73 posts tagged “politics”

Ted Kennedy is in the hospital with stroke like symptoms.
I hope he's ok.

Hmm, so since I've lived about half of my life in Oregon and half in California I was in Oregon for the *cough* height of the Oregon Citizens Alliance and their anti gay ballot measures back in the 90s.  Besides the death with dignity laws, and stem cell research here in Cali, Measure 9 in Oregon is probably thee one thing I've been able to vote on that got me most worked up.  They had tried to claim it just meant gays wouldn't be given "special rights" in regards to hiring, housing, etc.  Because you know how being out of the closet gets you treated so well especially in the more hick areas of Oregon, I mean it's not like we had a family friend that dropped out of school because of the abuse he got over being gay there.  The actual text? 

"All governments in Oregon may not use their monies or properties to promote, encourage or facilitate homosexuality, pedophilia, sadism or masochism. All levels of government, including public education systems, must assist in setting a standard for Oregon's youth which recognizes that these behaviors are abnormal, wrong, unnatural and perverse and they are to be discouraged and avoided."

Yeah they were a great group, since pedophilia is already illegal it was clearly just designed to discriminate against gays.  I was wondering if they still existed as I never heard much of them after Measure 9, and figured with things like domestic partnerships in Multnomah county and Cali legalizing gay marriage just one state away, they must be in an uproar is they still exist. 

Imagine my surprise when I found that John McCain spoke at an OCA dinner back then. 
"After McCain agreed to attend the 1993 fundraiser for the OCA, an Arizona newspaper columnist headlined it this way: "Hate group finds friend in McCain." Then-Sen. Mark O. Hatfield, R-Ore., encouraged McCain to back out, but McCain felt he couldn't."

I'm sorry unless he lived in a cave back then or didn't talk to ANYONE in Oregon ever or didn't watch the National news (OCA and Measure 9 wasn't just on Oregon news back then it was a national, if not international story), he knew what the OCA was.  *adds this to the reasons to dislike McCain*

As expected Hillary won West Virginia big.  Good for her.

What's bad for America is that she and the press have essentially turned it into a purely racial / class issue.   Basically Hillary and exit polls in nice and sometimes not so nice ways have painting this as a win because "white working class" voters won't vote for a black man.  In fact in the ways I've seen it described they've all but said "uneducated old white hicks living in the country" won't vote him in the general election.  Did they use those words?  Not they used terms like "No college education" or "rural" or explained that it was the oldest block of voters we've seen this far.  But repeating it over and over the implication to me did scream exactly what I said. 

Well that's nice.  And I don't care how loudly the Hillary crowd scream it.  I don't care if old people living in the country are racists.  That's not a reason to steal the nomination from him just to insure we get a nominee that can win those votes.  That isn't what the Democratic Party is about.  And to keep implying it is, it's offensive to me.  I love the Democratic party and I don't like how this is going down, so please stop it.  To imply the voters are voting on issues but if Hillary loses the nomination will stay home or vote McCain?  Umm so Hillary's issues are most closely related to that of a Republican?  Or these voter are too dumb to know Obama is most likely to have some of the same stand on issues she has?  Or... ???  Yeah... Thought so back to race.  Some of us weren't raised that way, and don't care if other voters were.

I don't remember the exact quote, but Chris Matthews said something like if Hillary uses the word White one more time they'll start calling her the White Al Sharpton and he's probably right.

John Edwards was just on Morning Joe.  *sigh*  We really missed out not having him as our president.  But, he's been working with organizations that do various things related to the issues of poverty since dropping out.  I admire him greatly.  He didn't say who he's endorsing but did say basically who he just voted for will be who he endorses and implied that he and Elizabeth voted for different candidates.  I'm betting he's endorsing Obama if he endorses at all.  He also pretty much said whoever wins better be tacking issues related to poverty and he doesn't care if he's in a political office or not he'll be fighting to be sure those issues are getting attention, and I believe him.

Hillary needs to shut the.... up...

 "Senator Obama's support among working, hardworking Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."

"There's a pattern emerging here," she said.

Yeah there's a pattern emerging that you're now sounding racist.

In non political news:

A creative commons music site: http://www.jamendo.com/

How does your show get ratings?  You're not insightful. Republicans who actually believe in something and who believe in what this country is supposed to stand for should be ashamed of you.   Denounce and reject... etc.

"I'm now tempted to tell superdelegates to pick Obama because I now believe he would be the weakest nominee."  Really?  Since when would superdelegates listen to YOU?  Gonna call them up are you?  Idiot.  I saw the clip of you saying it, sounding as if you're so important to American politics that even superdelegates would just blindly do anything you tell them to do.  Last I checked they're the most die hard Dems around.  They'd probably not take your call.

