Playing President

Barack Obama is a mild-mannered college professor playing at being a politician pretending to know what the hell he’s talking about when he reads other people’s ideas written up by the Cardboard Titty Groper from a TelePrompTer, or, Heaven forbid, note cards.  As such, he has yet to settle on a comfortable persona, or alter-ego, if you will.   Is he an affable, perpetual campaigner, selling “hopey change” to the hard of listening?  Is he a Dark Darth Vader of Doom with a “sky is falling” Chicken Little complex?  Could he be SuperO!, sent to us from a planet far, far, far away, in another galaxy, by a benevolent father determined to save our people as his meet their end?  Or, is he a stern, yet compassionate EveryDad, kindly dispensing “tough love” to his cherished, yet clueless adolescent children?  Whatever role he’s playing, he seems to have forgotten that in our system of government, he’s technically, no better than any other citizen.

“My fellow Americans.”

Most presidents use this phrase to address their fellow citizens, but, to the best of my knowledge, Barack Obama usually does not.  One suspects that the reason for this is that even he knows enough to realize that “My loyal subjects,” what he wants to call us, is inappropriate.  Therefore, he tends to call us the political equivalent of “you guys,” which is, “everybody,” as in, “Good evening, everybody,” or “Everybody be seated.”

Whatever.  The Obamessiah has donned just about all of his myriad personalities over the past few weeks since the inauguration; first as the Play President, getting his picture taken sitting behind his big, shiny new desk in his shirtsleeves, pretending to talk on the phone so it would look like he was actually doing Important Stuff.  When that proved to be insufficient to inspire the proper degree of deference and awe necessary to force Congress to do his bidding, he and his PuppetMasters decided it was time to dust off the Lovable Candidate suit, pack up the Traveling TelePrompTer and and hit the road giving away houses door to door like Oprah doing Ed McMahon.  When it looked like even that might not work, he commandeered the airwaves as Doctor Destructo, scaring the shit out of “his fellow Americans,” and other little children with his “catastrophic” proclamations portending imminent doom and devastation if he didn’t get his way with his stimulus plan, only to be met with the fate he said he was trying to avoid when he did.

Earlier today, Obantos channeled his inner Huxtable and scolded his headstrong older mayoral sons and daughters working in the family business, charged with dispensing their allowance to their younger siblings fairly.  Like Cliff to lovable screw-up Theo, Papa Prez laid down the law; “do it right, or answer to me.”  Like Theo, the kiddie mayors grabbed the cash, said, “uh-huh, luv ya, Pops,” and hit the door quick before he changed his mind and snatched it back in order to issue more conditions they fully plan to ignore.  Again, like Cliff, the Acting President smiled indulgently, knowing they’d be back for more as soon as they ran through what he’d given them, just as well as they knew he had held some back for just that purpose.

He has also, on occasion, been thrust into the role of hapless, bumbling Mr. Peepers does Dagwood, such as when his best laid cabinet plans gang aft aglaed.  Having three candidates for one position withdraw from consideration, as he has had with Secretary of Commerce (Pritzker, Richardson, and Gregg) could make anybody look stupid, even if his Secretary of Treasury wasn’t a tax cheat the world had no confidence in.   And, if he was the only one.

As he theorizes and strategizes hypothetical responses to focus group directives, marking time giving pep talks in front of crowds and television cameras, tap dancing as fast as he can in an attempt to divert attention from his un-preparedness and ineptitude, his Traveling Light and Magic Show still enjoys good ratings.  However, in spite of his uncanny quick-change talent and clever scriptwriters eerily in touch with their target audience through age, internet and Starbucks, he would do well to remember that there is not enough Mocha Choca Latte bars and customers to keep a bad show on the air once the novelty wears off for the fickle “fellow Americans” he serves.

Especially if they think it’s his fault they’re broke.

So, keep dancing, Mr. President, so far, your fancy footwork has been enough to dazzle the gullible with your particular brand of Obandini.  Tomorrow, a better show might come along.

Or, your fans’ real parents might make ‘em get a job.

Beware Obama Fatigue

Let’s face it, most PUMAs are sick to death of Barack Obama.  We recoil from the sight and sound of him stumbling through ghost-written, TelePrompTer read  speeches on our television screens, tens, that feel like thousands, of times a day, droning incessantly about something that only he can so successfully make seem like nothing.  And vice-versa.   However, where we once railed against the excessive exposure, shouting at our computers and TVs every time he, his name or likeness popped up in yet another puff or fluff piece of a sad excuse for a print “news” article or op-ed column, or tedious You Tube lecture, or “get your very own useless Obama trinket” commercial, we now just sigh.

We’re simply getting tired.

“Obama fatigue” was all the rage this summer after a Pew poll showed that Obaexposure had reached saturation point.  Coincidently, about a month  thereafter, the economy tanked, an event which diverted attention, and predictably, allowed the Obamachine to go into Obadrive with layers of Axelrod brand Astroturf and effectively counter all the prior negativity.  To allow this sort of signature combat maneuver to continue to go undefended is just as dangerous now as it ever was because it allows crappily written pump ‘n’ prop him up pieces of “ain’t he just the greatest thing since Mickey D’s” drivel to sneak into the public consciousness unchecked, except for rightwing Republican kneejerk “everything he does sucks” often baseless, yet predictable partisan responses, which can be easily refuted.  We PUMAs just cannot afford to be complacent without accepting at least some of the blame for his further chicanery and incompetence.

Frank Rich in the New York Times, and Pamela Gentry in the Huffington Post, both have “hush the Obama naysayers” pieces today touting the Nascent Neophyte’s “triumph” of getting the massive, unread “stimulus bill” through Congress that many economists claim won’t stimulate anything except the libidos of the crooks who porkified and passed it in the dark.  Though Rich’s piece is interminably longer than Gentry’s, both give literary raspberries to those critical of both the bill and the stumblebum method of passage.  According to these two, the mere fact that the bill was passed proves Obiteme is not only not incompetent, he’s shrewd, skillful and he’s smarter than everybody on the planet, to boot.

Of course, the fact that he still doesn’t have a Commerce or Health and Human Services Secretary, and his Treasury Secretary is a tax cheat nobody in the world has confidence in, is not mentioned by either opinionist.  Nor is the fact that Oblahblah and Associates have mounted a “lowered expectations” media campaign relative to his victorious, historic, stimulus bill, while ducking legitimate questions they don’t like.

And, just what is the great accomplishment of which they crow, anyway?  His attempt at bipartisanship was an utter failure, allowing Sen. John McCain, Sen. Lindsay Graham, and young Rep. Aaron Shock to access the airwaves all day Sunday trashing him and it, as John Boehner did on the floor of the House.  In fact, the net effect of the reality of Obama’s support for the bill is that more Democrats voted against it (7 in the House) than Republicans voted for it (3 in the Senate).

The main reason such cheerleading must be countered is that if it is not, the Obama “brand” becomes further entrenched in the American psyche without challenge, which is as fraught with danger as allowing Peanut Corp. to continue selling its products without reporting the salmonella outbreak.  If nobody raises a stink, people will keep right on buying Jiff because they like Mr. Peanut, regardless of the fact that he represents another company.

Kevin Price of BizPlusBlog, someone I know nothing about, underscores my point that the vast majority of Bicardi ‘n’ KoolAid drinkers know next to nothing about politics, and are those deliberately targeted by the Obama campaign, being overly susceptible to “branding.”  Price argues that Obamacamp’s manipulation of  the “gotta do someting, anything’s better than doing nothing, or we’re all gonna die”  or, “the ship is sinking, hurry up and jump aboard!” theme was directed at these folks:

There are two basic views of government. One sees the best government doing as little as possible and being focused on protecting individuals from other individuals and our country from foreign adversaries. The opposite extreme is that government should play a pervasive role in every aspect of our lives and that it should be the primary driver of our economy and society. The vast majority who have an opinion fall some where in between. Far more than those with an actual opinion have no real view at all. Those people are my concern here.

