Anagram: Obama’s DNC Speech/Cops Chase Bad Men

           This speech was one for the ages folks. The most beautifully crafted, intelligent speech I have ever heard in my 41 years on this earth.  I am sure that most of those who will read this will feel the same way.  The Senator was tough. He was strong.  He was certain.  He made more policy points than I thought he would, I vaguely remember a talking head on television, Olbermann if i remember correctly, say 29 of them.  I believe him.   

        The junior Senator from Illinois called McCain out on a number of topics.  Sen. Obama Pointed out rather deftly that McCain said he would follow Bin Laden to the gates of hell but wouldn’t follow him to his cave.  You McCain supporters out there might not believe that, but several months ago Barack Obama said if he had precise knowledge on where Bid Laden was, even if it was in Pakistan, a nation friendly to us, that he would send the military after him,  and it was John McCain who said that was wrong, it isn’t right to breach another country’s border like that. 

     He took McCain’s judgment to task, and echoed the points that had been made countless times throughout the convention that it was John McCain who had voted for Bush Policies over 90% of the time, policies which have failed this country and it’s people.  How can you talk of another’s judgment when your own is faulty, when your own shows a real lack of judgment.  There’s nothing maverick about being a follower.

    He made a point of showing that 95% of Americans will get a tax cut under an Obama administration.  Only the Super rich will pay more in taxes.

     He said that he will cut costs by making government smaller, by getting rid of government programs that don’t work. 

     He said…..Ya know, maybe I should let you hear the man in his own words. Read the entire transcript here:

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who’s willing to work.

That’s the promise of America the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother’s keeper; I am my sister’s keeper.

That’s the promise we need to keep. That’s the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.

Change means a tax code that doesn’t reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

I will cut taxes cut taxes for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Washington’s been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he’s said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.

Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.

        This is one for the Ages from my perspective folks. He delineated the ideas and ideals of both the American people and the Democratic party, and wove them together so seamlessly that the two, as a great many of us democrats already see it, can be clearly seen as one and the same.

    Here’s another portion of the speech.  He shows real strength here while also showing off a genuine weakness of both The Bush administration and John McCain, Foreign Policy:

You don’t defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq. You don’t protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can’t truly stand up for Georgia when you’ve strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice but it is not the change we need.

We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don’t tell me that Democrats won’t defend this country. Don’t tell me that Democrats won’t keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans — Democrats and Republicans have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.

As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

He was emotional, intelligent, strong, and gave America a grand vision of it’s future with an Obama Administration. In front of 80,000+ at Invesco field, and in front tens of millions on television and on the web, he made a powerful case that he is the best man for the job of President of the United States of America.

     Well done Senator, Well Done.

Anagram: Unconventional/Novel Nun Action

       Today, the Third day of the Democratic National Convention, contained the most damning attacks on the worth of John McCain as a candidate.  His alleged strength on National Security has been clearly exposed by the Democrats as a weakness.  It was pointed out that John McCain was wrong about Iraq and Barack Obama was right, that Barack was right about Afghanistan and McCain was wrong.  All of tonight’s speakers were crushing in an emotional plea to America, telling America that if George Bush is bad, and almost everyone agrees that he is, then John McCain, by dint of being of the same mind, and voting for the Policies espoused by The Bush Administration is bad for America….

      ….and dammit, the Democrats did it right.  Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, along with Evan Bayh, Madeline Albright and a great many other speakers both well known and Unknown made the same point with strength and frequency, that Barack Obama’s policies are better than those of his Opponent in this horse race, That John McCain is, for all intents and purposes, another incarnation of George w. Bush. 

    I am going to throw a video or two at the bottom of this blog.

    The Beginning of the night was just a rip roaring party, a festive little lovefest of each state having a delegate, usually a prominent state leader, sometimes well known, sometimes not, who would tout the states rich heritage, and then tell how many delegate votes each person got…after that is the nomination process, which was basically several important people in the party first nominating and then seconding said nomination.  Pageantry, richly choreographed, and well done. 

