Who the heck...

took the W off of wholistic?

Must have seem him coming. Can we have it back? W?

Odd works in strange and myterious ways, or I made a mistake. Or someone has a sense of humor. Note the odd G oh d another {o}ops! Ok, its me. I was avoiding the G word. By George or Rather letter. See Dan or CBS.

But back to the way this worked, I thought it would be funny to post this on wholism or was it wholistic, since my first search came out with 36,300,000 and I wanted to tweak that by one, but when I refreshed the search engine instead of 36 million 300 thousand and one, it dropped to 57,000 for wholistic and if that is not better, there are still 21,100 for wholism.

But I digress, or progress, it remains why wholism is a variant on holism. It turns out that it may be a long battle at least at this point over Words. Suffice to say for now that for our health we bridge the gap between the whole and the hole.

[Non sequitur - or might it? *]

* akin to footnotes?

[The best I can wiki-google is that 1929 was when holism was spelled first, while some may believe in the power of spells, it seems that words have always been a field that yields.]
[not such]
[Happy End of Year and Hope for a New Air-or]

Capital Quotes

Lincoln on labor's superiority.

Without control of capital there can be no free labor. While some feel that free labor is a right to a free market.(:44-8:10) "...the economy is based on job creation" O'really? Very creationist. And has Friedman been freed?

The Legacy: by George

"...for goodness sake"

Speaking of Cherry trees or just a pit .

Happy Holidays!

And best wishes for all!

Tolerance at the table?

People for the American Way presents a basic argument against the tolerance of intolerance.
Just what was Obama's purpose? ? [*] I hope there is some here.
I think I found it, and to shine the light on ...

[Maybe tabling the metaphor of the table as the well as the use of metaphor?
It also should not be a case of "reaching out" to the other side.]

[[No Dis-Respect but it is "fair and balanced".]]

[*][Update: link inserted for purpose driven foe-be-ah? And apples and oranges. I was originally focused on the lack of attention given to the benediction speaker but it is not a matter that balances the issue. Except if is balanced on the separation of church and state. It is my belief that there should be no government regulation to force the associations made in one's church and it may be said that the word marriage should be given to that category, with the caviat that states give equal rights to churches to determine their definition of marriage and the states provide for civil unions to those who choose. But no!!!! It seems that some people will not be happy with re-parsing of words, like freedom or rights..]

(WMD) Wisdom's Mass Deployment

Matthews finally gets there.

Previous Chatter.

Sophistry aside?*

Alexander Hamilton's Advice To The Obama Administration. by Thom Hartmann CommonDreams.org

* Matthew's and Hamilton's bad rap in their respective fields (Journalism and Finance)

Blog-Oi-Ya-Bleep.

A lot of water is under the bridge over the last few days. What was a bridge to nowhere has become the bridge-loan to nowhere.
FROM THAT WATER:(reply to an email from an Existentialist) I am not saying Rush is wrong about Blog-Oi-Ya-Bleep, but absolutely about the (Democrats)circling the wagons. Otherwise the administration would be cleaned up by now. Absolutely no argument. P.S. you gotta luv this argument (wink) - Has "no argument" taken a spin?

But seriously the media has.(wink) I can see how you can see that Obama is just as Teflon as Bush. But given the Republicans have had the Justice Department and still do... it is more than a matter of statistics. Somehow even Illinois had reason to be displeased with their governor, but... Oops! I slipped into my bleepin blog.
(there I go again)
So, there is still hope for us.

RATHER THAN...clutter this with links and footnotes I will just put this in con text by describing my friend the apparent existentialist. He knows he exists and also knows others exist based on the non-existence of evidence they don't exist. Think**: WMD and corrupt politicians. Also think: Rush to Judgement vs. Voodoo Justice (and Economics)

** 1-15-09 spell check done but note the preceding sentence was double-checked and is as intended.

4-24-13 (spoiler alert?) update Not Exactly: I cannot explain the link or leap, but in blog searching (b.s.) spell+check(2) here(3) there is the (sc) anomaly (Blog-Oi-Ya-Bleep.) and to a dead link at that.

OH, THE IRONY!!!

Is it just me
or is it just ice.

It certainly seems ironic that terrorists are confessing while politicians are pleading their case on the tortured field of justice. Irony may be in the eye of the beholder, yet the competition for finding the logic in both cases is staggering, and maybe stronger in the case of martyrdom. Maybe after mentioning the irony, I have ironed this out, for was not Nixon a martyr of sorts? To what I don't know. But justice is the irony, in that both cases short circuit it. One from the top, the other from the bottom, the irony may be cut by the idea that they are getting their orders top down, while justice it seems is bottoms up and down the drain.
[Speaking of hot air and bubbles: OK it was hydrogen.]

ACTION ITEM !!! [
There is enough irony in the pardon situation, the confession situation may be more clear, as making martyrs will continue the war on terror. The irony is not in the terrorists, it is in the war, where justice would at least take away one recruitment tool. Not to mention if you are not with us, you are against us. If terrorists are for the death penalty, where are we? It is not irony that terrorist don't want justice, because in this case the process has been violated, which gets in the way of their martyrdom. By forgoing any change in the process, they risk progress being made, and one more recruitment tool lost. That may be the exception that proves the irony, in that the administration used exceptional logic.

Meanwhile: It might be wise to keep or promote Patrick Fitzgerald. Speaking of Nixon, there is irony in the Nixon to China concept. And hope in the Obama from Chicago process. And justice may be around the corner, but economics is the bigger picture.

Not so guru...

but cool.

and as long as I quip, Right On!

Capital needs a passport!

The Auto Industry Bailout or loan could have a reasonable solution. Call it a loan, and make sure that offshore divisions back it up. The problem is much deeper but the solution no less. But on the other hand, if offshoring is the answer, then are they not their own solution?

Democratic Re-Org Continued

The deja voodoo refers to the update that links to the inspiration that rose from the Tax Reform resolution forwarded to the platform committee. Other than a contested race for State Committee Woman there were little fireworks. Oh, there is a fine field of candidates for Elections Director. The one damper I am sure was that PCO's that felt the issue should have been addressed while they were at the table was not, but taken into the republican form of representation that is our democracy. Not that some of the legislative district bodies or their KCDCC reps would not feel similar, I look forward to more details. (More later)

Deja Voodoo?

Fuzzy Math + Fuzzy English = 1 Heckuva Job
[This is an old quip of mine updated** with new links embedded.]

A COROLLARY:
Litigated Math + Mitigated Language = the inverse of the slippery slope.