This uniformed majority are the same people who are driving Barack Obama’s extremely high approval ratings. They don’t really know what they are doing, or what they believe, they are merely very sincere. They think some action is, at least, action. But the actions of this administration will take generations to pay off and they promise to make things far worse than better.

Here’s the rub, most PUMAs are not political science majors, either.  We’re simply politically aware bullshit detectors.  The danger we face is that, like most fertilizers, the odor of Obandini can become tolerable with enough constant exposure.  That’s bad enough, but when the super slick fertilizer salesman touts the benefits of using his new chocolate flavored product on store bought vegetables, and even as an ice cream topping, some gullible folks can be persuaded to forget they’re swallowing bullshit whole.  Unfortunately for the rest of us, there are so many more of them.  And they’re more than willing to let the government promote the notion that fecalized fast food is nutritious and delicious while they sell it to us and our children by the pound.

We PUMAs just don’t have the luxury of Obama fatigue.

At Least He’s Still Black

What’s up with the Most Transformational Super Fantastic Bombastic Charismatic Political Figure Who Happened To Be Black And Blessed, that he can’t pick a cabinet for shit?  According to Fox News, Commerce Secretary appointee, Judd Gregg has officially said, “bump this noise, I can’t hang,” only not exactly in those words:

Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has withdrawn his nomination to become President Obama’s commerce secretary.

In a statement released by his office, the New Hampshire senator cites “irresolvable conflicts” on issues including the economic stimulus package.

Gregg was named the Commerce nominee a week ago after the withdrawal of former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

So while Oboyi’mboss trots around the country today being just black enough, killing two racial birds with one stone by celebrating Lincoln’s birthday, which conveniently falls during Black History Month so he doesn’t actually have to mention it, in the “symbolism over substance” manner of the 16th President, his much touted “superior judgment” is proving to be equally insubstantial.  His scandal plagued Treasury Secretary, Turbo Tax Timmy Geithner, tax cheat,  (TTTG,tc) has shown himself to be not only not the only guy on the planet capable of leading us out of the wilderness of our economic crisis, but excruciatingly boring as well.

Obuyme’s first Secretary of Commerce choice, Bill (Judas) Richardson, is another big ol’ heap o’ trouble waiting to fully develop like a Polaroid picture, according to Politico:

A grand jury in New Mexico is currently investigating whether the financial services company CDR funneled more than $100,000 in campaign contributions to Richardson’s PAC in order to win state bond and construction finance projects. Several other financial firms and banks, including UBS, are also accused of contributing to the PAC in order to gain contracts.

Richardson’s office has been subpoenaed to hand over correspondence with the Democratic Governors’ Association, which received contributions from UBS during Richardson’s time as DGA chairman that alone total more than $400,000.

And the governor’s former chief of staff was recently identified in another alleged pay-to-play scheme; the allegations are that a Chicago investment firm was awarded a contract to handle the state’s pension fund because it contributed $15,000 to Richardson’s PAC. The fund lost $90 million under the company’s watch.

In addition, Richardson has come under criticism for awarding state contracts to political allies. Local news outlets have chronicled how one local firm stacked with Richardson allies has been awarded $7.8 million in state auditing contracts since he became governor. In the five years prior to his 2002 election, the firm received $274,000 in such contracts, according to the New Mexico Independent.

I guess when you can get your party’s high-ranking officials to tout your controversial, not-quite-done, historic victory of a “stimulus bill” as “transformational,” you don’t have to sweat a withdrawal from a guy who seemed like such a good idea when he “campaigned for the job,” only to back out when he realized he doesn’t like you much.  What’s one more setback when you’re the first black President of Hope and Change?

I mean really, could we, as a people, really afford to wait and pray for a good one?

At least one of his appointees seems to be working out.

Obama IS America

John Ridley is KoolAid drunk and righteously buzzed on Hopium, dude.  The brother is on full, knowwhatumsayin’?  Looking around the blogosphere for something interesting besides predictably tired mea culpas from tax cheating cabinet appointees, or increasingly serious pay-to-play allegations that would, and have, run a politician without friends out of office, against former cabinet appointees, I found this link to a PBS commentary on Stop The ACLU.  (Toldja I was desperately seeking something.)  Anyway, if you have a strong stomach, or, if you too have a powerful all American man-crush on Brother President, (in which case you’ve either stumbled here by mistake, or are just as desperate for somebody to say or do something noteworthy as I am) take a look at this obsequiously unctuous pean to the bronze god, Obamacus Amerikos.

Clinton Smart And Powerful

Hillary Clinton, designated Lightning Rod Du Obacracy, was supposed to provide cover for all the other Obacrats having confirmation hearings this week by deflecting the wrath of the Mean Ol’ Republicans and any random remaining Democratic contrarians who might be looking for a way to tarnish the Obamessiah by seriously questioning their credentials.  By all reports, Clinton held up her end of the bargain admirably, though her fellow Senate members, by and large, showed her the love she’s due.  Sure, there were some “tough” questions about the Clinton Foundation for show, but no really tense moments; nothing she couldn’t handle.  But, the dogs did find a scent to sniff, coming from a guy whose confirmation hearings are two days away.  According to Politico, Timothy Geithner, Treasury Secretary-designate, has some issues about his personal taxes to ’splain:

Senators gathered Tuesday in an emergency meeting discussing the fate of Treasury nominee Timothy Geithner, who is under fire after a report that he neglected to pay payroll taxes for himself and employed a housekeeper whose immigration status had expired

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) raised questions today about the immigration status of the housekeeper, and is also questioning why Geithner did not pay Social Security and Medicare taxes when he worked at the International Monetary Fund, The Wall Street Journal first reported this afternoon.

The Senate Finance Committee has known about Geithner’s tax problems since Dec. 5, but the details are just being made public now, Senate aides said. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus says Geithner made a “serious mistake” but adds that the allegations are not enough to “disqualify” Geithner from consideration.

Since the Finance Committee has known about these problems for over a month, the obvious question is, why was the information withheld until now?  The equally obvious answer, of course, is that with the controversy surrounding Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and the brewing scandal swirling around New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s own “pay-to-play” allegations, it just never seemed like a good time.  Then again, to be fair, it’s not like a Treasury Secretary who doesn’t pay his own taxes is any more of a big deal than, oh, say, a Secretary of State who likes to fight, or an Education Secretary whose kids couldn’t read, or a homeless Housing and Urban Development guy would be, right?   Besides, it’s not like getting out in front of a controversy is ever really a smart thing to do, is it?  After all, little problems with domestic help have never bothered anybody before.  A candidate for Attorney General who has legal issues might have a lot more ’splainin’ to do.

America Jumps The Shark

I’m beginning to think that the art of politics (if there is such a thing) is the ability to get strangers to pretend to understand when you talk nonsense out of both sides of your mouth.  Unfortunately, that is also today’s definition of journalism.  That makes looking for turds of political wisdom among the media bullshit as much fun as a scavenger hunt in a sewer.  And just as obvious.

Politico is reporting that there are landmines ahead for ever-prepared policy wonk, Hillary Clinton, in her upcoming Senate confirmation hearings because she’s married to Bill and she ran against the man who appointed her, while at the same time (same article) reporting that her confirmation hearings are scheduled for only one day and everybody thinks she’ll be confirmed “speedily.”

Rasmussen Reports tells us that “lots” of people, 75% in fact, plan to watch at least “some” of the first black president-elect’s upcoming inauguration, with 28% planning to watch it “all,” while you couldn’t pay 21% to watch “any” of it.  They don’t tell us how many people plan to watch “for sure,” but 61% of black people will watch “all” the festivities, because he’s black, too, while only 22% of whites feel the same way, because they’re not.  Since the stupid networks show every indication of airing every aspect of the stupid inauguration festivities over and over until we “all” puke, I think it’s significant that 21% obviously won’t be turning on their televisions, reading a paper or surfing the net in the foreseeable near future.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein’s recent support of Rod Blagojevich’s appointee for Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat, Roland Burris, should score her some major points with black voters and colleagues who pretty much liked her anyway, according to CQ Politics.  Fienstein’s support registered well with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, though her reasoning had nothing to do with his skin color; rather, she cited a quaint little concept known as “the law.”