     The touch of having Hillary Clinton speak for the New York delegation and then ask that Barack Obama be named the Democratic Presidential Candidate by acclamation was a really nice touch.  It had the effect of the Clinton’s actually Handing the torch to the Obama’s, very well done. 

       Noteworthy speeches: Tammy Duckworth, a real American hero, lost both her legs after her helicopter was shot down in Iraq, and is Still Serving her country with two prosthetic legs.  Strong Woman.  To hear her talk about how bad the Bushes have been with the Military,  and how deftly she tied McCain to Bush, from the standpoint of wounded veteran, and of someone still serving, was deeply damning. 

     Bill Clinton.  In no uncertain terms, he laid the groundwork for the night, which was nothing more than an all out assault on Both George Bush and John McCain from beginning to end.  He blasted McCain, but more importantly, he gave a rousing and strong endorsement of Barack Obama to the raucous crowd in Denver.  He was not necessarily bombastic, but he was strong and hard on Both McCain and Bush, read the transcript here.  For those looking for divisiveness, they need to look elsewhere, there was none of that here.

     Joe Biden.  A few verbal gaffes, most notably for me was his saying McCain wanted “$200,000,000 in taxes for corporate America” when he  i think meant “$200,000,000 in tax breaks for corporate America” He had a slip earlier as well, saying:     

You know, folks, that’s the America that George Bush has left us. And that’s the America we’ll continue to get if George — excuse me, if John McCain is elected president of the United States of America. Freudian slip. Freudian slip.

       Nice. Might not have been as Freudian as he’s letting on but it may well have been. Either way, the effect was large and pronounced. So joined at the hip in his mind are these two, Bush and McCain, that in his mind, he’s mixing up their names.

       The speech was well crafted and aside from those two goofs (if goofs they were) was a solid and prolonged attack On John McCain. Read it here.  He REALLY tore McCain a new Asshole near the end of the speech.   Just read the transcript or catch the Viddy.  It’s good stuff.

    Today was a good day to be a Democrat.

    That’s about it except for the Videos. First up,  Joe Biden:

    

 Next Up, John Kerry Whipping John McCain’s Ass, around 13:00 total run time:

    I could not find the Tammy Duckworth speech on youtube, I might post it tomorrow.  we’ll see. 

That’s It for me. Later.

Today’s Nuggets, Via Wikiquote:  In the case of a word like DEMOCRACY, not only is there no agreed definition, but the attempt to make one is resisted from all sides. It is almost universally felt that when we call a country democratic we are praising it: consequently the defenders of every kind of régime claim that it is a democracy, and fear that they might have to stop using the word if it were tied down to any one meaning. Words of this kind are often used in a consciously dishonest way. That is, the person who uses them has his own private definition, but allows his hearer to think he means something quite different.   George Orwell

All deductions having been made, democracy has done less harm, and more good, than any other form of government. It gave to human existence a zest and camaraderie that outweighed its pitfalls and defects. It gave to thought and science and enterprise the freedom essential to their operation and growth. It broke down the walls of privilege and class, and in each generation it raised up ability from every rank and place.     Will Durant

Anagram: Stand Up For What’s Right/Dustpan Was Forthright

     

              I’ve Been watching the Convention since it started again.  Same issues with CNN and MSNBC and the other stations claiming “wall to wall” coverage.  Wall to wall apparently meaning covering themselves talking to themselves about what interests them.  These Convention’s are sponsored by Big Business. It is no surprise that the early speakers, who were very anti-big business, got no coverage.  And on top of it all, During speeches by I forget who, but it was around 6:00p.m. first CNN and then MSNBC had Mitt Romney speaking….AT THE CONVENTION SITE ITSELF!!!  NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!  How can you, In the Middle of speeches at the DEMOCRATIC Convention, have HIM there?  I can’t get it out of my head that these pricks are shilling for the Republicans.  There’s only one way to make this up to the Dems.  Have Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton at the RNC In the Convention center During speeches.  Anything less is grossly unfair. 

        But there was one hero for the early speakers.  Dennis Kucinich.