Just what does that mean? Well it means that it is a lot harder to make progress than to run things down. It means we must be as careful backing out of the ditch, as we were careless getting the driver that got us there. (Sorry to mix rhetoric and metaphor here, but it is an uphill battle *that will take all hands on deck.0

*this is a Laffer speaking of hills, I suggest that you search for the boat in Reagan's words not to mention Lincoln's stroke of labor.

[And where do I get the voodoo? Well is just isn't magic. But the key as Bill Frist said is "when done right". It also seems to depend on the side of the curve one is on before changes are made, not to mention the application of the terms incentive and work when it comes to capital.]

[Update: 12-8-08 King County Re-Org and the inspiration from the Tax Reform debacle there.

** I attempt to represent this as a formula or parody of math, but the links I have inserted were not necessarily known to me at the time I formulated an earlier version, just the history as we lived it, in the form of Reaganomics and early Bushisms.]

Same old, same old?

me...
Meaning my old temptation to comment primarily before fully reading a source.
Who are the Taliban?

Although I have actually started to read, I must note in digesting it, my thoughts.
Preemptively? My thoughts were that the Taliban are the new al Queda. Well...
at this point they are at least "the insurgents" but my new take is that they are the new coalition of the willing.

Willing to do anything to get foreigners out. Just showing that Bush is a uniter not a divider. The Taliban have gone from being willing to give up bin Laden to an international court or third party to being the loyal opposition or radical unifiers where the unifying force is our forces. I have long harbored if not sunk certain phrases that would imply that Bush would be true to some sort of his words.

SO THERE... now I will get back to about the fifth paragraph, reading the link above, subtitled: The Afghan War Deciphered. I hope it is the legacy flip-flopped.

[12-5-08: Having finished the full article, there is only hope that some change in course will make the legacy more than just more of the same. But more than just change in course are the actual participants in the navigation.]

Following results.

Having finally read, Democracy in Transition, I find the error in the missing gap. Maybe under the cushions of the SOFA -
- Having Now Fully Read (NFR) as opposed to earlier (nfr) - not fully read -

[My original tangent (or somewhat subsequent) was based on a true convergence error, by actually melding two links that I did not later see (but have now fixed) as two. It may have been my original convergence that there was some link between Thanksgiving and Xmas of native form and anacronism if not shopping or fitting the bill.]

The SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) is a possible transition piece that also leaves a flexible and democratic if not constitutional way forward. It may be just a piece that is expected to assure a legacy of passing the buck, but that is just what is needed until there is a leader who is willing to follow...

As far as time tables go- (I make up for the muddle by pulling only two segments together from the SOFA.)
"Should the Iraqi government decide to cancel the pact after the referendum it would have to give Washington one year's notice, meaning that troops would be allowed to remain in the country only until the summer of 2010."

"The international agreement will be binding on US president-elect Barack Obama when he assumes office next year, but he could also unilaterally cancel the pact with a year's notice or withdraw all US troops at any time."

Given the room for democracy otherwise known as process, there is also room for interpretation with oversight.

As far as Democracy in Transition: Congress should reclaim their power in the United States with a "signing statement resolution" as Iraq is still forming their constitutional process.
"Such a resolution, which would still allow Congress to fund the agreement if they feel compelled by the Obama administration to do so, could be passed by both the House and the Senate the week of December 8," Fox said. "If congressional leaders cannot bring themselves to take that one minor step, then the damage to their institution may be irreversible."

In conclusion, it may be that this is the best thing that the current administration has ever done. Not that it was their intent, but the best they could hope for, and would not have been possible without the pressure of some form of daylight, albeit not here yet.- diplomacy - ]

Black Friday: Convergence Day

Native American Heritage Day.
Shop till you drop day.

SOFA "-" Democracy in Transition. ***

No disrespect to the departed or the irony that the economy is a bit* on the thankless side and the idea that we can shop our way out of trouble, let alone be thankful for what and where we get it from.

* my original convergence was in error due to some media outlet or my filtering poorly so that is the excuse for the lame segue or evolution (the first two links are not the original two) the following two** (resulting)may be too anacronistic to be convergence, but with timelines and the world turning hard to tell. Just two (nfry) pieces that may be more flip-flop or material for nuance, yet a prime feature of transition in these precarious times.

** 12-4-08 italics bold resulting...In not getting back or leaving a loose thread or missing my own punchline... or the world following should just be resulting as a typo creeps in word out.

*** missing gap or hyphen resulted in muddle that messes the middle

Update: Bailout

Bubble bursting. Did I call it? Not exactly.

Funny how links or searches work or miss. There is a conspicuous absence of some players.

[Plus hold overs for steady change [**].]
[[Olbermann called it as well as and cap-sized Rove. But on the third hand. ]]

More than psychologicaL...

but part of it for now.
Obama begins treatment of the economy.
Previous claims of mental depression.
McCain/Gramm syndrome dealt with.

[On the other hand: Trickle-Down Bailout Continues.]

[There is only one psychologist at a time. But Obama must be semi-engaged and Bush must acknowledge his part, not that this means that the Citigroup move was crazy. Until the transition is complete there is a good reason for this cross between a tug-a-war and teeter-totter. Can we say legacy? Bailout is a misnomer except as a metaphor for a rising tide that doesn't lift all boats and just who is the bailer or bailee of the trickle-down [*].]

[11-25-08: Obama Stressing Recovery [**] ]

[11-26-08: [*] bold and link update and [**] steady but tiered course of change.]

[11-10-09: I must note that I correct the dates above from somehow August to must be November.{?}]

Myth-Buster

"A media parable for "The Center"
by Norman Soloman,
www.OurFuture.org

Speaking of future...
Justice is the whole point of our society. The judgement of history is not enough.

* CLICK HERE for your judgement.

It seems that impeachment is the only remedy. Unless there is some unknown clause that will protect the legal process from pardons, the only abuse of power seems to be that of congress to allow it. That may be the judgement of history.

* Seriously, an action item request.

[In summary this is about the media spin and the political ramifications of missing the center. And also about my Rachel Maddowing superstition going back to pre-Clinton. Meaning: Clinton (Bill) was not my cup of tea, but I opted out emotionally for the good of the country. Look what happened. The country first worked, and then the vast right-wing-conspiracy took over. If these words click you off, then don't link here.

The I-Times and the Old Guard.

The Internet Times, www.change.gov
and the new front. www.americanprogress.org

Obama-Biden Foreign Policy: (nfry)

Throwing this out.