Feinstein’s bold stance on a no-brainer issue nonetheless puts her at odds with her Senate colleagues intent upon prolonging what amounts to a pissing contest during a circle jerk.  Those opposing Burris’ seating because he was appointed by a guy they consider to be a slimeball, (presumably not because he was involved in shady pay-to-play scams, but because he got caught; nobody’s calling for Bill Richardson’s head or for his duties to be suspended; probably because he doesn’t have a Senate seat to sell like Blago and barely Governor Patterson) are suddenly trying to figure out how to zip up their wet pants and look presentable without washing their hands now that they realize that the curtain’s open and people are watching.

What do you do when you pick the guy you like to give the invocation at your inauguration, in order to make nice with the people who didn’t vote for you, if the people who did vote for you hate him?  Why, you find somebody the people who like you will like, too, and invite him to speak at another event, call it an “inauguration…something” and, sell it on EBay the internet.

But, all of that is just business as usual.  Sure, the outgoing Republican president turning over 350 billion taxpayer dollars to the incoming Democratic president is a little unprecedented (like being a little pregnant) but, not eyebrow-raising in today’s Obamacan political climate.  And, so what if people who read Politico think that MSNBC’s Chuck Todd is a latter-day Walter Cronkite?   Who cares if the FISA guy wants to digitalize medical records?  Multiple wars, impeachments, Gitmo flip-flops, unemployment, sucky economy, scandal, we’re used to all that stuff.

No, what has sent the country into a Happy Days-inspired leap from reality is the recent propensity of popular culture icons to embrace the ridiculous as it relates to Barack Obama.  You’d think they’d never seen a black president before, or something.  First Ms. Magazine, in a move that makes “The View” and “Playgirl” seem radical by comparison, boasted an improbable cover touting Obama’s non-existent feminist creds, going so far as to depict him as the women’s movement’s very own super hero, a giant leap up, in the wrong direction, from Prince Charming or Barbie’s Ken.

But the “fridge was nuked” waaaay over the rainbow shark when Marvel Comics equally (more) improbably paired Obama with a real-as-it-gets superhero, Spiderman, in it’s latest edition, because the future Geek-In-Chief was once a collector.  I shit kid you not.

The Barack Obama rage has now taken the comic world by storm. Reportedly the president will feature along with the superhero ‘Spiderman’. The fact that the US-president elect was a Spidey collector as a kid, has inspired the Marvel Comics to feature the ‘icon’ for the children’s book.

“When we read that we thought, ‘Oh my God the future Commander-in-chief is actually the future nerd-in-chief,’ the New York Daily News quoted Joe Quesada, Marvel’s top editor, as saying. “With a geek in the White House , we just had to give him a shout back. It’s just the coolest thing ever,” Quesada added.

Unlike Ms., at least they didn’t give the Obamessiah undeserved super powers.  Maybe by this time next week, or more likely, the week after, since “lots” of us will be eating nachos and watching the Super Bowl of Politics on cable next week, (I wonder if they’ll have cool new commercials?) we’ll find out that the wheels on the Obabus are actually jet-propelled wings or something.  I’m sure a rocket fueled, Acme Co. E-ject-O driver’s seat is too much to ask for.

And, the wheels on the bus…

Burris Channels Malcolm

Uh-oh.  The Obacrats, with their shaky grasp on the law, coupled with their pre-school level truculence are going down on the Roland Burris appointment.  Burris, who seems to be a mild-mannered, harmless enough sort, nonetheless, also seems to have the ramrod backbone of any narcissist personally challenged.   None of this matters one whit, however, the bottom line is, Roland Burris is the duly appointed, by the sitting governor, replacement for Barack Obama’s Senate seat.  Period.  And, there’s nothing in the law that says the Obacrats have to like it.

It’s not like they weren’t warned.  Blagojevich made it clear that he was the governor, exercising his duty in making a appointment.  Rep. Bobby Rush helpfully pointed out, that contrary to the misguided wishes of the clueless political allies of Barack Obama, black doesn’t cancel black, whenever you have black people involved, you have a racial element to consider.  And deal with.  Now, Roland Burris is channeling his inner Malcolm X.  In an appearance on Face the Nation, Burris, a relatively savvy politician, had a lot to say, and let it be known that with the inauguration coming up, the president-elect doesn’t need this sort of “distraction,” that contrary to the Obacrats’ earlier stated position, things were now indeed about him, and he planned to be seated.  One of the more interesting statements was the invocation of the spirit of the man whose memory still causes sphincters to clinch and spines to tingle in certain segments of American society:

“Well, don’t you feel you’re being used by someone who is just trying to save his political skin?” Schieffer asked.

“Whatever means necessary,” Burris said, paraphrasing the 1960s radical Malcolm X. “I have nothing to do with the governor’s motives. What we needed was something to be done for the people of Illinois. That was his constitutional duty. That was his responsibility. The Illinois Constitution does not say the governor ‘may’ or the governor ‘might’ or the governor ’should.’ Bob, it says the governor ’shall’ appoint a person to fill the vacancy. That’s what happened.”

Now, the Obacrats who refused to act to nullify the powers invested in re-elected Governor Rod Blagojevich upon the event of his arrest, presumably because an accusation of criminal activity is not enough to empower them to do so, are desperately trying to erase the line in the sand they insisted upon drawing and trying to hide behind.

It didn’t have to be this way, President-elect Barack Obama could have held on to his Senate seat like Vice President-elect Jo(k)e Biden, and Secretary of State-designate, Hillary Clinton held on to theirs.  PUMA sites, among others, including this one, have questioned this particular move since Day One.  Why the rush to distance himself from his own Senate seat?  Are we supposed to believe the Smartest President In the Room didn’t know that the governor of his state was under investigation?  Everybody else did.  Why give him yet another, irresistable opportunity to implicate himself?  Or, was that the point?  And if so, to what end?  Is Obama so high above the kind of “pay-to-play” corruption seemingly so rampant in his home city and state that he need fear no blowback from any possible investigation, or, might he be motivated by a desire to deflect attention from himself by shining the brightest light imaginable on an inconvenient rival?   Had Obama not relinquished the seat, there’s no guarantee Blagojevich would have been arrested before the inauguration, (and U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s traditional replacement) if at all, since he had already been under investigation for 5 years without indictment.

Despite all their combined years of political experience, the Obacrats, under their rookie leader, seem to have forgotten one of the basic tenets of politics and life; when you play with fire, you’re gonna get burnt.  Yet, that is precisely what the Obacrats tried to do with the Blagojevich situation, fan the flames ignited by a random spark from their deliberately dropped match, then attempt to juggle the embers.  Too bad the fact that it is a fire of their own making does not render it any more safe.

That something so obviously a no-brainer is being seriously debated by lawmakers is so beyond the pale as to be unfathomable.  If  the Obacrats already had power to nullify Blagojevich in any way, why would they be so adamant about him resigning?  Besides, what on earth about a Blagojevich resignation now would invalidate Roland Burris’ appointment?  And, more importantly, does anybody really want to open the door to allowing the Senate to legally deny Americans employment simply because the person who lawfully hired them has been convicted only in the court of public opinion, without benefit of indictment or trial?

Talk about guilt by association.

