A few observations to chew on this sunny Wednesday morning:
- Once again the Seattle Times editorial board urges the Washington State Supreme Court to follow the will of the voters. I’m no lawyer (much to my mother’s chagrin,) but I always thought their oath was to follow the, you know, um… Constitution.
- See, this is why public education fails. How can we expect our children to succeed in life when they’re wasting time on frivilous things like music, instead of studying for the WASL?
- Manhattan District Attorney Fred Thompson won the straw poll at the WSRP’s 25th Annual Gala Dinner & Auction, leading Party Chair Luke Esser to pronounce that the other candidates (you know, the ones actually running) have their work cut out to match the support Thompson is receiving from “grassroots activists.”
Hmm. More revealing than Thompson’s victory is Esser’s definition of “grassroots,” which apparently refers to the 29-percent who bothered to vote at a $100-a-plate Republican “Gala.” Perhaps the word he was searching for was “elite”…?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMPIi03wSfY
The first in the series of three ads features VoteVets.org Advisory Board Member, Major General (ret.) John Batiste, who was commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division from August 2002-June 2005. During this time frame, he conducted combat operations in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Batiste twice voted for President Bush and is a lifelong Republican.
The Iraq War is not the political football the Republicans want it to be. This is about a president who failed as Commander-in-Chief of America’s armed forces. Failed to recognize the true threat to America’s security after 9/11, failed to capture Osama bin Laden, failed to deploy our military assets properly around the world to combat Global Terrorism, failed to allow the weapons inspectors to complete their job BEFORE committing American soldiers to fight and die in the sands Iraq, failed to listen to the military commanders before and since the misguided military adventure in Iraq, failed to use the military wisely to achieve a military success in Iraq which cannot be achieved morally, failed to involve the region in a political process to end the war.
Failure is the hallmark of conservatism in the War on Terror.
It’s time to put a stop to their arrogance of not being able to admit to their failure at the expense of our men and women in uniform and the overall readiness of our military in general.
It IS time for true patriots of America, the Constitution and the principles of our Founding Fathers to stand up and say “NO MORE.”
Please donate at http://www.VoteVets.org if you want to see these ads run nationally. Right now they are targeted in vulnerable Republican Senators and a few congressional seats.
Thanks,
GBS
For the Times to suggest that any appellate court consider anything beyond the record before it and applicable law in reaching a decision reflects civic irresponsibility of the first order. Respect for the rule of law often requires ignoring the wishes of the majority. Someone on the Times editorial board, or maybe a number of them, needs a refresher course in civics. A public flogging would also be appropriate.
Hey Barry Obama’s coming to town, and populist that he is, it’ll cost you way more than $100 bucks for whine and cheese.
Courtesy of Mr. Postman: “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will be in Seattle June 1 for two fundraisers. This will be the kickoff of his Washington state campaign.
The first event will cost from $25 to $100 per ticket and the more donors pay the closer they’ll be to the stage. That’s at the WaMu Theater in Quest Field Event Center. That evening there is a VIP fundraiser a the Westin. That will cost $2,300 for a photo with the senator, or $500 to just get into the reception.”
How’s that for elitist? Mr. Pot meet Mr. Kettle…
Delbert,
Your idiocy is truly remarkable. Democrats have lobbied for campaign finance reform. Republicans, for the most part, oppose it (Mitch McConnell in particular). In the meantime, Democrats have to raise money to stay in the game. So, there is absolutely no hypocrisy involved in Obama’s fundraising appearances out here. We are not going to disarm while the opposition loads up.
Well, Roosevelt High School has a long tradition (as does Garfield and several other WA state schools) of musical excellence. Washington State was the most represented state at this competition. I believe that Roosevelt and Garfield’s strong music programs (and academic programs) are what keep a lot of parents in Seattle high schools (and why Roosevelt’s freshman wait list is around 360).
Robert M. Morgenthau is the district attorney for NY; I’m sure Goldy was just being funny when he said Fred Thompson is (“I’m Fred Thompson, I play a district attorney on tv.”)
Delbert @ 3
True enough, but it has always cost a HELLUVA LOT MORE to see George W. Bush. Never less than $1,000 per person in the Seattle area — usually at some posh mansion on the Eastside. For Barack Obama to let people attend for only $25 is something of a blessing.
6 Nor, presumably, will there be a requirement to submit an affidavit of ideological purity, nor a sample of one’s blood to determine whether it’s sufficiently blue.
The Times gave excellent coverage to Roosevelt’s national championship, article and editorial. The P-I put a tiny blurb at the top of the arts page. Today the P-I had a large front page article on Franklin’s victory in a “whose has the most stylish students” contest. No space in the P-I for a stunning victory at Roosevelt for talent and hard work. Plenty of room for style at Franklin. There is something wrong over at the P-I.
http://www.talk.newsweek.com/p.....tem=594717
Great blog post about how Monkeyface is in danger of becoming the officially least liked President in modern history. And of course it’s all the media’s fault WAAAAH.