Cut tax breaks for advertising. That would probably make them more efficient, but it would certainly not help Palin's crusade.

As long as I am tossing out nuggets, how about:
One stockholder: One vote!
If you want more than your share? Buy it. *
Now that is tergiversation.(Changing one's opinion.)
Actually a ludicrous leap, but which demonstrated tendencies to let the market fix it. But maybe a tax break for investors up to a limit, per company, to distribute the vote. If you want more than one vote, buy shares in more than one company. Maybe corporations need a new hierarchy **. They are not in the constitution, but the word "welfare" is.(Pre-amble) There are three branches of the government, and the separation of press and business is as important as church and state, though not directly a corollary or balanced. (First Amendment) The point is (well) there is a lot of water under the bridge or rubric of precedence, which may be undermining our fundamentals, AKA "the people".

* update: The irony or unsatire slipped in here. I was going to clarify the Buy It crack, but I had already explained the ludicrous leap: Tax incentives or regulations which would revalue the voice of people and money.
** corporations are not in the constitution, they are and have been constituted by government and people. With all the irony of the moral hypocrisy over the death penaly and cloning, just how have we allowed the creation of such Leviathans.

I'm Sorry?

Did I get that right? OK, I will skip the wise cracks and just link to other references to what touched me off, and one weird coincidence. Also. WWWWWH?

And yesterday, Ed Schultz had a caller that claimed that the auto industry should have known about the coming financial crisis, which Ed met with skepticism or faith in our fellows, so to speak. But really they should have known given their interconnectedness, and that is probably the problem.(Thanks Thom Hartmann) And the connectedness to the media. So I hit two bailins on the head. Randi Rhodes helped with the Larry King link(weird). Lou Dobbs helped with the Bush link(references). Not to mention what* matters.

My morning joe is only in the cup, sometimes I get my morning wakeup first (AM1090)

* a challenge (where I embed links that might matter)

Also (Randi)
More (Ed)
Rant (Thom) Respectfully
GoLeftTV (Ring of Fire)
And not the least (Rachel Maddow)
Nor the worst.(Keith Olbermann)

As long as I'm digging (the Daily Show) Jon Stewart and my name sake .

4M and the Fix

Re:tergiversate?

One word, that hits the party on the head.

I'm sorry?

Did I hear that right? I will have to dig up a link later, but this is about the denial that Bush is still in, and the qualification Wells Fargo (CEO or someone) made, about the bail out not going for executive salaries. It is unfair for me to begin this blast without further digging, but just the surface sod is soaked with effluence. So I will sort some key words from the Bush: "capitalism" in conjunction/contrast to "free market".

With Wells Fargo it is a matter of bookkeeping and an earlier flip-flop it seems, on the matter of what the bailout is going for... are we rescuing failing institutions or helping those that are efficient? In this case I have rather unparsed and taken a tangent from the trickle-down of the bonus problem, but there is a righteous problem about the housing bubble and fundamentals.

Maybe a graphic form will help:
Capitalism - - Free Market
Bonuses - - Book Keeping
Rescue - - Help
Bubble - - Fundamentals
Meaning, Myth, Model, Metaphor; may be my mantra,
but there is a cycle that needs work.

And to my estimation (tergiversate[**] or not) the housing bubble is a result of a fundamental flaw in economics. It works for those that buy it. But it really matters what the it is. Not to mention who sells it.

Not to mention the media again: WWWWWH? I might return to give more particular sources, but for now I leave with the answer: who, what, when, where, why, and how? as well as note the only labels at this time are Progressive Media and Thom Hartmann, and if I return I will [bracket][*$*]changes.[*]

[* as soon as I finished this and bracketed that, I thought, and must note that I have now made minor edits (& bold) for clarity sake, unbracketed.]

[** I wonder if I am a De-tergiversator ***?]

[*** I had to go old school and open a book, the answer is; not if it is (the latter) to change one's opinion, but may be others, not the De. Yeah, the De and the Un.]

[*$*] passing the buck I have not returned but simply connected here

Patriotism is Progressive

Not just a cliche!
See the movie, check out the principles, and the book.

[Looking back, looking forward, and in between?(updated) Key reads are convoluted, amidst those nfry and those I have or will review. Labels will hint at some progress. In this particular, the bold forward (above) is a programming note for the Bill Moyers Journal, airing TOMORROW!]

[Heck, here it is: Middle East Policy, and while I am at it(nfry) Energy and Labor! (Speaking of hard work, see above first link.)

Progressive Mandate

The Need To Go Big David Sirota

[11-13-08:* "Effluent Key To McCain Loss" Call Joe "the plumber"! or the Tax Man? * Label and Link** (below) added.]

** sometimes hints or part of the challenge

[11-13-08: Nevertheless the real drain. See bail. Not to mention down the Series of Tubes.***]

*** I guess lost in the tubes, was one day after the election CBS Early Show guest, Rich Lowry, decrying the lack of Republican presence on the Internet. The lie begins again. Unchallenged apparently or missed by most.

Key Read

This is one of my first implementations of change:
Post Obama, or Pre-Obama-Nation.
Key(new label) reference Navigation(old label), See Foreign Policy (ongoing label)
Search WaPo, not looking back, or contributor. (Embedded works.)
Obama to Explore New Approach in Afghanistan War
The Washington Post - Karen DeYoung, Staff Writer. (nfry)*

* don't forget that this site is easily search-able in the top left corner
as SEARCH BLOG, and CTRL F, on your keyboard,
and NAVIGATION was a label that I used in reference to our course and change. Example: Help!
OK, it is a bit loopy**, but that is like progress:
It is a heckuva harder job to build on than trickle down on.

** see nature of change in regards to labels and sorting technologies Note: the difference between LABEL and top of right column.

[Speaking of Embedded, Dean is a fork in the road. The Game.]
[To Read, one, two, three, four, in yet to be determined order]
[already read: Edwards moves on link.]

An Honored Day!

It never seems right to say Happy "such and such" on certain such particular days. But a thank you for your service is called for.

To all the men and women and to their families,
who serve in the armed services,
THANK YOU, and I guess:
Happy Veterans Day!

The biggest change...

may be the holdover. This may be in position only, as Bush may not have completely disengaged in his transition, having the ability to hear them is the key.

To get engaged: CHANGE.GOV
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT-ELECT

The dream has just begun.

Not that the nightmare should be forgot.

