I know, I know, it's been a depressing year for progressives. None-the-less, despite my well-earned scorn for Democratic leaders, the alternative is worse, much worse.
So shake off that apathy and turn those pollsters "likely voter" numbers on their heads!
New video form the Democratic Governor's Association Amazing, something intentionally amusing from politicians, who'd a thunk it?
Enjoy.
I know, it's been awhile. And sure, there've been a few things I might have weighed in on. But threaten South Park? Have you at last sir, no decency?
Howdy folks.
After years of outrage and incredulity over BushCorp™'s many follies, I find myself outraged out.
As our President-elect begins his new administration I find that I simply need a rest. And, given the current state of the economy (thanks George) I unfortunately find that I have to focus much, much more on merely keeping my family afloat.
But not to worry, should need arise, and opportunity prevail, I hope to see you back here one day.
Until then.
Be well.
Know hope.
In an announcement that surprises absolutely no-one, Time magazine names Barack Obama as its Person of the Year.
The main surprise is their given reasoning:
As Obama has moved with unprecedented speed to build an Administration that would bolster the confidence of a shaken world, his flash and dazzle have faded into the background. In the waning days of his extraordinary year and on the cusp of his presidency, what now seems most salient about Obama is the opposite of flashy, the antithesis of rhetoric: he gets things done. He is a man about his business — a Mr. Fix It going to Washington.
Just about the only thing about the whole Prop 8 fiasco that's ever made me smile.
And it features Jack Black as Jesus!
Rahm Emmanuel is Barack Obama's Luca Brasi.
Without the mafia ties of course.
Though he does have his own awkward relation ship with fish.
Joe Lieberman must go, you know why. In this helpful video from last June Josh Marshall explains how:
My letter to Senator Boxer:
Dear Senator Boxer,
After his disgraceful behavior during this election cycle Senator Lieberman has no place in the Democratic caucus, and certainly has no place as a committee chair.
As my Senator, and as a member of the Democratic steering and outreach committee I am counting on you to do the right thing.
President-elect Obama has said that we need to reach out and listen to those who disagree with us, and I wholeheartedly agree.
That does not mean, however, that we need to reward them with committee chairmanships.
Sincerely,
Steven Kang
www.stevekangsblog.blogspot.com
Ok.
So I've given myself a day to just walk around smiling and reading as many newspapers I could get my hands on.
Time, I suppose, to ever so gently start looking forward.
One very preliminary thought inspired by TPM's David Kurtz is this, never have I ever been so glad to be so frequently wrong.
I'm not going through the full litany of lefty second guessings that Obama proved wrong, Kurtz does a fine job of that.
But, just to point out the obvious, in every case, Cool Hand Barack's choices were consistently superior to the lefty blogosphere's recommendations (including my own).
Turns out Barack Obama is smarter than the rest of us.
Go figure.
So does that mean that in the future I'll stop second-guessing the new administration?
Surely (Shirley) you jest.
It just means that I expect to find myself frequently, happily, wrong.
In 2004 I heard about a speech given at the Democratic National Convention. After watching it my first thought was: my God, this man has a future in this party.
My second thought was: why does he have to be named Barack Hussein Obama?
But after today's historic events I understand.
America has, for the past eight years, worked to destroy itself, its place in the world as a leader, not only militarily and finacially, but as a beacon of reason and sanity.
Perhaps we could be forgiven the first four years of a Bush administration transformed by the disaster of 9/11 from merely blandly incompetent to actively evil.
But then came 2004.
We re-elected him.
To the world, and to ourselves, that was a nearly unpardonable sin.
And make no mistake, the blame then lay not only on the shoulders of Bush's supporters and voters, but on those of us on the left as well who failed to defeat him.
Which is why it is so important that a black man named Barack Hussein Obama is now President-Elect.
Because we on the left had to work that much harder to get him there. Because it forced the saner of Bush's former supporters to realize that they had to choose between the reason and sanity Obama represents, and the madness represented by their rabid far-right wing.
Which is why I'm also (now) thankful for Sarah Palin who made the choice even more stark.
