Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Each candidate has questionable ties



Why did Obama have to make a speech explaining his relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright? None of the other candidates had to. Each one has a dicey relationship with religion. This is so hypocritical.

George W. Bush never made a speech explaining or denouncing Jerry Falwell’s comments in 2001 blaming “the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and lesbians” for the September 11 terrorist attacks.

And John McCain spoke at Falwell’s Liberty University in 2006.

McCain has not had to answer constant questions about his relationship with Pastor John Hagee. McCain said he was “very honored by Pastor John Hagee’s endorsement.” He also called Hagee “the staunchest leader of our Christian evangelical movement,” citing the minister’s pro-Israel stance.

According to the Catholic League president Bill Donohue “for the past few decades Hagee has waged an unrelenting war against the Catholic Church. For example he likes calling it ‘The Great Whore,’ an ‘apostate church,’ the ‘anti-Christ,’ and a ‘false cult system.’

Why doesn’t Hillary Clinton have to make a speech about her membership in The Fellowship? A group that has close ties to people like former Attorney General John Ashcroft, Senator Sam Brownback and former Senator Rick Santorum.

Here is a couple lines from an article about Clinton and The Fellowship in Mother Jones:

The Fellowship isn't out to turn liberals into conservatives; rather, it convinces politicians they can transcend left and right with an ecumenical faith that rises above politics. Only the faith is always evangelical, and the politics always move rightward.

Jeremiah Wright’s “incendiary comments” and “fiery rhetoric” were neither to me. My freaking 85 year old Irish grandma didn’t think much of them. She didn’t think they were all that shocking or even much to speak of. Much ado about nothing. Two Sundays ago I watched Meet the Press as Bill Bradley danced around the comments denouncing them and yada yada yawn. I sat and watched and thought “geez I wish he would just cut through all the bull shit and say to Tim Russert: you know what, Wright is actually articulating what many Americans believe not just in the black community, but goddamn it, I believe that shit too, have for years.”

Here are my notes from the day of the now famous Obama Race Speech:

My neck hurts and I don’t know what to do. I missed the speech on race by Obama today all because I was soaking wet from fighting a massive dog with a power washer. I blasted the shaggy beast from every angle and after 4 hours and 10,000 gallons of water I was soaked to the bone and I retreated to my dark wooded bungalow up the hill from the shaggy beast. I poured a hot bath and turned the tv on.

All the news channels were talking about Obama’s speech. Fox News basically said it was all over for Obama because his “unfavorability” rating went up in the latest Rasmussen Poll.

Wolf Blitzer at CNN said the speech was a preemptive strike on Clinton, whatever that means. Blitzer is always good for analysis that says almost nothing and won’t get him in real trouble he is real safe and boring as fuck.

Turned to Race for the White House with David Gregory on MSNBC. All I can ever think of when I see Gregory is that he was in the background dancing at the White House correspondence dinner when Karl Rove rapped.

I think Gregory called the Obama speech a “hail mary” or maybe it was someone else, but someone said that. The best thing anyone called it was “gutsy.” Joe Scarborough, David Gregory and Chuck Todd agreed that this was the speech that may be Obama’s downfall because he did not throw his pastor under the bus. Rachel Maddow and Eugene Robinson had to fight just to say it actually was a good speech.

The Old Boy Network is actually a stronger pull than the true thoughts and feelings that instinctively come to the forefront. Or maybe its the same old thing where: white-guy-network-forever people are the true and serious gatekeepers. And this Obama craziness is scaring the fuck out of everybody in charge because they need to somehow take him down without a bullet and it is a little too close for comfort.

Why was Hillary out there that day of the Obama Race Speech? She said she did not see or read it, but still commented on it. What was the point? Did she just want the public to know she can’t waste her time listening to what her opponent says? She took reporters questions with this glazed over look on her face and talked down to everyone.

Bush "Waster" board taken by Reed Wacker with a fish eye. Bush in the vines.


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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Note to Obama: Fight like a panther




It is 7 in the morning and I look out the window to gaze at the gray sky, is almost white and blinding. This is the kind of city where the sun never comes up and never goes down and the horizon is met by never-ending gray. The cars are zooming by my window, a diesel motor is spitting as they tend to do, but instead of a car it is strapped to a man’s back: the leaf blowers are out. Like the machine gun man in The Predator movie mowing down a section of jungle with the pull of the trigger, the leaf blower man shoots dust and debris all over the street, moving it from one lot to the next, in constant motion for no reason. The haze of diseased material won’t go away, it just moves. Like a drunk wandering from one bar to the next all day. Existing, but not moving forward. Just being blown around by the fuel power, the liquid courage. Aha. Did I just hit the nail on the head? Surely sounds like it. Stumbled upon it of course. Now lets get down to business.

In The Scotsman Samantha Power, Mr. Obama's key foreign policy aide called Hillary, “A Monster...” because she had stooped so low in her attacks. What pisses me off is that today Power resigned from the Obama campaign probably because the Clinton’s called for her to be fired for the comments. Why? Who cares. She called Clinton a monster, she is a monster with eyes bulging and looking so desperate all the time, so tight faced, she looks like a balloon ready to pop.

No interpersonal skills to speak of. For some time now I have thought maybe she is some kind of speed freak. Her eyes are so big, Is she on Meth? Her face so tight. Remember 2004 when people piled on Kerry about possible botoxing? Well its 2008 and Hillary is definitely filled to the top with botox, look at her forehead, it looks like a clay teapot.