Global Test

and local grades.
The real test begins. (Jerry Large, Seattle Times )
Hold the cheers* but, bottoms up. (Robert L. Jamieson Jr., Seattle PI )

I believe it was election morning that I woke up with the word iconoclast bouncing around my head. I guess I am an image or symbol breaker, not that I am not impressed by monuments and symbols and work out my own. But maybe it was the breaking dawn** that came to mind.

* of self congratulations as far as the slippery slope caused by the trickle down. But not to dampen any inspiration and pride for this historic moment, we can all take in.

** "the fundamentals are strong" the base is where the work is needed: of, by and for the people.

Change Happens!

A New Kind of Pride Eugene Robinson Washington Post Even from my Norman* roots.

From a Rachel Maddowian perspective, I don't want to count my chickenhawks before they fly. But as you can tell by the time of this post the ground swell is a great feeling.

Maybe I won't call it till 1-20-09. Superstition being that as soon as a bet is placed the odds change. Actually that is a reality. Technically every vote should count. Statistically it takes us all. I don't know whatity,(or whatally) but it is rather late. The point is, I will not place a bet on the chance it jinxes or nixes our future.

[grab bag from my email]
[8:30 AM - Obama Elected President as Racial Barrier Falls Truthout.]
[I have to say the Republicans succesfully employed a strategy to get out the vote that I could not have implimented by myself. Make it tough to vote and the people will get it.]
[Looking forward from yesterday: Obama on Election Day. and last week regarding fears of one party rule.]

* Scandinavian, French, Mixed heritage

The Big Day!

VOTE!

This blog has seemingly dwindled down to a trickle. Not that there will not be more to shovel and the silly season will never be out of season, but we always have a choice as to how much we muck up or how low we get.

Dig this!

If the last post got nowhere...*
The last bastion of the rational.

The suggestion that the reason to vote for McCain as a "check" or "balance" to Obama does not meet the sheets. OK, more obtuse and mixed metophor of I don't know what field, but certainly not logic. OK, I don't want to do the math, but the words are more important. It would seem to take well more than the available seats at risk to even get close to a "liberal Democrat" majority, let alone 60 Democrats. It is that plain and simple, without the math involved.

[*] 10-30-08 It maybe be condescending or demeaning to assume that it didn't, not to mention contradictory... But campaign ads for Reichert indicate he has sold his soul to... Karl Rove and if evidence matters, his reputation down the drain.

Forensics Matter

In the case of the Reichert/Burner matter of degrees, forensics matter. They are a matter of evidence and debate. It may not be a coincidence that it took 20 years to catch a killer. In fact, it could probably be stated. In fact, it is not.

One point that should be evident, is that it is not really clear what I have said here. Nonetheless, it does not mean that nothing can be taken from it.[Let that sink in.*]

[10-28-08: It is not a coincidence**... Now it's been stated. The point is that catching a killer and real debate take proper forensics, apparently not Reichert's bailiwick. And for those that need a clue, forensics refers to either legal evidence or the skill of debating, in his case they are nearly criminal.]

* as a joker might say: "I resemble that remark". But rhetorically I have not made a charge but an inference might be taken ...then call Joe the Plumber.
**Both forensics problems and advances were key in the Green River Killer case.

Major Deal of Minor Gotchas

A matter of direction and degree.[a matter of reading and trust]

Not to mention media. My QCON (Quick Comment On the News) relates to the matter of how campaigns can spin and while it seems tit-for-tat or pass the buck to staff, sometimes there are reasons that matter. It is clear that while Burner does not have the degree in Economics, it is not clear*that she did not say anything other than a "degree in it". (Note my QCON has no Capital T for "the", and she may never have used a capital E in Econ.) Now this may just seem like a funny aside but recall I have noted a bearing on the difference in humor for them and us**.

But just the facts ma'am, Reichert's bio has now been corrected to reflect the AA rather than the BA which nonetheless would have been acquired in two years from '68 to '70, while it has been clarified that Darcy Burner does have a four year degree (meaning a BA) described as "a computer science degree from Harvard with a "special field," or emphasis, in economics."

Now is this much ado about nothing? Well it is ironic that the Sheriff was exaggerating what would seemingly have distanced himself from Joe the Plumber, while Darcy Burner was trying not to emphasize the degree of complication in her background. In reality she is the one with the business experience while he the life in government.

A Democrat of similar mind to whomever comes up with this mud, could wonder if there is not some exaggeration of the Sheriff's honorable record. I however will be honest and say that I have not verified a lot of it. Like his 20 year quest for the Green River Killer, while only being sheriff 8 of his over 30 years in law enforcement. I won't cast doubt on that record, but really is it something to brag about, that it took 20 years that is? It is at least stick-to-it-iveness, but nevertheless, still not the mud that matters.

[Bottom line: like punchline? NOT! But to serve the people. They both have records that can be admired but is there any irony in this matter of degree? It is a matter for forensics that it has taken so long for one and the other so little to go so far. It would seem that it is not debatable that the devil is in the details and how they are handled matters. While these seem minor details, they should be a clue to success.***]

*a frequent refrain from the likes of McCain/Palin when their reading material is lagging or their sources are unfound(ed).
** not necessarily in those exact words
*** Instead of apologies forthcoming, the Republicans still lie, see bottom link.

Reaganomics and Joe the Plumber

What is the differences between Reaganomics and Joe the Plumber?
The former is about the affluent, and the latter the effluent.

I think Joe called himself a flash in the pan, well it may be in the kitchen where trickledown has sizzled away.

These are the worst mixed metaphors that really should make us steam.
I won't even plug the links to this @rap, but snake them in here,
and this is no $#!+
Greenspan: "Shocked Disbelief" Robert Borosage
Alan Shrugged? 3 point Oh.*

Bill Moyer's Journal: JK Galbraith and Playing for Change
Aren't we all.**

* bottoms up ecomomists
** a double entendre with a lighter note

Pieces of History

"The only thing to fear, is fear itself." FDR

This quote came to mind in reference to an email exchange with a "friend". The air quotes could be removed, but I want to imply that he has a different perspective, not of the word "friend" but politics. Having just dug up the quote, it continues:
"--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." I guess that is why labels are so in vogue on the right, but the thought that came to mind as follow-up, was whether FDR could have forseen that fear would be a not only a party, but a platform.

Speaking of tennuous links,(see below link) it is about the labels that imply there is something to fear, in one word. Nonetheless there is something to fight, and it is not ambivalence, but certainty, with courage and faith.

ACORN: Seeds of Destruction

A squirrely claim is just nuts!

McCain perpetrator of collusion?

Voter Fraud Myth covers wholesale theft of voter rights.

