I've written several times here about how I have never been a Hillary Clinton advocate, and how I really didn't want to have to vote for her (but I absolutely will, if she's the nominee.) I also have written about being captivated by Obama the first time I heard him speak, as so many others were, at the convention in 2004, and that I remember saying out loud, to no one in particular, "I am watching the first black President of the United States." So why am I not yet an avid Obama supporter, like so many around here? Well, I'm hesitant because I'm not really sure he's actually what many seem to think he is - and I'm hesitant because I think it's possible Obama is receptive to ideas that are personally repugnant to me and that I think are not at all progressive. Why? See below.
Robert Ball has died at age 93, and with him goes the most effective public servant I have ever seen and worked with, and the most tenacious and brilliant protector of Social Security over the last 60 years. I miss him already, and as we enter a probable new round of battles over Social Security in the next few years, the American people will miss him dreadfully without having any idea who he was or what he did for them. I explain below.
Many of you may remember the incident of a few weeks ago when a Golf Channel anchor, Kelly Tilghman, a white woman, off-handedly spoke of Tiger Woods' rivals having to take him into a back alley and 'lynch' him in order to stop his dominance. But this isn't just a story about golf or the bigotry of the white golfing world. It's about Woods' reaction, about Obama's chances in November should he ge the nomination, and about my personal despair about unacknowledged racism among my fellow white Americans. Can Obama possibly win if he gets the nomination? And this is NOT a "candidate" diary - I'm still an Edwards loyalist, but I'm also a realist. What I worry about is the pervasive racism that corrupts our entire society.
I didn't see this on the diary list, so here's a "quickie" - the appeals court has thrown out the attempted murder conviction of the first of the Jena 6 defendants, saying he should have been charged and tried as a juvenile, not an adult. Of course, the racist asshole prosecutor will keep him in jail and re-charge him as a juvenile, I imagine, but, still, a small ray of hope!
I am listening in bewildered awe to Bob Murray, the owner of the mine which collapsed trapping 6 miners underground in Utah, give a "press conference" describing the current rescue efforts. Murray is a well-known opponent of mine safety regulations - see RenaF's excellent diary from yesterday raising the question of whether this guy is a nutcase -
http://www.dailykos.com/...
What I see is a throwback to the days of Andrew Carnegie, when industrialists owned not just their companies, but effectively their workers so long as there was no union to represent the workers' interests. This guy, running a non-union mine, is controlling everything, and his behavior and language, as well as the collapse itself, raise serious questions of the role of both the Federal government in protecting mine safety, and of the state of Utah. It's hard to think of a clearer argument for unionization than this. Follow me below for more thoughts.
I am listening to the White House press briefing on C-SPAN, and it strikes me that never has a White House press secretary had a more appropriate name. Tony Snow's job description is apparently to just do a snow job on the press at every available opportunity - today's menu item is portraying Alberto Gonzales as a fine, intelligent and honest public servant. Say whaaa?!!!!
I know there's a long way between indictment and conviction, but the first shoe dropped today when a Federal grand jury indicted Michael Vick, the star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, for dog fighing. The details are horrific, but there are a couple of basic points. First, this is a widespread horrific practice, and second, local authorities were reluctant to go after Vick, either because they didn't think this was important, or they didn't want to investigate a popular athlete. The torture of these dogs inflicts unspeakable suffering, and it is uncumbent on all of us to pressure our local governments to do more to stamp this stuff out, no matter who's involved.
The Ford Motor Company, as part of its "restructuring", has just now quietly essentially terminated its retiree health insurance plan (which includes drug insurance and Medigap coverage) for its salaried retirees. They can't do this to their hourly worker retirees, who are covered by the collective bargaining agreement with the UAW, but the salaried retirees are not protected by anything - law or unions. So what does this mean? Well, I can't speak for all Ford retirees, but I can tell you about one - my mom, who at 83 has just had her world destablized. Way to go, Ford! For more, follow me below the fold.
I never thought I would be saying this - certainly not in the days early in the Bill Clinton presidency when I would chastise my male student research assistants for making disparaging remarks about Hillary Clinton's "aggressiveness", etc. I said then, look, this woman is essentially me - a professional, ambitious, bright woman who is determined to have an impact on policy. Why, then, am I saying now I don't want to vote for her, although if compelled to by the Democratic nomination process I will? Follow me below the fold for a spurt of consciousness rumination.
Did you listen to Al Gore on Countdown just now? Did you weep, as I did, thinking about the contrast with the current buffoon in the White House? Why, then, oh why, might we not get a chance to vote for Al again in 2008? Follow me below the fold.
I and others have been dismissed several times around here by ardent fans of "24" when we label it as fascist, right-wing, fear-mongering propaganda. I've been told over and over "it's just TV". Well, right now, Olbermann is discussing this very issue on his show, and I recommend you catch the repeat if you're missing it now. Particularly if you're a fan of "24". More below
I have been waiting since 1996 to have something to cheer about on election night, and goddamn it, I'm staying up all night if necessary to see if we take the Senate! Why is this so important to me? See below the fold.
Well, I was already rooting for the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, but I just found another reason. St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Jeff Suppan has made an ad urging Missouri voters to vote no on stem cell research in that state's ballot initiative. And not just any ad - an ad designed to appear during the World Series game to be broadcast tonight - which Suppan is scheduled to pitch. More below the jump.
On Hardball this hour, I learned - or rather re-learned - a couple of key things: Bush, in his interview with CNBC's Maria B., says he REALLY wants to go after his Social Security private account plan again in January, i.e., Bush is indeed batshiat crazy; and Matthews, in talking about Nancy Pelosi on 60 Minutes yesterday, thinks she looks "crazy" and "wild" and too "San Francisco", i.e., he's a sexist baboon.
I cannot believe what I just heard Bill Maher, supposed liberal, say to Wolfie on the Foley matter - he essentially blamed the pages here for leading Foley on. It's absolutely unbelievable to me that ANYONE could say "the power was with the kids" here. Absolutely stunning. More below the fold
This is unbelievable - Foley has now announced that he's seeking treatment for alcoholism. Even Soledad sound incredulous about that - "Are we supposed to believe this is why he was sending e-mails to a minor?" Uh, yeah, guess we are.
Now the question - JUST HOW STUPID DO THEY THINK WE ARE!!! Sorry for the short diary.
Edit to add: CNN is playing this up now, reporting on the story of Foley going into rehab (ho, ho, ho) and I have to say the skepticism is fairly dripping from the voices of the CNN anchors, both O'Brien and the substitute for Miles this morning in conversation with Candy Crowley. Crowley made the point that the guy is of course still responsible whether or not he's an 'alcoholic'.
Myself, I think it just gives Jon Stewart MORE material for tonight, as if he needed it.
This weekend, An Inconvenient Truth brought in $1.16 million, bringing its total to $15.04 M. This means it's the 4th highest grossing documentary ever, after F911, March of the Penguins, and Bowling for Columbine. What does this mean?
Truthout is standing by their (Leopold's?) story on both the Rove indictment and the meetings at Patton, Boggs' offices last week. They are obviously not saying the indictment is coming out today, but they are saying the story from Leopold has been corroborated, including by main stream media reporters whose superiors won't let them go public with it. Here's the link to I believe the latest from truthout - http://forum.truthout.org/...
