June 30, 2006
Thank you, God! Now I can die happy!
Rita Cosby, the raspy-voiced minion of Satan who caused MSNBC viewers to scramble franticly for their remotes at the end of "Countdown" has been cancelled. Her show, which devoted itself to the lurid details about missing young white women, will be replaced with sixty minutes of dead air.
Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 03:42 PM | Comments (2)
Gee, Obama, way to beat us over the head
The People's Republic of Seabrook has a great post up about Senator Barack Obama's admonishment of his fellow Democrats over faith. E.J. Dionne also as an op/ed up about his comments that I'm posting in full in the SuperSize.
As a Methodist I'm one of these people of faith that Obama asks Democrats to reach out to. However, make no mistake about how I feel on the issue of Separation of Church and State for while I'm a Christian, I am an avid supporter of the secular nature of Government. While I have no problem with the 1950's addition of 'under God' to the Pledge of Allegiance, I do have a huge problem with my tax dollars going to fund a religious school (like Falwell's Liberty University).
Government combined with religion has historically had disasterous consequences which is the reason that the First Amendment was written to protect government and religion FROM one another. Both can be extraordinarily corrupting. Ask any Evangelical if they would be happy with Catholicism as the official religion of the United States. I'd be willing to bet they'd become instant converts to the correct interpretation of the First Amendment.
Still, while it's important to let 'people of faith' know that there are Democrats who believe, we shouldn't compromise to their views and interpretations. Here's a quote from Jack Cluth's post over at PRoS
I would agree with Obama that Democrats need to reach out to the Evangelical community, but let’s not be stupid about it. Let’s not compromise our principles and our beliefs in the basic humanity of ALL Americans in a cheap, transparent effort to woo a few more votes come November. Our greatest strength is that we’re NOT Conservative Republicans. We believe that the spectrum of human belief and morality is a wide and varied thing. That doesn’t make people who think and live differently by definition bad or wrong. It just makes them different…and those differences have always helped to make this great country what it is today.
Couldn't agree more.
Obama's Eloquent Faith
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, June 30, 2006; A27
Many Democrats discovered God in the 2004 exit polls.
Specifically, they looked at the importance of religious voters to President Bush's majority and decided: We need some of those folks. Off Democrats went to their Bibles, finding every verse they could -- there are many -- describing the imperative to help the poor, battle injustice and set the oppressed free.
Now, human beings often find God in unexpected places, so why shouldn't the exit polls be this era's answer to the burning bush? And a lot of Democrats insist, fairly, that they were people of faith long before the results of 2004 were tabulated.
Yet there is often a terrible awkwardness among Democratic politicians when their talk turns to God, partly because they also know how important secular voters are to their coalition. When it comes to God, it's hard to triangulate.
So, when a religious Democrat speaks seriously about the relationship of faith to politics, the understandable temptation is to see him as counting not his blessings but his votes. Thus did the Associated Press headline its early stories about Barack Obama's speech to religious progressives on Wednesday: "Obama: Democrats Must Court Evangelicals."
Well, yes, Obama, the senator from Illinois who causes all kinds of Democrats to swoon, did indeed criticize "liberals who dismiss religion in the public square as inherently irrational or intolerant." But a purely electoral reading of Obama's speech to the Call to Renewal conference here misses the point of what may be the most important pronouncement by a Democrat on faith and politics since John F. Kennedy's Houston speech in 1960 declaring his independence from the Vatican. (You can decide on Obama's speech yourself: The text can be found at http://www.obama.senate.gov/speech .)
Here's what stands out. First, Obama offers the first faith testimony I have heard from any politician that speaks honestly about the uncertainties of belief. "Faith doesn't mean that you don't have doubts," Obama declared. "You need to come to church in the first place precisely because you are first of this world, not apart from it."
In an interview yesterday, Obama didn't back away. "By definition, faith admits doubt," he said. "Otherwise, it isn't faith. . . . If we don't sometimes feel hopeless, then we're really insulating ourselves from the world around us."
On the matter of church-state separation, Obama doesn't propose some contrived balancing act but embraces religion's need for independence from government. In a direct challenge to "conservative leaders," he argued that "they need to understand the critical role that the separation of church and state has played in preserving not only our democracy, but the robustness of our religious practice."
"Folks tend to forget," he continued, "that during our founding, it wasn't the atheists or the civil libertarians who were the most effective champions of the First Amendment," but "persecuted minorities" such as Baptists "who didn't want the established churches to impose their views."
Like most liberals who are religious, Obama finds a powerful demand for social justice embedded in the great faith traditions. He took a swipe at those who would repeal the estate tax, saying this entailed "a trillion dollars being taken out of social programs to go to a handful of folks who don't need and weren't even asking for it."
But he insisted that social improvement also requires individual transformation. When a gang member "shoots indiscriminately into a crowd . . . there's a hole in that young man's heart -- a hole that the government alone cannot fix." Contraception can reduce teen pregnancy rates, but so can "faith and guidance" which "help fortify a young woman's sense of self, a young man's sense of responsibility and a sense of reverence that all young people should have for the act of sexual intimacy."
And if you think this sounds preachy, Obama has an answer: "Our fear of getting 'preachy' may also lead us to discount the role that values and culture play in some of our most urgent social problems."
Obama's talk will inevitably be read as a road map for Democrats struggling to speak authentically to people of faith. It's certainly that, but it would be better read as a suggestion that both parties begin to think differently about the power of faith.
"No matter how religious they may or may not be," Obama said, "people are tired of seeing faith used as a tool of attack. They don't want faith used to belittle or to divide. They're tired of hearing folks deliver more screed than sermon."
I think I hear some rousing "Amens!" out there -- from Republicans no less than from Democrats.
postchat@aol.com
Posted by mcblogger at 02:26 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Hairdo votes against Net Neutrality
Thanks alot, Bitchface. $13,250 is what Hairdo has received from the telco's and their lobby over the last year or so. $13,250.
Some might say Kay's a cheap date. I have to admit she's quite the value for the hard working corporation looking for a vote that will allow them to screw over ordinary Americans and ruin entrepeneurs. Indeed, she's the Wal-Mart of Senators, always selling for less.
Hairdo, we're not done with you. Not by a long shot. You better think long and hard about how you want to cast your vote if this comes up on the floor. In fact, save us all a lot of trouble and just DeLay yourself. We're done with you in Texas. You can move into a comfortable retirement in Virginia. I don't think you'll be able to emotionally handle Barabara Radnofsky kicking your ass.
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McDonald's opens in Africa
(via You Can't Make It Up)
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Not so much with the trickle down...
Bonddad, whose children I would love to have (if I, you know, had a uterus), has an excellent post up over at BOR thoroughly refuting trickle down economics.
Trickle-down economics “is the view that to benefit the wealthy is to benefit the middle classes and even the poor. Essentially, high taxes prevent upper-income taxpayers from spending and investing. By freeing them from high tax rates, their expenditures will have a “trickle-down” effect that will benefit lower income earners. However, Republican economic policies have demonstrated trickle-down economics offer no revolutionary effect. Instead, the resulting wage, investment and job growth is on par or below levels associated with an economy that uses higher-marginal tax rates on upper-income earners.
First, note that this argument assumes the top income earners have a disproportionate amount of national wealth. Why else is it necessary to free this trapped money? In short, trickle down confirms the wealthy have a disproportionate amount of assets.
Posted by mcblogger at 02:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 29, 2006
Kinky is LAME, not liberal
I know what the polls say about about Mr. Gimmick candidate, Dick Friedman. Sorry, y'all, not drinking the Kool-Aid on this one. I think his music is a joke and is writing is mediocre at best. AND NO, GODAMN IT, I'm not saying you're an idiot for voting for him because you're not. Or you may be, but voting for Kinky has little to do with it.