On the lighter side:
The Powell Endorsement is more than cage* liner. No disrespect for the sources only some of the content**. Rush Limbaugh claimed that it was purely an issue of race. The connection to Ted is tennuous, but Ed?

* no slight but reference to both squirrel and voter caging***
** CNN is not really "fair and balanced" on some issues but the CSM referred to Rush's claim of race being the issue.

*** a new wrinkle: voter Re-registration fraud?

Debates Over?

Well it is 3 for 3 for Obama, unless you count the Warren Forum and the upcoming Al Smith dinner.

Domestic Policy:

McCain did not exactly attack using the same language that his campaign uses, and Obama did not exactly reply the way I suggested to the campaign. But McCain did come out on the losing end of the "tit-for-tat" as Obama simply had to repeat what was already out there and apparently missed by the McCain camp. My suggestion would have involved a reference to the media filters or reading material that McCain has access to in regards to his charge that Obama has not addressed the Ayers issue. Obama avoided getting dragged into the mud of the playground that McCain seemed to revel in. If you check all the bright eyed "gotcha" moments where McCain seemed to feel he was landing something, you might find that he overshot the runway. And it was generous that Obama did not more than smile at the childishness or point out McCain's confusion at some points.

New label: Debate.

The Tetrahedron Ramble*

What the heck** is the point? I revisit my Power Broker Mountain Project, or actually move on. What I call the prime disciplines as in fields of study, Physics, Psychology, and Philosophy form the base with Progress or their result as the point of their projection or application forming a reality or culture, as we know it, or think we know it, or feel we apply it, regardless.

The perspective that caused me to reconsider this model, or concept (as it also may be the perspective) is a proposition that Science, Religion, Politics, and Economics,(structures) have at least three things in common: Values, Ideology, and Power.(VIP) Now I don't want to be restricted to the math or geometry or insistence that there is meaning in them for some sake other than they are structures. But conceptually they are at the point of the tetrahedron and not the point of the tetrahedron any more than culture. Now to some this may have gotten nowhere, but we will get somewhere, with or without consideration of VIP and the Very Important Point of who and what we are or will become.

Is it no coincidence that there are three branches of the government, Legislative, Executive and Judiciary based on the constitution and the preamble, or that the first 10 amendments are called the Bill of Rights? Freedom and Justice are not forces to reckon*** with, but create.

*somewhat impromptu
** search fuzzy math and English; not to mention viscious cycle or golden rule
*** "bottom line"

"hair of the dog"

Alan Shrugged
by Marty Kaplan The Huffington Post

Slang for Morning Joe** or not* your cup of tea. OK, I mixed metaphors or drinks, implying a wake-up. Actually I may have something here, as the bailout, or rescue has not yet reached a full intervention, and will it?

*On a lark I looked up Morning Read which you need not, nor dig up Slang Note: bold link is the read for the day.
** I don't catch the show but would recommend Rachel Maddow getting another 2 hours.

[Evening update: the way this comment weaves I might refer to the navigation link. Meanwhile another link: I need to unembed or consider the table.
In particular:
a list of economists I had intended to sort as progressives, Noted in the article - Joseph Stiglitz, Dean Baker, Jared Bernstein. Not noted - Paul Krugman, Ravi Batra: Meanwhile: Kudos to Krugman. Speaking of Laffer and Elixirs ]

Alaskan Republicans for Obama?

TROOPERGATE
Alaska panel finds Palin abused power in firing.
Composed of 10 Republicans and 4 Democrats: Unanimous
McCain aide claims they are Obama supporters.
[10-11-08: This is tongue in cheek, in its irony, of being a partisan-led investigation without a conclusion. This link is the most comprehensive. It is now in the hands of a Republican led legislature, with the decision to move ahead or delay. The irony is the claim that it is partisan in either its initiation or its timing and whether to rush it or delay.]

Rope a dope.

With all the fighting metaphors,
McCain stepped right into his own words,
swung from "that one".[*]
I came in sometime in the late rounds,
but I thought that the "bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" jab was on target.
Precious notes: no Palin or Governor referenced in the debate.

Demeaner question: Senator Obama should not worry about being condescending, Senator McCain is a Descending Con.

And Senator McCain should resist using the term telegraph or blows ,
especially since he is the inventor of the Rasberry.
Now those are quips you can depend on.

[Interactive Debate Video/Transcripts]

[*] link added showing him getting tickled again "Oh Please"

May I call you Sarah?

Say it ain't so, Sarah.
Speaking of bars...

Palin-Biden Transcript

Obama-McCain Transcript (First debate)
Say it ain't so, Jack.

MCCAIN: So let me get this right. We sit down with Ahmadinejad, and he says, "We're going to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth," and we say, "No, you're not"? Oh, please.

An imagined zinger embedded in the reality of diplomacy and nuance.
AKA: McCain Debates (or Tickles) Self.

Speaking of Straight Talk Express... or links
Or not?

Palin Not Albright

Now that is really the point.
In this area, Palin is right. The media did turn it into something. Palin played the media card, right on top of the gender card. Thanks to ThomHartmann.com and this getting me through Huffington Post, to Keating Economics.
[What Palin read! Coffee Cups!]

Pre-Palin-Biden-Debate

Governor Palin should not be allowed to be condescending.
She has already given condescending a new meaning. Well...maybe it is the old meaning.
Maybe it is the full meaning of irony, she gives out.
Lowering the bar, to be above it all.
[POST DEBATE COMMENT:
Governor Palin clearly hit the hockey puck out of the park*.
Senator Biden clearly kept it on ice and scored the goals.
Debate winner: Biden
Of course my expectations were met.** Palin clearly could not be as uninformed and goofy as she portrays herself. She is still wrong and uninformed but had a wonderful performance. She performed well above the bar she had so casually stomped on. Biden held to his promise and avoided being condescending, while Palin raised condescension to almost a snottiness mixed with the matronly scolding of an errant child.]
[Early Polls: Independents
Biden won, little game change.
Secondary winner? The media. They survived her bashing. Meaning that the debate did not change the composite picture the people have.] Belittle. The word used in post debate comment on MSNBC, that is the word for the condescension.
The debate may have halted Palin's drag on the ticket, it just won't drag it in the right direction.
** I am relieved that Palin was not worse than she has been shown to be, and that Biden was not cowed by her tactics.
* this asterisk inserted much later to include a just found reference to park and

Breaking News!

Not exactly.
Bush had no plan to capture Bin Laden
But did plan to capture Iraqi oil fields in May of 2001.
BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11th!
Iraq plans prevented post-9-11 success in Afghanistan.

