Since I’m clueless about adding widgets and stuff, here’s my way of imploring all my visitors to vote for our PUMA partners in the 2008 Weblog Awards.
For Best Liberal Blog, vote for the Confluence here.
For Best New Blog, vote for Uppity Woman here.
Voting opens tomorrow, Jan. 5, and closes Jan. 12.
Be sure to show your love to our nominees.
They soooooo deserve it.
And that is definitely not snark.
The already scandal-plagued man who will be sworn in as America’s 44th president in a little over two weeks is full of crap and the butt kissing media that enables him is, too. The number of examples of this “don’t worry about a thing, we’ve got your back” medialove are far to numerous to chronicle here, or on any one forum, but let’s start with what’s in the news today, and what it is designed to divert attention from. The latter is easy, the Obamedia is desperate to get us to ignore the scandal-ridden nature of the coming administration, by simply re-labeling it as non-scandalous, claiming that it has no effect on his wonderfulness, proclaiming that nothing is his fault, or promoting the insignificant.
First up, the insignificant. CBS2Chicago tells us that Barack Obama “choked up” when leaving his empty Chicago home to assume his new job in Washington, you know, the one that would overwhelm a lesser man. Why the home in the city he has made his and his party’s headquarters, and that he calls his “Kennebunkport” and has vowed to return to at every available opportunity would be empty is not mentioned, natch:
President-elect Barack Obama says he choked up a little bit when he left his empty house before flying to Washington.
Obama spoke briefly to reporters aboard a government 757 before taking off en route to Andrews Air Force Base. His family went to Washington on Saturday and left him to wander around his Hyde Park home alone.
Yawn. Why is this “news?” Maybe for the same reason Good Morning America featured a guest who said his year of “living like Jesus” motivated him to vote for Obama because he was the candidate who best represented Jesus’ teachings on the same page as “Obama’s Favorite Chicago Haunts” and “Challenges for Obama in 2009.”
These kinds of stories are designed to blunt the effect of other stories, like, oh, say the one about his Commerce Secretary-designate’s withdrawal due to allegations of his involvement in a “pay to play” scheme. From the New York Times:
Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, one of the country’s most prominent Hispanic politicians and President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to be commerce secretary, on Sunday dropped out of consideration for that post. He attributed his decision to the ongoing investigation of a company that has done business with New Mexico.
Richardson, unaffectionately dubbed “Judas,” by James Carville and every other Hillary Clinton supporter in the primaries because of his betrayal of the people what brung him in favor of the one that promised him more than he deserved. Why Richardson allowed himself to be deceived to the point that he would go so far as to disparage his former benefactors on behalf of the one destined to toss him under the bus as soon as his bulk became excess baggage, is a testament to either the man’s lack of political acumen or his greed. Whatever, but under the bus he goes. From the same news network that gave us the Obama/Jesus whitewash, Jake Tapper reports:
Sources tell ABC News that officials on the Obama Transition Team feel that before he was formally offered the job of commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was not forthcoming with them about the federal investigation that is looking into whether the governor steered a state contract towards a major financial contributor.
Once the investigation became more widely known through national media reports last month, sources tell ABC News, the Obama Transition Team realized the FBI would not be able to give Richardson a clean political bill of health before the new administration is ready to send his nomination up to the Senate for confirmation.
The Richardson camp says the governor was forthcoming, with sources close to the governor noting that there had been reports about the controversy in local media such as the Albuquerque Journal as far back as August 2008. The governor discussed the investigation with the Obama team, they say, and believes that he and his administration have done nothing wrong.
Of course “Judas” now feels himself betrayed; had the flames of “pay to play” fire not flicked so close to Obie and the Obacrats’ butts so close to the inauguration, and the Team O public relations machine been able to manipulate the scandal in a manner similar to the John (Kookie) Edwards love child dirt, maximizing Edwards’ minimal political influence before ruining his career, chances are Richardson might have emerged relatively unscathed. However, with the way the Obacrats have bungled the Blagojevich “Hot Senate Seat” prematurely ejaculated arrest, Richardson was more than expendable, he was imperatively so. Had the Obacrats nullified Blago when they had the chance, he never could have big balled them by legally appointing Roland Burris to replace Obama as the only black Senator, thereby shrinking theirs to the size of Raisinets. That’s what Obie and the Obacrats and their “Astroturfing” (which is unethical in, and of, itself, btw) genius David Axelrod are desperately trying to tap dance past.
That, and the fact that though they have whiningly cleared themselves in the “Blago tried to sell my seat” ongoing BlagObama Drama, it’s not at all clear that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has. Though Fitzgerald said Obama and his team were not involved in the preliminary complaint (not indictment), he never said Obama wasn’t involved in the investigation. And, Fitz’s motion for a 90 day extension (that Blago does not oppose) after questioning Obama and two of his closest aides, Rahm Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett, and his leaking to the press the titillating information that “multiple potential witnesses” have come forward, and that there are “thousands of intercepted phone calls” to go through (not just the 4 Fitz is willing to release to the impeachment committee) raising the possibility of “multiple new defendants,” has got to be giving Obie and the boyz a plethora of sleepless nights. Not to mention that the incompetence of the Obacrats becomes more obvious the longer Blago is allowed to run loose and agitate them into shooting themselves in the foot.
In advance of the upcoming Norman Hsu trial, as well as the recently exposed Congel/Clinton Foundation connection, watch out for an onslaught of “he walks on water, he really does, take it from us” type articles in the mainstream media and blogosphere in your near future. And, given his history, be prepared for the Tap Dancing Teflon TelePrompTer Reading Obamessiah to try to toss his Secretary of State appointee, Mary Mgdalene/Hillary Clinton right under the bus with “Judas.”
This song inspired this song…
…written by West Virginia native Lady D, and which won an Obama Music Arts and Entertainment inaugural song competition. The website sponsors Obama-inspired artistic endeavors. I kid you not:
This is a site for people to share and enjoy Obama-inspired artistic creations. If you are not an artist but a fan of Obama, you will love the treasure you find here. If you are an artist who has created a piece about or inspired by Obama, send it to us and we’ll share it with everyone. All mediums accepted. So send us your films, songs, videos, still photography, visual artistry, essays, short stories, spoken word, and poetry; It is completely free: you just need to create a profile first.
Needless to say, I didn’t register. Anyway, Lady D and her band, Mi$$ion, will be going to the inaugural ball in recognition of her win, though it’s unclear as to whether she will be allowed to perform. In her own words:
Thanks to everyone who voted for my song, “Go Higher” for the Obama inaugural song. I just got the word and I’m so excited! I couldn’t have done it if you all hadn’t gotten behind this. Thanks again for your support and I’ll keep you updated on what’s happening. It’s not guaranteed at this point that I can actually perform at the inauguration itself but I’ve been told that I will be at one of the inaugural balls. I’m just happy for the opportunity. Thanks again to all of you! LOVE YA!Doris A. Fields
Lady D
A better audio version of the winning song can be found on the Lady’s website. The Chesapeake native wrote the song years ago, but entered it into the competition and won by 16 votes. Considering the way Hillary Clinton spanked Barack Obama in the primaries, I thought all West Virginians were white, racist, Bible-clinging, gun-totin’ bigots. At least, that’s what I read in the papers.