And (while I'm feeling magnanimous) let me express my thought that we have done John McCain a great service by rejecting his presidential bid.
The McCain I saw tonight reminded be of the McCain I admired not so many years ago, like his soul had been held prisoner to the worst elements of the GOP campaign machine, but had suddenly been released.
So now the beginning is ended. Tomorrow (after sleeping late) we begin to face the many challenges that confront us, individually and as a nation. But now, as I never have before, I truly believe that we are up to the task.
We can do it together.
Yes, we can.
[I]n no other country on earth, is my story even possible.- Barack Obama, 2004 keynote speech to the Democratic National Convention.
Let's say your a left-leaning political junkie who likes to keep an eye on what the wingnuttiest wingnut right is up to. Like me, however, you find it difficult, nay painful to wade through that much garbage and still keep down your breakfast. And further, like me, you don't want to give those bastards any clicks.
Here's the solution: read Bill Kristol's comments.
You're not clicking on his main article so you won't get counted as a reader, plus you don't have to steel your nerve (or risk your blood pressure) by reading his inane drivel. But, through the good services of the NYT readership, you not only get a good feel for Kristol's garbage du jour, but you also get to enjoy his skewering by said readership.
It's a win/win.
Do get the feeling that, increasingly, the term "corrupt Republican" is a redundancy?
Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted today of lying on financial disclosure forms to hide tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and renovations to his Alaska home that were financed mostly by a powerful business executive and his oil services company.
The news that Ted Stevens has been found guilty on all charges in his federal corruption trial badly imperils any lingering chance that the long-time Alaska Republican Senator had at winning reelection in eight days time.
It's hard to imagine worse timing for the Stevens' conviction to be announced -- roughly one week before he faces Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich in a race long targeted by national Democrats as a takeover opportunity.
From Obama's speech today in Richmond:
At a defining moment like this, we don't have the luxury of relying on the same political games, the same political tactics, that we've become accustomed to. This slash-and-burn politics that divides us from one another... which the challenges and crises we face right now, we can't afford to divide this country. By race, by class, by region, by who we are, by what policies we support. Let me tell you something, because I know you've been hearing a lot of stuff lately. There are no real parts of the country and fake parts of the country. There are no pro-America parts of the country and anti-America parts of the country. We all love this country. No matter where we live. Or where we come from.
I understand, and frankly agree, that endorsements don't make all that much difference, especially this late in the game.
But still you have to believe the optics on the last round of endorsements might be telling.
Sure Barack Obama racks up endorsements from Colin Powell, and even neo-con Ken Adelman, but hey, McCain just got a high=profile endorsement of his own:
Al Qaeda.
"Al-Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming election," said a commentary posted Monday on the extremist Web site al-Hesbah, which is closely linked to the terrorist group. It said the Arizona Republican would continue the "failing march of his predecessor," President Bush.
Winner: Bob Scheiffer. Not only a good questioner, he actually got the candidates to engage in what, mostly, sounded like an actual debate.
Winner: Barack Obama. Given the fundamentals, Obama's challenge throughout these debates was much like Reagan's in 1980, to make people in whose interest it would be to vote for him comfortable enough to do so. I.e. to look and act presidential.
Mission accomplished!
Loser: McCain (what did you think I was going to say?). Faced with Mission Impossible: to revitalize his campaign without going negative (which has only hurt him with independents), McCain has shown he's no Tom Cruise, or even Peter Graves.
And he forgot that it's the message that's supposed to self-destruct.
Barack Obama said in the most recent debate (I paraphrase) that we need a president who can not only see what's right in front of him, but see around the corner.
He's both correct in that observation, and capable of such vision:
[H/t Andrew Sullivan]
And since the O-man is high-minded enough for the both of us, I have no qualms about agreeing with what kos says about today's GOP:
Frankly, the only divide I want to see Obama bridge is between progressive and Bluedog Democrats. I just don't think Republicans in their current state are salvageable, with the ones surviving the coming firestorm being the hardest of the hard right.