[Not to mention: Investigations of U.S. Attorney Scandal]

Wall Street or Main Street

Reading between the lines?
The people spoke out 100 to 1 against the bailout.
Republicans voted against** the bill:

"Despite the changes made during an intense week of negotiations, the heart of the program remains President Bush's original idea: spend billions of taxpayer dollars to buy mortgage-backed securities whose value has plummeted."

This comment was from Sunday, seemingly mischaracterizing the progress made on a bipartisan basis. It seems to me that more accountability and more creativeness is needed to bring mainstreet along. But politically it will be difficult as Democrats will not go far enough, and Republicans want the market to fix itself, meaning more trickle down.

[Note that my caution on Palin, is reflected in the conflict of nuance between her comments and McCain policy.[*] It is my feeling that some of the punditry is missing the nuance and/or her uncomfortablness is manufactured intentionally or not by her handlers.]
* the irony is that the Palin/McCain rhetoric on Pakistan is the Obama policy. Or diplomacy is flip-flop and context, not to mention the media.

**Perfect Politics McCain is out of touch, misrepresenting that Obama's allies voted down the bill, when the reverse is true.

[Bush blames media and is right for once. Bailout not the right word and even a fix is not the right word. Unless it is that we are in a fix.]

Rescue Plan Close

"We've made progress..." says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

But read between the links...

Update:

Palin caution.
Tentative Plan!

I may just be flip-flopping in both these areas, but it does seem to me that pundits may have been missing something, where Palin is not exactly Straight Talk but it is more of the same, while I am not always sure if I know or pundits or McCain knows what is on the table. Maybe I am too flip, but I am pretty sure they are all about flops or flaps. Hey! They haven't been too serious either.

And Bailout...

McCain it seems, is heading for the debate,
but it seems that he does not even know what plan is on the table.

And I am not sure too many do. And that was the day he suspended his campaign.

As usual the Democrats will get something done, while the Republicans hold onto their agenda of politics and business over people. [*]

Meanwhile progress at the UN Security Council on Iran is at risk of being more business as usual. I only heard a brief news item about a Russia calling something legally binding but without santions.

[* Bold only with this updated: Senator Bernie Sanders on The Thom Hartmann Show** has just now framed this. And last week mentioned the October Surprise as the bailouts arrived. Some people have said that the economy could not wait till October, but really politics could not wait, since congress was scheduled to go home to campaign.]

** must link this show "hit and run" aspect: Bush hits, Dems fix, Republicans Run. (see Domke)
Not to mention that this is a distraction that keeps politicians from being able to run.

Speaking of Makeup

Rachel Maddow has the right stuff*...
for MSNBC.

As Olbermann's audience grew to rival, though not quite equal, that of longtime ratings king Bill O'Reilly, MSNBC gained an unwanted reputation as an emergent liberal version of Fox News--a view that became more prevalent after Maddow's show was announced.

Not exactly "Fair and Balanced".

Meanwhile Republican and former Congressman Joe Scarborough has a three-hour program every morning--more airtime than Maddow and Olbermann have combined. While MSNBC is experimenting with a block of liberal programming, as a network that shares offices with NBC News, it can't afford to be seen as having an ideological bias. The network recently bowed to conservative critics by moving Matthews and Olbermann, both seen as sympathetic to Barack Obama, out of the anchor chairs for live political events.

The only reason MSNBC should have resisted "conservative critics" is if they wanted to be the perfect counter-balance to FOX NEWS. If only they could find anchors without opinions or curiosity or personality, it might be a reasonable excuse. But I find it part of the "vast Right-wing conspiracy" of "do as I say, not as I do". Or part of their whiner nature, could it be "The squeaky wheel gets the oil"? No wonder the Straight Talk Express seems to have a rattle and need a pacifier.**


*intelligence + temperment

** double what?

[Update: I want to caution against too much ridicule of the way Governor Palin relates to foreign policy and economic issues. She is does a pretty good job of spinning up the trickle down. Meaning she is describing them in ways that obscure under sensible principles policies that will not achieve them. In other words she does a brilliant job of defending policies which are indefensible, yet fits the old pattern of what they think will work. But then I could just be too easy on her, or sexist, in an affirmative action sort of way.]

Taking a powder?

Talk about make-up.
What powder is dry for.

The Party is over! [Tentative Plan!]

I must admit as far as timeouts go, I don't necessarily take time to read some of the stuff that others filter. But I do at least get them somewhat filtered* by others and/or read parts of them. Of course with McCain he needs some kind of other filter it seems. I, it seems, have had enough. But I am going by the gist of the sentiment that the party is over for the administration when it comes to lack of oversight.

* in this case I wonder what the definition of suspend is as well as talking points let alone Express leaks.

Summary of a Flap.

Bailout or Meltdown? [UPDATE: above expired link with likely replacement.]

Really in actually reading this report[**], I will not cross-check it with all my comments and references. But McCain's panic was a beneficial coherence with Bush's, ironically indicated by looking into their eyes and seeing the same deer in the headlights. I don't know if it was in the reflection or their face as a hole, but the only plus to this Double of Mass Distraction is that "you can fool me once..." or I mean we see the boys "who cried wolf", while others have kept their cool.

LAST WORD: I may have to seriously suspend something as my wrists need their own wresting to other matters. But with that I will reference a guest on Rachel Maddow: author of... Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency The real flap in my view. Now is this a flap that is too out there? Well it has to do with the approach that is being taken and by who for whom, or is it whom for who?
In this flip-flop the people matter and there are only three branches of government and the media and politics are the people's business. In fact the press is mentioned in the Bill of Rights not to mention what is not mentioned in the constitution. How does this connect to any thing close to home? Well, floods and bailouts and who is a fundamental or just under the trickle down. Isn't it appropriate that TARP was the original name for the flap. Speaking of eyes and flaps, why not just face the fact that the people not only want to have the debate, but some think it should be about the economy rather than foreign policy now that would take courage* to face with out blinking.

* not to mention George or Will

[**] 3-19-09 rare editorial touchup throughout, one typo and italics and bold only and the economy link.

Daily Sarcasm (I mean, Intel)

McCain suspends politics,
McCain/Bush Gimmick

Comment: Sarcasm aside the markets were stable yesterday, and given the credibility of the president, his scare tactics may just calm the market. Or could it be, when things get tough, the tough get going. Obama and congress (Democrats anyway) have kept their cool and continued their work, while Republicans may be in faux retreat. Meaning the "Paulson Plunder", 3-1/2 pages, which are no longer on the table, has evolved into something more sensible unless it can not make it into new words on paper that actually have teeth.