I wish if you voted dem or republican in the primary you had to vote for the same party in the general.  Not very American, I know.  But I think trying to sabotage an election is very UnAmerican.  It failed.  But you still make me ill. *I* vote based on what I think is important in this country.  I don't think voting is a joke or a game.  People died creating this county and making sure we'd have these rights.  If you think it's a game... well you're a jerk off.

NBC NEWS:  Obama win North Carolina and Indiana too close to call.    Err I could swear Hillary just said she won Indiana.  Maybe it just sounded like it when she asked for money and claimed that Indiana would be the tie breaker and raised her hand in the air like the winner would.  I did sleep during the day and not very awake yet.  She is leading there 53% - 48%.    I was kind of hoping I'd wake up to her losing both, then she pretty much couldn't go on.  Now she's saying she needs more money because of course he'll win states if he out spends her, blah blah.  Really, out spent or attacked him so hard he had so much negative press it was probably more coverage than his ads could have made up for and he still kicked your ass in N. Carolina, and it's because you've gone so negative I think.  STOP SOUNDING LIKE A REPUBLICAN.  You've made me, a loyal to the Clinton "brand" Democrat, become not loyal and sick of it.

PS - once again asking for a state to count where only YOU put your name on ballot, where Edwards didn't where Obama didn't because the rules you agreed to said it wouldn't count = CRAP.  Yeah every state and every voter should count.  But not like that.  Argggggggggh.  That sounds a lot like both Bush elections.  Yeah.  Sounding like a Republican!

PPS - Keith Olberrman and Tim Russert are on MSNBC pretty much making it sound like Hillary is in too much debt and is closer to ending this than we all think.  Errr... and that they think a truce could be in the making.  Umm k... I guess asking for money was her trying to pay her bills then?   They're saying she is supposed to meet with her super delegates tomorrow and the total vote count in Indiana is pretty important to how this goes.  Umm think I totally heard her speech wrong :P  Or... this is why they get paid and are the experts. heh

Ok people, do your research.
A. The gas tax holiday won't pass
B. The economic experts almost all say it's "political pandering", bad policy, will probably raise gas prices, will put people out of work, will stop road construction, etc
C. As much as gas prices suck umm yeah it could be worse, the news mentioned my Dutchies... they pay FOUR DOLLARS A GALLON IN TAXES ALONE.   We must use a hell of a lot more than they do.  So we create the demand and hurt the environment, but they're paying in taxes what we're paying total... so umm yeah we have it easy.

In summary, if you're voting and are making your decisions based on things like who CLAIMS they'll give you a few months break on gas taxes (without telling you what it will really cost you) or who has a bad former minister or who might be a Muslim (yeah I'm hearing on the news that e-mail is still going around -- I never got it, I have smart friends), then do me a favor and educate yourself before going to the polls.

So Deborah Jeane Palfrey aka the "DC Madam" committed suicide after being convicted of crimes that she'd not have had to commit if prostitution were legal.  While her clients are out living their lives... Right Senator Vitter?  I feel so sorry for this woman's mother who had to find her daughter hanging, dead.  I'd assume because she'd rather die than face prison.  If prostitution is going to be illegal why don't the men get the same blame.  Get put through the same shame, legal process, etc.  I know she had to "launder the money" etc.  But they aided in that didn't they by paying her?  Why do they get to go on to stay *cough* well respected *cough* businessmen or politicians while the women are always dragged through the mud publicly?

Meh we're such a stupid society.  Why should we care if some guy wants to pay someone for sex.  If they're of age to consent who are we to say they cannot work out deals.  Let's see legal = less court cases aka costs the government less.  Can collect tax money on the earnings = makes the government money.  Legalized like in Nevada = health regulations = safer.  Legalized = no need for the women to launder the money.  Legalized = instead of investigating people's sex lives of consenting adults all of these agents could be, I dunno looking for child molesters, rapists, murderers, real criminals?

Besides, when talking about consenting adults it's really difficult for me to see an issue with things like prostitution, gay marriages, etc.   All of these taboo, ev0l, horrible things that will ruin society -- that involve people of age to make legally binding contracts for themselves (no things like gay marriage don't open the doors to sex or marriage with animals - they can't legally consent) - the objections against them always come from people who get caught DOING them.  PROSTITUTION IS BAD... really why'd you go to one?  GAYS ARE BAD... really why did you have sex with one?  Flipping hypocrites, just make all CONSENSUAL SEX LEGAL WHEN IT INVOLVES ADULTS AND NO ONE WILL CARE ABOUT YOU DOING IT ANYMORE.  You made it taboo.  Yet somehow, you go on with your nice happy little lives and the women pay. 