And The Wheels On The O-Bus Fall Off

As the wheels on the Barack Obama “Obus”  seem to be improbably blowing out simultaneously, all over the ever-increasing hordes of former sycophants he’s so fond of tossing under it, there’s evidence that a new driver just might be reporting for duty who can get it rolling again.  The Associated Press is reporting that Dianne Feinstein is disappointed enough with the way things have been going to take the wheel and do something about it.   In a rare show of leadership by anybody in the budding Obama administration, Feinstein, reacting to the Obacrat’s indefensibly juvenile actions and positions regarding the appointment of Roland Burris by emabattled Governor Rod Blagojevich to replace President-elect Obama in the Senate, showed she’s got eggs:

The chairman of the Senate Rules Committee has parted with many of her Democratic colleagues and says that the Senate should seat former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California said Tuesday that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, however tainted by corruption charges, has the right to appoint someone to President-elect Barack Obama’s former seat. The Rules Committee decides whether Burris is qualified to serve.

Feinstein said that blocking Burris would have ramifications for other governors’ appointments.

Burris was blocked from assuming his legally appointed seat on ticky-tack procedural issues he plans to fight, by Obacrats miffed about Blagojevich’s legal troubles.  That those troubles have the potential to reach out and bite a number of them in the ass, including the President-elect, has absolutely nothing, nothing, ya hear me? to do with anything!   Harry Reid, the most cluelessly disingenuous buffoon in the bunch, is reportedly captured on one of the same tapes that snagged Blagojevich, dictating to the Governor that 3 black contenders for Obama’s vacant seat not be considered.  The illogical non-logic put forth by Sir Miss A-Lot is that such candidates would have difficulty being elected.  Since the most obvious thing they have in common is race, it seems that Reid is concerned that the people of the only state to send 2 black Senators to Congress are…what, racially tapped out?  Rahm Emanuel, who himself had called Blagojevich before being appointed White House Chief of staff to put forth a candidate, Valerie Jarrett, over Blagojevich’s own reported pick, rival Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, supposedly advanced Reid’s call.  From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn’t want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones.

Rather, Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Sources say the Senate majority leader pushed against Jackson and Davis — both democratic congressmen from Illinois — and against Jones — the Illinois Senate president who is the political godfather of President-elect Barack Obama — because he did not believe the three men were electable. He feared losing the seat to a Republican in a future election.

Emanuel, Jarrett and Obama have all lawyered up and been interviewed in connection with the pay-to-play scandal, possibly due to information gleaned from wiretapped Blagojevich conversations, one of which was played for Emanuel by authorities desirous of jogging his spotty memory.  But the impending clouds of doom hang only over the poofy-haired head of Blagojevich.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Feinstein has also been critical of Obama and the Obacrats in regards to the president-elect’s choice for CIA Director, Leon Panetta…

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who this week begins her tenure as the first female head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she was not consulted on the choice and indicated she might oppose it.

“I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director,” Feinstein said. “My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.”

…a media-reported unofficial pick Obama is now seeming to be laying the groundwork for backing away from.   The New York Times transcript  of today’s “media availability” (doncha love it?) contains this exchange after a reporter asked him about Panetta:

Obama: Well, as you noted, I haven’t made – haven’t made a formal announcement about my intelligence team.

(cell phone rings)

Obama: That may be him calling now… finding out where it’s at.

Obama: I have the utmost respect for Leon Panetta. I think that he is one of the finest public servants that we have. He brings extraordinary management skills, great political savvy, an impeccable record of integrity.

As chief of staff, he is somebody who – to the president – he’s somebody who obviously was fully versed in international affairs, crisis management, and had to evaluate intelligence consistently on a day-to-day basis.

Having said all that, I have not made an announcement. When we make the announcement, I think what people will see is, is that we are putting together a top-notch intelligence team that is not only going to assure that I get the best possible intelligence unvarnished, that the intelligence community is no longer geared towards telling the president what they think the president wants to hear, but instead are going to be delivering the information that the president needs to make critical decisions to keep the American people safe.

And, thoroughly in keeping with the tendencies of a WestWing-inspired leader of the Gang Who Couldn’t Shoot Straight, who brings a gun to a knife fight to prove that though skinny, he’s tough, and who preens and postures for the sheer adolescent pleasure of being a blowhard playing dress-up, Obama is said to be close to appointing CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General, for no apparent good reason, which of course, the obviously soon-to-be-renamed Obama News Network is thrilled to talk up:

The Obama transition team approached Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, about becoming U.S. surgeon general, according to sources inside the transition and at CNN.

Gupta was in Chicago, Illinois, in November to meet with President-elect Barack Obama on the matter, sources said.

Gupta has declined comment.

The transition team is impressed with the combination of Gupta’s past government experience, as a White House fellow in 1997 and a special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Clinton, along with his medical career as a neurosurgeon and his communication skills, the transition source said.

Gupta is a member of the staff and faculty of the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He regularly performs surgery at Emory University Hospital and at Grady Memorial Hospital, where he serves as associate chief of neurosurgery.

What, Dr. Phil was busy?  Anyway, given that the loony Obacrats face months of litigation surrounding the contested Senate seatings of Al Franken, as well as Burris, and that they find themselves suddenly short a Commerce Secretary appointee, here’s hoping that Big Mama Feinstein can convince the unruly children she works with to shape up and let her or another grownup try driving the bus for once, instead of taking turns joyriding over their friends.

Obacrats Can’t Be This Stupid

Whoever thought maneuvering Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich into a position that allowed U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to officially criminalize machine politics-as-usual for political advantage has got to be the biggest neophyte yahoo rube to come down the pike since…Barack Obama.  Let’s review.  Barack Obama, the only African American in the Senate for two years, mysteriously generates enough money and clout to mount a successful run for the presidency out of a political environment so corrupt that “Lincoln would roll over in his grave,” how?  By being an all-around, all-American, above-board, swell, good guy, of course.  Sure.

Surrounded by his personal band of proselytizing disciples; Rahmbo the Emanuel, Valerie Magdalene, King David of the Astroturf, Antonin of Houses, and Jon, the Groper of Graven Images, to name a few, the Obamessiah scampered above the sewer waters of Illinois corruption as if they were a North Side private gymnasium treadmill.  As a fisher of men, He was often unfortunately touched, but not tainted by, the activities of the unworthy among those He assembled and attempted to make pure, as has been dutifully chronicled by the mainstream media Keepers of the Holy Book of the Obamessiah.  However, Barack remains the Reformer, bathed in the Light.

Clean, bright and articulate by resume, the recent machinations by the Combine Machine of the Obacrats are threatening to reveal enough cracks in the Obamirror of Righteousness to expose His Holy Stupid-as-a-Stumpness in a nationally broadcast Naivete Scene.  Did it never occur to the No Drama Obama crew that manipulating a fellow player not of their clique into a corner carried risks?

When one of their number, Antonin of Houses, stumbled and fell by the wayside, the Obasciples simply stepped gingerly, single-file around him, leaving him where he lay, disavowing him three times as they boarded the Obabus he rolled under when they continued confidently on their preordained journey to the Promised Land.  The Obamessiah did not lay hands upon him, nor did He absolve him of his sin; He simply denied knowledge of him as He brushed His Holy shoulders and allowed Himself to be driven on.  This was a Holy boo-boo.

For Antonin of Houses had special knowledge of Valerie Magdalene and the Obamessiah, and Antonin was pisseth.

Fast forward to the twenty-first century post-election ensconcement of the Obamessiah as President-In-Training Wheels.  Having written and disseminated his own Holy backstory to the Chroniclers, and having consumed their regurgitated praise to his overfill, the Obamesiah, drunk with his own Obamessiah-ness by proxy, allowed Himself to believe He, Jr. Father, Knew Best.  Thus began the chess match, whereby playing unopposed, the Obamessiah cleverly checkmated Himownself.

Seeing a way to eliminate his only real threat to absolute power in His own backyard, Barack of Hyde Park decided to continue to attempt to appear to levitate above the machinations of His betrayed Obasciple of the Houses,  and the locust-and-honey-eating way clearer, the crude Rod the Blagojevich, while shining His Holy Light upon their common evangelical activities, forgetting He too, was bathed in His Own Light.  Thus, He Screweth Himself.

