Not Exactly Scientific

Apparently MSNBC is running a poll asking people to give President Obama a grade on how he has done during his first 100 days. Of course the right has flooded the poll and currently are leading the numbers with about 40%  giving Obama a F. So if you have a few moments to waste, check it out and vote:

 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29493093

Sorry I can't do the link because I already voted on it. So you will have to cut and paste.

"Dead Wrong"

Those are the words that Vice President Biden used when he commented on  Darth Vader's Dick Cheney's comments that Americans are less safe today because we aren't hanging terrorists up by their toenails.

As you may have gathered from yesterday's post (Spies Like Us), I am not even remotely in favor of the tacts the Bush Administration took to "secure" our safety. And I am deeply disturbed that Obama's people are not only keeping these tactics available, but are expanding on them. Wiretapping without a warrant and sending people to undisclosed locations does not keep us safer in the end. Not only does it turn people around the world against us and create even more future terrorists, it takes away many of the basic tenants of civil liberty that our country was founded on.

But what is most intriguing about the hubbub around Cheney's and Biden's remarks is the media's response to what Biden said. 

First of all let me set some things straight—Cheney is no longer in office; he doesn't have access to the information to determine what the United States security position is.

Secondly, it is poor cricket indeed for the former administration to be so bold in their criticism this early on in the new administration's time in office. Dubya ain't doing it; his daddy didn't do it, and Clinton didn't do it. There is a time for former leaders to criticize, but it surely isn't during the first 100 days when so much is at stake. While it would appear that Cheney has indeed "gone rogue," it would be nice if someone could reign him in. (Where is a man-eating shark when you need one?)

Finally, even if it were ok for Cheney to be critical at this point, or even later when it would be in better form, there is no need to sound so gleeful about the idea of another terrorist attack on Americans. This man is practically begging someone to do something just so he can be pronounced right. That is disturbing and he just might be even more deranged than I previously imagined.

But back to Biden. Joe's response to Cheney struck me as measured and almost subdued, which is saying a lot for Biden. I mean dude hasn't always been one to watch what he says . . . . This time around, however, I feel like he struck the right tone, respectful disagreement. CNN has more here.

The Right is being critical of Biden's response (of course), as Salon's Joan Walsh details in her blog post and as seen in this MSNBC clip where she debates David Rivkin, who not only thinks that Cheney isn't insane, but also managed to get Joan's name wrong too. Classy. Biden is not the one out of line here. Not even close.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Black Lesbian Coming to a TV Near You

Now this is how I like to start off a Thursday! Fox (of all people) has just signed a contract with comedian Wanda Sykes to do a topical late night show starting in the fall. The show is expected to take the place of MadTV, but no definite night has been named for it yet.

I love Wanda Sykes. Her stand up is hilarious and she and Jane Fonda were the ONLY reasons to give Monster-in-Law a second glance. (J-Lo, who? Blech.) I for one will most definitely be setting the DVR for this one, especially if the rumors of her doing a Real Time with Bill Maher format are true.

Ole Rupert would give Satan himself a half hour time slot if he thought it would make him money.

And in other exciting liberal talk news—Air America's Ed Schultz is going to be hosting his own MSNBC gab-fest at the 6pm hour. Ed has been filling in quite a bit lately for various folks on the liberal news joint and he has a great, down-t0-earth appeal, ala Jack Cafferty, which I think will bring him a lot of viewers.

Speaking of Cafferty, he had a high time the other night on The Daily Show if you have a few minutes to spare.

Outrageous? Or Courageous?

Talk about getting your mojo back. Despite his rumored marital woes with the other Jennifer, Ben Affleck gave a standout performance goofing on MSNBC's Keith Olbermann this past Saturday on SNL. If that show would stick to politically based skits it might get its own mojo back as well.

Check it out:

Down to the Wire

The lease is up and the tenants are going to trash the joint but good before they take off. Sound like a bunch of college seniors after graduation? Nope, it is the Bush Administration taking a hatchet to our environmental regulations before January. MSNBC has the full scoop here, but some details are below:

Many of the rules that could be issued over the next few weeks would ease environmental regulations, according to sources familiar with administration deliberations.

Two other rules nearing completion would ease limits on pollution from power plants, a major energy industry goal for the past eight years that is strenuously opposed by Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups.