Fucking morons on the right. You gotta love the fact that they’re too stooopid to know when it’s all over.
The GOP grassroots, by definition, excludes the working class, retirees, and anyone else who can’t pay a minimum of $100.00 to chew the fat with the party bigwigs.
Which is why the GOP is irrelevant.
In case you’re wondering, the Democrats do things on a donations-requested-but-anyone-can-participate basis.
Which is why the Democrats are the only party that represents the PEOPLE of this country. The GOP merely represents the country’s MONEY.
I won’t attempt, at this time, to comment on the legal intricacies of the initiative case; but since the fishwrapper is waxing nonlegalistic, I’ll take the liberty of doing so, too.
There’s a certain logic to not letting the masses overrule constitutional and legislative tax policies with a simple majority popular vote. After all, the masses are asses, and they’ll vote for tax cuts every time — even when the cuts are irrational and unworkable.
For example, the vox populi will demand smaller class sizes and refuse to pay higher taxes for education on the same ballot, if you give them the chance.
@2 “civic irresponsibility of the first order”
That’s a given on the fishwrapper’s editorial page.
@3 Try getting into a GOP candidate’s shindig for $25 to $100.
@3 (continued) Last time Bush visited Medina — you know, George Bush, the president of ALL the people of these United States, who occupies a PUBLIC office and collects a TAXPAYER-funded salary — it cost $10,000 to shake his hand while outside the cops kept the public a mile away from the parade road so he wouldn’t have to see or hear the peasant-taxpayers he supposedly works for.
@3 (continued) All Republicans are fucking asshole hypocritical elitists.
3, 6 – The difference between a Republican candidate and a Democratic candidate is that you can actually SEE and HEAR the Democratic candidate even if you’re not wealthy.
GOP = government of the rich, by the rich, for the rich, and screw the people
@9 Yeah, it’s hard to believe the fuck-you-gimme-all-your-money wingnuts expect to be popular. Even the Mafia knows better than to parade themselves before the public.
15 You’re painting with a pretty broad brush there, dude.
On a slightly different subject (Hey, this IS an open thread, right?) It’s gratifying to see that more and more of Washington’s delegation in the House, from both parties, are signing on as co-sponsors of HR 2060, Jay Inslee’s bill to save Internet radio from being mugged by the Pigopolists. You might take the time to call or write your Representatative and say thanks.
Proud Libtard@4: Hit up your Hollyweird friends for it.
I’m sure
Baba Streisand has $$$
Alec Baldwin
Leonardo DiCaprio
Robert Redford
Rosie O’Donnell
etc. etc. etc.
So PelletHead@16 when you pose for the picture with Barack, please post it, since you are the “little people” who can afford the $2500!
Barack Obama is the junior senator from Illinois, with delusions he can win the presidency. George Bush is a two term president. It’s going to cost more to see the guy who won versus the wanna-bes. That’s politics.
Obama – $25 for being in the building, $100 closer to the stage, $500 for whine and cheese _at a separate event_ (no $25 admission for that one, keeps the rif-raf out), and $2,300 for a photo op.
Compare that to the snarky comment from Goldy about $100 for dinner being “elitist.” Dinner alone at any hotel ballroom is going to run $25-$50 per plate, be it the rotary club or a political event. Now who’s the hypocrite?
(Psst – Roger, here’s where you raise your hand.)
I wouldn’t pay to see that lying AWOL sack of shit Bush. In fact, I wouldn’t go see that lying fuck if he paid ME!
Delbert, Delbert, Delbert.
First, try reading for comprehension. It’s fun.
Goldy’s comments weren’t objecting to the hundred-buck-a-plate fundraiser, which is comparatively cheap as Republican dinners go.
He’s commenting on how a straw poll at that hundred-buck-a-plate fundraiser was touted as being a reflection of the “grassroots”. Somehow Mr. Esser is of the impression that the folks there at that dinner were just the regular rank-and-file of the Republican party.
You want grassroot feedback, you poll at a ten-buck-a-plate barbeque with a live band and all you can eat, while Fred gets up and signs autographs from his role on Law and Order.
But neither major party really wants to know what its ordinary members think. They want to know what the party faithful will support with money, time and sweat. The Republicans want to know who they can slip past their religious right group that might have at least a chance of not embarassing the party in November.
Fred might just stand a sliver of a chance at that, because nobody really has a clue as to what the man believes. (I believe he should go back to acting.)
We shouldn’t laugh too hard, as our party has no intention of actually listening to the vast majority of Democrats, and has publicly said so. After all, most of the folks here that vote Democratic aren’t “real” Democrats anyway.
