While the god fearing all American Clinton and Mccain campaigns are telling you over and over and over again that Reverend Wright is in no way experienced, patriotic or Christian enough (in the right way) to be President...they're also trying to pull a fast one with their proposal for a "gas tax holiday".
Clinton has been repeating on the stump in North Carolina "My opponent, Senator Obama, opposes giving consumers a break, I understand the American people need some relief."
Who wouldn't want some relief? And who wouldn't want a holiday? Holidays are FUN! Why does Barack Obama hate American holidays?!
Actually what senator Obama opposes is possibly the stupidest piece of legislative political pandering and short sighted vote grabbing we've seen this year. What Senator Obama is opposing is legislation that does nothing but put more money into the coffers of Big Oil (Yes, that would be the same big oil this gas tax holiday is supposedly penalizing). Legislation that not even one expert thinks is smart policy. Legislation that does nothing but encourage more people to drive during the busiest driving season of the year (thereby increasing carbon ommisions and harming the environment just that little bit more...) and ultimately legislation that does nothing but put chump change in the consumers pocket.
And thats pretty much what Senators Clinton and McCain are banking on...chumps to vote for cutting off their nose, again, for chump change.
Thomas Friedman not only nails it...he outlines how such short term back slapping nonsense has been and will be responsible for even bigger problems in the future.
"But here’s what’s scary: our problem is so much worse than you think. We have no energy strategy. If you are going to use tax policy to shape energy strategy then you want to raise taxes on the things you want to discourage — gasoline consumption and gas-guzzling cars — and you want to lower taxes on the things you want to encourage — new, renewable energy technologies. We are doing just the opposite."
On the question of a three-month gas tax holiday -
"John McCain started –he made the proposal. Then Hillary Clinton said, ‘Me too,'" Obama said just now in Winston-Salem, NC.
"It would last for three months and it would save you, on average, half a tank of gas," he said. "That’s what Senator Clinton and Senator McCain are proposing to deal with the gas crisis. $25 to $30. Half a tank of gas."
"This is the problem with Washington. We are facing a situation where oil prices could hit $200 a barrel. Oil companies like Shell and BP just reported record profits for the quarter. And we're arguing over a gimmick to save you half a tank of gas over the course of the entire summer so that everyone in Washington can pat themselves on the back and say that they did something," he said.
"This isn't an idea designed to get you through the summer, it's an idea designed to get them through an election..." Barack Obama - Winston-Salem, NC. 29/4
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
82 year old Jean Weiss in one moment of pure distilled honesty and openess sweeps away all the bullshit. All the cynicism, punditry, 24 hr news cycle nonsense and reminds America (and the world) that everything just might turn out to be okay after all.
"Don't hit on Hillary, bring us all back, let her do that stuff. Leave her alone, you don't need to do that, you are higher than that. Bring us up higher than that."
Our crack team of research boffins here at Castle Wingnut, have spent the last 4 minutes combing through the very fine details of this historic presidential race and have not only come to the conclusion that Hillary Clinton is The Black Knight...shes also quite clearly a loony. Who'd have thought a British comedy from 1975 was relevant political parody(?) in 2008?
Hillary is in deep with her lies about Florida and Michigan. She is in so deep she is living in a fantasy and trying to drag the rest of us along with it. The following post overviews in chronological order the pledges and the various positions taken by Hillary Rodham Clinton.
(August 2007) Hillary signed a pledge along with the other democratic presidential candidates not to campaign or participate in the Florida and Michigan primaries.
She signed a pledge that said:
[the DNC]... will strip states [Florida and Michigan] of 100% of their delegates and super delegates to the DNC National Convention if they violate the nomination calendar...
THEREFORE, I _______________, Democratic Candidate for President, in honor and in accordance with DNC rules, pledge to actively campaign in the pre-approved early states Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina. I pledge I shall not campaign or participate in any election contest occurring in any state not already authorized by the DNC to take place in the DNC approved pre-window (any date prior to February 5, 2008). Campaigning shall include but is not limited to purchasing media or campaign advocacy of any kind, attending or hosting events of more than 200 people to promote one’s candidacy for a preference primary and employing staff in the state in question. It does not include activities specifically related to raising campaign resources such as fundraising events or the hiring of fundraising staff
The Pledge - http://www.fladems.com/page/-/documents/THREE_pledge_versions.pdf
The pledge has a number of elements:
The DNC will strip 100% of pledge and super delegates from states that hold their elections before february 5
The Candidates pledge not to campaign which is defined as "purchasing media or campaign advocacy"
"It does not include activities specifically related to raising campaign resources such as fundraising events or the hiring of fundraising staff."
(10 October 2007) Four candidates took their names off the Michigan ballot Hillary Clinton, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kuchinich and Chris Dodd leave their names on.
Senators BarackObama of Illinois and Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware - joined by John Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, and Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico ... - declared yesterday that they would not be candidates in the state's primary. Senators Hillary Clinton... Chris Dodd ... [Dennis Kuchinich and Mike Gravel - who, like all of the Democratic candidates, have pledged not to actively campaign in the state - chose to remain on the ballot.(Boston Globe 10 October 2007)
List of Candidates on the Michigan Ballot http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/pdf/mipp108.pdf
All Candidates left their names on the Florida Ballot Why?