In Play

Chuck Todd, MSNBC analyst said this morning (I think it was on Morning Joe, but I haven't found a video link yet) that Arizona was being moved to the lean column for McCain in terms of his chances of taking the state. OUCH! Here's the text from the MSNBC site:

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann
*** Two weeks out: There are no significant changes to this week’s NBC electoral map. Obama continues to hold a 264-163 lead over McCain, which is unchanged from last week. The slight changes: We moved Georgia, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District from Likely McCain to Lean McCain. Also, we almost moved McCain’s home state of Arizona to the Lean column; the state would have been a battleground had McCain not been on the ticket. And keep an eye on South Carolina -- yes, South Carolina. The historic African-American turnout appears to be happening and could make it a single-digit race there. In sum, the political winds are still at Obama’s back. As for the Toss-up states and any that are teetering toward Obama: Colorado, Florida, and Virginia all seem to tilting the Democrat's way, but we haven't moved them yet because all three states have histories of Republican candidates over-performing polls. Unlike other maps, ours is not poll-driven. Polls are only a part of how we make our decisions on our map.

Once Again, I Give You Olbermann

Why should I trouble my pretty head to write something deep and coherent when my MSNBC crush can do it oh-so-much better?

Behold Olbermann on the recent rantings and ravings of the McCainiacs (or you can read the text here)  . .

Poll Up My Butt

We all have one, the family member who sends us chain emails that make our blood boil. I have one that recently sent me one saying John Lennon was killed because he said the Beatles were bigger than God. 

NO ONE TALKS SMACK ABOUT THE BEATLES.

Anyway, this particular relative of mine is at it again and I am afraid the spouse may hurt him or her at the most or start an email war at the least.

The latest include an email to get us to vote in an MSNBC poll about taking "In God We Trust" off US currency. And of course urging all the "good christians" to go vote to keep the phrase.

Here's the link:

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103521/

I will just let you guess how I voted . . . 

Race Days

We all knew it was a matter of time, but I kind of thought that things might hold steady on the race issue until closer to the election. But au contraire. It would seem that the end of July was a fitting time for both camps to declare the race card played.

Now I am not sure that I buy that either McCain or Obama have really brought race into things. I will say that I think McCain has been reading a bit too much from Rove's playbook before bedtime, he has gone negative after pledging not to back in April. David Shuster commented in the last several days on MSNBC that they only chance McCain has in this election is to go negative.

Frankly I don't get why people fall for this. Do you really want to live your life ruled by your fears? Let's face it, the economy blows right now, something I believe is the creation of Bush's tax cuts to the wealthy. After all that trickle down shit didn't work in the 80s with Reagan, why in hell did Dubya think it would work for him? Oh wait, he didn't, he just didn't care as long as his buddies, and more importantly his donors, were getting richer.

Life is too short, in my opinion, to be walking around like chicken little. I would rather be optimistic and hope that with some effort we can make things better and fall on my face, then sit back like the McCain camp and just assume that everything is shit and always will be, so vote Republican. Not a ringing endorsement for these ears.

But back to race. The other thing that has been bugging me all week is this talk after Obama's European tour that he is arrogant and "uppity." I have lived in the south my entire life and I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that "uppity" is just white code for a black person thinking they are as good as the white man. And God forbid any black person think they are worthy of the office of president. Like how when you say something negative about someone but soften it by first saying "Bless her heart." For instance, "My brother, bless is heart, isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer." All that means is my brother is a dip shit, albeit a blessed one.

Look we have had someone in office for over seven years now who treats it like a joke, isn't it time we had someone who took the job seriously? Wasn't the whole point of Obama's trip to show that he was president material? And then the press and others want to blast him for acting too presidential? I give up.

Stick to Your Guns

Three days later and the media (both right and the rest) are still freaking out about Retired General Wesley Clark's comments on McCain from Sunday's Face the Nation. (I bet Bob Schieffer is giggling with glee still).

Not interested in taking whatever points they may have scored from misconstruing Clark's remarks, McCain's campaign has roped Senator Jim Webb into the whole thing because he said McCain should calm down and that politics should not be mixed with the military. Dear Barbara.

For those who may have missed it, Clark simply said this:

With the nut-nut being, he praised McCain's service, but said that he had not had executive responsibility or served as a wartime squadron leader. Both true. Clark added that riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down are not qualifications for being president. Again, true.

But the best part? Clark isn't backing down. Last night he issued a press release, as well as appearing on MSNBC to defend what he said. Here's a snippet from the press release:

John McCain is running his campaign on his experience and how his experience would benefit him and our nation as President. That experience shows courage and commitment to our country - but it doesn't include executive experience wrestling with national policy or go-to-war decisions. And in this area his judgment has been flawed - he not only supported going into a war we didn't have to fight in Iraq, but has time and again undervalued other, non-military elements of national power that must be used effectively to protect America. But as an American and former military officer I will not back down if I believe someone doesn't have sound judgment when it comes to our nation's most critical issues.