Nor are you throwing away your vote. Look, I know Bell is a geeky candidate but he comes by it honestly (I think it's a Houston thing?Muse, can you help me out here?) and I'm the first person who'll say this is his race to win or lose, not Grandma's and certainly not the Grinch's. My only request is for you to actually look at what Dick and Bell have to offer. Don't make a decision based on perception, make it based on reality. Kinky's going to be worse for Texas than Ventura was for Minnessota (are they even a state anymore?).
I bring this up because there is a site up called Kinky Is Awesome on blogspot. The top article is Kinky Ain't No Liberal (sic). I'm reprinting the whole thing in the SS because it's ridiculous to compare Bell to any of the other candidates who are functionally all Republicans. Sure, Kinky's dressed up in his Independent bullshit but I can assure you, he's not Independent.
Whatever you do, and I say this because I can sense it coming on like a cold, let's have a discussion in the comments, not hurl accusations and bullshit at one another. I've never had to delete comments on this blog and I don't intend to start. That being said, I'm tired of some of the holier than thou shit that get's posted. If you've got something to say, say it and try to have enough respect for everyone who'll be reading it.
They already get enough of my profanity.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Kinky Ain't No Liberal!
We've had some great comments here lately. Here's my thought from one discussion where we have been debating whether Kinky is a "liberal." I think the debate rises from the fact that Kinky often jokes that he's in favor of gay marriage because gays should be as miserable as the rest of us, but you have to take those joking comments in light of the fact that Kinky didn't vote against the amendment to the Texas Constitution which banned gay marriage. Anyway, here's my thoughts:
Let's be careful about how we use that word "liberal" here in Texas. I think you'd do Kinky less harm among Texas voters if you called Kinky a pedophile than if you called him a liberal. Texas is at least 60% Republican and if Kinky is going to win, he's going to have to do it with Republican votes (not by snipping off the pot-smoking fringe of the less-than-40%-of-voters Democratic Party because even if Kinky gets 33% of the Democrats -- which is unlikely -- that'd only get him about 13% of the vote).
Here is why I believe it is quite inaccurate to call Kinky a "liberal."
Watch this video clip. It is hilarious, it is true, and it is politically incorrect as hell. Liberal politicians are too politically correct to admit the truth that "negro is a charming word." Whatever Kinky is, he's NOT a liberal.
Next, read up on Kinky's get-tough illegal alien plan and his 5 Mexican generals plan. Kinky's common sense border security plan is the straight up "minuteman" approach, not Perry's namby-pamby "let's set up cameras" approach. Make no mistake, Kinky is the only candidate brave enough to say we need armed military generals on our southern border. This is not a liberal plan.
Now consider Kinky's party affiliation. Kinky has run for office in the past as a Republican and he voted for Bush/Cheney in 2004.
Here is an excerpt from Kinky's interview with Ruminator magazine confirms that he supported Bush's Middle East foreign policy:
Question: So does this idea of the honorable cowboy have anything to do with why you threw your support behind President Bush in this last election? You did, didn’t you?
Kinky: Yes. I did in this last election, but I didn’t vote for him the first time.
Question: Who did you vote for in 2000?
Kinky: I voted for Gore then. I was conflicted. . .but I was not for Bush that time. Since then, though, we’ve become friends. And that’s what’s changed things.
Question: So it’s your friendship with him that’s changed your mind about having him as president more than his specific political positions?
Kinky: Well, actually, I agree with most of his political positions overseas, his foreign policy. On domestic issues, I’m more in line with the Democrats. I basically think he played a poor hand well after September 11. What he’s been doing in the Near East and in the Middle East, he’s handling that well, I think.
Now maybe you are like me and you were worried that Kinky showed liberal tendencies by voting for a tree-hugger like Al Gore. Well, rest assured that Kinky was mistaken when he said that. Kinky's public voting records confirm he didn't vote for Al Gore in 2000 because Kinky didn't waste his vote on any candidate from 1994 to 2004 when he voted for Bush/Cheney.
Maybe you think Kinky's a liberal because he's a Jew. Rest assured, Kinky's views on religion are well to the right of Perry's. Kinky wants to take time during the school day for prayers in schools, and he wants to post the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.
In summary, Kinky is NO LIBERAL! In fact, Kinky charts WELL TO THE RIGHT of Perry on the issues that matter most to Texas voters.
posted by Kinky is Awesome at 10:20 PM 0 comments
Posted by mcblogger at 05:36 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Wonder if the attorney accepts Amex?
PinkDome had a post up yesterday about the political consultant in the Valley who was convicted of molestation. Or something strangely like molestation. Then today I get this from Aerialist
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Remember the Miami 7?
I posted about this last week when the news came out and apparently I'm not the only one who thinks this is about the most ridiculous terrorist investigation and arrest the US has made since they took down that guy they claimed was 'al Qaida leadership' and who turned out to be nothing more than bin Laden's driver.
Follow this link to a video of the Daily Show broadcast where they have some fun with AG Gonzales' press conference on the subject.
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Fomer CIA Director Woolsey in Austin tonight
Austin Energy (through their involvement with Plug-In Partners) is sponsoring former CIA Director Woolsey, of Set America Free, who'll be speaking about Energy and National Security. Should be a great event.
Austin Energy @ 7:00 (721 Barton Springs Rd.). I think I'm going and possibly Neumann's Machine. The Woman Who Shall Remain Nameless Because She's A Freak will likely be there as well.
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Jeb Bush is all about the double stuff
In a move that has even die hard fundamentalists baffled, Florida Governor Jeb Bush (who IS getting fat. Not chunky, FAT) gave tax exempt status on par with a museum to a theme park. Disney? No. Universal? Not so much. Six Flags? Hardly.
It was the Holy Land Experience, a live-action biblical 'museum' in Orlando, developed by a nonprofit Christian ministry. If it's a 'museum', why on Earth would they be taxed? Oh, that's right... they were originally owned by a nonprofit. Who owns them now? Good question. Maybe another nonprofit that pays it's employees extremely well. At $30 a head they'd have to paid pretty well.
Orange County Property Appraiser Bill Donegan wanted the park to pay almost $1 million in back taxes since 2001, when it opened. Donegan refused to give it full tax exemption because he questioned the purpose of the museum."I think Holy Land itself is religious, but I'm not convinced that it serves a religious purpose like a church. I guess we're going to have to find out the definition of a church. When you charge $30 for admission, is that a church?" Bill Donegan told the Associated Press.
You just know Robertson and Falwell have to be salivating over this. I give them a month or two before they settle on a location in FL in which to build theme parks.
This whole thing just makes me wonder... IS NOTHING SACRED TO THESE PEOPLE? I MEAN FUCK ALL IF THEY WON'T PUT THE FACE OF CHRIST ON ANYTHING AND TRY TO SELL IT. I guess James 4:4 just kind of got lost on them, no?
To learn more about the Holy Land Experience, including where you can get ice cream cones while walking the path Jesus took to his crucifixiton (AKA, The Way of Suffering ), check out this excellent site.
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Judge not
Lest ye be judged
Awkward Moments Abound in Penis Pump Trial
Serving on the jury in an indecent-exposure trial unfolding in this conservative Oklahoma town has been a giggle-inducing experience.
Former Judge Donald D. Thompson, a veteran of 23 years on the bench, is on trial on charges he used a penis pump on himself in the courtroom while sitting in judgment of others.
The white-handled sexual device sits before the jury box for hours at a time. Occasionally an attorney picks it up and squeezes the handle, demonstrating the "sh-sh" sound of air rushing through the contraption's plastic tubing.