      I knew the man was a strong principled smart man who had the courage of his convictions, but today he showed a side I didn’t expect and frankly hadn’t seen.  That of Rabble Rouser.  This man, when he was speaking, gave a speech that was less a speech and more a call to arms.  He didn’t stand still.  He didn’t speak in measured tones like most of the rest of the speakers, He YELLED, he cajoled, he got the crowd fired up.  He was excited, he was angry, and he let EVERYONE know it.  CNN was in commercial when he started, as was msnbc.  Pissed me off.  went back to C-Span. Listened to Denny Give’em hell.  Oh man he was GREAT. (he does need to work the fist-pump though)  He MADE CNN and MSNBC stand up and take notice.  They picked up the last minute or so of his speech.  They couldn’t ignore him, he deafened them, forced them to cover him.  I’ll post the Viddy at the bottom of this blog. 

    Mind you for every great speech today, there were bad speeches.  Ted Sorensen seemed almost asleep at the wheel, If Jim Leach was bland yesterday, Mr. Sorenson was ultra-bland today.  Everyone was on message …  well … almost.  I am disappointed in my Governor, David Paterson.  He was giving a short 5 minute speech, which was pretty good up to nearly the end of it, but his near total blindness caught up with him, He was trying to make a point of the “McCain bad, Obama Good” things.  Near the end of the speech, he goofed and switched up the names.  Said that Obama was more of the same, and McCain was change.  OOPS.  I’ll post it at the bottom of this post.  You know he didn’t mean it like that, but you also know that the Republicans are going to use it. Hell, If a Republican screws up like that I know I would use it against them.  Dammit, that’s not the way to do it though, brother.  You, blind as you are, can correct that kinda thing on the fly, Can’t ya?

    Excuse me.  Hillary is about to Jump on the stage. Governor Schweitzer of Montana was firing up the crowd, but he just finished.  This I gotta hear.  …

     If That speech she just gave doesn’t convince her supporters to back Barack Obama and the Democrats in the 2008 election, nothing will.  That was an amazingly strong, powerful endorsement of Barack Obama.  She is a great public speaker, and used every trick in the book to make the point that She is backing Barack Obama and that all democrats need to do the same.   She was very persuasive tonight, she had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand and used it to great effect.  I will say it this way, If there are any who claim to still be voting for McCain because Hillary is out of the race, they were never really Democrats in the first place.  The case against John McCain that she laid out tonight was the single strongest attack On John McCain during the convention so far.  She blasted him with both barrels, she all but said “McCain Sucks!” and had not propriety made it impossible, she probably would have. 

   I voted for Hillary in February.  I am Voting for Barack Obama In November. 

       That’s all except the Video.  First up, as promised, David Patterson.  The gaffe I spoke of is almost at the end of the speech, at the 5:19 mark of his speech.

   

The Hillary speech is not up On YouTube just yet.  But I have a good one here, Dennis Kucinich giving his “WAKE UP AMERICA” Speech.  If your a Dem and this doesn’t get you fired up, check your pulse.

  

     Thank you Dennis!

That’s It for me.  Later!

Today’s Nugget, from George Orwell: Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.

Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.

The great enemy of clear language is insincerity.

Anagram: Convention Reflection/Confront Violent Niece

       I have been rolling around the networks and I have to tell you I am deeply disappointed in the coverage so far during the Democratic Convention.  I have turned on the big news networks several times during a variety of speeches, and I have to tell you the only place to actually catch all the convention speeches is C-Span.  I turned on CNN.  Nothing.  There were speeches going on for almost two hours, and they hadn’t covered one.  Not one.  they covered some of Nancy Pelosi, SOME of the speaker of the house’ speech, but nothing beyond that.  I kept it on C-Span most of the time, but, just to see if the other stations were actually covering the convention, I would, In mid speech, turn to CNN, MSNBC, and the free TV stations.  Nothing.  I cannot tell you how many times I turned these channels on and saw commercials.  It’s truly pitiful.  Howard Dean.  Totally glossed over.  NEA President Reg Weaver.  Nada.  Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Zip.  If you want to actually SEE the coverage on Television, ALL the coverage, turn to C-Span.  

