Back in Black

There are a great deal many reasons why the Democratic Party drives me absolutely insane, but this most recent display of absent “testicular fortitude” [by which the governor of North Carolina once alluded to now President Obama (Oops! - I wonder how much his state will receive from this administration!)] is particularly infuriating. I understand the party’s desire not to follow the example of the bludgeoning governing style of the congressional Republicans, but this cowering in the face of an obsolete opposition is simply unnecessary. The margin of majority in both the House and Senate are such that the GOP has had their obstructionist objectives greatly diminished, so what’s with this effluence of bipartisan spirit?! Now is certainly not the time to attempt talking reason with a party that is fundamentally against it. They have been reduced to an obstructionist party and they can barely do that anymore, so why negotiate with people who are essentially powerless? My estimation is that (other than the whole lack of fortitude thing) they are essentially beholden to the same powers that be as their esteemed counterparts and therefore want to make sure that the next “stimulus” bill suits all the necessary parties (i.e. campaign donors).

Let's Go Yankees!

In 1996, the New York Yankees won the World Series for the first time in almost twenty years and resurrected their franchise from being a league-wide laughingstock. I have been pondering whether or not the same has just transpired for the Democratic Party. Personally, after having voted for Nader in 2000 (only because I live in a safe ‘blue state’) and Kerry in 2004, it is extremely sweet to finally pick a winner and that’s exactly how it felt for me in 1996. Now, what transpired in the years that followed is of some concern, but luckily the Democrats are not headed by George Steinbrenner. After losing in the first round of the playoffs the following year, they compiled the best record in major league history and won the championship in ’98, ’99 and 2000. Ironically, after Bush was ‘[s]elected’ it all started to go downhill for the Bronx Bombers. I think what can be generally agreed upon is that the Yankees fell back into their old habits of simply purchasing (for obscene amounts of money) a marquee player at the expense of the development of younger players in their farm system. While the Democrats have thusly succeeded by simply not being the Republicans, it would behoove them considerably to adopt a more aggressive brand of politics as opposed to their passive and not so aggressive style of decades passed. I realize that Pelosi and Reid (having proven themselves as number eight and nine hitters in the lineup) are talking tough about using their widened majority to push forward a more progressive agenda, but I’ll definitely have to see it to believe it. I discussed how important it is for those who found themselves involved in the political process for the first time as a result of the Obama candidacy to continue staying active via congressional oversight. While I cannot say I have practiced as much, I am told repeatedly that lawmakers do indeed respond to letters, faxes and phone calls (to a considerably lesser extent, e-mails) as it is these constituents they ultimately must answer to every two and six years. The moral of my story is, I guess; let’s try to be more like the Yankees of the late ‘20s, the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s and early ‘60s as opposed to the Yankees of the 21st century. After all, that new stadium of theirs is an abomination.

Steny and the Jets

When the telecom immunity bill passed in the House this past Friday, I was reminded of my initial thought process when the Democrats retook said House way back when in 2006. For some reason, the fact that the powers that be selected Steny Hoyer to be their Majority Leader and not Jack Murtha signaled to me that the ‘Democrat’ party did not necessarily mean business; or at least the kind of business expected of them to fulfill in that referendum of a mid-term election. Jack Murtha, whose name is hardly ever mentioned anymore, was (and still is, I presume) the firebrand conservative (or ‘Blue Dog’, if you will) Democrat from Pennsylvania who forced the discussion on the travesty that is Iraq. He almost single-handedly illustrated to the nation that if the roles in congress were reversed, the Democrats would actually DO something about changing course, if not withdrawing entirely. But alas, they chose Steny instead; a man who has the appearance of a mediocre actor attempting to portray a very sleazy politician.

Here’s a brief rundown of recent oil news (or as people in the oil industry call it: news) that I have essentially regurgitated from The Rachel Maddow Show & Countdown w/Keith Olbermann:

Republicans want to drill for oil off the coast of Florida: a) to help drive down gas prices (it won’t) and b) because the Chinese have already beat us to it (they haven’t)! Alaska is the other popular talking point, but apparently the pipelines that will run through the vast territory will actually do a considerable amount of good by keeping the caribou who encounter them warm… John McCain wants to give $300 million to someone who can invent a super-duper car battery that will considerably decrease the need for fuel (he’ll take out three pork barrel projects apparently already in his budget to do so – seriously)… The Saudis declared over the weekend that they would immediately begin to increase oil production – in response the price of a barrel still increased by $1.38… Texas oilman (who sounds like he should be a bluesman), T. Boone Pickens, who funded the now infamous ‘Swift Boat Veterans for Truth’ campaign against then-presidential nominee, John Kerry, is being called upon by the actual swift boat veterans in Kerry’s platoon along with Kerry himself to cough up the $1 million he promised to anyone who could find any factual errors in the claims the campaign had made. This does not necessarily have anything to do with oil, per se, except that Pickens is an oil baron/tycoon. Oh those moronic Texas oilmen…

Straight Talk, but no Walk

If neither candidate is going to do it, why not the wife of a former candidate!

Elizabeth Edwards Returns McCain's Fire, Demands 'Straight Talk'

Related:

John McCain Gets Iraq Facts Wrong Again

This is the type of unity the Democrat [sic] party needs to combat McCain and all the Republican dirty tricks and tricksters he stands for. A marriage of truth-seeking journalists and truth-seeking politicians (and sometimes their wives, too!); Almost Utopian, innit?

Demonstrative of how weak the Democrat Party is, it even backs down from ITSELF!!! (Even Hillary finds it a little laughable)

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2842837720080330

Good thing the two candidates are so close in the Gallup national tracking poll that it actually merits this kind of discussion!! Oh wait...

http://www.gallup.com/poll/105841/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Now-52-Clintons-42.aspx

D'OH!!!

Well, uh.. At least this continued politicking isn't having a negative effect on either candidate!! Oh wait...

http://www.slate.com/id/2175496/

D'OH!!!!

A Spine? What's That?!

Don’t look now, but the ‘Democrat’ party is letting us all down again. Apparently they are so used to being on the losing side of legislative battles, or simply too spineless to stand up to a considerably weakened and unpopular President, Democrats are crying ‘Uncle’ as soon as it becomes increasingly evident that despite their [BS] claims to do so – Bush and co. (as usual) will not compromise even a lick. I can appreciate how difficult it is to negotiate with someone possessing the mentality and capacity of a toddler, but good parents do not cave in to unreasonable demands regardless of how cruel they may be seen in the eyes of others: “No, we can not go to McDonalds! Now finish your peas like a good boy, Georgie!” I understand the Democrats’ desire to avoid a congressional stalemate a la the Gingrich-led GOP majority in the ‘90s, but these jerks not only have the will of the people on their side, they have history as well (despite Bush’s claims to the contrary)!

Our only hope now is that perhaps instead of setting withdrawal dates for American armed forces, Democrats will decide to try and set a withdrawal date for the President and Vice of the United States.

Also, a quick passage from Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72 regarding the ‘new’ caveats of presidential campaigning:

“The whole framework of the presidency is getting out of hand. It’s come to the point where you almost can’t run unless you can cause people to salivate and whip on each other with big sticks. You almost have to be a rock star to get the kind of fever you need to survive in American politics.” ~Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, 469 (12/1972)