot. He fled in a vehicle whose description was reported to police.

That line about being out of work sounds earily familliar to the excuse given by the shooter in Nashville. I have to wonder if this isn't a US version of the sectarian violence that fundamentalism has caused in the Middle East.

UPDATE:

According to an AP report the gunman is dead:

A gunman who barged into Arkansas' Democratic Party headquarters Wednesday and fired three shots at the party chairman was fatally wounded during a 30-mile chase, Little Rock police said.

The gunman had wanted to speak to party chairman Bill Gwatney and, after being denied entry, went into the office anyway, according to Gwatney's secretary. The suspect was chased into Grant County, south of Little Rock, and died later, according to police Lt. Terry Hastings.

UPDATE 2: Arkansas Democratic Party Chair Bill Gwatney has died from his gunshot wounds.

Russia Pounding Civilians In Georgia - Video

Al Jazeera has this report. I hope more US news sorces show what is really going on in Georgia.

Russian Tanks Advance Into Georgia

As Russian tanks advance into Georgia, the "president" of Russia says hostilities have stopped. I use the quotes around his title because everyone knows Putin is the power and Medvedev is just a puppet, much like Bush is Cheney's puppet.

Russia wants Georgia back in the fold, not only for nationalistic pride, but because the only iol and gas lines into Europe from the rich resources of the East not under Russian control run through Georgia. They want a stranglehold on oil and gas in Europe.

The looting and destruction of Georgian villages on the road to Tbilisi was reported as tank briefly started traveling toward the Georgian capital. That advance has been diverted for now.

This whole crisis really tests NATO and it's resolve. I have to wonder what the White House will do in the face of this naked aggression by Russia. After all there is oil involved, so that should get Bush's attention.

Current & Former Republicans Backing Obama

In an amazing break with their propaganda machine Fox News reported on the growing number of GOP and ex-GOP who are throwing their support behind Obama.

A conference call Tuesday featured former Iowa Rep. Jim Leach, former White House intelligence adviser Rita Hauser and former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee, who represented his state as a Republican, but switched to become a Democrat so he could vote for Obama in the primary.

“I’m convinced that the national interest demands a new approach to our interaction with the world,” said Leach, adding that Obama offers the leadership to do that.

Add to that list Fairbanks, Alaska, Mayor Jim Whitaker, a Republican, who has also has announced his support for Obama.

I would look for Republican Senator Chuck Hagel to announce his support any day!

Huckabee Dismisses Post In McCain Cabinet - Not Enough Money!

If you ever needed proof that FOX News was an arm of the GOP look at the revolving door of politicians who are becoming FOX news personalities. Karl Rove splits his duties between giving the McCain campaign advice through back channels and appearing on air as an apologist for the Bush administration.

Now Mike Huckabee will join him. Huckabee recently taped a pilot for a new FOX News show with a live audience. According to reports, Huckabee says it will be "unlike anything that's on Fox". Maybe he means it will have shreds of truth in it?

In a New York Post interview he was asked if he would consider a post in a McCain administration and on that matter, Huckabee was very clear.

"Why would I want to do that?" Huckabee says.

"I'm gonna have a good life out here in the private sector," he says. "Why would I go back to telling everybody in the world how much money I make and . . . barely surviving to have some obscure cabinet post and have some 20-year-old from the White House telling me what I'm gonna do?"

Like a good neocon, Huckabee sells out for the cash!

Obama On Russian Invasion

Though McCain may have been first to comment on the Georgia invasion, Obama has made a clear statement this afternoon of his opposition to the Russian invasion. When first asked about this situation over the weekend, Obama said he was aware of it and would make a statement later. Here it is. Compare it with John McCains statement , much of which was cribbed from Wikipedia! (no joke here)

The full text of Barack's speech is here.

Good morning. The situation in Georgia continues to deteriorate because of the escalation of Russia's use of military force. I have spoken to President Saakashvili, and conveyed my deep regret over the loss of life, and the suffering of the people of Georgia.

For many months, I have warned that there needs to be active international engagement to peacefully address the disputes over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, including a high-level and neutral international mediator, and a genuine international peacekeeping force - not simply Russian troops.

No matter how this conflict started, Russia has escalated it well beyond the dispute over South Ossetia and invaded another country. Russia has escalated its military campaign through strategic bombing and the movement of its ground forces into the heart of Georgia. There is no possible justification for these attacks.

I reiterate my call for Russia to stop its bombing campaign, to stop flights of Russian aircraft in Georgian airspace, and to withdraw its ground forces from Georgia. The Georgian government has proposed a cease-fire and the Russian government should accept it. There is also an urgent need for humanitarian assistance to reach the people of Georgia, and casualties on both sides.