Politics:
Hmm Insomnia posted yet another interesting post, I'll just let you read his post here instead of ranting about it myself as he rants far better than I do ;)   But basically, it seems that voters in predominately black areas of NC received calls explaining they only needed to sign and return their voter packets -- WITHOUT VOTING, to be eligible to vote.  In other words a. they clearly think these people are stupid and b. this woman's organization targeted mostly black voters trying to suppress their votes.  I'm a news junkie and haven't seen it on mainstream national news yet so, errm... wtf?

In other political news, mom once wanted to nearly disown me because I liked the Clintons.   That was before Hillary ran in this election.  Hillary has now convinced me that she's a closeted Republican so I no longer support her and with Edwards gone I support Obama.  My sister has taken up my to be disowned spot by announcing she'll be voting for Hillary in the Oregon Primary, heh.

Dutch:
I have picked up my Dutch books only to, as predicted, read the first few chapters, again!  BUT, I also have Pimsleur beginner Dutch CDs and have listened to lessons 1-6 (of 10 lessons I think) during the last few days.  So far, since it is beginner stuff, it's a lot of hello, how are you types of things.  Which is good, I know to spell those things I'm hearing.  Lesson 6 has moved onto the would you like something to drink types of things.  Eeek.  I always said the Dutch letter g scared me, and it does.  But hearing the word "graag"  eeek.  *hides*  I know it's nowhere near the worst, but it's the first gr word and multiple letters g word I've heard.  Oh man if I tried to say that in front of a Dutchie they'd be laughing for a year.  Guess I have to go back to being an American now.

Health:
So I slept on and off from 4 am until 4pm yesterday.  We've been having record high temps for this time of year.  It's finally supposed to drop down now... to record lows possibly.  Ugh.  My body doesn't like when the weather jumps all over the place.  Especially not when record highs start early in the year.  Brain aliens in full effect.  Pain alien been around.  Exhaustion alien.  MS IS NOT HAPPY.  MOTHER NATURE MAKE UP YOUR MIND ABOUT THE WEATHER!  In fact if I get extra ranty or mess up lots of words, yeah, brain aliens around, sorry.

Politics:
Hmm ok as a politics geek, my prediction for tomorrow: Obama loses but by hmm.... 5-7% maybe a little more.  Whatever, it's going to be a lot less than the polls claimed about a week ago.

Gas:
Since answering Windy's comment earlier, gas price averages in Cali went from $3.81 to $3.86.  $4 coming soon to a station near you.  As goes California, so goes the nation... if I understand it right, we're mostly just higher because we have different / higher standards so ours costs more.  Or so they claim, wonder who gets to test gas standards?

Art:
I'm working on one digital painting that should be done but the eyes are driving me nuts, I'll say no more until it's done.

MS:
Am fighting brain aliens.  Not so much pain alien this time but exhaustion alien was kicking my ass so bad today it probably looked like I was hacking my own MM account, and I'm a flipping admin there, heh.  Exhaustion alien not helped by Dutchie waking me up at 8 am when I fell asleep at 3 something and didn't sleep nearly enough all weekend.  Also temps fluctuating a lot (all over the place from the high 50s to high 90s almost 100) during the past week or two hasn't helped, that makes the MS Brain aliens soooo mad.

Mijn Favoriet:
Did manage to have an almost coherent good chat with mijn favoriet for a few despite being fighting the aliens.  Almost coherent, I meant to say someone is NOT ev0l and said they ARE ev0l.  Ooopsie, good thing he knows me and corrected me for me ;)

Brian:
Brian's going a little crazy from some freelance he's doing so he'll be buying his MacBook for his bday early (his bday is May 31st, we'll be at the Apple store next weekend).  But he decided to use his freelance pay to buy it as freelance money = money he'll owe taxes on next year = buy computer to help with freelance since the guy he does this extra work for, his business is all Mac = tax deductible = makes sense.  *nods*  And now that John Adams aka his first small screen credit is over... his first big screen credit is coming to theaters in September.  We'll be going and watching credits, of course.  I told him as long as his full time job (first hire in "Hollywood") is taking to make, he's gonna have like 20 credits before his first work hits the screen.

Me:
How did I write this much?  Hmm to sum up me, one word: zzzzzzzzzzz