Okay, enough of the Obamessiah allegory; it’s not only making me nauseous, I’m not nearly as good at it as John, South of Melrose over on Liberal Rapture or Gerald Baker; plus I need to be free to call bullshit without all this pseudo-Christian baggage.  So, let’s get back to brass tacks, shall we?

The fact remains that Obama screwed the pooch when he tried to play innocent while pointing the finger at Blagojevich.  Everybody in Illinois knew Blags was under investigation, he even hinted at the worst kept secret in politics the day before he was arrested.  Everybody also knew that even with Rezko’s making like a canary, Fitzgerald didn’t have enough to indict.  He still doesn’t.  But when the president-elect bats his exaggeratedly wide-open eyes and tilts his head in your direction when somebody else calls you a crook, people sit up and take notice.

Obama and company knew that if they dangled the vacant Senate seat plum just right while they dropped unsubtle hints that Fitzgerald was sure to pick up, the investigation against Blags was sure to intensify.  However, methinks they underestimated the existing intensity of the ongoing investigation.  Thinking that the tentacles would subsequently stretch out in all directions, they never considered that they already did, that it wasn’t just one Blagojevich phone that was tapped, and that more of their pre-cleanup involvement was already caught on tape.

Now, the smartest president in the room and his gang have been interviewed in a pay-to-play scam and have proclaimed their innocence, just like Blagojevich, just like Bill Richardson.  Though Blago has been arrested, before his alleged crime could criminally implicate anybody else, he hasn’t been indicted, he was released on a paltry bond, and he remains free to exercise his duties as governor.  And, now that he has done just that, the Obacrats, who for their own nefarious reasons, swept Obama to power, are desperate to get Blags to nullify himself, since they know they have no legal, or moral, authority to do so.  They also know now that Blagojevich knows it, too; by making the appointment, the Obacrats are not only rendered impotent, they’ve handcuffed  and prevented themselves from exercising any power they might once have wielded.  For, even if they impeach Blago, or he now resigns, there’s nothing that would make Roland Burris’ appointment to the Senate retroactively invalid.  From Politico:

The Democrats’ preferred solution to the Burris problem is for the Illinois Legislature to impeach Blagojevich, paving the way for Democratic Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn to take his place and appoint someone other than Burris to Obama’s vacant seat. But even that could create a legal headache, legal observers say, since the Burris appointment would still be pending.

“Even if Blagojevich is impeached, that doesn’t undo all the actions he has taken as governor,” said Andrew Raucci, a former chief justice for the Illinois Court of Claims and now a Chicago-based attorney.

Democrats say that if Burris hasn’t been seated by the time Quinn takes over, he could name someone else to the seat by rescinding Burris’ certification papers.

Burris was having none of it. At a news conference at Chicago’s Midway Airport, the former Illinois attorney general testily said to reporters, “Why don’t you all understand that what has been done here is legal? I am the junior senator from Illinois, and I wish my colleagues in the press would recognize that. All the drama — I guess it keeps you all in a job.”

And, to make bad matters worse, not only is Burris adamant that he is the junior senator from Illinois no matter what ticky-tack maneuvers the Obacrats try to pull, the criminalization of day to day political manipulation makes every satellite in the Oba-universe vulnerable.  Just ask Bill Richardson.

The best laid plans of mice and men, gang aft aglae.

Where’s the Hispanic Love, Huh?

First, it was black people ranting and raving to anybody who would listen that now was the time that it was absolutely, positively, super-duper imperative that we elect a black man, any old black man, over some chick, because of the nation’s shameful treatment of African Americans in the past, as opposed to the chivalrous consideration traditionally afforded women.  Not only was it a “chicken and egg” kind of good thing that any old black man just happened to be running, it was serendipitous that the pent up longings of an entire ethnic group (unfortunately, not minus the half disparaged in the latter portion of the following phrase) could be so succinctly expressed: “Bro’s before ‘ho’s.”  If that ain’t poetry, I’m not a one-legged, screaming tree duck.

In a stunning display of man-lovin’-man solidarity, the “bro” indeed beat the “‘ho” as well as the “cunt.”  A two-fer!  American has sure come a long way, baby.

Once the Brother-in-Chief had dispatched the pesky breeders, it was time for other brothers in Congress to flex their pecs and demand that their numbers not decrease with the ascension of the Big, Black Cock of the Walk to the  Big White House, no matter what.  “Yeah, bruh,” said they,”we feel you on the ‘Governor played your ass’ thing, but that sounds like a personal problem, so man, you got to suck it up and let his equal opportunistically appointed knife in your back stand, or we gon’ have to pull a “Rev. Wright” and come after your ass.  Either that or a “Jesse Jackson,” your call.”

And, lo and behold, (I’ve always wanted to use that in something) before the Black Moses of the Joshua Generation (okay, so it’s not Biblically accurate, it rolls) could cry, “Et tu, Bay-bay?”  there was a new disadvantaged, historically disenfranchised group of disgruntled males to deal with (all females had been eliminated from the equation once the “elect the sister-’ho, Cunt” non-resistance had essentially allowed itself to be effectively put down.)  From Politico:

National Latino leaders vowed Sunday to press President-elect Barack Obama to nominate another Hispanic to the Cabinet post vacated by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a leading light in the Latino community who caused “great disappointment” with his decision to withdraw from consideration.

Within hours of Richardson pulling his name for secretary of commerce, the head of the League of United Latin American Citizens had compiled a list of 10 Latino elected officials and corporate CEOs that would be offered to the Obama transition team. The list included Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), who turned down the U.S. trade representative post, Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.

I hear gay Eskimo American men and teetotaling Native American guys are starting not to feel the Obalove, either, and are thinking of forming an intra-state wheelchair ice basketball tournament and clambake in protest.  Okay, they’re not; I made that up, but, with the way things are going could such a thing be far off?

Oh, and that “brother” the Guv’nuh and the Blackacrats are using as a human political football against the Obamassah’s Plantation team?  They done “sent da dogs” after his ass:

Capitol Fax reports on the ongoing Springfield sideshow: ” The [House impeachment committee] has also issued a subpoena that was served Saturday on Roland Burris, the governor’s controversial choice to fill Illinois’ vacant U.S. Senate seat. The order compels Burris to testify Wednesday.”

Burris may not make it that day, as he’s expected to be in D.C., and last night gave a combative talk in which he said, among other things, “They can’t deny what the Lord has ordained.”

“I gets weary, and sick of tryin’…”  Anybody know that song in Spanish?  Maybe by a girl group?  Wasn’t it written by a white guy?

Never mind, I’m just a girl, what the hell do I know?

Teflon TelePrompTer Reader Tap Dances To The White House

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.”

Apparently, Appearances ARE Everything

It seems like such a small thing.  change.gov.  What’s the big deal, huh?  Just another small, rubber stamping thing for the Obama team to use to reinforce the message that the underqualified, inexperienced junior Senator-turned-president is indeed, well…presidential.  Thus, the “seal” of his personal “office of the president-elect” (no caps deserved), the plethora of American flags that drape each every public non-announcement (they could have all been announced at once to save a lot of time and energy, but that would defeat the purpose), the pointless Grand Tours, and now, his very own transition team website, validated with the authority of the federal government.  That the only thing all these juvenile machinations reinforce is the fact that the former inexperienced, unqualified, junior Senator is now an inexperienced, unqualified junior president-elect is of no importance, when kids play dress-up, it’s all about the image.

Now, Michelle Malkin exposes the truth, Barack Obama’s “change.gov.” is unethical:

I’ve obtained documents sent to a reader in response to his FOIA request regarding the creation of Barack Obama’s Change.gov website. It gives you the rest of the story. You’ll recall last month that I blogged several questions about the propriety of allowing the perpetual Obama campaign to use a .gov domain name for what appeared to be a fund-raising front. Readers and industry observers noted that the decision appeared to violate General Services Administration rules governing government domains.