The jurors sometimes exchange awkward looks and break into nervous laughter when the testimony takes a lurid turn.
Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 10:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Nanotechnology and the Environment
The DMN had a great article in the Business section recently regarding Nanotechnology, it's growing impact on the economy and possible environmental effects. As one might expect, the author cast it as innovators vs. luddites to some extent. However, it was a decent enough article and I'm posting the entire thing in the extended entry.
Nano is often touted as the future of manufacturing, a panacea for everything ranging from waste (toxic and otherwise) to the exotic materials that will allow us to build cars and planes that are extremely light, very fuel efficient and incredibly strong. There is no one who seriously doubts that nano is going to be extremely important, however the problem is that few of the developers whose current income depends on selling product, seem to know or care how their work might effect the environment. The most recent historical comparable would be working with nuclear materials before we understood the effects on human physiology of radiation exposure.
Clearly it's important and it's extremely unfortunate that the Administration has placed more emphasis on short term economic gain than long term sustainable growth with environmental protection.
As nanotech business grows, so does debate
Unknowns are cause for fear among environmentalists and others
June 19, 2006
By Victor Godinez / The Dallas Morning News
The nanotechnology industry used to be almost as tiny as its products.
Michael Hogue / DMN
Eye on nanotechnology
But now that it's on the verge of hitting the big time, some environmental groups want to slow down or even shut down the industry altogether.
The health and environmental side effects of nanotechnology are still largely unknown, they say, and not enough government regulations are in place to tell companies and consumers what's safe.
But local nanotech firms and industry backers, who want to see Texas in general and the Dallas-Fort Worth area in particular become a center for nanocompanies, say too much regulation could backfire.
They argue that although further research into the health and environmental effects of nanotechnology makes sense, squeezing the industry too tightly could send it skittering to less restrictive countries.
“We are certainly paying attention to the debates and hopeful that we don't go overboard with such restrictions that it shuts down the business before it even gets off the ground,” said Jim Von Ehr, founder, chairman and chief executive officer at Richardson-based nanotech firm Zyvex Corp.
The company has grown from $150,000 in revenue in 2001 to $10.3 million last year.
According to market research firm Lux Research, $32 billion worth of goods sold in 2005 included some type of nanotechnology, and that number is expected to climb to $2.6 trillion by 2014.
Many people are working to make sure the Dallas-Fort Worth area is where the place nanotech gets off the ground.
What is nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology is the science of working with machines and materials at the molecular level.
Generally, the size scale for something to be considered nanotech is between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is 1-billionth of meter. For comparison, a human hair is about 80,000 nanometers thick.
The value of nanotechnology is that materials built on that tiny scale often have different physical properties than their larger counterparts. For example, a lump of carbon isn't particularly tough. But when you link together individual carbon atoms in a particular way, the result is a material that is stronger and lighter than steel.
The concern from environmental groups is that those different physical properties could hurt your health or the environment if nanoparticles are inhaled or released into the water supply.
Zyvex is the best-known nanotech company in the region.
The Nanotechnology Focus Group at the Metroplex Technology Business Council in Richardson is hoping to stir up more firms like Zyvex, and the region will get a big boost this fall from a major nanotech conference in Dallas.
On the research side, scientists at the University of Texas at Dallas have done pioneering work on a material known as carbon nanotubes.
“There is a strong movement statewide for D-FW and the rest of Texas to become an epicenter for nanotech worldwide,” said Dave Hofman, one of the founders of the Nanotechnology Focus Group and an attorney with Haynes and Boone LLP.
Assuming, that is, nanotech doesn't get smothered in its crib.
Backers of the technology foresee a time when nano-size assemblers work like an army of microscopic ants, collecting piles of molecules and rearranging them into nearly any conceivable final product.
Other nanomachines will be swimming through your bloodstream, clearing clogged arteries and battling diseases.
Carbon debating
Right now, though, nanotech firms such as Zyvex are focused on developing simple nanotech materials, rather than assemblers or robots. Zyvex's carbon nanotubes are used, among other applications, by a sporting goods company to make lighter, stronger baseball bats.
But the tiny tubes and other nano materials are the subject of growing debate. Is it safe to breathe in carbon nanotubes, for example?
“If you happen to be a lab rat, and you get very, very large doses of nanotubes injected into your lungs, that's not good,” Mr. Von Ehr said.
But there are medical benefits to nanotechnology as well.
Mr. Von Ehr said, for instance, that human nerves grow well on carbon nanotubes, which could help people with damaged nervous systems regain functionality.
Fears and a fake
There are other concerns about nanotechnology.
Christine Peterson, founder of the Foresight Nanotech Institute and vice president of public policy at the think tank, said some firms are using potentially dangerous nanomaterials in consumer products just to appear cutting edge.
“I think it's a legitimate issue,” she said. “Cosmetics are not well-regulated, compared to food and drugs. They can put pretty much whatever they want in cosmetics, which is a little scary.”
Ms. Peterson said she knew of one cosmetics firm using what are known as buckyballs — basically the same material as a carbon nanotube but shaped into a hollow sphere rather than a tube — in face cream.
“They were asked, 'Why did you do this?,' and they said, 'It's a strong antioxidant,'” Ms. Peterson said. “Just because something is a strong chemical, that doesn't mean you put it in a face cream. They weren't thinking.”
“We may very well end up with some of these particles being treated as toxic waste because they're so strong,” she added.
But some nanotechnology fears are being inflamed by phony scenarios, industry backers and researchers say.
The most prominent example is a glass sealant in Germany called Magic Nano that caused breathing problems in several customers.
The environmental organization ETC Group used the occasion to repeat its call for a complete moratorium on nanotechnology product research and a recall of all products containing nanotech particles.
Although Magic Nano was ultimately found not to contain any nanotech particles, the group has not changed its position on a research moratorium and product recall.
Other environmental organizations are taking a less strict stance and trying to develop a compromise position that researchers and corporations will agree with.
One such group is Environmental Defense, which wants to see the government spend more money on researching the potential health and environmental effects of nanotech.
Creating guidelines
Scott Walsh, project manager at Environmental Defense, said that until the government gets more active in nanotech regulation, the group would like to see the companies themselves adopt some kind of voluntary guidelines.
Environmental Defense has been working with DuPont to come up with such a set of guidelines.
Mr. Walsh said most of the nanotech firms he talks to are willing to address these issues.
“It does seem like a lot of companies, broadly speaking, are trying to be proactive,” he said. “That's a good sign. They're definitely engaging on this.”
Dr. Wade Adams, director of the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice University in Houston, was at UTD recently to deliver a speech about applications for nanotechnology in the energy industry.
Afterward, he addressed some of the health and environmental concerns, saying that researchers and corporate executives are acting responsibly.
“The last thing you want is another asbestos,” he said. “No one is saying 'Trust me.' ”
Ms. Peterson at the Foresight Nanotech Institute said nanotech companies would benefit if the federal government were to certify the safety of nanotech products.
“What industry wants is a safe harbor, and they don't have that right now,” she said. “So what they really want is the government to step up and fund more research.”
But Dr. Adams cautioned that overly intrusive regulation could have unintended consequences.
“The industry is going to press on, and research is going to continue,” he said, but firms uncomfortable with the regulatory environment in the U.S. will migrate to Asia or other regions.
That's a possibility that weighs on Mr. Von Ehr at Zyvex. He doesn't want to relocate his company but has considered the issue.
“I'd rather do it here,” he said. “I kind of alternate between being depressed at things and excited that it's still a great opportunity.”
Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/ptech/generalstories2/061806ccdrPTECHnano.a0a4e036.html
Posted by Neumann's Machine at 01:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 28, 2006
Redistricting effects
So what's the fallout? At the very least CD 23 and CD 25 have to be redrawn. Collaterally, CD 21, 28 and 10 may be affected. As for what effect this will have on the balance of power in Texas, it's likely that 25 will become more Travis County centric, making it by default more Democratic. It's possible 10 may be redrawn with less of Katy and more of Travis County, giving an advantage to Democrats. Since most of the affected districts are in South or Central Texas, it's very likely the composition of the Texas delegation will change back to a D majority as soon as the map is redrawn.
The good news from today is that Henry Bonilla will be facing a tough challenge in a very short time. He'll get beat and even if he tries to jump to statewide in 2010, he's going to fail. In case it wasn't obvious, we very much dislike Henry Bonilla.
The bad news? Political gerrymandering can be done at anytime! If you're currently in a blue state, make sure your legislators remember that next January.
So when is the map change going to occur? That's the $64,000 question. It's very unlikely that it will be this year though there are rumors of another Special Session. Phillip Martin over at BOR has this about the mechanism...
The three-judge panel will have the responsibility of deciding what to do with the redistricting map. The first decision is when they redraw the map for -- this election cycle, or the next. The second decision, then, is whether they will redraw the map themselves, and accept three maps from both Democrats and Republicans, OR whether they kick it back to the Texas Legislature for them to redraw the lines during the 80th Regular Session starting in January.
So, until something more definitive comes out, I'm putting this issue to rest (at least here) unless someone else wants to rehash it. But I think they're all drunk and passed out right now.
Posted by mcblogger at 10:01 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Democrats stop lame Republican attempt to restrict free speech
All but three Republicans in the Senate (Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Senator Robert Bennett of Utah, and Senate m ajority whip Mitch McConnell of Kentucky) voted to restrict free speech by proposing an alteration to the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. The measure, which would have allowed burning of the Holy Bible and while at the same time restricting all kinds of currently protected speech, narrowly failed.
Even some Democrats voted for the bill because of threats from Republicans in Congress and the White House including Karl Rove, a well known advocate for the restriction of free speech.
(Republican)Senator Orrin Hatch, the measure's chief sponsor, said those who voted against the amendment could be punished at the polls.
Senator Cornyn, always looking for new ways to restrict the rights of honest, hard working Americans, voted FOR the bill. Please do whatever you can to help Democratic Candidate for Senate Barbara Ann Radnofsky.
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Krispy Kreme. Because Shipley tastes like ass
(FD:I own stock in Krispy Kreme. However, that doesn't make me love their doughnuts. I bought the stock because of the tasty doughnuts. That, and it was insanely cheap...but mostly because their doughnuts ROCK!)
Bonddad over at BOR has something interesting up about Shipley's. Apparently, they operate in near prison conditions. So, other than making crapy doughnuts, they also treat their employees like poop. On the bottom their shoes.
Houston-based chain Shipley Do-nuts is accused in one lawsuit of abusing employees in prison-like working conditions and in another of retaliating against an employee who filed a discrimination complaint.
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Dude! You're getting a Dell!
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- The Dell laptop computer seen bursting into flames in photographs on the Internet was being examined as part of the company's probe of the incident, Dell Inc. said Tuesday.
"We have captured the notebook and have begun investigating the event," Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden said, confirming the computer was made by Dell but declining to specify the model. No one was hurt in the incident, she said.
The report of an exploding laptop at a conference in Osaka, Japan, accompanied by digital photos, was first published on technology industry news Web site The Inquirer last week.
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R's find another way to shut down schools...
...by making it difficult for district's to bus students.
Amid rising fuel costs, the Hays Consolidated Independent School District increased its fuel budget 70 percent last year and has changed schools' daily schedules to make better use of bus routes. Taylor schools exceeded last year's spending on fuel with four months left in the current budget year. And over the next year, officials in Pflugerville are going to study whether they should change or stop any of their routes.
One MORE thing the R's left out of school finance. Everyone knew Perry's funding plan didn't go far enough but it was supported because it was the best that could come out of the recent special.
Lawmakers also approved a plan to increase education spending about $1.7 billion this year, but they said much of that money must go for specific purposes, such as teacher pay raises and incentives and high school improvements."It's a mistaken idea to think that we fully funded education with what was passed," said Ken McCraw, executive director of the Texas Association of Community Schools, which represents districts with only one high school each. "We supported the bill that passed because we felt like it was the best alternative available. But we knew it was underfunded."
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Bush and Malkin : Why do the leakers hate our country?
The SF Chronicle has a good story up. My favorite qoute...
"The disclosure of this program is disgraceful," he said."For people to leak that program and for a newspaper to publish it does great harm to the United States of America," Bush said, jabbing his finger for emphasis. He said the disclosure of the program "makes it harder to win this war on terror."
And, what story about athe press doing it's job would be complete without a mindless comment from Shelly Malkin
Dammit. These people don't know when to stop. The anonymous leak-addicted NYTimes tag team of Eric Lichtblau and James Risen is at it again. Their front-page, splashy piece posted on the web tonight
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Redistricting decision and Hammering on the roof
My housemate hired someone to reroof the house. At 8:00 this morning. So, real work is out of the question. I'm blogging instread, which qualifies as 'real work' only if I'm drunk.
And missing a hand.
SCOTUS has decided that some of the congressional redistricting done in 2004 violated Federal law. One boundary has to be redrawn so this does little to help us out. As for the assertion that you can only redistrict once a decade, the Court shit all over it.
On a different issue, the court ruled that state legislators may draw new maps as often as they like — not just once a decade as Texas Democrats claimed. That means Democratic and Republican state lawmakers can push through new maps anytime there is a power shift at a state capital.The Constitution says states must adjust their congressional district lines every 10 years to account for population shifts. In Texas the boundaries were redrawn twice after the 2000 census, first by a court, then by state lawmakers in a second round promoted by DeLay after Republicans took control.
That was acceptable, the justices said.
"We reject the statewide challenge to Texas redistricting as an unconstitutional political gerrymander," Kennedy wrote.
Now, to all of you who didn't see this coming, this is reality. There is no other appeal. We know the stakes. Let's get to work and give ourselves the ability to redistrict every Republican out of existence in 2007.
Posted by mcblogger at 09:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Texas Democrats need your help
Got this today and wanted to remind everyone... PLEASE MAKE THESE FOLKS MAPCHANGERS! We've heard that Bell and Radnofsky are in the top five which is why they're last in the voting order.
Dear Fellow Texans,Many of you have received emails or seen blog posts asking for votes for the Texan slate of candidates in the Mark Warner Mapchanger contest.
Thanks to the Texas Unity ticket, Chris Bell and Barbara Radnofsky have gotten into the Top 5, and appear poised to bring $5,000 to both of their campaigns. It appears they are secure to remain in the top five!
John Courage (TX-21) is sitting RIGHT OUTSIDE of the Top 5. We have an opportunity to bring another $5,000 to Texas if we can get him into that 5th slot. We also want to ensure that Chris and Barbara stay where they are. If John gets into the Top 5, we will have a unique "Texas Triple Crown" with not only having three candidates in the Top 5 of THIS contest, but it will make John Courage the Democracy for America Grassroots All-Star, the Feingold Progressive Patriot, and a Warner Mapchanger.
NOTE: This is instant runoff voting. If you don't put these candidates in this order, you can actually push John further down the list instead of into the top five. We are very confident from the rumors we've heard that Bell and Radnofsky are secure in the top five and that John is just below the bar.