It is noted that "It was the first time in Mr. Bush’s presidency that he delivered a prime-time speech devoted exclusively to the economy." While I was thinking something similar, but mostly that this was the so-called MBA president, who is finally learning something.

Stay tuned... but I think I will suspend something.

Meanwhile: more whining, and I wonder what McCain will say about Letterman and CBS.

Other's comments: gawker? And to contrast the journalism of the New York Times. I suspect this is really why Palin was picked to create a media conspiracy. Almost hinted at here, as "anti-media manipulation", well this week was the test of "real dignity and cool". This last being my unspinning of spinmeister or mistress* Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal on Friday. (Noonan: Reagan speech-writer and Special Assistant, and free market think tank trustee.

* Is madame maybe more accurate? But they are probably against being PC.

Bailout!

Republican opposition to old plan.

In McCain's acceptance speech I believe he talked about reaching for a hand across the aisle. Today he apparently reached across networks if not the nation. In the earlier instance I imagined him giving that hand a good yank with an evil grin. Today he did just that, but with a more dazed look.

Here is how it played out:
Obama asks McCain for Joint Economic Statement
McCain Cancels Letterman Appearance for Katie Couric
Bush has new plan.
Sounds a bit like the Democrat's plan.
Rachel?

Long story short? Talking Points?
Panic Intercepted by Politics.

All in?

I think David Letteman said: "Something is fishy."
And a caller to Rachel Maddow(hosted by David Bender) may have hit the dead fish on the head. McCain wants to avoid having Sarah Palin have a debate. That may be where the media may have taken the bait though. But the public probably won't bite.

The real so called lure in this strategy is that McCain wants to put the economy over his campaign. Well despite recent tugging at the Paulson Plunder, his plans only nibble at a solution, while the economy really is spinning his campaign out of control. OK, fishy metaphors aside, I can't get away from it stinking. The Dead On Arrival plan was a no brainer, not to pass, and the only way to spin this is that the administration has set him up to seem a hero, while congress will look bad for not biting. My suggestion: bite back. Let McCain retreat to work on his plan with the administration, while Democrats and Obama work on a plan with and for the American people.

There are only two choices: Congress doesn't act and the economy is in a fix. Or congress acts and McCain can take credit or cast blame for getting or not getting what he wants. It will be negotiated or not, with or without McCain.

In the end, McCain is the loser because it goes directly against his argument that government is not there to fix things. But in the end, he might be able to prove that they are not. That will make the people the loser, and not really change you can believe in.

McCain camp sexist.

Sarcasm? (see video)
No- perfect rhetoric.
[If you can't stand the heat...]
I don't know about Sam Stein's comment, but Ed Schultz's callers thought Campbell Brown was being sarcastic? Could be, but that only misses who it is aimed at. Ed and I take it serious. Maybe I missed where Ed is lost, but the Palin selection is no Joke. The point is that sexism is their defense for their offense. It is great that she is a woman. But if she were a man, her policies would be the point where we would have issues. Meanwhile she (the Maverick) is being trained in the same old politics. Oops, now I have trampled into agism. But referenced back to training and issues should bring to mind Reagan not to mention Nixon handlers, by way of Bush and Rove.

Forget about Truman and his "get out of the kitchen" metaphor: they can't even stand the sarcasm, let alone the media.
[get out of the sarcasm...]
[But it remains to be seen when she does face the media, will she be prepared or just polished and the media still the battered significant other.]

Political Strings Pulled

Bush upcoming big speech.

McCain wants debate delay.

Ed Schultz plays a good question McCain faced but refused to answer while spinning it back on the Dems. The administration has known this was coming for some time while McCain's advisor has been on the payroll of Freddie Mac.

If the debate is cancelled the meeting with Bush should take them to task or at least be framed as who you bring to the table. Who will Obama and McCain be bringing and who will Bush have there? What will the purpose be? It would really be fun if it were only Bush, McCain, and Obama and us. What would the Independents, the Greens, or the Libertarians bring to the table? I think it would be a smart move if the purpose is unclear to skip the meeting and let McCain and Bush play politics, and let congress give them the business. Or rather take them over.

On the other hand, could it be that McCain has finally changed?

Maybe we are finally there.

White House welcomes plans. Just as I suspected. Another Straw Elephant.

Meanwhile just as I post this and search for links, this breaks:
"We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved," McCain said. "I am confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people. All we must do to achieve this is temporarily set politics aside, and I am committed to doing so."

How this is enacted could be a clean break for us. But I think the real "panic" is political. And McCain ad proves it. Or at least not a clean break for McCain.

Now Ed's got it. The networks should give both candidates a rebuttal. Especially if one is going to run for the other rather than debate.

STOP THE PAULSON PLUNDER

AND PUSH ALTERNATIVE
Last night the King County Democrats passed a resolution similar to the above action link.

Previous post has more action links:
ourfuture.org
and
Senator Bernie Sanders Independent

Biden Flip-Flop...

on mockery!

Third times a charm. Earlier drafts of my comments were lost, but I have fine tuned the irony.
My summary:
"Terrible" campaign ad leaves McCain "in no position to criticize" while media is.

Clean Bill or Clean Getaway?

$700 Billion Bail Out?
Get out of Jail Free.
But we foot the bail.
And I don't mean a bucket for the trickledown.

Stop WMD for Main Street.

Note: References to so-called progressive economists at the table or not are embedded here.

[Action items added: ourfuture.org
and Congressman Bernie Sanders Independent ]

Urge them to act, but don't blame them if they bend a bit. Already the original plan is no longer on the table. At least according to it's so-called author even though he has trouble reading it: The so-called clean one, that is. We still must be careful of any unattached strings.

Change Happens!

What makes people vote Republican?

This link just happened to be mentioned on GOLEFT.TV but fit my thought that leads into this. Actually triggered by earlier comment there. The fact that one changes so much and still needs more change is not the exerience that might be needed to lead us in the change we need.

Palin Flip-Flop

Where is the change?
Rachell Maddow reports on the "troopergate" cover-up [*].

Sarah Palin is being investigated for abuse of power in her office as Governor of Alaska. A bi-partisan charged committee to which she first promised full cooperation, now faces the McCain CYA forces. (You know what that stands for.)

This is a case where the cover-up is worse than the offense. After all, there may have been no laws broken, but ethics apparently are relative. Ouch! Actually abuse of power is no small matter, but it seems that this could be tricky, as hypocrisy does not seem to raise many concerns. After all, would not most people, wish they could just make it so.

