You know, I've been pretty hard on Obama these last few days. The turn around on FISA really bothers me, but, that said, this story is just nonsense. For one thing, it's no different from what he has already said he'd do. For another, wouldn't it be nice to have a president who, you know, though about things a little bit before taking action?

Posted at July 3, 2008 4:42 PM in response to Obama Suggests He May "Continue To Refine" Iraq Policies

0% from AMEX? That has got to be a sweetheart deal. I've dealt with American Express & I can tell you they are vicious bastards who will pop your interest rate through the ceiling for being one day late.

Posted at July 2, 2008 1:25 PM in response to Election Central Morning Roundup

I read it. I agree with Schmedley above, who wrote:

If you think that there's some sort of enforceable firewall built into the books of these organizations, you're incredibly naive. Most haven't created separate wings that allow them to carry on programming that might violate federal anti-discrimination regs yet accomplish their core missions. Due to the fungibility of money, many of them take the federal bucks and use it as leverage for foundation bucks that can go to core (read: religious) programming. Kinda like McCain taking federal election funds to float himself a loan. The difference is that unlike McCain, these orgs don't give the federal buck back.

Posted at July 1, 2008 10:10 AM in response to Election Central Morning Roundup

I'll send my money to down-ticket Democrats.

Posted at July 1, 2008 10:01 AM in response to Election Central Morning Roundup

I might be a little more sympathetic if the Obama campaign had spent the last two weeks smacking hell out of the Republicans, but along with all this veering right, they have adopted the toxic rhetoric of bipartisanship and let the media frame the issues. Screw 'em.

Posted at July 1, 2008 9:58 AM in response to Election Central Morning Roundup

I think I want my money back. The money I've sent to the Obama campaign & the DNC over the last few months, that is. First Obama sells out the 4th Amendment by supporting the wiretapping "compromise," then yesterday he writes off my political generation by sneering "the sixties" as if he were some kind of right-wing culture warrior, & today we get to hear about his "faith-based" initiatives. Seeing him run away from General Wesley Clark's dead-on analysis of John McCain's use of his status as a "war hero" turned my stomach. Next I expect Obama to come out for teaching creationism in public schools.

I wonder how many other of the small contributors to the Obama campaign are beginning to feel as I do. I wonder who the Obama campaign thought was sending in all those contributions during the primaries. I think a lot of them were people like me, with politics similar to mine. I wonder if the contributions will keep coming. Mine won't. I will vote for Obama in the fall, but I will do so without enthusiasm, conviction, or hope.

Posted at July 1, 2008 9:42 AM in response to Election Central Morning Roundup

I've been thinking a lot about the development of the military caste you mention and how that affected both the behavior of the soldiers and the reception of the images. This caste's status is reinforced by the constant cant of "support the troops," as well as by the idea that military service is superior to any other kind of service to society; in fact, military service and service have become synonymous -- just listen to John McCain when he says that his opponent "has never served." There is a cluster of rhetorical terms and strategies designed to underwrite the privileges of the emerging Spartan class.

Posted at June 23, 2008 3:54 PM in response to Opening thoughts and questions

You know what really makes them insane? They expect Democrats to be principled losers while they get to be unprincipled winners. This cycle isn't following that model so their heads are exploding.

Posted at June 19, 2008 7:38 PM in response to McCain Campaign: Obama's Public Finance Decision "All About Money"

Can you spell CONCERN TROLL children? There, I thought you could.

Posted at June 18, 2008 9:48 AM in response to Texas GOP Disavows Knowledge Of Racist Anti-Obama Button

These folks have signed up for the convention, they are self-selected members of the party that published this platform in 2006. Read it & see if the characterizations above are unfair. If you join a club that proudly publicizes the fact that they are bigots, I'll assume you're a bigot. Remember, not one Texas Republican complained to the organizers about this button, according to the story.

Posted at June 18, 2008 9:23 AM in response to Texas GOP Disavows Knowledge Of Racist Anti-Obama Button