The ideal ballot would be in this order (it only takes a second to vote) to show the country that Texas is more purple than it is red:
1st Vote: John Courage TX-21
2nd Vote: Ted Ankrum TX-10
3rd Vote: Mary Beth Harrell TX-31
4th Vote: Chris Bell TX-GOV
5th Vote: Barbara Radnofsky TX-SENPlease take a minute out of your day and vote THIS all-Texan ballot by clicking here:
http://www.forwardtogetherpac.com/mapchangers
and let the rest of the country know that Democrats are alive and well in Texas!
Time is of the essence. Thank you for your help and support.
Democratically yours,
Glen Maxey
Posted by mcblogger at 12:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Dan Dodd endorsed by Wes Clark
I love it when Texas Congressional candidate's get some attention from the national politicos.
"Dan Dodd has proven himself as the kind of leader Texas deserves to have in Washington, DC. From West Point through active duty in the Air Force and on into private life, Dan Dodd has earned the faith and support of every Texan who believes we can and must do better to help the American people face the many challenges we face both at home and abroad. That is why I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Dan Dodd and fully endorse his campaign for Congress"
This is great news of Dan who's fighting to take the CD 3 seat from Sam Johnson. Good luck, Dan and CONGRATULATIONS!
Posted by mcblogger at 12:28 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
June 27, 2006
Tolls, bad politics and Sal Costello
Rawhide at Pinkdome pointed out some articles in the AusChron about some of the fabulous new toll roads being built. While I feel like we got the shit end of the stick here in Austin when it comes to infrastructure, I am happy that the 45 Tollway will be operational within 6 months. Why? I hate sitting in traffic and I wanted the problem solved now, not 2020. That's not to say I wouldn't mind the toll concession being seriously rewritten if we retake the Lege this year. However, I'm not going to pull a nutty and go all Sal Costello on everyone's ass if they don't do it.
The two articles in the Chron are both over toll roads here in Travis County. The funniest thing about them is that they only mention Sal Costello ONCE. You have to know Sal. He's the spokesdemon for the Texas Toll Party who tried to unseat Mike Krusee during the R primary (they failed) and get rid of Austin Mayor Will Wynn (they failed) as well as Austin City Councilman Brewster McCracken (they failed... seeing a pattern?). Sal Costello is probably the reason the TTP and their parent PAC, People for Efficient Transportation (PET PAC - charming, no?) can't get any traction. Just take a look at the blog Sal runs. Entertaining, I know. This is the same place where Sal posted all manner of nasty crap about Karen Sonleitner, Travis County Pct. 2 Commissioner. Sal spent a lot of the PAC's money to get rid of Karen in a very ugly way including accusing her of sleeping with everyone involved in CAMPO.
His next target? Mark Strama. Sure, he'll probably fail but in the meantime he'll be just as nasty and childish as possible so give Mark some help when you can.
See what we're dealing with up here? Costello's devious, he's nasty and the only saving grace is that he's not nearly as smart as Karl Rove.
So why even mention the articles from the Chronicle (or this rather excellent piece written by State Representative Eddie Rodrgiuez who is beloved by everyone at Team McBlogger (we love you, Eddie! Call us!)? Because they represent a shift in strategy for those in western Travis County who are interested to finding solutions other than elevated toll lanes (side note... Rep. Rodriguez is rightly pissed that the eastern Travis County is beaing the brunt of toll roads...). These people would normally fall into Costello's orbit, but they're instead setting up their own groups and working with others to bring about a better solution to Austin's traffic nightmare WITHOUT THREATENING AN ELECTORAL REVOLT OR ENGAGING IN THE KIND OF CHARACTER ASSASSINATION THAT WOULD MAKE A SOAP OPERA WRITER BLUSH.
Check them out here and here. Now, if only they could get some similar groups going in eastern TC... ideas?
Posted by mcblogger at 12:27 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
TX Governor's Poll - Analysis
K-T over at BOR has the poll up and the cross tabs. The three little pigs are all holding close together which isn't new. Chris Bell is beginning now to consistently edge out C4N3P (about time!) and the only suprise is Kinky's continued strength... but hey, it's only June.
Perry, as we expected (we sooo rock because we're smart 'n shit), is starting to decline. I have a bet going with a certain someone at a consultant shop here in town that Perry won't break 32 in the general. I think I might win it. The only thing that worries me is that Perry might still win even with that.
(ed note: check out the link behind Bell's name to throw him a few bucks ahead of the cutoff on Friday!)
Posted by mcblogger at 11:43 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Paulson Confirmation : Trent Lott just can't help being creepy
I'm watching the Paulson confirmation hearings (PLEASE! NO MORE CHARTS, DEMOCRATS!) and they've allowed Mississippi Senator Trent Lott to speak, always a dumb idea.
TL: I'd like to thank you for taking on this job and I promise we won't hold being a cradle robber against you since it's obvious that's what you did since you've been married so long to the same woman and she seems too young and I want to congratulate you on your good judgement.
I wrote this from memory but that's was almost verbatim. He couldn't just say "I'd like to thank you for taking ont hsi responsibility and congratulate you on your marriage of 35 years to your wife, ______"?
Posted by mcblogger at 10:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
My Coke Rewards...
So, I'm sitting here and can't sleep at 4 am looking at my newly emptied bottle of Coke on the table. (Of course, I'm not going to think about the fact that it might be why I'm still up, but whatever, fuck that I say.) On the wrapper next to where I can learn that I've just consumed 22% of my daily carbohydrates and 3% of my sodium, there is some new slogan thing telling me to go to mycokerewards.com.
So I got to thinking, 'cause there ain't nuttin' else to do, how in the hell is this coke rewarding me? I mean, maybe if it were a drug THEN we'd be getting somewhere.
What would you do with coke rewards? (Or cock rewards because god knows that's what I typed first every time I tried pecking the keyboard for that damned word in this entry.)
Posted by spamburgler at 04:12 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
...And already Rove's strategy is falling apart
This article from Bloomberg.com went up last week, not long after I wrote this regarding the Republican strategy for this year's elections. When Bloomberg columnists are taking you task, you got problems especially if you're a Republican.
Before the congressional Republicans insult those looking for a course correction in Iraq, they should read the latest book in the growing body of literature on the Iraqi war, ``The One Percent Doctrine,'' by Ron Suskind, author of an earlier book in which Bush's first Treasury secretary, Paul O'Neill, said the administration was set on invading Iraq long before it stumbled onto the idea of yoking Saddam Hussein to 9/11.Suskind starts by rewinding to that moment, when if attention had been paid, 9/11 might have been stopped. The opening anecdote puts a lie -- yet again -- to the oft-repeated claim that no one could have imagined al-Qaeda launching an attack domestically.
Yep, you know she's heading to Crawford, August 2001. She goes there and tears the R's apart for a few more paragraphs in the SuperSize.
So When Will President Bush `Cut and Run'?: Margaret Carlson
June 22 (Bloomberg) -- As the Iraq war is being hotly debated in Congress, it's easy to know the players without a scorecard. The Republicans are the ones chest-thumping about supporting the troops, their commander-in-chief and staying the course. Democrats not totally in favor of staying the course are the feckless creatures who only want to ``cut and run.''
If you name the terms of the debate, you have it nearly won. Stay the course is generally positive -- conjuring up steadfastness, loyalty, being tough when the going gets that way. Forget that it is frequently the wrong advice, even for some troubled marriages.
``Cut and run'' denotes cowardice and has most often been used to describe a soldier leaving a comrade to die on the battlefield. A despicable charge has been rendered merely deplorable by mindless repetition from note cards by members of Congress and talk-show hosts. It doesn't define the casting about for a solution to a mess that defies one.