Guess what? They were right. The FOIA documents sent to Lance O., which he forwarded to me, reveal that the GSA initially rejected Obama’s application for “Change.gov.” On Oct. 21, Peter Alterman, Deputy Associate Administrator of Technology Strategy at the GSA, denied the Obama campaign’s request for a government domain because:

1) It would be a a violation of the government’s naming conventions (too generic); and

2) using ‘change’ in the domain name would be political, since it was the trademark slogan of the Obama campaign.

The bottom line?  Though they clearly are not supposed to use the “.gov” designation for anything not officially governmental, the petulant baby president-to-be stamped his foot until he got what he wanted, for the government agency charged with protecting the integrity of “.gov” use to bend the rules to his whim.  That’s change all right, but is it the kind we want to believe in?

Obviously Team O is adept at manipulating appearances.  More frightening is the fact that even when his true face is revealed, many of his staunchest supporters willfully indulge him in his fantasy.  When he behaves as he always has, according to his values, which have always run counter to the “progressive” wing of the blogosphere, they whine and cry as they attempt to find some, any justification that allows them to embrace him anyway. “He’ll fix it later,” “he’s just “playing possum,” “he’s better than the alternative,” and other such nonsensical explanations have all been put forth on his behalf over and over again.  Even when he tells them otherwise, point blank, as he did in his missive to the Daily Kos in 2005, and more recently, basically telling them to suck it up, he was going to do what he wanted no matter what anybody said, they support him.  When he betrays them with his FISA vote, or Rick Warren invocation invitation, or arch-enemy cabinet appointments, at the expense of other ardent backers, they scramble around, twisting, turning and contorting themselves until they find a way to kiss their own sore behinds and make it all better.  And they’ve been doing it all along:

But well before the Caucuses, on blog sites like Talk Left and Firedoglake, questions were being raised about an Obama candidacy based on what sometimes seemed like excessive efforts to reach beyond the Democratic base.

For many bloggers, the problem with Obama was—and is–that he’s been playing into a much-derided “triangulation” meme in appealing to voters without traditional Democratic credentials. As Ezra Klein said last Tuesday, Obama was using “old politics of centrist caution and status quo bias.” Markos Moulitsas walked back from his announced intention to vote for Obama, saying “you have to have your head stuck deep in the sand to deny that Obama is trying to close the deal by running to the Right of his opponents. And call me crazy, but that’s not a trait I generally appreciate in Democrats, no matter how much it might set the punditocracy’s hearts a flutter.” Matt Yglesias tempered his former enthusiasm for the candidate as well, writing “while there’s a lot I like about Barack Obama, if he wins Iowa it won’t have been by running hard on the things I like best about him.”

In truth, Obama hasn’t been afraid to strike back at all his critics with whichever tool best fits the job. Whether criticizing Hillary on health care or questioning John Edwards on the Iraq war, his campaign throws an effective punch. When he announced his intent to seek the presidency, there were real questions about whether Obama had the toughness to win — no longer. But to his online critics, Obama willfully ignored a crucial tenet of blogosphere doctrine — they accuse him of using right-wing talking points to criticize his opponents. And in their eyes, there is no greater sin than validating a GOP frame.

That was posted January 7, 2008, on Democratic Strategist.  So, no matter how many PUMA  sites point out their hypocrisy, like this one, and this one, and this one, just to name three off the top of my head, the Left Loonistanians will continue to gleefully assist their mysteriously Chosen One perpetrate his fraud, as they always have, crediting him for innovations he deserves no credit for, whining and crying all the way.  As long as he looks the part, (black) I guess they, and the rest of the world, can content themselves with self-administered back pats for the appearance of “progress.”

Obama Es Un Imigrante

I don’t speak Spanish, but this video, supposedly filmed on Sept. 1 at the Democratic National Convention (August 25-28) and posted on You Tube Sept. 25, is suddenly making the rounds.

Obama’s website says he’s the son of an immigrant:

Estimados hermanos latinos. En la eleccion nacional que viene, tenemos la oportunidad de votar por un hijo de un imigrante; el senador Barack Obama.

And They Said Hillary Was Entitled

Can you say “Kennedy?”  Talk about “entitled.”  And, oh, Ted Kennedy’s fair haired boy did.  Between “rising oceans” and “shining lights,” the “time had come” to “change”  from the “old Washington” of the “Bush/Clinton dynasty.”   Hell, “those Clintons” were so desperate to get back into the Oval Office they thought they rightfully owned, that poor Barack Obama didn’t know who he was running against sometimes.  The mainstream media, bully blogger boyz and other Barack Obama minions, (think Father Pfleger) had a field day yelling about how Hillary Clinton wasn’t “entitled” just because she was a “Clinton.”   In fact, Hillary wasn’t “entitled” at all, the only reason she even was in politics was because people just felt sorry for her.   Hillary was forced to defend herself from those  “Bush/Clinton dynasty” accusations throughout her presidential campaign, leveled mostly by teeny-bopper “change” enthusiasts bemoaning the fact that only two families had held the presidency “their whole lives.”  No matter how thoroughly debunked; the “evil Clinton dynasty must die” theme lived on.  The fact that Bill and Hillary Clinton have about as much in common with George Bush I and II, as Oprah Winfrey has with Sarah Palin, was of no apparent consequence.  Even Bill “Judas” Richardson chimed in with the Clinton “entitlement” happy crappy in an attempt to justify his betrayal:

James Carville told the New York Times that Richardson, a former member of Bill Clinton’s Cabinet, had committed “an act of betrayal,” adding that it “came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out [Jesus] for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic.”

“I’m not going to get in the gutter like that,” Richardson responded on “Fox News Sunday.” “And you know, that’s typical of many of the people around Senator Clinton. They think they have a sense of entitlement to the presidency.”

But, say the magic woid, “Kennedy,” and, well, that’s a different a-okay story.  Now, the idea of “Sweet Caroline” continuing the “family legacy” has the blessing of  the world, her Uncle Ted and the press.  CNN:

Caroline Kennedy, who spent most of her life looking to steer clear of the spotlight, is capping off a year of unusually public — and political — activity with interest in the Senate seat that would be vacated by Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton.

And her interest in that seat could mean the continuation of a Kennedy legacy in the Senate that began 56 years ago with the election of her father, John F. Kennedy, as the junior senator from Massachusetts.

The New York Times, which says NOW, whose stated goal is to have HRC’s seat filled by a woman and has backed Carolyn Maloney, is reporting that the Feminist Majority, who also backed Maloney, would “go back to the board” if Kennedy were to officially seek the seat:

But reached on Friday night, Eleanor Smeal, the president of Feminist Majority, said that if Ms. Kennedy decided to seek the job, she would have to go back to her board to discuss whom they would support going forward.

“I feel that her record is extremely strong. We know she gets things done,” Ms. Smeal said of Ms. Maloney. “But there’s no question we’ll go back to the board. You’re talking to someone who thinks Ted Kennedy is the most effective senator there.”

In other words, her name is Kennedy and Unca Ted wants it.  The New York Post comes out and says it:

Powerful senator and family patriarch Ted Kennedy has been working back channels to promote niece Caroline as the replacement for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Senate, family sources told The Post.

The elder Kennedy (D-Mass.), who’s battling brain cancer, has sent word to Gov. Paterson’s office that Caroline Kennedy, 51, has contacts and family connections that would mean legislation affecting New York would receive prompt attention, family sources said.

Caroline Kennedy has even less political experience than Barack Obama, and that’s saying something.  Sure, she lived in the White House when she was about six years old, but, as we know, things that happened when you were a little kid don’t count.  Despite the fact that when HRC decided she wanted to be president, she went out and earned a Senate seat then worked her ass off in it, I expect Team O to trot Richardson, the baby blogger bullies, and all the other Clinton detractors out in the next few days to mount a “rah-rah Caroline Kennedy entitled dynasty heiress good thing” campaign to give her an unearned Senate seat, a virtual lock on it in 2010,  and a leg up on a future White House run.  Not just because Caroline is a “Kennedy;” mainly because she’s not a “Clinton.   Gotta keep that torch passing from Kennedy family member to Kennedy family-sanctioned, duly-anointed, Enlightened One, back to legitimate family member, and do whatever is necessary to prevent another “Clinton” from sneaking in there when nobody’s looking, ever again.   You never know what “those people” might have planned for Chelsea.  They’re sneaky, you know.