For one thing, we like winning elections more than we like complaining about the Republicans.
I understood Goldy’s point. But my point remains, $100 per plate is neither excessive nor out of the (financial) reach of most “grassroots” Republicans.
On the socio-economic scale, I’d venture that the peak of the R-curve is to the right of the peak of the D-curve, with a large bump on the D-curve further out to the right representing the liberal guilt class. Think $400 haircuts and private jets.
@24
“For one thing, we like winning elections more than we like complaining about the Republicans.”
Then why did you run Al Gore and John Kerry?? Please.
I’d vote for Bill Richardson over Rudy G or McCain, but y’all aren’t smart enough to let him through the primaries. Heck, I may caucus with the D’s in my neighborhood and push Bill. I can speak fluent liberal, unless I slip and spout out stuff about ‘personal responsibility’ and ‘civil liberties include gun rights’.
Fred FUCKING Thompson?
What, is gopher from the Love Boat unavailable?
@ 25, Delbert
Geez, the endless obsession over the $400 haircuts – while pooh poohing $BILLIONS$ dumped down a rathole for the occupation of Iraq. Shrink wrapped billions, to simply disappear – Republicans panties must be twisted in a knot! The more they obsess over the haircuts, the more I think they are terrified of Edwards getting the nomination. I suspect many of their moderate Republican members would jump ship to ALSO vote for Edwards, especially Baby Boomer aged women who respect how he treats his wife.
Face it, the cast of characters running for president from the Republican side sure don’t look like somebody that regular, God fearing, church going, family values folks could vote for; heck, a LOT of moderate Republicans might even choose to not vote at all! All the 2nd or 3rd wives & mistresses blended into the presidential mix, I’ll bet there will be a chunk of nice Republican folks that simply don’t vote.
I’ve read Laura Bush gets her hair cut by a NYC stylist who charges $700 each cut, but nobody seems to find ANYTHING excessive about that:
http://www.salon.com/politics/.....index.html
” Meanwhile, our favorite TV nugget of the day so far came courtesy of Barbara Walters, who matter-of-factly informed viewers that Laura Bush recently had her hair done by famed New York City stylist Sally Hershberger, who charges $700 for a haircut. ”
I think if the twits in this country are basing their votes solely on a ‘haircut’, maybe there needs to be an I.Q. test performed before they are issued ballots. Perhaps all that ‘faith-based’ or ‘home schooling’ stuff is coming home to roost.
@ 25, Delbert
Geez, the endless obsession over the $400 haircuts – while pooh poohing $BILLIONS$ dumped down a rathole for the occupation of Iraq. Shrink wrapped billions, to simply disappear – Republicans panties must be twisted in a knot! The more they obsess over the haircuts, the more I think they are terrified of Edwards getting the nomination. I suspect many of their moderate Republican members would jump ship to ALSO vote for Edwards, especially Baby Boomer aged women who respect how he treats his wife.
Face it, the cast of characters running for president from the Republican side sure don’t look like somebody that regular, God fearing, church going, family values folks could vote for; heck, a LOT of moderate Republicans might even choose to not vote at all! All the 2nd or 3rd wives & mistresses blended into the presidential mix, I’ll bet there will be a chunk of nice Republican folks that simply don’t vote.
I’ve read Laura Bush gets her hair cut by a NYC stylist who charges $700 each cut, but nobody seems to find ANYTHING excessive about that:
http://www.salon.com/ politics/war_room/2005/01/20/ratings/index.html
” Meanwhile, our favorite TV nugget of the day so far came courtesy of Barbara Walters, who matter-of-factly informed viewers that Laura Bush recently had her hair done by famed New York City stylist Sally Hershberger, who charges $700 for a haircut. ”
I think if the twits in this country are basing their votes solely on a ‘haircut’, maybe there needs to be an I.Q. test performed before they are issued ballots. Perhaps all that ‘faith-based’ or ‘home schooling’ stuff is coming home to roost.
The first lady has to look good.
I am stunned Puddy @ 29!
That must be the shortest post I’ve ever seen you make.
open thread? how about KCRE slowing releasing partial info to Shark’s requests…
how come Dems in KC are so anti “the people”….they fight ballot initiatives, hide evidence, obfuscate, violate Ethics rules,
how come Publicans in KC are so anti “the people”….they file frivolous lawsuits, hide evidence, obfuscate, violate Ethics rules…
Gloomy Gus Still Stupid: If you look up Tort Reform and who is against it; you will identify with all the donk names identified in the search.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPol.....0509b.html
Still looking for free and unmitigated alien amnesty Moonbat!s?
#31: The truth can be said in few words.
Name that Tune!
@ 36:
Troop Hater.