Larry David posted something on Huffingtonpost.com today and I think he keys in on something that we have all been seeing, but maybe people are too afraid to call her out on it. This is an interesting paragraph from the post:

How is it that she became the one who's perceived as more equipped to answer that 3 a.m. call than the unflappable Obama? He, with the ice in his veins, who doesn't panic when he's losing or get too giddy when he's winning, who's as comfortable in his own skin as she's uncomfortable in hers. There have been times in this campaign when she seemed so unhinged that I worried she'd actually kill herself if she lost. Every day, she reminds me more and more of Adele H., who also had an obsession that drove her insane.

Indeed. She seems to be completely unhinged to me. Scratching and clawing at the White House door like a sick puppy. Constantly pacing, nothing moving fast enough and no satisfaction ever. I thought with age came wisdom. I thought you learned to be a bit more philosophical. Veteran athletes force it less with more experience, don’t throw the ball away as much, live for another play. Brett Favre is old as McCain and in the playoffs this year executed precision shovel passes vs. the Seattle Seahawks in the midst of a blizzard at Lambeau Field. The Great Favre retired yesterday, but still kept repeating, “I know I can still play.”

I am not so sure Hillary ever learned how to play, never calmed down enough to be herself and confident with it, still trying to get her father’s approval. She has actually talked about and been pretty open with the public about her lifelong struggle of living up to her father’s idea of success. That is a skeleton in her closet, that may haunt her until the end.

Who cares what anyone thinks? Do whatever the fuck you want and don’t apologize to anyone for it. Family or friends. Be yourself.

Note to Obama: I know you are above the fray, cool, calm and collected, distinguished and academic, cut from a John Kerry cloth. I support you I just wish you would get a little bit more mad sometimes. Stand up and hit back. Or the least you could do is not fire or “let go” or “accept the resignation” of a campaign aide that is fighting back for you. Especially one hour after your rival The Clinton’s complained. They are the last people to be whining about attacks.

Note from the Editor: I was just thinking about this today...He is too focused on cleaning up America to be bothered with the pettiness of dirty politics, but isn’t that his appeal? Peace.

I took the pictures of the Obama posters under the Ballard Bridge.

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Monday, March 10, 2008

The West is the best



When I was a little boy I would take a bread knife out of the kitchen door and fantasize about cutting my cheek and having a scar on my face like one of the twin Cobra brothers in G.I. Joe.” - Id the Squid

Every boy who grows up in the West fantasizes about violence and war. Prince Harry is no different. That is why he went to Afghanistan. Now, Prince Harry is back in England and needs a haircut. I saw some footage on CNN about Harry in Afghanistan, the Americans had just arrived, “Now everything is alright in the Empire” Harry quipped. The Sun said Prince William might go as well. The whole thing is ridiculous.

Has anyone seen the movie: In the Valley of Elah? Jesus Fucking Christ...the movie hits the nail on the head. War fucks you up! Hello? Everyone knows that. We are not in some barbaric age where soldiers are heroes and have balls of steel. Fuck. These guys go to war. Run over a fucking toddler in a Humvee. Lose their innocence.

Start dehumanizing every Iraqi by calling them all the same name “Hadji” just like “Charlie” in Vietnam. Torture for fun. And turn into psycho killers. Come home. Kill puppies. Kill wife. Then kill best friends.

Indeed Kill Em All. It all happens in that order. And the sick thing is that it is understandable. When you are trained to kill you are paid to dehumanize a population. You are left to deal with this inhumane way of life all by yourself inside your own private hell. Sounds like any normal person would go fucking nuts even with a million hours of therapy from Dr. Phil.

Sounds real heroic John McCain, you fucking prick. He may bomb Iran and he may bomb Kosovo-- fuck he might just bomb Moscow, Russia and Moscow, Idaho just for good measure. So send the Royal Family of England, yeah...Ok, where do we go from here Bobo? We are Royally Fucked. Why fuck up the prince as well?...I mean I understand the peasants always go to die like dogs in the desert, but now the future king of England wants to get in on the action. Did he watch American Psycho and decide “Fuck Yeah! Lock and Load Baby.” Well Whoopee Fucking Doo. It must have been all the generations of inbreeding that made these geniuses want to kill some ragheads, huh.

Ok for now. I will be back later.

Last night I was talking on the phone with my friend Robbie. He has been involved in grass roots politics for most of his life. He asked me how I was doing and who I was voting for this year. “Obama.” I said. “But, I don’t necessareally think he will deliver on his promises or change much, he seems to be pretty middle of the road policy-wise. I think he could get the most out of the American people and we need an inspirational leader to lift up the general mood of the country. What about you?”

Robby said, “I am in the same boat as you Reed. This reminds me of the 1960 election where Kennedy was an elequent man, but the people pushed him to do things and that is why I am supporting Obama. He seems to be the most likely to listen and be persuaded by public opinion...you know because Bush doesn’t give a shit.” “Yeah Bush doesn’t give a flying fuck.” I said.

“Jacob's getting home soon.” I said. “Yeah on the 19th. We are going to be watching a lot of the NCAA Tournament.” Robby said. “I’ll see you soon then.” And I hung up the phone. C’est la vie.

I took the picture at the I-5 South Roanoke Exit.


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