       It was amazing to me, that During the speeches by Several Hispanic representatives, CNN was going over the effect that Hillary Clinton Voters would have in southwestern Ohio.  Now I know it’s important how people vote,  but was that really necessary in the middle of these speeches? I watched for 30 seconds and thought to myself 2 things “These people are more interested in showing how divided the Democratic party MIGHT be divided IF Hillary’s people become complete assholes and forget their Democratic roots and vote for John McCain, than the cohesion the party is showing on the stage RIGHT NOW” and “HEY!  I’m Missing the speeches! Oh Shit!”

     Needless to say I am just a LITTLE bit more interested in watching the ACTUAL CONVENTION, than watching someone talk shit.  I don’t know if it’s Media bias, but what it is Isn’t actual coverage of the Convention.  The Republicans must love the coverage the Democrats are getting, because every piece on CNN and MSNBC were all almost entirely negative.  Everywhere I turned it was Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, what effect will Hillary have on the convention?  What do you think of the Hillary people? what will they do? Ya know, maybe if you watched the actual convention, you might notice that we aren’t nearly the fractured party that you are portraying us as!

      Every negative thing you report on that has no real bearing on the events going on around us takes away from the National debate, takes away from America’s ability to properly weigh the issues of the day by distracting us away from the reality of the world around us, and plays into the hands of those that would much rather see debate squashed, and see our future squandered by those who are running our economy into the dirt.  

      I’ve been watching it streaming live online on C-Span, if you want to catch it all, without the Bullshit that is regular TV and their so-called pundits, watch C-span. 

    I know this blog reads like an ad for C-Span.  It’s not.  It’s anger at bad coverage and misrepresenting MY political party.

      Maybe It’s just my reaction to hearing all this talk about “WALL-TO-WALL COVERAGE” and running into a wall of bullshit instead of any real coverage.  The Party is about more than just the stars of the party, it’s about everyone, SHOW the people, not just a few of them.  It’s about WE THE PEOPLE, Not a few party bigwigs.  It gives the Impression, an erroneous impression of the party.  It shows us as being a party of the Big Names, when we are a party of the People. 

     I am going to go watch the rest of the Night.  Ted Kennedy was Good tonight.  Nancy Pelosi was good tonight.  Jesse Jackson Jr. was good tonight.  Republican Jim Leach, who crossed party lines, to back Barack Obama is good, he is speaking right now.  Jimmy Carter was good to see, he didn’t speak, he chose not to.  there were TONS of Other speakers, TONS.  They were all good.  I am happy that I caught as much of it as I have.

       A Video for you: Nancy Pelosi Via C-Span(of course), total run time 12:41

      That’s it from me.  Later!

Today’s Nuggets, Via Newspeak:  History is full of people who out of fear, or ignorance, or lust for power has destroyed knowledge of immeasurable value which truly belongs to us all. We must not let it happen again.    Carl Sagan

What the mass media offers is not popular art, but entertainment which is intended to be consumed like food, forgotten, and replaced by a new dish. W.H. Auden

Television could perform a great service in mass education, but there’s no indication its sponsors have anything like this on their minds. Tallulah Bankhead

Anagram: Flabuginous/Fabulous Gin

      

press the button, you know you want to....

Flabuginous: Something which is deceptive or fraudulent.   Political and personal blurbs at random for today. 

   It’s been a kinda busy day at the hacienda del rinoceronte today.  I’ve had a lot of crap to do and got no sleep, so I’m kinda dragging right now.   Sprayed to deal with bugs today.  I was seeing them all over the place, and  it was REALLY Pissing me off.  I thought we might have an infestation of some kind, so I got some bug spray and sprayed EVERYTHING….Except the wife and the cats, the stuff says it’s harmful to humans and animals so i tried to be careful.  It seems to have had some effect.  I’ve seen two since the spraying, where before I was seeing them all over the place.  But the fact that I’ve seen two, tells me I have more spraying to do.