...[Florida] law allows candidates who wish to withdraw from the Florida primary to do so by filing an affidavit stating that he or she is not a candidate for President of the United States of America. In other words: to get off the ballot in Florida, a candidate has to swear that he or she isn’t running for President.
The Official Statement - http://www.fladems.com/page/content/makeitcount-faqs/#q17
(11 October 2007) Hillary assures New HampshireRadio Listeners that Florida and Michigan Primaries Don't Count.
"I share your pride in New Hampshire being the first primary state... I signed the DNC pledge not to campaign not to spend money (leaving out the not to participate)... I personally did not believe it made a difference whether or not my name was on or off the ballot... It wasn't in my view meaningful but I am not going to absolutely say there is a total ignoring of the people in all these other states... (When pushed)... It is clear this election they are having is not going to count for anything...I am not going to campaign... I am not going to spend any money but I didn't believe it was fair to say good bye Michigan I am totally dedicated to New Hampshire."
The Audio - http://www.nhpr.org/node/13858 (It is at the 22 minute mark)
(15 January 2008) Michigan Primary Results
56% Hilary Clinton 31% Uncommitted (Obama, Richardson, Edwards, Biden) 9% Dennis Kucinich 1% Mike Gravel
What percentage of the uncommitted votes should go to Obama, what percentage should go to Edwards, Richardson and Biden?
(29 January 2008) Hillary Makes a Victory Speech after the Florida Primary
(5 March) Hillary's Texas Ohio Victory Speech where she claims she won Florida and Michigan
You all know that if we want a Democratic president, we need a Democratic nominee who can win the battleground states just like Ohio. And that is what we've done. We've won Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, Arkansas, California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. And today, we won Rhode Island, and thanks to all my friends and supporters there.
(13 March 2007) Hillary Tries to Argue that Michigan was a Fair Election (Even Though 'uncommitted' Represent Four Candidates!)
"The democratic party said they would not count the votes but we all had a choice to participate in what was going to be a primary"
The Democratic Party said that 100% of the pledge delegates and super delegate of states that hold a primary before 5 February would not count. On August 2007 Hillary Clinton agreed when she signed the Pledge above. That same pledge binds the Presidential Candidates not to participate in the primary, this was not a choice. In this interview she misrepresents both positions. The misrepresentation - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88165077
(5 April) Hillary tries to give legitimacy to Florida and Michigan
In a speech on 5 April Hillary neglects to mention the fact that she signed a pledge that said that 100% of the pledge delegates and super delegates would not count in States where their primaries were held prior to 5 February 2008. She also forgets the pledge she made to the New Hampshire radio caller that the "election will not count for anything".
Some say their votes should be ignored and the popular vote in Michigan and Florida should be discounted. Well, I have a different view," Clinton said at a rally here. "The popular vote in Florida and Michigan has already been counted. It was determined by election results, it was certified by election officials in each state, it's been officially tallied by the secretary of state in each state, and the question is whether those 2.3 million Democrats will be honored and their delegates seated by the Democratic
Hillary's Website Claiming SHE HAS WON MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA
The Claim - http://www.hillaryclinton.com/hq/florida
Florida We Won in Florida!Thank you for all your dedication and hard work. On January 29, Florida voters spoke loud and clear for Hillary, and she is committed to making sure that their voices are heard at our convention. Michigan
We Won in Michigan! Thank you for all your dedication and hard work. On January 15, Michigan voters spoke loud and clear for Hillary, and she is committed to making sure that their voices are heard at our convention.
This time line shows how Hillary Clinton's position on the primaries in Michigan and Florida has shifted overtime. Her calls to now count the results are calls to change the rules in the middle of the game are to improve her electoral position. She was not arguing about the disenfranchisement of Michigan and Florida voters in August 2007.
(Terry Mcauliffe, former DNC chair and current overlord of the Hillary Clinton for President committee, loves Fox News)
Hannity loves Hillary, Ann Coulter loves Hillary, Rush Limbaugh loves Hillary, Karl Rove, Frank Luntz, Pat Buchanan, Bill Kristol, Dick Morris, Bill O'reilly and Richard Mellon Scaife, we're through the looking glass people...
According to Bill Clinton anyhow. In North Carolina today - "Today her opponent's campaign strategist said, 'Well, we don't really need these working-class people to win, half the time they vote for Republicans anyways."
"The Clintons are prepared to use any argument, any Republican tactic, and any social or cultural division to stay in the game. By tactically morphing into Rove Republicans, they are deliberately pivoting off a myth about Obama to make him unelectable."
"After this presidency, after eight years of war and debt and torture and deceit and cynicism, to see the Democratic party self-destruct is really something. They were given a chance to remake the country and regain their soul; and the Clintons could not bear it if they were not the vehicles for such a shift. I don't believe anyone in the Democratic party can or will stop them. This is a kamikaze mission."
When you're 25 points up with 2 minutes to play on your home field, and you only end up winning by 10 points against a rookie...thats not storming to victory. Thats dodging a bullet. Thats not the "comeback kid" thats dropping the ball when you should have sealed the deal.
UPDATE - Make that currently a 9.2 point win as of this morning. Still technically double digits i suppose.
When attempting to incriminate and smear your opponent in a desperate cynical effort to keep yourself relevant...make sure a simple background check, or what the internet calls a "google search", doesn't point out you're the one actually incriminated by them.
"And that is what is so great about the internet. It enables pompous blowhards to connect with other pompous blowhards in a vast circle jerk of pomposity."