The United States, Europe and all other concerned countries must stand united in condemning this aggression, and seeking a peaceful resolution to this crisis. We should continue to push for a United Nations Security Council Resolution calling for an immediate end to the violence. This is a clear violation of the sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Georgia - the UN must stand up for the sovereignty of its members, and peace in the world.

I welcome the visit of the French and Finnish foreign ministers to Georgia as a first step toward mediation. There should also be a United Nations mediator to address this crisis, and the United States should fully support this effort. We should also convene other international forums to condemn this aggression, to call for an immediate halt to the violence, and to review multilateral and bilateral arrangements with Russia - including Russia's interest in joining the World Trade Organization.

The violence taking place along the Black Sea is just miles from Sochi, the site for the Winter Olympics in 2014. It only adds to the tragedy and outrage of the current situation that Russia has acted while the world has come together in peace and athletic competition in Beijing. This action is wholly inconsistent with the Olympic ideal.

While returning to a pre-August 8 military posture is a necessary first step to resolving this crisis, we cannot tolerate the unacceptable status quo that led to this escalation. That means Russian peacekeeping troops should be replaced by a genuine international peacekeeping force, Georgia should refrain from using force in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and a political settlement must be reached that addresses the status of these disputed regions.

Going forward, the United States and Europe must support the people of Georgia. Beyond immediate humanitarian assistance, we must provide economic assistance, and help rebuild what has been destroyed. I have consistently called for deepening relations between Georgia and transatlantic institutions, including a Membership Action Plan for NATO, and we must continue to press for that deeper relationship.

The relationship between Russia and the West is long and complicated. There have been many turning points, for good and ill. This is another turning point.

Let me be clear: we seek a future of cooperative engagement with the Russian government, and friendship with the Russian people. We want Russia to play its rightful role as a great nation - but with that role comes the responsibility to act as a force for progress in this new century, not regression to the conflicts of the past. That is why the United States and the international community must speak out strongly against this aggression, and for peace and security.

Alabama Attorney General In Gay Affair?

So with all the chatter about John Edwards, maybe it's time to pull out the heavy ammunition? Take Troy King, Attorney General of the great state of Alabama. This Republican official has made numerous comments on how bad sex toys were and how having a "gay-lesbian alliance" on the campus of the the University of Alabama was an "affront to the entire citizenry of the state".

Well mr/ King apparently has a fondness for gay things in private. According to Huffington Post columnist David Fiderer the story about Kings affair with a young intern consistantly draws "no comment" from King. One can only assure it's a tacit admission of guilt. and consider this in an interview with a local radio show host.

Dale Jackson asked the questions, including one about the 2006 homecoming king of Troy University, King's alma mater. (You can't make this stuff up.) More specifically, Jackson, an Alabama radio talk show host, asked King about the meteoric rise in the career of John Godwin, who started working for King as an intern in 2007, when he was a 23-year-old senior majoring in broadcast journalism.

"Soon, he was on the payroll at $10 an hour, and he quickly advanced from there. As early as July 2007, Godwin was named a special administrative assistant earning more than $39,000 a year. Within nine months of arriving as an intern, Godwin was King's executive assistant, drawing more than $57,000 a year - close to what entry-level lawyers earn in the office." The Birmingham News, July 29, 2008

Read the full story in Huffington Post.

An additional note, Both King and Godwin are seen regularly together at the local YMCA.

McCain Being Hidden From Press - Why?

After reading the story in Rolling Stone about how elusive McCain is on the campaign trail, I found another blurb where it seems McCain's cell phone time is being limited by his handlers. Add this to his sparse appearances, no more than one per day, and you have a candidate who is hiding.

Why? What do his handlers not want the public to know?

I suspect it is the frailty of Mr. McCain. At 71, he seems to be having trouble keeping up with the rigors of a presidential campaign. His frequent fumbles and sometimes outright "deer in the headlights" moments paint a picture of a nice guy, who has no business trying to be president.

Everyone has seen how the presidency ages people. Look at George Bush in his first year. Grey hair and many more wrinkles. It's not unusual for president's to visibly age in office, the stress is tremendous and I personally don't think McCain is up to it.

Senile? Well the jury is out on that but my guess is at least a little age related forgetfulness is setting in. Maybe that is why he is hiding from the press?

Watch these clips and decide for yourself.

McCain Viral Video - Watch Or Else!

John McCain is really good at inspiring viral videos, against him! Check this one out, and don't miss the crawl at the bottom of the screen.

Isaac Hayes, Dead at 65

Just heard the sad news that Isaac Hayes is dead. I grew up listening to him and his special brand of groove R&B. The man had Soul with a capital "S".

I guess there is a whole generation of people who will only know him as the voice of Chef on South Park. Though he was great in that role, his real genius was his music. The theme from Shaft will probably outlive all of us.

Hayes was found dead in his home next to a treadmill. No cause of death has yet been released.