         Politics: The Obama campaign has an ad out that…is… well, It’s almost an attack ad!  Actually it is a very critical ad, critical of Senator McCain and his weak ass alleged Tax scheme to make the Rich richer and the Poor homicidally insane with righteous rage.  The ad is Titled “Three Times”, and I think I’ll toss that Video in later on here in this blog.  I cover this ad in depth at election-coverage.com in Friday’s Installment, out at about 6:30 am that day.

     HEY!  If you are In Denver for the Festivities, don’t forget to hit the KARAOKE CONVENTION!  That’s right kids!  Part of the entertainment is a what some loon decided to call the Karaoke convention…oh wait… This is actually a Good thing!  Check the write up for it, from the People running it:         

Karaoke Convention 08 Is a post-partisan, trans-political, artist-led campaign to create a platform for public “re-speech” at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Specially designed karaoke tracks, made from 2008 presidential primary speeches, and a Karaoke Convention Kit will be made available at an informal network of Karaoke Convention Centers, hosted by karaoke bars and performance venues across the city of Denver. The campaign is rooted in the belief that this new form of karaoke is a critical and necessary form of engagement for citizens in a contemporary participatory democracy.

      That actually sounds….well… better then drunken Dems wearing McCain Masks doing horrible renditions of Abba’s “Dancing Queen”. Not great but hey, it’s Karaoke… and we all know that Karaoke is Japanese for “Asshole”.

       Actually it’s not…but pass that along anyway, it sounds better then the truth, which is it’s Japanese for “empty orchestra”

     Hey! Joe Lieberman is going to be speaking at the Convention.  For the Republicans.  That’s right folks, Super Joe, former stalwart Democrat and now stalwart backer of John McCain (Joe always was a wart) will be speaking at the Republican National Convention.  What about I have no Idea. 

    There will be an announcement at some point in the next 72 hours as to who the Democratic V.P. will be.  The heavy Favorite at this point is Joe Biden, which is almost a dead giveaway that he won’t be it.  I’ve been wrong about a great many things here, but so has the press.  Remember last time, in 04?  The New York Post had Dick Gephardt as Kerry’s Running mate and ran it as a front page story….Must’ve hurt when they had to eat crow because they got it so blisteringly wrong.  But this is the Post.  The shittiest newspaper on earth.  I wouldn’t wipe my ass with that horrible rag.

   Last piece of news I’d like to toss out there is a Congratulations to Rachel Maddow, on getting her own show on MSNBC.  It will be starting on September 8th.  I’ve been mulling a few titles for the Show, So Rachel if you’re reading this, WTG! Can I have your Autograph? And here’s a few potential Show names for you….

     7,000,000,000 Stories.

     Intellagenda. 

     The Truth.

     Holy Shit It’s Rachel!

     FOX SUCKS   (I had to)

    Ok, enough Bullshit.  PRESS THE BUTTON AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE BEFORE THIS GOES TOO FAR!!!!!!!

    A few videos for you:  First up, I promised that Ad from The Obama Campaign, and here it is:

   

   Countdown from Kieth Olbermann, about Rachel Maddow, with Rachel Maddow, Kewl: 

   

That’s it for me!  Later!

Today’s Nuggets, from George Orwell again:  The enemies of intellectual liberty always try to present their case as a plea for discipline versus individualism. The issue truth-versus-untruth is as far as possible kept in the background. Although the point of emphasis may vary, the writer who refuses to sell his opinions is always branded as a mere egoist. He is accused, that is, of either wanting to shut himself up in an ivory tower, or of making an exhibitionist display of his own personality, or of resisting the inevitable current of history in an attempt to cling to unjustified privilege.

To keep the matter in perspective, let me repeat what I said at the beginning of this essay: that … the immediate enemies of truthfulness, and hence of freedom of thought, are the press lords, the film magnates, and the bureaucrats, but that on a long view the weakening of the desire for liberty among the intellectuals themselves is the most serious symptom of all.