The debate isn't pretty, but at least there is one. Both sides cite the two soldiers whose dismembered bodies were just recovered. Those opposed to the current course say it's another reason to reduce our presence there. Republicans say it shows we have to root out every last terrorist and that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was right to call the Geneva Conventions ``quaint.''
Al-Qaeda Standards
How dare the Red Cross worry over the dinner menus for enemy combatants or who's getting to read the Koran when the other side is a bunch of barbarians?
The idea of holding America to the standards of al-Qaeda is ludicrous. If I were the parent of one of those soldiers, I'd want to rip off the head of al-Zarqawi's successor, who is said to have ordered the massacre, or failing that, some terrorist closer at hand. But if I'm the U.S. government, I do no such thing. It's why we're a nation of laws and not of men.
Before the congressional Republicans insult those looking for a course correction in Iraq, they should read the latest book in the growing body of literature on the Iraqi war, ``The One Percent Doctrine,'' by Ron Suskind, author of an earlier book in which Bush's first Treasury secretary, Paul O'Neill, said the administration was set on invading Iraq long before it stumbled onto the idea of yoking Saddam Hussein to 9/11.
Suskind starts by rewinding to that moment, when if attention had been paid, 9/11 might have been stopped. The opening anecdote puts a lie -- yet again -- to the oft-repeated claim that no one could have imagined al-Qaeda launching an attack domestically.
Bush Is Briefed
A CIA analyst told Suskind of flying to Crawford, Texas, during Bush's month-long vacation to brief him personally on the Aug. 6, 2001, memo titled ``Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S,'' a memo prepared when there had been increasing intelligence traffic about an impending terrorist attack. After listening, Bush dismissed the staffer, saying, ``All right. You've covered your ass, now.''
When you hate government, everyone in it is an ass-covering, dreck-producing bureaucrat. Bush returned to his mountain bike. No one pushed the urgency of tracking al-Qaeda traffic. Tapes of operatives discussing a possible 9/11 attack sat in the in-box of the National Security Agency, untranslated until after the attack.
The book reveals that Democratic critics aren't alone in having their patriotism challenged. Those in the administration who put forward competing information ``prompted accusations of disloyalty'' and were quickly exiled after being told that the president preferred to follow his gut.
Bush's Gut
Bush's gut told him many things the intelligence community couldn't verify or contradicted -- that Saddam had tried to buy yellowcake uranium, that aluminum tubes purchased were of the sort used to process it and, according to Suskind, that the captured terrorist Abu Zubaydah represented a huge catch as ``one of the top operatives'' of al-Qaeda.
Suskind shows that American intelligence knew all along that Zubaydah was a mentally ill, low-grade cog privy to nothing. Nonetheless, having hyped his capture, Bush pressured then-CIA Director George Tenet to conform his gut to the president's.
``I said he (Zubaydah) was important. You're not going to let me lose face on this, are you?'' Bush asked, according to Suskind. Tenet, obsequiously grateful to have kept his job, replied, ``No sir, Mr. President,'' an echo of his earlier purported promise to deliver a ``slam-dunk'' case for the war.
`Last Throes' Cheney
Under White House and Justice Department direction, a mentally disturbed man was water-boarded, sleep-deprived, starved and beaten until he finally revealed plots to destroy shopping centers, banks, the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. The U.S. then would ``leap into action, screaming at every word he uttered.''
Even those who believe drowning is too good for Zubaydah might regret millions of dollars wasted protecting the country from fantastic, groundless threats.
But not Cheney, whose ``one percent doctrine'' says that if a terrorist threat is high-impact enough, it justifies responding as if it were definitely going to happen. Hello, Iraq. Although Cheney believes his doctrine has foiled many attacks, Suskind reports for the first time on one -- a cyanide-gas attack on the New York subway in 2003 -- not foiled but abandoned by al-Qaeda for reasons unknown.
On Monday, the vice president stood by his prediction that the insurgency was in its last throes, made in May 2005, qualifying it with ``I don't think anybody anticipated the level of violence that we've encountered.'' That's no one except everyone not on the White House payroll and some at the State Department who were.
Bush's qualifier to stay the course -- ``we will stand down when the Iraqis stand up'' -- is a nostrum better suited to a needlepoint pillow than war councils. It does lend Bush total flexibility. When will the Iraqis be ready? When the president pronounces them so. And then he will cut and run.
(Margaret Carlson, author of ``Anyone Can Grow Up: How George Bush and I Made It to the White House'' and former White House correspondent for Time magazine, is a Bloomberg News columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.)
Posted by mcblogger at 12:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 26, 2006
Maxey to join Chris Bell campaign
It wouldn't be on the internets if it wasn't true.
This is good news, although we still reserve the right to make snide remarks about Chris Bell's guidance counselor personality
Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 05:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
How To Talk Dirty To A Naderite
Oooh, you've been a BAD third party...You've been very very naughty not working within the two party system, haven't you?... I think you need a spanking for all the bad naughty things you caused to happen in Florida back in 2000....Know what I'm going to do? I'm going to PUNISH you....that's right. I'm going to keep your candidate off the state ballot....uh huh...you know you like it when I make you run as a write-in candidate....oh yeah....take that...squeal like a libertarian!.....
Posted by at 05:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
So I guess R consultants work on product placement in the off years?
The LA Times (full text in the SS) recently ran an article on the excellent data collection skillz the R's have developed in the form of their Voter Vault. Apparently, they can target you from miles away and thousands of feet in the air, tie you to some random issue and barrage you with crap about voting for Republicans.
The results in the 50th Congressional District did not merely illustrate the potential inadequacy of the Democratic strategy for the November elections; they foreshadowed a much bigger and more startling story line: That even in the face of Republican scandals, sour approval ratings, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and growing public rejection of President Bush's policies in Iraq, the Republican Party still holds the lead in the art and science of obtaining power — and keeping it.
We're also pretty sure they are responsible for those obnoxious penis enlargement emails as well. And the penny stock tips.
Why they couldn't apply this same amazing technology to the hunt for Osama remains a mystery (what gives, yo?). I mean if they can identify an African-American mom in Ohio who's pro-life and plays golf, Osama should be a piece of cake. Right?
The GOP knows you don't like anchovies
Unpopular Republicans still own the art of politicking.
By Peter Wallsten and Tom Hamburger, who cover national politics for The Times. Their book is "One Party Country: The Republican Plan for Dominance in the 21st Century."
June 25, 2006
FOUR DAYS before this month's special election in San Diego County to replace imprisoned former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Republican strategists back in Washington were worried. In addition to voter discontent with GOP leadership and the looming shadow of scandal dominating the campaign, Democrats appeared to enjoy yet another advantage: More absentee ballots were being submitted by Democratic voters than by Republicans.
The advantage did not last long. Jolted to life, the GOP machinery revved into high gear as activists poured into the district. They scoured the party's computer database for sympathetic voters who had requested absentee ballots but had not yet submitted them, knocked on their doors and called them on the phone. Suddenly, thousands of additional votes had been secured, and by election day, the GOP had turned around a costly deficit — with 10,000 more Republicans than Democrats voting absentee.
That final flurry of absentees, along with other forms of voter targeting, contributed to a surprising GOP victory that cut through the heart of the Democrats' broader 2006 election strategy. Rather than using Cunningham's criminal role in a lobbying scandal to turn the special election into a preview of how they could translate a "culture of corruption" into a national revolution in November, Democrats watched in disappointment as a Republican lobbyist won the race — and as the Democratic candidate performed barely better than presidential nominee John Kerry had in that same district two years before.
The results in the 50th Congressional District did not merely illustrate the potential inadequacy of the Democratic strategy for the November elections; they foreshadowed a much bigger and more startling story line: That even in the face of Republican scandals, sour approval ratings, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and growing public rejection of President Bush's policies in Iraq, the Republican Party still holds the lead in the art and science of obtaining power — and keeping it.