Even though, I seem to remember that Kennedy “entitlement” thing didn’t work out too well for Ted’s presidential hopes,  did it?

His Hands Were Soft As Butter!

I love slow news days; you can travel off the beaten path and find real nuggets of gems among the huge boulders of cowpies that usually compose the unexciting filler that passes for “news” in lieu of…well, real news “news.”  “The automakers are still trying to file bankruptcy in Congress to avoid filing real bankruptcy in court like they should be forced to since it’s their own damned fault they’re broke.”  Yawn.  “The Obamessiah is really probably for sure going to appoint Judas Richarson to Secretary of Commerce, like they’ve been reporting for weeks, since all the good jobs are filled by now, and ‘cuz, after all, he is Hispanic and it looks good.”  Big whoop.  Who cares what a bunch of governors asked for that they’re not gonna get?  Or, who’s blaming who now for that India thing?  So, Saxby Chambliss won in Georgia, and the current ex-president’s brother is thinking about running for the Senate?  Big freakin’ deal!  Some guy in Philly worked out with Obama!

The webpage for the local NBC affiliate in Chicago’s headline screams “I Worked Out With Obama!”  The sub-headline says, “When the Obama buzz started, Stepp Stewart put his stinky clothes back on.”  Stepp, a Philadelphia choreographer, was finishing up his own workout when he heard the One And Only President-Elect Of The World was coming.   What’s a dancer to do?  Well, here’s Stepp’s breathtaking account in his own words.  Trust me, if you’ve got a pulse, you’ll be riveted:

“There has been no moment like this morning! I can’t stop talking about it. My mouth is moving a mile a minute.

This morning, I was late! I was gonna be on the treadmill (at the Philadelphia Sports Club on Hamilton Street) by 6.  It’s more like 6:30.

I run. I’m done. I go to the shower, get all cleaned up and I’m just about to put my lotion on and I hear a rumor that someone is coming. Obama! And he’s gonna be here in 30 minutes!

Girl, I put my sweat-drenched, funky-smellin’ clothes right back on, got right back on the floor and started fakin’ a workout!

All the sudden, people are eyeballing the door. Here comes the secret service.Then here comes Barack, walking up with a baseball cap on. He stops at the front desk. All the sudden, there’s a line of people.

But here I was, sitting on a spin bike that was broken! It’s a prop. But it’s right by the door. I am faking it again, so I can have a good spot at the door!

I get off the bike. He looks me dead in the eye.

He shook my hand. I held onto it as long as I could.

HIS HANDS WERE SOFT AS BUTTER!

Girl, couldn’t you just plotz?  I know I could.  Chil’, how could you not, knowing that Stepp saw Obama, dressed in black sweat pants and a grey, long-sleeved shirt (presumably just as funky and sweat-stained as Stepp’s by the end) read a USA Today after they ran on side-by-side treadmills?  And it was soooo clever of Stepp to stop fakin’ the funk on the broke spin bike and grab the adjacent treadmill after some silly girrrrllll had the nerve to get off when King Lord ObieWanNaRuleDaWorld came in.  Can you believe it?  Me neither, boo.  I think I’m gonna have to go lay down, girlfriend, see if I can get my heartrate back down to normal, honey.

Whew!

Hillary’s “Official?” Not Quite

In the mainstream media’s attempt to boost it’s deservedly shrinking profile, the battle of the “unnamed sources” vs. the absolute truth rages on.  The Reuters headline quoting the New York Times screams “Clinton Accepts Obama Secretary of State Offer: NY Times.”  Citing Clinton “confidants,” when they’re not citing each other, both articles are basically rehashing variations of the same themes everybody’s been pushing since Clinton and the president-elect met in Chicago.  The only “twist” is that now she’s said to have “decided.”  Right.

Mrs. Clinton came to her decision after additional discussion with President-elect Barack Obama about the nature of her role and his plans for foreign policy, said one of the confidants, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the situation.

Mr. Obama’s office told reporters on Thursday that the nomination is “on track” but this is the first word from the Clinton camp that she has decided.

So, Clinton and Obama talked, but she didn’t tell him she’d accepted an offer he hasn’t officially made yet?  And this is news?  Now, in another “unnamed sourced” article, Reuters is walking it back from the edge of satire in a new article claiming that Obama has now unofficially selected Timothy Geithner as Secretary of Treasury.

A senior Democrat told Reuters in Washington that Obama wanted Geithner for the Treasury job, but had yet to make a offer. He did confirm that Summers was no longer under consideration.

Reuters is also quoting NBC as saying that Bill Richardson might “officially” be offered Secretary of Commerce:

NBC also reported that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson — who was one of a crowded pack of Democratic presidential early this year — could receive Obama’s nod to become commerce secretary.

Associated Press says Geithner is “likely” and Clinton is “on track.”  In other words, nobody knows nothing, but they’ve got deadlines and phony-baloney jobs to justify.  To put my two cents worth of speculation in the mix, absolutely nothing has changed since Obama offered the job to Clinton in Chicago and she accepted.  In fact, an equally plausible case could be made that they worked out the deal when they met at Dianne Feinstein’s house back in June after Robert Gibbs played “hide the candidate” with the press on Obama’s campaign plane.  Everything reported since the Chicago face-to-face has been mainstream media gossip and blogger bully bullshit.  He offered, she accepted, done deal, game over, it’s a wrap.

Bet that.

Obama Lets Media Pick Cabinet

See, Jimmy, this is how you play president...

I guess West Wing-lite President-elect Barack Obantos is so uncomfortable making decisions that the idea of sitting back and letting Chris Matthews’ frat brothers in the media who want to help him be a success ‘cuz it’s their jobs, do it for him, is just fine.  After handing out a couple of plum gigs to his ace boon cronies Rahm Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett, and naming a “transition team” straight out of the library of past Harvard year books, the soon-to-be-Waffler-In-Chief was tapped out.  Since even he knows he’s got to name somebody to something sooner or later, he, or most likely David Axelrod, since Obie never thinks anything Axelturf doesn’t think first, dispatched a couple of the professional “unnamed sources” they keep on the payroll to metaphorically stick their fingers in the wind to see which way which trial balloons would float.

“Obama asks…”  “Obama is thinking of asking…” “Obama weighs…” “Clinton said to be…” “Obama met with Clinton and Richardson…” “Democrats jockeying..” “Dean out as health..” “Larry Summers…”   The speculation from “sources,” “observers,” and other assorted “experts” goes on and on.  Where’s the bold change?  Letting the media do the dirty work?

That’s what it looks like with the “Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State” rumors.  Whether Camp O put Clinton’s name out as a serious contender, or for appearances sake in an effort to avoid a replay of the “not even vetted for veep” uproar, or, if, as I believe, the job really is hers for the taking, it’s also pretty clear that final approval comes not from the O Team or the Senate, but from the public, via the media.  That’s why, in this American Idol-inspired public vetting process, AP has been running, and continuously updating, a story about Bill Clinton being a potential threat to a possible Hillary appointment:

Former President Bill Clinton’s globe-trotting business deals and fundraising for his foundation sometimes put his activities abroad at odds with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and could cause complications if President-elect Barack Obama picks her to be secretary of state.

It’s doubtful that the current Senate-elect would reject any Democrat for anything for any reason.  And if Joe (Gird Your Loins) Biden’s plagiarizing, racially insensitive, gaffe-prone ass can be a heartbeat away from the most powerful office in the world, which is soon to be occupied by the least experienced candidate for president in the world, Peewee Herman should be able to qualify any other job available.  Therefore, I’m willing to bet Obama did indeed offer Clinton the job Friday, and she, as reported, said, “maybe.”  Thus, the AP assist on a semi-plausible “out” in case “maybe” becomes “I’ll pass.”