And here is the comment from MSNBC (and yes I am enjoying that someone finally helped me figure out to inbed video - thanks Chad! - I am techno illiterate!)

And what, you may ask, do I wish McCain and the media had been focusing on the past three days? How about the 29 US soldiers killed during the month of June?

Dap-a-Dappa-Doo

I know that the anchors on FoxNews are "special," but this is even too much for them. One of their blonde fem-bots, E.D. Hill previewed a news bit on Obama greeting NC Governor Easley with a fist bump or "dap" describing the gesture as being a possible terrorist signal. It all happened during Obama's recent visit to Raleigh. After Governor Easley introduced him the two did the shaking hands/hugging thing and then Obama put his fist out for the well-known terrorist gesture—the dap.

Yes folks, you heard it on Fox first, NC Governor Mike Easley is a terrorist.

See more about it here from MSNBC's Morning Joe, including the clip of what Hill actually said on Fox.

Btw, Wikipedia defines the "dap" as a "form of handshake that became popularized in the white mainstream society in the 1960s originating among African Americans. The term dap may have been originated as an acronym for Dignity and Pride and was popularly used by African American soldiers during the Vietnam War even though as a tradition it has existed in the African-American community for centuries."

No Deal

I had already suspected that George W. Bush had a little too much time on his hands, but it was confirmed the other night when he, I shit you not, appeared on Deal or No Deal. I am a bit pokey in commenting on this, but goodness.

Not only did he try and crack wise about being on a show with high approval ratings, but he asked if Howie Mandel would be interested in helping do a deal or no deal with Congress on the budget.

Feel free to view the travesty for yourself.

I have been rather swamped today (when you day starts with a nightmare about your brother dangling a mangled mouse over your face, it isn't exactly a sign that it is going to be a good one—feel free to offer interpretations on that one btw) so I haven't really read any of the reactions about Clinton's Pennsylvania win.

But listen, we knew she was going to win, it all just hinged on how much Obama would erode her margin. Even if she had won by only one percentage point, Clinton wasn't going to drop out. So the media just needs to sit on it. This is going to go on for several more weeks. Just enjoy the fact that you are being given something to report on and shut up. (That especially goes to the nimrods at MSNBC who tried to imply that Obama flipped Clinton off. The dude at the end of the clip is right, this just shows how they have nothing of substance to talk about. And that is no one's fault but their own. Here are two candidates with some substance, try asking them about their policies or plans why dontcha ya?)

The Evil Empire Strikes Back

Here's another one for the file on why Wal-Mart is evil. The Wall Street Journal reported last fall that Deborah Shank, a former Wal-Mart stocker was involved in a car accident where she was hit by a semi about 8 years ago now. She ended up permanently brain damaged and in a wheel chair, requiring nursing home care. The trucking company gave her an accident settlement. After attorney's fees, she was left with $417,000 in a trust fund to pay for her ongoing care.

Meanwhile, there was a clause in her Wal-Mart healthcare plan that gave them the right to recoup any money they paid in medical expenses if someone gets a settlement from those injuries. So Wal-Mart sued Shank for $470,000.

Now her expenses are being paid by Medicaid and Social Security (i.e. you and I). Meanwhile the woman has lost her 18-year-old son in Iraq, shortly after he arrived there and due to her brain damage she doesn't always remember that he has died. Her husband divorced her in the hopes that she might be eligible for more money for her care as a single woman. She is not aware of this fact.

Apparently, many companies have a clause in their plans that allows them to pull this kind of stunt, but up until recently it has not often been used. Also, a recent Supreme Court ruling has made it easier for companies to actually proceed with these kinds of cases and get results.

Here is just another way that rising healthcare costs are hurting Americans—not just Shank and her family, but every taxpayer who is now having to bear the burden of the cost of her care so Wal-Mart (who made BILLIONS in profit last year) can put another hundred thousand in their pocket. Nice.

MSNBC's Keith Olberman highlighted this in his Worst Person of the Day segment last night. 

The Final Debate

MSNBC is billing it as Hillary's Last Stand. The final democratic debate airs tonight on MSNBC from 9 to 10.30 pm EST. The next big primaries are a week from today and do pretty much spell do-or-die for Clinton.

Yes, I know that American Idol is on tonight, so at least flip back and forth between the two from 9 to 10 pm and check the debate out—especially if you are people who are still on the fence. Something tells me that Clinton will be pulling out all the stops tonight. She doesn't have much choice at this point.