The fact is that over two or three decades, the GOP has painstakingly built up a series of structural advantages that make the party increasingly difficult to beat. And in the last five years, it has strengthened its hold under President Bush and his political guru, Karl Rove.
Democrats need a net gain of 15 seats in the House and six in the Senate to take power. And Republicans may well suffer some setbacks. But if the GOP retains control of Congress despite such a gloomy political climate — or even if it keeps control of just one chamber and narrowly loses the other — party leaders can rightfully argue that their long-term goal of constructing a lasting political majority remains viable.
The Republican fortress has many underpinnings, such as gerrymandered congressional districts that favor the GOP, an intellectual infrastructure that churns ideas through conservative think tanks and media, an ever-stronger political and policy-based alliance with corporate America, and the most sophisticated vote-tracking technology around.
Some of the GOP advantages are recent developments, such as the database called Voter Vault, which was used to precision in the San Diego County special election. The program allows ground-level party activists to track voters by personal hobbies, professional interests, geography — even by their favorite brands of toothpaste and soda and which gym they belong to.
Both parties can identify voters by precinct, address, party affiliation and, often, their views on hot-button issues. Democrats also use marketing data, but Voter Vault includes far more information culled from marketing sources — including retailers, magazine subscription services, even auto dealers — giving Republicans a high-tech edge in the kind of grass-roots politics that has long been the touchstone of Democratic activists.
As a result, Republicans have moved well ahead of Democrats nationally in their ability to find previously unaffiliated voters or even wavering Democrats and to target them with specially tailored messages. Voter Vault, although it is a closely guarded GOP trade secret, is nevertheless easily accessible to on-the-ground campaign workers and operatives should they need to mobilize votes in a hurry.
One suburban African American woman in Ohio, for example, told us that though she tends to vote Democratic, she was deluged in 2004 with calls, e-mail messages and other forms of communication by Republicans who somehow knew that she was a mother with children in private schools, an active church attendee, an abortion opponent and a golfer.
The database was honed and expanded after the 2000 election recount, when strategists such as Rove and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman vowed that they would never again permit Democrats to outperform the GOP in a national campaign. Mehlman, who worked in Bush's first term as White House political director, used the months following the recount to study the Democrats' get-out-the-vote efforts. "It was like they had all the planes and the bombers, and we had horses," Mehlman said, referring to the Democrats' once-superior ability to harness labor union activists and other liberal groups to reach voters and get them to the polls.
The new-and-improved GOP database helped Republicans begin to peel away select pieces of the old Democratic base, such as politically conservative and pro-Israel Jews, as well as socially conservative blacks, Latinos and blue-collar workers. In Cleveland, Republicans in 2004 compiled a list of Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants who they knew backed Bush's stance against Islamic terrorism, then organized a rally entirely in Russian on the Sunday before the election.
Bush and other Republicans have also sought support from highly influential African American pastors, who are gaining power in swaying votes. The courtship of the pastors has come in part through a special office in the White House devoted to funneling government money to church-based social service organizations — a program that has drawn enthusiastic support from black churches that have, in turn, provided GOP candidates entree into terrain long dominated by Democrats.
Although Bush's national performance among blacks did not increase by much between 2000 and 2004, there were significant increases in key areas. In Ohio, a 7-percentage-point rise among black voters for Bush created the cushion he needed to carry that pivotal state and secure reelection.
Perhaps more than any other administration, the White House of George W. Bush has mastered the art of mixing politics and policy and keeping track of how federal government decisions can affect even obscure local elections. Rove, with a broad portfolio and extraordinary influence, introduced a new political doctrine, effectively putting the federal bureaucracy and the bully pulpit of the White House in the service of GOP political ends.
All administrations are political, of course. But never before has the White House inserted electoral priorities into Cabinet agencies with such regularity and deliberation. Before the 2002 midterm elections, for instance, Rove or Mehlman visited with the managers of many federal agencies to share polling information and discuss how policy decisions might affect key races.
In 2002, Rove told Interior Department officials of the importance of helping farmers in Oregon whose political support was crucial to Gordon Smith, a vulnerable Republican senator. Within months, perhaps because of Rove's exhortations, the agency did just that, supporting the diversion of water from the environmentally important Klamath River for the sake of irrigating farmland. Thousands of salmon eventually died in the newly shallow waters. But the senator secured his reelection.
Other pieces of the plan preceded Bush and Rove. The legendary political genius Lee Atwater masterminded a long-term campaign to redraw congressional district lines, which has given Republicans a long-term edge in House elections that is difficult to reverse.
Some Democrats unwittingly lent a helping hand to this strategy. Incumbent Democratic members of Congress, along with African American and Latino politicians at the local level, put their party at risk by cooperating in the early 1990s with Republican efforts to redraw the boundaries of electoral districts across the country. Individual Democrats and black and Latino politicians benefited by winning elections, but the overall result was a stronger Republican grip on legislative seats at all levels. With Democratic voters packed into urban minority districts, adjacent suburban and exurban districts sent more white conservatives to Washington.
These changes, along with gerrymandering by both parties on the state level, were so pervasive that they left only about two dozen of the 435 seats in the House competitive in any typical election.
This year's elections are only one test of the Republicans' long-term plan to transform American politics. Unless Democrats eliminate these structural and strategic deficits, the GOP will continue to govern what has become, in effect, a one-party country.
Posted by mcblogger at 05:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
How to talk to a dirty Naderite
Have I ever mentioned I hate Nader?
Posted by mcblogger at 01:26 PM | Comments (23) | TrackBack
Warren Buffett is a Great Man
I love Warren Buffet. He does not believe in dynastic wealth. He believes in an egalitarian meritocracy. As he said in the press conference, "Your place in society should not be determined from the womb you came from."
Way to go Warren.
Posted by genvc at 01:08 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
This just in...
Jury Recommends Death Sentence for Barber
That must have been one shitty haircut!
Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 12:38 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Rhett Smith announces presidential bid, name change
No, it's not a joke. 2004 CD 21 Democratic Candidate Rhett Smith, who shocked folks earlier this year by switching parties and running against Grinch for the Republican gubernatorial spot, has announced that he is a candidate for the Republican nomination for President. We assume of the United States though a move from the US to another country would not be a suprise and Rhett is definitely all about suprises.
Please notice at the top of his site that his name has changed as well. Smith shall now be known as Rhett Smith Conservative.
Democrats expressed dissapointment over the loss. "Who'd we lose? What was his name?", TDP Chair Ritz Richie said. Travis County Democratic Party Chair Chris Elliot just laughed when told the news and walked briskly past a group of reporters eagerly awaiting his reaction. Over the loss of Rhett Smith Conservative, nee Smith.
(FD- I actually volunteered with Smith's campaign in 2004 but that was because he was a Democrat and I drew the short straw. )
Posted by mcblogger at 10:36 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Vespa going public?
Oh, goodie!
From the AP via the SF Chronicle
Vespa Maker Piaggia Goes Public - By COLLEEN BARRY, AP Business Writer Wednesday, June 21, 2006(06-21) 12:02 PDT MILAN, Italy (AP) --
Nothing on wheels more personifies Italian style than the Vespa scooter, whose carefree spirit was immortalized by Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck circling Rome's piazzas in the 1953 film "Roman Holiday."The Vespa's familiar curved frame has a found a place in design museums and in the hearts of Europeans, who first hopped aboard simply to get around after World War II and who still cling dearly to its handlebars as they zip through clogged streets.
Now, as the Italian icon turns 60, the company that makes the Vespa is about to go public.