[*] Not to mention Palin popularity being hinged upon energy (another reference to a panel covered-up, think Cheney) but on the irony of the fiscal conservative in regard to the Alaska state budget growth, based on oil prices.

Firing vs. Hiring

McCain Not Exactly Highering.
[update 9-19-08: bold [*] and link added below]

A recent comment by McCain about firing someone is what I take off from. My point is, it is easier for him to fire someone than hire someone [*] who would raise the standards of government. This seems to shine through in his hiring which lowers the standards and raises the bar for the rest of us. It was also touched on in his acceptance speech in regards to service, how easy it is to just get in there and change things. To me it is rather confusing, does he know enough or does he need a study?

He proceeded to wave a finger about Obama not lifting a finger. I don't have that link(to finger phrase), but I did find what it seems is a bit of borrowing, if I recall. Something about "A regulatory structure set up for banks in the 1930s needed to change because the nature of business had changed." said Obama in above link and recently lifted by McCain. The irony is complete in that the lifting was political and a flip-flop when he complained that Obama was using the issue for political gain.

[*] Rachell Maddow points out that the president cannot fire the SEC chairman, as McCain would do if he were president. But he made an even greater faux pas in foreign affairs. Or was it really faux pax pas in dissing Spain.

BAU

Business As Usual:

BIAW (Building Industry Association of Washington)Biggest Rossi Funders
...should be prosecuted: Click top link for petition.

This should be addressed, if not by the AG, then by the political process and the media. Although the latter is as big a part of the process as the problem being business as usual- for Republicans.

Victim Hood

Alaska Mythbusters?
Palin charged rape victims? Not Exactly.
Family Values meets Fiscal Conservative?
Is that right?
Reading between the lines, no actually reading the lines, Palin is MIA.
Not exactly a maverick.

You see, that is the difficulty with the media, the right can take things out of context, but the left gets accused when they have it in the least context. In this I mean that Palin has been touted for her executive skills, which is drawing fire from more persistent journalists.

Recent Letters.

To Local Papers Not Printed Yet:

What Democracy Looks Like? [9-10-08]

The Joel Connelly piece "Obama takes the 'low drama' approach" certainly contrasts his campaign with McCain's. It shows the value of community organizing while McCain/Palin seem to knock heads together and too few roll, unless you don‘t "contribute" to their cause. But I quibble with his claim, Obama has "left the right wing smear machine so bereft of material that Swift Boaters of 2008 have been forced to concoct stories." That is "not exactly"-"change you can believe in".

Real change would be if the Swift Boaters could be remembered for the courageous vets their name high-jacked and if they could ever tell the truth. My concocted label for the difference is "Flip-Flopper Crafters"- us and them. One might call this campaign, "Burger Wars": Wendy’s vs. Burger King or "Where’s the beef?" vs. "Home of the Whopper." No con-notation intended, but it has leaked that the Republican Convention was not about issues, but a "composite view". Irony of ironies, the Big Mac lacks the "special sauce" of nuance and straight forwardness, let alone any ingredients of the Bull-Moose Party or Teddy Roosevelt.


Who Gets It? Oh, Right. [9-13-08]

Let’s get this straight. Palin jokes in her acceptance speech: What is the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom? Answer: lipstick Who got up in arms about that remark? I guess it is not a sexist joke if a woman (and hockey mom) says it. Am I applying too much meaning here, like lipstick. Oops, did that cross a line? I don’t worry about pit bulls, or at least their feelings. I wonder if hockey moms are proud of the comparison? Taking offense at Obama‘s use of "like putting lipstick on a pig" seems to be far fetched in comparison. Especially, when McCain has used it so many times, and seems to have a leash on it. You know? The phrase that is. I don’t know about pigs or pit bulls, but issues and attack dogs? (a leash that is) Do we really need a vet? Apparently the media needs one. A closer look that is.

Oh and what is the difference between Sarah Palin and a Neo Con? I don’t think it is lipstick. Apologies to Neo Cons, but they are proud of her. I wonder what the lipstick feels. Oh, and just what did the Palin nomination, do for the ticket? A new leash on life, or at least meanings. And let me vet myself here; McCain's excuse for all this? "...this is a tough campaign." I think he has smeared his own makeup, let alone "change". And speaking of taking offense, no use of the term "vet" here, disrespects anyone's service, I am sure both the military and the medical are tougher than that, while the media needs to get a grip.

Bipartisan Maverick

Apologies to wikipedia or Obama.

I could have sworn there was some charge that Obama had no record in the senate. OK, I am exaggerating. But it was about sponsorship and bipartisanship. Evidence is in the above that succeeding in only 2 of 136 of Ombama's sponsored attempts at legislation rates him a maverick. Ironically McCain should have know about at least one he cosponsored(2nd link).

But a more recent or inclusive source.
Maybe Obama would rather fight for issues than create a record. I don't know if the comparison or the charge is more lame. NOT!*.

And for the ideologically impaired, I mean no disrespect for an injured vet, only for a broken ideology. If we could put sarcasm aside we would disarm the Right.

* I leave the original link and add Huffington Post's

Whining to Win.

First it was about the economy and from a McCain advisor, then it was about the media. Actually quite a bit transpired in between. But the image thing, composite or not, should be compared to The Dean Scream. Actually I am not attributing Deans loss to his scream, but it was a turning point and cover for the media turning. While the light that McCain is cast in, should be examined more carefully, not to mention Palin.

As misinforming as the position Pro-Life is, maybe a better bumper sticker would be Pro-Baby. Whining begins at conception.
Or maybe: Baby First!

[Speaking of winning expressions that is: See The View as contexted here, and watch the first video of him under fire for his ads. Talk about getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar and blaming the baby, or is it the bath water.

[9-17-08: The above was posted before a caller to The Thom Hartmann Show, [*] noted some research backup for my anecdotal unRoveing.]
[In my opinion the easy dismissal of studies by one side of the ideological spectrum, defines the spectrum. One side defines the parameters to study, the other attacks the study to define their way. It could be described as "might makes right" while meaning gets left behind. A point that may have been neutrally arrived at by one critic. "So next time, give 'em something to really cry about."]
[*]: yesterday's caller but again today: the above amendments were posted prior to today's show begining on the topic of smear or coverage - In discussion with the author a reference to Caesar's work(not his words but mine and McCain's), places it as the foundation of our country, while apparently the press has become a fifth column.