If Richardson’s In The Mix, I Want Hillary Out

Just when speculation surrounding Barack Obama’s possibly imminent appointment of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State was reaching a fever pitch, AP had to throw Bill Richardson’s name in the mix.  This pisses me off for two reasons.  One, if this is some sort of lottery approach to filling the job, it’s an insult and a slap in the face to Senator Clinton.  Why float her name if the decision is up in the air?  Two, Bill Richardson?  Are you kidding me?  Considering Richardson’s Judas-like abandonment of his “dear friends and mentors,” Bill and Hillary Clinton, to make him the other one of two being considered for the job is beyond insulting, it’s a slap in the face with a dirty jock strap.  What the hell is Obama thinking?  Just when you’re ready to give him the slightest benefit of the doubt, he and/or his faithful servants do something monumentally stupid like interview Hillary Clinton’s arch-enemy for the job she’s perfect for (if she deigns to do it) and frankly, that he needs her to do.

President-elect Barack Obama has interviewed primary election rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bill Richardson for secretary of state, according to Democratic officials who revealed his secret meetings with both as he weighed the decision on folding former foes into his new administration.

Obama met with Richardson late Friday afternoon, a day after conferring one-on-one with Clinton at his Chicago office, said several Democratic officials. He plans to meet there Monday with his Republican opponent, John McCain, but advisers to both of the general election rivals say they don’t expect Obama to consider McCain for an administration job.

Gee whiz Obie, grow a pair and make a decision just because it’s the right thing to do.  President by Popularity is impossible to pull off, and a recipe for disaster to boot.

And Hillary, brush him off.

Or better yet, tell him to blow.

Dean’s Out

Democrats hate a winner.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post asking if Howard Dean was soon to become the Democratic Party’s most powerful man, given the fact that he is the architect of the once hated, now-hallowed “50 State Strategy” that many people credit with winning the election for Barack Obama and others.   I concluded that since Howard is, by and large, a clueless, Dagwood Bumstead-type, lucky bungler, he would not; rather, that Obama would find him imminently expendable.  Seems Howard Has come to the same conclusion.  Adam Nagourney of the New York Times writes:

Howard Dean will not seek a second term as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, ending a tenure marked by an aggressive attempt to reshape the mission of the committee – and to court support by the so-called Netroots – but also marked by frequent quarrels with Democratic leaders over his abilities and the direction he was taking the party.

The truth is, nobody much likes Howard.  Far from being the well-oiled machine the well-oiled,  astroturfing,  Obama pr machine promotes, the Democratic Party seems to be a loose coalition of back-biting factions, thugged into submission by Camp O.  Though some may claim Obama owes at least a portion of his success to Dean, in reality, Obama basically sucked the juice out of Howard’s brain, took what was useful, and discarded the rest.  Dean may have provided the blueprint, but Team Obama built the car Obama drove across the finish line.

Chris Cilliza tells us newly appointed White House Chief of Staff-elect, Rahm Emanuel, hates Dean, and his plan, and has never been shy about colorfully saying so.  Paul Begala once said on CNN that Dean’s 50 State Strategy amounted to hiring people to “wander around Utah and Mississippi and pick their nose.”  James Carville called Dean’s DNC “Rumsfeldian in its competence,” and called for his resignation.  Though she seemed to be an active collaborator with Dean to disenfranchise Florida and Michigan to Obama’s benefit,   Donna Brazile and Howie-baby have clashed, too, most notably over the inclusion of gay rights into the DNC’s Affirmative Action platform.  Uptight Howard Dean testified in a deposition that sensible shoe-wearing Donna is against it, claiming it was an “affront to the Civil Rights Movement.”  Though Brazile claimed to have no interest in being DNC Chairperson in 2004, her name is currently being bandied about as a possible replacement, as are Claire McCaskill, Tim Kaine, Kathleen Sebelius, and Bill Richardson.  Given the Obama campaign’s rather complete takeover of the DNC operation, however, whoever gets the job will likely be nothing more than a glorified figurehead.

Not a lot of love going ’round, to put it mildly.  But, since Brazile’s vision relative to gay rights most closely resembles Camp Obama’s, and since she was invaluable during his campaign with her “cheerleading disguised as neutrality,” on CNN, and her considerable input as Chair of DNC Voting Rights Institute, I’d say put your money on the “dark horse.”

Benedict’s Better Than Judas

The Progressive calls Barack Obama’s former mentor, Joe Lieberman, Benedict Joseph.  Quoting Lieberman at last night’s Republican convention, they determine he has a fat lot of nerve even calling himself a Democrat.

“What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this?”

There’s an easy answer to that one.

You shouldn’t have been there, Joe, and you certainly shouldn’t be construed as a Democrat.

The AP reports that Joe still wants his Dem cred, though.

Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Lieberman may have lined up with Republicans at their convention in Minnesota to support John McCain, but he’s still writing six-figure checks to help Democratic Senate candidates.

The Connecticut senator gave $100,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee last month, a sign that he may be trying to hedge his bets this election season and hang onto his Senate committee chairmanship. Lieberman also wrote a $15,000 check to the DSSC in March.

In early January of 2007, the Washington Post had this to say about Lieberman’s party affiliation, or lack thereof:

Lieberman was sworn in last week as the chamber’s one and only “independent Democrat,” with the emphasis on “independent.” On most issues, including big domestic priorities, he expects to vote as he has for the past 18 years, as a loyal Democrat. But on Iraq, Lieberman is more in sync with Bush than are many Republicans. He is a passionate defender of the war as a death struggle against Islamic terrorism.

It’s not like this is news.  The Democrats have used Lieberman to their advantage all along, as the New York Observer pointed out in June:

Since the ’06 elections, Lieberman’s supposed role as the Senate’s ultimate power broker has been touted endlessly. Rejected by the party that once nominated him for vice president in the August ’06 primary, he nonetheless won reelection in the fall as a self-described “independent Democrat,” promising to caucus with Democrats and to side with them for organizing purposes in the Senate.

When Election Day produced a 49-49-2 split, Lieberman kept his word, joining fellow independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont (whose loyalty to Democrats on this matter was a foregone conclusion) to swing the chamber to Democratic control. Accordingly, Lieberman was handed the gavel of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Without Joe Lieberman, we have heard over and over, the Democrats would lose the Senate.

But Lieberman was the same Lieberman when Obama was stumping for him in March of ‘06, as reported by Boston.com:

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama rallied Connecticut Democrats at their annual dinner Thursday night, throwing his support behind mentor and Senate colleague Joe Lieberman.

edit

“The fact of the matter is, I know some in the party have differences with Joe. I’m going to go ahead and say it,” Obama told the 1,700-plus party members who gathered in a ballroom at the Connecticut Convention Center for the $175-per-head fundraiser.

“I am absolutely certain Connecticut is going to have the good sense to send Joe Lieberman back to the U.S. Senate so he can continue to serve on our behalf,” he said.

HuffPo quotes Lieberman in 06′ re: Obama:

“As far as I am concerned he is a Baruk, which means a blessing, he is a blessing to the United States Senate to America and to our shared hopes for a better safer tomorrow for all our families. The gifts that God has given to Barack Obama are as enormous as his future is unlimited. As his mentor, as his colleague, as his friend, I look forward to helping him reach to the stars and realize not just the dreams he has for himself but the dreams we all have for him and our blessed country.”

I guess the political bedfellows are indeed strange.  Just ask Bill Richardson.  After he endorsed Obama over former ally Hillary Clinton, James Carville had a few choice words for him, too.

“Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic,” Mr. Carville said, referring to Holy Week.

Oh, those tangled webs, huh?

PUMA

Just Say No Deal