The move is a sign of Piaggio & C SpA's return to health after being rescued from the verge of collapse by Roberto Colaninno, the former Telecom Italia chief executive whose holding company Immsi SpA bought Piaggio in 2003 and brought the company to record sales in two years.
"The IPO is the conclusion of the rescue started at the end of 2003, and the result of agreements signed at the moment of the decision to save the company," Colaninno told reporters Tuesday after presenting the company's portfolio to potential investors. "We have a strong young boy who is now ready to walk on his own."
Europe's largest scooter-maker by revenue, Piaggio is selling a 31 percent stake raising between 274 million euros and 348 million euros ($346 million and $440 million) during an initial public offering that ends July 5. Shares are priced in a range of 2.30 euros to 3 euros ($2.90 to $3.79), valuing the company at between 886.8 million euros and 1.16 billion euros ($1.12 billion and $1.46 billion).
Uhm... yeah, I'd rather have the shares than the scooter. Granted, they may not be that profitable but it's not bad for a European manufacturer. Further, NEVER underestimate how sucessful a company can be with a premium signature product. Think Apple with the iPod...
Posted by mcblogger at 09:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Don't get Stapled moves to a new home
K-T over at BOR has promoted a post by the very fine people at Don't Get Stapled who are proud to announce that they have moved from Blogspot to their own domain at Don'tGetStapled.com . At their new home they are continuing their excellent work showing Texans exactly what kind of a shallow politico the R's have put up as a candidate for Ag Commissioner against Hank Gilbert.
Todd was pretty pathetic as a State Senator which may explain why people in Palestine (a city in his Senate district),even on the Republican side, are ready to cook this sad, sad turkey.
See what I'm saying? PATHETIC. I hate fake cowboys.
Posted by mcblogger at 01:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Pot Belly
From WTF.com
OMAHA, Neb.
Police in Omaha, Neb., report finding a man's pot stash hidden in a roll of stomach fat.
Officers said they stopped the 5 foot 8 inch , 250-pound man because his car was blocking traffic.
According to authorities, when an officer smelled marijuana in the car, he searched the man and found a baggie of the illegal weed.
The man was ticketed on suspicion of possessing less than an ounce of marijuana and obstructing traffic.
Posted by mcblogger at 12:05 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
June 25, 2006
China and Africa - A relationship in the making
Bloomberg.com has a great piece up by William Pesek Jr. on the impact of China's budding relationships across the African continent (full text int he SuperSize). Africa, rich in natural resources and a labor market just waiting for an opportunity, is increasing looking to the East for development partners.
As Pesek points out, there are obvious problems with the relationship especially given China's rather pragmatic attitude towards it's foreign partners (hear no evil, see no evil). However, there are some tremendous opportunities for Africa to go on the fast track to a better economic future.
William Pesek Jr. is a columnist for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.
China May Be Africa's Savior or Its Curse: William Pesek Jr.
June 23 (Bloomberg) -- More than being scooped on a story, journalists hate being wrong. Examining where we erred and why can be an invaluable learning experience.
My reports from Africa six years ago are a case in point. After spending some time in Cape Verde, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania in 2000, I wrote that Africa was about to boom. Leaders seemed to be getting serious about reducing debt and corruption and increased trade with the U.S. promised to boost living standards. For the most part, I was wrong.
After decades of false starts and shattered promises, African economies being left behind may have finally found a way out of despair. It's not international aid or debt relief. It's China.
In fact, it's not just China that holds the potential to boost Africa, but India, too. ``China and India shouldn't be viewed as competitors or clients, but as contributors to Africa's development,'' Jakaya Kikwete, president of Tanzania, said earlier this month.
China and India offer models for globalizing economies as a means of reducing poverty. While both still have far to go, their journeys could offer a roadmap for African nations struggling to get on investors' radar screens. More importantly, demand for resources from Asia's No. 2 and No. 4 economies could be quite a boon for Africa.
``The hunger of China and India for commodities is an opportunity for Africa to create significant wealth and global champions in that sector,'' James Goodnight, chief executive officer of U.S. software company SAS Institute Inc. and co- chairman of the World Economic Forum African Summit, told the Xinhua news agency this month.
Blessing or Curse?
Of course, a sudden windfall could do the opposite: make Africa even more complacent.
``The risk is that African countries that are currently benefiting from the demand will not invest current profits in long-term priorities -- education, health care and infrastructure,'' Goodnight said.
The global commodity boom could lead to a dynamic akin to the ``oil curse'' that lulls nations rich in energy, gold, diamonds or other underground treasures. With so much money rushing in, there's little incentive to create industries to employ the masses. Once the resources are depleted, Africans could be worse off. Cheap Chinese goods may hurt some African companies, too.
China pursues a policy of non-interference with nations' domestic affairs. That see-no-evil-hear-no-evil approach could come at a cost if corruption worsens.
Risks Abound
Another risk is that Africa becomes vulnerable -- if not addicted -- to Asian business cycles. The specter of developing economies relying almost solely on other developing ones for growth may not sit well with investors.
Even so, rising commodities demand offers Africa a rare opportunity to repair government coffers, reduce debt and improve education, health care, roads, bridges and power systems. It's a chance to expand manufacturing and services and make African economies more competitive.
Thanks partly to Asia, African nations on average are experiencing their fastest growth in 30 years. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicts that African growth will average 5.8 percent this year.
Generalizing Africa's experience is always dicey. In a way, the continent is still trying to get out from under Bob Geldof's shadow.
Opportunities, Too
In 1984, Geldof's Band Aid project produced an album to raise money for famine relief, anchored by the title song ``Do They Know It's Christmas?,'' which left the impression that Africa is a place where ``nothing ever grows; no rain or rivers flow.'' Africa, it's important to note, has its success stories, including Botswana and Ghana.
Looking ahead, economies with rich oil reserves -- including Angola, Sudan and the Republic of Congo -- have a great advantage. Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Nigeria also are increasing energy exports to Asia.
``China will remain hungry for commodities over the coming 15 years,'' said Tamara Trinh, Frankfurt-based economist at Deutsche Bank Research. That's why Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is on a seven-nation African tour just two months after President Hu Jintao visited Nigeria, Morocco and Kenya.
Asians will be buying more and more iron ore from South Africa, manganese from Ghana, cotton from Benin, Mali and Burkina Faso, coffee from Kenya and Malawi, copper from Zambia, diamonds from Botswana, fish and shrimp from Namibia, gold and platinum from Tanzania and Zimbabwe, cocoa and gas from Ivory Coast, tea from Uganda, sugar from Mauritius and chemicals from Senegal.
Latin America's Turn
Asia's rise also will boost a number of Latin American economies, Trinh said. China and India may buy increasing amounts of iron ore from Brazil, copper from Chile and Peru, soybeans from Argentina and Paraguay, meat from Uruguay, foodstuff for animals from Peru, oil and gas from Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela and nickel from the Dominican Republic.
Africa is benefiting from Chinese investment, too. Chinese companies are bidding aggressively for projects to build hydroelectric dams and pipelines, pave roads, upgrade ports and lay railroad tracks. The upgrades will spread the benefits of growth.
Asia's rise won't ensure a vibrant future for Africa; it's had way too many false dawns for that. Yet Asia is offering the continent a rare opportunity to add steam to its economies. It's a chance for Africa to get things right this time.
(William Pesek Jr. is a columnist for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)
To contact the writer of this column:
William Pesek Jr. in Tokyo at wpesek@bloomberg.net or
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Waking up to MLWTTKK
I have my alarm set to radio and got a real treat this AM. My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult spinning into The Verve. I think the alarm is set to 94.7 so if you're out